BRITAIN

BRITAIN

The Independent, London, Sept. 23: First the riot police went in, then the bulldozers. By the time their work was done, the makeshift migrant camp on the outskirts of Calais had been wiped away. Politicians on both sides of the Channel expressed their conviction yesterday that this will help solve the migrant problem that has plagued the French port for almost a decade. If only it were that simple.

Troubled states

First, politicians should look to where the migrants in this area originate. Most are from troubled states such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. If governments want to get to the root causes of the migration problem, rather than simply treating the symptoms, they should be making greater efforts to stabilize those nations and reduce the incentives for their populations to seek a better life elsewhere. Second, our leaders need to dispense with the fantasy that it is within their power to control migration flows.

LATVIA

Diena, Riga, Sept. 23: (T)he secret report of the top U.S. and NATO commander, in which he admits the possibility of the joint mission’s failure, reignited the debate on the desired strategy in this country.

The secret document’s appearance in the media in and of itself attests to the top military commander’s conviction of the need for additional forces and his wish to urge the White House to make the decision. A general’s job is to tell politicians how to win the war, and the options for doing so, yet leaking this to the press can be interpreted as a lack of trust in politicians to make the right decisions. U.S. President Barack Obama must make a decision based on both the political situation in Afghanistan and the growing weariness of the war in the both the U.S. and the coalition states.

Model democracy

If “victory” is not defined as establishing a model democracy in Afghanistan, then there’s a chance of achieving it. ... If a sharp increase in troop numbers in Iraq stabilized the situation and helped Iraqis establish control over themselves, the same can be done in Afghanistan since any additional forces would be used not in operations against insurgents but for civil defense against insurgents’ attacks.

LEBANON

Daily Star, Beirut, Sept. 18: U.S. President Barack Obamas decision to shelve plans to base a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe is a welcome sign of his departure from the war-mongering policies of his predecessor. The decision has already prompted sharp criticism from Obamas Republican rivals, who claim that the new U.S. president is compromising America’s national security. But the truth is that Obama’s move will probably go a long way toward making the United States and the world safer.

Costly defense plan

Supporters of George W. Bush’s costly defense plan argued that it was necessary in order to ward off threats from Iran. But even after tens of billions of dollars were spent developing the advanced missile-interceptor system, the Pentagon could offer no guarantees that it would actually work in realistic conditions.

Obama said ... his administration had reassessed the threat of Iran’s missiles and had concluded that it could be countered with cheaper defense weapons that have a proven track record of working. The conclusion touches on an issue of major concern: the tendency of world leaders to exaggerate threats.