Issues of Global Import

8 December 2003


Geneva Accords Declare Mid-East Peace -- Fighting Continues
A Mid-East peace agreement was signed amid much fanfare and international applause not long ago. Jerusalem was to be shared as the capital city of both Israel and Palestine. The Israelis agreed to live within their pre-1967 borders (more or less), and the Palestinians have given up the right of return. Unfortunately, no one who participated in the signing ceremony matters a damn. Worse, they have probably put off a resolution of the conflict by many years. Click here to read Kensington's Opinion.

Russians Sink Kyoto Deal -- Where's the Protesting?
There was no noise from the green corner last week as the Russians decided that the Kyoto environmental treaty was not in their national interests. "The Kyoto Protocol places significant limitations on the economic growth of Russia," was the way Andrei Illarionov, one of President Putin's best and brightest, worded it. It was followed by intense silence from the global union of militant tree-huggers. Quite the double standard -- and it illustrates why so many Americans get annoyed with critics of the US. Click here for more.

Commonwealth Reviews Zimbabwe's Suspension
Last week's Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting [CHOGM] in Nigeria had a long and fruitless debate of the suspension of Robert Mugabe's government that is currently misruling Zimbabwe. The CHOGM decided to create a six-member working party to look into whether the suspension should continue. If the group decides that Mr. Mugabe should be invited to rejoin, then the Commonwealth is even more of a joke than ever. Click here to read why.