Nicolas Sarkozy, who had clashed with Turkey over role of Nato, says new two-tier military structure will be established Western allies and Turkey have reached a breakthrough deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, senior UK and French sources have told the Guardian. The deal, being finalised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of international coalition partners involved in the Libyan campaign. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of determined Turkish opposition, that a new two-tier structure will be established to run the operation. Nato “assets” will be used to co-ordinate all aspects of the military campaign against Libya, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, conceded that Nato would be in control of the entire operation. Political oversight will be in the hands of a Nato-led committee, modelled on the body that oversees the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan. Isaf is led by Nato, but includes countries outside the alliance, such as Australia and New Zealand. The coalition against Libya includes Arab countries, such as Qatar, that are not in Nato. The breakthrough came in a conference call between Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Alain Juppe and their Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and France, which have been involved in bitter exchanges, reached agreement on the new structure. The agreement was put to a meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels this afternoon. Diplomatic sources said they “99% there”. One said: “There are a few last minute wrinkles. It has all moved rapidly.” Hague had told MPs he was hopeful of a breakthrough. He said: “On the question of command and control, we are still working some of that out. The simplest and most effective solution is for all of these operations to come under the North Atlantic Council [Nato's main political decision-making body] and for other countries to plug into that, to work with that. “We have made a great deal of progress. “We should understand this is a new coalition, put together very quickly for obvious reasons, and so there are bound to be issues to sort out in its management. But we are getting through those pretty well. I will be discussing the remaining issues with Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and with my French and Turkish counterparts to try to iron out the remaining difficulties on future Nato command and control. The nations involved in this operation – their representatives are able to meet in Brussels on a regular basis.” Earlier, Turkey attacked Sarkozy’s and France’s leadership of the military campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations. The criticism, from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül, followed attacks from the Turkish government earlier this week and signalled an orchestrated attempt by Ankara to wreck Sarkozy’s plans to lead the air campaign against Gaddafi. With France insisting that Nato should not be put in political charge of the UN-mandated air campaign, Turkey has come out emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. The row came as France confirmed that one of its fighter jets had destroyed a Libyan air force plane, the first to breach the no-fly zone since it was imposed on 19 March. The Libyan G2/Galeb trainer aircraft was destroyed by an air-to-ground missile just after it landed at an air base near the rebel-held town of Misrata, a French military spokesman said. The clash between Turkey and France over Libya is underpinned by acute frictions between Erdogan and Sarkozy, both impetuous and mercurial leaders who revel in the limelight, by fundamental disputes over Ankara’s EU ambitions, and by economic interests in north Africa. Using incendiary language directed at France in a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on.” President Gül reinforced the Turkish view that France and others were being driven primarily by economic interests. “The aim [of the air campaign] is not the liberation of the Libyan people,” he said. “There are hidden agendas and different interests.” Earlier this week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy’s chief adviser, outraged the Muslim world by stating that the French president was “leading a crusade” to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Erdogan denounced the use of the word ‘crusade’, blaming those– France chief among them – who are opposed to Turkey joining the EU. The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday’s summit in Paris which presaged the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign. The dispute over Libya appears highly personal, revealing the bad blood simmering between the French president and the Turkish prime minister. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president. But the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. “Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this,” complained Erdogan. “I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France.” While the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is also opposed to Turkey joining the EU, she has voiced her objections moderately, Sarkozy has declared that, culturally, Turkey does not belong in Europe, but in the Middle East. France has blocked tranches of Ankara’s EU negotiations on the grounds that it should not be seen as fit for membership. Libya France Turkey Nicolas Sarkozy Middle East Nato Europe Ian Traynor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Nicolas Sarkozy, who had clashed with Turkey over role of Nato, says new two-tier military structure will be established Western allies and Turkey have reached a breakthrough deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, senior UK and French sources have told the Guardian. The deal, being finalised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of international coalition partners involved in the Libyan campaign. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of determined Turkish opposition, that a new two-tier structure will be established to run the operation. Nato “assets” will be used to co-ordinate all aspects of the military campaign against Libya, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, conceded that Nato would be in control of the entire operation. Political oversight will be in the hands of a Nato-led committee, modelled on the body that oversees the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan. Isaf is led by Nato, but includes countries outside the alliance, such as Australia and New Zealand. The coalition against Libya includes Arab countries, such as Qatar, that are not in Nato. The breakthrough came in a conference call between Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Alain Juppe and their Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and France, which have been involved in bitter exchanges, reached agreement on the new structure. The agreement was put to a meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels this afternoon. Diplomatic sources said they “99% there”. One said: “There are a few last minute wrinkles. It has all moved rapidly.” Hague had told MPs he was hopeful of a breakthrough. He said: “On the question of command and control, we are still working some of that out. The simplest and most effective solution is for all of these operations to come under the North Atlantic Council [Nato's main political decision-making body] and for other countries to plug into that, to work with that. “We have made a great deal of progress. “We should understand this is a new coalition, put together very quickly for obvious reasons, and so there are bound to be issues to sort out in its management. But we are getting through those pretty well. I will be discussing the remaining issues with Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and with my French and Turkish counterparts to try to iron out the remaining difficulties on future Nato command and control. The nations involved in this operation – their representatives are able to meet in Brussels on a regular basis.” Earlier, Turkey attacked Sarkozy’s and France’s leadership of the military campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations. The criticism, from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül, followed attacks from the Turkish government earlier this week and signalled an orchestrated attempt by Ankara to wreck Sarkozy’s plans to lead the air campaign against Gaddafi. With France insisting that Nato should not be put in political charge of the UN-mandated air campaign, Turkey has come out emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. The row came as France confirmed that one of its fighter jets had destroyed a Libyan air force plane, the first to breach the no-fly zone since it was imposed on 19 March. The Libyan G2/Galeb trainer aircraft was destroyed by an air-to-ground missile just after it landed at an air base near the rebel-held town of Misrata, a French military spokesman said. The clash between Turkey and France over Libya is underpinned by acute frictions between Erdogan and Sarkozy, both impetuous and mercurial leaders who revel in the limelight, by fundamental disputes over Ankara’s EU ambitions, and by economic interests in north Africa. Using incendiary language directed at France in a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on.” President Gül reinforced the Turkish view that France and others were being driven primarily by economic interests. “The aim [of the air campaign] is not the liberation of the Libyan people,” he said. “There are hidden agendas and different interests.” Earlier this week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy’s chief adviser, outraged the Muslim world by stating that the French president was “leading a crusade” to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Erdogan denounced the use of the word ‘crusade’, blaming those– France chief among them – who are opposed to Turkey joining the EU. The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday’s summit in Paris which presaged the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign. The dispute over Libya appears highly personal, revealing the bad blood simmering between the French president and the Turkish prime minister. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president. But the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. “Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this,” complained Erdogan. “I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France.” While the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is also opposed to Turkey joining the EU, she has voiced her objections moderately, Sarkozy has declared that, culturally, Turkey does not belong in Europe, but in the Middle East. France has blocked tranches of Ankara’s EU negotiations on the grounds that it should not be seen as fit for membership. Libya France Turkey Nicolas Sarkozy Middle East Nato Europe Ian Traynor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Nicolas Sarkozy, who had clashed with Turkey over role of Nato, says new two-tier military structure will be established Western allies and Turkey have reached a breakthrough deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, senior UK and French sources have told the Guardian. The deal, being finalised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of international coalition partners involved in the Libyan campaign. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of determined Turkish opposition, that a new two-tier structure will be established to run the operation. Nato “assets” will be used to co-ordinate all aspects of the military campaign against Libya, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, conceded that Nato would be in control of the entire operation. Political oversight will be in the hands of a Nato-led committee, modelled on the body that oversees the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan. Isaf is led by Nato, but includes countries outside the alliance, such as Australia and New Zealand. The coalition against Libya includes Arab countries, such as Qatar, that are not in Nato. The breakthrough came in a conference call between Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Alain Juppe and their Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and France, which have been involved in bitter exchanges, reached agreement on the new structure. The agreement was put to a meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels this afternoon. Diplomatic sources said they “99% there”. One said: “There are a few last minute wrinkles. It has all moved rapidly.” Hague had told MPs he was hopeful of a breakthrough. He said: “On the question of command and control, we are still working some of that out. The simplest and most effective solution is for all of these operations to come under the North Atlantic Council [Nato's main political decision-making body] and for other countries to plug into that, to work with that. “We have made a great deal of progress. “We should understand this is a new coalition, put together very quickly for obvious reasons, and so there are bound to be issues to sort out in its management. But we are getting through those pretty well. I will be discussing the remaining issues with Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and with my French and Turkish counterparts to try to iron out the remaining difficulties on future Nato command and control. The nations involved in this operation – their representatives are able to meet in Brussels on a regular basis.” Earlier, Turkey attacked Sarkozy’s and France’s leadership of the military campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations. The criticism, from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül, followed attacks from the Turkish government earlier this week and signalled an orchestrated attempt by Ankara to wreck Sarkozy’s plans to lead the air campaign against Gaddafi. With France insisting that Nato should not be put in political charge of the UN-mandated air campaign, Turkey has come out emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. The row came as France confirmed that one of its fighter jets had destroyed a Libyan air force plane, the first to breach the no-fly zone since it was imposed on 19 March. The Libyan G2/Galeb trainer aircraft was destroyed by an air-to-ground missile just after it landed at an air base near the rebel-held town of Misrata, a French military spokesman said. The clash between Turkey and France over Libya is underpinned by acute frictions between Erdogan and Sarkozy, both impetuous and mercurial leaders who revel in the limelight, by fundamental disputes over Ankara’s EU ambitions, and by economic interests in north Africa. Using incendiary language directed at France in a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on.” President Gül reinforced the Turkish view that France and others were being driven primarily by economic interests. “The aim [of the air campaign] is not the liberation of the Libyan people,” he said. “There are hidden agendas and different interests.” Earlier this week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy’s chief adviser, outraged the Muslim world by stating that the French president was “leading a crusade” to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Erdogan denounced the use of the word ‘crusade’, blaming those– France chief among them – who are opposed to Turkey joining the EU. The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday’s summit in Paris which presaged the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign. The dispute over Libya appears highly personal, revealing the bad blood simmering between the French president and the Turkish prime minister. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president. But the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. “Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this,” complained Erdogan. “I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France.” While the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is also opposed to Turkey joining the EU, she has voiced her objections moderately, Sarkozy has declared that, culturally, Turkey does not belong in Europe, but in the Middle East. France has blocked tranches of Ankara’s EU negotiations on the grounds that it should not be seen as fit for membership. Libya France Turkey Nicolas Sarkozy Middle East Nato Europe Ian Traynor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Nicolas Sarkozy, who had clashed with Turkey over role of Nato, says new two-tier military structure will be established Western allies and Turkey have reached a breakthrough deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, senior UK and French sources have told the Guardian. The deal, being finalised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of international coalition partners involved in the Libyan campaign. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of determined Turkish opposition, that a new two-tier structure will be established to run the operation. Nato “assets” will be used to co-ordinate all aspects of the military campaign against Libya, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, conceded that Nato would be in control of the entire operation. Political oversight will be in the hands of a Nato-led committee, modelled on the body that oversees the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan. Isaf is led by Nato, but includes countries outside the alliance, such as Australia and New Zealand. The coalition against Libya includes Arab countries, such as Qatar, that are not in Nato. The breakthrough came in a conference call between Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Alain Juppe and their Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and France, which have been involved in bitter exchanges, reached agreement on the new structure. The agreement was put to a meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels this afternoon. Diplomatic sources said they “99% there”. One said: “There are a few last minute wrinkles. It has all moved rapidly.” Hague had told MPs he was hopeful of a breakthrough. He said: “On the question of command and control, we are still working some of that out. The simplest and most effective solution is for all of these operations to come under the North Atlantic Council [Nato's main political decision-making body] and for other countries to plug into that, to work with that. “We have made a great deal of progress. “We should understand this is a new coalition, put together very quickly for obvious reasons, and so there are bound to be issues to sort out in its management. But we are getting through those pretty well. I will be discussing the remaining issues with Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and with my French and Turkish counterparts to try to iron out the remaining difficulties on future Nato command and control. The nations involved in this operation – their representatives are able to meet in Brussels on a regular basis.” Earlier, Turkey attacked Sarkozy’s and France’s leadership of the military campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations. The criticism, from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül, followed attacks from the Turkish government earlier this week and signalled an orchestrated attempt by Ankara to wreck Sarkozy’s plans to lead the air campaign against Gaddafi. With France insisting that Nato should not be put in political charge of the UN-mandated air campaign, Turkey has come out emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. The row came as France confirmed that one of its fighter jets had destroyed a Libyan air force plane, the first to breach the no-fly zone since it was imposed on 19 March. The Libyan G2/Galeb trainer aircraft was destroyed by an air-to-ground missile just after it landed at an air base near the rebel-held town of Misrata, a French military spokesman said. The clash between Turkey and France over Libya is underpinned by acute frictions between Erdogan and Sarkozy, both impetuous and mercurial leaders who revel in the limelight, by fundamental disputes over Ankara’s EU ambitions, and by economic interests in north Africa. Using incendiary language directed at France in a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on.” President Gül reinforced the Turkish view that France and others were being driven primarily by economic interests. “The aim [of the air campaign] is not the liberation of the Libyan people,” he said. “There are hidden agendas and different interests.” Earlier this week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy’s chief adviser, outraged the Muslim world by stating that the French president was “leading a crusade” to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Erdogan denounced the use of the word ‘crusade’, blaming those– France chief among them – who are opposed to Turkey joining the EU. The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday’s summit in Paris which presaged the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign. The dispute over Libya appears highly personal, revealing the bad blood simmering between the French president and the Turkish prime minister. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president. But the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. “Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this,” complained Erdogan. “I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France.” While the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is also opposed to Turkey joining the EU, she has voiced her objections moderately, Sarkozy has declared that, culturally, Turkey does not belong in Europe, but in the Middle East. France has blocked tranches of Ankara’s EU negotiations on the grounds that it should not be seen as fit for membership. Libya France Turkey Nicolas Sarkozy Middle East Nato Europe Ian Traynor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Nicolas Sarkozy, who had clashed with Turkey over role of Nato, says new two-tier military structure will be established Western allies and Turkey have reached a breakthrough deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, senior UK and French sources have told the Guardian. The deal, being finalised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of international coalition partners involved in the Libyan campaign. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of determined Turkish opposition, that a new two-tier structure will be established to run the operation. Nato “assets” will be used to co-ordinate all aspects of the military campaign against Libya, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, conceded that Nato would be in control of the entire operation. Political oversight will be in the hands of a Nato-led committee, modelled on the body that oversees the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan. Isaf is led by Nato, but includes countries outside the alliance, such as Australia and New Zealand. The coalition against Libya includes Arab countries, such as Qatar, that are not in Nato. The breakthrough came in a conference call between Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Alain Juppe and their Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and France, which have been involved in bitter exchanges, reached agreement on the new structure. The agreement was put to a meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels this afternoon. Diplomatic sources said they “99% there”. One said: “There are a few last minute wrinkles. It has all moved rapidly.” Hague had told MPs he was hopeful of a breakthrough. He said: “On the question of command and control, we are still working some of that out. The simplest and most effective solution is for all of these operations to come under the North Atlantic Council [Nato's main political decision-making body] and for other countries to plug into that, to work with that. “We have made a great deal of progress. “We should understand this is a new coalition, put together very quickly for obvious reasons, and so there are bound to be issues to sort out in its management. But we are getting through those pretty well. I will be discussing the remaining issues with Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and with my French and Turkish counterparts to try to iron out the remaining difficulties on future Nato command and control. The nations involved in this operation – their representatives are able to meet in Brussels on a regular basis.” Earlier, Turkey attacked Sarkozy’s and France’s leadership of the military campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations. The criticism, from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül, followed attacks from the Turkish government earlier this week and signalled an orchestrated attempt by Ankara to wreck Sarkozy’s plans to lead the air campaign against Gaddafi. With France insisting that Nato should not be put in political charge of the UN-mandated air campaign, Turkey has come out emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. The row came as France confirmed that one of its fighter jets had destroyed a Libyan air force plane, the first to breach the no-fly zone since it was imposed on 19 March. The Libyan G2/Galeb trainer aircraft was destroyed by an air-to-ground missile just after it landed at an air base near the rebel-held town of Misrata, a French military spokesman said. The clash between Turkey and France over Libya is underpinned by acute frictions between Erdogan and Sarkozy, both impetuous and mercurial leaders who revel in the limelight, by fundamental disputes over Ankara’s EU ambitions, and by economic interests in north Africa. Using incendiary language directed at France in a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on.” President Gül reinforced the Turkish view that France and others were being driven primarily by economic interests. “The aim [of the air campaign] is not the liberation of the Libyan people,” he said. “There are hidden agendas and different interests.” Earlier this week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy’s chief adviser, outraged the Muslim world by stating that the French president was “leading a crusade” to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Erdogan denounced the use of the word ‘crusade’, blaming those– France chief among them – who are opposed to Turkey joining the EU. The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday’s summit in Paris which presaged the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign. The dispute over Libya appears highly personal, revealing the bad blood simmering between the French president and the Turkish prime minister. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president. But the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. “Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this,” complained Erdogan. “I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France.” While the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is also opposed to Turkey joining the EU, she has voiced her objections moderately, Sarkozy has declared that, culturally, Turkey does not belong in Europe, but in the Middle East. France has blocked tranches of Ankara’s EU negotiations on the grounds that it should not be seen as fit for membership. Libya France Turkey Nicolas Sarkozy Middle East Nato Europe Ian Traynor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Nicolas Sarkozy, who had clashed with Turkey over role of Nato, says new two-tier military structure will be established Western allies and Turkey have reached a breakthrough deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, senior UK and French sources have told the Guardian. The deal, being finalised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of international coalition partners involved in the Libyan campaign. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of determined Turkish opposition, that a new two-tier structure will be established to run the operation. Nato “assets” will be used to co-ordinate all aspects of the military campaign against Libya, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, conceded that Nato would be in control of the entire operation. Political oversight will be in the hands of a Nato-led committee, modelled on the body that oversees the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan. Isaf is led by Nato, but includes countries outside the alliance, such as Australia and New Zealand. The coalition against Libya includes Arab countries, such as Qatar, that are not in Nato. The breakthrough came in a conference call between Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Alain Juppe and their Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and France, which have been involved in bitter exchanges, reached agreement on the new structure. The agreement was put to a meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels this afternoon. Diplomatic sources said they “99% there”. One said: “There are a few last minute wrinkles. It has all moved rapidly.” Hague had told MPs he was hopeful of a breakthrough. He said: “On the question of command and control, we are still working some of that out. The simplest and most effective solution is for all of these operations to come under the North Atlantic Council [Nato's main political decision-making body] and for other countries to plug into that, to work with that. “We have made a great deal of progress. “We should understand this is a new coalition, put together very quickly for obvious reasons, and so there are bound to be issues to sort out in its management. But we are getting through those pretty well. I will be discussing the remaining issues with Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and with my French and Turkish counterparts to try to iron out the remaining difficulties on future Nato command and control. The nations involved in this operation – their representatives are able to meet in Brussels on a regular basis.” Earlier, Turkey attacked Sarkozy’s and France’s leadership of the military campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations. The criticism, from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül, followed attacks from the Turkish government earlier this week and signalled an orchestrated attempt by Ankara to wreck Sarkozy’s plans to lead the air campaign against Gaddafi. With France insisting that Nato should not be put in political charge of the UN-mandated air campaign, Turkey has come out emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. The row came as France confirmed that one of its fighter jets had destroyed a Libyan air force plane, the first to breach the no-fly zone since it was imposed on 19 March. The Libyan G2/Galeb trainer aircraft was destroyed by an air-to-ground missile just after it landed at an air base near the rebel-held town of Misrata, a French military spokesman said. The clash between Turkey and France over Libya is underpinned by acute frictions between Erdogan and Sarkozy, both impetuous and mercurial leaders who revel in the limelight, by fundamental disputes over Ankara’s EU ambitions, and by economic interests in north Africa. Using incendiary language directed at France in a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on.” President Gül reinforced the Turkish view that France and others were being driven primarily by economic interests. “The aim [of the air campaign] is not the liberation of the Libyan people,” he said. “There are hidden agendas and different interests.” Earlier this week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy’s chief adviser, outraged the Muslim world by stating that the French president was “leading a crusade” to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Erdogan denounced the use of the word ‘crusade’, blaming those– France chief among them – who are opposed to Turkey joining the EU. The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday’s summit in Paris which presaged the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign. The dispute over Libya appears highly personal, revealing the bad blood simmering between the French president and the Turkish prime minister. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president. But the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. “Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this,” complained Erdogan. “I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France.” While the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is also opposed to Turkey joining the EU, she has voiced her objections moderately, Sarkozy has declared that, culturally, Turkey does not belong in Europe, but in the Middle East. France has blocked tranches of Ankara’s EU negotiations on the grounds that it should not be seen as fit for membership. Libya France Turkey Nicolas Sarkozy Middle East Nato Europe Ian Traynor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Nicolas Sarkozy, who had clashed with Turkey over role of Nato, says new two-tier military structure will be established Western allies and Turkey have reached a breakthrough deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, senior UK and French sources have told the Guardian. The deal, being finalised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of international coalition partners involved in the Libyan campaign. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of determined Turkish opposition, that a new two-tier structure will be established to run the operation. Nato “assets” will be used to co-ordinate all aspects of the military campaign against Libya, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, conceded that Nato would be in control of the entire operation. Political oversight will be in the hands of a Nato-led committee, modelled on the body that oversees the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan. Isaf is led by Nato, but includes countries outside the alliance, such as Australia and New Zealand. The coalition against Libya includes Arab countries, such as Qatar, that are not in Nato. The breakthrough came in a conference call between Hillary Clinton, William Hague, Alain Juppe and their Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and France, which have been involved in bitter exchanges, reached agreement on the new structure. The agreement was put to a meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels this afternoon. Diplomatic sources said they “99% there”. One said: “There are a few last minute wrinkles. It has all moved rapidly.” Hague had told MPs he was hopeful of a breakthrough. He said: “On the question of command and control, we are still working some of that out. The simplest and most effective solution is for all of these operations to come under the North Atlantic Council [Nato's main political decision-making body] and for other countries to plug into that, to work with that. “We have made a great deal of progress. “We should understand this is a new coalition, put together very quickly for obvious reasons, and so there are bound to be issues to sort out in its management. But we are getting through those pretty well. I will be discussing the remaining issues with Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and with my French and Turkish counterparts to try to iron out the remaining difficulties on future Nato command and control. The nations involved in this operation – their representatives are able to meet in Brussels on a regular basis.” Earlier, Turkey attacked Sarkozy’s and France’s leadership of the military campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations. The criticism, from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül, followed attacks from the Turkish government earlier this week and signalled an orchestrated attempt by Ankara to wreck Sarkozy’s plans to lead the air campaign against Gaddafi. With France insisting that Nato should not be put in political charge of the UN-mandated air campaign, Turkey has come out emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. The row came as France confirmed that one of its fighter jets had destroyed a Libyan air force plane, the first to breach the no-fly zone since it was imposed on 19 March. The Libyan G2/Galeb trainer aircraft was destroyed by an air-to-ground missile just after it landed at an air base near the rebel-held town of Misrata, a French military spokesman said. The clash between Turkey and France over Libya is underpinned by acute frictions between Erdogan and Sarkozy, both impetuous and mercurial leaders who revel in the limelight, by fundamental disputes over Ankara’s EU ambitions, and by economic interests in north Africa. Using incendiary language directed at France in a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on.” President Gül reinforced the Turkish view that France and others were being driven primarily by economic interests. “The aim [of the air campaign] is not the liberation of the Libyan people,” he said. “There are hidden agendas and different interests.” Earlier this week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy’s chief adviser, outraged the Muslim world by stating that the French president was “leading a crusade” to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Erdogan denounced the use of the word ‘crusade’, blaming those– France chief among them – who are opposed to Turkey joining the EU. The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday’s summit in Paris which presaged the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign. The dispute over Libya appears highly personal, revealing the bad blood simmering between the French president and the Turkish prime minister. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president. But the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. “Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this,” complained Erdogan. “I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France.” While the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is also opposed to Turkey joining the EU, she has voiced her objections moderately, Sarkozy has declared that, culturally, Turkey does not belong in Europe, but in the Middle East. France has blocked tranches of Ankara’s EU negotiations on the grounds that it should not be seen as fit for membership. Libya France Turkey Nicolas Sarkozy Middle East Nato Europe Ian Traynor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
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Human rights groups say that more than 100 people may have been killed when troops opened fire on a mosque Syria’s government pledged to consider protesters’ “legitimate demands” after thousands took to the streets for the funerals of nine people killed by the military. Rights activists described Wednesday’s shootings in the southern city of Daraa as a massacre, claiming that more than 100 people may have been killed when troops fired on a mosque in the early hours and throughout the day. With protests called for after Friday prayers, Buthaina Shaaban, adviser to President Bashar al-Assad, announced that the government would consider ending Syria’s emergency law and revise legislation for political parties and the media. Similar reform pledges have been announced in the past, and are unlikely to satisfy protesters. In Deraa, funeral-goers chanted “God, Syria, Freedom” and “The blood of martyrs is not spilt in vain!”, Reuters news agency reported. Some reports said that up to 20,000 people attended, but this could not be verified. The city has been cordoned off . Deraa’s hospital reported receiving 37 bodies from Wednesday’s violence. YouTube videos apparently showed bloody scenes at the mosque. Electricity and communications in the city were cut before the attack, which sources said was by a unit of forces headed by the president’s brother, Maher al-Assad. “This is a crime against humanity because forces opened fire on unarmed civilians without any warning,” said Radwan Ziadeh, head of the Damascus Centre for Human Rights and a visiting scholar at Harvard University. “Eyewitnesses say security forces stopped ambulances from helping. This would be a violation of international humanitarian law.” The Omari mosque became a focal point and makeshift hospital when protests started a week ago; many people were afraid to go to the main hospital for fear of arrest, said Ziadeh. He alleged that more than 300 people had been detained in Deraa. In a sign of the seriousness of the unrest, the Syrian pound’s value on the black market dropped to its lowest rate since Syria was forced to pull its troops out of Lebanon in 2005, local traders said. There has been no notable unrest in Damascus city centre, but the streets are unusually quiet while pro-Assad cars honk horns and wave flags and photographs of the president. Observers say it is unclear whether the government can quell unrest. Earlier in the week, it looked like the situation could be resolved. Deraa’s demands were predominantly local, including the release of the city’s political prisoners, the ability to buy and sell property without permission, and the dismissal of the region’s governor, Faisal Kolthoum. But the government responded in a violent and contradictory fashion that has caused protests to escalate. It has blamed the violence on outsiders and armed gangs whilst simultaneously rounding up protesters and activists. “The use of violence is completely abhorrent and was a deliberate choice to escalate the situation,” said one Western diplomat in Damascus. “The government can’t continue to play bad cop, good cop; no-one believes it any more.” Anger and frustration has risen around the country, and Facebook sites have called for days of protest in solidarity with Deraa. The government’s reform announcement may not have much impact; it lacked substance and reiterated other pledges in recent months to look into media and political parties laws. Concessions too little and too late were a feature of the toppling of the Tunisian and Egyptian leaders. “For years they think we have been happy with tiny reforms; it is insulting,” says one 30-year-old Damascene man who asked not to be named. “We no longer believe change will come when they pledge something.” “It is impossible to predict the situation now,” said Rime Allaf, a Syria expert at London’s Chatham House. “It will depend on whether unrest spreads. People are deciding whether to overcome their fears and come out to the streets.” The threat of arrest has long deterred Syrians from active protest, while fears of a sectarian fallout in the absence of a strong leader loom large. Syria’s many religious sects are ruled by the minority Alawite Muslim community of al-Assad, and the army is widely penetrated by Alawites and Sunni loyalists. This makes the possibility of the army joining the protesters as happened in Egypt and Tunisia unlikely. Instead, Syrians look to Libya as foretaste of what might come. Christian and Kurdish sources told the Guardian that there was a growing sense of the need to act. But the situation has been complicated by a rising sectarian rhetoric on Facebook and discussion forums. What happens after Friday prayers will be key. As well as offering concessions, in an attempt to nip protests in the bud, scores of people have been arrested in the last few days, according to human rights organisations. Mosques, being one of the few places where large gatherings, prohibited under emergency law, can take place, are likely to be the starting point of any protests. Katherine Marsh is a pseudonym for a journalist living in Damascus Syria Middle East guardian.co.uk
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Suspect leads police to site where body found is ‘quite clearly’ that of Sian O’Callaghan, while taxi driver’s house is searched The search for the missing Swindon woman Sian O’Callaghan has taken a dramatic twist after police announced that a man arrested over her disappearance had told them the location of two bodies. Police said a 47-year-old man initially held on suspicion of kidnapping O’Callaghan, 22, had directed them to her body. The suspect was being questioned by police. Police have been carrying out forensic searches at a house in Swindon, as well as two other locations: Savernake forest in Wiltshire, where O’Callaghan’s phone is known to have been taken after she vanished early on Saturday, and another site in Oxfordshire, about 20 miles from Swindon. Police announced at midday that they had arrested a man on suspicion of kidnapping O’Callaghan. At a 5pm press conference Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, who is leading the inquiry, said: “A 47-year-old man from Swindon is in custody having been arrested for kidnap and two murders. The location of two bodies have been identified to me by this individual, one of whom has yet to be identified formally, but I am quite clear is Sian. “I have informed Sian’s family, who are obviously deeply distressed, and I would ask you please to give them time and space to come to terms with what’s happened.” O’Callaghan disappeared after leaving the Suju nightclub in the Old Town area of Swindon at 2.52am on Saturday morning. She was expected to walk the half mile to the flat she shared with boyfriend Kevin Reape, 25, but did not make it and was reported missing a few hours later. At 3.24am Reape sent a text message to her mobile phone. Checks revealed it was in the Savernake Forest area near Marlborough, 12 miles from home, when the message was received. Police said she could only have covered the distance in a vehicle. Members of the public initially helped police comb the thick woodland but were asked to stay away after the phone records came to light. Police on Thursday appealed for sightings of a green Toyota Avensis estate with taxi markings seen between 3am and 4am and 12pm to 9pm last Saturday between Swindon and Savernake. Within minutes they had made further appeals for people to look out for O’Callaghan’s handbag and its contents including her keys, lip gloss and a yellow Kinder Surprise egg containing a furry animal toy. Just after 11am police were seen swooping on a green Toyota Avensis in an Asda car park in Swindon. Witnesses described a man being handcuffed and driven off by officers before the vehicle was towed away. By mid-afternoon a white police tent was set up in the front garden of a semi-detached house on Ashbury Avenue in Swindon and officers were searching the house. Before the bodies were found O’Callaghan’s family had thanked members of the public who helped in the search for “our beautiful girl” and said they continued to pray she was alive. Fulcher, the investigating officer in charge, said: “The public and the media have been a fantastic help in the desperate effort to find Sian over the last few days. This has of course been a fast-paced inquiry. “Having found these bodies you will appreciate that I am under extreme pressure to undertake certain actions and procedures, and I would ask you to give me some time to enable me to recover these bodies with the dignity and respect that they deserve.” After initial reports that two bodies have been found, police said in a statement: “Wiltshire police would like to make it clear that while the location of two bodies has been identified to the senior investigating officer, only one body has currently been found and this is believed to be Sian O’Callaghan. “The second body has yet to be recovered.” Crime Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Sean Hannity joins Trump among the ranks of Birthers. But ‘Don’t bring up race!’
March 24, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Well, we’ve always known that Sean Hannity has a penchant for nuzzling right up next to conspiracy theories from folks like noted Birther Jerome Corsi and promoting them in a secondhand fashion without completely diving off the deep end, as his early-evening colleague at Fox is inclined to do. But last night, defending Donald Trump for his admission that he believes in the Obama birth-certificate theories , Hannity dove right in and embraced his inner Birther. It was something to behold. Terry Krepel and David Shere at Media Matters have the complete rundown: HANNITY: What do you think about this birth certificate issue? I mean, it has not been my main issue, but it kind of does get a little odd here after a while. Can’t they just produce it and we move on? REP. MICHAEL BURGESS (R-TX): Well, obviously, there’s some value to the White House not producing it. I don’t know what that could be. This easily could be ended, could have been ended a couple of years ago. I don’t know — HANNITY: Jerry, that’s a reasonable position. Is he right? JERRY SPRINGER (talk show host): Well, no. I’ll tell you why. HANNITY: Release — do you have your birth certificate? SPRINGER: No, I finally — well because I was born in England, and it was during the war, and really, I had to go through a whole process for my Social Security — because I’m on Medicare now. I had to finally get — LEEANN TWEEDEN (model and Fox Sports host): You had to track it down, and you did, right? And you had to produce it, right? SPRINGER: But i found it. I found it. I found it. But because I was born in England, I can’t be president anyway. The best moment came when Springer tried to point out the obvious — no previous candidate for the presidency had faced these kinds of questions about his citizenship, and it is no coincidence that it happens to be the first African American president. Hannity hastily sprang into action — block that point! SPRINGER: But you know what, I understand why there’s a resistance to it. HANNITY: Why? SPRINGER: Because isn’t this interesting? Of all our 43 presidents, of the 43 presidents — HANNITY: Don’t bring up race. Do not bring up race. Do not bring up race. It is a constitutional requirement. SPRINGER: I understand, but why have not of the 43 people we had run — be president of the United States, never once were you asking, “Where is your birth certificate? ” BURGESS: It was an issue — it was an issue for John McCain. As Springer continued trying to make the point that conservatives have fought against racial justice and ethnic equality at every turn of the nation’s history, Hannity tried making the dishonest argument that the Civil Rights Act passed in 1965 because of Republicans — which is true enough, but obliterates the fact that these were liberal Republicans, a now-extinct creature, not to mention the fact that the Southern Strategy completely transformed the GOP after the 1960s into the wholly right-wing faction it has been for at least a generation now. But then, we always knew Hannity was basically dishonest. Now we get to see his inner extremist come bubbling to the surface.
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