from: http://www.aci.net/kalliste/ Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.aci.net/kalliste/">The Home Page of J. Orlin Grabbe</A> ----- New World Disorder France Defies Boycott of Austria I wonder what France wants now. FRANCE is to invite Austria's ambassador in Paris to attend the Bastille Day celebrations on Friday, ending five months of rigid diplomatic sanctions against the government in Vienna, it emerged yesterday. In a sign that the symbolic move has been carefully co-ordinated, Belgium, too, announced that Austrian diplomats would be invited to its national day festivities later this month. The joint decision by France and Belgium, the two states that have taken the toughest line against Austria, appears to spell the end of the European Union's attempt to force the withdrawal of Jörg Haider's far-Right Freedom Party from the conservative coalition government that was sworn in earlier this year. In Brussels, the European Commission's president, Romano Prodi, said the boycott should now be ended "as soon as possible" and for the first time attacked the whole policy of sanctions. Speaking at a joint press conference with Austria's Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, he said: "I don't think in general terms that sanctions give better results than those achieved in serious, vigorous, in-depth dialogue." Commission officials say Mr Prodi has never been comfortable with the boycott and is now willing to speak his mind after moves by Finland, Denmark, Italy, Ireland and Spain to end what they consider an ill-judged initiative. Critics say it not only failed to achieve its stated objective but had prompted an anti-EU backlash in several countries, as well as damaging the credibility of the euro. It was now threatening to paralyse the EU's constitutional reforms. Mr Schüssel's trip to Brussels coincided with the appointment of a panel of three "wise men" by the European Court of Human Rights to monitor Austria's treatment of ethnic minorities, refugees and immigrants, and to produce a report that could pave the way for an end to sanctions. The panel will be led by Martti Ahtisaari, the former President of Finland, who is also serving as an inspector of IRA arms dumps under the Ulster peace process. The other panel members are Marcelino Oreja, Spain's former foreign minister, and Jochen Frowein, director of Germany's Max Planck Institute. Mr Schüssel agreed to co-operate, saying: "I think we can trust these three men to draft an objective report giving Austria a clean sheet on human rights." But he complained that the whole idea of a monitoring mission was deeply offensive to Austria. Mr Haider dropped his objections to the monitoring mission yesterday, pledging to demonstrate that Austria is squeaky clean on human rights. He said: "If the three wise men do their work well, the EU will have no choice but to end the sanctions against Austria quickly." Despite the yesterday's mood of bonhomie, Mr Schüssel refused to back down over plans for a popular referendum on EU sanctions later this year, and said his country reserved its right to block EU business at the Nice summit in December. He said a referendum was necessary "as a means of pointing out that the people and the government are together in demanding the lifting of sanctions", and denied he was engaged in "blackmail" against the EU. Electronic Telegraph, July 13, 2000 ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
