Yes, we worked out in the end the Karadzic blog is a fake: the domain name was bought three days ago.
And sorry about calling The Hague the capital. But this truly surprises me - I though the whole point was that the seat of government WAS the capital, rather than the main city, hence Washington not New York, Canberra not Sydney, and so on. So what is the definition of "capital city"?
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It is fairly appalling that the BBC Europe editor does not know the capital or political structure of a country directly across the Channel... especially one whose history has been so closely linked to Britain for centuries. As for your defense regarding the seat of government being the capital, what should be the capital of South Africa? Politics and accommodation often determine these things. In the case of the Netherlands, the pro-republican Burgers of Amsterdam would not allow the pro-Stadtholder forces to consolidate all of the power in the Hague, nor would the Stadtholder forces allow so much power to be invested in the very independent city of Amsterdam- thus the political compromise. I think it's time for you to travel a bit more...
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Mark,
Actually this is a super journalistic story to uncover.
Three days ago someone knew the background story of Karadzic's pseudonym and goes to the trouble of buying a website to trick even jounalists who usually have a good degree of cunning themselves.
If Karadzic was arrested only 36 hours ago(?) then someone was in on the knowledge of his imminent arrest and detention AND they knew about his alias BEFORE he had been captured. If this knowledge was not gained before his arrest then when was Karadzic arrested?
Intriguing stuff! It must be worthwhile journalist tracking down the insider and finding out who he is, why he did it and how he knew of Karadzic's alias before the rest of the world.
Inquiring minds would love to know!
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Mark, don't worry about the capital city issue. It's a very peculiar situation, unique in the world in its complexity.
In a nutshell:
- The Dutch constitution reads Amsterdam is the capital city because that is where the Kings of the Netherlands are (and must be) inaugurated.
- The Hague is seat of government mostly due to the messy nature of the Dutch 80 years struggle of Independence. The evolution into a unitary state has been particularly chaotic. I believe Dordrecht has also been the seat of government at some point in history.
For lack of a fixed city from where the government ran the country, Amsterdam as biggest city and economic center of the country evolved into a symbolic capital city where all the important nationalist traditions took place (such as the inaugurations of kings). For the sake of tradition, the Dutch leave it that way. Moving the government to Amsterdam would also be very costly.
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Mark, oh my goodness what a cad and scoundrel you are!
The only people who should care about where their Capital City is should be the Dutch and they are usually such a laid-back people that they probably would not care about your faux pas that much.
All the Dutch people I know are so laid-back, happy and care free that they would simply laugh and mildly set you straight.
The Dutch that I know would certainly not rebuke you as at #1.
This is just a Blog for goodness sake!
It doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece and I find it stimulating and interesting as you write it not as others would have you write it.
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#2 - Menedemus
I was working on the same conspiracy theory but it does not work. The news of Karadjic's arrest broke here (in Budapest) at about 11 pm. on the evening of Monday 21 June. I was watching Newsnight at the time which makes it about 10 BST.
The domain was registered on Tues, 22 July at 13.25 EDT (registration details were also updated on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:15:06 EDT) or 17.25 BST about 19.5 hours after the news broke.
Why it was registered or by whom (the details are protected by an agency) is anybody's guess but the registration does not preempt the arrest.
Sorry to disappoint.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital
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threnodio @ #5
Yeah. Just a spoof so no real story but the spoof is either perpetrated by this guy or this is just more of the spoofing going on!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=l3EIjSXfbyc contains an interview with Zoran Pavlovic, alleged creator of the site:http://dragandabic.com/
He looks pretty serious to me but if it were me I'd be laughing at gullible fools like me for having fallen for the spoof!
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You're not totally wrong about The Hague as not being the capital.
During the French Napoleontic occupation of the Netherlands the seat of goverment moved from The Hague to Amsterdam (between 1806 and 1813).
See this site (in English) for A Tale of Two Cities:
http://www.minbuza.nl/en/welcome/History,amsterdam_and_the_hague_xfactsheetx.html
I agree with #3 and #4. And wonder how much Dutch journalists know about Belgium, England and Germany.
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Mark:
I am very interested in how long it took the BBC to figure out that this blog, was a fake....
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On this site I read:
"The European Commission has warned it may force US diplomats to apply for visas to travel within the European Union from next year"
I have never wanted the "European Commission" to represent me in this way. I believe that the majority of Brits have never wanted it.
It does not represent me. It has no right to exist.
It will not suddenly become more illegitimate with the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty. It will just be more obvious that it is illegitimate.
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The capital city of the world IS New York City. To know it is to love it or hate it. Having been born and raised in it, I feel both ways. That is why I live far enough away from it that I can escape it yet close enough that it is only a relatively short ride away when I need to go there. There are cities that are far more beautiful and enjoyable to live in but none nearly as powerful. I prefer San Francisco myself if it came to where I had to live in or near a major city but it would not be the same. Everyplace else is Smallville, a peasant village in the provences by comparison.
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That reminds me, Mark, if you need a catchy word to describe the Hague, the Dutch use "Residentie" (capital R) a lot. It translates as "Residence"and refers to the city being the seat of government as well as the home town of the royal family.
As for the unpleasant first comment; that seems to be a one-off. I've lived in the Netherlands for a very long time and I don't know anyone who would snap that sharply at foreigners making this (easily made and equally forgiveable) mistake.
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Everyone makes mistakes (although for the BBC's Europe editor not to know what the capital of The Netherlands does seem incredible) - it's the way you say correct yourself which is important.
Unfortunately rather than saying 'sorry, I'll do my research better in the future' you appear to have gone for the defence of 'don't they know what a capital is?'.
I know this is just a blog, but that should not be a shield for bad journalism, especially when a quick look at the 'BBC Country profiles' gives the right answer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1043423.stm
Bad day in the office for the usually excellent Mr Mardell.
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I was taught a primary school that the capital of the Netherlands was the Hague (by a teacher with a Dutch Husband). Its clearly a commonly held belief even if it does seem to be wrong.
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Wow. All this from one childish and pedantic comment...
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I was taught in the school that The Hague was the capital city of "Holland". On the other hand, I know now it's better to call the country "the Netherlands", but I didn't know that the capital was Amsterdam.
So I am as surprised as Mark is.
Beyond the definitions, it's seems logic to think the capital is where the government is located.
But if our Dutch fellows say the capital is where the Queen lives, then Amsterdam is their capital city.
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Mark,
This is off-topic but something you may care to investigate and let us know if it is true or not?
I found an interesting comment in one of the UK daily papers today that suggests that there is an 'idea' circulating within Brussels that, directly because of the problem caused to the Lisbon Treaty by the Irish "No" vote, that in future Member Countries will be required to forgo all opportunities to hold referendums on subjects relating to the EU.
If true it is astonishing but then the democratic deficit of the EU does always seem to be astonishing!
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#17 - Menedemus
Sadly, this is a Europe wide phenomenon. The Burlesconi government has announced the closure of it's anti-corruption unit (for cost saving reasons - yeah, right!), Britain is using absurdly intrusive e-mail and telephone monitoring to track trivial offences and proposes 42 day detention (for anti-terrorist reasons), France, Germany and Spain have all introduced different but equally draconian measures.
The one thing our governments appear to fear more than anything else are the people they are supposed to serve. Walking away from the EU is not the answer. On the contrary, the people of Europe have a duty to stand together to send a message through all available legal channels that this cannot stand. The democratisation of Europe and its component nations must go to the top of the electoral agenda starting with getting rid of the absurd notion that you can bypass the people on constitutional matters by rebranding them as treaties.
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#17. Doesn't suprise me at all. There's a crime of anti-EU sedition on the statute books that the EU-ocrats keep quiet about but occasionally use too.
The EU is not a democracy, and in a grey paper pushing way is more frightening than many dictatorships have been because its managed to infilitrate every aspect of our lives.
At least by dumping any referendum we don't have this pantomime of pretending to believe we have a say in Europe.
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@betuli
actually, our illegal head of state (the socalled queen) mostly lives in The Hague.
Why illegal? Well, every person in the world has a natural equal right to have an equal chance to be the head of state. Excluding people on hereditary grounds is discrimination. I am told I cannot be head of state because I wasn't born into the right family. That is discrimination, d-i-s-c-r-i-m-i-n-a-t-i-o-n! I demand an equal right to a chance to be head of state.
All monarchies and hereditary privilege are illegal anyway, just read the Universal declaration of Human Rights or the socalled Charter of Human Rights of the socalled EU. Both documents clearly state that discrimination based on birth is not allowed.
Popularity (as if) is not an excuse in this case. The system of monarchy is discriminatory, people are not better than others based on birth and certainly should not attain titles or positions as head of state based on birth. Down with all hereditary privilege!
I live in The Hague and I would't want to be seen dead in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a dump. I can't believe tourists think its so great. Amsterdams canals are unbelievably filthy and its inhabitants extremely arrogant.
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At the risk of prolonging the trivial "capital" debate, I too always understood that Den Haag was the capital city - my teachers were equally wrong!
Anyway, on a similar subject, is the capital of Switzerland Bern (as I have always understood) or one of the other major cities?
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mcdv-1975,
I come also from a country wich is a monarchy and agree with you on the illegality of the monarchy. But this is another issue...
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#20 socalled mcdv-1975
Perhaps the real reason you are excluded from being King of the Netherlands, is that you make disgustingly bigoted comments like the one you posted on this blog yesterday -
" And central theme in the media campaign: "don't blame islam for anything" (despite overwhelming evidence it might well be the most intolerant and murderous ideology of all time)." - mcdv-1975
Your comments about your gracious and very tolerant hosts only go further to demonstrate your 'position'.
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#22. The British monarchy isn't 'illegal'... you just don't like it. Every constitution the UK has (and contrary to popular belief we have several) is based around the role of the monarch. Not only is the Monarchy legal, the Monarchy IS the law.
Its the same thing we get with people talking about the Iraq war. A peculiar phenomean of this decade seems to be people randomly declaring things 'against international law' or 'illegal' when they're anything but.
Frankly I'd MUCH rather have Queen Elizabeth as head of state than President Blair. She's a damn site more dedicated and much better value for money than those we seem to 'elect' (although when the choice is corrupt idiot, corrupt incompetent or closet alcoholic idiot I'd question the validity of any election in the UK)
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19. At 12:23pm on 24 Jul 2008, Peter_Sym wrote:
"... There's a crime of anti-EU sedition on the statute books that the EU-ocrats keep quiet about but occasionally use too."
Peter_Sym, please could you provide further details of this?
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To #9 dennisjunior1 wrote:
"Mark:
I am very interested in how long it took the BBC to figure out that this blog, was a fake...."
You have to remember that we're being fed doctored reporting all the time so what is intrinsically different about this blog site story other than it wasn't (maybe) created by the BBC.
#25 #19,
I too would be very interested to hear what this anti-european crime of sedition is and when it was put on the books. Was it slipped in with one of the treaties or have the unelected commission elites finally shown that they run the EU rather than the council of ministers and parliament, as their warning to the US regarding visas certainly looks that way.
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Google some of the key words in this:
THE European Court of Justice ruled yesterday that the European Union can lawfully suppress political criticism of its institutions and of leading figures, sweeping aside English Common Law and 50 years of European precedents on civil liberties. The EU's top court found that the European Commission was entitled to sack Bernard Connolly, a British economist dismissed in 1995 for writing a critique of European monetary integration entitled The Rotten Heart of Europe. The ruling stated that the commission could restrict dissent in order to "protect the rights of others" and punish individuals who "damaged the institution's image and reputation". The case has wider implications for free speech that could extend to EU citizens who do not work for the Brussels bureaucracy. (Daily Telegraph 7/3/01) Bernard Connolly writes: Point 58 of the judgment, case C-274/99P (website removed) establishes in EU law the Star Chamber crime of "seditious libel".
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#24 Peter Sym
Absolutely agree on the issue of keeping a constitutional monarchy, and that HM is good value. Attracts tourists along with all the ceremonial and is as you say dedicated and has to stay out of politics.
Can you imagine the extra layers of bureaucracy a President would generate? and the additional costs of elections?
Remains to be seen whether the next generation will live up to the high standards of the present incumbent, but since there's no hiding place for the royals these days, we know what we're getting.
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#28. God alone what Presidents like Bush, Chirac etc cost their countries. We have more than enough politicians without a political head of state. HM does appearing on stamps and coins and all the other trappings of state very nicely for minimal cost.
On the plus side if the current Queen lives as long as her mother and Charles lives as long as most male windsors then we needn't worry about 'the next generation'... the crown will pass straight to William. He seems a truly decent guy and at least tries to do something for the country unlike our elected politicians.
His military service might be a bit of a joke (unlike Harry who seems a born soldier) but at least he's living 7 working with regular soldiers. If our MP's had to do that then servicemen's accomodation and kit might be a bit better!
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Peter_Sym @ 27
Absolutely amazing!!?1?? And this was 2001.
I cannot believe that the Rupert Murdoch and the UK press haven't had a go about this as it is a real blow to freedom of speech, whistleblowing and right ot dissent!
I'll have to start watching what I write here as comments.
It's almost like Little Brother giving powers to Big Brother and Big Brother looking after Little Brother. How quaint!
Thanks for bring it back to light.
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#30. Thats not the worst of it. The EU commisioner at the time tried defending the decision by saying 'criticising the EU is like blasphemy so shouldn't be covered by free speach laws'!!! Clearly when it was pointed out how outrageous this was they tried removing it from the record of the court case, but failed.
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#27 - Peter_Sym
I have found the full text of the appeal judgment and it is evident that the action relates to breach in the terms and conditions of employment of Connolly. In other words, as an employee, he was bound by the rules for not to bring the institution into disrepute.
This is a very different proposition from suggesting that ordinary citizens may be subject to sedition laws. If Conolly had resigned his position before launching his criticism, he would have been free to speak his mind.
The url for the full text of the judgment is full of ampersands and will therefore fall foul of the moderation technology but if you go to curia.europa.eu/jurisp/cgi-bin/form.pl?lang=eng and enter C-274/99P into the Case number field, the in-site search engine will display it.
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@23 billycarryduff
bigoted? So the truth is bigoted? Perhaps you'd like to explain then exactly who killed approximately 80 million hindus between 712 and 1675 AD if not muslim warlords who occupied India?
@28 argylljenny
a ceremonial president like they have in Germany is infinitely cheaper than any monarchy.
because with a ceremonial president you don't need to pay his parents, brothers, sisters and children a salary basically for the grand accomplishment of 'inheriting a title'.
All people are born equal and should therefore have an equal chance to be the head of state. Differentiating between people based on birth is discrimination, as I explained before. By the way, monarchies started more wars and committed more colonialist crimes than all other forms of government combined.
I can't believe there are still people who defend a system where some people are born into a constitutional privilege whereas other people are denied that chance because of 'not being born in the right family'. Maybe they'd like to defend other forms of discrimination as well?
Hmmm... pity I opposed the Lisbon treaty. As it fundamentally altered the relationship between EU and member state, it effectively would have made the Charter of Fundamental Rights binding which means that any form of monarchy would be automatically illegal (discrimination based on birth). Shame really.
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threnodio @32
There's an english 'interpretation' of the appeal by Bernard Connolly in which the judge (Mr Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer) ventures to suggest that anyone who criticises the EU is blasphemous.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200011/ai_n8923307
The Daily Telegraph also reports on the subject at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1325398/Euro-court-outlaws-criticism-of-EU.html
He might mean an employee who publishes a book whilst still in employment that dares to criticise his employer? But this seems to support the idea that the judge is suggesting that anyone who whistleblows on the EU whilst he is an employee is a blasphemer.
There I've said it now. They'll be coming with the handcuffs to get me now!
This case is so contrary to the British mindset that considers whistleblowing is actually a good thing in that it typically highlights injustice, mismanagement and crimes that the British tend to sympathise and admire whistleblowers.
For heavens sake where would Mark get most of his information if it wasn't inside track stuff!
As an 'Englishman' I am mortified to read this story and can quite understand why Bernard Connolly not only wrote the book and thought he was doing the 'right thing' but why, on conviction he appealed.
Fortunately, looking at more information about him he seems to have done alright in his career subsequently but I bet Bernard was as shocked as I would be as a fellow Brit!
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#10 & 26# - this visa issue is largely political posturing. The EU commissioner was making the point that America (and Japan, Singapore etc.) had signed up to visa-waiver reciprocity agreements with EU countries and should abide by these agreements. As Americans (and Japanese, Singaporeans..) can travel to the EU countries without being subject to a visa then citizens from the latter should also be allowed to travel to the US/Japan/Singapore without a visa. My guess is that by focusing on diplomats the EC is trying hit those closest to the decision-making circle instead of imposing a blanket visa requirement which would have a hefty impact on business, tourism and so on.
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#33 mcdv-1975
Didn't say it was cheap - said it was good value. See point re tourism - major $earner even in bad times.
How many would pay to see the home/s or historic houses associated with a ceremonial president instead?
There's also the point about staying out of politics, which ours now have to. As for anyone being able to be head of state: was it Mark Twain said it?
"my mother told me anyone could become President*. I'm beginning to believe it"
*/Prime minister/Chief Executive of your choice
(apologies if I didn't get it quite right)
On the wider royal family, I agree - let them make their own way, they have loadsadosh and can afford to look after their own.
All people aren't born equal, even within a single nation, never mind worldwide. They ought to be but they're not. Discrimination on grounds of class, race, age, sex, religion, education, profession or lack of it, even who's got a little bit of food, happens all the time, everywhere. Not saying it's right, just that it happens. If there's a society where this isn't true, please tell me now. This particular instance is high profile but in its nature limited.
Clearly we're not going to agree on this, but many of us think it works and changing it could be risky. Who would actually *want* to be a ceremonial cipher? Why?
And a country doesn't have to be a monarchy to pursue colonialism or start a war. Please don't blame the present incumbent for history. We've had this to the back teeth on Justin's blog.
Keep working for equality in everyday life all over the world and anachronisms will go when their usefulness is over.
This one is still running.
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To #34,
here are another couple of links to the whistle blowers
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2246136.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/politics/676198.stm
Since they're from the BBC I guess this post might get published as there are many on the mainland who are fed up with the posturing of Sarko and his mates in the commission.
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#34 - Menedemus
Good points well made.
A couple of thoughts though. Mr. Connolly was a principal party to the action and his 'interpretation' is hardly likely to be impartial. Secondly, he was not convicted of anything. He was sacked. He contended that the sacking violated his right to freedom of expression, the employer that his critical writing while still in post a breach of his obligations as an employee. There is no suggestion of criminality. The European Court is not a criminal court.
In a letter to the Spectator of Dec 2, 2000 responding to an article by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, the European Court's Head of Press and Information writes "The advocate-general refers to this case to clarify points of law and to illustrate the fact that, if an offence is imprecisely defined, it does not necessarily render unlawful any limitations on freedom of speech imposed in its name."
It seems that there is a problem with the definition of the word 'blasphemy' since, whatever the EU may be, it clearly is not a religion. There are also differences between criticism and whistle-blowing.
It may surprise you that I agree there is something about this judgment which does not sit comfortably with the English view of freedom of expression. Equally, I am sure you would agree that it is a bit rich to dismiss your employers as a bunch of cowboys then whinge about it when they give you the push.
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An amazing side story about Karadzic is how he came from being the responsible of massacres to the afable wise man who has lived in a modest flat in the suburbs of Belgrade. The children in his block used to call him "Santa Claus" (Papa Noel).
And then his current job. From selling death in the mid nineties to selling spiritual healing today!
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#39. Himmler was heavily into 'alternative' therapies and religious beliefs too. There seems to be some link between genocidal madmen and a belief in hippy medicine!
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I suppose the fact that Karadjic's medical degree was in his real name and he had no choice but to practice 'quack' medicine if he was going to conceal his identity is a bit prosaic for everyone.
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#38. threnodio,
You mentioned "There are also differences between criticism and whistle-blowing".
The repetitive stories of inherent corruption in the EU commission and the abject failure for it to be remedied do certainly raise the question of employee loyalty, but just as in company law in the UK a criminal act cannot be kept quite because of the loyalty factor, so should corruption or double dealing not be kept quiet. The sacking of whistle blowers is simply a sign of the lack of intent by the EU commissioners to clean up their act (see my post 37). Whether Connolly was a whistle blower or disgruntled employee is not sure, but if the post of #27 Peter_Sym is correct it sounds more like whistle blowing to me and he was right to expose the double dealing in the EU.
On another track, I thought it was France that had the presidency, not Sarko as he seems to think he is now president of the EU. His rant at Mandelson (who I don't like either) was dictatorial to the extreme and considering his criticism of the Irish, quite amazing. It seems that he has confirmed that anyone who dares criticise the EU commission other than the French should be kicked out, which means the French should decide all policy. Time for France to be kicked out of the EU I think?
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SuffolkBoy2, the EU has every right to exist as it has evolved into its current incarnation through a series of international treaties to which your government has been a sovereign signatory. All the powers that the EU and its institutions, including the European Commission, hold have been negotiated and granted them by, inter alia, successive UK prime ministers. So if you have an issue with the EU I suggest you take it up with your national government.
You may believe that the majority of Brits have never wanted to European Commission (no inverted commas needed) to represent them, however the one time that the UK electorate was canvassed on its membership of the then EEC in 1975 - answering the question '"Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?" - over 67% replied yes. This approval suggests that the electorate was therefore happy for the Commission to represent them then.
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#42 - Buzet23
I should have been clearer - there is a distinction in English law. A genuine whistle blower can resign his position because his revelations make his ongoing employment untenable and he will be able to claim for constructive dismissal.
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ggandon @ 43
I was interested in your comment and particularly where you state "You may believe that the majority of Brits have never wanted to European Commission (no inverted commas needed) to represent them...."
That almost sounds as though you believe that the majority of Brits would STILL support the EU Commission to represent them? Is that your belief?
If it is I merely wonder on what basis you would form that opinion?
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hi, just wanted to ask if you know there's even a facebook group of dabic's fans/supporters ... couldn't believe it
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To #43 , gcandon,
I was not only one of those but voted yes but also an active member of the Conservative party having even been a local candidate in a London ward. All was NOT about the commission and it's assumed views and direction recently but about a common market. Were the current direction anywhere in the agenda it would not have been 67% voting for but minimal. If you think the resemblance to serpents slithering is fair game to change the agenda then well all I can say is take your paradise elsewhere, because there are few that follow your course, either in the UK or over here on the mainland.
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#43 - gcandon
One problem may be that the Commission which the British electorate favoured in 1975 is a very different animal from the post-Maastricht manifestation. Although a wider European agenda was certainly on the cards, the primary function was in the sphere of economics. This has changed with the Commission increasingly powerful in the area of social policy particularly. There are real problems with a common defence and foreign policy but the impetus is in that direction.
Although I am British, like Buzet23, I now live on the European mainland. While euroscepticism is alive and well - not just in the UK - I have a sense that what is troubling many is not the European project itself. It is rather a sense of a democratic deficit. The Commission is seen by many as unrepresentative and unaccountable. Many believe that the Lisbon process is an attempt by key member nations to drive through a constitution under the guise of a treaty to avoid the humiliation of 'no' votes all over Europe were it to be put to the people. The Irish may well have put a few noses out of joint in the centres of power but many Europeans believe that, as an exercise in bringing their leaders back down to earth, it was no bad thing.
My personal view is that, if we are going to have a European constitution, it should be put to all the people on the same day asking the same question, the count should be Europe wide and take no account of nationality and the result should be binding. One of the key features of this constitution would be a shift in the balance of power away from the Council in favour of the Parliament. I understand why this may not suit some national governments or indeed some of the vested interests in Brussels and Strasbourg but democratisation is needed before the cynicism becomes too widespread and some of the more progressive policies begin to be rolled back.
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#48 threnodio - good post, ta.
Bear in mind that the authors of the Constitution (and by association the Lisbon Treaty) quiet deliberately wanted to make sure that it'd be all things to all people... and fell flat on their face because of it.
The fundamental problem, in my view, is that even the Treaty doesn't differentiate between structural and policy reforms. What it should have done is reformed the operational structure of EU decision-making process (smaller Commission with fewer Commissioners, more balanced voting rights in the Council, parliamentary scrutiny intervening earlier and more of it, etc) - full stop. Those reforms remain deeply necessary.
However, it went on to faff around with policy (abolishing the '4 pillars', veto rights, etc) and implementation remits (vastly increasing the power of the ECJ, amending 'competency' areas, introducing an extended presidency), when these could have been - if necessary - dealt with much more openly and efficiently once the structural reforms had been put in place.
And of course, the necessity of at least some of these reforms (let alone enforcing the Charter, or indeed a fully fledged EUFOR) remains - to put it politely - debatable.
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Will you be in The Hague on September 10?
That's the date for the Hague District Court to hand down its judgment in the civil actions being brought by Hasan Nuhanovic and the Mustafic family against the Dutch state over its failure to protect their relatives, Hasan's mother, father and brother and the Mustafics' husband/father.
It was Karadzic and Mladic who had them killed, but it was the DutchbatIII soldiers who forced them to leave the protection of the Potocari compound and handed them over to Mladic in the knowledge of what was going to befall them.
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No, sorry, not knowing your capital cities disqualifies you as a journalist and writer.
Think of all the children that will be misled, give wrong answers in exams and fail to become what they were best suited to become. Maybe the child destined to find a cure for everything has been stopped forever.
Wont even make it as a pizza delivery angel because not knowing one capital city will undermine confidence, so whats the point of even trying to learn all those street names?.....Cold pizza for everyone because YOU dont know your capitals. tsk tsk tsk.
Shame on you.
PS Which US state is Belgium in anyway?
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It concerns me a little about the confusion between the hague and amsterdam, after all with the internet its so easy to check these things. Then again I have given up on english sense of geography, after hearing sports reports still consistantly refer to Czechoslovakia 15 years after the end of this country nothing surprises me anymore.
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