Some stunned by Gulf states鈥� demand for Al Jazeera shut down, Jamaica says no to the Gulf鈥檚 鈥榖ullying鈥� of Qatar, why Macron鈥檚 stance on Syria is wrong, why Theresa May鈥檚 new coalition could cost her, as war with Islamic State ends, Syria could heat up
A roundup of global commentary for the July 10, 2017鈥揓uly 17, 2017 weekly magazine.
A roundup of global commentary for the July 10, 2017鈥揓uly 17, 2017 weekly magazine.
The Daily Star / Bangladesh
Some are stunned by Gulf states鈥� demand that Qatar shut down Al Jazeera
鈥淲e are stunned ... by the call to close down Al Jazeera Satellite network and its affiliates ... [to end the] recent boycott against Qatar...,鈥� states an editorial. 鈥淭he call for shutting down a popular, internationally recognised news network for political reasons is a regressive move on many counts. First of all this is a direct threat to freedom of the press.... Secondly, in a world in which global information is monopolised by western media, to try to ban a news network that [represents] the voices of the Arab world, is short sighted and self destructive.... It is with increasing alarm that we notice ... dissenting voices [and] divergent opinions being ... vilified as 鈥榝alse news鈥�....鈥�
The Gleaner / Jamaica
Jamaica says no to the Gulf鈥檚 鈥榖ullying鈥� of Qatar
鈥淛amaica has good reasons to pay attention to the row, led by Saudi Arabia, between Qatar and ... its Gulf neighbours.... But there is a larger issue at play ... the matter of sovereignty...,鈥� states an editorial. 鈥淨atar has operated a foreign policy independent of its Gulf partners ... [which is why they] imposed [a] ... blockade against the Qataris, accusing Doha of ... financing terrorist organisations.... [A]mong the demands ... to lift their blockade is the dismantling of Al Jazeera. They also insist that Qatar close [a] Turkish base, severely pare down its diplomatic relations with Iran, end its alleged support for terrorist organisations, and pay reparations for the loss of life and financial losses because of Qatari policies.... [I]t is tantamount to an expropriation of sovereignty, for which no small country can countenance....鈥�
Al Jazeera / Qatar
Much to celebrate about Macron鈥檚 victory, but his stance on Syria is wrong
鈥淸French President Emmanuel Macron] seemed to herald a bold new politics that would align power with principle. Since assuming power, however, Macron鈥檚 statements have been more equivocal...,鈥� writes Muhammad Idrees Ahmad. 鈥淸He recently] emphasised ... [that] 鈥榃e won鈥檛 solve the question [of Syria] only with military force.鈥�... [T]he monopoly on violence in Syria is held by the regime and its allies ... [who] are responsible for over 90 percent of all civilian deaths.... The real question is if [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad, Russia and Iran accept that there is no military solution. They don鈥檛.... Macron [has spoken] eloquently ... of democracy, individual freedoms and social justice.... The Syrians who rose up against Syria鈥檚 authoritarian regime share these principles. Macron鈥檚 words will ring hollow if he allows these people to be crushed....鈥�
Deutsche Welle / Berlin聽
Why Theresa May鈥檚 new coalition could cost her dearly
鈥淸British Prime Minister] Theresa May could pay dearly for bringing [the Democratic Unionist Party] on board,鈥� writes Barbara Wesel. 鈥淭he DUP is a regional party from Northern Ireland. Extremely socially conservative, it ... poses problems for a postmodern [Britain].... This is no party London should get in bed with. Doing so calls into question the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland.... May needs the DUP鈥檚 support most of all for Brexit, especially in getting a deal through parliament.... While the DUP is for May鈥檚 version of a hard Brexit, the party also wants to keep the border with Ireland open. This political oxymoron makes compromise hard and restricts May鈥檚 room to negotiate, leaving her talks in Brussels even more beholden to goodwill and DUP demands.鈥�
The Japan Times / Tokyo
As war with Islamic State winds down, Syria might be heating up
鈥淭he emergence of the Islamic State militant group ... had the salutary effect of uniting the disparate forces in that conflict...,鈥� states an editorial. 鈥淚t is ironic then that ... there is the equally likely prospect of a wider and more dangerous fight over the future of Syria and the region, a struggle that threatens to pit the West, particularly the United States and its regional allies, against Iran.... Iran, more than any other country, is positioned to exploit the IS retreat.... There is a fear that the defeat of IS will allow Iran to establish a corridor to project its power from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.鈥�