Croatia'sKostelic skis to 2nd gold at worlds

Austrian Chancellor does not like term 

"Western Balkans"

Zagreb should take this guy's comments and run with them:

CANDIDATES SHOULD BE EVALUATED INDIVIDUALLY

ZAGREB, Feb 15 (Hina) - Candidates for membership in
the European Union should be evaluated individually,
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said in an
interview with Croatian Television on Saturday
evening. 


Schuessel said he had never liked the term Western
Balkans because it seemed to denote a group of equally
developed countries, which in his opinion was not
true.

Croatia has always been a European country and
oriented towards Europe and it currently meets the
most criteria for applying for full EU membership, he
said.

Asked whether the EU was able to guarantee peace for
all, Schuessel said the EU had been founded as a peace
union, which was the original idea of its creators.

Today the EU, which has 15 and following expansion
will have 25 members, is really a zone of peace and
stability. It is understandable that we wish and have
to expand that zone of stability, the Austrian
chancellor said. 

(hina) rml 

Best Skier on the Planet Wins A Gold Again

Croatian supporters cheer theirskiers during the women's slalom at the Alpine Ski World Championships in St.Moritz, Switzerland, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003. A large contingent of Croat skifans were attending Saturday's women's slalom where Croatia'sJanica Kostelic is favourite to take the gold medal.(AP Photo/Keystone, Gaetan Bally)

Austria's Marlies Schild, silver, Croatia'sJanica Kostelic, gold, and Austria's Nicole Hosp, bronze, from left to right,stand on the podium during the flower ceremony for the women's slalom at theWorld Alpine Ski Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Saturday, Feb.15,2003. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
- Feb 15 12:32 PM ET

Kostelic Crowned Queen of St. Moritz
Sat February 15, 2003 09:03 AM ET 

By Julia Ferguson
St. MORITZ, Switzerland (Reuters) - Triple Olympic champion Janica Kostelic stormed to her second gold medal at the Alpine skiing world championships on Saturday to underline her status as the most gifted slalom racer of her generation.

The 21-year-old all rounder from Croatia, leading after the first leg, pulled off another clean and dynamic charge down the sun-drenched Engiadina course to clock a combined time of one minute 39.55 seconds.

Austrian Marlies Schild captured silver, a gaping 0.63 seconds behind Kostelic, with compatriot Nicole Hosp taking bronze on one minute 40.46 seconds for her second medal at her first world championships.

"I feel really great. Usually I used to say that world championships are not really important for me, but now when I see how it's going and everything I'm really happy with what I've done," a jubilant Kostelic said.

"I really like gold medals a lot," the double St. Moritz champion, who clinched gold in the combined, added.

The two-leg race was a thrilling spectacle to the very end. Swede Anja Paerson, a pre-race favorite, threw down the gauntlet with a blistering second run that propelled her way into the lead after lagging in 15th place, 1.6 seconds behind Kostelic.

The extrovert Paerson, gold medallist in the giant slalom, had been bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend a slalom world title since German Christl Cranz 65 years ago at Engelberg, Switzerland.

Her time held until the 19-year-old Hosp, silver medallist in the combined and lying third after the first run, held her nerve and overtook the Swede.

ECLIPSED ALL

Schild then grabbed the lead before the formidable Kostelic eclipsed all despite racing with a sore shoulder and pushed Paerson into the unpopular spot of fourth, 1.03 seconds adrift of the winning pace.

The pigtailed Kostelic came to this swanky Swiss resort without a previous medal at the bi-annual championships. She leaves St. Moritz as the most decorated female skier from the five events.

Kostelic, runaway leader in the overall World Cup standings and the first skier to capture four Alpine medals at a single Olympic Games at Salt Lake City, has won four of the season's seven races, with Paerson securing the remaining three.

"My shoulder was painful especially at the start, I had a lot of trouble starting, but I just wanted to put it on the side," Kostelic said.

"If Anja would have had a good first run and then that perfect second run, then I probably wouldn't have won," the Croat said of Paerson's top second-leg time of 49.66 seconds on the course set by her father Anders.

YOUNG GUNS

The strong showing by Austria's young slalom racers is further proof, if needed, of the mighty Alpine nation's depth of talent in the dangerous sport. It was their first medal in the women's slalom for decade.

"I'm pretty speechless and am absolutely over the moon," said Schild, who has never won on the World Cup, but who was tipped by Kostelic's father at the start of the season as being Janica's closest rival.

"This is compensation for the combined," the 21-year-old added in reference to just missing out on a medal in that event.

Team mate Hosp, the most consistent racer among the women's team this season, was typically cool before both runs. "I was very relaxed because I already had my medal," she said.

With only the men's slalom on Sunday left, the two helped Austria tighten their stranglehold on the medals table with a total of nine from nine events, three ahead of the United States.

Fellow Alpine nation France, by contrast, has had a miserable time at this competition. One of their last-gasp medal contenders, slalom World Cup champion and Olympic silver medallist Laure Pequegnot, finished a disappointing seventh.

Germany is also without a medal, but unlike France, has scant chance of a podium finisher in the final men's slalom race as not a single racer is ranked in the top 15 slalom standings.

Is There a "Conservative Option" inCroatia?

What is a "conservative"? In my opinion, a person who believes there is no need to reinvent a wheel or hot water. A person who knows that tradition is the safe keeper of values, and values are guarantors of virtue. A person who can take a stand, alone, with responsibility. Who values an individual above the crowd, and an individual's freedom above crowd mentality. From Socrates, Cato, Cicero to Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Disraeli, Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan. To act in a true conservative way means to act with dignity having recognized the value of human dignity. 
Applying those standards one would in vain look for a conservative option on the current Croatian political scene. To start with, the word dignity has been forgotten for a long time, and if by some miracle somebody displays a shade of dignity, he would be immediately branded as a weakling. 
In Croatia, I am tempted to say luckily, the word conservative is rarely used, so its chances of getting soiled are, again luckily, rather slim. The word used to describe the opposite of "liberal" (=good, progressive, cosmopolitan) is "desnica", or "desnicar," often thinly disguising the meaning the regularly unsympathetic speaker has in mind; and the word is "fascist," or, in local version, "ustaša." In the same way, the word used to describe the opposite of "conservative" (=individualistic, dignified, anti-collectivist, all of which is also good) is "ljevica," or "ljevicar"; or in local jargon "komunjara." We are back to the WW2 - to the clash between the "Ustaše" and the "Partizani."
Having said that, let us recall the old saying that devil is not as black as he is painted. This does not mean that civility, efficiency, and reason may suddenly break out into Croatian political life; this would hardly be allowed by the media which thrive on scandal-mongering and which are acting as blatant mercenaries of this or that political party, option, or individual. One wonders why Croatian public buys, reads, watches, or listens to that junk at all. And while they do, there are some signs that "the conservative option" may be slowly breaking through both on "the right" and on "the left."
What would I consider a Croatian version of the conservative option described above?
A dignified stand that promotes national identity without primitivist flag-waving; supports individualism, creativity and a spirit of enterprise within a level field guaranteed by law; seeks close contacts with Croatian diaspora, the Global Croatia, and integration of Croatia into the global community, not as a banana republic, but as a proud individual conscious of its history, tradition, and values. You may say: "Well, this is something that a good, conscious Croatian political leader would do, regardless where he stands within the political spectrum. Yes, this is indeed so. Are there any great differences between a good, conscious, "conservative" and a good, conscious "liberal" politician in any great contemporary democracy - the U.S., Canada, Australia... No. Nor was there a chasm dividing the ideas of a "conservative" Thomas Jefferson, and a "liberal" John Adams, ideas which laid foundation of the greatest democracy in history. Both believe in the right of an individual, but differ on the amount of state intervention they consider useful. A conservative places an individual above the state; a liberal, while respecting the individual, believes that the state should be a guarantor of his freedom and happiness. Neither wants to abolish America, free market, and individualist democracy. In practice, this boils down to taxes: should more or less money be paid to the state so that it may perform (to a higher or lesser degree) it regulatory role. Croatian public is still very far away of that clear vision of what politics in a nutshell is.
And therefore, politicians who have seen the light, and who act as potential promoters of "the conservative option," are not particularly cherished by the public, or by the media. And they come from all ends of Croatia's political life. Let me name just a few: Dr. Zdravko Tomac, a social democrat, who, I believe intellectually very well understands what a "conservative option" is; Dražen Budiša, a Social Liberal, although maybe in a more intuitive way. The new leader of the HDZ, Dr. Ivo Sanader, has been moving in that direction too, and possesses both intellectual ability and, probably, political pragmatism to move the "new" HDZ in that direction. And that direction is, broadly speaking, toward the "Center," which is quite encouraging, as such a centrist coalition may be eventually able to move the country from the economic, political, and moral quagmire it has been dragged down to by the current rulers. 
People of Croatia, and even the Croats abroad, seem to forget, though, that there is a Croatian political party which already stands in this center, and which largely stands for what we have described as the "conservative option." This is the "DC - Demokratski centar - hrvatska stranka centra" (Democratic Center - Croatian Center Party), led by Mate Granic, Vesna Škare-Ožbolt, Slobodan Lang, and some other well-known names among Croatian politician. It has not attracted much attention of the media as it has never produced scandals, and as it stands for the ideas the time of which is yet to come. The DC in its theory and practice promotes the idea that politics should be ruled not by fists and slander, but by words, votes, and tolerance. Its popularity is steadily growing. It has support of about 12% of the Croatian electorate.
One of DC's latest moves has been to start opening up toward the Global Croatia. It is concerned with the electoral law, and strongly supports a fair form of representation for the Croats abroad - most importantly, not just Croatian passport holders. And this I consider most important: Croatian political parties have been so far addressing segments of our diaspora - or writing it off altogether. The DC is seeking informed advice on how to reach the entire body of Croatian people around the world. It also supports the idea of creating a special, responsible and efficient, office for practical, day-to-day, political exchange with the Croats abroad, in order to, again, reach informed conclusions how to best integrate the talents and resources of the entire Global Croatia. It will be worth watching how this process goes ahead. At this moment it seems to hold much promise. I accept it as a nice Santa's present from an area which has been stingy in gift-giving for quite a while. 

Vladimir P. Goss 

When Croatia wins,no-one thinks of the 'Balkans'

By: Brian Gallagher 

Croatia's image remains mixed. 

It may come as a surprise to know that the US Military
considers Croatia a "Qualified hazardous-duty area".
US Military personnel are entitled to tax breaks if
they serve in Croatia. One shouldn't be alarmed by
this; Croatia has been listed as such an area by the
United States since 1995. However, it does not help
Croatia's image. In confirms that in the eyes of many,
Croatia is seen as being somewhere unstable, prone to
war, crime, corruption etc. 

Europe is certainly no better. On 2 February, the
European satellite news service Euronews screened an
item on the 'Balkans' which emphasized crime and
corruption, stating that it could take decades to root
out. Croatia figured in this item, including shots of
Dubrovnik. Anyone watching this with little knowledge
of the subject would automatically assume Croatia to
be as rotten and corrupt as any other 'Balkan' state.
This is where 'regional co-operation' gets Croatia. 

Croatia's leaders have yet to get to grips with the
image problem in the US and EU. 

Croatia's winning of the Handball World Championship
is much better news, and this sporting success is
symbolic; it shows that Croatia can succeed as an
independent nation. One wonders whether Croatia's
sportsmen would have had such success if they had
limited themselves to 'regional' sporting events
rather than taking on the world. When Croatia wins,
no-one thinks of the 'Balkans'.

Croatia's leaders should take note.

Š Brian Gallagher www.croatiafocus.com 3 February 2003

A Story of Joseph

"I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt" (Genesis, 45, 4)

Joseph was a real pain. Smart, enterprising, and creative he became an unbeatable competitor to his even much elder brothers. Therefore, they decide to kill him, but, having relented, they sell him to Midianites, and these resold him to Egypt.
Where Joseph became an instant hit. He quickly put in order the estate of his boss, Potiphar, captain of the Pharaonic guard, and when the latter's wife wrongly accused Jospeh of indecent advances, and Joseph ended up in jail, in the Rounded Tower, he soon became the secretary to the prison's Governor. Joseph was not endowed with just a rational talent of an organizer of genius, with the concomitant ability to prosper in the material word, but also with poetic creativity, which made him an accomplished student of the human soul and its spokesperson through interpreting of dreams. He was one of those truly rare creatures possessing Pascal's esprit de geometrie as well as esprit de finesse. 
Thanks to his spiritual gift Joseph moves from the prison to the Pharaoh's palace. Having explained Pharaoh's strategically crucial dream, he is appointed the head administrator of the entire Egypt.
For more than two hundred years, Croatian Josips and Josipe emigrated in hundreds of thousands to the Misir on the other side of the Ocean - and beyond. They started by washing Potiphar's floors and cleaning the Rounded Towers, but soon they found better ways of using their heads and hands. There are not many Croats who failed in "Egypt."
Like Joseph, in many cases Croats were expelled from their country, maybe not always by their brothers, as they were primarily chased away by anti-Croatian rulers - Turks, Venetians, Napoleon, the Habsburgs, the Khuens, the royal and communist Yugoslavs, but the brothers, those domestic traitors without whom the foreign rules would have collapsed, played out their perfidious role. We kept leaving, often with bitterness and anger in our hearts, but we never forgot the homeland and were ready to forgive. Like Joseph, we would say: "And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here" (45, 5). We realized that by leaving we may have done something good, created a chance to help our unlucky brothers, while also contributing to the Misirs we moved to. It was the Will of God, Joseph concluded, and he was certainly right. Just like Joseph, we also often brought Jacob and our brothers into our new homes helping them raise to a civilizational level worthy of a human being.
I realized the meaning of the Story of Joseph listening to a sermon in the Episcopalian Church of St. Philip, in Durham, a few days before Christmas 2002. I realized that Jospeh was an early "gastarbeiter," forced to leave his land, to succeed, thanks to his talent, abroad. And I realized it within the context of the current Croatian predicament, which I have mostly shared with my brothers and sisters last three years. 
I realized again that for us who live, or have spent most of our lives abroad, there is nothing more painful than discord and chaos at home. Croats have more than once by infighting thrown away their chance to have a successful, sovereign state. For us abroad, who depend for our identity on the existence of that state, anything that threatens it creates a feeling of anxiety and frustration. Maybe this is the reason why the huge majority of Croatian people abroad has never joined any Croatian political party. We know only one such body - it is called Croatia and Croatian people. To paraphrase a statement given by Mr. Bernard Luketich, President of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America to the Vecernji list a few years ago, we support those who people of Croatia elect in free, democratic elections - it used to be HDZ, it is still the (former) "Six." No Croatian government so far has tried to understand what theDiaspora is. None tried to take advantage of its talent, experience, political clout, goodwill, and material resources, whenDiaspora was ready to offer all that at a very low, or no, price. A great chance, provided by the Liberation War and unity it created slipped away. Today, the most sober among ourselves ask: what is the future of the Croatian state? 
Let us return to Joseph, son of Jacob. Letting his brothers go well provided with the food which would save the hungry Israel, Joseph issues an invitation and a warning: invitation to move to Misir, and a warning not to "quarrel on the way" (45, 24).
The move to Misir was, in a long run, a mixed blessing. Egypt for the Israelitesproved not be exactly a land of milk and honey. Joseph's offspring became victims of racial discrimination. After long pushing and pulling, and thank to the Lord and Moses and Aaron, the Jews left Egypt and moved back, to the Promised Land. It does not mean that we need to return en masse; in fact, we all have an inside Moses and Aaron which tells us to go back. But Croatia needs a Moses and Aaron to get her out of the quagmire it has sunk into.
A friend, top Croatian-American intellectual told me the other day. "If I were to be born again, and to look for a country to live, I would put the top priority on a country with an efficient court system." After my Croatian experiences I agree. For, pacta sunt servanda - what has been agreed upon should be honored. In Croatia, salaries and honoraria are late or never paid; one has to wait for years for ownership titles; guys in black Mercedes drive at 100km/hour in a wrong direction through a one-way street, and nothing happens to them. One can come and cut your tree in your backyard, without any permits or orders, because somebody at the "opcina" decided so (yes, I know such a case). To feel secure one has to become a part of some "network." And this is, folks, the end of individuality, and also the end of democracy. I do not care who "rules," be it "left" or "right," but there is no prosperity, no progress, no STATE without legal security and equality in front of the law. And the law in Croatia is all but disappeared.
One more reason we need a Moses to climb the Sinai and bring down the tablets.
Soon, in the course of the next year, the Croatian people at home will have an opportunity to select one.

Vladimir P. Goss 

This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats

Published on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 by CommonDreams.org 

Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences 

by US Senator Robert Byrd

Senate Floor Speech - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 To contemplate war is to
think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as
this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some level must
be contemplating the horrors of war. Yet, this Chamber is, for the most
part, silent -- ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no
discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this
particular war. There is nothing. We stand passively mute in the United
States Senate, paralyzed by our own uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the
sheer turmoil of events. Only on the editorial pages of our newspapers is
there much substantive discussion of the prudence or imprudence of engaging
in this particular war. And this is no small conflagration we contemplate.
This is no simple attempt to defang a villain. No. This coming battle, if it
materializes, represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly
a turning point in the recent history of the world. This nation is about to
embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an
extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the
idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a
nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the
future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It
appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And
it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries
around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our -- or some other
nation's -- hit list. High level Administration figures recently refused to
take nuclear weapons off of the table when discussing a possible attack
against Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and unwise than this type of
uncertainty, particularly in a world where globalism has tied the vital
economic and security interests of many nations so closely together? There
are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions
are suddenly subject to damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism
based on mistrust, misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from
U.S. leaders is fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism
which existed after September 11. Here at home, people are warned of
imminent terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such
attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active military
duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or what horrors they may
face. Communities are being left with less than adequate police and fire
protection. Other essential services are also short-staffed. The mood of the
nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may
soon spike higher. This Administration, now in power for a little over two
years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal.
In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large
projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us to
projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration's domestic
policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding
scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration has
fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. This Administration has
ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly.
This Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland
security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long
and porous borders. In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to
find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again
marshaling his forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split
traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, International
order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration
has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United
States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the
patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the
sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our
leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come. Calling heads
of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful
European allies as irrelevant -- these types of crude insensitivities can do
our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot
fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and
friendship of our time-honored allies as well as the newer found friends
whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us
little good if we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which
severely damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched
thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can supply
troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on. The war in Afghanistan
has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may
already be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found bin
Laden, and unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of
terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and devastated land.
Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration has
not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to embark
on another conflict with perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is
our attention span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the
war one must always secure the peace? And yet we hear little about the
aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is
rife. Will we seize Iraq's oil fields, becoming an occupying power which
controls the price and supply of that nation's oil for the foreseeable
future? To whom do we propose to hand the reigns of power after Saddam
Hussein? Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating
attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal? Will
the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals,
bolstered by Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq? Could a
disruption of the world's oil supply lead to a world-wide recession? Has our
senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the interests
and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear
club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for nations
which need the income? In only the space of two short years this reckless
and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous
consequences for years. One can understand the anger and shock of any
President after the savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the
frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting
enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution. But to turn
one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and
dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is
inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and
responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the
planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration are
outrageous. There is no other word. Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent.
On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction
on the population of the nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of
which over 50% is under age 15 -- this chamber is silent. On what is
possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face
unimagined horrors of chemical and biological warfare -- this chamber is
silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in
retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United
States Senate. We are truly "sleepwalking through history." In my heart of
hearts I pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are
not in for a rudest of awakenings. To engage in war is always to pick a wild
card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must
question the judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked
military attack on a nation which is over 50% children is "in the highest
moral traditions of our country". This war is not necessary at this time.
Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put
ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful
way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow
more time. 

Op-ed
President Bush's email: President@whiteHouse.gov  
Know that 30 emails, phone calls or faxes on a same 
subject have to be reported to the president