Failure On All Fronts: No Progress from G-20 Leaders

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The G-20 summit ended worse than expected on Friday -- with acrimony, division and name-calling over Syria. The conference, which was originally conceived as an economic forum, also failed to deliver results on global recovery.

In the end, even a meeting between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin failed to deliver results. Participants at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg couldn't manage to find a common position on Syria. The American president demanded that punitive action be taken against Syria, but his Russian counterpart stood between Obama and his allies. Now any decision on a possible military strike against Damascus will be up to the US Congress.

Washington has left no doubt that, from this point on, it will prepare an intervention without a United Nations mandate. Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, said negotiations in the Security Council had failed because of opposition from Moscow. And it is also unclear whether Washington will still wait for a report on the use of poison gas in Syria before taking action. It could still take a few more weeks before that report is delivered. » | Carsten Volkery | Friday, September 06, 2013

'Attack on Syria to Change Balance in Region, Not Just One Régime'

The Syria issue has come to dominate talks between the world's 20 largest economies. Day one of the summit saw around half the leaders make it clear they do not support America's intervention plans. Washington accuses Damascus of using chemical weapons last month - but the evidence offered so far, has left many unconvinced.

'G20 Marks End of Washington's Era of Dominance'

The US Secretary of State's on a fresh bid to woo European ministers, in a last-minute effort to drum up support for a unilateral strike on Syria. This, after the international chorus of voices against the move grew louder at the G20 summit in St. Petersburg. Even France, which earlier backed unconditional US action, now says it will wait for the results of the UN's probe into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. Political commentator John Wight joins RT to discuss this issue.

Syria Crisis: Barack Obama Faces Growing Opposition to Airstrikes as He Arrives for G20

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama is facing growing international opposition to military intervention in Syria as China, the European Union and the Pope all warned against attacks on the Assad regime.

Mr Obama arrived [at] St Petersburg for a tense G20 summit amid signs that Russia's opposition to US airstrikes was gaining significant international support.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, welcomed Mr Obama to his home town in an encounter that laid bare the increasingly difficult relationship between the two men.

After exchanging a stiff handshake and stern looks, Mr Obama and Mr Putin offered fixed smiles for the cameras before entering the Konstantinovsky Palace.

In the summit room, diplomats said the two men were seated well aware [sic: away] from each other and did not speak to one another directly during opening talks about the world economy.

The awkward initial encounter came after some other leaders arriving in St Petersburg pointedly sided with Russia in its opposition to US-led military action.

Intervention would damage the global economy by pushing up oil prices, China said. Syria is not a significant oil exporter, but the prospect of conflict in the Middle East often pushes up oil prices.

"Military action would have a negative impact on the global economy, especially on the oil price - it will cause a hike in the oil price," said Zhu Guangyao, the Chinese Vice Finance Minister.

Brazil, India and South Africa also worry that intervention would do economic harm, according to Mr Putin's officials.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian president, said the leaders of the large emerging economies spoke before the St Petersburg summit and agreed that Syrian intervention would have an "extremely negative effect" on the global economy." » | James Kirkup, Political Editor in St Petersburg | Thursday, September 05, 2013

Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin Set for Collision over Syria at G20 Summit

THE GUARDIAN: Russian president signals he will take action if America strikes at Assad as US counterpart admits relations have hit a wall

World leaders will gather in St Petersburg on Thursday for what has transformed into an international showdown with Vladimir Putin threatening to send a missile shield to Syria if the US launches an attack without the authority of the United Nations.

The G20 summit, hosted by Putin, had been expected to focus on the world economy and growth, but will now be dominated by the Middle East crisis, even if the formal agenda remains fixed on the slowdown of growth in emerging markets.

Barack Obama, speaking during a stopover in Sweden before the summit, denied his political credibility was at stake but admitted relations with Russia had hit a wall. He insisted he had not set the red lines requiring a military response if the Syrian government deployed chemical weapons.

"The world set a red line when governments representing 98% of the world's population said the use of chemical weapons was abhorrent and passed a treaty forbidding their use even when countries are engaged in war," he said. "That was not something I just kind of made up, I did not pluck it out of thin air."

He added: "My credibility is not on the line. The international community's credibility is on the line because we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important. » | Patrick Wintour and Dan Roberts in Washington | Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Syria Crisis: Pope Tells Vladimir Putin World Leaders Have Allowed 'Senseless Massacre'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis has written to Vladimir Putin criticising world leaders for standing by while a "senseless massacre" unfolded in Syria.

In a letter sent on Sept 4 to Mr Putin in his role of host of the G20 conference, and published on Thursday, Francis wrote: "It is regrettable that, from the very beginning of the conflict in Syria, one-sided interests have prevailed and in fact hindered the search for a solution that would have avoided the senseless massacre now unfolding."

Through Mr Putin, Francis appealed to the G20 leaders gathering in Russia: "The leaders of the G20 cannot remain indifferent to the dramatic situation of the beloved Syrian people which has lasted far too long, and even risks bringing greater suffering to a region bitterly tested by strife and needful of peace.

"To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution."

He added: "Rather, let there be a renewed commitment to seek, with courage and determination, a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation of the parties, unanimously supported by the international community. Moreover, all governments have the moral duty to do everything possible to ensure humanitarian assistance to those suffering because of the conflict, both within and beyond the country's borders." » | Tom Kington, Vatican City | Thursday, September 05, 2013

My comment:

The vainglorious Obama is going to find himself increasingly isolated in this rush to war with Syria. And inasmuch as he will isolate himself, he will isolate America too. People are weary of all these wars, especially so because they achieve nothing. They are not decisive. Wars should only ever be fought when absolutely necessary, when all else fails. This is not the case here.

Not everyone is convinced that it was Bashar Al-Assad who perpetrated the chemical attack on his people. In fact, many are convinced that it was the rebels who perpetrated it, in the hope of dragging the West, especially the US into the war in order to topple Bashar Al-Assad.

In any case, if America and France go in there and bomb Damascus to smithereens, what will be achieved, except more killing and suffering? Haven't the poor Syrians suffered enough already?

More than two million Syrians have been turned into refugees. And Bashar Al-Assad cannot be held totally responsible for this calamity, either. Barack Obama's talk of an assault on Damascus will surely have frightened very many Syrians into a decision to leave their country for safer havens. So how humanitarian is that?

We need to ask ourselves some fundamental questions here: What is to be achieved by military action? How much more suffering will military action cause? What are the risks of turning this civil war into a regional conflict? And what are the chances of a regional conflict turning into a world war? World wars have been started by far less in the past. And what can we expect to happen in Syria if Bashar Al-Assad is toppled? Won't it be worse for the Syrians? An Islamic theocracy might well be the ultimate outcome of such a military intervention.

And isn't it true to say that Obama wants to show his 'tough credentials' here? Isn't he trying to get this military action started for his own self-image? I wouldn't trust the man or his judgement.

It must be remembered that even if it was Bashar Al-Assad who perpetrated this crime against the Syrian people, military action will only make matters worse, and certainly won't stop the ongoing suffering; on the contrary, it will add to it.

And where is the money going to come from to wage this war? And what about the cost of the necessary beefed-up security back home in the US if hostilities break out? Where's the money for that going to come from? Moreover, if Obama really does want to keep his countrymen safe, it would be better for him not to entice bomb attacks on his homeland by rogues who will be hell-bent on seeking revenge.

That part of the world is a hornets' nest. It will be easily upset. And God only knows what will ensue. May God protect us all! – © Mark

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G-20 in St. Petersburg: Putin Plays Cat and Mouse with Obama

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Barack Obama will seek further support from the world's leading political players at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg. But Russian President Vladimir Putin is already looking forward to a showdown with the US president.

Vladimir Putin has the home field advantage. As the host of the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, he can control the images and the logistics of the meeting of the world's most important industrialized and emerging economies inside the Constantine Palace, also known as the "Russian Versailles." He can hardly wait to show it off, complete with its glistening hardwood floors, to Barack Obama. The G-20, Putin has said, will provide "a good platform" to discuss the problems in Syria.

The irony is that it is Putin himself who is so vehemently objecting to such diplomatic solutions.

The political frontlines have been established. On Wednesday night, the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee gave its approval for a limited military strike, though the House of Representatives hasn't yet voted on the issue. In St. Petersburg, Obama is expected to seek international support for his policy course. » | Marc Pitzke in New York | Thursday, September 05, 2013

Syrie : le pape écrit à Poutine pour encourager une solution de paix

LE POINT: Le pape François s'adresse au chef de l'État russe en qualité de président du G20 pour qu'il condamne les "inutiles massacres" au Moyen-Orient.

Le pape François a écrit jeudi au président russe Vladimir Poutine pour que les membres du G20 réunis à Saint-Pétersbourg "ne restent pas inactifs" dans la recherche d'une solution de paix et "abandonnent la poursuite futile d'une solution militaire", a annoncé le Vatican. Dans sa lettre adressée à Vladimir Poutine en qualité de président du G20, le pape évoque les inégalités économiques et sociales mondiales et condamne les "inutiles massacres" au Moyen-Orient, lançant un appel contre toute solution armée, a précisé son porte-parole, le père Federico Lombardi. » | Source AFP | jeudi 05 septembre 2013

Big Phish: Snowden's Leaks Could Be Just Tip Of Iceberg
The revelations of the G20 spying come as the scandal caused by Snowden's earlier disclosures - on the extent of US surveillance after its own and foreign citizens - is gaining momentum. Dozens of lawsuits are being filed against the government's practices - while many lawmakers continue to defend the operation. It has also emerged that the scope of the surveillance - and the help it received from corporations - may have been underestimated.

NSA Leaks: US Spied On Former President Medvedev at 2009 G20 Summit
As Britain readies to host the G8 summit, the documents uncovered by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have revealed that back in 2009 US spies intercepted top-secret communications of then Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, during his visit to London.

David Cameron and Argentina's Cristina Kirchner in Corridor Clash Over Falklands
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron was involved in an extraordinary confrontation with Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner at the G20 Summit in Mexico as she attempted to hand documents to the Prime Minister related to the Falkland Islands.

The two leaders are understood to have met unexpectedly in a corridor on the fringes of the G20 Summit and exchanged words.

Some reports indicated it was Mr Cameron who sought out President Kirchner. He told her that she should "respect the views" of Falkland residents who have announced they are to hold a referendum on the issue of control of the islands.

Mrs Kirchner attempted to hand an envelope to Mr Cameron but he refused to accept it. Héctor Timerman, the Argentinian foreign minister, said: "Nation states have the obligation to talk. We prepared an envelope containing various papers, but the British Primer Minister refused to receive it.

"Britain continues to refuse to talk. And what surprised me most was that David Cameron did not go to the UN decolonisation meeting on Thursday." » | Jonathan Gilbert, Buenos Aires | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Barroso Tells G20 'We Have Not Come to Receive Lessons'
BBC: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has mounted a strong defence of the EU's handling of the financial crisis.

He told world leaders at a G20 summit in Mexico "we have not come here to receive lessons", and pointed out that the financial global crisis "was not originated in Europe". Watch BBC video » | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Related »

José Manuel Barroso was quite right to tell those assembled at the G20 that the EU wasn't there to take lessons from them on how to manage the economy. This financial crisis was caused by the reckless bankers, not the EU. Further, the Americans can teach nobody how to manage the economy: they can't manage even their own economy. It's in a parlous state. So just who is there in the G20 to give Barroso or the EU lessons in economics, or management of the economy? And as for Obama, he couldn't manage the accounts of a McDonald's outlet, still less an economy. If the US economy were managed as well as the German economy, the country would be in fine shape.– © Mark

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G20 Summit: Barroso Blames Eurozone Crisis On US Banks
THE GUARDIAN: EC president says European leaders have not come to Mexico to receive lessons on how to handle the economy

The opening day of the G20 summit was threatening to deteriorate into a fractious row between eurozone countries and other non-European members of the G20, notably the US, as EU commission president José Manuel Barroso insisted the origins of the eurozone crisis lay in the unorthodox policies of American capitalism.

As Europe's leaders came under intense pressure to act decisively to cure the euro's ills, and a campaign gathered pace to relax some of the austerity programmes laying waste to countries burdened with unsustainable debt levels, Barroso insisted that Europe had not come to the G20 summit in Mexico to receive lessons on how to handle the economy.

When asked by a Canadian journalist "why should North Americans risk their assets to help Europe?" he replied: "Frankly, we are not here to receive lessons in terms of democracy or in terms of how to handle the economy.

"By the way this crisis was not originated in Europe … seeing as you mention North America, this crisis originated in North America and much of our financial sector was contaminated by, how can I put it, unorthodox practices, from some sectors of the financial market." » | Patrick Wintour in Los Cabos, Ian Traynor in Brussels and Helena Smith in Athens | Monday, June 18, 2012

Debt Crisis: Tensions Mount as Angela Merkel Attacks French Economy
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Deepening splits between Angela Merkel and François Hollande erupted into the open on Friday as the German chancellor attacked Paris for allowing the French economy to stall.

Mrs Merkel warned the policies of the new Socialist president could destroy the eurozone by bringing the sovereign debt crisis to France itself.

The bleak assessment came on the eve of an important weekend that will see elections in Greece and France and a key G20 meeting of world leaders in Mexico.

"Europe must discuss the growing differences in economic strength between France and Germany," she said.

Tensions are running so high that Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French prime minister, was forced to deny that Paris had broken off the Franco-German partnership, following Berlin anger at a Franco-Italian summit in Rome on Thursday.

There was a growing sense of crisis in European capitals after David Cameron, the Prime Minister, took part in a tense conference call with Mrs Merkel, Mr Hollande and Mario Monti, the Italian prime minister.

G20 leaders meet in Los Cabos on Monday afternoon for talks dominated by the deepening eurozone crisis and the result of close elections that could put Greece on course to leave the EU's single currency.

Eurozone finance ministers are on standby for an emergency telephone conference on Sunday night, if Greek exit polls put the radical Left Syriza coalition in the lead, to trigger contingency plans, including possible capital controls in the event of a run on banks in Greece, Portugal or Spain.

A victory for Syriza could prompt a default and Greek exit of the eurozone. Read on and comment » | Bruno Waterfield in Berlin | Friday, June 15, 2012

Nétanyahou “menteur” : la conversation secrète Obama-Sarkozy
Diffusés par erreur aux journalistes pendant le G20, ces propos sont restés "off"

ARRÊT SUR IMAGES: C'était une conversation franche, entre chefs d'Etat, à propos d'un autre dirigeant. Echange à bâtons rompus, et à huis-clos. Enfin, qui aurait dû rester à huis-clos. C'était sans compter sur une maladresse de l'organisation, et la curiosité de quelques journalistes. Révélations sur deux petites phrases qui voguent bien loin du langage habituellement policé des sommets diplomatiques.

Jeudi 3 novembre, lors du sommet du G20 à Cannes, Nicolas Sarkozy rencontrait Barack Obama lors d'un "entretien bilatéral". Comme il est d'usage, Les deux hommes ont fait face aux journalistes, mais ont aussi discuté en privé, dans une pièce à part, loin des oreilles indiscrètes, afin de pouvoir se libérer de toute retenue diplomatique. Cela a été le cas, mais pour la discrétion, c'est raté.

Selon nos informations, les deux présidents ont laissé de côté toute retenue à propos du délicat dossier des relations israélo-palestiniennes. Obama a d'abord reproché à Sarkozy de ne pas l'avoir prévenu qu'il allait voter en faveur de l'adhésion de la Palestine à l'Unesco, alors que les Etats-Unis y étaient fermement opposés. La conversation a ensuite dérivé sur Benyamin Nétanyahou, le Premier ministre israélien. Sûrs de ne pas être entendus, les deux présidents se sont lâchés. "Je ne peux plus le voir, c'est un menteur", a lancé Sarkozy. "Tu en as marre de lui, mais moi, je dois traiter avec lui tous les jours !", a rétorqué Obama, qui a ensuite demandé à Sarkozy d'essayer de convaincre les Palestiniens de mettre la pédale douce sur leur demande d'adhésion à l'ONU. » | Par Dan Israel | lundi 07 novembre 2011

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FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: „Ich kann ihn nicht ausstehen, er ist ein Lügner“: Nicolas Sarkozy hat in einem vertraulichen Gespräch mit Barack Obama den israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Netanjahu angegriffen. Was der französische Präsident allerdings nicht wusste, viele Journalisten hörten mit. » | MICHAELA WIEGEL, PARIS | Dienstag 08. November 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy Complained to Barack Obama of Liar Benjamin Netanyahu

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy have inadvertently broadcast a private exchange during which they confessed their distaste for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and branded him a “liar".

The French and American presidents were speaking during an encounter on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Cannes last week without realising that a simultaneous translation of their words was being transmitted to journalists outside the room.

As the conversation drifted to Israel, Mr Sarkozy is reported to have said: “I cannot bear Netanyahu, he’s a liar.”

Mr Obama did not challenge the assertion, instead replying: “You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day.”

The exchange provides the most tantalising evidence yet of the growing antipathy with which Mr Netanyahu is said to be held by many Western leaders.

President Obama has had a frequently strained relationship with the Israeli leader. In March last year, Mr Netanyahu was left to stew in a White House meeting room for over an hour after the president allegedly walked out of tense talks to have dinner with his family. » | Adrian Blomfield | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Sarkozy and Obama's Netanyahu gaffe broadcast via microphones: French president called Israeli PM a liar in exchange with US president inadvertently shared with journalists » | Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

MAIL ONLINE: Sarkozy: 'I can't stand him… he’s a liar': Obama: 'You're fed up with him - I have to deal with him every day!'
Presidents' unflattering comments about Israeli PM Netanyahu are broadcast at G20 summit » | Anthony Bond | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Demütigung und Ende von Europas krankem Mann

WELT ONLINE: Italiens Premier wird beim G-20-Gipfel gerügt und muss einer Beobachtung seines Landes zustimmen. Es naht das Ende einer schillernden Karriere.

Wenn du denkst, es geht nicht mehr, kommt von irgendwo ein Lichtlein her: Mit dieser Devise hat es Silvio Berlusconi ziemlich weit gebracht.

Doch jetzt naht das Ende, es geht einfach nicht mehr. Die Art, wie auf europäischen Gipfeln mit ihrem Ministerpräsidenten umgesprungen wird, müssen alle Italiener als tiefe Demütigung wahrnehmen.

Über das Land, das zu den Gründungsstaaten der EU gehört und das ziemlich lange europabegeistert war, beugen sich die EU-Kapitäne wie über einen kranken Mann und machen es vom Subjekt zum Objekt. Das kann sich Italien aus Selbstachtung nicht länger leisten. Es kommt kein Lichtlein mehr. » | Autor: Thomas Schmid | Freitag 04. November 2011

Saving Charlie Hebdo
FRANCE 24: The firebombing of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo dominates the French press - with other papers rallying around and seeing this as a press freedom issue.

Obama’s Trade Strategy Runs Into Stiff Resistance
President Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany talked, and disagreed, at the Group of 20 meeting on Thursday. Photograph: The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: SEOUL, South Korea — President Obama’s hopes of emerging from his Asia trip with the twin victories of a free trade agreement with South Korea and a unified approach to spurring economic growth around the world ran into resistance on all fronts on Thursday, putting Mr. Obama at odds with his key allies and largest trading partners.

The most concrete trophy expected to emerge from the trip eluded his grasp: a long-delayed free trade agreement with South Korea, first negotiated by the Bush administration and then reopened by Mr. Obama, to have greater protections for American workers.

And as officials frenetically tried to paper over differences among the Group of 20 members with a vaguely worded communiqué to be issued Friday, there was no way to avoid discussion of the fundamental differences of economic strategy. After five largely harmonious meetings in the past two years to deal with the most severe downturn since the Depression, major disputes broke out between Washington and China, Britain, Germany and Brazil.

Each rejected core elements of Mr. Obama’s strategy of stimulating growth before focusing on deficit reduction. Several major nations continued to accuse the Federal Reserve of deliberately devaluing the dollar last week in an effort to put the costs of America’s competitive troubles on trading partners, rather than taking politically tough measures to rein in spending at home.

The result was that Mr. Obama repeatedly found himself on the defensive. He and the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, had vowed to complete the trade pact by the time they met here; while Mr. Obama insisted that it would be resolved “in a matter of weeks,” without the pressure of a summit meeting it was unclear how the hurdles on nontariff barriers to American cars and beef would be resolved. >>> Sewell Chan, Sheryl Gay Stolberg and David E. Sanger | Thursday, November 11, 2010

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Obama Ends G-20 Summit With Criticism of China >>> Sewell Chan | Friday, November 12, 2010

A Lesson from China in Where Power Lies
THE TELEGRAPH: China believes its economic success reflects its superior culture.

The leaders of the G20 group of rich and developing nations met in Seoul this week for what might reasonably be described as their first post-crisis summit. But it also had the feeling of the first post-Western summit. China, the world’s second richest nation and its rising power, believes that the financial crisis was actually a “North Atlantic crisis”. Now that the worst of it is over, Beijing sees little reason to swallow the medicine for someone else’s sickness. The summit therefore broke up – none too amicably – without really addressing the trade imbalances that were one of the root causes of the crisis, or America’s worry that Beijing is gaining an unfair advantage by artificially keeping its currency weak. Instead, China flexed its muscles and got what it wanted: a watered-down statement that will not force it to change course. If President Obama hoped that the G20 would burnish his image as a world statesman after the disaster of the midterm elections, those hopes were disappointed.

It is inescapable that we are witnessing a historic shift of economic power from West to East. David Cameron has certainly taken this on board, judging by the caution with which he and his Cabinet members treated China during their visit earlier this week. The Prime Minister approached the subject of human rights far more obliquely than he did as leader of the Opposition. Whether this was wise judgment or a failure of nerve is difficult to say. Although China treats dissidents with gross inhumanity, the more it is lectured on the subject, the more intransigent it becomes. In a sense, that is convenient for Mr Cameron: if protesting about repression makes the situation worse, then Britain can concentrate on trade with a fairly clear conscience. Read on and comment >>> Telegraph View | Friday, November 12, 2010

David Cameron*: Waterboarding Does Not Save Lives
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has flatly contradicted George W Bush and said he does not believe that waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique, saves lives.

The British prime minister, speaking at the G20 summit in South Korea, repeated the official British line that torture was wrong, and he went further, attacking policies pursued by the Bush administration on the detention and treatment of prisoners which he said had helped to radicalise people and made the West "less safe".

Mr Bush memoirs, which were published this week, asserted strongly that the waterboarding of prisoners had averted huge terrorist attacks on key London targets. The former US president also said that he did not believe that waterboarding constituted torture. >>> Andrew Porter in Seoul | Thursday, November 11, 2010

* This man is turning out to be a naïve fool! – Mark