by Peter Eddington, Darris McNeely, Cecil Maranville and John Ross Schroeder
Canal Returns to Panama
On December 31, 1999,
the United States will formally hand over total control of the Panama Canal
and withdraw its troops from the canal zone. This is in accordance with
the treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1977.
The canal has been a vital
sea link for the United States, saving military and commercial ships
the long trek around Cape Horn. More than 15 percent of goods imported into
and exported out of the U.S. pass through the canal.
A major concern over continued free access
to the canal comes from the fact that Panama has granted a Chinese
company, Hutchison Whampoa, Ltd., a 25-year concession to operate the
Atlantic and Pacific entrances. Because Hutchison has ties to the Chinese
Communist Party it is feared this important waterway could come under
the control of China. American leaders fear that U.S. naval ships could
be denied access to the canal at a time of international crisis (Forbes,
October 4, 1999).
Austria and Switzerland Move Right
Today left-of-center
governments dominate much of Western and Central Europe. However, there
are signs of a movement towards the far right in certain European states.
Most alarming is the recent emergence of
Jorg Haider's Freedom Party as the second largest political force in
the Austrian legislature. He is known for his pro-Nazi pronouncements
and qualified praise of Hitler. More recently, Haider has been in London
trying to silence alarm bells in the West in reaction to his controversial
statements about the Third Reich. The response in Israel was immediate.
Jerusalem threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Austria if
Jorg Haider is permitted to join the coalition government.
