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THE NEW YORK TIMES ON PHANTOM STATES
Tert.am
17.08.11
On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of independence of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia, The New York Times published an article on the menace
the "phantom states" are posing to the world.
The phantom states are "places that field military forces, hold
elections, build local economies and educate children, yet inhabit
the foggy netherworld between de facto existence and international
legitimacy."
Twelve unrecognized states with a total population of about 40
million are existing in the world now. In the post-Soviet area they
are Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria; in Europe, the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus; in the Middle East, the Palestinian territories
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and the self-functioning territory
of Somaliland.
"Indeed, most phantoms survive in part because of external support.
Moscow is the power broker in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, while
Armenia holds sway over Nagorno-Karabakh," the newspaper writes.
"Phantom countries frequently emerge from wars, and are sustained by
the threat of further fighting... [They] stoke wars, foster crime,
and make weak states even weaker...Phantom governments are often
corrupt, run by warlords and plagued by drug trafficking and other
illicit trade."
"If phantom governments behave well, they should be offered a path
toward legitimacy by the world's major powers," the newspaper writes,
citing the example of Taiwan.
"By insisting on territorial integrity, the United States and other
countries forgo the chance to turn phantom states into responsible
players. So long as phantoms are denounced as separatists or
outposts of illicit commerce, the international community has little
opportunity to hold their leaders accountable. And treating them as
mere eccentricities means that phantom states have little reason to
care about the international order.
"Even when a phantom state becomes a genuine state, the problems don't
necessarily end...To avoid another Eritrea, the international community
should push phantoms to reform rather than focusing exclusively on
seeking statehood. Otherwise, millions of the world's citizens will
linger in legal and political limbo - rebels with a cause and soldiers
with a ready-made grievance - while their neighborhoods remain at
risk of war," the article reads.
From: A. Papazian
Tert.am
17.08.11
On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of independence of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia, The New York Times published an article on the menace
the "phantom states" are posing to the world.
The phantom states are "places that field military forces, hold
elections, build local economies and educate children, yet inhabit
the foggy netherworld between de facto existence and international
legitimacy."
Twelve unrecognized states with a total population of about 40
million are existing in the world now. In the post-Soviet area they
are Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria; in Europe, the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus; in the Middle East, the Palestinian territories
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and the self-functioning territory
of Somaliland.
"Indeed, most phantoms survive in part because of external support.
Moscow is the power broker in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, while
Armenia holds sway over Nagorno-Karabakh," the newspaper writes.
"Phantom countries frequently emerge from wars, and are sustained by
the threat of further fighting... [They] stoke wars, foster crime,
and make weak states even weaker...Phantom governments are often
corrupt, run by warlords and plagued by drug trafficking and other
illicit trade."
"If phantom governments behave well, they should be offered a path
toward legitimacy by the world's major powers," the newspaper writes,
citing the example of Taiwan.
"By insisting on territorial integrity, the United States and other
countries forgo the chance to turn phantom states into responsible
players. So long as phantoms are denounced as separatists or
outposts of illicit commerce, the international community has little
opportunity to hold their leaders accountable. And treating them as
mere eccentricities means that phantom states have little reason to
care about the international order.
"Even when a phantom state becomes a genuine state, the problems don't
necessarily end...To avoid another Eritrea, the international community
should push phantoms to reform rather than focusing exclusively on
seeking statehood. Otherwise, millions of the world's citizens will
linger in legal and political limbo - rebels with a cause and soldiers
with a ready-made grievance - while their neighborhoods remain at
risk of war," the article reads.
From: A. Papazian