Unimportant?

Well, Salman Rushdie's 1988 novel the Satanic Verses has ignited tempers in the Middle East and elsewhere in the Islamic world with Great Britian being vehemently denounced for knighting Rushdie. "The British monarch lives under this illusion that Britain is still a 19th century superpower and that bestowing titles is something still deemed important," proclaimed Mohammad Reza Bahonar, first deputy speaker of Iran's parliament.

Of course, if it weren't something important, why is Iran and Pakistan going berzerk over the whole thing? It's apparently important enough to "justify" suicide bombing according the the Pakistani government. I never read the book before (adverse as I am to most fiction) but I think I just may have to now.

Romanian Prez Questions British Withdrawal Plans

A hasty withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq will cause "chaos and the division of Iraq", according to Romanian president Traian Basescu. Britain has announced plans to reduce its troop contingent while Denmark says it will withdraw its forces by August.

The Romanian president is under increasing pressure at home - from prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu and the left-wing opposition - to announce a timeline for withdrawing the country's 600 troops from Iraq. Mr Tariceanu proposed bringing the troops home last year, but was overruled by Mr Basescu, who is commander-in-chief and has the ultimate authority on withdrawing the troops. Defence minister Sorin Frunzaverde, who is close to Basescu, said Romania would make a decision on its troops in a few days. He said Romania had to honour its commitments in Iraq, but "would take into account what its allies will do".

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