Jordan says IS can be defeated; uproar over burn video

February 04, 2015

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan called Wednesday for a decisive battle against the Islamic State group, declaring "this evil can and should be defeated," after the militants burned a Jordanian pilot to death in a cage and gleefully broadcast the horrific images on outdoor screens in their stronghold.

Waves of revulsion over the killing washed across the Middle East, a region long accustomed to violence. In mosques, streets and coffee shops, Muslims denounced the militants' brutality and distanced themselves from their violent version of Islam.

Even a prominent preacher with close links to jihadi groups said Islamic State militants miscalculated if they hoped the images of the pilot's agony would galvanize greater opposition to a U.S.-led military coalition that has been bombing targets of the group.

"After millions of Muslims were cursing every pilot (in the coalition), with this act, they (IS) have made the burned one into a symbol," Abdullah al-Muhaysni, a Saudi sheik, wrote on his Twitter account.

The Islamic State group, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, has killed captives in the past, posting videos of beheadings and sparking widespread condemnation. However, the killing of Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, who crashed over Syria in December, also highlighted the vulnerability of Jordan, a key Western ally in the region, to threats from extremists.

Jordan was long considered an island of relative stability in a turbulent region, but in recent years had to absorb hundreds of thousands of war refugees, first from Iraq and then Syria, at a time of a sharp economic downturn.

Jordan receives hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid a year, but grinding social problems persist, including high unemployment among young men, a reservoir of potential IS recruits. Experts estimate Islamic State and other jihadi groups have thousands of supporters in the kingdom, with an upswing last year after the militants declared a caliphate in the areas they control.

The United States and Israel are particularly concerned about any signs of turmoil. Israel views Jordan as an important land buffer and the two countries share intelligence. In Washington, congressional support built Wednesday for increased U.S. military assistance to the kingdom. Currently, the United States is providing Jordan with $1 billion annually in economic and military assistance.

Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Jordan's King Abdullah II — who met with lawmakers and President Barack Obama on Tuesday — must be given "all of the military equipment" he needs to combat the group. He said Abdullah did not ask for ground troops.

At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration would consider any aid package put forward by Congress, but that the White House would be looking for a specific request from Jordan's government.

Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he expected his panel to swiftly approve legislation. He repeated his criticism that the Obama administration has "no strategy" for dealing with the Islamic State group, and said he hoped the video of al-Kaseasbeh's death will galvanize not only U.S. leadership but "the Arab world."

Abdullah rushed home after his Washington meetings, cutting short his U.S. trip, to rally domestic support for an even tougher line against the militants. In September, Jordan joined the U.S.-led military coalition that began bombing Islamic State group targets in Syria and Iraq.

The decision was not popular in Jordan, with the bombing campaign widely seen as serving Western, not Jordanian interests. During weeks of uncertainty about the fate of the airman, some of his relatives and supporters chanted against Jordan's role in the coalition.

On Wednesday, Hammam Saeed, the leader of Jordan's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, visited relatives of the pilot in the southern tribal town of Karak, and called on Jordan to pull out of the anti-IS coalition, saying that "we have no relations with this war."

Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani on Wednesday urged the international community to work together and deliver a decisive blow to Islamic State militants. Jordan believes that "this evil can and should be defeated," he said.

In an initial response, Jordan executed two Iraqi al-Qaida prisoners, Sajida al-Rishawi and Zaid al-Karbouly, before sunrise Wednesday. Over the past week, Jordan had offered to trade al-Rishawi, a failed female suicide bomber, for the pilot, but insisted on proof of life it never received. Al-Momani said Wednesday that Jordan now believes the pilot was killed in early January.

Dozens more suspected Islamic State sympathizers are in detention in Jordan, most rounded up during a crackdown in recent months. Public outrage over the pilot's death and calls for revenge against IS could help Abdullah broaden support for the coalition, said Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical analysis at Stratfor, a global intelligence and advisory firm in Austin, Texas.

"Sentiments (about the airstrikes) are going to start changing across the Middle East after people see the video, especially the Jordanian people," he said. Stewart said a similar shift occurred a decade ago in Iraq after Sunni Muslim tribes turned away from a local branch of al-Qaida, a precursor of the Islamic State group, over its brutality.

Marwan Shehadeh, a Jordanian expert on jihadi groups, said he expects the opposite outcome. "Public opinion rejected the IS behavior, but at the same time, more voices are questioning the participation of Jordan in the international coalition," he said. "The killing (of the pilot) will drive more people to question that."

The Islamic State militants appeared to be goading Jordan. In the northern Syrian city of Raqaa, the Islamic State group's de facto capital, the militants showed graphic footage of al-Kaseasbeh's slaying on outdoor screens, with some chanting "God is great!" according to militant video posted online Wednesday that conformed to Associated Press reporting of the event.

In the 20-minute video of the killing, the pilot displayed signs of having been beaten, including a black eye. Toward the end of the clip, he stood in the outdoor cage in an orange jumpsuit and a masked militant lit a line of fuel leading to him. The AP could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video.

A senior Iraqi Kurdish official, meanwhile, echoed Jordan's appeal for a decisive campaign against the militants. Fouad Hussein, chief of staff to Kurdish President Massoud Barzani, said U.S.-led coalition airstrikes are helpful, but "to finish ISIS ... you need to finish it on the ground," he said, using an alternate acronym for the militant group.

"And on the ground, we are most of the time alone. So we need partners," he said. "It means advisers. It means special forces. It means a collective fight against ISIS. It means equipment, it means munitions."

Though Islamic State fighters have been forced to retreat from Kobani, a strategic town on Syria's border with Turkey, the battlefield picture suggests they are far from beaten in northern Iraq, where harsh winter weather and thick mud underfoot hampers military moves.

The Kurdish peshmerga fighters have struggled for months to inch ahead, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.

Associated Press writers Omar Akour in Amman, Hamza Hendawi in Cairo, Zeina Karam and Diaa Hadid in Beirut and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to the report.

Report designates Tunisia the first 'free' Arab country in decades

Eric Reidy
February 8, 2015

TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia’s largely peaceful transition toward democracy following its 2011 revolution stands in stark contrast to the conflict, repression and return of dictatorship seen in other countries that experienced Arab Spring protests. The Washington-based nongovernmental organization Freedom House acknowledged Tunisia’s progress in its annual Freedom in the World report, released Jan. 28, by singling it out as a "notable exception" in a year that otherwise saw the state of freedom worsen in virtually every region.

Based on a rubric drawn from international human rights norms that examines political rights and civil liberties, the report categorizes countries as "not free," "partly free" or "free." After jumping from "not free" to "partly free" following the overthrow of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, Tunisia became the first Arab country since the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 to be rated as "free" in the report.

Tunisia received perfect scores on indices related to the electoral process and political participation, and the highest overall score for the general category of political rights. For civil liberties, however, the country received a three out of seven, the same as in 2014.

The completion of free and transparent parliamentary and presidential elections at the end of 2014, as well as the adoption of a new constitution, the practice of dialogue and compromise among political leaders and strong civil society engagement were the primary reasons for the upgrade, according to Sarah Repucci, director of the Freedom in the World project.

Despite the progress, and as suggested by the lower rating on civil liberties, challenges persist in Tunisia, particularly those related to corruption and the rule of law. Local human rights activists also see much more work that needs to be done to expand and preserve the space of freedom within the country, and average Tunisians struggling in a stagnant economy are waiting to feel the tangible dividends of their newfound freedoms.

Tunisia is still grappling with the legacy of a political, economic and social system that was engineered over the course of decades to concentrate business and political power within a small handful of elites, according to a World Bank report released last year. These practices embedded nepotism and bribery as part of the culture. “When you have a corrupt society, that’s not going to change quickly with a new government, a new political system or a new constitution. It takes time for those institutions to take effect,” Repucci told Al-Monitor.

The country also has yet to undertake serious legal reform, leading to continued concerns about the independence of the judiciary, functioning of the court system and legal codes dating from the era of dictatorship, according to Repucci.

In a recent case highlighting the need for legal reform, a military court tried and sentenced controversial blogger Yassine Ayari in absentia to three years in prison on charges of defaming the military for blog posts he wrote in August 2014. Following an appeal, Ayari’s sentence was reduced to one year. “We can’t speak about freedom in a country like Tunisia when we have a blogger in jail because he is writing on his Facebook [page] about the army,” Henda Chennaoui, a prominent Tunisian human rights activist, told Al-Monitor.

Chennaoui also said that international organizations and reports tend to focus on major cities where conditions are generally better. Police repression of social movements in the interior of Tunisia, which is underdeveloped and politically marginalized compared to the coast, is often overlooked even by local organizations, Chennaoui added. Repucci did, however, acknowledge the persistence of regional inequalities in the application of law as an area of weakness for Tunisia.

Aside from freedom of speech, Chennaoui still feels that it is too early to speak of Tunisia being a free country. “Before the revolution we didn’t have any rights or any freedom to speak,” she said. “Now, we have a lot more space to move and to speak and to have political activities, but it’s not enough.”

Chennaoui is also concerned that the fear of terrorism that emerged after the revolution is giving authorities an excuse to curtail rights and freedoms. “The fight against terrorism is the most dangerous problem now about the freedom of expression and human rights,” she said. “The regime uses this argument to repress people, to put people in jail, and it is very, very dangerous.”

Student Adam Najmoui, 21, also thinks it is too early to consider Tunisia a free country. “I would say we are on our way. It’s going to take some time,” he said, emphasizing the limitations on social freedoms when it comes to personal beliefs and sexuality.

Sabrine Cherif, 27, who volunteered as an observer in the last elections, said that religion places some limitations on how far Tunisians can push their freedoms. But, she still viewed the country as being free. “Yes, absolutely, it’s a free country. I can say that and I'm proud,” she told Al-Monitor.

The persistence of economic difficulties, which were an underlying cause of the revolution, has led some in Tunisian society to question why they rose up in the first place. “Prices are getting higher and we are getting nowhere. … There is no democracy,” a Tunisian man, 55, who gave his name only as Abdallah, told Al-Monitor, highlighting that many people have yet to sense any real benefit despite the improvement of political freedoms.

In comparison to the rest of the Arab world, however, Tunisia’s progress stands out as exceptional. “It’s still operating in a very tough region,” Repucci said. “I think it is especially important for it not to slip back, both for Tunisians, but also to be an example in the region because it really is the shining example right now.”

But, Tunisia’s shining example is still a work in progress. Scratching at the surface of the democratic transition reveals that the old system inherited from the era of dictatorship is still largely intact when it comes to the security forces, the internal workings of government ministries, the economy and even people’s mentalities.

Tunisia’s upgrade to being a "free" country is deserved for the progress it has made on the political front. But, the long-term sustainability of the country’s transition is dependent on how willing political leaders will be to undertake the deep reforms necessary to transform the lingering structures of autocracy into a system that supports freedoms.

Source: al-Monitor.
Link: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/02/tunisia-free-arab-judiciary-political-challenges.html.

Peace in Ukraine is goal of four-nation talks in Minsk

February 08, 2015

BERLIN (AP) — As Russian-backed separatists gain ground in eastern Ukraine, efforts to broker peace appeared to gain momentum Sunday, with leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine announcing plans for four-way talks this week.

The proposed meeting Wednesday in the Belorussian capital of Minsk emerged from a phone call between German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The aim is to revive the much-violated peace plan both sides agreed to in Minsk last September, and end a war that has now killed more than 5,300 people according to United Nations estimates. Although the United States won't be at the negotiating table, a growing clamor in Washington to arm Ukraine will be on the minds of those present in Minsk. U.S. officials have said President Barack Obama is rethinking his previous opposition to sending weapons to Ukraine, despite fears of triggering a proxy war between Washington and Moscow.

While senior diplomats from the four countries meet in Berlin to prepare for the summit, Merkel is expected to brief U.S. officials in Washington on Monday during a previously scheduled trip. "It's a fortuitous coincidence that Merkel is going to Washington and whatever she does, Obama will be informed," said Volker Perthes, director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. The threat of U.S. arms shipments won't harm the talks, he added, although "if the diplomatic efforts fail then the option to ship arms becomes more likely."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was keen Sunday to dispel the notion of a trans-Atlantic rift, saying U.S. and its European allies are "united in our diplomacy" on Ukraine. Speaking at an international security conference in Munich, he said the U.S. supports the efforts by France and Germany.

"There is no division, there is no split," Kerry said. "I keep hearing people trying to create one. We are united, we are working closely together." German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, speaking alongside Kerry, said he considers delivering weapons "not just highly risky but counterproductive."

But Republican Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, insisted in Munich that "we must provide defensive arms to Ukraine." "If we help Ukrainians increase the military cost to the Russian forces that have invaded their country, how long can Putin sustain a war that he tells his people is not happening?"

Aside from the military cost, Russia has also been struggling with the economic impact of western sanctions and low global oil prices. While Ukraine's Poroshenko raised the possibility that Wednesday's summit could provide a breakthrough after months of futile diplomacy, Putin insisted Sunday that the four-way meeting would only happen if they agree on key points beforehand.

"We will be aiming for Wednesday, if by that time we are able to agree on a number of the positions that we recently have been discussing intensely," he told journalists in Sochi during a meeting with the president of Belarus.

Details of the proposals have not been revealed, but the main sticking points have emerged in the leaders' recent comments. One is enforcing a peace deal. In Munich, Poroshenko expressed opposition to any peacekeeper force, apparently reflecting concern that sending Russian peacekeeping troops into eastern Ukraine could result in a de-facto occupation.

However, key to a real settlement is some mechanism for monitoring the Ukraine-Russia border to ensure that Russia is not sending troops or equipment to the separatists. Ukrainian officials would have the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe conduct such monitoring.

The status of the eastern regions remains contentious. Ukraine passed a law last year proposing what it called significant autonomy for the east, but rebels dismissed it as vague and meaningless. Russia has pushed for "federalization" of Ukraine, which would presumably give the east significant independence, but Ukrainian authorities oppose any federalization.

How to separate the belligerents also remains unclear. The Minsk agreement in September foresaw each side pulling back its heavy weapons 15 kilometers (more than 9 miles) from the lines of engagement. But the rebels have taken control of more territory since then, implying that a new buffer zone would have to be mapped.

Greek premier proclaims end to austerity in policy statement

February 09, 2015

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras set his leftist government on a collision course with Greece's creditors Sunday, proclaiming an end to the era of austerity and "five years of bailout barbarity."

Tsipras presented his government's policy statement to Greek lawmakers which included, as he had forewarned, all the promises made by his radical left party, Syriza, in its manifesto before last month's election.

The government "has taken the irrevocable decision to stick fully to its pre-election commitments," Tsipras said, indicating that he would not compromise on his party's positions. By demanding a "bridge agreement" that would give Greece and its creditors time to negotiate a new debt deal much more favorable to the country by June, Tsipras appeared to stick to an approach that got short shrift from European Union partners in a series of meetings that Tsipras and his finance minister had with European officials this past week.

"If our (EU) partners are willing, we can agree (on a bridge agreement) tomorrow morning," Tsipras said. But this would mean the rest of the EU abandoning its declared policies and giving in to Syriza's demands.

"The (bailout deal) has been abolished by popular mandate," Tsipras said, referring to the two deals that have kept debt-ridden-Greece solvent and provided a historically unprecedented 240 billion euros ($271.4 billion) in assistance.

This aid also went with austerity policies that shrank Greece's economy by a quarter and resulted in record unemployment, with more than a quarter of the workforce jobless. Having come to power as a result of a popular backlash against these measures, Tsipras geared his speech completely toward a domestic audience, insisting that it is the EU that must return to its "founding principles of solidarity, social cohesion, growth and democracy."

"We declare categorically, we will not negotiate our history. We will not negotiate this people's pride and dignity," said an emotional Tsipras as he concluded his speech. The current bailout deal runs until the end of February, but Tsipras said the government is "not entitled to ask for an extension," while blasting the previous government for purposely rejecting an EU proposal to extend the deal to June so that a Syriza-led government would face tight deadlines.

"They burned the crops and blew the bridges," Tsipras said of the previous conservative-socialist coalition government. Syriza's own program includes measures to provide relief for the poor, such as free meals, free electricity and free health care; relief for the middle class by abolishing an unpopular property tax and replacing it with a tax on very large property; and sops to his supporters, such as the abolition of university reform and a re-establishment of the state TV and radio broadcaster that was shut down in 2013 and replaced by a slimmed-down version. But a pledge to raise the minimum wage to pre-crisis levels, once promised as the first measure to be implemented by the government, will be done in two stages and not realized until 2016.

Tsipras insisted that his government's budgets would be balanced, save for the debt servicing needs. On the debt, while his original demand for a minimum 60 percent "haircut," or write-off, has been rejected by Greece's creditors, he has presented other proposals, such as issuance of low-interest "perpetual bonds," maturity extensions and deferrals of payments that would have the same effect. He said the EU should have no problem accepting his pledges to tackle corruption and tax evasion and reform the state administration.

Greek lawmakers will debate the policy statement and hold a confidence vote at midnight Tuesday. Greece faces three crucial European Union meetings in the coming days: an emergency meeting of Eurozone finance ministers on Wednesday, a summit of EU leaders Thursday, and another Eurozone finance ministers meeting on Feb. 16. It has been given a virtual ultimatum to present a program compatible with the bailout deal by that latter meeting; the European Central Bank has applied additional pressure by refusing to accept Greek bonds as collateral after Feb. 11, forcing Greek banks to seek funds from a, more expensive, emergency liquidity mechanism.

Socialist calls win in France's 1st vote since Paris attacks

February 08, 2015

PARIS (AP) — The candidate of the governing Socialist Party won a narrow victory in Sunday's critical election to fill a vacant parliamentary seat, and denounced the far-right National Front party of his opponent as a "peril for our democracy."

All eyes were on the vote in France's eastern Doubs region which served as an electoral test after the Jan. 7-9 terror attacks in France that killed 17 victims and the three radical Islamic gunmen. Winner Frederic Barbier said his victory over National Front candidate Sophie Montel was helped in part by French leaders' "perfect handling (after) the acts of war against the citizens of our country."

But he, above all, castigated his opponent's National Front party, "which distills intolerance, hate, racism, anti-Semitism ... (and) is becoming a real threat to our country." Such harsh condemnation has become rare in France even among opposition politicians as the National Front raises its profile.

Barbier won with 51.4 percent of the vote, compared to Montel's nearly 48.6 percent. With such a narrow victory, Montel claimed her National Front was the election's "big winner." The National Front candidate took a slight lead in last week's first-round vote, and was hoping to capitalize on a perceived climate of fear since the attacks. Montel, a well-known local politician, had warned against the "Islamic peril" during her campaign, while Barbier looked for the unity vote.

National Front leader Marine Le Pen denounces "massive immigration" and links it to the rise of Islamic extremists. The trauma wrought by three radical Muslims boosted the sagging profile of President Francois Hollande. Since then, he has worked to limit a backlash against France's 5 million-strong Muslim population and ensure that youth living on society's margins become active members of French society.

The vote was to fill the parliamentary seat of long-time Socialist Party figure Pierre Moscovici who resigned to become a European commissioner. But it had a national significance, and Prime Minister Manuel Valls visited the region to campaign on Barbier's behalf, as did Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Both men were key players during the attacks and are at the center of handling the aftermath, from cracking down on extremist networks to limiting an anti-Muslim backlash.

Both Barbier and Montel were vying for the votes of the once-powerful conservative UMP party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy — whose candidate was eliminated in first-round voting. That loss laid bare new divisions in the party, which failed to agree on whether or not to advise Doubs voters to join the rival Socialist candidate — and lock out the far right.

Barbier used his victory speech to warn the nation against the National Front, saying "year after year, election after election it progresses ... and is becoming a peril for our democracy." He said his win, while narrow, shows the left can rebound despite a string of defeats since Hollande took office in 2012 — but only if it regains the confidence of citizens.

France's first vote since Paris attacks raises tensions

February 08, 2015

PARIS (AP) — France's resurgent far right is vying for a shining moment this weekend, when the National Front is facing the Socialists in an election for a vacant seat in parliament.

Sunday's vote in the Doubs region is the first electoral test since the January terror attacks. It has raised political tensions as the nation waits to see whether the party's anti-immigration message captures more hearts than the message of unity the French government is trying to preserve.

The National Front's candidate for the seat, Sophie Montrel, warns against the "Islamic peril" in France, while her Socialist opponent, Frederic Barbier, hopes to capitalize on the unity that bound the nation after the attacks on the satiric Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a Kosher grocery store that killed 17. The trauma wrought by three radical Muslims boosted the sagging profile of Socialist President Francois Hollande. Since then, he has worked to limit a backlash against France's 5 million-strong Muslim population and ensure that youth living on society's margins become active members of French society.

The race in Doubs speaks to a nation still shaken and trying to find its mark, and to politicians in the conservative opposition uncertain about what direction to take now — back the rival government, or throw their weight behind the far right. Both Montrel and Barbier are vying for the votes of the once-powerful conservative UMP party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy — whose candidate was eliminated in last week's first round of voting. That loss laid bare new divisions in the party, which failed to agree on whether or not to advise Doubs voters to join the rival Socialist candidate — and lock out the far right.

Montrel won the first-round vote with a four-point lead over Barbier, who had been expected to handily take the seat of long-time Socialist party figure Pierre Moscovici who resigned to become a European commissioner.

A poll published last week suggests the Socialist candidate would defeat his far-right opponent. National Front chief Marine Le Pen, while calling on voters to mobilize, conceded on Friday that the result is "very open."

Le Pen has grown into one of France's leading political voices after a series of electoral victories last year. It now has three seats in parliament and has increased the number of seats it occupies in the European Parliament, from three to 24 — more than any other French party.

Now, Le Pen's eye is trained on the 2017 presidential vote. Her goal has been to give the party the grassroots presence it lacked under its former chief, her father Jean-Marie Le Pen. For that, she has softened the party message to make it more digestible to French outside the far right orbit and replaced hard-line, old guard figures with young strategists.

Departmental elections in March and regional voting in December offer chances for the National Front to multiply its local networks that are critical in a presidential vote. Her high profile got her an invitation to speak Thursday evening at the prestigious Oxford Union debating society, despite student protests. Still, she has not managed to assure herself a spot in the mainstream. Le Pen was a rare French politician who did not attend the Jan. 11 post-attacks unity march in Paris that drew dozens of world leaders. She claimed she wasn't invited.

Montrel, a local politician who has stood in numerous elections, has waived the "Islamic peril" in her campaign. The French press has dug up a 1996 remark she made in defense of Jean-Marie Le Pen referring to the "evident inequality of races."

Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve — central figures in guiding France through the post-attack period — have rushed to the Doubs region to support the Socialist candidate.

During a news conference Thursday, President Hollande, without referring directly to the Doubs vote, recalled the 2002 presidential election when his Socialist Party joined with conservatives to assure a win for conservative Jacques Chirac, against Jean-Marie Le Pen.

"Are all parties within the values of the Republic? Non," Hollande said. "Choices must be made."

Floods uproot many in Albania; snow in Croatia, Slovenia

February 06, 2015

AP - Floods have forced hundreds of people from their homes in Albania and Macedonia, while heavy snow and strong winds caused traffic havoc Friday in Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia.

On the holiday island of Mallorca, six German tourists were stranded by deep snow and were rescued by a helicopter. A 38-year old woman drowned in Albania after she was swept away from the yard of her home by floodwaters near Pogradec, 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the capital Tirana, police spokeswoman Esmerina Gurishta said Friday.

Some 600 families have been evacuated in four southern districts in Albania after flooding covered more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) and killed about 3,500 sheep and cattle, authorities said. Torrential rains in eastern and southern parts of Macedonia have flooded more than 5,000 hectares and hundreds of houses since the beginning of this week. Army teams were helping local people in southern region of Pelagonia reinforce banks to hold back swollen rivers.

The Macedonian Red Cross said Friday it had delivered food, blankets and drinking water to some 400 families in seven municipalities that have been most affecte. Travel throughout Croatia was snarled Friday following a massive all-night snowfall. Trucks have been banned from all roads connecting Croatia's mainland with the Adriatic coast, where strong winds have disrupted ferry lines.

In Slovenia, dozens of schools have closed and most border crossings have banned entry for trucks. Still, several trucks slid off a highway in the southeast, temporarily blocking traffic. Slovenia's Adriatic port of Koper closed down because of gale-force winds.

Heavy snowfall forced authorities in the west of Bosnia to close schools Friday; they are expected to remain closed all next week. Several thousands of homes lost electricity because trees overloaded with snow fell and cut power lines.

Authorities reported the blizzard that hit the north-western town of Bosanska Gradiska on Friday covered the town with five centimeters of snow within just five minutes. Blizzards have hit much of northern Spain in recent days. Spanish police and military services say they have rescued hundreds of stranded motorists this week.