International

In his plea for a hard line against Iran, Paul Brill writes (Volkskrant 20-01-2012) that the West must prepare for a long-term embargo and “not begin to waver” when “reports of hungry children come from inside Iran.” That’s a remarkable opinion, given the effect on the Iranian economy of the sanctions which have already been imposed.

Environment and Infrastructure Secretary Joop Atsma is putting the economic interests of waste incineration firms before the need for a clean and healthy environment. That was the conclusion drawn by SP Member of Parliament Paulus Jansen following Tuesday afternoon’s parliamentary question time, during which the Secretary of State showed his unwillingness to impose enhanced surveillance on the import of waste from Italy or to close incineration plants in the face of overcapacity. ‘This destructive environmental policy is typical of the line set by Atsma over the last year. Just as in other areas, when it comes to processing of waste we are descending to a worryingly low level.’