But given that Albanian nationalism is unmistakably a rising force in south-eastern Europe, it is helpful to have some guide to its leading personalities.

ECONOMIST: The roots of the Kosovo calamity

The Guantanamo Joint Task Force employs a 52-year-old of Middle Eastern descent named "Zak" as a "cultural advisor, " to serve as a conduit between the detainees and Gitmo personnel.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Trusting terrorists, abandoning troops

But fears of foreign adventurism were strengthened this week by the surprise announcement that, at the Americans' request, Britain is dispatching a sizeable force of commandos to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters holed up in eastern Afghanistan.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

Brazil has sent out seven air force planes and three naval ships to help in the search, far off the north-eastern Brazilian coast.

BBC: Atlantic searched for lost plane