Gordon Brown: Lockerbie Release Too Sensitive to Comment On
TIMES ONLINE: Gordon Brown believes the early release of the the Lockerbie bomber is too sensitive to comment on, Downing Street said today.

The Prime Minister is under growing pressure to say whether he agreed with the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, amid accusations that he is ducking a subject of national importance while offering his views on the Ashes.

Defending the Prime Minister's silence, Mr Brown's spokesman said: “Clearly, the Prime Minister recognises this was a very difficult decision and was clearly an extremely sensitive one and there will be very strong feelings from the families of those people who were victims of this terrorist attack."

He said it was “a uniquely sensitive and difficult decision”. They had not commented before the decision and would not comment after, he added.

Asked whether the release gave succour to terrorists, he said: “I don’t think it does. This was a decision taken by the Scottish Justice Secretary in accordance with the laws of Scotland. I don’t see that anyone can argue that this gives succour.” >>> Sam Coates, Chief Political Correspondent | Monday, August 24, 2009

Visions of Jesus Stir Muslim Hearts

Why Are We Dealing with These People? Let them Go Their Way!
THE NEW YORK TIMES: KARACHI, Pakistan — Judith A. McHale was expecting a contentious session with Ansar Abbasi, a Pakistani journalist known for his harsh criticism of American foreign policy, when she sat down for a one-on-one meeting with him in a hotel conference room in Islamabad on Monday. She got that, and a little bit more.

After Ms. McHale, the Obama administration’s new under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, gave her initial polite presentation about building bridges between America and the Muslim world, Mr. Abbasi thanked her politely for meeting with him. Then he told her that he hated her.

“ ‘You should know that we hate all Americans,’ ” Ms. McHale said Mr. Abbasi told her. “ ‘From the bottom of our souls, we hate you.’ ”

Beyond the continuation of the battle against militants along the Pakistani-Afghan border, a big part of President Obama’s strategy for the region involves trying to broaden America’s involvement in the country to include nonmilitary areas like infrastructure development, trade, energy, schools and jobs — all aimed at convincing the Pakistani people that the United States is their friend. But as Ms. McHale and other American officials discovered this week, during a visit by Richard C. Holbrooke, the special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, making that case was not going to be easy.

“We have made a major turn with our relationship with Pakistan under President Obama,” Mr. Holbrooke told reporters at a news conference in Karachi on Wednesday. Time and again, Mr. Holbrooke tried to delineate the differences between the Obama administration and the Bush era, painting the new administration as one that wants to see a better life and more business opportunities for Pakistanis.

He said his very presence in Karachi — Pakistan’s largest city and its commercial capital — demonstrated that drone attacks and the hunt for Al Qaeda were not the only American foreign policy activities in the country.

To polite applause, Mr. Holbrooke told local officials at the Governor’s House that the United States Consulate in Karachi would start granting business visas —100 a week — instead of making would-be business travelers to the United States go to Islamabad for the visas, as has been the case.

He stopped at a shantytown in the city to chat with schoolboys crowded into three classrooms, and even visited the home of a local resident, to get a feel for how people in Karachi live. On Tuesday, he met with opposition leaders in Islamabad, including Liaqat Baloch, the secretary general of the anti-American political party Jamaat-e-Islami, and Fazlur Rehman, the leader of another anti-American party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, who is sometimes referred to as the spiritual founder of the Taliban.

In Karachi on Wednesday, Mr. Holbrooke kept bringing up a trade bill that just passed the House, which would set up so-called reconstruction opportunity zones so that textiles and other goods made in Pakistan’s tribal areas could get preferential access to the United States market. And Ms. McHale, whose job is, in part, to try to repair America’s relations with the Muslim world, strayed from his side only when she ventured out on fence-mending missions of her own, meeting with 17 Pakistani journalists, 8 officials of nongovernmental organizations and members of several political parties, all in an effort to deliver one message: America cares about Pakistan.

But Mr. Abbasi’s reaction — a response that, Ms. McHale acknowledged, apparently reflects the feelings of about 25 percent of the population, according to a recent poll — demonstrated just how tough the job is. For all of the administration’s efforts to call attention to the nonmilitary ties that would bind the two countries, America is still being judged by many Pakistanis as an uncaring behemoth whose sole concern is finding Osama bin Laden, no matter the cost in civilian Pakistani lives. U.S. Officials Get a Taste of Pakistanis’ Anger at America >>> Helene Cooper | Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Deals, Deals, and More Deals?
BBC: The Scottish justice secretary will be forced to defend his decision to release the Lockerbie bomber, as the Scottish Parliament is recalled later.

Opposition parties will demand to know how Kenny MacAskill aims to repair the damage they claimed had been done to Scotland's global reputation.

He has been under huge pressure, after granting early release to terminally-ill Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi.

Mr MacAskill will make a statement to parliament and be questioned by MSPs.

The parliament will reconvene at 1430 BST on Monday.

Megrahi was freed after receiving a life sentence imposed in 2001 for his conviction for the UK's worst terrorist atrocity, which claimed 270 lives in 1988.

International standing

The 57-year-old, who has prostate cancer, returned home to Libya on Thursday to jubilant scenes which included people waving Scottish flags.

Scottish ministers said their decision to release Megrahi on compassionate grounds - which has been strongly criticised by the US government - followed due process and was the right one.

As the Scottish Parliament was preparing to cut short its summer break to discuss the issue, Scotland's opposition politicians urged Mr MacAskill to set out how he intends to improve Scotland's international standing in the wake of the criticism. Lockerbie Minister Facing Critics >>> | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Got the Monday Morning Blues? Chill Out with Blue and Brown!
Blue and Brown

The Dangers of Shariah-compliant Finance in the USA

Sermon for the West: Oriana Fallaci (RIP)

Islamic Jihad Final Goal: Establishing a Global Islamic State
Part 1:



Part 2:

Infidels under Islam. Learn from History. One of the Largest Genocides in World History
Part 1:



Part 2:

Documentary: Bloody Cartoons


Hat tip: Creeping >>>

Hitchens Schools a Muslim on Free Speech

La Suisse bat sa coulpe face au dictateur Kadhafi
LIBÉRATION: En visite à Tripoli (Libye), le président suisse Hans-Rudolf Merz a mangé son chapeau, jeudi, devant le Premier ministre du dictateur Muammar al-Kadhafi. Il a exprimé ses «excuses pour l’arrestation injuste de diplomates libyens par la police de Genève», en juillet 2008. Il y a un an, Hannibal Kadhafi, fils de son père, avait été brièvement arrêté dans un palace de Genève pour mauvais traitements sur deux de ses domestiques. L’affaire n’a cessé, depuis, d’empoisonner les relations entre les deux pays, la Libye retenant même deux hommes d’affaires suisses dans l’attente d’excuses officielles. Les sociétés suisses étaient par ailleurs interdites de séjour dans le pays des Kadhafi et les livraisons d’or noir libyen à destination de Berne avaient été suspendues. «Ces excuses sont un premier pas pour régler le problème», a assuré Tripoli. Mais la presse helvétique ne s’y est pas trompée qui s’insurgeait, vendredi, contre «l’humiliation» que constitue cette «capitulation» devant la Libye au mépris de l’état de droit. [Source: Libération] | Samedi 22 Août 2009

The Battles of Ramadan: Official Trailer


Hat tip: Always On Watch >>>

Islam: Mainstream Media Coverage

Colonel Gaddafi’s Son Buys £10 million Hampstead Mansion
Luxury: The £10m home in Hampstead boasts a swimming pool and sauna. Photo: Mail On Sunday
MAIL ON SUNDAY: The favourite son of Colonel Gaddafi, who played a key role in Abdelbaset Al Megrahi’s release, has bought a £10million home in one of London’s wealthiest and most 
prestigious suburbs.

The neo-Georgian eight-bedroom property bought by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in a secluded road in Hampstead, North London, boasts a swimming pool, sauna room, Jacuzzi and suede-lined cinema room where he will be able to monitor world events.

The house even has an electrically operated rubbish store, which raises and lowers eight bins into the ground before a steel plate folds over to hide them discreetly.

Last Thursday, Saif stepped off one of his father’s private planes at a military base in the Libyan capital Tripoli alongside Al Megrahi, who was welcomed by cheering crowds.

Al Megrahi’s release from a Scottish jail came just a fortnight after Business Secretary Lord Mandelson discussed the case with Saif during a holiday at the home of the Rothschild banking family on the Greek island of Corfu.

Yesterday, Lord Mandelson admitted he held another meeting with Saif in May.

The official meeting for trade talks took place less than three weeks after an agreement was ratified between Libya and the UK allowing prison transfers. >>> Christopher Leake and Daniel Boffey | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber: Robert Mueller's Letter to Kenny MacAskill
TIMES ONLINE: The full text of the letter sent by the FBI director to Scotland’s Justice Secretary

Dear Mr Secretary

Over the years I have been a prosecutor, and recently as the Director of the FBI, I have made it a practice not to comment on the actions of other prosecutors, since only the prosecutor handling the case has all the facts and the law before him in reaching the appropriate decision.

Your decision to release Megrahi causes me to abandon that practice in this case. I do so because I am familiar with the facts, and the law, having been the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the investigation and indictment of Megrahi in 1991. And I do so because I am outraged at your decision, blithely defended on the grounds of “compassion”.

Your action in releasing Megrahi is as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice. Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world who now believe that regardless of the quality of the investigation, the conviction by jury after the defendant is given all due process, and sentence appropriate to the crime, the terrorist will be freed by one man’s exercise of “compassion”. Your action rewards a terrorist even though he never admitted to his role in this act of mass murder and even though neither he nor the government of Libya ever disclosed the names and roles of others who were responsible. >>> | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Megrahi: L'Ecosse défend sa décision
leJDD.fr: Face aux critiques des États-Unis et aux réserves du gouvernement de Londres, les autorités autonomes écossaises ont justifié dimanche leur décision de libérer pour motif humanitaire l'ex-agent libyen Abdel Basset al Megrahi, condamné pour l'attentat de Lockerbie qui avait fait 270 morts en 1988. "Évidemment, notre décision a déçu et blessé beaucoup de gens aux Etats-Unis (...) Nous comprenons cela, nous l'admettons mais la procédure de libération pour raison humanitaire n'a rien à voir avec la culpabilité ou l'innocence de la personne concernée. Il s'agit d'une mesure fondée essentiellement sur l'état de santé du détenu", a expliqué le Premier ministre écossais Alex Salmond. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 23 Août 2009

Gaddafi Plans Party with Abdelbaset al-Megrahi as His Trophy
THE GUARDIAN: Prince Andrew is set to pull out of Libya visit for the anniversary of military coup, as claims grow louder that Westminster 'cut a business deal' with Tripoli over the release from a life prison sentence for the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds

If Gordon Brown is hoping that the furore over Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's release will die down now that the only man convicted of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 is back in Libya, he will be disappointed.

According to reports in the Arabic press, Megrahi will be at the centre of next month's celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the military coup that swept Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to power.

The event, to be attended by politicians, leaders and royalty, will be held in the full glare of the world's media. And, unfortunately for Brown and the many people left incensed by the decision to release terminally ill Megrahi on compassionate grounds, the former Libyan intelligence officer will be prominent.

Indeed, one Libyan official, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Asharq Alawsat newspaper that Megrahi will be "the main guest". This may explain why Prince Andrew, a regular visitor in recent years, is now unlikely to attend.

Seasoned diplomats believe the timing of the event, in effect Gaddafi's chance to showcase himself to the world, and Megrahi's release, are more than coincidental. Despite Libya having shaken off its pariah status since it turned its back on terrorism and renounced weapons of mass destruction in 2003, Gaddafi has little to celebrate at the moment.

Libya's economy is dependent on oil, and its falling price has hit hard. And the country has only recently emerged from a period of double-digit inflation that saw large increases in housing costs and food prices. Megrahi is a good news story at a time when Gaddafi badly needs one.

It was always unlikely, then, that the Libyan leader would respect Brown's request, made in a letter, to handle Megrahi's return "with sensitivity". But questions are now being asked about what role, if any, Brown and his government played in co-ordinating the release. The official line from the Foreign Office is that it was a matter for the Scottish government and there were no backroom deals. >>> Jamie Doward, home affairs editor | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Zogby: Obama Hits Record Low in Poll
NEWSMAX: President Barack Obama's popularity has plummeted to a record low, with just 45 percent of voters now approving of his performance, according to the latest Zogby International poll.

Asked whether they approve or disapprove of the president's job performance, just 45.3 percent of likely voters say they approve. That compares with 50.5 percent who disapprove of the job Obama is doing.

The results are a strong indication that contentious national debate over healthcare reform has taken a major toll on the president's popularity. >>> David A. Patten | Thursday, August 20, 2009

You Know It Makes Sense
THE SPECTATOR: If the NHS is ‘fair’, give me unfairness any day

Did I ever tell you about the time the National Health Service relieved me of my piles? It’s a painful story — and for many of you, no doubt, already far, far more information than you want. But I do think it goes a long way towards explaining our ongoing Eloi-like subservience to the great, slobbering, brutish NHS Morlock which we so rose-tintedly delude ourselves is still the ‘Envy of the World’.

Look, if you don’t want to read about piles (‘’roids’ if you’re American), I should skip on a few pars. The key thing to recognise is that from tiny beginnings, they mutate into an all-consuming misery. Enjoying a night in front of the TV? Yeah, but the piles! Having a relaxing bath? Yeah, but the piles! Fancy going riding? Eek! You can see why Napoleon — a fellow sufferer — felt compelled to conquer half the world. Anything to distract yourself from what’s going on down below.

So naturally when a surgeon relieves you of the buggers, you feel exceedingly grateful. I remember coming round after my op in my overstretched local hospital — King’s in south London — two or three years back, and thinking the thought that occurs to all British citizens at some time or another: ‘Gawd bless you NHS! You have saved my sorry arse!’

One reason for my gratitude was that the treatment was free. Gosh, I love being given expensive things for free, don’t you? I like it so much I think I’d almost rather be poor and get lots of free stuff than I would be rich and be able to afford anything I wanted. Free stuff — thanks, lovely Dan from Mongoose cricket bats — feels like a gift from God; proof that life isn’t quite as sucky and thankless and horribly unfair as you imagine. >>> James Delingpole | Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Wildfires Out of Control Near Athens
Wildfires on the outskirts of Athens. Photo: The Sunday Times
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Thousands of Athens residents were forced to flee their homes overnight as out-of-control wildfires reached the city's northern suburbs, destroying scores of homes.

Nearly 400 firefighters struggled to contain the fire that is feared to have damaged or destroyed scores of rural and summer homes as it raged for a third day.

"The situation is tragic. Fires are out of control on many fronts," greater Athens local governor Yiannis Sgouros said.

A state of emergency was declared in greater Athens, in the worst destruction seen here since massive fires struck southern Greece in 2007 and killed more than 70 people.

After daybreak, planes and helicopters resumed water drops following an eight-hour pause that allowed the wildfire to spread across parts of Mount Penteli and reach suburban homes. Clouds of black smoke filled the capital's skyline and obscured the sun. >>> | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Berlusconi Urged to Attend Clinic for Sex Addiction
THE SUNDAY TIMES: MEMBERS of Silvio Berlusconi’s entourage are urging the prime minister to seek treatment in a clinic for sex addiction.

The 72-year-old billionaire’s private life has been the focus of a long-running scandal since he attended the 18th birthday party of Noemi Letizia in April.

His wife, Veronica Lario, 53, has demanded a divorce and Patrizia D’Addario, a prostitute, has said she spent a night at Berlusconi’s Rome residence last November — which he has denied. >>> John Follain, Rome | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Hakimullah Mehsud named as new Pakistan Taleban leader
THE SUNDAY TIMES: After weeks of speculation and reports of infighting the Pakistan Taleban have appointed a top militant commander as their new chief to replace Baitullah Mehsud who was killed in a US missile attack.

The appointment Hakimullah Mehsud, the 28-year-old commander known for his ferociousness and believed to have masterminded the bloody attack on Sri Lankan cricket team early this year raised fears of new wave of militant violence in Pakistani cities.

A spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taleban Pakistan, a loose alliance of disparate groups of tribal factions said a 42-member Shura (Council) had elected Mr Hakimullah to succeed Mr Mehsud.

However Taleban leaders refuse to admit that Mr Mehsud has been killed; the spokesman would say only that he was unable to carry out his responsibilities as leader because of failing health. >>> Zahid Hussein in Islamabad | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber Release: Lord Mandelson, His Wealthy Friends and the Libyan Connection
THE TELEGRAPH: Lord Mandelson, the Business Secreatry, is facing growing questions over his links with Saif Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi, following the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi.

In a destination that developers predict will soon make the tax haven of Monaco look "second rate", it was described as the most glamorous party ever seen in the Adriatic.

As the champagne flowed, fireworks lit up the night sky, a dozen private Lear jets were parked on a nearby runway and giant yachts were moored offshore.

The fabulously wealthy guests at the appropriately-named Splendid Hotel included Prince Albert of Monaco and Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate.

Also present were Oleg Deripaska, the Russian entrepreneur, and Nat Rothschild, the British financier - both close allies of Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary.

And who hosted the 37th birthday party in June in one of the trendiest locations in Montenegro – a newly-independent nation whose cause Lord Mandelson has repeatedly championed?

The unlikely host – hundreds of miles from his African homeland – was Saif Gadaffi, the son of the Libyan leader, who, it emerged last week, has met Lord Mandelson twice in the past four months.

At at least one of those meetings, the fate of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, was discussed.

It was Mr Gaddafi too who, much to the anger of the US and some victims' relatives, stood alongside Megrahi and ensured he was given a "hero's welcome" as his plane touched down in the Libyan capital of Tripoli late on Thursday night – just hours after he was released by the Scottish government from a life sentence handed down in 2001 for the terrorist attack that claimed 270 lives in December 1988.

Intriguingly, Mr Gaddafi has publicly thanked the British – as well as the Scottish – government for Megrahi's release. >>> Andrew Alderson and Alastair Jamieson | Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Libyan Ultimatum
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Despite denials, talk persists of pressure and plots behind the freeing of the Lockerbie bomber

They are expecting a magnificent party in Tripoli a week on Tuesday when Libya marks the 40th year in power of Muammar Gadaffi and pays tribute to the deft diplomatic footwork of Saif al-Islam, his son.

The only man convicted for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 is finally home; and the suave, shaven-headed Saif, whose name means “sword of Islam”, is credited with a key role in making it happen.

An agreement struck long ago between Tony Blair and Gadaffi had threatened to fall apart with potentially catastrophic consequences for Britain: it has emerged that Libya threatened to freeze diplomatic relations if Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, said to be suffering from cancer, was not released under a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya.

In the end, he was freed by Scotland on “compassionate” grounds and escorted home to Tripoli by Saif, who thrust Megrahi’s hand into the air as they came down the steps of Gadaffi’s airliner to a hero’s welcome that has outraged the families of Lockerbie’s victims.

Yesterday the protests were undimmed, but the official responses were evasive — unsurprisingly, because behind Megrahi’s release lie weeks of intrigue between Westminster, Tripoli, Edinburgh and Washington.

Apart from the unfortunate Lockerbie families, everyone seems to have got what they wanted. Gadaffi and his son have their man. Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice secretary, who signed the release order, has burnished his humanitarian credentials. Gordon Brown has preserved Britain’s politically and economically valuable new relationship with Libya while avoiding any blame for the release. And American politicians have been able to bluster in protest while exercising none of their considerable clout to stop it happening.

The whole exercise reeks of realpolitik and moral evasion.

The reality is that Megrahi’s freedom is a product of the effort to bring Libya out of dangerous isolation. This is as much to America’s advantage as Britain’s, but Washington has too much baggage to be openly involved; it bombed Libya in 1986 in punishment for supporting terrorism, and Gadaffi remains a bogeyman to many Americans. So Britain takes the lead — except when it can devolve the dirty work onto a Scottish politician. >>> Matthew Campbell | Sunday, August 23, 2009

Oil Industry Protest Campaign Adds to Summer Heat on President Barack Obama
THE TELEGRAPH: Protests against Barack Obama are spreading across America like wildfire on a summer prairie, fuelled by an angry and fearful oil industry.

Still grappling on one front with opponents of his healthcare reforms, the President now faces a separate battle against an equally powerful foe: America's oil companies.

As the Mr Obama begins his summer family holiday on the island retreat of Martha's Vineyard, a raucous new group of protesters has begun venting its anger about his plans to tackle climate change - and has made clear that it will not allow his 10 day break to get in its way.

This time the strings are being pulled by the oil industry - known to its detractors as "Big Oil" - which is moving quickly and aggressively to block America's first climate change legislation.

The protests moved into a higher gear when the White House last week signalled a sudden retreat over a key aspect of the President's health care reform proposals: the plan for the US government itself to provide health insurance coverage for those who do not already have it.

It was a sign of weakness on which the oil industry has pounced. "Big Oil smells blood in the water," said Frank O'Donnell, who advises Democrats on the environment. "The stakes are very high." >>> Leonard Doyle in Washington | Saturday, August 22, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber: Lord Mandelson Faces New Questions Over Libya Links
THE TELEGRAPH: Lord Mandelson faced fresh questions over his links to Libya last night following the decision to free the Lockerbie bomber.

The Business Secretary denied that the Government had done a deal to free Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, who was convicted of the 1988 terrorist atrocity that claimed 270 lives. However, his claims were contradicted by Saif Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan leader, in a conversation with Megrahi as the pair flew home from Glasgow.

In a transcript obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Gaddafi tells Megrahi: “You were on the table in all commercial, oil and gas agreements that we supervised in that period. You were on the table in all British interests when it came to Libya, and I personally supervised this matter. Also, during the visits of the previous prime minister, Tony Blair.”

This latest contradiction of the Government’s line will further increase tensions between Britain and the United States, which continued yesterday to express anger over the decision to free Megrahi. Robert Mueller, the FBI director, made public a hard-hitting letter he sent to Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice secretary who ordered the release. Mr Mueller called the decision inexplicable and detrimental to justice, adding: “Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world.”

Downing Street confirmed last night that Gordon Brown had discussed the possible release of Megrahi with Colonel Gaddafi when the two men met on the fringes of the G8 summit in Italy last month. A letter the Prime Minister sent to the Libyans, dated last Thursday, the day of the release, said: “When we met I stressed that, should the Scottish Executive decide that Megrahi can return to Libya, this should be a purely private, family occasion.”

Libya’s talk of trade deals has shone the spotlight on Lord Mandelson, who is facing mounting questions over his links with Mr Gaddafi, 37, the man widely tipped as his country’s next leader. >>> Andrew Alderson, Patrick Hennessy and Colin Freeman | Saturday, August 22, 2009

Lutherische Kirche: Zölibat für homosexuelle US-Pfarrer aufgehoben
WELT ONLINE: Pfarrer der größten lutherischen Kirche der USA dürfen in Zukunft schwule oder lesbische Partnerschaften eingehen. Voraussetzung ist laut Beschluss der Evangelikal-Lutherischen Kirche in Amerika, dass es sich um eine "lebenslange" Verbindung handelt. Gegner der Neuregelung warnen vor Kirchenaustritten.

Die größte evangelisch-lutherische Kirche der USA hat das Zölibat für homosexuelle Priester aufgehoben. Damit können nun künftig auch Lesben und Schwule, die in einer stabilen Partnerschaft leben, Priester in der Evangelikal-Lutherischen Kirche in Amerika (ECLA) werden.

Bei der ECLA-Jahrestagung in Minneapolis stimmten nach streckenweise emotionaler Debatte 559 Delegierte für die Neuregelung, 451 dagegen. Gegner der Reform warnten vor Kirchenaustritten. Nirgendwo in der Bibel stehe, dass Gott Homosexualität und „Homoehen“ akzeptiere, erklärten Kritiker.

Homosexuelle durften auch bislang Pfarrer der ECLA werden, mussten aber im Gegensatz zu ihren heterosexuellen Kollegen Enthaltsamkeit geloben. >>> AP/EPD/ks | Samstag, 22. August 2009

Gaddafi empfängt Lockerbie-Attentäter in Tripolis
WELT ONLINE: Libyens Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi hat den begnadigten Lockerbie-Attentäter Abdelbasset Ali Mohammed al-Megrahi empfangen. Gaddafi lobte die Entscheidung der schottischen Regierung als "mutig" und deutete an, dass die Freilassung des todkranken Terroristen bei wirtschaftlichen Verhandlungen eine Rolle gespielt habe.

Einen Tag nach der Freilassung des Lockerbie-Attentäters Abdelbasset Ali Mohammed al-Megrahi aus schottischer Haft hat Libyens Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi den schwer krebskranken Ex-Terroristen empfangen. Wie die libysche Nachrichtenagentur Jana am Samstag berichtete, dankte Gaddafi bei dem Treffen der schottischen Regierung für ihren Mut. Megrahi selbst beteuerte erneut seine Unschuld und kündigte Beweise für ein „Fehlurteil“ an.

Bei dem Treffen mit dem 57-jährigen Megrahi und seiner Familie am Freitagabend lobte Gaddafi laut Jana vor allem den „Mut“ der schottischen Behörden. Sie hätten angesichts des „nicht akzeptablen und nicht angemessenen“ Drucks ihre Unabhängigkeit bewiesen. Die US-Regierung und Angehörige der 270 Opfer des Attentats auf ein US-Linienflugzeug über dem schottischen Lockerbie 1988 hatten sich vehement gegen eine Freilassung des Attentäters ausgesprochen.

Gaddafi verglich die Freilassung al Megrahis mit der Freilassung von fünf bulgarischen Krankenschwestern und einem palästinensischen Arzt vor zwei Jahren. Ihnen war vorgeworfen worden, mehr als 400 libysche Kinder vorsätzlich mit HIV infiziert zu haben.

Der libysche Staatschef bedankte sich dem Bericht zufolge auch beim britischen Premierminister Gordon Brown, bei Queen Elizabeth II. und ihrem zweitältesten Sohn Prinz Andrew. Alle drei hätten die schottische Regierung ermutigt, die „historische und mutige Entscheidung“ zu treffen, Megrahi freizulassen. Dieser Schritt werde „positive Auswirkungen“ auf die Beziehungen zwischen beiden Ländern und alle Bereiche der Zusammenarbeit haben, sagte Gaddafi.

Gaddafis Sohn Seif al-Islam hatte zuvor in einem Fernseh-Interview gesagt, dass die Freilassung Megrahis bei wirtschaftlichen Verhandlungen mit Großbritannien eine Rolle gespielt habe. Bei Verhandlungen über Öl- und Gaslieferungen sei auch der Fall des Lockerbie-Attentäters auf den Verhandlungstisch gekommen, sagte Islam, der ein wichtiger Unterhändler in den Gesprächen mit der schottischen Regierung war und Megrahi bei seiner Rückkehr begleitete. >>> | Samstag, 22. August 2009

Afghanistan: Taliban sollen Wähler Finger abgeschnitten haben
WELT ONLINE: Taliban-Kämpfer haben laut Wahlbeobachtern in Afghanistan ihre Drohung wahr gemacht und mindestens zwei Wählern die Zeigefinger abgeschnitten. Die Finger waren als Beweis für die Stimmabgabe mit lila Farbe markiert, und es ist Tage lang ersichtlich, wer zur Wahl gegangen ist.

Mindestens zwei Wählern sei nach der Stimmabgabe in der südafghanischen Provinz Kandahar von Aufständischen ein Finger abgeschnitten worden, berichteten Wahlbeobachter von der Stiftung für Freie und Faire Wahlen in Afghanistan (FefaA) am Samstag. Wählern wurde ein Finger mit nicht abwaschbarer Tinte markiert, um Mehrfach-Stimmabgaben in verschiedenen Wahllokalen zu vermeiden. Durch die lila Tinte ist Tage lang ersichtlich, wer zur Wahl gegangen ist. >>> AP/EPD/dcs | Samstag, 22. August 2009

Taliban Fighters 'Chopped Fingers Off Afghan Voters' Say Election Observers
THE TELEGRAPH: Taliban fighters carried out their threat to chop fingers off Afghan voters, election observers said.

Before Thursday's presidential ballot, the militants had threatened to hack off fingers seen stained by the indelible ink used to identify voters and prevent fraud.

Nader Nadery, of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (Fefa) said two voters had each lost their finger in southern Kandahar province, which is considered the Taliban's birthplace. >>> Ben Farmer in Kabul | Saturday, August 22, 2009

Megrahi: Provocations libyennes
leJDD.fr: Abdel Basset al Megrahi, condamné pour l'attentat de Lockerbie, aurait été libéré dans le cadre d’échanges commerciaux entre la Lybie et la Grande-Bretagne. C’est du moins ce qu’affirme l’un des fils de Mouammar Kadhafi. Le dirigeant libyen a par ailleurs reçu avec les honneurs Megrahi. De quoi alimenter la polémique sur la justesse de cette libération pour raison de santé.

Alors que les Etats-Unis ont accueilli avec colère la libération d’Abdel Basset al Megrahi, jugé responsable de l’attentat de Lockerbie, la polémique grandit avec les provocations de la Libye. D’après Saïf al-Islam, l’un des fils de Mouammar Kadhafi, le sort de l’ancien agent des services secrets libyen aurait été réglé dans le cadre des relations commerciales entre Tripoli et Londres. Officiellement, c'est pourtant le gouvernement d'Ecosse qui a ordonné cette libération. "Dans tous les contrats commerciaux, de pétrole et de gaz avec la Grande-Bretagne, al Megrahi était toujours sur la table des négociations", a-t-il expliqué. "Tous les intérêts britanniques étaient liés à la libération d’al Megrahi", dont le dossier était "évoqué à chaque visite en Libye de l'ancien premier ministre britannique Tony Blair", a-t-il ajouté, pour enfoncer le clou.

Un scénario qui paraît crédible pour nombre d'observateurs. Les affaires et la politique sont "inextricablement liées" en Libye, a souligné sur la BBC Lord Trefgarne, un ancien ministre britannique, actuellement président du comité d’affaires Grande-Bretagne-Lybie. Il y aura des "profits" à attendre de cette libération, a-t-il ajouté. Des assertions évidemment démenties par Downing Street. "Il n'y a aucun arrangement", a assuré un porte-parole du Premier ministre Gordon Brown. Et un porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères de renvoyer la balle dans le camp écossais: "Les décisions relatives au cas Megrahi ont été exclusivement du ressort de ministres ecossaise". >>> Maud Pierron, leJDD.fr | Samedi 22 Août 2009

Un Italien remporte 147 millions d'euros
leJDD.fr: Un habitant de la petite ville de Bagnone, en Toscane, a remporté samedi plus de 147 millions d'euros à la loterie nationale, soit le gain le plus important jamais enregistré en Europe, rapporte l'agence Ansa. Cet heureux gagnant est le premier à cocher les six numéros du tirage de la loterie publique SuperEnalotto depuis le 31 janvier. [Source: leJDD.fr] Samedi 22 Août 2009

Freedom Is Now Flowing from West to East
TIMES ONLINE: In August 1989 as communism collapsed, Britain was a beacon to the new regimes. Today we are squandering our liberty

I’ve spent much of the past 20 years living in or reporting on the former communist countries of Eastern Europe. Nowadays, with Budapest, Prague and Warsaw two hours away by budget airline, it’s hard to imagine that before 1989, half a continent was imprisoned behind landmines and barbed wire, its citizens terrorised by secret police, intentionally ground down by the endless, intrusive demands of the one-party state.

I saw those borders torn down, democracies arise and the basic freedoms that we take for granted — speech, movement and public protest — enthusiastically embraced.

Twenty years ago today the world witnessed the power of the crowd. Hungary’s reformist communist Government permitted the pan-European picnic near the city of Sopron, on the border with Austria, as a symbol of its commitment to a united Europe. The border was to be opened so that about 100 dignitaries and officially approved picnickers could cross freely back and forth. But Hungary was crowded with thousands of East Germans desperate to escape to the West. Many camped near the site of the picnic, waiting for the crucial moment. When the border was opened at three o’clock they surged forward. The guards did not open fire. They stepped back and allowed the East Germans to break through.

This, not the opening of the Berlin Wall in November, was the tipping point. August 19, 1989, accelerated a chain of events that brought down communism and the Soviet Union itself. Such is the power of the crowd.

After 1989 Big Brother was no longer welcome in Budapest, Prague or Warsaw — he moved to London to be ever more warmly embraced by successive Labour administrations. The birthplace of political liberties, the home of the Magna Carta, is now one of the most intrusive democracies in the world. Labour governments have introduced surveillance and monitoring systems of which the communists could only dream. Of course, Britain is not a real police state. But it is certainly sliding further into authoritarianism. >>> Adam LeBor | Saturday, August 22, 2009

Professor Richard Dawkins Wants to Convert Islamic World to Evolution
TIMES ONLINE: The author of The God Delusion and The Selfish Gene, whose new book, The Greatest Show on Earth, is serialised in The Times next week, has topped bestseller lists all over the world but never in a predominantly Muslim country.

None of Professor Dawkins’ books, on evolution as well as religion, has ever been translated into Arabic, and his work has been heavily censored in Turkey. In an interview with The Times, he said that popularising evolution in the Islamic world, where creationist beliefs are strong, was a challenge he is keen to take up. “To be a bestseller in a Muslim country would be a personal triumph,” he said.

“I would like to see my books translated into Arabic. They haven’t been. They are all translated into Hebrew. Persian, I’m not sure. My books are translated into Turkish and they regularly get censored and suppressed.

“The experience of my Turkish publisher of The God Delusion was that he was threatened with arrest for blasphemy. He may even have been arrested, and my website has been banned in Turkey. I feel amused really. There’s something to be said for being suppressed, it makes people want to read you.”

While most non-fundamentalist Christian traditions have largely accepted evolution, Islam was still much more hostile, he said. “It’s the fact that Islam teaches the Koran is the literal word of God, unlike most Christian sects, which say the Bible is largely symbolic. That could well be the cause.”

Professor Dawkins added that Islamic influence is the likely explanation for the growing popularity of creationist beliefs in Britain, where a recent poll found that 30 per cent of teenagers accept the rebranded idea of “intelligent design”.

“I think that’s pretty clear,” he said. “I hear that from colleagues at the coalface of teaching. There has been a sharp upturn in hostility to teaching of evolution in the classroom and it’s mostly coming from Islamic students. >>> Mark Henderson, Science Editor | Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Straight Talk On Islam
TOWNHALL.COM: I suspect that because George Bush and Condoleezza Rice were so respectful of Muslims, constantly telling us that theirs is a religion of peace, some otherwise sensible Americans actually began to believe it. Now we have a president who not only kowtows to a Saudi prince [sic], but carries on as if Israeli homes are more threatening than Iranian nukes.

What is wrong with our leaders? Are they worried that they won’t be invited to those cool Ramadan parties? The Islamics have been actively at war with us for 30 years and generally at war with western civilization for well over a thousand years, and still we pay lip service to these people in a way we never did with Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan or the Soviet Union. Is it because the Muslims commit sadism and murder in the name of religion and not country? If anything, I would think that would make their evil acts all the more contemptible.

Still, I would contend that Hezbollah and Al Qaeda are not as dangerous as America’s liberals. The Islamic terrorists can only kill so many people, but those on the Left are doing everything in their power to eviscerate America. Cap and Trade can destroy our industrial might; Obama’s trillion dollar stimulus programs combined with his delusional health care plan will not only bankrupt our nation, but lead inevitably to a rate of inflation that will impress even Jimmy Carter; and the budget cuts directed at our military and our missile defense system will make us increasingly vulnerable to our various enemies. >>> Burt Prelutsky | Monday, August 10, 2009

Iranian Boy Who Defied Tehran Hardliners Tells of Prison Rape Ordeal
TIMES ONLINE: The 15-year-old boy sits weeping in a safehouse in central Iran, broken in body and spirit. Reza will not go outside — he is terrified of being left alone. He says he wants to end his life and it is not hard to understand why: for daring to wear the green wristband of Iran’s opposition he was locked up for 20 days, beaten, raped repeatedly and subjected to the Abu Ghraib-style sexual humiliations and abuse for which the Iranian regime denounced the United States.

“My life is over. I don’t think I can ever recover,” he said, as he recounted his experiences to The Times — on condition that his identity not be revealed. A doctor who is treating him, at great risk to herself, confirmed that he is suicidal, and bears the appalling injuries consistent with his story. The family is desperate, and is exploring ways of fleeing Iran.

Reza is living proof of the charges levelled by Mehdi Karoubi, one of the opposition’s leaders, that prison officials are systematically raping both male and female detainees to break their wills. The regime has accused Mr Karoubi of helping Iran’s enemies by spreading lies and has threatened to arrest him.

The boy’s treatment also shows just how far a regime that claims to champion Islamic values is prepared to go to suppress millions of its own citizens who claim that President Ahmadinejad’s re-election was rigged. >>> Homa Homayoun | Saturday, August 22, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber's Release Linked to Trade Deal, Claims Gaddafi's Son
I stated yesterday that this ‘deal’ was linked to trade and commerce. It had LITTLE or NOTHING to do with compassion!

We in the West are being led by a-licking, brown-nosing, fawning fools! Gordon Brown is the arch a-licking, brown-nosing, fawning FOOL!

Recently, in answer to an ePetition that I and many other people signed, he stated that the government does not believe that there has been an encroachment of Islam on our country. If Gordon Brown believes that then he is a bigger fool than I thought he was.

Now this news that the release of the man who killed 270 innocent people is linked to a trade deal! What can any decent person say to anything so despicable as this?

The politicians of the West are showing themselves to be disgusting, unworthy, obsequious nincompoops. They should be kicked out of office forthwith. They are selling our culture and civilisation down the river. Gordon Brown speaks in his wooden way about Ramadhan, and sends his best wishes to the Muslim community on the eve of Ramadhan here. Then we have the leader of the free world arse-licking Muslims here.

This stupid man – Barack Hussein Obama – speaks for all Americans. I know many Americans for whom he does NOT speak.

It is all very well to send greetings to Muslims on the occasion of Ramadhan; indeed, it is a noble and lofty gesture. But this should only be done in reciprocation. But have you ever known of a Muslim country sending us greetings on the occasion of Easter or Christmas?

I shall welcome the day when both sides send greetings to each other. Until that day comes, I shall continue to object to anyone representing me sending greetings to the other side. Don’t forget this: The other side is waging the Jihad against YOU. The people on the other side want nothing less than to bring down Western civilisation. That is what these fools, our so-called representatives in government, refuse to acknowledge. Why? Partly because they don’t have the balls to do so, and partly because commerce is ruling the roost. The bottom line is everything, as the release of Megrahi has shown us all too clearly. Paying attention to the bottom line, letting the bottom line be everything, is precisely what will ultimately bring down the West. If this is how we are going to proceed, then we are doomed to failure. Islam will be our future. – ©Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Saif, claimed the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, was linked to trade deals between Britain and Libya.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown meets Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi . Photo: The Telegraph
He made the claims in a television interview for Libyan television recorded as he accompanied Megrahi on the flight back from Scotland to Libya on Thursday.

The claims were vehemently denied by the UK government.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There is no deal. All decisions relating to Megrahi’s case have been exclusively for Scottish ministers, the Crown Office in Scotland and the Scottish judicial authorities.

“No deal has been made between the UK government and Libya in relation to Megrahi and any commercial interests in the country.”

The claims came as Megrahi said he would produce evidence proving his innocence before he dies.

In an interview with The Times, Megrahi said: My message to the British and Scottish communities is that I will put out the evidence and ask them to be the jury.” He refused to elaborate, or speculate about who was responisble for the deaths.

The comments came after President Obama condemned the welcome Megrahi received in Libya as 'highly objectionable'.

Mr Obama's chief spokesman, Robert Gibbs, earlier denounced the scenes in the Libyan capital Tripoli when returned home as "outrageous and disgusting".

Speaking before he left the White House to spend the weekend at Camp David, Mr Obama led US condemnation of the bomber's return.

"It was highly objectionable," he said in reference to the release and arrival at Tripoli's airport of Megrahi, where he was greeted by hundreds of people on Thursday night.

Mr Gibbs said: "The images that we saw in Libya yesterday were outrageous and disgusting. >>> James Kirkup and Aislinn Simpson | Friday, August 21, 2009

Downing Street: Gordon Brown’s Message for Ramadan

President Obama Gives Ramadan Message

Ramadan Kareem
THE WHITE HOUSE: As the new crescent moon ushers in Ramadan, the President extends his best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world.
 
Each Ramadan, the ninth month on the lunar calendar, Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset for 29 or 30 days. Fasting is a tradition in many religious faiths and is meant to increase spirituality, discipline, thankfulness, and consciousness of God's mercy. Ramadan is also a time of giving and reaching out to those less fortunate, and this summer, American Muslims have joined their fellow citizens in serving communities across the country.

Over the course of the month, we will highlight the perspectives of various faiths on fasting and profile faith-based organizations making real impacts in American cities and towns.

This month is also a time of renewal and this marks the first Ramadan since the President outlined his vision for a new beginning between America and the Muslim world. As a part of that new beginning, the President emphasizes that our relationship with Muslim communities cannot be based on political and security concerns alone. True partnerships also require cooperation in all areas – particularly those that can make a positive difference in peoples’ daily lives, including education, science and technology, health, and entrepreneurship - fields in which Muslim communities have helped play a pioneering role throughout history.

The President's message is part of an on-going dialogue with Muslim communities that began on inauguration day and has continued with his statement on Nowruz, during trips to Ankara and Cairo, and with interviews with media outlets such as Al Arabiya and Dawn TV.

As this dialogue continues and leads to concrete actions, the President extends his greetings on behalf of the American people. Ramadan Kareem. [Source: The White House]

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اللغة العربية

Al-Megrahi Calls Mother Who Says She Keeps the Door Open, Expecting Him to Enter at Any Moment
Hajja Fatma, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi’s mother. Photo: The Tripoli Post
THE TRIPOLI POST: Tripoli— Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan citizen imprisoned for 27 years in a Scottish jail, has called his mother on Wednesday telling her that he hoped to be with her by Ramadan.

The Tripoli Post learned on Thursday during an interview with Megrahi’s Mother and his elder brother that Abdelbaset Ali made a phone call to his mother from his cell in Greenock Prison and said "I hope by Ramadan I will be with you."

Al-Megrahi added on the phone that he was not officially informed of his release, according to his family.

When asked about her feelings that her son may be coming home soon, the 95-year old frail but upbeat Hajja Fatma said "I do not close the house’s door at all. I am expecting him to enter at any moment."

Hajja Fatma has not been informed by the family of her son's terminal illness out of fear that it would cause her much harm at such an old age. Al-Megrahi's mother will only realize the situation when she sees him.

However, she does look healthy and very upbeat but she is in a frail physical condition and has hypertension. Her family decided it would be better for her health if she was not exposed to all the facts.

With tears in her eyes, Hajja Fatma described how she would meet her son after serving over ten years [sic] in prison in England when he arrives: “I would run out to the street and hug him so tight[,]”

When asked about his innocence as far as the Lockerbie bombing is concerned and what would she tell the PanAm’s victims’ relatives, Hajja Fatma said with deep resolve “We told them that my son was innocent, that he would not slaughter a chicken at home and that he would not have caused the disaster of Lockerbie."

"Eleven years I did not spend the holy month of Ramadan with him, I am waiting for that day when he comes back," she added. >>> | Thursday, August 13, 2009

He Must be Released, Al-Megrahi Is Dying, Wife
THE TRIPOLI POST: The wife of the Libyan citizen Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, who was unjustly convicted in the Loclerbie bombing, warned on Thursday that he was in danger of dying due to deteriorating cancer.

"His health has considerably deteriorated. He is in danger of dying," Aisha Megrahi told AFP. "The disease has spread across his body."

Megrahi is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 27 years in a British prison for unfairly and unjustly convicted of downing a transatlantic US airliner over the Scottish village of Lockerbie in 1988, killing 270 people.

He has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, according to his lawyers, but a Scottish court in November refused to free him on bail because of his health.

Defence lawyers say Megrahi's cancer is in a terminal phase but the Appeal Court in Edinburgh ruled that he could live for years depending on how successful his treatment is.

"While the disease from which the appellant suffers is incurable and may cause his death, he is not at present suffering material pain or disability," Lord Justice General Arthur Hamilton said at the time.

Aisha Megrahi said "they have refused to set him free. It is clear that the British prefer that he dies in jail."

She claimed that her husband "haemorrhaged several times recently."

"His body is not reacting any more to medication because of his bad psychological condition, according to a report by his doctor," she said, adding that she had visited him three times this month alone.

"Hospitals are refusing to admit him because of the exaggerated (police) surveillance involved in transferring him" from prison, she added.

Megrahi's wife said his family's "only wish is that he be transferred to a hospital or to our house in Scotland, so that he can spend what is left of his life with his family." >>> | Friday, August 27, 2009

Paid Content: The Days of the Internet Free Lunch Are Numbered
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Media billionaire Rupert Murdoch wants to start charging online readers of his newspapers a fee. His decision has launched a fierce debate over the future of the culture of free content on the Internet. It has also posed a difficult question for publishers: How much are we worth to readers?

Rupert Murdoch has no use for computers. The 78-year-old Australian-American media billionaire doesn't like e-mail, he avoids the Internet and he even has trouble using his mobile phone. He doesn't exactly fit the picture of an online messiah.

But in recent weeks, Murdoch startled the publishing world when he uttered a few sentences that were as simple as they were revolutionary, such as: "Quality journalism isn't cheap." That led to his decision to start charging for online use of his many newspapers around the globe in the coming months. If Murdoch has his way, the days of free culture on the Internet will be numbered.

It didn't take much time after the remarks by Murdoch, CEO of News Corporation and owner of hundreds of newspapers and television stations, for the response to start pouring in: publishers the world over agreed. If anyone needed proof that Murdoch is still the mogul of media moguls, this was it.

Murdoch, of all people -- the man biographer Michael Wolff recently complained doesn't even know "what the Internet is." The old man, Wolff added, might be on the verge of bringing about important changes on the Internet, but only "if he can find it."

The aging businessman may indeed know little about the Internet, and no one knows how serious he is about his idea. But one thing is certain: A man like Murdoch is not about to stand on the sidelines while he loses money. He has also struck a nerve in the industry, once again. >>> Isabel Hülsen | Friday, August 21, 2009

Muslim Model Says She Deserves to Be Caned
THE TELEGRAPH: A Muslim model has asked human rights group Amnesty International to stop asking the Malaysian authorities not to cane her, saying she is ready to face the penalty for drinking beer.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was arrested after a poice raid at a hotel lounge. Photo: The Telegraph
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old mother of two, insisted she is willing to be lashed six times with a rattan cane next week for breaching the country's Shariah law, which forbids Muslims to consume alcohol.

"I want to respect the law," Kartika said from her northern home state of Perak. "Who am I to question the Islamic authorities' laws? That is beyond me.

"I never cried when I was sentenced by the judge. I told myself, alright then, let's get on with it."

Kartika is to become the first Malaysian woman to be caned in prison after she was arrested in a raid for drinking beer at a hotel lounge last year and sentenced by a Shariah court in July in what was considered a warning to other Muslims to abide by religious laws.

Amnesty International earlier urged authorities to "immediately revoke the sentence to cane her and abolish the practice of caning altogether."

"Caning is a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and is prohibited under international human rights law," it said in a statement.

Government lawyer Saiful Idham Sahimi said earlier this week the penalty was appropriate because drinking was a serious offence for Muslims.

Islamic authorities insist that the purpose of the caning is to educate rather than punish. They say the rattan cane to be used on Kartika will be smaller and lighter than the one used for men and that she will remain clothed. The prison official who canes her is also supposed to use very little force.

Men convicted of civil crimes such as rape and bribery in Malaysia are caned on their bare buttocks, breaking the skin and leaving permanent scars. >>> | Friday, August 21, 2009

Both Sides Claim Victory in Afghanistan Elections
TIMES ONLINE: President Hamid Karzai and his main rival, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, both claimed victory in the first round of Afghanistan's presidential election this morning, raising fears that the country could split along ethnic lines and erupt in violent protest.

Deen Mohammad, President Karzai’s campaign chief, told several media outlets that Mr Karzai had secured the outright majority needed to avoid a run-off in early October with Dr Abdullah, his closest rival.

"Initial results show that the president has got a majority," he said. "We will not got [sic] to a second round. We have got a majority."

A spokesman for Dr Abdullah immediately dismissed that as untrue, and said that early results from all but three provinces put Dr Abdullah on 63 per cent of the vote, and Mr Karzai on 31.

“We should say that Mr Abdullah has won in the first round,” Sayyid Agha Hussain Fazel Sancharaki told The Times. >>> Jeremy Page in Kabul | Friday, August 21, 2009

Megrahi's Hero's Welcome in Libya Is an Insult
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – CON COUGHLIN: As expected the Lockerbie bomber has returned to a hero’s welcome in Libya. What was not quite so expected that the Libyans should rub salt into the wound by flying the Scottish flag. Well, at least it wasn’t the Union Jack.

Personally I cannot think of a more humiliating day for the Scottish people. Their government has allowed the man convicted of the worst terrorist atrocity in British - let alone Scottish history - to return home to die within the comforting embrace of his family - assuming, that is, he really is as sick as his surgeon’s claim.

This humane gesture was never afforded to the 270 victims of the Lockerbie bombing, and I very much doubt that the people of Lockerbie will reciprocate the gesture by flying the Libyan flag. [Source: The Telegraph] Con Coughlin | Friday, August 21, 2009

The Telegraph invites you to comment here

Tourists Warned as Asian Hornets Terrorise French
THE TELEGRAPH: Tourists are being warned to steer clear of Asian hornets that are colonising France, after swarms of the aggressive predators attacked seven people.

The bee-eating hornets, instantly recognisable by their yellow feet, are rapidly spreading round France and entomologists fear that they will eventually cross the Channel and arrive in Britain.

Hundreds of the insects attacked a mother on a stroll with her five-month-old baby in the Lot-et-Garonne department, southwestern France, at the weekend before turning on a neighbour who ran over to help. The baby was unharmed.

They then pursued two passers by and two Dutch tourists on bikes. The victims were treated in hospital for multiple stings, which are said to be as painful as a hot nail piercing the skin.

In the same week, a cleaner in local primary school came under attack after disturbing a hornet nest hidden in the ground.

The Vespa velutina, which grow up to an inch in length, is thought to have arrived in France from the Far East in a consignment of Chinese pottery in late 2004.

They first settled in the forests of Aquitaine, but quickly fanned out to surrounding areas, thriving on rising temperatures linked to global warming and the lack of indigenous predators. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Prince Andrew Trip to Libya Could Be Cancelled Over Lockerbie Bomber
THE TELEGRAPH: The Duke of York may see plans for an official visit to Libya cancelled as an expression of British Government anger at Libyan celebrations of the return of the Lockerbie bomber.

There is growing anger in Britain at the reception granted to Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi on his return to Libya after eight years in a Scottish jail.

Downing Street has also said that Gordon Brown had appealed to the Libyans not to give Megrahi a hero's welcome on his return.

In a letter to Col Gaddafi sent on Thursday, the Prime Minister asked the Libyans to "act with sensitivity" over the return of Megrahi.

Megrahi, the biggest mass murderer in British legal history, flew home to Tripoli on Thursday after being freed from jail on compassionate grounds by Scotland's devolved adminstration.

A large crowd gathered to greet his return, and he has been feted as a national hero.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said that the reception Libya gave Megrahi was "deeply distressing".

The Foreign Office is now understood to be reviewing a plan for Prince Andrew to represent Britian [sic] at celebrations marking 40 years of Col Gaddafi's rule. >>> James Kirkup and Aislinn Simpson | Friday, August 21, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH:
Lockerbie bomber release: Reaction from American media >>> | Friday, August 21, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber Arrives in Libya

Terror: Islamistischer Propagandakrieg gegen Deutschland
WELT ONLINE: Nie zuvor tauchten in den einschlägigen Internetforen so viele Videos auf, die zum Heiligen Krieg gegen Deutschland aufrufen und dem Land mit Terror drohen. Das israelische "International Institute for Counter Terrorism" spricht von einem regelrechten Trend des auf Deutschland bezogenen Internet-Dschihadismus.

Die deutsch-marokkanischen Internetislamisten Mounir und Yassin Chouka. Bild: Welt Online
Wenige Wochen vor der Bundestagswahl verstärken gewaltbereite Islamisten ihre Propaganda gegen Deutschland. Nie zuvor tauchten in den einschlägigen Internetforen so viele Videos auf, die zum Heiligen Krieg gegen Deutschland aufrufen und der Bundesrepublik mit Terror drohen.

Zurzeit werden auch neue Videos zweier marokkanisch-stämmiger Brüder aus Bonn verbreitet, die im afghanisch-pakistanischen Grenzgebiet untergetaucht und an der Propagandafront der Terrororganisation „Islamische Dschihad Union“ besonders aktiv sind: Mounir Chouka (27) und sein Bruder Yassin (24) predigen seit Jahresbeginn als Abu Adam und Abu Ibrahim mal vermummt, mal in militärischer Montur oder in weißer Imamrobe gegen die Ungläubigen, die amerikanischen und europäischen Besatzer der muslimischen Länder. In den nun aufgetauchten Filmen sind erstmals die Gesichter der Brüder zu erkennen. Ihre Gewaltaufrufe in deutscher Sprache wurden zum Teil mit albanischen und türkischen Untertiteln unterlegt.

„Kommt und sterbt den Tod der Ehre!“, fordert Mounir die „Geschwister in Deutschland“ auf. Sein Bruder ruft die deutschen Muslime auf, den Treueid auf Talibanführer Mullah Omar zu leisten und sagt, die Dschihadisten in Afghanistan genössen es, „im Kugelhagel der Nato und unter den Tornado-Flugzeugen der Deutschen“ zu stehen.

Über die Brüder Chouka ist schon einiges bekannt: Ihr Weg der Radikalisierung führte sie aus der gutbürgerlichen Umgebung des Bonner Stadtteils Kessenich im Herbst 2008 an den Hindukusch. >>> Von Florian Flade | Freitag, 21. August 2009

Attentat geplant: Barack Obama sollte sterben wie John F. Kennedy
WELT ONLINE: Angeblich wollten islamistische asiatische Terroristen US-Präsident Barack Obama in seinem Auto erschießen, behaupten indonesische Sicherheitsbehörden. Das Heckenschützenattentat der Scharfschützen war demnach für November geplant, wenn Obama an einem Wirtschaftsgipfel in Singapur teilnimmt.

Terroristen planen offenbar ein Attentat auf US-Präsident Barack Obama. Das ergaben Ermittlungen indonesischer Sicherheitsbehörden zu den Bombenanschlägen auf das „Marriott“-Hotel und das „Ritz Carlton“-Hotel in Jakarta im vergangenen Monat. Zwei der vier Terroristen, nach denen gefahndet wird, werden nun zudem verdächtigt, ein Heckenschützenattentat auf Obama vorbereitet zu haben. Der Anschlag sollte im November erfolgen, wenn Obama ein Wirtschaftstreffen in Singapur besucht. Obama sollte sterben wie der früheren US-Präsident John F. Kennedy.

„Sie wollten den Konvoi des US-Präsidenten am Flughafen angreifen“, sagte Dynno Chressbon, ein Geheimdienstanalyst im indonesischen Zentrum für nationale Sicherheit. Die beiden Scharfschützen wollten Obama demnach mit Spezialgewehren russischer Bauart in seiner Präsidentenlimousine erschießen. Die Spezial-Gewehre würden angeblich von al-Qaida in Afghanistan, aber auch von Extremisten auf den Philippinen benutzt.

Barack Obama nimmt am 14. und 15. November am Treffen der Asiatisch-Pazifischen Wirtschaftskooperation (APEC) in Singapur teil. Er werde diese Gelegenheit für Besuche in verschiedenen Ländern nutzen, teilte das Weiße Haus mit. >>> rtr/lac | Freitag, 21. August 2009

Coca-Cola sous la pression d'associations musulmanes
LE FIGARO: Rumeurs et campagnes d'opinion obligent les grandes marques à certifier que leurs produits sont compatibles avec l'islam.

Tout commence il y a deux ans, par une rumeur insistante : le Coca-Cola contiendrait de l'alcool. Accusation farfelue mais immédiatement reprise par les sites musulmans, de forums en articles plus ou moins étayés. Associations et médias communautaires, dont le blog Al-Kanz, très en vogue, assaillent Coca-Cola France de questions. Et reçoivent une réponse standard : «Nos boissons sont reconnues comme non alcoolisées par les autorités gouvernementales de chaque pays.» Une missive qui laisse insatisfaits les plus intransigeants. La législation française considère en effet qu'une boisson est «sans alcool» lorsqu'elle en contient moins de 1,2 %. Qu'en est-il alors du fameux breuvage à la recette secrète ?

Après quelques hésitations, la direction de Coca-Cola France décide de faire appel à «l'organisme de certification de la mosquée de Paris», explique Philippe Marty le porte-parole de la firme. Celle-ci commande une analyse du Coca par un laboratoire indépendant. «Ensuite, nous avons garanti que Coca Cola était parfaitement sans alcool et donc halal», détaille le chef de la certification à la mosquée, Al Sid Cheikh, qui regrette de voir fleurir «beaucoup d'accusations sans aucun fondement religieux. C'est plutôt politique. Mais les sociétés s'inquiètent pour leur notoriété». >>> C. G. | Jeudi 20 Août 2009

Swiss ne réintroduira pas ses vols entre Zurich et Tripoli
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE KADHAFI | La compagnie avait été interdite de vol en Libye. Mais le règlement du conflit ne change rien pour Swiss, qui estime que cette liaison n'est économiquement plus intéressante.

Swiss ne réintroduira pas de vols en direction de la Libye. La compagnie avait cessé de relier Zurich à Tripoli en décembre dernier car Mouammar Kadhafi le lui avait interdit.

Le règlement du conflit entre Berne et Tripoli ne change rien pour Swiss, a indiqué vendredi la porte-parole de la compagnie Andrea Kreuzer. Swiss a fermé son bureau à Tripoli. >>> ATS | Vendredi 21 Août 2009

Affaire Kadhafi: Le triomphe diplomatique libyen
20 MINUTES.ch: En obtenant jeudi la libération du Libyen condamné pour l'attentat de Lockerbie et des excuses suisses pour l'affaire de son fils Hannibal, Mouammar Kadhafi remporte un succès diplomatique retentissant, à une semaine du 40e anniversaire de son arrivée au pouvoir.

La remise en liberté jeudi d'Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, après un long feuilleton judiciaire et diplomatique, a coïncidé avec une visite surprise à Tripoli du président helvétique Hans-Rudolf Merz, venu s'excuser pour l'arrestation en juillet 2008 de Hannibal Kadhafi, une affaire qui empoisonne depuis les relations entre les deux pays.

Accueilli en héros à l'aéroport militaire de Maatiga à Tripoli, malgré les critiques de Washington et Londres, M. Megrahi était considéré officiellement par la Libye comme un «otage politique» entre les mains de l'Occident.

«Nous considérons que Megrahi est un combattant qui s'est sacrifié pour sa patrie et nous devons le respecter», a déclaré à l'AFP l'ancien ambassadeur de Libye à Londres et acteur clé dans le dossier Megrahi.

«Nous sommes contents de son retour (...) et nous considérons que sa libération est un acquis pour la Libye», a-t-il dit.

L'accueil chaleureux réservé à Abdelbaset Megrahi est une «revanche sur l'Occident, qui avait déroulé le tapis rouge pour les infirmières» et le médecin bulgares, au moment de leur libération en juillet 2007 après huit ans de détention en Libye«, estime un journaliste libyen. >>> afp | Vendredi 21 Août 2009

Barack Obama Leads Condemnation of Scotland for Freeing Lockerbie Bomber
The decision to release this perpetrator of evil is a despicable act, and a travesty of justice. The Scots should hang their heads in SHAME! Could anyone blame the Americans for calling for a boycott of all Scottish goods as a retaliatory measure?

This had LITTLE to do with "compassion" and ALL to do with dirty politics, political gain, and commercial deals: multi-million dollar contracts will surely be signed with Libya as a result of this 'foul act of mercy'. – ©Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama led condemnation of Scotland's administration for allowing the Lockerbie bomber to return home to Libya.

Abdel Baset al-Megrahi accompanied by Seif al-Islam el- Gadhafi, son of the Libyan leader upon his arrival at airport in Tripol . Photo: The Telegraph
The US President’s criticism of the “mistake” added to a growing backlash against the Scottish decision to free the biggest mass murderer in British legal history on compassionate grounds.

Hours after the Scottish National Party administration in Edinburgh announced its decision to free him, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the only man convicted of the 1988 atrocity, flew home to a hero’s welcome in Tripoli.

Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence agent, has terminal prostate cancer and has less than three months to live. Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, said freeing him showed Scotland’s “humanity.”

Despite his illness, Megrahi, 57, managed to walk unaided up the steps of the plane at Glasgow airport, his face hidden by a white baseball cap.

After he left Scottish soil, Megrahi, who has served just eight years of a 27-year sentence, released a statement protesting his innocence and expressing his “sympathy” for the families of the 270 people he was convicted of killing.

The US government condemned the decision to release him, as did US relatives of some of the victims of the 1988 atrocity.

One US Senator said that by releasing Megrahi, Scottish ministers had increased the threat of international terrorism, and internet campaigners threatened a US boycott of Scottish products. >>> James Kirkup, Auslan Cramb and Alex Spillius in Washington | Thursday, August 20, 2009

Libyen verlangt Repatriierung des Lockerbie-Attentäters
ber. Kairo, 8. Mai

NZZ ONLINE: Das Regime in Tripolis hat Grossbritannien gebeten, den in einem schottischen Gefängnis einsitzenden libyschen Häftling Abdulbaset al-Magrahi in seine Heimat ausreisen zu lassen. Magrahi war 2001 als Miturheber des Anschlags auf ein amerikanisches Verkehrsflugzeug über der schottischen Ortschaft Lockerbie zu 27 Jahren Haft verurteilt worden. Libyen machte geltend, Magrahi habe wegen eines Prostatakrebses nur noch wenige Monate zu leben. Ein erst vor wenigen Tagen ratifiziertes Abkommen regelt den Gefangenenaustausch zwischen Libyen und Grossbritannien; es könnte es den Briten erlauben, Magrahi loszuwerden und nach Libyen abzuschieben. >>> | Samstag, 09. Mai 2009