Schweiz auf mögliche Schmährede Ghadhafis vorbereitet: Uno-Botschafter Maurer kennt Inhalt des libyschen Briefs
NZZ ONLINE: «Wir wissen, was in dem Schreiben steht.» Dies sagt der Schweizer Uno-Botschafter Peter Maurer zum inzwischen abgeschmetterten Vorstoss Ghadhafis zur Auflösung der Schweiz. Sollte Ghadhafi in seiner Rede vor der Uno trotzdem zum Schlag gegen die Schweiz ausholen, wisse die Schweiz, was zu tun ist.

Der Schweizer Uno-Botschafter in New York hat die Existenz eines Briefes an die Uno, in dem Libyen die Auflösung der Schweiz fordert, bestätigt. Wir wissen, dass es ein Schreiben gibt und wir wissen, was der Inhalt ist, sagte Peter Maurer der Nachrichtenagentur SDA am Freitag in New York. Das Dokument orientiere sich an der Muammar Ghadhafis Rede vom Juli am G-8-Gipfel im italienischen L'Aquila und bringe keine neue Begründung des Vorstosses.

Ghadhafi hatte gemäss Angaben der libyschen Nachrichtenagentur Jana beim Gipfel in L'Aquila und beim Blockfreientreffen in Sharm as-Sheik die Schweiz scharf angegriffen: Sie sei kein Staat, sondern eine Terroristen-Finanziererin. Um das Land an seinem Tun zu hindern, müsse es deshalb unter den drei grossen Nachbarn Deutschland, Frankreich und Italien aufgeteilt werden.

Schreiben ging an Ban

Laut Maurer richtet ein Land, das ein Traktandum in die Generalversammlung einbringen will, die Bitte um Aufnahme des Vorschlages an den Generalsekretär. Dieser leitet ihn nach einer Prüfung an das Komitee zur Programmplanung weiter.

Im Falle des Antrages aus Libyen brauche man aber keine lange diplomatische Ausbildung um zu erkennen, dass ein solcher Vorstoss keine Chance habe, sagte der Schweizer Diplomat. Vorschläge könne man an der Uno auf viele Arten einbringen, am Schluss müsse man aber immer eine Mehrheit finden.

Der Sprecher des Generalsekretärs, Farhan Haq, hatte gegenüber der SDA schon am Donnerstag deutlich gemacht, dass der libysche Vorschlag der Uno-Charta völlig widerspreche und deshalb weder zirkuliert noch veröffentlicht werde. Kein Uno-Mitglied dürfe in seiner Existenz bedroht werden. >>> sda | Samstag, 05. September 2009

«Montrer que la Suisse n’est pas dupe»
LE TEMPS: Luis Martinez, directeur de recherche au Centre d’études et de recherches internationales (CERI) de Sciences Po à Paris, est l’un des spécialistes les plus respectés de la Libye. Il porte un regard acéré sur la crise qui oppose Berne à Tripoli. Il a publié The Libyan Paradox*.

Le Temps: Comment appréciez-vous la manière dont les autorités suisses ont géré cette crise avec la Libye?

Luis Martinez: En observateur extérieur, j’avais été étonné, dans l’affaire de l’arrestation d’Hannibal Kadhafi et de sa femme, par la volonté d’être aussi formel vis-à-vis de l’enfant d’un chef d’Etat comme le colonel Kadhafi dans le contexte actuel de la Libye. Le même événement ne m’aurait absolument pas choqué il y a dix ans à Genève, Oslo ou Madrid. La Libye aurait rappelé Hannibal et aurait dit: «Ce n’est pas le moment de faire des bêtises, on a assez de problèmes avec le Conseil de sécurité.»

Mais avec la Libye d’aujourd’hui, qui depuis 2003 revient sur la scène et affiche clairement ses prétentions, j’ai trouvé que cette arrestation avait un côté peut-être courageux mais aussi très risqué. Même s’il est tout à fait respectable de venir en aide à deux employés maltraités, dans le contexte actuel, les autorités ont manqué de tact et surtout de débriefing: la Libye d’aujourd’hui n’est pas la Libye d’avant.

– Mais comment comprendre que la Libye se soit sentie à ce point humiliée?

– Ce point est très important. Ce petit monde des enfants de pétro-Etats autoritaires est un peu comme celui des acteurs de Holly­wood. Tout le monde se connaît, on fréquente les mêmes villes, les mêmes palaces. Les Libyens font leur retour dans ces endroits depuis 2003, et vis-à-vis des autres grandes familles, il est vraiment gênant d’apparaître comme ceux que l’on maltraite, au même titre que des Soudanais ou des Syriens. Deux employés marocains arrivent à faire arrêter le fils de Kadhafi: dans ce petit monde-là, cela veut dire que Kadhafi ne vaut rien. La réaction libyenne est proportionnelle à son humiliation. Il s’agit de faire comprendre que cela coûte très cher d’agir ainsi avec un enfant Kadhafi. >>> Angélique Mounier-Kuhn | Samedi 05 Septembre 2009

*The Libyan Paradox (Columbia/Hurst) (Hardcover) >>>

Unadulterated Dhimmitude! Boris Johnson Calls for a Day of Fasting to 'Help Understand Muslims'
You fast if you want to; this gentleman’s not for fasting! – Mark

MAIL ONLINE: London Mayor Boris Johnson today encouraged people to undergo a day of fasting to help them gain a better understanding of their 'Muslim neighbour'.

Speaking during a visit to the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre he said Muslims in the capital were 'challenging traditional stereotypes' to show they wanted to be part of the mainstream.

Mr Johnson's visit coincided with the holy period of Ramadan in which participating Muslims fast from dawn until sunset.

He said: 'Whether it's in theatre, comedy, sports, music or politics, Muslims are challenging the traditional stereotypes and showing that they are, and want to be, a part of the mainstream community.

'That's why I urge people, particularly during Ramadan, to find out more about Islam, increase your understanding and learning, even fast for a day with your Muslim neighbour and break your fast at the local mosque.

'I would be very surprised if you didn't find that you share more in common than you thought.'

He added: 'Muslims are at the heart of every aspect of society. Their contribution is something that all Londoners benefit from.

'Muslim police officers, doctors, scientists and teachers are an essential part of the fabric of London.

'Islamic finance is contributing to the economy by changing the way Londoners invest, save, borrow and spend. >>> | Friday, September 04, 2009

Jack Straw Admits Lockerbie Bomber's Release Was Linked to Oil
THE TELEGRAPH: Jack Straw has reignited the row over the release of the Lockerbie bomber by admitting for the first time that trade and oil were an essential part of the Government’s decision to include him in a prisoner transfer deal with Libya.

The Justice Secretary said he was unapologetic about including Abdelbaset al Megrahi in the agreement, citing a multi-million-pound oil deal signed by BP and Libya six weeks later.

The admission directly contradicts Gordon Brown's insistence only days ago that oil deals were not a factor in the prisoner's release.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Straw also suggested that Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, released the terminally-ill bomber on compassionate grounds earlier than the British Government would have done.

Mr Brown has been accused of putting Britain’s trade interests before justice for the Lockerbie victims.

Earlier this week, the outcry forced him to say: “There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances.” >>> Mary Riddell, Simon Johnson and Andrew Porter | Friday, September 04, 2009

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
Brown the Betrayer: Britain’s Sellout Prime Minister Has Broken Faith and Ties with the U.S. >>> Editorial | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

War Declaration on Nazis Recalled
BBC: The moment Britain finally declared war on Nazi Germany exactly 70 years ago is being remembered.

Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain made his sombre radio broadcast at 11.15am on 3 September 1939, two days after German forces attacked Poland.

France followed suit hours after the historic address at 10 Downing Street.

There are no official events to mark the anniversary, but war-related re-unions and debates are being held in northern England and London.

A group of land girls who worked together on farms in Lincolnshire during the war will be reunited in Grimsby - some for the first time in 70 years. >>> | Thursday, September 03, 2009

Prime Minister Chamberlain Declares War
BBC: With Hitler's invasion of Poland on 1 September the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement had clearly failed.

In the face of a revolt from members of his Cabinet and a growing feeling in the country that Hitler must be tackled, he had little choice but to declare war.

At a little after 1100 on 3 September he made this broadcast.

I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street.

This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that, unless we hear from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different that I could have done and that would have been more successful.

Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between Germany and Poland, but Hitler would not have it. He had evidently made up his mind to attack Poland, whatever happened, and although he now says he put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected by the Poles, that is not a true statement.

The proposals were never shown to the Poles, nor to us, and though they were announced in a German broadcast on Thursday night, Hitler did not wait to hear comments on them but ordered his troops to cross the Polish frontier the next morning.

His action shows convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force.

We and France are today, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of Poland, who is so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack upon her people. We have a clear conscience - we have done all that any country could do to establish peace.

The situation in which no word given by Germany's ruler could be trusted, and no people or country could feel itself safe, has become intolerable. And now that we have resolved to finish it I know that you will play your part with calmness and courage.
At such a moment as this the assurances of support which we have received from the empire are a source of profound encouragement to us.

When I have finished speaking, certain detailed announcements will be made on behalf of the government. Give these your closest attention. The government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead...

Now may God bless you all. May He defend the right. For it is evil things that we shall be fighting against - brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution - and against them I am certain that right will prevail. [Source: BBC] | Wednesday, September 01, 1999

Hitler's Address to the Reichstag
BBC: At dawn on 1 September, German troops invaded Poland, unleashing Blitzkrieg or 'lightning war' on the world for the first time.

The Nazi invasion of Poland was entirely unprovoked and the German dictator, Adolf Hitler, gave no ultimatum or declaration of war to the Polish government.

Instead the Nazi leader simply issued a proclamation to the army saying that Poland had refused the "peaceful settlement" desired by him, but which in reality he had never worked for.

Later that morning the German High Command issued the order: "Soldiers of the German Army - after all other means have failed - weapons must decide."

Hitler addressed the German Parliament, the Reichstag, later that day.

Here are some extracts from his speech which have been translated from the original German.

For months we have been suffering under the torture of a problem which the Versailles 'Diktat' created. A problem which has deteriorated until it has become intolerable for us.

Danzig was and is a German city . The [Polish] Corridor was and is German. Danzig was separated from us. The corridor was annexed by Poland. As in other German territories [outside Germany] the east German minorities have been ill-treated in the most distressing manner... I attempted to bring about, by making proposals for revisions, an alteration in this intolerable position.

It is a lie when the outside world says that we only tried to carry our revisions through by pressure. I have, not once but several times, made proposals for the revision of intolerable conditions.

All these proposals have been rejected... In the same way I have also tried to solve the problem of Danzig, the Corridor etc... by proposing peaceful discussion... I then formulated at last the German proposals, and I must repeat that there is nothing more modest and loyal than these proposals.

These answers have been refused. Not only were they answered first with mobilisation, but with increased terror against our German compatriots and with a slow strangling of the Free City of Danzig - economically, politically, and in recent weeks by military and transport means.

I made one more final effort to accept a proposal for mediation on the part of the British Government. They proposed, not that they themselves should carry on the negotiations, but rather that Poland and Germany should come into direct contact and once more pursue negotiations.

I accepted this proposal and worked out a basis for those negotiations which are known to you. For two whole days I sat with my government and waited to see if it was convenient for the Polish Government to send a plenipotentiary or not. Last night they did not send us a plenipotentiary, but instead informed us through their ambassador that they were still considering whether and to what extent they were in a position to go into the British proposals...

If the German Government and its leader patiently endured such treatment Germany would deserve only to disappear from the political stage. I therefore, decided late last night, and informed the British Government that, in these circumstances I can no longer find any willingness on the part of the Polish Government to conduct serious negotiations with us...

When statesmen in the West declare that this affects their interests, I can only regret such a declaration. We ask nothing of these Western states and will never ask anything. I have declared that the frontier between France and Germany is a final one. I have repeatedly offered friendship and the closest co-operation to Britain, but this cannot be offered from one side only...

I will not make war against women and children. I have ordered my airforce to restrict itself to attacks on military objectives. If, however, the enemy thinks he can from that draw 'carte blanche' on his side to fight by other methods he will receive an answer that will deprive him of hearing and sight. [Source: BBC] | Friday, September 03, 1999]

Clinic for Internet Addicts Opens in US
THE GUARDIAN: reSTART offers counseling and psychotherapy – and up to 45 days 'cold turkey' away from the web

If you have to take a quick break from reading this article to check your Blackberry, send a text or reboot your Xbox 360 before you reach the end of this paragraph, then the good news is that help is at hand.

reSTART has been opened outside Seattle, the rain-soaked north-western town where high-tech companies are as common as cattle are in Texas. It claims to be America's first residential detox centre for internet addicts.

For a little over $14,000, up to six people at a time can spend 45 days sweating out their insatiable urge to be umbilically connected to cyberspace. Think cold turkey as experienced by heroin junkies, and you get the general idea.

Residents are given counselling and psychotherapy, as well as encouraged to bond as a group in activities such as household chores, walks in the grounds and exercising.

The centre, in five acres about 30 miles out of Seattle, is the brainchild of Hilarie Cash, a therapist who had until this summer been treating patients with presumed internet addiction but only on a day-by-day basis.

She recorded her first case in 1994, with a patient so glued to video games that he forfeited his marriage and two jobs. >>> Ed Pilkington | Friday, September 04, 2009

Schweizer in Libyen müssen vor Gericht
WELT ONLINE: Der diplomatische Streit zwischen Libyen und der Schweiz geht weiter: Weil sie Einreise-Bestimmungen verletzt hätten, werden die beiden festgehaltenen Schweizer in Libyen vor Gericht gestellt. Gestern hatte der libyschen Diktator Gaddafi bei der UN gefordert, die Schweiz aufzulösen. Der Antrag wurde abgelehnt.

Die beiden in Libyen festgehaltenen Schweizer werden in Libyen vor Gericht gestellt. Das erklärte der libysche Außenminister Musa Kusa einem Journalisten der britischen „Times“, wie das Schweizer Fernsehen berichtete.

Sie hätten unter anderem libysche Einreise-Bestimmungen verletzt. „Dem libyschen Rechtssystem kann niemand etwas vorschreiben. Es entscheidet frei“, sagte der Minister in dem ausgestrahlten Telefoninterview. Er ließ offen, wann das Verfahren stattfindet.

Unterdessen teilte nach Schweizer Medienberichten ein UN-Sprecher in New York mit, der Antrag des libyschen Revolutionsführers Muammar al-Gaddafi an die Vereinten Nationen, die Schweiz aufzulösen, sei schon vor Wochen abgelehnt worden. Am 15. September übernimmt Libyen turnusgemäß für ein Jahr den Vorsitz der UN-Vollversammlung. >>> dpa/dcs | Freitag, 04. September 2009

Benedict Brogan: Should We Bang Up Some Bankers?
THE TELEGRAPH: Gillian Tett, the FT whizz whose book Fool’s Gold is the best explanation so far of the financial crisis, has a fascinating piece today which considers why we have not seen some of the bankers responsible for the mess put behind bars. She points out that in the wake of the Savings & Loan scandal in the US, 1,852 S&L officials were prosecuted and 1,072 of them served time. A further 2,558 bankers were also sent to prison.

So far there is no sign of a campaign of retributive justice on the same scale to deal with those who led the system to collapse. Is that a good thing? Locking up the casino boys may satisfy public hunger for revenge, but it does nothing to repair global finance.

Gillian Tett argues: “But if there is no retribution against financiers, it will be difficult to force a real change in behaviour. After all, no amount of twiddling with Basel rules or pious statements about bonuses will ever scare a financier as much as the thought of jail. Moreover, without some retribution it will also be hard to persuade voters that finance is really being reformed, or has any credibility or moral authority. That is bad for politicians and regulators. However, it is also bad for bankers too.” She reckons we should keep an eye out for signs of legal cases against bankers. And presumably prison sentences too? [Source: The Telegraph] Comment here | Benedict Brogan | Friday, September 04, 2009

Five Die in Urumqi Protests


WALL STREET JOURNAL:
Read article >>> Gordon Fairclough | Friday, September 04, 2009

Press War Fuels Row In Italy
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: ROME -- An influential Roman Catholic newspaper editor who questioned the lifestyle of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resigned his post Thursday -- a casualty of a bruising newspaper war that has opened a rift between the Vatican and the premier.

Dino Boffo stepped down as editor in chief of Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian Bishops Conference, following a weeklong barrage of coverage -- led by Il Giornale, a national newspaper owned by Mr. Berlusconi's brother Paolo -- alleging that Mr. Boffo was involved in a homosexual affair that led to a 2002 harassment case. The existence of a plea bargain in the case couldn't be independently verified. >>> Stacy Meichtry | Friday, September 04, 2009

Adolf Hitler Sex Video Condemned by Aids Charities
THE TELEGRAPH: An Aids-awareness advert depicting Adolf Hitler having unprotected sex has been condemned by mainstream health charities for stigmatising people infected with the virus.

Adolf Hitler sex video condemned by Aids charities
The provocative commercial, which ends with the tag-line "AIDS is a mass murder", aims to scare young people into using condoms by associating the deadly disease with the German dictator.

In the highly-sexualised clip which can only be shown after the watershed, a couple undress and begin to make love in a dimly-lit bedroom.

But what appears to be a typical, if steamy, advert for perfume or underwear takes a macabre twist when the camera pans to man's face at the moment of climax - revealing him to be Adolf Hitler.

The commercial has been released to coincide with 2009 World Aids Day, but established HIV/Aids charities have distanced themselves from its message, saying that it could make life more difficult for sufferers. >>> Matthew Moore | Friday, September 04, 2009

Aids Is a Mass Murderer >>>

L’humiliation, nerf de la guerre que livre la Libye à la Suisse
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: CRISE DIPLOMATIQUE | De l’arrestation d’Hannibal Kadhafi à Genève aux appels à disloquer la Suisse: le ressort du contentieux entre Berne et Tripoli est un sentiment de perte d’honneur.

Hannibal Kadhafi. Photo : Tribune de Genève
La Libye va-t-elle tenter de réclamer la dislocation de la Suisse devant l’assemblée générale de l’ONU qui débute le 15 septembre? Ce serait là l’humiliation ultime pour le gouvernement helvétique qui s’est déjà aplati devant Muammar Kadhafi, sans pour autant obtenir le retour de nos deux concitoyens. Si cette dernière provocation n’a bien sûr aucune chance d’aboutir (lire ci-dessous), elle montre bien que la bataille se livre avant tout sur le plan de l’honneur. Une valeur que cette société bédouine estime être bafouée par notre pays, explique Hasni Abidi, directeur à Genève du Centre d’études et de recherche sur le monde arabe (Cermam). Décryptage.

D’abord, les domestiques…



L’humiliation, c’est d’abord celle des domestiques d’Hannibal Kadhafi et de son épouse Aline El-Skaf, qui ont appelé au secours la police genevoise le 12 juillet 2008. Les deux employés, une Tunisienne et un Marocain, accusent alors leurs patrons de maltraitance. Pour prouver leur bonne foi, ils vont jusqu’à montrer leurs blessures à la presse. «Aujourd’hui encore, en Libye, les gens ne croient pas à cette version», assure Hasni Abidi. «Ils savent Hannibal capable de ce qui lui est reproché, mais ils pensent tout de même que les domestiques voulaient simplement s’installer en Suisse.

Pour cette société profondément marquée par la tradition tribale des Bédouins, la parole des employés n’a pas le même poids que celle des patrons. Et l’intervention de la police genevoise est perçue comme une violation de la sphère privée. Donc, de l’étranger qui se mêle de leurs affaires.» >>> Andrés Allemand | Vendredi 04 Septembre 2009

Polizeifotos von Hannibal Ghadhafi: «Tribune de Genève» illustriert ein «Gefühl von Entehrung»
Hannibal Ghadhafi nach der Festnahme in Genf am 15. Juli 2008, Polizeifoto. Bild: Neue Zürcher Zeitung Online
NZZ ONLINE: Die Genfer Zeitung «Tribune de Genève» hat am Freitag zwei Polizeifotos von Hannibal Ghadhafi veröffentlicht. Nach Angaben der Zeitung wurden sie anlässlich von dessen Verhaftung am 15. Juli 2008 gemacht.

Die Schwarz-Weiss-Aufnahmen zeigen das Gesicht des Sohnes des libyschen Herrschers Muammar Ghadhafi von vorne, respektive von der Seite. Die Zeitung erklärt, sie sei bereits seit mehreren Monaten im Besitz der Aufnahmen und betrachte es heute als angebracht, diese zu veröffentlichen. Sie zeugten von einem Gefühl der Entehrung, wie es von den Libyern wahrgenommen werde.

Der Leiter des Zentrums für arabische Studien in Genf, Hasni Abidi, wird mit der Aussage zitiert, es sei die Verhaftung des Sohns von Oberst Ghadhafi gewesen, die den Zorn Libyens provoziert habe. Es sei während 40 Jahren der Herrschaft das erste Mal gewesen, dass ein Angehöriger des Ghadhafi-Clans eine Nacht im Gefängnis verbracht habe. >>> (ap)/awy. | Freitag, 04. September 2009

Netanyahu veut accélérer la colonisation de la Cisjordanie
LE TEMPS: Le premier ministre israélien envisage de donner son feu vert à la construction de plusieurs centaines de logements, alors que les Etats-Unis réclament avec insistance un gel total de la colonisation.

Le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu veut donner un coup d’accélérateur à la colonisation en Cisjordanie occupée avant tout gel partiel, a-t-on appris vendredi auprès de la présidence du conseil à Jérusalem.

Il envisage de donner son feu vert à la construction de plusieurs centaines de logements supplémentaires dans ces colonies édifiées dans le territoire palestinien, avant de décider d’un arrêt temporaire des constructions, a indiqué un haut responsable de la présidence sous couvert de l’anonymat.

«Le Premier ministre va faire approuver ces prochains jours des projets de construction dans les implantations et ce n’est qu’ensuite qu’il pourrait accepter un moratoire de plusieurs mois», a déclaré à l’AFP une autre source gouvernementale. >>> AFP | Vendredi 04 Septembre 2009

Doppelzüngiger Netanyahu: Ankündigung von Siedlungsstopp und gleichzeitig neue Genehmigungen
NZZ ONLINE: Die USA wissen derzeit kaum, woran sie mit Israel sind. Auf der einen Seite signalisiert Ministerpräsident Netanyahu die Bereitschaft zum Siedlungsstopp. Auf der anderen Seite sollen in den nächsten Tagen noch Baugenehmigungen für Hunderte von neuen Wohnungen erteilt werden. >>> ap | Freitag, 04. September 2009

Nordkorea kurz vor der Urananreicherung: Bedrohliche Alternative zum Bau von Atomwaffen
NZZ ONLINE: Nordkorea hat nach eigenen Angaben seine Drohungen wahrgemacht und ein Programm zur Urananreicherung für den Bau von Atombomben aufgelegt. «Die Tests zur Urananreicherung waren erfolgreich und befinden sich nun in der Endphase», meldete die amtliche Nachrichtenagentur.

Nordkorea hat sein Atomprogramm allem internationalen Druck zum Trotz weiter ausgebaut und wird nach eigenen Angaben bald über zwei Möglichkeiten zum Bau von Atombomben verfügen. Wie die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur KCNA am Freitag meldete, steht die Urananreicherung kurz vor der Vollendung. Der Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen sei informiert worden, dass das Atomprogramm weiter vorangetrieben werde.

In der kurzen Meldung von KCNA hiess es, Plutonium werde waffenfähig gemacht und die Urananreicherung nähere sich ihrer Vollendung. Nordkorea hatte erst kürzlich enthüllt, dass es eine Anlage zur Urananreicherung aufbaut. Experten hatten aber schon länger vermutet, dass ein solches Programm insgeheim in Nordkorea betrieben wird. >>> ap | Freitag, 04. September 2009

Kadhafi veut humilier la Suisse à l’ONU
LE TEMPS: Rayer la Suisse de la carte et répartir ses régions linguistiques entre ses voisins: le président libyen envisage d’intervenir aux Nations unies avec cette requête absurde. Une lettre, restée sans réponse, a été envoyée à Ban Ki-moon

Il a osé. Mouammar Kadhafi a bien déposé une requête pour ­«démanteler la Suisse» auprès des Nations unies. Les menaces, il les avait déjà proférées en juillet, lors du G8 à L’Aquila (Italie). Là, le colonel a fait un pas de plus. C’est ce qu’a affirmé haut et fort Christa Markwalder (PLR/BE), vice-présidente de la Commission de politique extérieure du National, mercredi soir à l’émission 10 vor 10. En soulignant que la diplomatie suisse va devoir retrousser ses manches pour éviter un scandale. >>> Valérie de Graffenried | Vendredi 04 Septembre 2009

Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds!
The ever-colourful Colonel Gaddafi! Photo: Google Images

Ein schöner Redneck aus Alaska
TAGES ANZEIGER: Levi Johnston, der beinahe Palin-Schwiegersohn, hat einiges zu erzählen.

Ein Bild aus glücklicheren Zeiten: Levi Johnston mit seiner einstigen Freundin Bristol Palin. Bild: Tages Anzeiger
Vor Jahresfrist noch war es wie im Biedermeier, und Spitzweg hätte seine helle Freude am Motiv gehabt: Die werdende Mutter, jung und rehäugig, daneben der werdende Vater, ein muskulöser Eishockeycrack mit einem herb-hübschen Gesicht, in Liebe ineinander versunken. Das waren noch Zeiten, damals auf dem republikanischen Präsidentschaftskongress in Minneapolis, als Levi Johnston der von ihm geschwängerten Bristol Palin schöne Augen machte, derweil die Schwiegermutter in spe die republikanischen Getreuen in Verzückung versetzte und dabei sogar den Kandidaten John McCain überstrahlte.

Idylle ist implodiert

Die Idylle ist in der Zwischenzeit implodiert: Levi würde es nicht im Traum einfallen, sich auf einer Bühne mit der ehemaligen Gouverneurin von Alaska zu zeigen. Sie ihrerseits würde ihn aus dem Saal werfen lassen. Denn Levi, dieser Redneck aus Wasilla in Alaska, bewirft sie mit publizistischen Handgranaten. Im Hochglanzmagazin «Vanity Fair» packt er über Sarah Palin aus. Erst machte er sie zur Grossmutter, nun zum Gerede der Nation.

Palin habe geheimhalten wollen, dass Bristol schwanger war, behauptet er. Sie habe das Kind selbst adoptieren wollen, damit niemand herausfinde, woher es in Wirklichkeit stammte. Überhaupt sei Palin keine gute Mutter und Hausfrau gewesen, behauptet Levi weinerlich: «Sarah hat nicht gekocht, ihr Ehemann Todd auch nicht – die Kids haben alles selber gemacht: gekocht, saubergemacht, die Wäsche gewaschen, sich für die Schule fertig gemacht.» >>> Von Martin Kilian, Washington | Freitag, 04. September 2009

Levi Johnston: Money Prompted Palin to Resign

Immoral And Incompetent
THE SPECTATOR: The Spectator on the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi

So who to believe? Saif al-Gaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator, has said that the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi was ‘on the table’ during trade talks with Britain. Lord Mandelson, who was holidaying with the young prince of Tripoli in Corfu a few weeks ago, says such a suggestion is not just wrong but ‘quite offensive’. David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, insists it is a ‘slur’ even to suggest that the release of the only man convicted for the Lockerbie bombing would be raised.

As this squalid story has unfolded in the last few weeks, it is becoming all too clear that Megrahi was indeed ‘on the table’. The Libyans were told that Gordon Brown personally wished that Megrahi should not die in a Scottish prison. It is all too typical of the Prime Minister that he has not had the courage to share this view with the British public — we found out via an ambassador, a minister and a declassified document. And this is why the scandal is lasting so long: it offers wider insights into the nature of the government.

Officially, British policy is to encourage Libya to become a responsible actor on the world stage — this has been the case since Gaddafi’s decision six years ago to relinquish weapons of mass destruction that no one had known that he possessed. But the Megrahi affair demonstrates deep flaws in this strategy. If Libya was going to become a genuine partner in fighting terror it should not have been so keen for the return of a terrorist convicted on 270 counts of murder. Nor should the British government bend principles of foreign policy to suit the oil companies hungry for a slice of Libya’s offshore resources. >>> | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

BP Lobbied Jack Straw Before He Changed Mind Over Lockerbie Bomber
TIMES ONLIONE: Jack Straw was personally lobbied by BP over Britain’s prisoner transfer agreement with Libya just before he abandoned efforts to exclude the Lockerbie bomber from the deal.

The Times has learnt that the Justice Secretary took two telephone calls from Sir Mark Allen, a former M16 agent, who was by then working for BP as a consultant, on October 15 and November 9, 2007.

Having signed a $900 million oil exploration deal with Libya earlier that year, BP feared that its commercial interests could be damaged if Britain delayed the prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) through which the Gaddafi regime hoped to secure the return home of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi.

For six months, talks with Libya were deadlocked as Britain — under pressure from the devolved Scottish government — vainly sought to ensure that the deal would not cover al-Megrahi.

On December 19, 2007, Mr Straw wrote to Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, to say that he had been unable to secure an exclusion for al-Megrahi from the deal. “The wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage and in view of the overwhelming interests for the United Kingdom I have agreed that in this instance the PTA should be in the standard form and not mention any individual,” he wrote.

Britain has faced criticism from the Obama Administration for signing the transfer agreement despite a decade-old promise to the US that anyone convicted of the Lockerbie bombing would serve out the sentence in Britain.

The fresh disclosures last night may yet throw doubt over Gordon Brown’s assertion on Wednesday that there had been “no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Colonel Gaddafi”.

An aide to the Justice Secretary confirmed last night that Sir Mark, who had dealt often with Mr Straw when he was Foreign Secretary, “wanted to know what was happening with the PTA and get Jack’s perspective”. He added: “BP wanted to make its case because they were concerned that not making progress might have an effect on their deal with Libya.” >>> Tom Baldwin and Philip Webster | Friday, September 04, 2009

British National Party Forced to Admit Non-whites
TIMES ONLINE: The British National Party is poised to give up its whites-only membership policy after a legal challenge accusing it of racial discrimination.

Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right party, indicated yesterday that the BNP would accept members of different ethnicities for the first time, blaming Britain’s “undemocratic Orwellian equality laws”.

In a statement published on the BNP’s website, Mr Griffin said that the party would have to adapt or die, even though amending its constitution would “stick in the craw of all dedicated nationalists”. The party is considering the change in light of an injunction being sought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which claims that the BNP’s membership rules breach the Race Relations Act.

Any alteration to policy would mark a significant moment for the party, which since it was founded in 1982 has only accepted white members.

Mr Griffin, elected as a North West MEP in June, has a criminal conviction for distributing material likely to incite racial hatred.
His push to open up membership is likely to cause factional rows within the BNP, with the party’s most conservative elements resisting such change.

The BNP currently restricts its membership to “indigenous Caucasians”, which it defines broadly as Celts and Anglo-Saxons. The commission says that this is in breach of the Act as it discriminates on the basis of ethnicity. It issued proceedings against the party last month, seeking an injunction to ban such criteria.

The case was due to begin at Central London County Court on Wednesday but was adjourned after the BNP changed solicitors at the last minute.

In his statement, Mr Griffin said that to continue fighting the commission would bleed the party dry. He claimed that it would cost more than £1million to appeal and said would strip the party of the ability to fight the next general election. He appeared resigned to losing the case, saying that it was a matter of “evolving and living to fight another day or going down in a blaze of glory”. >>> Fiona Hamilton, London Correspondent | Friday, September 04, 2009

MAIL ONLINE:
Muslim community leader arrested for 'making up BNP kidnap story' >>> | Friday, September 04, 2009

LA Wildfires 'Were Arson'
THE TELEGRAPH: The huge wildfires burning in the foothills above Los Angeles were started by arson and will be investigated as a homicide after two firemen died tackling the blaze, according to the authorities.

A firefighter monitors a fire in the suburb of Glendale on the outskirts of Los Angeles city. Photo: The Telegraph
Investigators found evidence of arson at the point of origin for the largest of eight fires burning in the county, which has blackened an area the size of Chicago.

"Arson investigators from the US Forest Service [and other agencies] ... have concluded that the Station Fire was the result of an arson," Forest Service Commander Rita Wears told reporters at a press conference. >>> Alex Spillius, in Washington | Friday, September 04, 2009

Critique du livre : Iran : l’heure du choix – Entretiens avec Michel Taubmann

Ce livre très intéressant donne l'utilisateur un aperçu de l'Iran et sa politique intérieure.

Reza Pahlavi montre d'une grande compréhension et d'équilibre dans son approche du problème que l'Iran est pour le monde aujourd'hui.

Il est très sympathique et raisonnable. Si le peuple iranien de choisir de devenir une monarchie constitutionnelle, puis Reza Pahlavi est l'homme à être couronné.

Et si cela se produit, l'Iran aura un avenir beaucoup plus prometteur, et au Moyen-Orient deviendra un lieu beaucoup plus sûr.

Ce livre est une lecture incontournable si l'on veut être bien informés en matière de politique iranienne. – Mark

Extremism: Egypt Charges 13 with Promoting Shiism
YNET NEWS: Prosecutors accusing Shiite cleric, 12 others group of receiving funds from Iran to promote 'extremist ideas to sow unrest in Egypt'

An Egyptian official says a Shiite cleric and 12 others have been accused of receiving funds from Iran to promoting "extremist" Shiite doctrine in Sunni-dominated Egypt.

Shiites form a small minority in Egypt, where Sunni Islam is the official state religion.

The official said Thursday that prosecutors are accusing the group of insulting Sunni Islam and promoting extremist ideas to sow unrest in Egypt. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, September 03, 2009

Iranian DM: We'll Respond with Force to Israeli Attack
YNET NEWS: Moments after Islamic Republic's parliament approves president's nominee for defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi, accused of involvement in 1994 bombing of Jewish center in Argentina, new minister says Every [sic] move from the Zionist entity against Iran, will be met with powerful response'. Meanwhile, Official says willing to talk with world powers, but not about nuclear program

Iran's new Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, accused of involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Argentina, used his first moments in office to send a clear message to Israel that any attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities would yield a powerful response from Iran.

Vahidi is one of five prominent Iranians sought by Argentina in the bombing, which killed 85 people. He was the commander of a special unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard known as the Quds Force at the time of the attack.

Iran's conservative-dominated parliament approved Vahidi's appointment on Thursday.

Following the approval of his appointment, Vahidi addressed the possibility that Israel may attack his nation's nuclear facilities: "Every move from the Zionist entity against Iran, will be met with a harsh and powerful response from Iran."

He said his great success in the Thursday's Majlis vote "attests to the anti-Zionist spirit of the Iranian parliament and people".

In response to objections voiced by heads of the Argentinean Jewish community, as well as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, to his appointment. "The Zionist regime's propaganda always has a reverse effect on the Iranian regime," he said.

Regarding the West's suspicion of his involvement in the Buenos Aires bombing, he said, "Everyone knows that what was published was under pressure from the Zionist lobby."

Meanwhile, the Iranian parliament rejected in the vote the nominees for the energy, education, as well as welfare and social security ministries, two of them women.

But Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi was approved as health minister, the Islamic Republic's first female minister since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran won't discuss nuclear work with powers >>> Dudi Cohen | Thursday, September 03, 2009

UK Foundation to Distribute Textbook that Lauds Muslim World's Scientific and Cultural Heritage
THE JERUSALEM POST: An educational foundation in the UK has announced plans to distribute to high schools a free book that highlights the scientific and cultural legacies of Muslim civilization.

1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World is the creation of the Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization (FSTC), a Manchester-based organization set up to raise awareness of the contributions of the Muslim world to modern civilization.

FSTC said the contribution that Muslim and other civilizations have made to the modern world has been widely overlooked and that its team of academics has focused on debunking the myth of the so-called "Dark Ages of Civilization."

"The period between the 7th and 17th centuries - which has been erroneously labeled 'the Dark Ages' - was in fact a time of exceptional scientific and cultural advancement in China, India and the Arab world," Prof. Salim Al-Hassani, chief editor of the book, said.

"This is the period in history that gave us the first manned flight, huge advances in engineering, the development of robotics and the foundations of modern mathematics, chemistry and physics."

The foundation said it hoped to distribute 3,000 copies of the book to UK schools by October and is seeking public support for the campaign through a sponsorship scheme. >>> Jonny Paul, JPost Correspondent in London | Thursday, September 03, 2009

Indian Gets Jail, Lashes for Suicide Attempt
SAUDI GAZETTE: JEDDAH – An Indian man has been sentenced to two months’ prison and 50 lashes of the whip for attempting to commit suicide.

The case was first brought to the District Court after a member of the public informed authorities of a man’s attempt to kill himself, and upon investigation it transpired that he had made repeated attempts to end his own life, prompting the prosecutor general to seek prison and lashes for the accused.

The ruling, which is not open to appeal and received no objection from the accused, has not met with the approval of everyone, however.

“The first thing that should happen is that the man should be given psychiatric examination and treatment to help him overcome his problem,” said legal consultant Umar Al-Khouli.

“Taking him to court and then putting him in prison may only make things worse for him and maybe others as well.” – Okaz/SG [Source: Saudi Gazette] Adnan Al-Shabrawi | Thursday, September 03, 2009

Saudis 'Must Offer Shia Equality'
Qom. Photo: Google Images
BBC: A report by the Human Rights Watch pressure group has detailed what it says is systematic discrimination in Saudi Arabia against Shia Muslims.

Unfavourable treatment of minority Shia extends from education and employment to the justice system, leading to a big increase in sectarian tension, it says.

They comprise 10 to 15% of the Saudi population, and have long complained of being treated as second-class citizens.
Human Rights Watch wants a government commission to tackle the problem.

Saudi Arabia follows the puritanical form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, and many Wahhabi clerics regard Shia Muslims as unbelievers.

Equal opportunities

The report focuses on an incident in February, when Shia pilgrims in the holy city of Medina clashed with religious police.
This led to Shia demonstrations in the Eastern Province followed by the arrest of a number of the protestors.

Shias want equal opportunities in government and the military as well as freedom of worship.

They want to be able to build their own mosques, have their civil courts granted more power and to print their own religious books. >>> | Thursday, September 03, 2009

Libysche Provokation: Gaddafi will die Schweiz auflösen
DIE PRESSE: Der Streit zwischen Libyen und der Schweiz wird immer skurriler: Der "Schurkenstaat" Schweiz solle unter den Nachbarländern aufgeteilt werden, fordert der libysche Revolutionsführer Muammar al-Gaddafi nun.

Der Streit zwischen Libyen und der Schweiz droht zu eskalieren - und nimmt zugleich immer skurrilere Züge an. Trotz der Zusage der libyschen Regierung, zwei seit einem Jahr festgehaltene Schweizer wieder heimreisen zu lassen, sind diese noch immer nicht frei. Und Libyens Staatschef Gaddafi legt noch eines drauf: Er will angeblich bei der UN-Vollversammlung Mitte September formell beantragen, das schweizerische Staatsterritorium auf die Nachbarländer Deutschland, Frankreich und Italien aufzuteilen.

Rein rechtlich hat der Antrag keine Chance, das Völkerrecht schützt die territoriale Unversehrtheit. Doch er zeigt, dass Gaddafi nichts auslässt, um sich an dem "Schurkenstaat" Schweiz (Zitat) für die kurzzeitige Verhaftung seines Sohns in Genf zu rächen. >>> Red. | Donnerstag, 03. September 2009

Un psychiatre français détenu en Tunisie
L’EXPRESS: Le docteur Ahmed Eleuch est incarcéré en Tunisie depuis le 30 juillet. Les autorités locales soupçonnent ce Français d'origine tunisienne de collusion avec les milieux islamistes - ce qu'il nie. En France, sa famille et ses amis s'inquiètent.

"Nous nous attendions à une fête le jour de son arrivée à l'aéroport. Le résultat vous le connaissez..." Alaa-Eddine, l'un des fils d'Ahmed Eleuch, est encore choqué par l'arrestation de son père, le 30 juillet, à Tunis. Interpellé à la douane à sa descente de l'avion en provenance de Paris, ce psychiatre de 53 ans installé depuis des années à Saint-Denis est alors placé en détention au centre pénitentiaire de Mornaguia. Une semaine plus tard, le tribunal de la capitale tunisienne le condamne à quatre ans de prison ferme et trois ans de contrôle administratif pour "atteinte à la sûreté de l'Etat". Depuis, son épouse, Afifa, restée au domicile familial du Val d'Oise avec certains de ses enfants, est rongée par l'inquiétude. "Je savais que c'était dangereux de vouloir rentrer en Tunisie, explique-t-elle, j'ai même essayé de l'empêcher de partir."

"Aucune preuve"

Ahmed Eleuch, qui avait quitté son pays en 1987 pour des raisons politiques, est qualifié par ses proches de "doux, tolérant et ouvert au dialogue". Selon eux, il mène une existence tranquille, partagée entre son cabinet de Saint-Denis et les ateliers d'aide à l'intégration qu'il organise.

De retour en Tunisie, où il voulait voir son père gravement malade, il a été rattrapé par son lointain passé de sympathisant d'un mouvement islamiste. "Le ministre de la justice tunisien a pourtant encouragé les exilés à rentrer au pays, en disant que tout était oublié", se plaint son épouse. >>> Par Benoît Puichaud | publié Mercredi 02 Septembre 2009 / mis à jour 03 Septembre 2009

Ghadhafis Vorstoss in der Uno-Bürokratie: Unsicherheitsfaktor an einer Schlüsselstelle
NZZ ONLINE: Bis es Ghadhafis Antrag zur Aufteilung der Schweiz unter die Nachbarländer bis in die Generalversammlung schafft, muss er etliche Hürden nehmen. Über die endgültige Tagesordnung entscheidet ein 27-köpfiges Komitee. Unter normalen Umständen hätte er keine Chance. Doch in diesem Jahr gibt es eine spezielle Konstellation.

Der Antrag Libyens an die Generalversammlung der Uno widerspricht allen völkerrechtlichen Gepflogenheiten. Die Schweiz, ein Uno-Mitglied auflösen zu wollen, ist per se ein Affront für die Staatengemeinschaft. Trotzdem soll der Vorstoss in der Uno-Bürokratie eingespeist worden sein, wie die Berner Nationalrätin Christa Markwalder, Vizepräsidentin der Aussenpolitischen Kommission des Nationalrates, in der Sendung «10 vor 10» des Schweizer Fernsehen sagte.

Ringen um die Agenda

Was passiert nun mit diesem Schreiben? Der Antrag wird nicht automatisch der Generalversammlung der Uno vorgelegt, die vom 15. bis 30. September in New York tagt. Was in den zwei Generaldebatten besprochen wird, ist Gegenstand eines komplizierten Auswahlprozesses. Die erste Fassung der Agenda ist bereits am 9. Februar erstellt und bis Juli mehrmals angepasst worden. Dazu gibt es noch eine Liste von ergänzenden Traktanden, die bis 20 Tage vor Eröffnung der Session eingereicht werden können.

Auf keiner dieser Listen ist der Antrag Libyens bisher zu finden. Gemäss Regel 15 des Auswahlverfahrens können Angelegenheiten von besonderer Dringlichkeit und Wichtigkeit auch noch später eingereicht werden. Ob der Brief der Ghadhafi-Regierung unter diese Kategorie zu rechnen ist, darf bezweifelt werden. >>> spi. | Donnerstag, 03. September 2009

Libya’s Viewpoint: Celebrate Libya Sees Olympic-scale Success While World Watches On
THE TRIPOLI POST: TRIPOLI, Libya: As Western media continue their unfair, confused, disinforming and deceptive coverage of the release of the innocent Libyan citizen Abdulbaset Al-Megrahi from his eleven-year captivity in European prisons, Libya celebrates the First September Revolution’s 40th Anniversary as never before. A grand celebration sets in motion a week of unprecedented events scheduled to sweep through the country started on 1 September. The celebrations offered at least a glimpse into the country’s rich 14,000 [?] year history.

Dignitaries from around the world gathered in Tripoli’s Green Park last night to witness what has been one of the Africa’s largest, most successful and most spectacular events in history. The celebration marked the 40th Anniversary of the Al Fateh Revolution. Guests joined Muammar Al Gaddafi, Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution, for a full schedule of activities from a military parade to an exclusive Iftar dinner and opening ceremony designed to bring to life Libya’s rich history and culture.

Al-Megrahi, however, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001 after being unjustly convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. He served eleven years and five months in prison including more than two years in the infamous Camp Zeist prison in Holland. Legal experts in the US, Britain and the rest of the world have made it clear since the begging of the shame [sic] trial in the Netherlands that the trial was unfair and the prosecutor had no case.

Military Precision

The celebrations launched with a perfectly executed military parade involving troops from countries across the world. African nations such as Senegal and Algeria participated alongside European countries including Italy and Ukraine, marching to music and bearing their national flags. Troops from Greece and the French Foreign legion also participated. The soldiers were followed by full artillery of military vehicles, from trucks to tanks, some carrying an anti-aircraft weaponry while naval vessels passed by offshore. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, King Abdullah of Jordan, Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani from Qatar, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Boutaflika, Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Benin’s President Karekou were amongst the VIP audience as the Frecce Tricolori, Italian acrobatic planes, flew in formation over the parade ground and around Tripoli’s beautiful coastline.

VIP Iftar

Close by dignitaries made their way a specially designed dining area, constructed to float atop the water of the Red Castle lake. A lantern-lit path from the bank of the lake to the VIP iftar was created in front of the Red Castle outer wall onto which unique projections were placed. The projections mark the beginning of what is known as ‘Libya by Light’, a week-long schedule of Libya inspired images across six of the country’s key cities. Some of the best international brands were brought in to offer a new dimension to the proceedings; the meal itself was designed and prepared by acclaimed Parisian restaurant Le Notre and guests were given limited edition gold Chopard watches with outline of Africa on the face and a diamond marking Libya within it.

Libya Takes to the Stage

As hundreds of performers prepared themselves for their grand debut on what is considered by organizers to be one of the largest tent-like stages to have ever been constructed, dignitaries arrived in golf kart manufactured by the likes of Hummer and Cadillac. Joined by the Leader’s family, further guests attended the opening ceremony included Turkey first lady, Prime Minister, Amina Erdogan, former Ukrainian Acting Prime Minister Ioulia Tymochenko, French Minister for Co-operation Alain Joyandet and the President of Chad Idriss Déby and the President of Niger Mamadou Tandja. And the show certainly impressed; acrobats, lasers, projections and illuminated sculptures of animals all came together to give the show a sense of style, grandeur and magic. >>> | Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Chopard >>>

Leading Islamist Wins Right to Name Son 'Djehad'
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In Germany, it seems, it's okay to name children "Jihad." A Berlin court has ruled that the name Djehad is neither denigrating nor offensive -- even if the child's father is a man considered by German intelligence agents and the United States to be one of the country's most radical Islamists.

A Berlin court ruled this week that a man suspected of being one of Germany's leading radical Islamists, can name his son "Djehad," an alternative spelling of the Arabic word jihad. A city official had previously rejected the name because of its connotation of Islamic holy war.

A city official said it had rejected listing the name in the city's birth registry because it could endanger the child's welfare. Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States, the term "jihad," which in the West is usually regarded as meaning "holy war," has had negative connotations in Germany. The child's father himself, German-Egyptian Reda Seyam, is being monitored by German intelligence agencies and is known to have fought as a jihadist in Bosnia.

But this week a local superior court, following previous rulings in an administrative court and a regional court, said the name was unobjectionable. >>> dsl -- with wires | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Special Relationship. Passed Away 2009. R.I.P.
TIMES ONLINE: For some time America has regarded this country as Little Britain. The Lockerbie bomber case is seen as the final straw

After Gordon Brown met Colonel Muammar Gaddafi at the G8 summit in Italy earlier this year he joked that he had discovered Michael Jackson alive and well. There is indeed an uncanny resemblance between the Libyan leader and the King of Pop. But it was not, of course, the singer who asked the Prime Minister to release the Lockerbie bomber. Michael Jackson is dead — and so now is the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States.

The row over the decision to allow Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi to return to Libya is the final nail in the coffin for the transatlantic bond first identified by Winston Churchill after the Second World War. Even Barack Obama abandoned his normal diplomatic tone to criticise the “highly objectionable” arrival of the bomber in Tripoli. Robert Mueller, the head of the FBI, said that the release of the man convicted of murdering 270 people on Pan Am Flight 103 made a “mockery of justice” and would give “comfort to terrorists around the world”. There was a widespread assumption in Washington all along that the decision was linked to a trade deal.

For the Americans, this is not just about justice it is also about trust — the White House sees the release of al-Megrahi as a blatant breach of an agreement given by the British Government that he would serve out his sentence in Scotland. It is impossible to sustain a relationship, let alone a special one, if one partner can no longer believe what the other one says. In Whitehall there are already nervous mutterings about whether intelligence-sharing and military co-operation will be able to continue in the same way.

This may be a tipping point but in fact the United States has been tilting away from Britain for some time. Ironically, at the very moment when people in this country are rediscovering after years of hostility their love of America — as a result of the election of the first black president — the Americans are tiring of their old European flame.

On holiday on Long Island this summer, I was struck by the anti-British mood. There are T-shirts for sale in New York with the slogan “Britain’s not that great” printed next to pictures of a helmeted policeman and Big Ben. “Your country is just a dipshit little nation,” an influential celebrity agent told me over dinner in the Monkey Bar (the fashionable Manhattan restaurant that is part owned by the British restaurateur Jeremy King). “It’s got no power or influence any more. I bet only 5 per cent of the people in this room have even heard of Gordon Brown.”

In different areas, antipathy towards Britain is taking hold just as anti-Americanism in this country fades. The debate about health reform in the US has been dominated by distorted accounts of appalling death rates and eugenic policies under the “evil” NHS. Meanwhile, the British Armed Forces are facing increasing criticism for what the Americans see as a failure to pull their weight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The City of London has been decimated by the credit crunch and could end up paying a heavier price than Wall Street as the new financial world order takes shape. Even London Fashion Week is a poor relation to similar events in New York, Paris and Milan.

There is a growing perception in the US that the UK is losing its way — with MPs who have been caught fiddling their expenses, a recession deeper than anywhere else and a leader who has become a lame duck. Newsweek, the magazine that hailed Cool Britannia in the 1990s, recently redefined us as “Little Britain”, a nation struggling to keep a foothold in a rapidly changing world. It used to be said that we punched above our weight — but now we have become the global punch bag as China and India rise. The new dawn is over, replaced by a gloomy dusk. >>> Rachel Sylvester | Tuesday, September 01, 2009

US Senate Asked to Probe Lockerbie 'Oil Deal'
TIMES ONLINE: A veteran United States senator has asked Congress to investigate whether negotiations for a lucrative Libyan oil contract played a role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

The call from Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, will add to the pressure on Gordon Brown, who has been accused of damaging - or even killing off - the transatlantic "special relationship" by backing the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi.

The Prime Minister insisted yesterday that there had been nothing underhand in the decision by the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to free al-Megrahi. The 57-year-old is dying from prostate cancer.

“There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Colonel Gaddafi,” Mr Brown told an audience in Birmingham.

The former Libyan intelligence office served just eight years of a life sentence for his role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, killing 270 people including 11 on the ground. Two-thirds of the victims were American and their relatives reacted with fury to the news that he was to be freed.

Mr Lautenberg called for a Senate investigation into the decision in a letter to Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican member. He said that the congressional panel “must expose the truth" and “uncover whether justice took a back seat to commercial interests". >>> Philippe Naughton | Thursday, September 03, 2009

Guest List for Libyan Strongman Moammar Khadafy's Party Includes Thugs, Dictators
Photo: New York Daily News
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: All Col. Moammar Khadafy needs is an extended pinkie.

He certainly has real-life guests to rival the fictional villains assembled by Dr. Evil in the "Austin Powers" movies.

Where Dr. Evil has No. 2 and Frau Farbissina, the Libyan dictator has president-by-terror Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and president-by-genocide Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who is under indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

To top it off, the guest list at the celebration of Khadafy's 40th year in power includes the man known in Somalia as "the father of piracy," Mohammed Abdi Afweyne.

In attending the four-day extravaganza, Afweyne reportedly took a break from exacting ransom for a ship held hostage off the Somali coast.

In May, the supposedly reformed Khadafy said that such piracy is not piracy at all, but "self-defense" against "greedy Western nations."

"It is defending the Somalia children's food," Khadafy said.

Among the ships that Afweyne's pirates hijacked was a World Food Program freighter carrying 850 tons of rice bound for the starving in Somalia.

As this week's 40th anniversary celebration in Libya neared, Prince Andrew had originally RSVP'd in the affirmative. He bowed out following the furor over the hero's welcome given to freed Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

Otherwise, the prince might have found himself sitting with a thug, a genocidal psychopath and a pirate kingpin while huge screens flashed photos of a bomber convicted of murdering 270 innocents.

The big photos of Libya's new national hero accompanied a performance by a New Zealand bagpipe band, complete with kilts. The bomber was freed by the Scottish justice secretary.

"The freeing of al-Megrahi was a highlight of the colonel's time in office and he wanted to honor Scotland for it," a Libyan official said. >>> Michael Daly | Thursday, September 03, 2009

Libyan Government Says Lockerbie Bomber Is Not Near Death Yet
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: The Libyan government on Wednesday denied claims by the Lockerbie bomber's family that he was in intensive care and dying faster than expected.

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi "is not in a dangerous situation" and was merely moved to a VIP room at the Tripoli hospital, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Seyala. >>> Helen Kennedy, Daily News Staff Writer | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Moyen-Orient: Ahmadinejad, un peu plus seul
leJDD.fr: En Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rencontre des difficultés pour obtenir la confiance de son cabinet. Plusieurs noms pourraient être retoqués par le Parlement.

Après la rue, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doit affronter le Parlement (le Majlis). Le président de la République islamique, dont la réélection le 12 juin dernier avait jeté une partie de la population dans la rue, a choisi les 21 membres de son cabinet. Mais comme le veut le système iranien, chacun des ministres doit désormais être approuvé par le Parlement. Pour Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, c'est ici que les choses se compliquent. Ici aussi où ressurgissent les tensions à la tête de la République islamique, voire au sein même du clergé chiite. Censée être une formalité – les conservateurs dominent le Majlis - la nomination du cabinet s'éternise. Le Parlement examine mercredi, pour la quatrième journée consécutive, sa composition, notamment les candidats proposés pour les postes sensibles de l'Intérieur et du Pétrole. Le vote de confiance pourrait toutefois intervenir dans la soirée ou jeudi matin. Mais certains candidats pourraient toutefois passé à la trappe. Pour diverses raisons.

Des élus ultraconservateurs voient notamment d'un mauvais œil le choix de trois femmes, une première depuis la révolution islamique de 1979. Et ce, bien que celles-ci ne soient pas connues pour leur ouverture. "L'islam respecte la femme. Mais cela ne veut pas dire qu'on doit leur laisser des positions sociales importantes", a ainsi estimé l'ayatollah Ahmad Khatami. Autre choix contesté, celui de Kamran Daneshjou pour le portefeuille du ministère des Sciences, de la Recherche et des Technologies. Vice-ministre de l'Intérieur sous "Ahmadinejad I", il était en charge de l'organisation de la présidentielle du 12 juin. Or, plusieurs élus estiment que choisir cet homme - alors que le résultat de l'élection est toujours controversé et que l'opposition n'a pas renoncé à se faire entendre - ne participe pas à l'apaisement. D'autres, la frange la plus "libérale" des conservateurs, dénoncent le choix de Heydar Moslehi pour le ministère des Renseignements, soulignant son "passé douteux". L'homme est l'ancien représentant du Guide suprême auprès des bassidjis, le bras armé des Gardiens de la révolution. Ahmadinejad lâché par le Guide? >>> Marianne Enault, leJDD.fr | Mercredi 02 Septembre 2009

Affaire Kadhafi: Kadhafi veut rayer la Suisse de la carte
Mouammar Kadhafi. Crédits photo: Le Temps
LE TEMPS: La Suisse doit être démantelée et ses régions linguistiques réparties entre ses voisins. Mouammar Kadhafi va soumettre cette requête devant l’assemblée générale de l’ONU qui débute le 15 septembre. Il l’avait déjà formulée lors du sommet du G8 en Italie en juillet.

«La Libye a déposé cette requête», a déclaré mercredi soir la vice-présidente de la Commission de politique extérieure du National Christa Markwalder (PLR/BE) dans l’émission «10 vor 10» de la TV alémanique. Le chef d’Etat libyen demande que figure à l’ordre du jour la division du territoire suisse et sa répartition entre les pays voisins, a ajouté Mme Markwalder.

Début juillet lors du G8, Mouammar Kadhafi avait déclaré que la Suisse «est une mafia mondiale et non un Etat». Et d’ajouter qu’elle «est formée d’une communauté italienne qui doit retourner en Italie, d’une autre communauté allemande qui doit retourner en Allemagne et une troisième communauté française qui doit retourner en France».

La Libye assume pour un an la présidence de l’assemblée générale de l’ONU. Mme Markwalder craint qu’elle n’utilise cette fonction pour nuire à l’image et à la réputation de la Suisse. Selon elle, la diplomatie suisse va devoir se retrousser les manches pour éviter un scandale devant l’ONU. >>> ATS | Jeudi 03 Septembre 2009

Qadhafi verlangt von der Uno die Auflösung der Schweiz
BERNER ZEITUNG: Der libysche Staatschef hat bei den Uno einen Antrag gestellt: Sie sollen in der Herbstsession die Schweiz von der Landkarte streichen und unter den Nachbarn aufteilen.

Was Libyens Staatschef Moammar al-Qadhafi bereits im Juli am G8-Gipfel in Italien forderte, hat er nun als formellen Antrag an die Uno-Vollversammlung gestellt. Dies berichtete die Berner Nationalrätin Christa Markwalder, Vizepräsidentin der Aussenpolitischen Kommission (APK) des Nationalrates, heute in der Sendung «10vor10» des Schweizer Fernsehens.

«Libyen hat den Antrag gestellt, dass an der Uno-Vollversammlung, die am 15. September beginnt, auch das Traktandum diskutiert werden soll, dass das schweizerische Staatsterritorium aufgeteilt und an die Nachbarländer verteilt werden soll», sagte Markwalder. «Dem Image der Schweiz abträglich» >>> oku/sda | Donnerstag, 03. September 2009

Brown the Betrayer: Britain’s Sellout Prime Minister Has Broken Faith and Ties with U.S.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Editorial: It was Winston Churchill who asked in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, "What kind of people do they think we are?" And it is Gordon Brown who has given grounds to believe that today's British are a cowardly, unprincipled, amoral and duplicitous lot. Because he is all of those.

Can he remain in power having been revealed as at least complicit in an atrocious miscarriage of justice and breach of faith? That will be up to the Brits, but on this side of the Atlantic Ocean it is inconceivable that an elected official would have a snowball's chance after sanctioning an oil-for-terrorist deal.

Surely Brown can hardly survive the revelation that his government assured Libya that the prime minister did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in prison, a message duly passed on to the Scottish official who released Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on "compassionate grounds."

As for the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain, the storied alliance built on the resolve of World War II and carried on through Thatcher and Blair, through Iraq and Afghanistan: It is, in a word, gone.

Brown's maneuverings to get into the good graces of Libyan mass murderer Moammar Khadafy broke the bond between America and the Blessed Plot beyond his ability to repair it. That work will fall to someone else, someone who values human life more than commercial expediency, someone who is stalwart rather than a sneak, someone true to his pronouncements.

The U.S. and the U.K. committed to imprisoning Megrahi in Scotland after the Libyan spy was convicted of blowing Pan Am Flight 103 out of the air over that country in 1998. The atrocity was a direct precursor of 9/11, and no one could have imagined that Brown - leader of a nation that, too, has been terror's target - would trash the pledge.

But Brown did trash the pledge, and in the most revolting terms, letting it be known, it bears repeating, that he did not want Megrahi, author of 270 murders, to die in prison.

So, Megrahi has returned to Libya a hero, perhaps dying of prostate cancer, perhaps not. Brown got his way, and he will never outlive the stain. [Source: New York Daily News] | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

MAIL ONLINE:
Brown the betrayer: U.S. fury over British broken promise to keep Lockerbie bomber in jail >>> James Chapman | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Arabs Charged Over Dutch Cartoon
BBC: An Arab organisation is to be put on trial in the Netherlands over its publication of a cartoon deemed offensive to Jews, prosecutors say.

The cartoon, published by the Arab European League (AEL) on its website, questions the Holocaust.

It said the decision to prosecute illustrated bias against Muslims.

It said the same standards were not applied to the Dutch MP Geert Wilders, who made a film including cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Last month prosecutors said they would not put the far-right MP on trial for distributing the controversial Danish cartoons, which caused a storm of protest after their publication in 2005.

However, he is still being investigated separately for inciting hatred against Muslims by making statements comparing Islam to Nazism.

But Dutch prosecutors said the AEL cartoon was "discriminatory" and "offensive to Jews as a group... because it offends Jews on the basis of their race and/or religion".

The cartoon shows two men standing near a pile of bones at "Auswitch" (sic). One says "I don't think they're Jews".

The other replies: "We have to get to the six million somehow."

A spokeswoman for the prosecuting authority said the group could be fined up to 4,700 euros (£4,100), though in theory a prison sentence was also possible. >>> | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Brown Says 'No Cover-Up' in Lockerbie Bomber's Release
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Addressing controversy over the recent release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted "there was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing" by the U.K. leading up to the release.

Meanwhile, Scotland's parliament passed a motion late Wednesday denouncing Kenny MacAskill, the justice minister who made the decision to release Mr. al-Megrahi last month. The harsh rebuke, which was approved in a 73-50-1 vote, condemned Mr. MacAskill for mishandling the decision in a way that damaged Scotland's international reputation. >>> Alistair MacDonald and Paul Sonne| Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Cancer Specialists Fly to Tripoli as Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi Fades Fast
TIMES ONLINE: The health of the Lockerbie bomber is deteriorating so fast that European cancer specialists are being flown to Tripoli in a chartered aircraft to treat him, Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi's brother has told The Times.

"He's in a bad situation. The last check-up was very, very bad... He's dying," said Mohammed al-Megrahi, who doubted his brother would live another month. "We are really worried about him, but it's the wish of God."

Mr al-Megrahi would not, or could not, say where the specialists were coming from or who was paying for them.

A Libyan government official said that al-Megrahi "has been admitted to the emergency room in the hospital. He is in a bad way. He is unable to speak to anyone."

A hospital spokesman said: "Because of the treatment he is receiving, his immune system is very weak."

Critics of the Scottish Government's decision to release al-Megrahi last month have questioned how ill he really is, but there seems little doubt that he is in his final weeks, or even days. >>> Martin Fletcher in Tripoli | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Hockey Mom? Sarah Palin Stayed at Home, Says Levi Johnston
TIMES ONLINE: If her estranged potential son-in-law is to be believed, Sarah Palin is not just the vice-presidential candidate who lost and the Governor who quit.

According to Levi Johnston, who nearly married her daughter, Mrs Palin was the supermom who did not cook, the hockey mom who almost never attended her son's hockey matches and the fearless outdoorswoman who had never touched a fishing rod and did not know what sort of gun nestled in a box under her bed.

Exhausted - or just bored - by her duties as head of Alaska’s state government, Mrs Palin would return home most days by 5pm to take long baths and watch her favourite home improvement shows on television, according to Levi Johnston, who fathered her first grandchild and nearly married her daughter.

Mrs Palin argued frequently with her husband about the idea of divorce, insisted that she was going to adopt the baby her daughter was about to have with Mr Johnston and rapidly lost what enthusiasm she had for the Governor’s job on her return to Alaska last November, Mr Johnston claims.

Most woundingly for a woman portrayed by the McCain campaign as a doting supermom, the former high school ice hockey star writes: “There wasn’t much parenting in that house. Sarah doesn’t cook, Todd (her husband) doesn’t cook - the kids would do it all themselves: cook, clean, do the laundry and get ready for school." >>> Giles Whittell in Washington | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

BP Makes "Giant" Oil Find in Gulf of Mexico
REUTERS: LONDON - Oil major BP Plc said it has made an oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, which analysts believe could contain over 1 billion barrels of recoverable reserves, reaffirming the Gulf's strategic importance to the industry.

BP said in a statement on Wednesday that it had made the "giant" find at its Tiber Prospect in the Keathley Canyon block 102, by drilling one of the deepest wells ever sunk by the industry.

Further appraisal will be required to ascertain the size of volumes of oil present, but a spokesman said the find should be bigger than its Kaskida discovery which has over 3 billion barrels of oil in place.

Estimates of recoverable reserves range from around 20 percent of oil in place. >>> Tom Bergin | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Europe Dims Old-style Lightbulbs