The EU should be stronger and more united. Great Britain should belong to the Union.
Die EU sollte stärker und geeinter sein. Großbritannien sollte der Union angehören.
L'UE devrait être plus forte et plus unie. La Grande-Bretagne devrait appartenir à l'Union.
Friday, September 10, 2010
US Ban on Gays in Military Ruled Unconstitutional by Judge
THE TELEGRAPH: A judge in California has struck down the US military's ban on homosexuals openly serving in the military, saying the policy is unconstitutional and violates the right to freedom of speech.
Judge Virginia Phillips said evidence presented by the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay conservative group, clearly showed the policy discriminates against homosexuals by forcing them to conceal their sexual orientation.
She said the act prevented gay servicemen and women in the military from talking about their relationships while allowing heterosexual troops to do the same.
"The Don't Ask Don't Tell Act, on its face, violates the constitutional rights" of homosexual troops, she wrote. >>> | Friday, September 10, 2010
USA Once Again Under Threat From the Muslim World
Year of the Obama Referendum?
FOX NEWS: Election disaster for Democrats?
Koran Burning Protests Claim First Victim in Afghanistan
THE TELEGRAPH: A man was shot dead by German troops when Afghan protesters demonstrating against plans by an American pastor to burn copies of the Koran attacked a Nato base in the north of Afghanistan.
Dove World Outreach Center Pastor Terry Jones (R) speaks at a press conference with Imam Muhammad Musri. Photo: The Telegraph
A crowd, estimated at 10,000 by officials in the Badakhshan province, poured into the streets of Faizabad on Friday morning after special Eid prayers to mark the end of Muslim Ramadan.
The protests quickly turned violent and a man was shot when German troops inside the Nato base opened fire after they were attacked by a mob of stone throwing demonstrators.
"They numbered in their thousands, it is a big crowd," said Sayed Hassan Jafary, a police chief in Faizabad.
"People almost from all city mosques gathered."
Mr Jafary said that the crowd chanted "death to America" and threw rocks at the German-run military base in the city.
The protesters demanded the Afghan authorities give them an American flag "so they can burn it and end the demonstrations". "But we don't have an American flag," said Mr Jafary.
A spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Kabul said that officials were investigating the shooting in Faizabad, the capital of the Badakhshan province.
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, had earlier added his voice to those of other leaders from other Islamic countries who have said that the Koran burning would be an attack on all Muslims.
"The Koran is in the hearts and minds of all Muslims. The affront against the holy book is a humiliation to the people. We are hopeful that he gives up this affront and should not even think about it."
Brigadier General Hans-Werner Fritz, the commander of German troops in Afghanistan, had warned on Thursday that the book burning "would provide a trigger for violence towards all ISAF troops, including the Germans in northern Afghanistan."
Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, phoned Terry Jones, the Florida pastor on Thursday night and asked him to reconsider his plans to burn Korans on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, because it would have endanger the lives of American and Nato troops.
But the evangelist has refused to cancel the book burning unless plans to build a mosque near the site of the New York World Trade Centre that was destroyed in the September 11 terror attacks nine years ago are cancelled. >>> | Friday, September 10, 2010
Ground Zero Mosque Investor Declines Trump's Buyout Offer
FOX NEWS: NEW YORK -- Donald Trump's offer to buy an investor's stake where a mosque is planned near ground zero is falling flat.
Wolodymyr Starosolsky is a lawyer for the investor in the real estate partnership that controls the site. He says Trump's offer is "just a cheap attempt to get publicity and get in the limelight."
In a letter released Thursday by Trump's publicist, the real estate investor told Hisham Elzanaty that he would buy his stake in the lower Manhattan building for 25 percent more than whatever he paid.
"I am making this offer as a resident of New York and citizen of the United States, not because I think the location is a spectacular one (because it is not), but because it will end a very serious, inflammatory, and highly divisive situation that is destined, in my opinion, to only get worse," the letter said.
Trump also attached a condition to his offer: He said that as part of the deal, the backers of the mosque project would need to promise that any new mosque they constructed would be at least five blocks farther away from the World Trade Center site. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, September 09, 2010
US Public TV Hijacked by Foreign Propagandists
AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVE: WASHINGTON – Imagine the shock that some viewers must have felt when they first clicked on their public TV station’s new digital sub-channels expecting to see more shows like Big Bird or Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, only to find programming more attuned to the views of Osama bin Laden and Vladimir Putin.
About 30 non-commercial TV stations around the U.S. are airing “MHz Network Worldview,” which includes programs from Al Jazeera English, the Kremlin’s “Russia Today” and other foreign state-controlled instruments of propaganda. MHz Worldview is also available in the Washington, D.C. area.
MHz Networks’ slogan is “Many voices. One world.” A non-profit entity, it is designed for “globally-minded people.”
One of the controversial programs broadcast on MHz1 WNVC-DT every Sunday is titled, “Living Islam in America,” described as “a thirty minute discussion-magazine formatted television series with a primary goal of educating the general population about the faith & culture of Islam and the burgeoning Muslim communities throughout America.”
The host, Johari Abdul Malik, is described by his supporters as an advocate of non-violence. However, the Investigative Project on Terrorism says that he supports radical and political Islamic causes. It reports, “At a 2001 conference hosted by the Islamic Association of Palestine, a now defunct propaganda branch of the Specially Designated Terrorist organization Hamas, he called for attacks against Israeli infrastructure to show Muslim displeasure with Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.”
Abdul-Malik said, “I am gonna teach you now. You can blow up bridges, but you cannot kill people who are innocent on their way to work. You can blow up power supplies… the water supply, you can do all forms of sabotage and let the world know that we are doing it like this because they have a respect for the lives of innocent people.”
Abdul-Malik has also been quoted as saying, “before Allah closes our eyes for the last time you will see Islam move from being the second largest religion in America—that’s where we are now—to being the first religion in America.” Continue reading and comment >>> Jerry Kenney | Thursday, September 02, 2010
Censoring Questions About Obama’s Religion
AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVE: WASHINGTON – In a major liberal initiative to curtail discussion of President Obama’s religious identity, over 70 Christian leaders and denominational heads have signed a letter saying that questions about the religious philosophy of the President of the United States should be ignored and suppressed by the major media.
The letter demands that the media “offer no further support or airtime to those who misrepresent and call into question the President’s Christian faith.”
The apparent initiator of the letter is Obama associate Jim Wallis of the Sojourners group, a group funded by atheist George Soros.
The Eleison Group, which represents the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Wallis’s Sojourners group, arranged the release of the letter and has handled publicity for it. The Eleison Group’s purpose is to mobilise “more traditional progressive ‘base’ faith voters who are often overlooked in Democratic and progressive outreach.”
The president of the Eleison Group, Burns Strider, has served as an adviser to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and regional Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Pelosi, a liberal Catholic, invoked St. Joseph, revered for being the foster father of Jesus and the husband of the Virgin Mary, in the successful push for passage of Obama’s socialised medicine plan.
The “airtime” alluded to in the letter has mostly been devoted to the controversy over opinion polls finding that significant numbers of people are confused about Obama’s religious identity and that some believe he is a Muslim.
The questions that have been offered by Accuracy in Media concern Obama’s claims about being baptised in the Christian faith. AIM believes that politicians should be held accountable for the claims they make about themselves, even on personal matters of religious faith.
Obama’s aides have claimed the President is a committed and practicing Christian and that he was baptised in Jeremiah Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ. But he has gone to church only a few times since he became President.
“We understand that these are contentious times,” say the Christian leaders, “but the personal faith of our leaders should not be up for public debate.”
However, the First Amendment expressly permits not only freedom of religion but freedom of the press.
The Christian leaders say, “We believe that questioning, and especially misrepresenting, the faith of a confessing believer goes too far.” They do not identify who has misrepresented Obama’s faith.
But other releases from the Eleison Group attack Fox News, talk radio, and “right-wing misinformation” about Obama’s religious affiliation and views. Continue reading and comment >>> Cliff Kincaid, Editor of AIM Report | Sunday, August 29, 2010
9/11 Retrospective – Islam: “Religion of Peace” or Ideology of Terror?
Photograaph: Australian Conservative
AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVE: Being the anniversary of the 9/11 Islamic terrorist attacks, and especially in the light of the somewhat provocative comments today in the US by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf on CNN that moving the “Ground Zero Mosque” could incite violence against the US and the West throughout the Islamic World (“Imam: Moving Mosque Could Ignite Violence”), it may be timely to reflect on what are the key aspects of Islam that make it an ideological tool for terrorist groups.
From the perspective of one who has been involved in one form or another in counterterrorism for some time, I’d suggest that these key aspects can be summarised as being the following:
• It is in reality more akin to an ideology than a religion – indeed, it could be accurately described as a political ideology masquerading as a religion; • From a religious perspective it has not yet undergone an equivalent of the Reformation which took place in the context of the modernisation of Christianity; • This interplay of religion and ideology within Islam provide an ideal basis from which terrorist groups can drive their political agendas.
In this context, it is important to recognise that in the West we have a cultural worldview that treats religion and politics as separate, whereas in Islam they are not, and are in fact inextricably intertwined as one and the same: Continue reading and comment >>> Steve Barber | Friday, September 10, 2010
'Islamization' of Paris a Warning to the West
CBN: PARIS - Friday in Paris. A hidden camera shows streets blocked by huge crowds of Muslim worshippers and enforced by a private security force.
This is all illegal in France: the public worship, the blocked streets, and the private security. But the police have been ordered not to intervene.
It shows that even though some in the French government want to get tough with Muslims and ban the burqa, other parts of the French government continue to give Islam a privileged status.
An ordinary French citizen who has been watching the Islamization of Paris decided that the world needed to see what was happening to his city. He used a hidden camera to start posting videos on YouTube. His life has been threatened and so he uses the alias of "Maxime Lepante."
Lepante's View
His camera shows that Muslims "are blocking the streets with barriers. They are praying on the ground. And the inhabitants of this district cannot leave their homes, nor go into their homes during those prayers."
"The Muslims taking over those streets do not have any authorization. They do not go to the police headquarters, so it's completely illegal," he says.
The Muslims in the street have been granted unofficial rights that no Christian group is likely to get under France's Laicite', or secularism law.
"It says people have the right to share any belief they want, any religion," Lepante explained. "But they have to practice at home or in the mosque, synagogues, churches and so on."
Some say Muslims must pray in the street because they need a larger mosque. But Lepante has observed cars coming from other parts of Paris, and he believes it is a weekly display of growing Muslim power.
"They are coming there to show that they can take over some French streets to show that they can conquer a part of the French territory," he said. France's Islamic Future? >>> Dale Hurd | Sunday, September 05, 2010
My Generation Has Wrecked the Country, Claims Nick Clegg
MAIL ONLINE: Nick Clegg has issued an extraordinary denunciation of the last two generations, accusing them of wrecking Britain by embracing a culture of 'instant gratification'.
The Deputy Prime Minister said his parents' generation and his own had 'run up debts, despoiled the planet and allowed our institutions to wither'.
Mr Clegg said that in all walks of life - including the political, commercial and personal - people had become focused only on the short-term.
Companies concerned themselves with chasing immediate profits, politicians were obsessed with the next day's headlines, while individuals 'eat doughnuts and decide not to go for a run', the 43-year-old said.
Families were 'splurging today' rather than saving responsibly for their retirement, while many employees were 'sucked into overwork' instead of taking time to be with their children.
'I think it was a Hollywood actress who said that nowadays, even instant gratification isn't quick enough for some people,' he added. Read on and comment >>> James Chapman | Friday, September 10, 2010
9/11 Koran Burning 'Suspended But Not Cancelled' After Pastor Backtracks from Deal
THE TELEGRAPH: A US pastor has said he may press ahead with plans to burns copies of the Koran on September 11 – just hours after announcing that the stunt had been cancelled.
Pastor Terry Jones, from the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, last night said that he had abandoned the event after receiving assurance that the planned Islamic centre and mosque near Ground Zero, the site of the attacks, in New York, would be relocated.
His announcement followed worldwide condemnation and warnings of a deadly Islamic backlash.
But Mr Jones later indicated that the burning may go ahead as planned, after the Muslim group behind the New York mosque said they had not agreed to any deal.
The pastor said: "Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision. So as of right now, we are not cancelling the event, but we are suspending it."
Mr Jones claimed he was "lied to" * after Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, and the leader of the New York mosque said that no agreement had been struck. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington and Toby Harnden in Gainesville | Friday, September 10, 2010
* Should we be surprised?
Race Row Bundesbank Member to Quit
THE TELEGRAPH: Thilo Sarrazin, a member of Germany’s central Bundesbank who made disparaging remarks about Muslims and Jews in a book, has agreed to quit his position on the board.
Thilo Sarrazin, a member of the six-man board at the influential Bundesbank. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Sarrazin will be leaving his post at the end of the month after reaching an agreement with the bank, said Bundesbank President Axel Weber.
His resignation comes after comments in interviews surrounding the release of his book, “Germany Abolishes Itself,” that Muslim immigrants in Europe are unwilling or incapable of integrating into western societies and that all Jews “share a certain gene” provoked a storm of controversy in Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel and several members of her government had called for his dismissal. >>> | Thursday, September 09, 2010
It really is coming to something here in the West when a man of this calibre has to leave his prestigious post just for saying the truth. I shall repeat what Herr Sarrazin stated: Muslims ARE incapable of integrating into German society, or any other Western society for that matter, simply because their prophet told them not to integrate. He told them to tell themselves apart from the infidel by dressing differently, by not mixing with them, and by not befriending them. Hence my sympathies are with Herr Sarrazin.
EU Markets Chief Barnier Warns the City Casino Days Are Over
THE TELEGRAPH: The deceptively quiet Phoney War between Brussels and Anglo-Saxon finance is coming to an end. Life is about to change for hedge funds, commodity traders, and the 'prop desks' of global banks in the City of London.
Michel Barnier said the new European Single Market Authority will have sweeping powers to control derivatives. Photo: The Telegraph
"We want to know who is doing what with short-selling," said Michel Barnier, the European single market commissioner and the Frenchman in charge of the EU's new machinery of regulation.
"We need markets, and we need financial institutions that create value-added, but everyone has to be able to answer for what they are doing. People taking crazy risks linked to crazy rewards have to be brought back to their senses," he said, in a wide-ranging interview with The Daily Telegraph at the annual Ambrosetti conference on the shores of Lake Como.
Mr Barnier said the new European Single Market Authority (ESMA) endorsed in principle last week - along with EU banking and insurance watchdogs - will have sweeping powers to control derivatives.
"The EU authorities are going to look at every product. ESMA can restrict leverage, or in exceptional circumstances even ban a product altogether," he said. The Commission is introducing a text on derivatives next week as part of a new oversight machinery covering the gamut of finance and investment, including controls on private equity, hedge funds, as well as oil and currency trading.
Mr Barnier said there was no plan for a blanket ban on the short-selling of stocks or on the use of derivatives such as credit default swaps (CDS), famously exploited by funds to short Greek, Irish, Portuguese, Spanish bonds during Europe's debt crisis this year.
"It is not a question of prohibiting. Short-selling is useful, if used well, but we want to avoid abusive naked short-selling, and be able to take action in emergencies," he said. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in Como | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Pastor Cancels Plans to Burn the Koran on Anniversary of 9/11 'After Agreement to Move Ground Zero Mosque'
MAIL ONLINE: U.S. pastor Terry Jones has cancelled his plans to burn the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
In an announcement on Thursday, Rev Jones said he had cancelled the controversial event after reaching an agreement with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf to move a mosque set to built on the Ground Zero site in New York.
He declared he would be flying up to New York on Saturday to discuss the relocation of the Muslim Cultural Centre.
There has so far been no confirmation that a deal has indeed been reached to relocate the building with a number of sources rejecting the pastor's claims. >>> Mail Foreign Service | Thursday, September 09, 2010
LE FIGARO: François Fillon a déclaré ce soir sur France 2 que l'iranienne Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, condamnée à mort par lapidation dans son pays, était "notre soeur à tous", en estimant que son exécution mettrait l'Iran "au ban des nations".
"Je dois dire qu'on est tous révoltés par cette espèce d'acte de barbarie dont est menacée Sakineh", a déclaré le premier ministre, interrogé sur le cas de l'Iranienne dans l'émission "A vous de juger". "Le président de la République est intervenu personnellement. Il a dit que nous étions désormais responsables de sa vie, responsables de son sort. C'est notre soeur à tous parce que c'est une femme qui est menacée par la pire des barbaries", a-t-il poursuivi. >>> AFP | Jeudi 09 Septembre 2010
Benefit Claimants to Have Payments Cut
THE TELEGRAPH: Benefits claimants will have their payments cut as ministers seek a further £4 billion in welfare cuts.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, said that the Government will go further than previously announced in trying to bring down the cost of Britain’s social security system.
The promise of new welfare cuts has caused strain in the Coalition, with some Liberal Democrat MPs protesting against the move.
Mr Osborne said the welfare system had grown out of control and allowed some people to make the “lifestyle choice” of claiming benefits for their entire life instead of working.
Reforms being drawn up by the Coalition will give welfare claimants “a strong incentive” to get a job.
Welfare now costs £192 billion a year, almost a third of all government spending. An estimated 5 million people of working age are now economically inactive and receiving benefits.
In the Budget in June, Mr Osborne announced that benefits cuts will save £11 billion a year by the end of the Parliament.
In a BBC interview, he signalled that ministers will now seek deeper cuts, reducing welfare spending by another £4 billion. >>> James Kirkup and Andrew Porter | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Barack Obama zu Koran-Verbrennung im Interview (Englisch)
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: US-Präsident Barack Obama hat die von einer evangelikalen US-Christengruppe geplante Koran-Verbrennung scharf verurteilt. «Das ist eine destruktive Geste», die «den Werten Amerikas völlig widerspricht».
Demonstranten in der Stadt Multan verbrennen die US-Flagge (Video unkommentiert)
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: US-Präsident Barack Obama hat die von einer evangelikalen US-Christengruppe geplante Koran-Verbrennung scharf verurteilt. «Das ist eine destruktive Geste», die «den Werten Amerikas völlig widerspricht».
Öffentliche Koranverbrennung zum Jahrestag 09/11
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Ein radikal-evangelischer Pfarrer aus dem Bundesstaat Florida (USA) will zum Jahrestag der Anschläge vom 11. September öffentlich den Koran verbrennen. In Washington befürchtet man nun, die amerikanischen Soldaten in Afghanistan könnten durch die Aktion gefährdet werden.
Mohammed-Karikaturist erhält Medienpreis
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Mit seinen Mohammed-Karikaturen hat er Moslems auf der ganzen Welt in Rage versetzt. Jetzt erhält der Däne Kurt Westergaard einen deutschen Medienpreis für sein Eintreten für die Pressefreiheit.
Euro und Dollar zurzeit schwach
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: In den letzten Tagen hat sich neben dem Euro auch der Dollar abgeschwächt. Die Ökonomen sind sich jedoch uneinig, wie sich die Währungen weiterentwickeln werden.
Wullf zu Besuch in der Schweiz
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Der deutsche Bundespräsident Christian Wullf ist in die Schweiz gereist. Ziel des Staatsbesuches ist es, die deutsch-schweizerische Beziehung zu festigen. Einschätzungen von Fritz Reimann, SF-Korrespondent, Bern.
Turkey Set to Approve Major Reforms
THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey is on the brink of approving major constitutional reforms which critics say will pave the way for the key western ally to become an Islamic state.
Opinion polls suggest the reforms, proposed by the Islamic-oriented government, will win narrow approval in a referendum on Sunday.
They will alter the constitution, originally introduced after a military coup in 1980, to enshrine the elected government's control over the military and the judiciary.
They are being promoted as a key step necessary if the country is to meet the demands for more democratic rule set by the European Union as conditions for a future Turkish bid for membership. But critics who support the secular separation of Islam and the state - followed since the collapse of the Ottoman empire in the First World War - say it will be a major step towards an Islamic state.
"The honest people of this country do not allow this," the opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said at a campaign rally. "Those in favor of democracy do not allow this, but the deaf officials of the European Union say, 'What a good thing it is you're doing'."
Since the election of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), and its charismatic prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country has moved closer to its muslim neighbours, including Iran, and away from a staunchly secular outlook that has played a major role in maintaining the country's position as a member of NATO and a key western ally in the muslim [sic] world. >>> Justin Vela in Istanbul | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Car Crash Tragedy of Gay Couple in Kiss Photo that Rocked South Africa
THE GUARDIAN: One dead, the other seriously injured in crash one month after moment of passion was controversially published in newspaper
Mark Dean Brown and Bjorn Czepan at the annual Soen in die Laan (Kiss in the Avenue) Stellenbosch University event. Photograph: The Guardian
Theirs was a kiss that stunned a conservative town. When a moment of passion between two men was published on a newspaper front page, it provoked fierce debate in one of South Africa's oldest communities.
In a single photograph Bjorn Czepan and Mark Dean Brown became unwitting symbols for tolerance and gay rights at the predominantly Afrikaner, rugby-playing Stellenbosch University.
Just a month later, there is a tragic postscript. Czepan is dead and Brown is critically ill in hospital after a car crash.
The students were involved in an accident in Woodstock, a suburb of Cape Town, last week, the Cape Times reported. Czepan, from Germany, was killed and Brown is now on a ventilator at the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital.
The hospital said a third student, Brian Kline, was admitted late last Thursday night after the crash. Brown and Kline were critical but stable.
The Cape Town University couple's fleeting moment of fame came at last month's annual Soen in die Laan (Kiss in the Avenue) event at the nearby university, when lesbian and gay students decided to join the traditionally heterosexual event.
The photograph was published on the front page of the student newspaper Die Matie, triggering furious debate on social networking sites. Copies were torn up or defaced in protest but there were supportive comments from gay students. >>> David Smith | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Fidel Castro Says Communism Doesn't Work
THE GUARDIAN: Former Cuban president says Marxist model 'doesn't even work for us' in offhand remark to US journalist Jeffrey Goldberg
It was a casual remark over a lunch of salad, fish and red wine but future historians are likely to parse and ponder every word: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us any more."
Fidel Castro's nine-word confession, dropped into conversation with a visiting US journalist and policy analyst, undercuts half a century of thundering revolutionary certitude about Cuban socialism.
That the island's economy is a disaster is hardly news but that the micro-managing "maximum leader" would so breezily acknowledge it has astonished observers.
Towards the end of a long, relaxed lunch in Havana, Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for the Atlantic magazine, asked Castro if Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting. The reply left him dumbfounded. "Did the leader of the revolution just say, in essence, 'Never mind'?" Goldberg wrote on his blog.
The 84-year-old retired president did not elaborate but the implication, according to Julia Sweig, a Cuba expert from the Council on Foreign Relations who also attended the lunch, was that the state had too big a role in the economy.
Raúl Castro has been saying the same thing in public and private since succeeding his older brother two years ago. With infrastructure crumbling, food shortages acute and an average monthly salary of just $25 (£16), it has become apparent that near-total state control of the economy does not work.
But for Fidel to acknowledge the fact could be compared to Napoleon musing that the march on Moscow was not, on reflection, a great success.
"Frankly, I have been somewhat amazed by Fidel's new frankness," said Stephen Wilkinson, a Cuba expert at the London Metropolitan University. "This is the latest of a series of recent utterances that strike me as being indicative of a change in the old man's character." >>> Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent | Thursday, September 09, 2010
The Bliar Wants Us All to Read the Koran!
WELT ONLINE: Der ehemalige britische Premierminister Blair kritisiert die Koran-Verbrennung – ermutigt aber jeden, das Buch stattdessen zu lesen.
Der ehemalige britische Premierminister Tony Blair ist selbst überzeugter Katholik. Bild: Welt Online
Der ehemalige britische Premierminister Tony Blair hat die geplante Koran-Verbrennung einer US-Kirchengruppe scharf verurteilt und zur inhaltlichen Auseinandersetzung mit dem Islam aufgerufen. Die für den 11. September geplante Koranverbrennung in der Gemeinde von Pastor Terry Jones in Gainesville im Bundesstaat Florida sei „respektlos, das ist böse und wird weitgehend von den Völkern, religiös oder nicht, verurteilt werden“, erklärte der Gesandte des Nahost-Quartetts in London. „Statt den Koran zu verbrennen ermutige ich dazu, ihn lieber zu lesen“, fügte Blair, der Katholik ist und eine Organisation zur Verständigung zwischen den Religionen gegründet hat, hinzu. „Als Christ“ schließe er sich der Aufforderung an Jones an, die Koranverbrennung abzusagen. Tony Blair ruft zur Lektüre des Koran auf >>> AFP/sip | Donnerstag, 09. September 2010
WELT ONLINE: Angela Merkel plädiert für die Pressefreiheit und schließt damit auch die Freiheit des islamkritischen Karikaturisten mit ein.
Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel plädiert für die Pressefreiheit. Bild: Welt Online
Es war kein Pflichttermin. Sie hätte es nicht tun müssen. Nur wenige Menschen wären nach einer Preisverleihung an den Karikaturisten Kurt Westergaard ohne die Laudatorin Angela Merkel auf die Idee gekommen zu fragen: Wo war denn gestern Abend eigentlich unsere Kanzlerin? Warum hat sie es nicht in die Festsäle der Orangerie in Potsdam geschafft und sich mit diesem Dänen abbilden lassen, dessen Mohammed-Zeichnung die islamische Welt vor sechs Jahren in Wallung versetzte?
Aber sie war da. Und hielt die bisher beste Rede ihrer Kanzlerschaft. "Keine Sonntagsrede“, wie sie gleich zu Beginn ihrer Philippika an die Medien betonte, „sondern Klartext.“ Das ist bemerkenswert, weil Angela Merkel bisher nicht in dem Ruf stand, öffentliche Reden und Auftritte im Fernsehen dazu zu nutzen, Tacheles zu reden. >>> Von Claus Christian Malzahn | Donnerstag, 09. September 2010
Autor Abdel-Samad: "Der Islam wird als Kultur untergehen"
WELT ONLINE: Abdel-Samad ist vom Westen-Hasser zum Islamreformer geworden. Er rechnet mit seiner Religion ab: "Das islamische Haus stinkt."
Autor Hamad Abdel-Samad wird in der muslimischen Welt für seine Thesen angefeindet. Bild: Welt Online
Hamad Abdel-Samad wurde 1972 als drittes von fünf Kindern in der Nähe von Kairo geboren. Sein Vater ist ein sunnitischer Imam. Im Alter von vier Jahren wurde Abdel-Samad von einem 15-Jährigen vergewaltigt. Als er elf Jahre alt war, wurde er noch einmal missbraucht, diesmal von einer Gruppe Jugendlicher. 1995 kam er im Alter von 23 Jahren als latenter Antisemit und Westen-Skeptiker nach Deutschland.
Während seines Politik-Studiums in Augsburg setzte ein Wandlungsprozess ein. Seine Metamorphose vom Westen-Hasser zum liberalen Islamreformer sowie seine problematische Kindheit verarbeitete Abdel-Samad in seinem autobiografischen Buch „Mein Abschied vom Himmel“ (2009), der ihm ein religiöses Rechtsgutachten (Fatwa) in seiner Heimat einbrachte und ihm Polzeischutz bescherte.
Er arbeitete für die Unesco, am Lehrstuhl für Islamwissenschaft in Erfurt und am Institut für Jüdische Geschichte und Kultur an der Universität in München. Sein zweites Buch „Der Untergang der islamischen Welt“ kommt in die deutschen Buchläden (Droemer, 240 Seiten, 18 Euro). Abdel-Samad ist verheiratet mit Connie, deren Mutter Japanerin und deren Vater Däne ist. Das Ehepaar lebt in München. >>> Von Dietrich Alexander | Donnerstag, 09. September 2010
Le caricaturiste de Mahomet est opposé à la destruction du Coran
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RELIGION | Le dessinateur danois Kurt Westergaard, menacé de mort par des extrémistes musulmans pour avoir publié une caricature de Mahomet, a dénoncé le projet d'un petit groupe religieux américain de vouloir brûler le Coran.
Le dessinateur danois Kurt Westergaard, reçoit un prix média à Postdam [sic], le 8 septembre 2010. Photo : Tribune de Genève
"La provocation devrait pousser les gens à la réflexion, à éclaircir les choses, et à une prise de conscience. Ce n'est vraiment pas le cas ici", a estimé dans le quotidien Die Welt M. Westergaard, qui a reçu la veille un soutien appuyé de la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel.
Mais le caricaturiste, qui a reçu mercredi soir un prix récompensant la liberté de la presse, ne regrette pas ses propres dessins, affirmant que "rien ne va sans liberté d'opinion", et que "la satire est toujours une provocation". >>> AFP | Jeudi 09 Septembre 2010
Le Parlement européen demande à Paris de suspendre les expulsions de Roms
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: STRASBOURG | Le Parlement européen a adopté jeudi une résolution demandant à la France et aux autres Etats de l'UE de "suspendre immédiatement" les expulsions de Roms, qui ont suscité une vive controverse ces dernières semaines.
Cette résolution présentée par les socialistes, les libéraux, les verts et les communistes a obtenu 337 voix contre 245. >>> AFP | Jeudi 09 Septembre 2010
Nicolas Sarkozy's Party Headquarters Raided by Police
THE TELEGRAPH: The headquarters of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP party has been raided by police as part of the L'Oreal [sic] electoral fraud scandal.
Three officers visited the building in Paris's 8th arrondissement on Wednesday afternoon following claims about the finances of Lilian [sic] Bettencourt, France's richest woman.
The 87-year-old L'Oreal [sic] heiress is said to have handed over envelopes full of cash to senior politicians including Sarkozy in return for the authorities overlooking tax avoidance on her multi-million pounds fortune.
During the latest raid connected with the case, detectives were said to be looking for a document proving that Eric Woerth, the employment minister, had recommended to Mr Sarkozy that Patrice de Maistre, Mrs Bettencourt's wealth manager, be given the Legion of Honour.
It was Mr Woerth himself who decorated Mr De Maistre with the medal in January 2008, three months after the financier gave Mr Woerth's wife, Florence, a highly paid job in his company.
Mr Woerth was the budget minister at the time, and meant to be looking for alleged tax avoiders like Mrs Bettencourt. Both Woerths deny a conflict of interest. >>> Peter Allen, in Paris | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Iran Suspends Stoning of Woman
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran has suspended the execution by stoning of a woman convicted of adultery, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed, after weeks of condemnation from around the world.
The announcement came a day after European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called the stoning sentence against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani "barbaric beyond words", the latest in a string of criticisms by foreign powers.
"The verdict regarding the extramarital affairs has stopped and it's being reviewed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Iran's state-run English-language Press TV.
Ashtiani was convicted of adultery – a capital crime in the Islamic Republic – in 2006. She also has been charged with involvement in her husband's murder. >>> | Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Vitamin B Is Revolutionary New Weapon Against Alzheimer's Disease
THE TELEGRAPH: Vitamin B tablets could slow and even halt the devastating march of Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly, a breakthrough British study suggests.
The research showed that large doses of the supplement could halve the rate of brain shrinkage – a physical symptom associated [with] memory loss and dementia in the elderly.
The effects were so dramatic that the scientists behind the work believe it could revolutionise the treatment of the disease.
Brain shrinkage or atrophy is a natural part of ageing but it is known to be accelerated in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a kind of memory loss and forgetfulness – and Alzheimer's.
Scientists at the University of Oxford conducted a trial on 168 people and found that taking high doses of three vitamin B supplements every day reduced brain shrinkage associated with dementia by up to 53 per cent.
They said the results were so strong that it should open up a debate as to whether the tablets should be prescribed to everyone with MCI – half of whom develop Alzheimer's disease.
MCI affects 16 per cent of people over 70 – 1.5 million people in the UK. Professor David Smith, a pharmacologist who co-authored the study, said the results were "immensely promising".
"It is a very simple solution: you give someone some vitamins and you protect the brain," he said. >>> Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Sarah Palin Slams U.S. Pastor's Plan to Burn the Koran on 9/11 as 'Provocative... Like Building a Mosque at Ground Zero'
MAIL ONLINE: Presidents of Indonesia and Pakistan condemn church / British Muslims to burn flags at U.S. embassy in protest / Downing Street 'strongly opposes' Koran-burning / Obama: Burnings a 'recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda'
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has slammed the leader of a tiny U.S. church's plans to burn the Koran on September 11.
The conservative leader, who is the darling of the Right-wing Tea Party movement, slammed Reverend Terry Jones' plans as 'counter-productive'.
She added that the plan was 'insensitive and an unnecessary provocation - much like building a mosque at Ground Zero.'
Her comments came as the presidents of Pakistan and Indonesia - the world's largest Muslim nation - added their voices to world-wide condemnation of the event.
Downing Street also entered the row today, with a spokesman for the prime Minister saying he 'strongly opposed' any attempt to offend members of a religious group.
The spokesman said: 'Primarily this is an issue for the US, but clearly the government's view is that we would not condone the burning of any book.
'We would strongly oppose any attempt to offend any member of any religious or ethnic group. We are committed to religious tolerance.'
Addressing the pastor directly on her Facebook page last night, Sarah Palin said his plan would 'feed the fire of caustic rhetoric and appear as nothing more than mean-spirited religious intolerance.'
'Don't feed that fire,' she urged him.
'If your ultimate point is to prove that the Christian teachings of mercy, justice, freedom, and equality provide the foundation on which our country stands, then your tactic to prove this point is totally counter-productive.'
'Book burning is antithetical to American ideals,' she wrote. Read on and comment >>> Mail Foreign Service | Thursday, September 09, 2010
David Cameron Pays Tribute to His Late Father
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has paid tribute to his father, who died yesterday while on holiday in France, calling him “an amazing man.”
The Prime Minister said that while his father's death was “unexpected and sudden” it happened while Ian, 77, was enjoying a “wonderful holiday” with family and friends.
Mr Cameron also thanked Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, for helping him get to the hospital in time to see his father before he died.
Downing Street released a statement from Mr Cameron and his family this morning.
It said: “Our dad was an amazing man - a real life-enhancer. He never let the disability he was born with or the complications in later life get in the way of his incredible sense of fun and enjoyment.
“He touched a lot of lives in lots of different ways and was a brilliant husband and father. You could never be down for long when he was around. >>> | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Obituary: Ian Cameron
THE TELEGRAPH: Ian Cameron, who died on September 8 aged 77, was a successful stockbroker in the City of London and the father of the Prime Minister, David Cameron.
Ian Donald Cameron was born in London on October 12 1932, the son of Donald Ewen Cameron and his wife Enid (née Levita), who came from a distinguished Polish banking family. The Camerons had worked in the City for several generations.
His great-grandfather, Sir Ewen Cameron, came south from Invernesshire in the 1860s to work for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and helped the Rothschilds to sell war bonds during the Russo-Japanese war. Ian Cameron’s grandfather, Ewen Ivan, became senior partner of the stockbroking firm, Panmure Gordon, as did Ian’s father, Donald.
From birth Ian's legs were severely deformed, requiring him to undergo several operations and to wear special raised boots. He was sent to board at Betteshanger prep school in Kent, where, because of his disability, he was made to have an extra hour’s rest every day. At home, his mother treated him with much affection, but also believed that the effect of his disability had to be minimised, that he had to develop a sense of independence.
Shortly before he went to Eton, Ian’s father left his mother and married an Austrian, Marielen von Meiss-Teuffen. It was a difficult period for the boy, and he did not shine academically at school. He did, however, show the determination that was to be a hallmark of his character, and was not shy. One of his school friends recalled playing a game of indoor football with him: “I had the ball at my feet, and I said 'Oh yes, this is Ian, I can get past him’. Suddenly my wrists were seized in an iron grip, because all the strength of his legs had gone into his arms and wrists. I virtually needed a course of physiotherapy after that. He had this amazing strength, and he was always incredibly resilient, courageous and outgoing.” When it came to the Field Game, the school’s home-grown hybrid of football and rugby, Ian played in a position comparable to scrum-half, where he found that his low centre of gravity sometimes proved an advantage.
After school, Ian decided against going to university; neither did he do National Service, on account of his disability. Instead he trained as an accountant, a profession he disliked so much that he later banned his children from pursuing it. He then spent two years as a banker at Robert Fleming before following the family tradition by entering Panmure Gordon; he became a partner before the age of 30. Moving into a flat in Basil Street, Knightsbridge, he threw what a friend described as “endless parties with the most beautiful girls”. >>> | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Obama Asks Florida Pastor to Call Off Qur'an-burning: "You Could Have Serious Violence in Places Like Pakistan and Afghanistan"
JIHAD WATCH: He could have said, and should have said, that while he disagrees with the idea of burning the Qur'an, he would defend the liberty of Americans and the principle of freedom of expression. He could have said that anyone who murders an innocent person in Pakistan or Afghanistan or anywhere else because of this is entirely responsible for the murder, and Terry Jones and the other Qur'an-burners bear no responsibility for the actions of others. He could have said that to threaten violence and to commit acts of violence because of this is irrational, it's madness -- and, for that matter, it confirms the image of Islam as a religion of violence that Obama himself is so anxious to refute.
Instead, he surrendered American principles and semaphored once again that violent intimidation works. Read on and comment >>> Robert Spencer | Thursday, September 09, 2010
Imam Fears Moving NYC Mosque Could Inflame Tension
YAHOO! NEWS: NEW YORK – The imam behind a proposed Islamic community center and mosque near ground zero cautioned Wednesday that moving the facility could cause a violent backlash from Muslim extremists and endanger national security.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf told CNN that the discourse surrounding the center has become so politicized that moving it could strengthen the ability of extremists abroad to recruit and wage attacks against Americans, including troops fighting in the Middle East.
"The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack," he said, but he added that he was open to the idea of moving the planned location of the center, currently two blocks north of the World Trade Center site.
"But if you don't do this right, anger will explode in the Muslim world," he later said, predicting that the reaction could be more furious than the eruption of violence following the 2005 publication of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, September 09, 2010
9/11 Koran Burning: Barack Obama Says Plan Will Be 'Recruitment Bonanza for al-Qaeda'
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama has condemned an American pastor’s plan to burn copies of the Koran on the ninth anniversary of September 11 as a “recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda”, as outrage has built across the Islam world.
The US President warned that the “destructive” act would inflame violence, endanger US troops and lead to an increased threat of terrorism against Western civilian targets.
"You could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who would be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities," he said.
"This is a recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda."
"If he's listening, I hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans. That this country has been built on the notion of freedom and religious tolerance."
"And as a very practical matter, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women who are in uniform." >>> | Thursday, September 09, 2010
SKY NEWS: A pastor in the US has vowed to go ahead with plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks - despite warnings it could spark worldwide violence. Sky's US correspondent Greg Milam has more.
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has announced that he would not extend tax cuts for the richest Americans passed by George W Bush, arguing that the country could not afford the luxury of aiding the wealthy.
Barack Obama argues that the country can not afford the luxury of aiding the wealthy. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Obama said he would not renew the ten-year reduction for families making more than $250,000 (£160,000) a year and individuals making more than $200,000. He however favoured extending them for middle class Americans.
The tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 were one of Mr Bush’s signature policies and have always been controversial. Democrats blamed them for the massive deficit, while Republicans said they encouraged consumer spending and the “trickle down” effect.
They have become a central issue in November’s mid-term elections, when Mr Obama’s party is in danger of losing its majority in Congress largely because of anger over the economy and high unemployment.
The White House is trusting that the decision will prove popular with voters who have regarded the Obama administration as too friendly to Wall Street and the rich. It will provide Republicans with fresh ammunition for the case that the president is a high-taxing big spender. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Wednesday, September 08, 2010
'We Are Still Determined': U.S. Pastor Vows to Carry Out Burn-a-Koran day on Sept 11 Despite Death Threats
MAIL ONLINE: Hillary Clinton – Act is 'disrespectful and disgraceful' / Gen Petraeus: 'It will spark war against all Christians'
The leader of a tiny U.S. church has today reiterated his determination to proceed with plans to burn copies of the Koran on September 11 despite pleas from senior military and political figures.
The Rev Terry Jones has been advised by the senior U.S. leader in Afghanistan, General David Petaeus, that the stunt would put American soldiers lives at greater risk and provide propaganda for the Taliban.
But Rev Jones, who says he has recently received more than 100 death threats and begun carrying a pistol for his own protection, today held a press conference to announce that he will not back down in the face of military, political or moral pressure.
He said: 'As you can imagine we have come under very much pressure in the direction of cancelling the event.
'But as of this time we have no intention of cancelling.
'We have also, which is something the news media has missed, received quite a lot of support.
'We understand the General Petraeus's concern and we are still considering it.
'But as of now we are not convinced that backing down is the right thing to do.
'So we will continue with our planned event[.]' >>> Mail Foreign Service | Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Even America's Liberal Élites Concede that Obama's Presidency Is Crumbling
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – NILE GARDINER: Democrats in Congress are no longer asking themselves whether this is going to be a bad election year for them and their party. They are asking whether it is going to be a disaster. The GOP pushed deep into Democratic-held territory over the summer, to the point where the party is well within range of picking up the 39 seats it would need to take control of the House. Overall, as many as 80 House seats could be at risk, and fewer than a dozen of these are held by Republicans.
Political handicappers now say it is conceivable that the Republicans could also win the 10 seats they need to take back the Senate. Not since 1930 has the House changed hands without the Senate following suit.Read on and comment >>> Nile Gardiner | Wednesday, September 08, 2010
David Cameron's Father, Ian Cameron, Dies
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron's father Ian has died in hospital in France after suffering a stroke.
David Cameron with his parents Ian and Mary Cameron in Swindon in April. Photo: The Telegraph
The Prime Minister was at his father's bedside, having broken off his political engagements to rush to Toulon where his parents had been in the middle of a two-week holiday.
His mother, Mary, had called with news of the illness shortly before 7am, prompting him to cancel a scheduled appearance at Prime Minister's Question Time.
The Prime Minister travelled without his wife Samantha, who gave birth to the couple's fourth child last month. However he was accompanied on a commercial flight from London's City airport by his brother Alex and sister Clare.
Downing Street said Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, intervened to arrange a helicopter to rush Mr Cameron to the hospital so he could see his father.
Sources close to the PM said he was "incredibly grateful" that the French authorities had provided air transport. It is understood he would probably not have been able to reach his father in time otherwise.
Friends said he was "relieved" to have been at the bedside, and was "pleased" that his father died peacefully and during a "happy family holiday". >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Castro 'Criticises Ahmadinejad for Anti-Semitic Attitude'
THE TELEGRAPH: Fidel Castro has reportedly criticised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, for what he called his anti-semitic [sic] attitudes.
Castro, who has been a fierce critic of Israel, reportedly chided Mr Ahmadinejad for denying the Holocaust, according to a blog on The Atlantic magazine.
The former Cuban leader said Iran could further the cause of peace by "acknowledging the 'unique' history of anti-Semitism and trying to understand why Israelis fear for their existence."
"I didn't know what a Jew was. I knew of a bird that was a called a 'Jew,' and so for me the Jews were those birds," Castro reportedly said. Castro later added, "This is how ignorant the entire population was."
Castro reportedly said: "I don't think anyone has been slandered more than the Jews. I would say much more than the Muslims." >>> | Tuesday, September 07, 2010
9/11 Koran Burning 'Disrespectful' and 'Disgraceful', Hillary Clinton Says
THE TELEGRAPH: A Florida church's threat to burn copies of the Koran to mark the September 11 attacks has been condemned by Hillary Clinton as "disrespectful" and "disgraceful".
The American Secretary of State is the highest ranking US official to criticise the plans by the evangelical Dove World Outreach Centre to destroy the Muslim holy book on its grounds on Saturday.
"I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths, from evangelical Christians to Jewish rabbis, as well as secular US leaders and opinion-makers," she said.
"Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation."
The diplomatic chief's comments came as she hosted an Iftar meal at the State Department to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Earlier, military leaders warned the decision could trigger outrage around the Islamic world. and put the lives of US soldiers at risk.
"Images of the burning of a Koran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan – and around the world – to inflame public opinion and incite violence," said Gen Petraeus.
"It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community," he said in a statement.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato Secretary General, also expressed concerns about the risk to troops' security and said that "such actions are in strong contradiction with all the values that we stand for and fight for". Continue reading and comment >>> Andrew Hough, and Alex Spillius in Washington | Wednesday, September 08, 2010
David Cameron Rushes to France after Father Taken Ill
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has broken off his political engagements to rush to France where his father Ian has been taken seriously ill.
David Cameron with his father Ian in April 2010. Photo: The Telegraph
The Conservative leader will miss the first Prime Minister's Question Time session following the summer recess, with Nick Clegg filling in.
His father, Ian, 77, suffered a stroke and heart complications while on holiday, Downing Street said.
After talking with doctors at the hospital where his father is being treated Mr Cameron decided to fly to be with him.
The half-hour Commons session today would have marked Mr Cameron return from paternity leave, following the birth of his daughter, Florence. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Wednesday, September 08, 2010
New Poll Shows Majority of Americans Disapprove of Obama
L'OTAN condamne le projet d'une église chrétienne de brûler publiquement le Coran
LE MONDE: La Maison Blanche s'est dite "préoccupée" par le projet d'un groupe évangélique américain de brûler publiquement un exemplaire du Coran à l'occasion du neuvième anniversaire des attentats du 11 septembre 2001. Cette réaction rejoint de sévères mises en garde, notamment de l'OTAN, qui craint pour la vie des soldats américains.
Le Dove world outreach center, groupe fondamentaliste chrétien créé en 1986, accuse l'islam, "religion diabolique", de chercher à dominer le monde. Il a invité à brûler des exemplaires du Coran, samedi, devant les portes de son siège à Gainesville (Floride) et a appelé d'autres centres religieux à en faire autant pour se souvenir des victimes des attentats du 11-Septembre.
Si elle était mis à exécution, cette action servirait la propagande des talibans en Afghanistan et renforcerait le sentiment anti-américain dans le monde musulman, a averti le général David Petraeus qui commande la force de l'OTAN (ISAF) et les troupes américaines en Afghanistan. "C'est précisément le genre d'actions que les talibans utilisent et cela pourrait engendrer des problèmes significatifs. Pas seulement ici mais partout dans le monde où nous sommes présents au côté de la communauté musulmane", a déclaré dans un communiqué.
Ces mises en garde ont été confirmées par le secrétaire général de l'OTAN, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, qui a lui aussi condamné le projet : il bafouerait les "valeurs" de l'Alliance atlantique et "il risque d'avoir des conséquences néfastes sur la sécurité de nos troupes", a-t-il déclaré à quelques journalistes pendant une visite à Washington. >>> LeMonde.fr avec AFP | Mardi 07 Septembre 2010
