The Muammar Gaddafi Story
The many faces of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Photos: BBC
BBC: How can you adequately describe someone like Muammar Gaddafi? During a period that has spanned six decades, the Libyan leader has paraded on the world stage with a style so unique and unpredictable that the words "maverick" or "eccentric" scarcely do him justice.

His rule has seen him go from revolutionary hero to international pariah, to valued strategic partner and back to pariah again.

He has developed his own political philosophy, writing a book that is - in the eyes of its author, at least - so influential that it eclipses anything dreamt up by Plato, Locke or Marx.

He has made countless show-stopping appearances at Arab and international gatherings, standing out not just with his outlandish clothing, but also his blunt speeches and unconventional behaviour.

One Arab commentator recently called him the "Picasso of Middle East politics", although instead of Blue, Rose or Cubist periods, he has had his pan-Arab period, his Islamist period, his pan-African period, and so on. » | Martin Asser, BBC News | Saturday, March 26, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor's Enduring Legacy
Elizabeth Taylor was the first actress to break the million-dollar mark. She also helped usher in the scandal-hungry celebrity-tabloid era. Speakeasy's Christopher Farley and Elva Ramirez discuss the Taylor legacy on the News Hub

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Portugal's Next Big Challenge: Education Reform
Portugal is the poorest and least educated country in Western Europe. With a debt crisis bearing down, it must make massive reforms to fix its economy, and education is at the top of the list. WSJ's Charles Forelle reports from Lisbon

Libyan Rebels Recapture Oil Town Ajdabiya
Libyan opposition fighters have recaptured the strategic Ajdabiya, a key oil town just 160 kilometres from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
Pro-democracy fighters claim to have moved past Brega further to the west, and that they are heading towards Ras Lanuf, another oil-rich town.
Ajdabiya is the first town to fall back into the hands of pro-democracy fighters, since the air strikes by international forces began on March 20.
British officials say those raids destroyed seven government tanks which threatened the city overnight.
Al Jazeera's James Bays has the latest from Ajdabiya. (26 March 2011)

Canadian Government Collapses
Mar 26 - Canada's government was toppled in a no confidence vote with the opposition accusing it of sleaze and mismanagement. Marie-Claire Fennessy reports

Hundreds of Saudi Shi'ites Protest in East
REUTERS CANADA: RIYADH - Hundreds of Saudi Shi'ites staged a protest in the kingdom's oil-producing Eastern Province Friday calling for prisoner releases and a withdrawal of Saudi forces from Bahrain, activists said.

The world's No. 1 oil producer and a U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia has not seen the kind of mass uprisings that have rocked the Arab world this year. But dissent is simmering in the kingdom as unrest takes root in neighboring Yemen, Bahrain and Oman.

There were rallies in two villages close to the main Shi'ite center of Qatif shortly after midday and afternoon prayers.

"There are around 400 protesters here at the moment and some are waving Bahraini flags," said one protester who declined to be named. "The protests are peaceful and the riot police are well away from the demonstrators."

Demonstrators called for political freedoms and an end to what they call sectarian discrimination against Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite Muslim majority by the absolute Sunni monarchy.

Saudi Shi'ites have held a number of protests in Eastern Province, where most of the country's oil fields are. » | Jason Benham | Friday, March 25, 2011

Syria's Assad Faces Crisis as Mourners Burn Buildings
REUTERS CANADA: DAMASCUS - Thousands of mourners at a funeral for a Syrian killed in anti-government protests burned a ruling Baath party building and a police station on Saturday as authorities freed 260 prisoners in a bid to placate reformists.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was facing the deepest crisis of his 11 years in power after security forces fired on protesters on Friday, adding to a death toll that rights groups have said now numbers in the dozens.

Mosques across Deraa announced the names of "martyrs" whose funerals would be held in the southern city and on Saturday hundreds were gathering in the main square chanting for freedom.

Three bare-chested young men climbed onto the rubble of a statue of late President Hafez al-Assad, which protesters pulled down on Friday in a scene that recalled the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Iraq in 2003 by U.S. troops.

A witness said they had cardboard signs reading "the people want the downfall of the regime," a refrain heard in uprisings across the Arab world from Tunisia to Egypt to Yemen. » | Reporting by a Reuters correspondent in Deraa, Yara Bayoumy in Beirut and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Writing by Peter Millership, Editing by Sonya Hepinstall | Saturday, March 26, 2011

BB [Benazir Bhutto] Murder: Court Directs FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] to Contact Interpol for Musharraf's Arrest
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE: A Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to contact Interpol for the arrest of former president Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

The case hearing has been adjourned until the end of April. » | Saturday, March 26, 2011

Desecration of Holy Quran: Saudi Arabia Urges Restraint
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE: ISLAMABAD – A special emissary of the Saudi monarch, Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud, called on President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday and discussed ways and means to curb the rising incidence of religious intolerance and disharmony.

The two leaders are said to discuss the desecration of the Holy Quran in the United States.

Secretary-General to the President Salman Faruqui and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir also attended the meeting.

Prince Bandar, who is the former secretary-general of the Saudi National Security Council and a former envoy of his country to Washington, is on a short visit to Pakistan.

Terming the visit significant, sources said: “He has come as a special emissary of King Abdullah.” » | Irfan Ghauri / Qaiser Butt | Saturday, March 26, 2011

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE: Pakistan condemns burning of Holy Quran: ISLAMABAD – Warning of a strong backlash, Pakistan on Tuesday condemned the reported burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Florida, USA, and asked the United Nations to take cognisance of the gruesome act. » | Maha Mussadaq / Summera Khan | Wednesday, March 23, 2011

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE: US condemns Quran desecration: ISLAMABAD – US State Department Spokesperson Mark C Toner on Friday condemned the burning of the Holy Quran by pastors in Florida, saying “we condemn such acts as disrespectful, intolerant and divisive.” » | Quatrina Hosein | Saturday, March 26, 2011

Listening Post - Military Intervention, Warmongering and the Media
On this week's show: Military intervention, warmongering and the media - the latest chapter in the Libya story. Plus, we look at the challenges female journalists face in the field

Saif Gaddafi on His Father

Colonel Gaddafi-bashing by George Galloway

The Gaddafi Family

The Gaddafi Family: عائلة القذافي

Saif Gaddafi: Libyans Don’t Need Leaders, Kings, Princes, But Managers! (February 20, 2011)

London: Massive Anti-cuts Protest, Anarchists Vow to Unleash Hell
MAIL ONLINE: Anarchist groups are threatening to ‘release all hell’ today at a trade unions march to be addressed by Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Police fear scores of violent anti-capitalist demonstrators could hijack the anti-cuts demonstration and cause chaos in London’s West End.

Up to 250,000 people are expected to join the march, with organisers saying it will be the largest since up to a million took to the streets in 2003 to oppose the war in Iraq.

Mr Miliband has hailed it as a ‘march of the mainstream’ and urged people to take to the streets to demand ‘an alternative, to save our services, to show the cuts are going too deep and too fast’.

The Labour leader is expected to address crowds in Hyde Park at the end of the rally. His appearance is risky, because he will be blamed by opponents if the event ends in violence. As Miliband prepares to address massive anti-cuts protest, anarchists vow: 'We'll unleash hell' » | Jack Doyle and James Chapman | Saturday, March 26, 2011

Bahrain Crackdown Can Trigger War: Iraq
PRESS TV: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has warned that the deployment of troops from Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf littoral states to protest-hit Bahrain could spark a sectarian war.

Maliki's warning came after Saudi Arabia and the UAE sent hundreds of troops to the tiny Persian Gulf state to help the Kingdom's brutal crackdown on Bahrain's anti-government protesters.

"The situation in Bahrain is different from those in Libya and Egypt. In Libya and Egypt the issue is not sectarian while in Bahrain it has become between Sunnis and Shias," Maliki said in an interview with the state-funded BBC Arabic television service aired on Friday.

His comments come in the wake of Bahrain's heavy-handed crackdown on anti-government protesters that have been seeking political reforms and an end to the two-century long rule of al-Khalifa dynasty.

"We did not move to support the Shias in Bahrain but we called for interference in Bahraini affairs to be stopped and don't want to make it a sectarian issue. Because if it happens, it will be like a snowball, it will get bigger if it is ignored ... The region may be drawn into a sectarian war," the Iraqi premier noted.

Maliki has previously criticized the military intervention in Bahrain by Persian Gulf Arab states. » | DB/HRF/MGH | Saturday, March 26, 2011

Bernd Debusmann: Libya and Selective US Intervention
REUTERS: Bernd Debusmann is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

“We stand for universal values, including the rights of the … people to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and the freedom to access information.” – President Barack Obama, during the Egyptian mass uprising against a detested dictator.

“The United States is … to construct an architecture of values that spans the globe and includes every man, woman and child. An architecture that can not only counter repression and resist pressure on human rights, but also extend those fundamental freedoms to places where they have been too long denied.” – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a foreign policy speech in September.

That is the theory — U.S. foreign policy in defense of universal values. In practice, the United States has often been unable or unwilling to live up to the values it preaches. Like other big powers, it has placed its self-interest first, which meant dividing the world into acceptable and unacceptable authoritarians. Soaring rhetoric since the beginning of the pro-democracy uprisings in the Arab world notwithstanding, the gap between theory and practice is in full view again.

In an act of selective intervention, the U.S., France, and Britain launched air and missile strikes on Libya on March 19 to prevent the government of Muammar Gaddafi from using “illegitimate force” against Libyans demanding his ouster and clamoring for the same freedoms the Obama administration, after dithering and zig-zagging, eventually cheered in Egypt.

While Gaddafi’s brutal crackdown on opponents provoked a war, equally ruthless repressions (though on a smaller scale) of pro-democracy demonstrators in Bahrain and Yemen prompted rhetorical American slaps on the wrists of the respective rulers, Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power for 33 years, and a royal family which declared martial law in Bahrain this week.

So why Libya and not Yemen and Bahrain? Here is where lofty talk of universal values collides with self-interest and here is where policies the United States pursued for more than half a century live on. George W. Bush’s secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, put it succinctly in a 2005 speech in Cairo: “For 60 years, my country, the United States, pursued stability at the expense of democracy … here in the Middle East.” » | Bernd Debusmann | Friday, March 25, 2011

Protests Turn Violent in Jordan
Mar 25 - At least 60 people are injured in protests in Jordan as pro and anti government demonstrators clash. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Protests Spread across Syria
Mar 26 - Protests spread across Syria challenging the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's 11 year rule. Marie-Claire Fennessy reports

Bahrain: Thousands Rally at Funeral
Mar 26 - Thousands of mourners rallied at the funeral of a man shot dead by police in Bahrain while in Diraz police dispersed a small protest using tear gas. Marie-Claire Fennessy reports

Libya: On the Road to Ajdabiya
James Bays reports

FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Rebellen erobern strategisch wichtige Stadt Adschdabija zurück » | FAZ.NET | Samstag, 26. März 2011

Anger in Syria
There is anger in Syria on Saturday as protesters regroup following a huge crackdown by security forces. The so-called "Day of Dignity" demonstrations were held across the country on Friday. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out on both sides. Including in the capital Damascus, where pro- and anti-government supporters clashed in the Old Town. And there are reports of at least dozen more people being shot dead by security forces in as many as six towns and villages.
One person is reported killed by police in a Damascus suburb.

In Latakia, doctors say four people were killed when forces opened fire on a crowd of a thousand.
The highest toll was reported in the village of Sanamin. There locals say troops killed 20 civilians while trying to prevent a march to nearby Daraa

Al Jazeera's correspondent Zeina Khodr, defied a media ban to enter Daraa and bring us this story

Kickbacks between Libya and the West Have Helped Gaddafi Cling to Power
THE GUARDIAN: All Gaddafi's rapprochement with the west has achieved is to give him the resources to tighten his grip on the Libyan people

Colonel Gaddafi is nothing if not a caring father. He does everything he can for his boys, arranging, for example, that they grow hugely rich from corrupt dealings with foreign companies. Extracts from leaked state department documents published in the New York Times provide the evidence for this. Emanating from WikiLeaks, they include one state department cable which in 2009 came to the pithy conclusion: "Libya is a kleptocracy in which the regime – either the al-Qadhafi family itself or its close political allies – has a direct stake in anything worth buying, selling or owning." (The cable used the department's spelling of Gaddafi.) Other cables revealed it sometimes demands billion-dollar "signing bonuses" for contracts with western oil companies. A Canadian company, Petro-Canada, was reported in the Toronto Globe and Mail not only to have paid one such bonus but also to have sponsored an exhibition of the dreadful paintings of Saif Gaddafi and to have been involved, through a middleman, in getting him to take part in a pheasant shoot on Princess Anne's Gloucestershire estate.

This bonanza of kickbacks and corrupt deals, in which western companies greedy for Libyan oil participated, got under way when the US reopened trade with Libya in 2004, the year Tony Blair paid his famous visit to the colonel in his desert retreat and kissed him on his hairy cheeks. Their embrace seems even more nauseating now, for it marked the beginning of a period in which the Gaddafi regime began to accumulate the wealth with which it may yet frustrate the purposes of the US, France and Britain. » | Alexander Chancellor | Friday, February 25, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi: Inside the Mind of a Tyrant
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As Colonel Gaddafi retreats deeper into paranoia, Michael Burleigh assesses the lessons to be learnt from history’s despots.

This week, newly released papers from the German government revealed something rather pertinent for those considering what the embattled Col Gaddafi’s next trick would be. The papers declared that on May 27, 1980, Gaddafi handed a written demand to Günter Held, the West German ambassador in Tripoli, for the eyes of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

He insisted that Schmidt expel exiled Libyan opponents of his regime who were living in Germany. If the Chancellor refused, Gaddafi swore he would take “counter-measures” against 2,500 Germans in Libya, including the few being held in jail. The Colonel asked if West Germany wanted “to co-operate with traitors – or the Libyan people”. He even offered to stop subsidising Red Army Faction terrorists, provided, of course, that Schmidt allowed him to liquidate “a relatively small number of people” living on German soil.

This, in a nutshell, is Gaddafi’s modus operandi. He bears grudges heavily, is never shy of wreaking blood-soaked havoc or proffering deadly threats – and has next to no sense of reality outside his own paranoid bunker.

Now Libya’s fate, and the credibility of the coalition’s governments, hinges on what this devious and ruthless man is thinking inside his Tripoli military-cum-residential compound. In power for 41 years, Gaddafi is not what his son Saif’s friend, Peter Mandelson, calls “a quitter”. » | Michael Burleigh | Friday, March 25, 2011

Libya: David Cameron Urges Col Gaddafi's Allies to Abandon the Leader
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has urged Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's political allies and military chiefs to abandon the Libyan regime and help bring down the dictator.

The Prime Minister made his call as senior British Government sources revealed that members of Libya's ruling regime and military leadership were starting to "waver" in the face of sustained airstrikes.

Britain and other coalition nations have been privately encouraging senior regime figures to turn on Col Gaddafi and topple him.

Speaking at a European Union summit in Brussels, Mr Cameron went public with that call, saying senior Libyans should ignore Col Gaddafi's orders and leave their posts. "The people around him and the people who are obeying his orders should recognise that the time is up," Mr Cameron said. "Don't obey his orders, walk away from your tanks, leave the command and control that you are doing, give up on this regime because it should be over for him and his henchmen."

He added: "Every day you work for him you are at risk of the International Criminal Court, and you are at risk of being found guilty of war crimes."

In London, senior government sources revealed that some Libyan officials and commanders had started trying to make contact with Western governments to discuss an end to the military confrontation. » | Rosa Prince, Brussels and James Kirkup | Friday, March 25, 2011

Inside Story - The Impact of Disaster on Japan's Economy
It's two weeks since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and 10-metre tsunami struck the northeast coast of Japan. Hundreds of thousands of people are still homeless, more than half a million households do not have water, and workers are still battling to gain control of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. 
Fears of contaminated food are spreading overseas as officials report traces of radiation in milk products, seawater and 11 kinds of locally-grown vegetables.
 How will Japan recover from the disaster? Will it be able to regain the world's confidence, and how long will it take?

Bahraini Protesters Defy Ban
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: MANAMA, Bahrain—Security forces using tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shot dispersed antigovernment protesters across Bahrain who defied martial law and a ban on public gatherings.

In many of the Shiite villages that surround the capital of Manama, groups of protesters, mainly young men, gathered at prominent intersections, calling for the fall of the Sunni ruling family. » | Joe Parkinson | Friday, March 25, 2011

Saudi Shi'ites Protest for Reforms
VOICE OF AMERICA: Hundreds of Shi'ites in Saudi Arabia rallied in two towns in the kingdom's eastern province of Qatif, where they demanded the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of Saudi troops from Bahrain. 



Some demonstrators waved Bahraini flags on Friday as they took to the streets in a show of solidarity with Bahrain's Shi'ite majority, which has been demanding reforms from the country's Sunni-led government. » | Friday, March 25, 2011

Protests Spread against Assad Rule in Syria
REUTERS AFRICA: DAMASCUS/DERAA, Syria - Protests spread across Syria on Friday, challenging the rule of the Assad family after their forces killed dozens of demonstrators in the south.

In the southern city of Deraa, which has been in revolt for a week, gunfire and tear gas scattered a crowd of thousands after people lit a fire under a statue of late president Hafez al-Assad, whose son Bashar has ruled since his death in 2000.

Al Jazeera aired comments by a man who said security forces had killed 20 people on Friday in the nearby town of Sanamein.

In Hama, in the centre of the country, where the elder Assad put down an Islamist revolt in 1982 at a cost of many thousands of lives, residents said people streamed through the streets after weekly prayers chanting "Freedom is ringing out!" -- a slogan heard in uprisings sweeping the rest of the Arab world. » | Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Suleiman al-Khalidi / Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Beirut; writing by Alastair Macdonald; editing by Mark Heinrich | Friday, March 25, 2011

Facing Housing Crisis, Saudi Arabia Sets Up Ministry
REUTERS AFRICA: RIYADH - Saudi Arabia has set up a ministry for housing, the kingdom's state news agency said on Friday, as the world's largest oil exporter seeks to address huge demand for new homes.

The Gulf nation is facing a massive housing problem due to rapid population growth and an inflow of expatriate workers coming to the kingdom. » | Reporting by Jason Benham; Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton | Friday, March 25, 2011

Bahrain Protesters Hit by Tear Gas
VOICE OF AMERICA: Security forces in Bahrain have fired tear gas at anti-government demonstrators who defied a government ban on public gatherings and took to the streets. 



Security teams held back protesters in mostly Shi'ite Muslim villages near Bahrain's capital, Manama, when they tried to rally after Friday prayers. 



Government forces tightened security throughout the kingdom Friday, which opposition groups set for "Day of Rage" protests demanding political reforms. Troops set up checkpoints across the country while military jets flew overhead.



Activists have been protesting for about a month in Bahrain. The kingdom's Shi'ites, a majority of the population, have been demanding greater political freedoms from Sunni Muslims who control the government and make up the royal family. » | Friday, March 25, 2011

President Obama Quotes Hadith at Prayer Breakfast

"Blood Brothers" - Who Is the Muslim Brotherhood[?]

HT: Always On Watch »

Gaddafi's Entourage Sends Out Secret Peace Feelers
REUTERS AFRICA: WASHINGTON - Members of Muammar Gaddafi's entourage are putting out feelers to seek a cease-fire or safe passage from Libya, according to U.S. and European officials and a businessman close to the Libyan leadership.

Messages seeking some kind of peaceful end to U.N.-backed military action or a safe exit for members of Gaddafi's entourage have been sent via intermediaries in Austria, Britain and France, said Roger Tamraz, a Middle Eastern businessman with long experience conducting deals with the Libyan regime.

Tamraz said Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Muammar's eldest son, and Abdullah Senoussi, the Libyan leader's brother-in-law, were the most prominent Gaddafi entourage members involved in seeking ways to end the fighting.

A U.S. national security official, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, said that U.S. government agencies were aware that Saif al-Islam and Senoussi had been involved in making peace overtures. » | Mark Hosenball | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor Arrives Late for Her Own Funeral
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The start of Elizabeth Taylor's funeral was delayed after the film star left instructions requesting that her coffin should arrive 15 minutes late.

Taylor was buried at a family funeral in a California cemetery famous for being the final resting place of Hollywood celebrities, including her good friend Michael Jackson.

Barricades blocked access to the funeral at the Forest Lawn Cemetery, where about 50 family members mourned the actress during a service that lasted about an hour, said a police spokesman. Five black stretch limousines transported Taylor's family to and from the funeral, but no procession was held.

The service began 15 minutes after its announced start time in observance of Taylor's parting wish that her funeral start late, her publicist Sally Morrison said.

Taylor had left instructions asking for the tardy start and had requested that someone announce, "She even wanted to be late for her own funeral," Morrison said.

Taylor died early on Wednesday of congestive heart failure while surrounded by her four children at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized for about six weeks. » | Friday, March 25, 2011

Related »

Jean Ziegler approuve l’intervention en Libye
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le sociologue suisse Jean Ziegler [En anglais] approuve «totalement» l’intervention de la coalition en Libye.

L'intervention de la coalition a permis d’éviter «un carnage» qui aurait eu lieu si Kadhafi avait reconquis l’est du pays, a-t-il affirmé vendredi.

«La résolution de l’ONU créant une zone d’exclusion aérienne a sauvé la vie à des milliers de gens. Si Kadhafi avait pu reprendre Benghazi, un nouveau Srebrenica se serait produit», a déclaré le sociologue et vice-président du comité consultatif du Conseil des droits de l’homme.

«Quand un Etat viole gravement les droits de l’homme, la communauté internationale a le devoir de protéger ses citoyens», a-t- il dit. A Srebrenica en 1995, la communauté internationale n’était pas intervenue pour protéger l’enclave bosniaque de l’intervention des Serbes. 


Il a rappelé qu’en 1992, la création d’une zone d’exclusion aérienne au-dessus du Kurdistan a permis de sauver les Kurdes d’une contre-attaque de Saddam Hussein et qu’au Kosovo en 1999, la même stratégie de la part de l’OTAN a abouti à un succès. » | ats | Vendredi 25 Mars 2011

Arabellion: Zehntausende Demonstranten im Jemen und in Syrien
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Im Jemen und in Syrien haben zehntausende Demonstranten nach dem Freitagsgebet demokratische Reformen gefordert. Jemens Präsident Salih erklärte am Freitag abermals seine Rücktritts-bereitschaft, schloss aber Gespräche mit der Opposition aus. In Jordanien wurden 30 Demonstranten verletzt.

Zehntausende Demonstranten im Jemen und in Syrien haben nach dem Freitagsgebet demokratische Reformen gefordert. In Jemens Hauptstadt Sanaa herrschte Hochspannung, nachdem vor Wochenfrist bei Protesten regimetreue Heckenschützen 53 Demonstranten getötet und über 240 verletzt hatten. Ähnlich war die Lage auch in Syrien - dort waren in dieser Woche Dutzende Menschen von Sicherheitskräften getötet worden.

In Jordanien wurden in der Nacht zum Freitag 30 Menschen bei einem Protest für mehr Demokratie verletzt. Vor mehreren Tausend Anhängern signalisierte Jemens Präsident Ali Abdullah Salih am Freitag seine Rücktrittsbereitschaft, schloss aber zugleich einen Dialog mit der Opposition kategorisch aus. Der angedeutete Rückzug von der Macht blieb allerdings nebulös. „Ich bin bereit, die Macht abzugeben, aber nur in sichere Hände“, sagte Salih. Diese sicheren Hände müssten vom Volk gewählt sein. Der Opposition traue er nicht, sagte er, da diese eine „kleine Minderheit von Drogenhändlern“ sei. » | dpa | Freitag, 25. März 2011

PCC Investigates Melanie Phillips' Spectator Blog
THE GUARDIAN: Blogpost on media coverage of murder of Israeli family on West Bank referred to the 'moral depravity' of Arab 'savages'

A Melanie Phillips blogpost on the Spectator website which referred to the "moral depravity" of Arab "savages" is being investigated by the Press Complaints Commission.

The online comment piece, headlined "Armchair barbarism", focused on media coverage of the murder of five members of a Jewish family in the West Bank settlement of Itamar by Palestinian militants earlier this month.

"The moral depravity of the Arabs is finding a grotesque echo in the moral bankruptcy and worse of the British and American 'liberal' media," wrote Phillips.

"Overwhelmingly, the media have either ignored or downplayed the atrocity – or worse, effectively blamed the victims for bringing it on themselves, describing them as 'hard-line settlers' or extremists.

"To the New York Times, it's not the Arab massacre of a Jewish family which has jeopardised 'peace prospects' – because the Israelis will quite rightly never trust any agreement with such savages – but instead Israeli policy on building more homes, on land to which it is legally and morally entitled, which is responsible instead for making peace elusive. Twisted, and sick." » | John Plunkett | Friday, March 18, 2011

FRONTPAGEMAG.COM: The Inquisition of Melanie Phillips » | Posted by Robert Spencer | Friday, March 25, 2011

Remembering Elizabeth Taylor, Jewish by Choice
HAARETZ: Taylor may be remembered most for her award winning film roles and long list of husbands, but the star was also a Jewish convert who took her chosen religion very seriously.

Judaism, unlike some other religions, discourages conversions, but there has always been a certain amount of giddy excitement when a star, from Marilyn Monroe to Sammy Davis Jr., converts to the Jewish faith.

Few celebrity conversions, however, have garnered the lasting impact that the ceremony at Hollywood’s Temple Israel on March 27, 1959 did, at which a 27-year old Elizabeth Taylor took on the Hebrew name Elisheva Rachel and converted to Judaism. » | The Forward | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Related »

Islamic Jihad at the Service of Iran
YNET NEWS: Escalation of violence in south puts spotlight on extremist Palestinian organization behind some of the most brutal terror attacks Israel has seen

The Grad rockets that hit Ashdod and Beersheba this week were launched by terrorists from Islamic Jihad's armed wing, as were the numerous mortars fired towards the western Negev. Four of the five terrorists killed by Israel on Wednesday were longtime Jihad members who had been firing rockets and mortars at Israel since the days of the second Intifada.

As opposed to Hamas, Islamic Jihad is a small, tight-knit organization with a particularly extremist agenda based on nationalism and religious fervor. Its members completely reject Israel's right to exist, and believe the only way to liberate "all of Palestine" is through armed Jihad, or holy war.

The group's uncompromising position led to increasing tensions with the Palestinian Authority, so much so that its leader in Damascus, Ramadan Shalah, recently warned of a "third Nakba" due to the PA's "insistence" to engage in peace talks with Israel.

The Arabic term "Nakba", meaning catastrophe, is used to describe the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in 1948 and the subsequent creation of the Israeli state. » | Elior Levy | Friday, March 25, 2011

’Arab Spring’ Drives Wedge between U.S., Saudi Arabia
THE MIAMI HERALD: WASHINGTON — The United States and Saudi Arabia — whose conflicted relationship has survived oil shocks, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the U.S. invasion of Iraq — are drifting apart faster than at any time in recent history, according to diplomats, analysts and former U.S. officials.

The breach, punctuated by a series of tense diplomatic incidents in the past two weeks, could have profound implications for the U.S. role in the Middle East, even as President Barack Obama juggles major Arab upheavals from Libya to Yemen.

The Saudi monarchy, which itself has been loathe to introduce democratic reforms, watched with deepening alarm as the White House backed Arab opposition movements and helped nudge from power former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, another long-time U.S. ally, according to U.S. and Arab officials.

That alarm turned to horror when the Obama administration demanded that the Saudi-backed monarchy of Bahrain negotiate with protesters representing the country's majority Shiite Muslim population. To Saudi Arabia's Sunni rulers, Bahrain's Shiites are a proxy for Shiite Iran, its historic adversary.

"We're not going to budge. We're not going to accept a Shiite government in Bahrain," said an Arab diplomat, who spoke frankly on condition he not be further identified.

Saudi Arabia has registered its displeasure bluntly. Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were rebuffed when they sought to visit the kingdom this month. The official cover story was that aging King Abdullah was too ill to receive them.

Ignoring U.S. pleas for restraint, a Saudi-led military force from the Gulf Cooperation Council, a grouping of six Arab Persian Gulf states, entered Bahrain on March 14, helping its rulers squelch pro-democracy protests, at least for now.

A White House statement issued the day before enraged the Saudis and Bahrainis further, the diplomat and others with knowledge of the situation said. The statement urged "our GCC partners to show restraint and respect the rights of the people of Bahrain, and to act in a way that supports dialogue instead of undermining it."

In a speech Sunday in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former ambassador to Washington, said the Gulf countries now must look after their own security — a role played exclusively by the United States since the 1979 fall of the Shah of Iran. Continue reading and comment » | Warren P. Strobel | McClatchy Newspapers | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lady Gaga Takes On Malaysia's Censors
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The controversial pop star Lady Gaga thumbed her nose at Muslim-majority Malaysia's conservative culture and urged its young people to fight the censorship of her hit song promoting acceptance of gays.

She said youth in Malaysia – where homosexuality is taboo and sodomy illegal – must peacefully protest the crackdown against her song "Born This Way" if they wanted to be free in their own society.

The largest group of non-government radio stations has been rendering song's line "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian or transgendered life, I'm on the right track, baby" unintelligible by garbling the lyric.

Pop acts from the West regularly fall foul of the authorities or conservative Islamic groups in Malaysia. Numerous concerts have been cancelled, dramatically toned down or the promoters fined afterwards for contravening laws governing modesty.

But the outspoken Lady Gaga refused to hold her tongue when asked about the Malaysian censorship when she visited the headquarters of Google, in Mountain View, California.

"What I would say is for all the young people in Malaysia that want those words to be played on the radio, it is your job and it is your duty as young people to have your voices heard," she said in an interview posted on YouTube. » | Ian MacKinnon, Bangkok | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Labour Turn on Clegg's Aside to Cameron
THE INDEPENDENT: The Labour Party last night threatened to pull the plug on three-way televised debates at the next General Election after Nick Clegg was inadvertently recorded telling David Cameron that the pair “won’t find anything to bloody disagree on”.

Mr Clegg had been taking part in a post-budget question and answer session with the Prime Minister in Nottingham which ended with the two men being asked where they would be in 2015.

Mr Cameron joked that they’d probably be having election TV leaders’ debates but that this time it might be “a bit better natured between the two of us.”

But as the two men then walked off the stage Mr Clegg forgot he had his microphone on and was recorded saying to Mr Cameron as they left the room: “If we keep doing this we won’t find anything to bloody disagree on in the bloody TV debates.” » | Oliver Wright | Thursday, March 24, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – VIDEO: Nick Clegg's unguarded comment caught on camera: Nick Clegg has been left red-faced after the Deputy Prime Minister's quip about his closeness to David Cameron was caught on a TV microphone. » | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Jerusalem Bus Bomb Victim Was British
THE GUARDIAN: Foreign Office confirms 60-year-old woman killed in explosion outside Jerusalem's main bus station was UK national


The woman killed when a suitcase bomb exploded in Jerusalem on Wednesday was British, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

The bombing, the first in the city for seven years, left the 60-year-old dead and injured dozens of others.

"We can confirm the death of a British national," said a Foreign Office spokeswoman, adding that the woman's family had been informed. » | Adam Gabbatt | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Libyen-Einsatz: Türkei: Nato übernimmt in Kürze das Kommando
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die Türkei hat ihren Widerstand gegen eine Übernahme des Kommandos über den Libyen-Einsatz durch die Nato aufgegeben. Die Nato solle „so schnell wie möglich“ das Kommando übernehmen, sagte der türkische Außenminister Davutoglu am Donnerstagabend.

Die 28 Nato-Staaten stehen kurz vor einer Einigung über den Einsatz des Bündnisses zur militärischen Durchsetzung einer Flugverbotszone in Libyen. Dies sagten Diplomaten am Donnerstag in Brüssel. Demnach ist vorgesehen, dass die Nato schon in wenigen Tagen die Führung des Militäreinsatzes zur Durchsetzung des Flugverbots übernimmt.

Zuvor hatte der türkische Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu in Ankara erklärt, die Hindernisse für die Führungsrolle der Nato seien beseitigt. Dies berichtete das türkische Staatsfernsehen TRT. Die Übergabe an die Nato solle „so schnell wie möglich“ geschehen, sagte Davutoglu am Donnerstagabend nach einem Telefonat mit seinen Kollegen aus den Vereinigten Staaten, Frankreich und Großbritannien. » | FAZ.NET | Donnerstag, 24. März 2011

Syrie - Bachar al-Assad fait des concessions
LE POINT: Face aux violences en Syrie, le président a promulgué un décret stipulant "une augmentation des salaires" immédiate.

Le président syrien Bachar al-Assad a promulgué jeudi un décret stipulant "une augmentation des salaires". Photo : Le Point
La Syrie, qui juge les demandes de son peuple "légitimes", envisage d'annuler la loi sur l'état d'urgence et va mettre en place des mécanismes "efficaces" pour lutter contre la corruption, a déclaré jeudi Boussaïna Chaabane, conseillère du président Bachar al-Assad. Cette déclaration intervient alors que la Syrie est le théâtre depuis le 15 mars d'un mouvement de protestation contre le régime, notamment dans le sud du pays, qui a fait plus d'une centaine de morts selon des militants des droits de l'homme. L'agence de presse officielle a annoncé dans le même temps une augmentation immédiate des salaires des fonctionnaires de 30 %.

"La Syrie va étudier l'annulation de la loi sur l'état d'urgence" décrété dans le pays à l'arrivée au pouvoir du parti Baas en 1963, a affirmé Boussaïna Chaabane lors d'une conférence de presse à Damas. Elle a ajouté que de "nouveaux mécanismes pour lutter contre la corruption vont être mis en place". Les revendications des habitants de Deraa, ville du Sud où les manifestations contre le régime sont les plus importantes, sont "légitimes", a-t-elle affirmé par ailleurs. "Les revendications sont importantes et légitimes. Elles sont sur le bureau du président Bachar al-Assad et des dirigeants syriens", a-t-elle dit. » | Source AFP | Jeudi 24 Mars 2011

Bank of England Must Raise Interest Rates Before Its [sic] Too Late, Warns Chief Economist Spencer Dale
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Bank of England is at risk of gradually losing public confidence due to persistently above-target inflation, posing an upward risk to future prices, the central bank's chief economist, Spencer Dale said on Thursday.

Mr Dale – who voted for higher interest rates this month and last – broadly defended the BoE's past policy decisions in a speech to asset managers, but said it was now time to tighten what he described as "extraordinarily loose" monetary policy.

Unlike some of his colleagues on the nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee, Mr Dale said he was wary about the apparent stability of public medium- and long-term inflation expectations in surveys.

"I'm cautious about how much comfort we can take from the relative stability in these measures," he said.

"Although some economists may like to think otherwise, most companies and households have far better things to do than spend time formulating detailed expectations of the rate of inflation likely to prevail in five or 10 years time."

He said the bank's credibility could dissipate slowly over time, posing a major upside risk to the BoE's current forecasts of inflation falling back to target.

Specifically, the risk was that the public would think the BoE was prepared to tolerate very lengthy periods of above target inflation, rather than take rapid action to bring prices back to target, Mr Dale said. Read on and comment » | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Coalition Air Campaign against Libya Continues
Coalition forces have pounded Libyan targets for a fifth consecutive night, with airstrikes deeper into the country's south. The US military says 14 tomahawk missiles were fired by international forces late on Wednesday and into Thursday.
And now there are reports that French war planes have shot down a Libyan jet.
 Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher has more

Burn-a-Koran Pastor to Visit Dearborn!
Terry Jones, the Koran-burning pastor from Gainesville, Fl, is to visit Dearborn, Michigan, in order to protest Islamic law (shari’ah) and radical Islam. The protest is planned for Friday, April 22, and will take place outside the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.

Dearborn has the highest concentration of Muslims and Arabs in north America. Check it out here.

Empire – The Brotherhood

Egypt Warns against Israeli Attack on Gaza
AHRAM ONLINE: Egypt's new foreign minister issues a statement warning Tel Aviv of the negative consequences of launching any military operations in Gaza following bus bombing in Jerusalem

Foreign Minister Nabil El-Arabi on Wednesday evening issued a press statement to "reject and condemn attacks on any civilian life" in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip.

El-Arabi's statement came hours after an explosion hit a Jerusalem bus, killing one woman and leaving around 20 others wounded in West Jerusalem.



The statement issued by the office of the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson warned at the same time "of the grave consequences of escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence".



El-Arabi stated that a new cycle of violence would endanger stability and compromise the interests of Palestinians and Israelis.



Meanwhile, Foreign Minister El-Arabi urged Israel to exercise self-restraint. "Rushing into an operation in Gaza would only aggravate tension and frustration," he stated. » | Dina Ezzat | Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Yemen Says Al-Jazeera Shut for 'False' Footage
AHRAM ONLINE: Yemeni minister of Information justify [sic] its decision to close Al-Jzeera's [sic] office in Sanna because of broadcasting "false information and mistaken footage"

Yemen said on Thursday it evicted Al-Jazeera, which gives extensive coverage of Arab revolts, after it said footage of torture in an Iraqi jail was broadcast as having been filmed in the Arabian peninsula state.

The closure of the Arab news channel's offices in Sanaa on Wednesday was the result of "false information and the broadcast of mistaken footage," the information ministry said.

The ministry, in a statement carried by state news agency Saba, accused the Qatar-based satellite television of "lacking credibility, professionalism and impartiality" in its coverage of anti-regime protests in Yemen.

On Wednesday, Al-Jazeera ran footage of torture in an Iraqi prison as if the footage had been shot in Yemen, it said. » | AFP | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Bahrain Fends Off Charge of Pressing Crackdown
AHRAM ONLINE: Bahraini authorities justify crackdown on Salmaniya hospital by claims it was used as a regrouping center for protesters, slammed rights groups for interfering

Amnesty International on Thursday accused Bahrain of pressing on with a crackdown against Shiite activists and doctors, as Manama tried to fend off charges of foreign meddling in its affairs.

"A crackdown on Shiite opposition activists and doctors continues in Bahrain, with six more people detained in the past few days," said the London-based rights watchdog.

"Amnesty International believes that they have been detained solely for their criticism of and involvement in the protests and that therefore they are prisoners of conscience," Amnesty said in a statement.

But the Sunni-ruled kingdom responded by slamming what it said was foreign interference and charged that outside forces had hijacked the pro-reform demands of demonstrators.

"Bahrain condemns external interference in its domestic matters," said a government spokeswoman, Maysoon Sakba. » | AFP | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Fans Mourn Elizabeth Taylor
Mar 23 - Fans pay their respects to Elizabeth Taylor at her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bob Mezan reports

Related »

Western Air Strikes Fail to Dislodge Gaddafi Armour
REUTERS: Western warplanes hit Libya for a fifth night on Thursday, but so far have failed to stop Muammar Gaddafi's tanks shelling rebel-held towns or dislodge his armour from a strategic junction in the east.

Gaddafi's tanks rolled back into Misrata under the cover of darkness and began shelling the area near the main hospital, residents and rebels said, resuming their attack after their guns were silenced in daylight hours by Western airstrikes.

Government snipers in the city, Libya's third largest, were undeterred by the bombing raids though and had carried on firing indiscriminately throughout, residents said. A rebel spokesman said the snipers had killed 16 people.

"Government tanks are closing in on Misrata hospital and shelling the area," said a doctor in Misrata who was briefly reached by phone before the line was cut off.

It was impossible to independently verify the reports. » | Maria Golovnina and Michael Georgy | TRIPOLI | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Portugal in Turmoil
MAR 23 - Portugal's Prime Minister steps down after austerity vote fails. Conway Gittens reports

Singapore Bans Japanese Food
Mar 24 - Singapore becomes the latest country to ban food imports from certain regions in Japan. Arnold Gay reports

Japan Begins Water Distribution
Mar 24 - Japanese authorities start distributing bottled water to parents of young children in Tokyo amid radiation fears. Toshi Maeda reports

Arab Warplanes Join Libya Mission
Mar 23 - Qatar is the first Arab nation to send fighter jets to help enforce the UN no fly zone over Libya, while other coalition countries also contribute aircraft. Simon Hanna reports

Jerusalem Bomb Raises Fears of More Violence
Mar 23 - A bomb attack in Jerusalem breaks years of relative calm and is raising fears the incident could spark more violence. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Libyan Propaganda Rampant
March 24, 2011 - Government officials ramp up pro Gaddafi propoganda and say they are fighting the western-led allies only as a means of self defense. Julie Noce, Reports

China to Ban Smoking at Indoor Public Places
REUTERS: China will ban smoking at all indoor public venues from May in an effort to shield the world's most populous nation, and its largest cigarette producer, from the harmful effects of the habit, the health ministry said.

China, which has more than 300 million smokers, will require businesses to display prominent no-smoking signs, forbid vending machines from selling cigarettes and ensure that designated outdoor smoking zones not affect pedestrian traffic, according to a ministry statement reported in Chinese media on Thursday.

Businesses should educate customers about the health hazards of smoking and workers should attempt to stop smokers from lighting up, the ministry said.

The ministry did not state specific penalties -- a sign that the new ban might not be rigorously enforced. Read on and comment » | Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Chris Lewis | BEIJING | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Bahrain Unrest Brings Economy to Standstill
REUTERS: In the marble lobby of one of Bahrain's most prestigious hotels, smartly-uniformed staff with polite smiles outnumber the few guests. The Saudi cars normally parked outside are conspicuous by their absence.

Once a relaxed and business-friendly island on the edge of the conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain's economy has been brought to a standstill by unrest that has sucked in neighbouring armies and sent investors and expatriates running.

Gulf Hotel has closed some of its floors and cut back restaurant hours while some of its staff are on voluntary leave.

"Our occupancy has dropped from the high 90s to the low 25 and 30s, so our business has been badly effected in all areas," Gulf Hotel CEO Aqeel Raees told Reuters in an interview.

"Everybody in Bahrain has been affected ... For the business to recover[, it] will take time, because all planned activities, conferences, exhibitions, meetings have been postponed or cancelled."

Bahrain has been gripped by unrest since protesters took to the street last month, setting up camp at Pearl roundabout. Last week, they cut off the road to the financial district, prompting the government to call in Gulf Arab troops, impose martial law and launch a crackdown that drove protesters off the streets.

Bahrain's four main shopping malls were cut off from customers for five days and shops around the city were shut as fear spread. They have begun to reopen, but business is slow.

"The unrest has not just affected us but the whole economy," said Ahmed Sanad, head of the hotel and restaurant association.

"Our occupancy is down from near 100 percent to 30 percent. We can't do anything... People want one thing, the government wants another and business...is stuck in the middle and losing."

"If everyone pulls in a different direction we will all suffer. We must all offer concessions or we are all losers." » | Lin Noueihed | MANAMA | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Syrie: des dizaines de morts à Deraa
L’EXPRESS.fr: Plus de 20.000 personnes ont participé jeudi à des funérailles à Deraa dans le sud de la Syrie, où les forces de l'ordre ont tiré contre des manifestants la veille.

Plus de 20.000 personnes ont participé jeudi à des funérailles à Deraa dans le sud de la Syrie, théâtre de protestations sans précédent contre le pouvoir où des dizaines de manifestants auraient été tués la veille par des tirs de la police, selon des militants des droits de l'Homme.

"Il y a sûrement plus de cent morts et la ville a besoin d'une semaine pour enterrer ses martyrs", a affirmé Ayman al Assouad, militant des droits de l'Homme, joint au téléphone par l'AFP à Deraa depuis Nicosie. Ce dernier a accusé les forces de l'ordre d'"avoir utilisé des balles réelles" contre des manifestants qui participaient mercredi à des funérailles dans cette ville. le précédent bilan faisait était d'au moins 15 morts.

Un autre militant des droits de l'Homme a affirmé que le nombre des tués à Deraa et dans les localités voisines "dépassait les 150 morts". Selon lui, "plusieurs personnes tuées étaient venues des villages voisins de Deraa pour participer aux funérailles". » | Par LEXPRESS.fr avec AFP | Jeudi 24 Mars 2011

Bahreïn: poursuite d'opposants
LE FIGARO: Un groupe international de défense des droits de l'Homme a accusé les autorités de Bahreïn de poursuivre leur campagne contre des opposants, mais ce royaume dirigé par une dynastie sunnite s'est défendu en dénonçant des atteintes à la stabilité du pays.



"La répression contre des militants et des médecins se poursuit", a assuré Amnesty International dans un communiqué reçu aujourd'hui à Dubaï, faisant état d'au moins six détentions avérées parmi le personnel médical. Amnesty considère que ces personnes ont été arrêtées pour leurs critiques du régime et sont des "prisonniers de conscience". » | AFP | Jeudi 24 Mars 2011

Iran Website Recruits ‘Jihadists’ for Bahrain ‘War’
Promises privacy protection for volunteers
AL ARABIYA: Iranian authorities have licensed a website calling for “war,” including the use of volunteer suicide militants, against what its founders see as the “invasion” of Bahrain by troops from countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).



Raheel, Arabic for “departure,” seeks to mobilize public opinion against the intervention of the GCC joint Peninsula Shield Force in Bahrain.

The website features Quranic verses that call for Jihad, or holy war, and backs those calls with photos and videos showing alleged human rights violations by the GCC troops. The website, however, does not show any GCC troops cracking down on civilians in the streets. » | Al Arabiya.net, Dubai; Translated from the Arabic by Sonia Farid | Thursday, March 24, 2011

DAWN WIRES: Evidence that Iran has led the Arab revolution » | Posted by Dawn Wires | Thursday, March 24, 2011