Universities: The Breeding Grounds of Terror

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The evidence that British student campuses have become hotbeds of Islamist radicalisation is overwhelming, says Anthony Glees. It is time to get tough on those who refuse to believe it.

Theresa May’s message to our vice-chancellors, in her comments to this newspaper yesterday, was crystal clear: it’s time for them – at long, long last – to get a grip on student extremism. The shameful record of complacency towards Islamist radicalisation on Britain’s campuses will no longer wash. But are our universities listening, let alone getting ready to act? I fear not.

For one thing, politicians have said this before. In his first major speech on security and radicalisation, in February this year, David Cameron underscored the dismal truth that many of those found guilty of terrorist offences have been British graduates. “We must stop extremists recruiting in publicly[-]funded institutions like universities,” he said. Two months ago, he made the same point, when he said that not enough was being done to “deradicalise” our universities.

In the same month, Baroness Neville-Jones, the recently departed security minister, said much the same thing. Britain, she confirmed, still faces a serious security threat from Islamist radicalisation – and universities are one of the main recruiting grounds. In fact, she said, they are a greater source of danger than radical mosques.

So here are the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and the then security minister all speaking with one voice – along with the previous government, and indeed the widely respected all-party Homeland Security Group. But there are none so deaf as those who refuse to hear. Just a few days ago, Nicola Dandridge, the head of Universities UK, told The Daily Telegraph that there was “no evidence” to link student radicals with violent extremism. She even claims that MI5 and the police back up her assertions.

No evidence? Within a couple of years of leaving Leeds Metropolitan University, Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the group responsible for the July 7 bombings, began training for terror. Since then, virtually every major British terrorist attack has been led by students or graduates. The list of universities they came from makes horrifying reading: Leicester, Luton, Brighton, Glasgow Metropolitan, UCL, the LSE, the University of Westminster, Brunel and others. » | Anthony Glees * | Monday, June 06, 2011

• Professor Anthony Glees is director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham.

Universities are seats of higher learning. Their purpose is to disseminate learning, erudition, and enlightenment. They are supposed to bring people out of darkness, not let them fall into it. Any university, however grand, however prestigious, is not worthy of its name if it allows its students to become, or remain, benighted. – © Mark

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Anthony Weiner in Tearful Confession over Twitter Pictures
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A married US congressman sent lewd photographs of himself to young female admirers over Twitter and Facebook then lied about being the victim of hackers when he was caught, he admitted last night.


Anthony Weiner, a Democrat from New York, broke down in tears as he confessed to "inappropriate conversations" with six women online and over the phone in the past three years.

"I have made terrible mistakes, I have hurt the people I love the most, and I am deeply sorry," he said, in a hastily-arranged press conference in a Manhattan hotel.

Mr Weiner, 46, repeatedly apologised to his 34-year-old wife Huma Abedin, [bio] a senior aide to Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, and to his constituents, but said he would not resign.

"I don't believe I did anything here that violates any law or violates my oath to my constituents," he said. Some of the conversations dated back to before his wedding last summer.

However Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, called for an inquiry “to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred.” » | Monday, June 06, 2011

Bahrain Shiite Medics Claim They Were Tortured as Trail [sic] Opens

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Shiite medics on trial in Bahrain for involvement in anti-regime protests charged on Monday that they were tortured to sign false confessions, family members said.

The medics told their families and lawyers after a hearing at a special court that they had been "subjected to physical and psychological torture to extract confessions," a relative said.

They were also tortured to "force them to sign statements that contained untrue accusations," a relative added, requesting anonymity.

The medics appeared in the court set up under emergency laws decreed by King Hamad in mid-March on the eve of an all-out crackdown on Shiites who led a month of pro-democracy protests.

A total of 24 doctors and 23 nurses working at Salmaniya hospital were in May referred to the court on a number of charges.

BNA state news agency said Monday that 20 of the defendants, including four women, were accused of possessing non-licenced arms, occupying the hospital, seizing medical equipment and calling for regime change. » | Monday, June 06, 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Accusers Says [sic] She Will 'Tell the World' in Testimony against Him

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Monday mounted his fight-back against charges that he sexually attacked a hotel maid, pleading "not guilty" in a Manhattan court as the woman's lawyers said she would "tell the world" what he did by testifying against him.

The former International Monetary Fund chief was met outside the court by dozens of maids chanting "shame on you".

Smiling and swaggering in a crisp blue suit and tie, the 62-year-old, out on $1 million (£600,000) bail, was transformed from the haggard figure who first stumbled into court last month.

He was flanked by his multimillionaire wife, Anne Sinclair, 62, who wore a dark blazer and skirt and looked refreshed by her stay at the $14 million (£8.5 million) townhouse where her husband is under house arrest and armed guard.

In a seven-minute hearing at New York Supreme Court, Mr Strauss-Kahn was read the seven charges relating to his alleged attack of the 32-year-old maid.

He is accused of attempting to rape the Guinean mother-of-one, before forcing her to perform oral sex, after she arrived to clean his suite at the Sofitel, near Times Square, on May 14. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Monday, June 06, 2011

My comment:

What a bloody circus! And they call this justice! They splattered DSK's visage all over the Web, but nobody has had the balls to show a photo of the woman who has supposedly been raped. In my opinion, if she has the courage to come forward and claim "rape," then she should also have the courage to allow her photo to be shown to the world. Otherwise, don't show the photograph of either party. Why should one side have all the privileges? If this is what the Americans call justice, then it's a bad show! – © Mark

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China: US Waging Global Internet War

RUSSIA TODAY: The Chinese military has accused the US of waging a global Internet war against multiple nations in an effort to bring down governments, citing the Arab Spring revolutions as an example.

The accusations made by scholars at the Chinese military academy follow accusations by Google that Chinese offices attempted to hack Google accounts related to US government offices, officials, journalists, activists and politicians.

Google traced the attacks to the city of Jinan known for hosting the military’s vocational school which focuses on computers and technology. The same location was also linked to an assault on Google's systems over a year ago. China has denied responsibility for both attacks.

China is now asserting however that the US is using computer tactics via the Internet to promote regime change in the Arab world and claimed to have evidence that cyber attacks originated within the United States. » | Friday, June 03, 2011

Strauss-Kahn Pleads Not Guilty
June 6 - Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges he sexually assaulted a New York hotel maid in a case that cost him his job and a chance at the French presidency. Rough cut (no reporter narration)

Radical Indonesia Cleric Rejects Terrorism Charges

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: PDT JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A radical Indonesian cleric facing life in prison on terrorism charges professed his innocence Monday and rejected the trial as outside Islamic law in a final court appearance before judges announce a verdict.

Abu Bakar Bashir is accused of helping to set up and fund a terror training camp in Aceh province for a group that allegedly planned attacks on foreigners and assassinations of moderate Muslim leaders such as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Prosecutors have sought a life sentence for Bashir, who co-founded the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah network, which is blamed for some of Indonesia's deadliest suicide bombings.

Bashir, 72, denies involvement with the training camp but has repeatedly defended it as legal under Islam.

The white-bearded cleric told a Jakarta court that the case against him was fabricated and witnesses that testified by teleconference were doing so under pressure.

"Therefore their testimonies could not be trusted," he said. » | Associated Press | Monday, June 06, 2011

Gay Rights Are Human Rights

LOS ANGELES TIMES – EDITORIAL: Recent violence against gay people in South Africa is a reminder that the struggle for gay rights is a global one.

When it comes to gay rights, South Africa is something of a paradox. Legally progressive, the country allows gay marriage and, in its Constitution, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Gay groups flourish — soccer clubs and church organizations included — and middle-class gay men and women live relatively openly.

But in some parts of the country, particularly in rural areas and townships, the progressive laws collide with deeply traditional views of homosexuality as un-African and as an import from the decadent West.

In the South African township of Kwa-Thema, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, a young lesbian woman who dressed like a man and played soccer as well as one was found dead in an alley on Easter morning, having been stabbed with broken glass, battered with bricks and apparently raped with a broken bottle. Two other openly gay women have been murdered in the township since 2008, and some gay men and women report having been raped by attackers who claimed to be teaching them a lesson.

The violence in South Africa is a reminder that the struggle for gay rights is a global one. A gay rights demonstration in Moscow was disrupted last month by counter-protesters, and Russian security forces detained people from both sides of the protest. In Jamaica, homophobic lyrics in dancehall music have been blamed for violent attacks on gay people. » | Monday, June 06, 2011

Iran's Women Footballers Banned from Olympics Because of Islamic Strip

THE GUARDIAN: • Team play in tracksuit and head covering to meet Islamic law • Women were banned from playing Olympic qualifier in Jordan

Iran's dream of competing in the London 2012 Olympic women's football tournament have been crushed by an unexpected ruling that their Islamic dress broke Fifa rules, said a football federation official in Tehran.

Iran is complaining to the world ruling body after its women were banned from playing, moments before an Olympic qualifier against Jordan last week, due to their full-body strip that includes a head scarf.

The head of women's affairs at Iran's football federation said the country had made changes to its women's kit after a Fifa ban last year and believed it had been given the approval of the world federation and of its president, Sepp Blatter.

"We made the required corrections and played a match afterwards," Farideh Shojaei said. "We played the next round and were not prevented from doing so, and they didn't find anything wrong. That meant that there are no obstacles in our path, and that we could participate in the Olympics."

Fifa's rules for the 2012 Olympics state that: "Players and officials shall not display political, religious, commercial or personal messages or slogans in any language or form on their playing or team kits."

In order to comply with the Islamic dress code which is mandatory in the Islamic Republic, Iran's women footballers play in full tracksuits and head coverings that conceal their hair. » | Reuters | Monday, June 06, 2011

Inside Story - Filling Yemen's Power Vacuum
Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, is in Saudi Arabia receiving medical treatment. He flew there on Saturday night following an attack on his presidential palace in which other senior members of his government were also injured. Saleh's departure has opened up the opportunity to resolve Yemen's ongoing political crisis, but who will fill the political vacuum should Saleh not return? Inside Story, with presenter Felicity Barr, discusses.

Bahraini Doctors, Nurses Charged for Helping Injured
Medical staff who treated protesters accused of plotting to overthrow kingdom's monarchy amid reports of more violence. Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports from Bahrain

USA/Islam: America’s Islamic Madrasas
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC NEWS AGENCY: HOUSTON - Watching his son sitting in his classroom decorated by cartoon characters, projects and artworks, Syed Shahzad, whose 13-year-old son Shayan attends Houston’s largest Islamic school, was very proud of the level his son reached in memorizing Qur’an and Islam’s true teachings, Houston Chronicle reported.

“I’m blessed with this kid,” said Syed, Shayan’s father, who moved to the US from Pakistan when he was 12. ”At his age, I didn’t know anything.

Shahzad, from Richmond, was one of the few parents who preferred to send their kids to Madrasah Islamia, or Islamic school, to memorize the Holy Qur’an.

Enrolling his son Shayan, a straight-A student, at the madrasa two years ago, the father was proud of his brilliant son who has managed to memorize more than half of the Qur’an, a best way for Syed to keep Qur’an from loss.

“This is something nobody can take away from you,” said Shahzad.

“Even if the Quran gets lost, you still have it in your heart.”

At their school, the largest and oldest in Houston, students are also taught about prophets such as Moses, Jesus and Muhammad as well as respecting their classmates and help others.

“Our children should have some sort of knowledge of Islam, of who they are, where their roots come from,” said Shahzad.

“It’s important for every kid, whatever religion, whatever culture.” » | IINA | Saturday, June 04, 2011 (3 Rajab)

Robert Spencer Vs. Antifa* in Stuttgart - German Subtitles

HT: Jihad Watch »

*Antifa is an anti-fascist network

Ben Ali Slams Trial ‘Masquerade’

CAPITAL NEWS (KENYA): PARIS - Deposed and exiled Tunisian autocrat Zine el Abidine Ben Ali broke his silence Monday to denounce his imminent trial on corruption charges as a "masquerade", according to his French lawyer.

"Tired of being made a sacrificial lamb by lies and injustice, President Ben Ali has exceptionally dropped his discretion," Jean-Yves Le Borgne, who represents the former leader in France, said in a statement to AFP.

Ben Ali fled Tunisia in January following a revolt against his 23-year rule and is thought to be in Saudi Arabia. Family members say he suffered a stroke in February and he has made no public appearances.

Tunisia's new authorities are preparing to try him and his wife Leila Trabelsi on drugs, guns and graft charges in absentia.

The French statement represents the first time the 74-year-old leader has spoken out since fleeing Tunis, even indirectly, and is the first sign he plans to fight the various legal challenges hanging over him.

"The searches conducted in his official and personal offices are just stage-dressing designed to discredit him," Le Borgne alleged.

"The case that Tunisia is building against him is nothing but a masquerade which serves no purpose other than to mark a symbolic break with the past."

The French lawyer told AFP he was working alongside Ben Ali's main counsel, the renowned Lebanese jurist Akram Azouri, to represent his client's interests in Paris, capital of Tunisia's former colonial power.

But he insisted that reports that the ousted strongman has significant assets in France are false, declaring that he has "no real estate, no bank accounts in France and none in any other foreign country." » | Agence France Presse | Monday, June 06, 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Pleads Not Guilty to Rape Charges

THE GUARDIAN: Former head of IMF will face trial and remains under house arrest in New York accused of raping hotel maid

Dominique Strauss Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, has pleaded not guilty to charges he raped a hotel maid.

The one-time French presidential hopeful will face trial over the allegations that cost him his job and sent the IMF into crisis. He will be back in court on 18 July.

At a brief hearing at Manhattan criminal court he pleaded not guilty in a strong voice, standing between his defence team and watched by his wife, the millionaire former journalist Anne Sinclair.

Strauss-Kahn's lawyers said they needed six weeks to assess evidence that has been collected by the US authorities. DNA matching Strauss-Kahn's has reportedly been found in semen on the maid's clothing and on a section of carpet from his hotel room. Experts say the defence will probably argue that any sexual contact between the maid and Strauss-Kahn was consensual. » | Dominic Rushe in New York | Monday, June 06, 2011

Why Anne Sinclair Is Standing by Dominique Strauss-Kahn

THE GUARDIAN: As the former IMF chief faces charges of violent sexual assault, the rumours about his sex life are swirling around the media. But one woman refuses to believe a word of it – his wife

As Dominique Strauss-Kahn sat in a New York court for a bail hearing, accused of attempting to rape a hotel maid, the focus was on the stomach-churning allegations. One of the world's most powerful men stood charged with locking his hotel suite, dragging an immigrant cleaner from room to room, grabbing and assaulting her, using brute strength to twice force her to give him oral sex, pinning her down and trying to rape her. But one subtle moment in his televised hearing captivated France. After he was granted bail, Strauss-Kahn raised his eyes to his wife sitting in the front row of the public seats, smiled and blew her a kiss. She, a feminist and former political journalist, pressed her lips to the palm of her hand and blew him a kiss back.

What intrigues France about the political rape scandal of the century is that behind it all there is a bizarre and gripping love story. Strauss-Kahn's wife, Anne Sinclair, once the most famous, brilliant and beautiful TV star in France, is still utterly in love with him, her friends say. Locked up in the notorious Rikers Island jail for four days after his arrest, the head of the International Monetary Fund and once the great hope to become Socialist president of France wrote that he loved his wife "more than anything". She said she didn't believe "for a single second" that her husband was guilty.

Sinclair has long been an institution in France: the star French TV interviewer of the 80s – a cross between Terry Wogan, Angela Rippon and Jeremy Paxman – famous for her blue eyes and mohair jumpers. But now, at 62, she has become something much more controversial: France's martyred wife, both a heroine of bravery and object of pity, a potent symbol of women's humiliation not just in the face of French male philandering, but possible sex crime. Celebrity magazines have boosted sales by putting her "smile of suffering" on the cover. Paris Match likened her to Marianne, the woman warrior symbol of France, but "more blind and deaf". » | Angelique Chrisafis | Friday, June 03, 2011

Bahrain Medics Accused of Treason
THE INDEPENDENT: Dozens of doctors and nurses who treated injured anti-government protesters during the months of unrest in Bahrain have gone on trial accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy.

The 23 doctors and 24 nurses have been detained since March, when martial law was imposed to quell a wave of Shiite-led demonstrations for greater freedoms.

Emergency rule was lifted on Wednesday and protesters again marched on the capital's Pearl Square on Friday, facing tear gas and rubber bullets from Bahraini police.

The doctors and nurses were charged during a closed hearing in a security court authorised under emergency rule. The court has military prosecutors and military and civilian judges.

They were charged with participating in efforts to topple Bahrain's Sunni monarchy and taking part in illegal rallies. Other charges against the doctors and nurses, who mostly treated injured protesters in the state-run Salmaniya Medical Complex in the capital Manama, include harming the public by spreading false news and denying medical attention. » | PA | Monday, June 06, 2011

Deeper and Deeper into Libya

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The deployment of Apache helicopters might hasten Gaddafi’s departure, but Britain is facing a long stay in the country, writes James Kirkup in Benghazi

Skimming fast and low over the ground, bristling with missiles and heavy with armour, the Army’s Apache AH64 attack helicopters are British might incarnate, a muscular show of power and self-assurance from a country that remains (just) in the global premier league of military players.

Yet their presence over western Libya this weekend is also a tacit sign of British failure, the failure of 11 weeks of aerial bombardment to remove Col Muammar Gaddafi from power.

Deploying the Apaches is final proof of something that all but the most partisan of RAF devotees have long conceded: you can start a war from 30,000 feet, but you can only win it on the ground. “Boots on the ground” may have been ruled out, but Britain’s military operation is undeniably moving closer to Libyan soil. » | James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Sunday, June 05, 2011

My comment:

We should never have gone to war with Libya in the first place. This war was caused by Cameron's vanity. The end result will be that British troops will have to go in on the ground, and risk their lives to save Cameron's face. Fools rush in where angels...

Why should we be at war with Libya, but not with Syria or Bahrain? Those two countries also treat their people brutally and shabbily. Perhaps no better than the awful Qadhafi. But for some reason, it's okay to be at war with Libya; but with the other régimes, we just turn a blind eye. Such hypocrisy! – © Mark

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Eiszeit Österreich - Türkei

DIE PRESSE: Schwere Verstimmungen zwischen Wien und Ankara: Österreichs Außenministerium ist verärgert, weil die Türkei Ursula Plassnik als OSZE-Chefin abgeschossen hat.

WIEN. Im österreichischen Außenministerium ist man verärgert, sehr verärgert: Die Türkei hat die Ernennung Ursula Plassniks als neue Generalsekretärin der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) vereitelt – „Die Presse am Sonntag“ berichtete exklusiv – und so für schwere Verstimmung in Wien gesorgt.

Von einem „deutlichen Schatten auf die bilateralen Beziehungen zwischen Österreich und der Türkei“ sprach der österreichische Außenminister Michael Spindelegger noch am Samstag. Einen Tag später legte er nach: Das Veto der Türkei sei nicht nur „unverständlich und durch nichts begründet“, sondern „schlechter Stil“ sowie eine „Ansage der Türkei gegen Österreich“. Diese Aktion werde auch nicht zu einer Euphorie hinsichtlich einer EU-Aufnahme der Türkei führen - „ganz im Gegenteil“, wie Spindelegger in der ZiB 1 des ORF anfügte. Im ohnehin schwierigen Verhältnis zwischen Wien und Ankara scheint erneut eine Eiszeit ausgebrochen zu sein. » | Von Irene Zöch und Martin Fritzl, Die Presse | Sonntag 05. Juni 2011

Obituary: Lawrence Eagleburger

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lawrence Eagleburger, who died on June 4 aged 80, served briefly as American Secretary of State in the dying months of the administration of the first President Bush, after a distinguished career as a diplomat.

A rumpled, self-deprecating figure with more of the look and manner of a barman than a seasoned diplomat, Eagleburger was guided in his approach to foreign policy by an antipathy to what he described as “modern-day American imperialism, which is the imposition of our standards of conduct on the rest of the world”.

This had led, he explained in 1988, to situations in which either “we end up feeling good about what we say, but with no ability to affect the outcome. Or we end up getting ourselves involved in issues which, when put to the test, we will not be prepared to carry through.”

Eagleburger’s scepticism showed itself most strikingly in the early 1990s in his resistance to pressure for America to become involved in the Balkans. In the 1970s he had served under Jimmy Carter as ambassador to Yugoslavia and, before taking charge at the State Department, he was deputy to Secretary James Baker and chief adviser to President Bush on Balkan affairs.

He gained a reputation as a strong partisan of Serbia, most controversially denying that Serbian paramilitaries and the Yugoslav National Army had committed atrocities in the breakaway republic of Croatia and in Bosnia. » | Sunday, June 05, 2011

My comment:

Lawrence Eagleburger’s antipathy to “American imperialism” and the imposition of America’s standards on the rest of the world, regardless of indigenous culture and its suitability for democracy, has landed America in deep trouble for far too long. And American administrations still haven’t learnt that their foreign policy needs to be substantially modified. The Americans’ dogged determination has got them nowhere; on the contrary, it has led to the Americans being hated in many parts of the world. Winning over “hearts and minds” is a meaningless pursuit with such pig-headed policies. The Americans’ love of raw capitalism and democracy blinds them to the realities on the ground. Simple fact is that democracy isn’t suitable for all; and not everyone wants to live in a democratic system anyway.

Long may Lawrence Eagleburger rest in peace. – © Mark

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German Farmer Denies E.coli Link to Farm's Bean Sprouts
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The head of a German farm facing an inquiry over a deadly E.coli outbreak has denied that bean sprouts grown at his farm could be to blame.

Klaus Verbeck, managing director of the "Gaertnerhof Bienenbuettel", told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung that no fertilisers are used to produce his bean sprouts and that there are no animals on his organic farm.

German officials said on Sunday his bean sprouts could be behind an E.coli outbreak that has killed 22 and made more than 2,200 people ill across Europe. The farm has been shut, produce recalled and further test results are due on Monday.

"I can't understand how the processes we have here and the accusations could possibly fit together," Mr Verbeck told the paper. "The salad sprouts are grown only from seeds and water, and they aren't fertilised at all. There aren't any animal fertilisers used in other areas on the farm either."

Neither Mr Verbeck, himself a vegetarian, nor anyone else from the farm would talk on Monday to journalists and television crews, including Reuters, outside his farm in the rural town of 6,600 that is located about 70km (40 miles) south of Hamburg.

German officials, under intense pressure to identify the source of the E.coli outbreak, have warned consumers for weeks to avoid tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, and at one stage said Spanish cucumbers might be the source of the outbreak. The rare E.coli strain has killed 21 Germans and one Swede. » | Monday, June 06, 2011

NEUE OSNABRÜCKER ZEITUNG: Betroffener Betrieb gesperrt – Sprossen aus Niedersachsen wohl Ursache für EHEC-Epidemie: Hannover. Die Experten sind sich ziemlich sicher. Auch wenn der letzte Beweis fehlt: Sprossengemüse aus Niedersachsen ist wohl dafür verantwortlich, dass EHEC grassiert. Ob alle gefährlichen Sprossen bereits verzehrt sind, ist unbekannt. Die Fahndung läuft. » | dpa/NOZ | Sonntag 05. Juni 2011

Affaire DSK: Audience cruciale à Manhattan

FRANCE SOIR: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, par la voix de son avocat, plaidera « non coupable » lundi matin, devant le juge de la Cour suprême. Une stratégie risquée.

C’est sans doute la dernière apparition publique de Dominique Strauss-Kahn avant plusieurs semaines. Lundi matin, le patron déchu du Fonds monétaire international (FMI) est convoqué, pour la deuxième fois, devant l’« honorable juge » de la Court suprême de New York Michaël Obus. Une audience cruciale qui dictera la ligne de défense du Français le plus célèbre de Manhattan depuis qu’il a été arrêté le 14 mai, alors qu’il venait d’embarquer sur un vol d’Air France à destination de Paris.

Accusé de tentative de viol et d’agression sexuelle sur Nafissatou Diallo, une employée de l’hôtel Sofitel Times Square où il avait résidé deux nuits, DSK était placé en garde à vue dans les locaux de la Special Victims Unit, le service de police de New York spécialisé dans les affaires de mœurs. Dans les jours qui suivaient, l’ex-ministre français était envoyé derrière les barreaux d’une cellule de Rikers Island – un immense complexe pénitentiaire situé sur une île au large de Manhattan – avant d’être officiellement inculpé. » | D’envoyée speciale à New York du France Soir, Sandrine Briclot | Lundi 06 Juin 2011

The Arab Spring Is Not Blossoming

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Telegraph View: The personal cost of tyranny in the Arab world is rising.

The personal cost of tyranny in the Arab world is rising. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali escaped from Tunisia to Saudi Arabia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt is to stand trial for murder and corruption, and now Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen has been evacuated to Riyadh with burns and a shrapnel wound.

In each case, the president, once supported by the West as a stabilising factor, resisted the demands of protesters and became a liability. Mr Saleh, who repeatedly equivocated over a peace plan proposed by the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), had long passed that point. Instead of the “honourable exit” which he said he sought, he has suffered the humiliation of being injured in a rocket attack on his palace in Sana’a and forced to seek medical treatment abroad. Read on and comment » | Telegraph View | Monday, June 06, 2011

Universities 'Complacent' over Islamic Radicals, Theresa May Warns
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Home Secretary has criticised universities for their “complacency” in tackling Muslim extremism as she prepares to publish the Government’s updated strategy for countering Islamic radicalism.

Theresa May told The Daily Telegraph that universities were not taking the issue of radicalisation seriously enough and that it was too easy for Muslim extremists to form groups on campuses “without anyone knowing”.

She also said the Government would cut funding to any Islamic group that espoused extremist views, and set out the “key British values” to which those seeking support must subscribe. It is understood that about 20 groups are already losing their funding.
Mrs May made her comments ahead of the publication this week of the updated version of the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy.

“I think for too long there’s been complacency around universities,” she said. “I don’t think they have been sufficiently willing to recognise what can be happening on their campuses and the radicalisation that can take place. I think there is more that universities can do.”

Mrs May said universities had to “send very clear messages” and “ask themselves some questions about what happens on their campuses”. » | Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Sunday, June 05, 2011

Universities are seats of higher learning. Their purpose is to disseminate learning, erudition, and enlightenment. They are supposed to bring people out of darkness, not let them fall into it. Any university, however grand, however prestigious, is not worthy of its name if it allows its students to become, or remain, benighted. – © Mark

The Koran. Image: Google Images
Meanwhile, at the Hay Festival...
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – EXTRACT: …Simon Schama, 66, the historian, said that the Muslim adherence to the Koran and utter certainty in its tenets is depressing.

Schama joked that a fatwa would be issued against him for speaking out against Islam. While the Koran is “sane and compassionate and merciful” in parts, strict adherence to it can be at odds with modern society, he argued.

He said: “I suppose like bits of the Old Testament it is really immoderate. Islam, as I understand it, means submission. And there is a kind of adamant, utter certainty about the Koran.

“In the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible which I know well, people are constantly arguing with God.

“The Koran isn’t really quite like that. It has a lyrical softness combined with a fierce sword-sharpened intemperance which you can’t help but register.

“In some sense, the notion that anyone holds up a book based on revelation as an absolute law around which the entirety of civil society be constructed is still depressing.” Bob Geldof: I was detestable ... until love saved me » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Monday, June 06, 2011

German Beansprouts 'Likely Cause' of E.coli Outbreak
Test results prompt German state of Lower Saxony to ask people to stop eating the locally grown produce

Christian Practice to Have Its Day in Court

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: LONDON: The British government will be forced to say whether it supports the rights of Christians to wear the cross and opt out of diversity legislation as part of a landmark legal case.

Judges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg have ordered ministers to make a formal statement on whether they believe Christians' rights have been infringed in British courts that have repeatedly dismissed their entitlement to dress and act according to their beliefs.

The court has selected the cases of four applicants it considers to be of such legal significance they should be examined further. Once ministers have responded the court will decide whether to have full hearings.

The cases could lead to a final legal answer on how religious beliefs must be balanced against equality laws designed to prohibit discrimination against minority religions and other groups such as homosexuals. » | David Barrett | Telegraph, London | Monday, June 06, 2011

The Widening Gap between the Muslim World and America

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE: US President Barack Obama seems to be the only person of any significance in Washington who seems to understand that the game has changed for his country in the Muslim world — not just in Arab countries but also in those of Islamic faith but of different ethnic origin. Among the non-Arab parts of the Muslim world, the countries where Americans are fast losing influence are Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was lost decades ago in Iran. These four countries have a total population of 350 million, considerably more than the total for the Arab world. Why has this happened? There are several reasons for this, of these three are particularly important.

The first is the approach adopted by President Obama soon after assuming the American presidency. In a much anticipated speech delivered at Al Azhar University in Cairo on June 4, 2009 the American president said that his country’s approach to the Muslim world will be different while he was in charge of the making of foreign policy in Washington. “We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and the Muslim world — tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate,” he told his Cairo audience. “The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a cold war in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought about by modernity and globalisation led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.”

President Obama promised to change these attitudes. “I’ve come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles — principles of justice and progress; tolerance and dignity of all human beings.” » | Shahid Javed Burki | Sunday, June 05, 2011

Evangelist Christian Embraces Islam

Opinion Journal: What Is Obama Smoking?
Charles Stimson of the Heritage Foundation on reducing sentences for drug offenders

European E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Restaurant
German scientists are focusing on the northern town of Luebeck as they look for clues about an E.Coli outbreak that has killed 19 people. Video courtesy of Reuters

Australie : Jésus aimé des musulmans, des chrétiens s’insurgent

SAPHIR NEWS: Jésus est un prophète de l'islam. Ce message, inscrite sur des panneaux publicitaires à Sydney, en Australie, qui n'a rien de choquant connaissant le grand respect témoigné par les musulmans envers le fils de Marie, aurait du raffermir les relations islamo-chrétiennes dans le pays. Au lieu de cela, une polémique est née.

« Jésus : un prophète de l’islam ». C’est le message diffusé dans plusieurs dizaines de panneaux d’affichage de la ville australienne de Sydney depuis quelques jours à l’initiative de MyPeace, une organisation musulmane œuvrant pour la paix et le dialogue interreligieux.

Jésus (alias Issa) est en effet considéré, au même titre que Muhammad, comme un des nombreux prophètes envoyés de Dieu aux yeux des musulmans à la nette différence qu'il est pas vu comme le fils de Dieu, ce Dernier n'ayant ni ascendant ou descendant.

Toutefois, cette initiative originale - qui rappelle la campagne britannique « Inspiré par Muhammad » en juin 2010 - a provoqué un tollé auprès de plusieurs responsables chrétiens du pays, qui l’ont jugé « provocante ». Certains panneaux ont été vandalisé, rapporte lundi 30 mai The Sydney Morning Herald. » | Rédigé par Hanan Ben Rhouma | Mardi 31 Mai 2011

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: He's not the son of God, just the support act: CHRISTIANS in Sydney will have their core beliefs challenged by provocative advertisements due to appear on billboards and buses in the next month. » | Aaron Cook | Saturday, May 28, 2011

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Bishop calls Islamic billboards offensive: A Catholic bishop has slammed controversial Islamic billboards for being "provocative and offensive" and he's calling for them to be removed from prominent locations across Sydney. » | AAP | Monday, May 30, 2011

Saleh reist aus – Jemens Zukunft auf Messers Schneide

Gossip versus Privacy for the Powerful in France
BBC: Three weeks after the charges of sexual assault in a New York hotel, repercussions from the Strauss-Kahn affair continue to reverberate across France - as a row over new allegations against an unnamed political figure shows.

The opposition Socialist party is still assessing the damage to its presidential prospects following the humiliation of its one-time champion, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, due back in court on Monday.

Commentators agonise over the embarrassment to France's international reputation, or rail against the supposed iniquities of the American justice system.

But by far the biggest impact has been on the debate over the public's right to know.

Outsiders almost unanimously take the view that the Strauss-Kahn affair is proof of a shameful dereliction of duty on the part of French journalism.

Mr Strauss-Kahn's predatory attitude to women was well-known to the Paris media, the argument goes, but went unreported because of a tacit collusion with the political elite.

Here in France, that argument is conceded - but only up to a point.

Most people agree that national newspapers should take a tougher line towards authority - and that the web of interests linking journalists and politicians is harmful to democracy.

But there remains an extremely resilient strand of thought, which resists any move towards an information free-for-all a la Anglo-Saxon [sic].

In the view of the overwhelming majority, the right to privacy is sacrosanct.

And even if the Strauss-Kahn fiasco shows the risks of taking this principle too far, this is preferable to the opposite: a moralising, tabloid culture which (for the French) is the ghastly reality in the UK and the US. » | Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris | Sunday, June 05, 2011

Inside Story - FIA: Putting Money before Morality?
The motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, has unanimously voted to return the Bahrain Grand Prix to the 2011 Formula One race calendar. The race, which is due to be held on October 30, was originally called off in February because of pro-democracy protests. The FIA, says its decision "reflects the spirit of reconciliation in Bahrain". But it has angered human rights bodies and campaigners. Amnesty international says that despite the lifting of emergency laws that have been in place since March, serious human rights violations continue to be committed in the kingdom with security measures still in place to stop large gatherings. So, will the event bring unity to the kingdom, as the organisers claim? Or are they simply putting money before morality?


FIA: Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile »

USA muß Sparen
In den USA geht die Angst vor einer neuen Rezession um. Grund dafür sind die schlechten Wirtschaftsnachrichten. In Washington ist deshalb Sparen angesagt. Präsident Obama versucht dem Land Mut zuzureden

Salehs Gegner greifen Präsidentenpalast an

TAGES ANZEIGER: Kurz nach der Ausreise von Jemens Präsidenten nach Saudiarabien haben dutzende Bewaffnete den Präsidentenpalast in Tais gestürmt. Dabei sollen vier Soldaten sowie einer der Angreifer ums Leben gekommen sein.

In der jemenitischen Stadt Tais haben heute Sonntag mehrere bewaffnete Männer den Präsidentenpalast angegriffen. Wie aus Militärkreisen verlautete, töteten sie vier Soldaten bei der versuchten Erstürmung des Geländes. Einer der Angreifer sei ums Leben gekommen.

Die Angreifer sollen einer Gruppe angehören, die sich jüngst zusammengetan hat, um Rache für getötete Regierungsgegner zu nehmen. Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh hatte die Protestbewegung von seinen Sicherheitskräften gewaltsam niederschlagen lassen. » | wid/sda | Sonntag 05. Juni 2011

Al-Qaida ruft zu neuen Anschlägen auf

DIE PRESSE: In dem 100 Minuten langen Video wird zu Terroranschlägen gegen westliche und jüdische Ziele aufgerufen.

Einen Monat nach der Tötung von Terroristenchef Osama bin Laden hat das Terrornetzwerk al-Qaida zu neuen Anschlägen aufgerufen. In einem Video sagte nach US-Medienangaben vom Freitag der in den USA geborene al-Qaida-Sprecher Adam Gadahn auf Englisch, Muslime sollten Terroranschläge gegen westliche und jüdische Ziele verüben. » | APA | Samstag 04. Juni 2011

Arabie saoudite : le président yéménite opéré
leJDD.fr: Le président yéménite Ali Abdallah Saleh, atteint par un éclat de shrapnel au thorax lors de l'attaque de son palais vendredi à Sanaa, a été opéré samedi en Arabie saoudite, a-t-on appris de source médicale. Selon la BBC, il aurait un éclat de shrapnel long de 7,6 cm sous la région du coeur et serait brûlé au second degré au thorax et au visage. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 05 Juin 2011

Maroc : manifestation pacifique à Rabat
leJDD.fr: Les autorités marocaines avaient décidé de ne pas recourir à la force dimanche pour empêcher la manifestation à Rabat. Plusieurs centaines de jeunes du Mouvement du 20 février ont pu défiler sans heurts pour réclamer des réformes politiques et dénoncer le décès d'un jeune islamiste du Mouvement décédé jeudi dernier à Safi, à 350 km de Casablanca. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 05 Juin 2011

Celebrations and Gunfire Ring Out in Yemen
There has been renewed deadly fighting in Yemen on Sunday, with heavy gunfire in Taiz as well as a rocket attack in the capital Sanaa.

Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, is seeking medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, after being injured in a rocket attack a day earlier.

While pro-democracy protesters have been celebrating the president's departure as a victory against the government, the foreign ministry in Saudi Arabia has told Al Jazeera that Yemen's political future is an internal matter and Yemen has said he will be back in the capital in a few days.

Al Jazeera's Hazem Sika reports.

Watch Al Jazeera English Live

Shocking Evidence of Syria Crackdown Emerges
More shocking evidence of the crackdown on protesters in Syria has appeared in video posted on YouTube.

It is claimed that the film shows Syria's Security Forces fabricating evidence after shooting a group of men on a rooftop.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford has the details.

PM Wins Row with Nick Clegg over Crackdown on Muslim Extremists

THE GUARDIAN: Counter-terrorism review insists groups must reflect British mainstream values to get funds

David Cameron will emerge as the victor from a bitter cabinet battle over multiculturalism this week as the government unveils a hardline approach to tackling Islamist extremism.

Home Office sources say that Cameron has quashed Nick Clegg's argument for a more tolerant attitude to Muslim groups by insisting on a strategy centred upon the notion that violent extremism is incubated within the ideology of non-violent extremism.

The shift in approach will be outlined when the government's counter-terrorism strategy is unveiled by the home secretary, Theresa May, on Tuesday. Central to the Prevent strategy is a broader definition of extremism that will be extended beyond groups condoning violence to those considered non-violent but whose views, such as the advocacy of sharia law, fail to "reflect British mainstream values".

A Home Office source said: "There will be a direct challenge to these [non-violent] groups." » | Mark Townsend and Hannah Olivennes | Saturday, June 04, 2011

Food Chain At Risk of Being Poisoned by Terrorist Groups

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Food and drink sold in Britain is under a growing threat from terrorist groups which might try to poison supplies, the Government’s security advisers have warned.

Manufacturers and retailers have been told that their sector is vulnerable to attacks by ideologically and politically motivated groups that may seek to cause widespread casualties and disruption by poisoning food supplies.

The warning from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure [CPNI], which operates as part of the Security Service, comes as experts warned the deadly E.coli outbreak in Germany has highlighted the vulnerability of the food chain and how quickly bacteria can spread.

The highly virulent strain has claimed 18 lives and left more than 1,800 seriously ill, with the true number of cases expected to be far higher.

A senior German doctor last night called for an investigation into the possibility that the bacteria had been spread deliberately.

Klaus-Dieter Zastrow, chief doctor for hygiene at Berlin’s Vivantes hospital, said: “It’s quite possible that there’s a crazy person out there who thinks 'I’ll kill a few people or give 10,000 people diarrhoea’. It’s a negligent mistake not to investigate in that direction.” » | Richard Gray, Science Correspondent | Saturday, June 04, 2011

Benoît XVI demande à l’Europe de respecter les valeurs chrétiennes

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le pape Benoît XVI est arrivé samedi matin à Zagreb pour une visite de deux jours en Croatie. Il a défendu l’identité chrétienne de l’Europe dans ce pays qui se prépare à adhérer à l’Union européenne.

Benoît XVI a invité samedi au premier jour de sa visite pastorale à Zagreb les Croates à adhérer avec "joie" à l’Union européenne en aidant l’Europe, menacée de "régression", à valoriser sa "richesse spirituelle" négligée par une culture favorisant l’individualisme.

Benoît XVI fait son premier voyage en Croatie où son prédécesseur Jean Paul II, très populaire, s’était rendu trois fois, soutenant l’indépendance croate pendant la guerre de 1991-95.

"Je pense que la majorité des Croates envisagent avec une grande joie" le moment de la prochaine adhésion à l’UE, a déclaré le pape dans l’avion qui le conduisait vers Zagreb.

"Depuis ses origines, votre nation appartient à l’Europe", a-t-il lancé ensuite sur le tarmac de l’aéroport, en s’adressant au président croate Ivo Josipovic. Il a vanté "treize siècles de liens forts et spéciaux" avec le Saint-Siège.

"Puisse cette chère nation contribuer à ce que l’Union européenne valorise pleinement sa richesse culturelle et spirituelle", a-t-il encore insisté. » | AFP | Samedi 04 Juin 2011

Iran Marks Death of Ayatollah Khomenei
Iran marks the 22nd anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Khomenei. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei used the occasion to remind the country of the late Imam's vision, while struggle for power continues

Yemen Teeters on Brink as President Is Wounded by Shellfire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Yemen's veteran president, Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded by shellfire, as his presidential palace came under attack amid the country's brewing civil war.


Mr Saleh, who has held office for nearly 33 years, was praying in a mosque inside the fortified palace compound when it was struck by at least two shells, killing seven guards.

The president escaped with light injuries, according to western diplomats and government officials, but the prime minister and speaker of parliament were more seriously hurt. Rashad al-Alami, the deputy prime minister and a leading pro-Western voice in the cabinet, was said to [be] in a critical condition.

In a brief speech after the attack Mr Saleh said it had been carried out by an "outlaw gang" of his tribal foes.

Speaking only via audio in a televised speech, he blamed the attack on the powerful Hashed tribe led by Sadeq al-Ahmar who has been battling Saleh loyalists in Sana'a.

"I salute our armed forces and the security forces for standing up firmly to confront this challenge by an outlaw gang that has nothing to do with the so-called youth revolution," he said. » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Friday, June 03, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: 4 top Yemeni officials in Saudi for treatment » | AP foreign | Saturday, June 04, 2011

DSK : le calme avant la tempête

FRANCE SOIR: Dernier week-end pour l'ex-patron du FMI avant de comparaître, lundi, devant la Cour suprême de New-York. Et l'ouverture – officielle - des hostilités.

A TriBeCa comme sur le reste de l'île de Manhattan, le week-end s'annonce orageux. Depuis plusieurs jours déjà, une lourde chaleur étouffe les avenues encombrées et assourdissantes de New-York, et liquéfie les valeureux touristes en short. A deux « blocks » du tumulte de Broadway et de Canal Street, le quartier de TriBeCa, avec ses squares, ses terrasses de restaurants et ses petits immeubles, est un havre de paix. Loin de l'effervescence de Wall Street et des grattes-ciel époustouflants de Central Park.

Au 153 Franklin Street, quatre parasols rouges et blancs ont été dressés sur la petite terrasse, totalement invisible depuis la rue, calme et pavée. Impossible, cependant, de savoir si Dominique Strauss-Kahn, bracelet électronique à la cheville, et son épouse Anne Sinclair viennent goûter là l'ombre et la brise de la rivière Hudson : les rares photographes qui se sont risqués à escalader l'échafaudage d'un immeuble voisin ont été délogés avant d'immortaliser une scène très hypothétique en cette fin de semaine. Car, en perspective de sa comparution, lundi, devant la Cour suprême de New-York, DSK a mieux à faire que de paresser sur son toit. Ce week-end sera en effet le dernier avant l'ouverture – officielle – des hostilités judiciaires avec le procureur de Manhattan Cyrus Vance Jr. Une lutte sans merci que Strauss-Kahn a bien l'intention d'emporter après avoir plaidé « non coupable » de la tentative de viol dont l'accuse Nafissatou Diallo, femme de chambre à l'hôtel Sofitel de New-York. » | Par envoyée spéciale dee France Soir à New-York, Sandrine Briclot | Vendredi 03 Juin 2011

Tunisia: Ex-President Ben Ali's Sister Arrested
ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL: Tunis - A sister of toppled Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been arrested as authorities go after individuals linked to the former North African leader who are suspected of wrong[-]doing during his 23-year rule.

Najet Ben Ali was arrested late Thursday in the Sousse region, around 150 kilometres south of capital Tunis, the official TAP news agency said. No reason was immediately given for her arrest. » | AKI | Friday, June 03, 2011

King of Spain Undergoes Knee Surgery

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Spain's King Juan Carlos on Friday underwent his second major surgical procedure in a little over a year, just days after he accused Spanish media of wanting to see him dead.

The 73-year old monarch was said to be recovering well at a Madrid hospital after undergoing an operation to replace his right knee joint.

The 90 minute procedure to insert an artificial knee was carried out to alleviate pain from old sporting injuries suffered during his younger years as a keen sailor and skier.

There has been frenzied speculation over the state of the monarch's health since he was admitted to hospital in May last year to have a tumour removed from his lung.

After unfavourable headlines when appeared recently at an official function walking with the aid of the cane, the King admonished the usually respectful media for their obsession with his health.

Asked during a press call how he was feeling he snapped: "Terrible, terrible, terrible, can't you see that?"

Then added: "What you like to do is kill me and have me in a coffin every day. This is what you do in the press." » | Fiona Govan, Madrid | Friday, June 03, 2011

US Economy on Verge of ‘Great Great Depression’?

Where on earth did this woman (being interviewed), Erica Paine, learn economics? She's talking nonsense! – © Mark