Deutschlands Außenpolitik: Gauck fordert größere Bereitschaft zu Militäreinsätzen

Gauck in Oslo: "Auf allen Ebenen ein Ja zu einem aktiven Deutschland"

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Joachim Gauck bekräftigt seine Forderung, Deutschland solle international mehr Verantwortung übernehmen. Im Kampf für Menschenrechte sei es manchmal erforderlich, "auch zu den Waffen zu greifen", sagte der Bundespräsident in Norwegen.

Berlin - Deutschland sollte nach Ansicht von Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck nicht pauschal die Beteiligung an Militäreinsätzen ausschließen. Zu einer aktiven Politik zur Konfliktlösung gehöre es auch, "den Einsatz militärischer Mittel als letztes Mittel nicht von vornherein zu verwerfen", sagte Gauck zum Abschluss seines Norwegen-Besuchs in einem Interview mit Deutschlandradio Kultur. » | dab/dpa/AFP | Samstag, 14. Juni 2014

Is It Possible for ISIS to Overrun Baghdad?

Jun. 13, 2014 - 6:36 - Major towns reportedly fall to extremists

Krauthammer Sounds Off about Obama's Approach on Iraq Crisis

Jun. 13, 2014 - 5:49 - President's statement leaves many unanswered questions

It Would Be a Major Disaster for Britain and the US to Intervene in Iraq

DAILY EXPRESS: BRITAIN and the US may abhor the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Iraq but they have played a major part in encouraging it.

And the upsurge of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant across northern Iraq is a pointer to what is likely to happen in Afghanistan once Nato pulls out its combat troops at the end of this year.

Whether we like it or not, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were serious strategic mistakes.

We destroyed the repressive regime of Saddam Hussein but opened the door for Islamic fundamentalists.

Saddam was an evil man but he opposed fundamentalism and he kept it under control.

After the invasion we destroyed the Iraqi army and Iraq’s security apparatus.

This allowed Islamic fundamentalism to get in and make very serious inroads into the Iraqi Government architecture.

We sowed the wind and now we are reaping the whirlwind. Read on and comment » | Major Charles Heyman | Saturday, June 14, 2014

US Considers Military Help in Iraq amid Growing Violence

Jun. 13, 2014 - 8:10 - Top cleric calls on Iraqis to defend nation

US and Iran Join Fight against Sunni Jihadis of Isis in Iraq

THE GUARDIAN: President Obama contemplates air strikes against Sunni insurgents as Tehran sends top general to Baghdad

The United States and Iran are moving rapidly to defend Iraq from rampaging Sunni Islamist insurgents, with Washington urgently considering air strikes on the jihadi militants and Tehran dispatching its foremost powerbroker to help arrange the defence of Baghdad.

Senior US officials told the Guardian that an air campaign was under serious discussion, possibly targeting fighters not just in Iraq but in Syria, where they have seized swaths of territory in the past two years. President Barack Obama said that decisions would be taken in the "days ahead".

Iran, meanwhile, moved to defend its own interests in its western neighbour, sending Major General Qassem Suleimani, an éminence grise of the Iranian revolutionary guards, to Baghdad to meet militia leaders and tribal chiefs in control of the Iraqi capital's vulnerable western approaches.

The scramble by two staunch adversaries to shore up the embattled Iraqi authorities underscored how seriously they take the situation in a country in danger of fragmentation as a result of this week's sudden advance by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis). » | Martin Chulov in Baghdad, Spencer Ackerman in New York and Paul Lewis in Washington | Friday, June 13, 2014

Obama May Have to Agree Deal with Iran as Islamists Sweep South

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran has already sent units of its Revolutionary Guard to Iraq to help defend Baghdad from ISIS and to defend Shia shrines in southern and central of the country

President Barack Obama is under growing pressure to set aside years of hostility and start co-operating with Iran to counter the jihadist threat engulfing Iraq and its capital, Baghdad.

Ten years after his predecessor, President George W Bush, declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq, the Obama administration was openly admitting it might have to recommit to the use of military force to reunite the country and check the long-term menace of the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.

Britain too was offering counter-terrorism expertise that would mean it working alongside not just Iraqi troops but Shia militias and even Iranian special forces, only recently considered among the greatest threats to British interests in the region.

Iran has already sent units of its Revolutionary Guard to Iraq to help defend Baghdad from the onslaught being waged by ISIS, a Sunni jihadist al-Qaeda offshoot, according to reports emerging from Baghdad and Tehran.

State media quoted President Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, as telling the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki: “The Islamic Republic of Iran will apply all its efforts on the international and regional levels to confront terrorism.” » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent, and Robert Tait in Jerusalem | Friday, June 13, 2014

Vormarsch der Dschihadisten

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Was in Syrien als Religionskrieg begonnen hat, kann sich im Irak noch blutiger fortsetzen. Die Offensive der Dschihadisten versetzt auch die israelische Armee in Alarmbereitschaft. Eine Analyse.

Die Dschihadisten haben die wichtigsten Städte im Norden des Iraks eingenommen und sind dabei auf wenig Gegenwehr gestoßen. Nun rücken die Wagenkolonnen des „Islamischen Staats im Irak und (Groß-)Syrien“ in Richtung Bagdad vor. Ein paar tausend Dschihadisten haben ausgereicht, um in wenigen Tagen im Osten der arabischen Welt eine neue Lage zu schaffen. Mit ihrem Blitzkrieg stoßen sie das Tor zu einem viel größeren Krieg in der Region weit auf. Was in Syrien begonnen hat, kann sich im Irak noch blutiger fortsetzen: der Konflikt zwischen Sunniten und Schiiten, zwischen Saudi-Arabien und Iran. » | Rainer Hermann | Freitag, 13. Juni 2014

Iraq Crisis: Generals in Army 'Handed Over' Entire City to Al-Qaeda[-]inspired ISIS Forces

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Three army deserters tell the Telegraph how Mosul, the second biggest city in Iraq, was given to terrorists by senior Iraqi army officials

Military deserters have painted a devastating picture of the inability of the Iraqi army to stand and fight, telling The Telegraph how entire divisions surrendered Mosul, Iraq's second city, without firing a single shot.

Speaking from the Kurdish city of Erbil, the defectors accused their officers of cowardice and betrayal, saying generals in Mosul "handed over" the city over to Sunni insurgents, with whom they shared sectarian and historical ties.

With Sunni insurgents now threatening the capital Baghdad the eyewitness accounts from the deserters' reveal how sectarian enmity has, in the space of mere weeks, destroyed the Iraqi national army, which the US government spent billions of dollars to build. (+ video) » | Ruth Sherlock, and Carol Malouf in Erbil, Lauren Williams in Doha | Friday, June 13, 2014

Is Islamism the Biggest Threat to the Modern World? : The Big Questions (27.4.14)

A Bad Spring for America

Jun. 12, 2014 - 7:10 - Talking Points 6/12

Obama: Ultimately Up to Iraqis to Solve Their Problems

Jun. 13, 2014 - 10:58 - President delivers statement on situation in Iraq

Lois On the Loose: In Iran

Lois Pryce in Iran

Lois On the Loose »

Inside Story: Iraq: Should Neighbours Be Worried?

As the situation in Iraq deteriorates, its neighbours are watching carefully.

'Iraq Chaos Is Tony Blair’s Legacy’: Intervention by Ex-PM in 2003 Destabilised the Country and Left It Open to Extremism, Says Home Office Minister

MAIL ONLINE: Government 'rules out' new Iraqi campaign despite major Jihadist threat / Al Qaeda militants have seized large areas of northern Iraq / Norman Baker said Iraq was stable under Saddam 'in a vile sort of way'

The disaster unfolding in Iraq was branded ‘Tony Blair’s legacy’ last night as Britain ruled out military intervention.

Though Islamist extremists are threatening to seize Baghdad, Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain was ‘not contemplating’ any form of action, and Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said there was no role for the alliance.

US President Barack Obama insisted his country had an interest in stopping jihadists taking control and said he was looking at ‘all options’, including drone strikes.

Iraq is facing a return to its darkest days after al Qaeda-linked militants seized a huge swathe of the Iraq’s northern region and vowed to press on to the capital. Read on and comment » | James Chapman | Thursday, June 12, 2014

Germany Ordered to Pay £40 Million in Compensation to Jewish Family

Anti-semitic graffiti on a shop in Vienna

DAILY EXPRESS: GERMANY has been ordered to pay a Jewish family whose chain of department stores was seized by the Nazis €50 million (£40 million) in compensation.

The Schocken family lost several shops in the east of the country after Hitler embarked upon his "Aryanization" of German businesses in 1938.

A Berlin tribunal awarded the family €30 million (£24 million) - the value of the businesses owned by brothers Simon and Salman Schocken - plus another €20 million (£16 million) in interest.

The German state can appeal the decision at Lepzig's federal administrative court in Leipzig, the tribunal said in a statement.

Michael Newman, chief executive of the Association of Jewish Refugees said: "It shows that as we come up to 70 years since the end of the war there remains a number of significant travesties that are only now being settled."

Salman also founded Schocken Books in pre–war Berlin before moving the company to the United States and palestine. » | Benjamin Russell | Friday, June 13, 2014

Muslim Leader Explains Why We Should Be Against Islamisation

HT: Anthony Stacey »

Kampf gegen Dschihadisten: Großajatollah ruft Iraker zu den Waffen

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Das geistliche Oberhaupt der Schiiten im Irak fordert die Bürger zum Kampf gegen die vorrückenden Dschihadisten auf. Nachbar Iran erwägt im Kampf gegen den Terror sogar eine Kooperation mit den Amerikanern. Die Uno fürchtet Massenhinrichtungen.

Bagdad - Er ist seit mehr als zwei Jahrzehnten der ranghöchste schiitische Geistliche im Irak. Nun hat Großajatollah Ali al-Sistani seine Landesleute zum Widerstand gegen die sunnitischen Dschihadisten aufgerufen. Die Bürger sollten zu den Waffen greifen und "ihr Land, ihr Volk und ihre heiligen Stätten verteidigen" sagte ein Sprecher Sistanis beim Freitagsgebet in der Schiiten-Hochburg Kerbela. Wer könne, solle sich den Sicherheitskräften im Kampf gegen die Dschihadisten der Terrorgruppe Islamischer Staat im Irak und Syrien, kurz Isis, anschließen. » | vek/kes/AFP/AP/Reuters | Freitag, 13. Juni 2014

What Is Going On in Iraq and Why?

ARAB NEWS: An Al-Qaeda breakaway group, apparently backed by other Sunni groups and fighters, has seized a large section of northern Iraq after previously taking much of northeastern Syria with an eye toward establishing an Islamic state straddling the two countries. The situation on the ground is changing rapidly, but some patterns and explanations are now emerging: » | Associated Press | Friday, June 13, 2014

Inside the Extreme Group Taking Over Iraq's Major Cities

Jun. 12, 2014 - 6:34 - Militant Islamic fighters vow to seize control of Baghdad

Glenn Beck On What's Plaguing America

Jun. 12, 2014 - 9:13 - Radio host discusses the crisis in Iraq, state of the GOP

Is the Obama Administration Finished?

Jun. 11, 2014 - 5:26 - Charles Krauthammer on the various controversies surrounding the White House

Does Obama Understand Iraq May Soon Be an Islamist State?

The White House should be facing up to the fact that it may soon be staring at a contiguous Islamist state smack dab in the middle of the Middle East.
FOX NEWS: Iraq is a shambles. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Al Qaeda off-shoot that now controls nearly a third of the nation, continues to run amok.

It’s way past time for the White House to get its head in the game. The disaster unfolding in Iraq and Syria could very quickly spiral into a much, much bigger problem. And some problems are so big that even our president can’t spin his way out.

At the top of the list of what the administration should be worrying about—and preparing to deal with—is the potential for an endless three-way civil war in Iraq. With Sunni, Shia and Kurds fighting one another, it would look something like the civil war in Syria—on steroids. » | James Jay Carafano | FoxNews.com | Thursday, June 12, 2014

Iraq Crisis: Baghdad Prepares for the Worst as Islamist Militants Vow to Capture the City

THE INDEPENDENT: Collapse of Shia-dominated regime could provoke Iranian intervention

Iraq is breaking up. The Kurds have taken the northern oil city of Kirkuk that they have long claimed as their capital. Sunni fundamentalist fighters vow to capture Baghdad and the Shia holy cities further south.

Government rule over the Sunni Arab heartlands of north and central Iraq is evaporating as its 900,000-strong army disintegrates. Government aircraft have fired missiles at insurgent targets in Mosul, captured by Isis on Monday, but the Iraqi army has otherwise shown no sign of launching a counter-attack.

The nine-year Shia dominance over Iraq, established after the US, Britain and other allies overthrew Saddam Hussein, may be coming to an end. The Shia may continue to hold the capital and the Shia-majority provinces further south, but they will have great difficulty in re-establishing their authority over Sunni provinces from which their army has fled. » | Patrick Cockburn | Thursday, June 12, 2014

Oklahoma Tea Party Candidate Claims: ‘Stoning Gays Was a Law That Came Direct from God’

THE INDEPENDENT: Facebook post quoted biblical verse sanctioning the execution of homosexuals

A Tea Party candidate running for office in Oklahoma has appeared to endorse the practice of stoning gay people to death.

Last year, Scott Esk, who is in the race to represent the 91st district in the State House, responded to a friend’s Facebook post about the Pope’s stance on gay people by copying and pasting Bible verses including Leviticus 20:13, which describes homosexuality as “detestable” and demands gay people be “put to death”.

When asked by another Facebook user whether he supported executing homosexuals by stoning, Mr Esk replied: “That goes against some parts of libertarianism, I realise, and I’m largely libertarian, but ignoring as a nation things that are worthy of death is very remiss.” » | Tim Walker | Los Angeles | Thursday, June 12, 2014

Streit um EU-Kommissions-Chefposten: Cameron giftet gegen Juncker

SPIEGEL ONLINE: "Juncker wurde von niemandem gewählt": Im Machtkampf um den künftigen Chef der EU-Kommission greift Großbritanniens Premier Cameron den konservativen Spitzenkandidaten in der "Süddeutschen" scharf an.

Berlin - Neue Verbalattacke von David Cameron: Im Streit um die Wahl des neuen EU-Kommissionschefs wettert der britische Premier gegen den vom EU-Parlament favorisierten Christdemokraten Jean-Claude Juncker. "Juncker kandidierte nirgendwo und wurde von niemandem gewählt", schreibt Cameron in einem Beitrag für die "Süddeutsche Zeitung". "Die Bürger, die zur Wahl gingen, wollten ihren Europaabgeordneten wählen, nicht den Kommissionspräsidenten." » | mxw/AFP/dpa | Donnerstag, 12. Juni 2014

Obama Ponders as Iran Sends Troops to Iraq

President Barack Obama answers questions on violence in Iraq
during his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As the most brutal jihadist group in the world storms Iraq's Sunni north threatening to crucify rule breakers Obama takes stock of the situation as Iran reportedly mobilises its forces into the country

Barack Obama was under mounting pressure to send military help to Iraq as Iranian forces were reported to have joined Baghdad’s government to quell an al-Qaeda-inspired uprising.

A defensive president, accused by Republicans of squandering the security gains won in Iraq by US forces, insisted that he was looking at “all the options” to prevent the country unravelling.

But even as he spoke, Iran seemed poised to steal the initiative by sending troops to fight what its president, Hassan Rouhani, described as the “terrorist group that is acting savagely” in Iraq.

Reports emerged that two battalions of Iran’s feared Revolutionary Guards were already in the country, where the government’s forces have shown little stomach for combat. Iran’s willingness to put troops on the front line will give it a strategic advantage in Iraq over America, which at most would offer only air strikes. The US State Department last night ruled out “boots on the ground”.

The developments of the past 72 hours raises the prospect of two bitter enemies – Iran and America – fighting the same foe, albeit for different goals. » | Colin Freeman | Thursday, June 12, 2014


My comment:

Bush and Blair should have left Saddam Hussein where he was. Saddam was a man who understood how to keep a modicum of order in Iraq. He understood his people, his country. Bush and Blair did not. They were naïve fools. They ventured forth where angels would have feared to tread.

As a result of Bush and Blair's folly, we now have this situation to deal with. How many more young people––US soldiers and British soldiers––will have to lose their lives in this cesspit?

Bringing democracy to Iraq was never on the cards. Had Bush and Blair understood the nature of the Middle East and the nature of Islam, they would never have tried to impose it upon those benighted people.

Obama, bringing home the US troops prematurely, has made matters ten times worse. Obama is a fool of a man. He dresses well and talks a good line, but the end product is just the same: He's totally inept at best, and sinister at worst. The man should be impeached for his total and utter mishandling of the situation. The sooner Americans rid themselves of this fool, the better it will be for America, and the better it will be for the West too. – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

Exodus of US Troops from Iraq as Chaos Spreads

An ISIL militant posing with the trademark Islamists' flag after
they allegedly seized an Iraqi army checkpoint in the northern
province of Salahuddin

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A sense of crisis is gripping Baghdad as radical jihadists make ground at rapid speed across northern Iraq on the roads towards the capital

A growing sense of panic was gripping Iraq last night as the al-Qaeda uprising in the country’s north led to US contractors being evacuated from the region and European countries ordering their citizens to leave Baghdad.

With militants threatening to advance on the capital, signs emerged of diplomats making preparations to leave the country in the event of civil war erupting.

Three planes carrying American diplomats and contractors stationed at a training mission at an Iraqi airbase in Balad, north of Baghdad, flew out amid fears that the base could be surrounded by the militants. Germany ordered all its citizens to leave the Iraqi capital, as did Turkey, which has already had 80 people kidnapped by the militants, including the consul to the northern city of Mosul.

British officials said they had no immediate plans to evacuate staff from Baghdad’s heavily guarded “Green Zone”. As troops stood guard at the city’s northern flanks, queues formed at the main airport while banks saw large number of customers attempt to withdraw money. Last night the internet also went down in Baghdad for an hour, adding to the atmosphere of unease. » | Colin Freeman | Thursday, June 12, 2014

Jeremy Paxman's Best Interview Ever?

Prisoner Exchange an Impeachable Offense for Obama?

Jun. 06, 2014 - 3:17 - Analyzing the legality of trade

Militants Take Major Iraqi Cities, Vow March On Baghdad

Jun. 12, 2014 - 2:18 - Conor Powell reports from Jerusalem

Repent or Die: Al-Qaeda Forces Announce Rules for Iraqi Territory They Now Control

A man is executed in a new video released by ISIS

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: ISIS, the al-Qaeda group that has swept through northern Iraq, releases list of rules that citizens must live by: [sic] including 'repent or die'

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham has set out a list of rules for residents of Mosul as it seeks to impose its Islamist rules on Iraq's second city.

Referring to the area by its ancient name, Nineveh, the group says it has a clear set of instructions for the remaining occupants of the city and surrounding area.

Firstly it tells "anyone who is asking," who its members are and what it is about: "We are soldiers of Islam and we've taken on our responsibility to bring back glory of the Islamic Caliphate."

All Muslims in the city have been instructed to attend mosque for the five daily prayers.

It confirms that it seized up to half a billion dollars from the Mosul branch of the Bank of Iraq but states it can be trusted with the funds.

Any one of its members who breach[es] this promise will have their hands cut off.

"No drugs, no alcohol and no cigarettes allowed," it added. » | Damien McElroy | Thursday, June 12, 2014

UK Schools Inspector: Gender Segregation OK for Muslim Children

BREITBART: Britain's school inspection organisation Ofsted has told its inspectors that segregating boys and girls in the classroom is acceptable in Muslim schools and need not be criticised.

The Times reports that inspectors have been sent instructions saying that boys and girls “may well” be seated separately in classrooms in Islamic faith schools and that this should not be seen as discrimination – a claim that should doubtlessly anger equal rights campaigners, though may indeed be ignored by cultural relativists.

Music and art classes may also be “restricted”, it said, even though they are requirements in the national curriculum. The guidance also says that girls being required to wear headscarves should be an expression of their identity, rather than oppression. » | Nick Hallett | Thursday, June 12, 2014

Militants on the March in Iraq: Will US Be Drawn In?

Jun. 11, 2014 - 7:48 - Reaction from Fox News military analyst Gen. Jack Keane

Norwegen will keine Bettler mehr

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Bettler sollen ab 2015 von den Strassen Norwegens verschwinden. Auf lokaler Ebene könnten schon diesen Sommer Verbote eingeführt werden, die Grossstädte wollen noch zuwarten.

Zehn Jahre nach der Aufhebung eines landesweiten Bettelverbotes will Norwegen ab 2015 wieder ein entsprechendes Gesetz einführen. Gemeinden, die nicht bis zum nächsten Sommer warten wollen, können schon ab 1. Juli ein lokales Bettelverbot in ihren Polizeidistrikten in Kraft setzen. Darauf hat sich am Dienstagabend die aus der konservativen Höyre und der populistischen Fortschrittspartei (FrP) bestehende Regierung in einer ungewöhnlichen Allianz mit der oppositionellen Zentrumspartei verständigt. Die drei haben gleichzeitig beschlossen, betroffene Menschen mit zielgerichteten sozialen Massnahmen zu unterstützen. Konkret sollen jene Länder in Osteuropa, aus denen die meisten Bettler stammen, mit EWR-Geldern unterstützt werden. » | Ingrid Meissl Årebo, Stockholm | Mittwoch, 11. Juni 2014

Radikale Kämpfer für einen Gottesstaat

TAGES ANZEIGER: Sie nimmt eine irakische Stadt nach der anderen ein und zieht die Türkei mit dem Sturm auf das Konsulat in den Konflikt mit ein. Wer ist die Terrorgruppe ISIS? Und welche Ziele verfolgt sie?

Islamische Fundamentalisten haben die zweitgrösste irakische Stadt Mossul erobert. Bei den Kämpfern handelt es sich nach Angaben der Sicherheitskräfte um Angehörige der Gruppe Islamischer Staat im Irak und der Levante/Gross-Syrien (ISIS), die im Januar bereits Falludscha eingenommen hatte. Ebenso wie im Irak kämpft die sunnitische Organisation auch im Bürgerkrieg in Syrien gegen die schiitische Regierung. » | wid/sda | Mittwoch, 11. Juni 2014

Hillary Clinton and Money

Jun. 10, 2014 - 3:36 - Talking Points 6/10

Irak: Die ganze Region taumelt in die Krise

DIE WELT: Islamisten rücken in Richtung Bagdad vor. Jetzt sollen die irakische Armee und kurdische Milizen eingreifen. Doch auch die Türkei könnte intervenieren. Drei Parteien mit gegenläufigen Interessen.

Vor zwei Wochen klassifizierte die türkische Regierung die in Syrien und im Irak operierende Extremistengruppe Islamischer Staat im Irak und in der Levante (Isil) erstmals als Terrorgruppe. Zuvor hatte sie die Terroristen jedoch – nach Auffassung der meisten Beobachter – jahrelang frei ein- und ausreisen lassen und sie wahrscheinlich sogar bewaffnet. Ankaras Kalkül war dabei, die Extremisten würden im Syrien-Krieg den Diktator Baschar al-Assad stürzen. Danach würde man sie schon in den Griff bekommen.

Das war alles falsch kalkuliert: Isil erwies sich als zu schwach, um zu siegen, gleichzeitig aber als zu stark, um gebändigt werden zu können.

Nun haben die Terroristen auf einen Schlag mehrere Orte im Irak erobert. Baidschi, wo sich eine wichtige Raffinerie befindet, und die nordirakische Regionalmetropole Mossul. Auch Tikrit, die Heimat des früheren irakischen Dikators Saddam Hussein, wurde angegriffen und teilweise erobert. Dort gibt es starke sunnitische paramilitärische Kräfte. (+ Video) » | Von Boris Kálnoky | Mittwoch, 11. Juni 2014

Iraq Army Capitulates to Isis Militants in Four Cities

THE GUARDIAN: Half a million people on the move after gunmen seize four cities and pillage army bases and banks

Iraq is facing its gravest test since the US-led invasion more than a decade ago, after its army capitulated to Islamist insurgents who have seized four cities and pillaged military bases and banks, in a lightning campaign which seems poised to fuel a cross-border insurgency endangering the entire region.

The extent of the Iraqi army's defeat at the hands of militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) became clear on Wednesday when officials in Baghdad conceded that insurgents had stripped the main army base in the northern city of Mosul of weapons, released hundreds of prisoners from the city's jails and may have seized up to $480m in banknotes from the city's banks.

Iraqi officials told the Guardian that two divisions of Iraqi soldiers - roughly 30,000 men - simply turned and ran in the face of the assault by an insurgent force of just 800 fighters. Isis extremists roamed freely on Wednesday through the streets of Mosul, openly surprised at the ease with which they took Iraq's second largest city after three days of sporadic fighting.

Senior government officials in Baghdad were equally shocked, accusing the army of betrayal and claiming the sacking of the city was a strategic disaster that would imperil Iraq's borders.

The developments seriously undermine US claims to have established a unified and competent military after more than a decade of training. The US invasion and occupation cost Washington close to a trillion dollars and the lives of more than 4,500 of its soldiers. It is also thought to have killed at least 100,000 Iraqis. Read on and comment » | Martin Chulov and Fazel Hawramy in Irbil | Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Inside Story: Extremism in British Schools?

UK report portrays a culture of fear and intimidation following claims of a Muslim plot to infiltrate the classroom.

ISIL: Rising Power in Iraq and Syria

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has outgrown even al-Qaeda as it seeks to establish a new caliphate.

Benghazi Victim's Uncle: 'Hillary Clinton Is A Serial Liar'

Jun. 11, 2014 - 3:17 - Michael Ingmire believes former secretary of state's notes on attack would reveal a 'heart of darkness'

White House Playing Politics With US National Security?

Jun. 11, 2014 - 4:18 - Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephens on the 'Bergdahl dishonor'

Iraq Crisis: Militants Attack Tikrit After Taking Mosul

BBC: Islamist insurgents have attacked the Iraqi city of Tikrit after the second city, Mosul, was earlier overrun.

Officials say militants are now in control of some parts of Tikrit - Saddam Hussein's hometown which lies just 150km (95 miles) north of Baghdad.

Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki has vowed to fight back against the jihadists and punish those in the security forces who have deserted.

The insurgents who attacked Mosul are from the ISIS group.

It is not confirmed who is attacking Tikrit but one report said there was also fighting further south in Samarra.

ISIS - the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is also known as ISIL - is an offshoot of al-Qaeda.

It controls considerable territory in eastern Syria and western and central Iraq, in a campaign to set up a militant enclave straddling the border. (+ video) » | Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Neues Terrorregime im Irak: Wer kann, flieht

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Dschihadisten im Nahen Osten sind stark wie nie: Nach der Einnahme Mossuls fallen Millionen Menschen unter eine Herrschaft des Terrors. Auch in Tikrit sind die militanten Islamisten eingedrungen. Hunderttausende Bewohner sind auf der Flucht.

Am Ende gelang den irakischen Regierungstruppen nicht einmal mehr der geordnete Rückzug. Als die Kämpfer der Terrorgruppe "Islamischer Staat im Irak und in Syrien" (Isis) Mossul stürmten, flohen Tausende Soldaten in Panik. Manche von ihnen rissen sich auf der Flucht Richtung Nordosten ihre Uniformen vom Leib, bevor sie in die benachbarte kurdische Autonomieregion türmten. » | Von Christoph Sydow | Mittwoch, 11. Juni 2014

Texas: Republikaner fordern Therapien für Homosexuelle

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Homosexualität sei eine heilbare Krankheit, meinen die Republikaner im amerikanischen Bundesstaat Texas. Sie fordern psychologische Therapien - obwohl Mediziner und Psychologen eindringlich davor warnen.

Die Republikaner im amerikanischen Bundesstaat Texas wollen Homosexuelle künftig mit psychologischen Therapien „heilen“ - und müssen für diesen Beschluss heftige Kritik einstecken. Die knapp 10.000 Parteimitglieder nahmen den Punkt bei ihrer jährlichen Versammlung in Fort Worth ins Parteiprogramm auf, berichtete CNN am Montag.

Das Programm erkennt eine „wiedergutmachende Therapie und Behandlung“ für alle Patienten als rechtmäßig und effektiv an, die „nach Heilung und Ganzheit ihres homosexuellen Lebensstils streben“. Kein Gesetz und keine Anordnung dürfe den Zugang dazu behindern. In der medizinischen Fachwelt werden jedoch Therapien, die auf eine Änderung der sexuellen Orientierung abzielen, einhellig abgelehnt. » | Montag, 09. Juni 2014

How Hitler Humiliated France

Saudi King's Ex-wife Speaks Out

Exclusive: in her first television interview, the former wife of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia claims her four daughters have suffered years trapped in the royal compound in Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia's Secret Uprising

Secret Uprising: The growing Saudi protest movement that's been hidden from the world.

Saudi Prince Has No State Immunity from £12 million 'Secret Wife' Claim, Court Rules

Janan Harb claims she was secretly married to King Fahd

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Decision by London court opens the way for a potentially embarrassing court case involving a British woman who claims she was secretly married to the late king of Saudi Arabia

A British woman who claims she was secretly married to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has won a key victory in a multi-million pound legal battle as the High Court rejected a "state immunity" claim by the late monarch's son.

Janan Harb, 65, told the High Court in London that she wed King Fahd when he was a prince and an interior minister in 1968, but that she was forced to leave the country several years later, before he ascended to the throne.

She claims she is owed a lump sum of £12 million which was promised to her 11 years ago, plus the ownership of two high-value apartments in central London.

Lawyers for Prince Abdul Aziz, the king’s son, argued he had “state immunity” and the court had no jurisdiction to try Mrs Harb’s claim.

But Mrs Justice Rose threw out the prince’s argument, opening the way for a full hearing which risks embarrassing the House of Saud by exposing details of life inside what Mrs Harb has previously described as a royal harem, as well as new claims about their business dealings. » | David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent | Monday, June 09, 2014

Don't Threaten Me Over Juncker Appointment, Angela Merkel Warns David Cameron

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: German Chancellor issues public rebuke to Cameron over threat to quit EU if arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker gets top job

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, has warned David Cameron not to "threaten" her over the appointment of an arch-federalist as President of the European Commission.

Mr Cameron has warned that the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker could make Britain more likely to leave the European Union in a referendum in 2017.

Mrs Merkel said that "threats" went against the "European spirit" and as she gave her public support for Mr Juncker, the former President of Luxembourg.

Mr Cameron said that if Europe fails to heed his calls to reform it will be "unhelpful" ahead of his pledged referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union in 2017.

He believes that the appointment of Mr Juncker, the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, will damage his attempts to convince the British public that Europe should stay in the EU. » | Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent, in Harpsand, Sweden | Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Al-Qaeda Seizes Iraq's Third-largest City as Terrified Residents Flee

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Militants storm northern city of Mosul, freeing thousands of prisoners, as Iraqi army retreats and prime minister asks parliament to declare state of emergency


Al-Qaeda seized control of Iraq's third biggest city on Tuesday, freeing thousands of comrades in a series of jailbreaks and sparking a mass exodus of refugees.

The assault on the city of Mosul, 225 miles north west of Baghdad, saw the Iraqi army retreat to the outskirts after a sustained assault by men armed with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

As well as seizing the main governorate building - forcing the city's governor to flee - the gunmen were also reported to have gained control of three different jails, numerous police stations and an airport, where several military planes and helicopters were based.

The loss of the city, home to around one million people, is potentially a huge challenge to the Iraqi government, which has been struggling to quell a regalvanised al-Qaeda insurgency for more than two years.

Terrified residents of Mosul spoke of seeing militants raising al-Qaeda's black flag from buildings, and of newly-released prisoners running through the streets in yellow jumpsuits. » | Colin Freeman, agencies | Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Marine Le Pen and Father in 'Unprecedented' Attacks on Each Other

Jean-Marie Le Pen

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Jean-Marie Le Pen fends off accusations of racism after commenting on Jewish singer

An unprecedented family feud has erupted at the heart of France's far Right between Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National, and her father and FN founder, Jean-Marie, over his alleged anti-Semitism.

The filial slanging match has seen Miss Le Pen accuse her father of damaging the party with perceived racist comments while he has blamed her for turning France's main far Right party into an insipid "bizarre" grouping "without substance".

On Sunday, the 85-year old Mr Le Pen, who already has several race hate convictions, had sparked political outrage, even from within his own party, for pledging to make an "oven load" of the Jewish singer Patrick Bruel – interpreted as a reference to the furnaces used by the Nazis to dispose of their victims.

Mr Bruel is a vocal FN critic.

In a spectacular departure from the usual family unity, Miss Le Pen joined the chorus of criticism of her father, who is an MEP and the party's honorary president, saying he had committed a "political mistake". » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Monday, June 09, 2014

Princess Letizia: The Commoner Who Could Save Spain's Tarnished Crown

Princess Letizia of Spain: the Spanish monarchy is depending on her

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Can Princess Letizia, a divorced ex-TV journalist, restore credibility to the troubled Spanish monarchy, asks William Langley

"It is a common proverb, beauteous princess,” quoth Spain’s national bard, Cervantes, “that diligence is the mother of good fortune.” Princess Letizia Ortiz, the country’s 41-year-old queen-to-be, is certainly beauteous and has worked diligently to be accepted, but, phew!, does her husband need some good fortune.

Later this month, Felipe de Borbón, a hulking, ex-Olympic sailor, will take over the shambolic remnants of what used to be Europe’s most admired royal family. Tens of thousands of disenchanted Spaniards have already taken to the streets to demand the end of the monarchy, and the country’s equally unpopular government is under pressure to hold a national referendum on becoming a republic.

The abdication last week of Felipe’s 76-year-old father, King Juan Carlos, merely threw into stark relief the crisis that has been raging around the Zarzuela Palace for years. Spain’s economic woes have made all the country’s institutions look culpable, and as the old taboos against criticism of the royal family crumbled, Juan Carlos came increasingly to resemble a cardboard king, saying the right things for public consumption while covertly protecting his own interests.

Outraged by tales of scandal, profligacy and the king’s alleged womanising, the public demanded a change. While Felipe, 46, will assume the formal burden, it is, to a great extent, Letizia upon whom the monarchy’s survival now depends. A former television journalist from relatively humble roots, she is broadly popular – but not with everybody. Sections of the Spanish media, driven either by jealousy or the desire for a good story, have portrayed her as cold and manipulative and cast doubts on her fairytale story. » | William Langley | Saturday, June 07, 2014

Letizia d'Espagne : cette reine que les monarchistes détestent »

Spanish Royal Family's Popularity Boosted by King Juan Carlos's Abdication in Favour of Prince Felipe

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Approval ratings for King Juan Carlos's reign increase from 41 to 65 per cent following his abdication to hand the throne to 46-year-old heir Prince Felipe


Spains royal family has become more popular among Spainiards following the abdication of Juan Carlos for his son Crown King Felipe VI.

Overall, 55.7 per cent of those polled in the June 3-5 survey by Sigma Dos supported the institution of the monarchy in Spain, up from 49.9 per cent when the same question was posed six months ago.

57.5 per cent believed the prince could restore the royal family’s lost prestige.

An overwhelming majority of Spaniards believe the new king, Felipe VI, would make a good monarch and more than three-quarters believe King Juan Carlos was right to hand over the throne to his son.

The poll, published in Spain’s right-leaning daily El Mundo newspaper on Monday, is likely to encourage the departing King, who announced a week ago that he hoped the change would usher in a “new era of hope”. » | Fiona Govan | Monday, June 09, 2014

King Juan Carlos: 'I Don't Want My Son to Grow Old Waiting Like Prince Charles'

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Spanish monarch reportedly expressed a desire to hand the throne to heir while Prince Felipe was still a young man to stop him "withering" like Prince Charles

King Juan Carlos told courtiers that he wanted to abdicate in favour of his son because he did not want his heir to “grow old waiting for the throne like Prince Charles”.

The 76-year-old monarch, who announced last Monday that it was time for “a younger generation to step into the front line,” is said to have been influenced in his decision to abdicate by the situation of the Prince of Wales, who at 65 is the oldest heir to the British throne for 300 years.

It emerged on Sunday that King Juan Carlos had privately told those close to him that he felt it was right to pass the throne on while his heir was still a young man.

“I do not want my son to wither waiting like Prince Charles,” he reportedly told Rafael Spottorno, chief of the royal household, according to a report in Spain’s daily El Mundo newspaper. » | Fiona Govan, Madrid and Matthew Holehouse | Sunday, June 08, 2014

Worlds Apart: ’Militaries Outdated, They Should Go Like Cannibalism & Slavery’ Peace Researcher Dr Jan Oberg

Swedish and Finnish leaders have re-invigorated a push for their traditionally non-aligned countries to join NATO, in the face of what they say is a Russian threat. But does Russia really pose a threat to European security, or has it become a convenient scapegoat for growing militarism in Europe? How can Russia and the western world end the conflict in Ukraine, and rebuild peace by peace? Oksana is joined by the founder of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, Dr Jan Oberg, to examine these issues.

Marine Le Pen: EU Robbed Us of All Liberties, We Should Fight to Get Them Back (Full Interview)

Elections to the European Parliament have brought groundbreaking changes in the structure of EU's most powerful body: right wing parties along with Eurosceptics, an outsiders just a few years ago, have now taken the political scene. Front Nacional party in France gets the majority - signifying that people want change; the same with other nations. But what now? Is the European change of course inevitable? What will happen to the Union itself? Today, we meet again with our special guest, the leader of the Front Nacional party. Marine Le Pen is on Sophie&Co today.

London Council 'Targeted in Trojan Horse-style Islamist Takeover Plot'

Jim Fitzpatrick warned of extremists infiltrating councils in London

LONDON EVENING STANDARD: A London MP today warned of the risk of a 'Trojan Horse'-style Islamist plot to infiltrate councils in the capital amid claims of schools being targeted in Birmingham.

As Ofsted criticised five schools at the heart of the row, Labour's Jim Fitzpatrick said there is a risk of "race politics" taking hold after the re-election of controversial mayor Lutfur Rahman in Tower Hamlets.

He said Labour had rejected "several hundred" applications from people the party believed could be "extremists" trying to infiltrate the borough's politics, as well as expelling party members during the past five years. » | Robin De Peyer | Monday, June 09, 2014

Trojan Horse Ofsted Report: Live

Ofsted report into alleged Trojan Horse plot at Birmingham schools finds "culture of fear and intimidation has developed" in schools after David Cameron wades in over Michael Gove and Theresa May row

Click here to read further and comment
My comment:

My God, these parliamentarians tie themselves up in knots trying not to criticise Islam. They keep splitting hairs about the distinction between Islam and Islamism. They argue about these things as though they were arguing about how many fairies can dance on the head of a pin.



Why the hell don't these cowards find their gonads and do something drastic about this problem? For indeed only drastic action will solve this problem. If this sort of thing is not STAMPED OUT NOW, ONCE AND FOR ALL, this country will be unrecognisable in just a few short years.



 The so-called political élite in this country have behaved in a treasonous manner vis-à-vis the indigenous population: They have given our country away to foreigners who have no intention of integrating into our way of life, and without the consent of the people.



No amount of money will solve this problem. This is not a matter of courses and guidance. The fact of the matter is that Muslims do not wish under any circumstances to integrate into our way of life. They see our way of life as being inferior to the Islamic way. They don't call us infidels for nothing!

The distinction that these idiotic and cowardly politicians try to make between Islam and Islamism is a phoney distinction. An Islamist is a devout Muslim – a person who follows his 'religion' to the letter. Nothing and no-one will change this fact.

Muslims will never properly integrate into our society. Being guided by their prophet, the Koran, and the Sunnah, it's not even an option for them. So wake up, parliament! – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

SS Songs and Antisemitism: The Week Golden Dawn Turned Openly Nazi

Golden Dawn supporters wave party and Greek national flags
during rally outside parliament on 4 June.

THE OBSERVER: Supporters of the far-right party gave Hitler salutes and sang the Horst Wessel song outside parliament last week. Helena Smith reports from Athens on how Golden Dawn has taken on a sinister new tone

It has been a bad week for democracy in Athens. All around this great Greek city, the politics of hate now lurk. On Friday I got a taste of it in the tiny Italian-style cafe I frequent off Syntagma Square.

It arrived in the form of two middle-aged men, both supporters of the neo-fascist Golden Dawn – and, by their own account, the holders of university degrees, well-travelled and well-informed. Over espressos, they began to engage in an animated discussion about all that is wrong with Greece.

The first, a self-described businessman decked out in designer suit, brogues and silk tie, blamed the country's economic collapse on malfeasance, corruption and uncontrolled immigration. "The only way to teach our filthy politicians is to bring in Golden Dawn," he trilled, his eyes locked in a fierce glare. "These gentlemen are patriots, proud Greek nationalists, and they know how to deal with the scum, the foreigners who never pay taxes, who steal our jobs, who have taken over our streets."

Dismissing charges that Golden Dawn is a criminal gang masquerading as a political group, the second – a self-described government employee – said the far right was the best response yet to the great Jewish conspiracy of an interconnected banking system that has come with globalisation. "Let's not forget all the faggots and the Jews, the wankers who control the banks, the foreigners who are behind them, who came in and fucked Greece," he insisted. "The criminals who have governed us, who have robbed us of our future, of our dreams, need a big thwack." » | Helena Smith | Saturday, June 07, 2014

We Can't Avoid the Threat of Islamism

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The truth about how the Home Office views Islamic extremism - by Theresa May’s former speech-writer

David Cameron was extremely angry that the Coalition’s final legislative programme before next year’s general election was pushed from the top of the news agenda last week by “May vs Gove”.

Despite the very public split between Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, and Theresa May, the Home Secretary, at the level of policy, their differences on how best to deal with Islamic extremism are more about emphasis and nuance than radically different approaches.

Beyond last week’s stories about leaked letters and statements from the ministers’ supporters is a profoundly serious argument about what must be done in order to ensure that Muslim communities in Britain adopt British values, and are integrated into British society.

It is not just an argument about how to prevent terrorism inspired by religious fanaticism. It is also about the future of our culture, and how to ensure that it does not fragment into a series of segregated and separate groups united only by their mutual suspicion and distrust.

That is the nightmare scenario that just about everyone wants to avoid. It is one conjured up as a serious possibility not just by political parties such as Ukip and pressure groups such as Migration Watch, but also by academic researchers who study the impact of immigration. » | Alasdair Palmer | Sunday, June 08, 2014

‘Bergdahl Has Converted to Islam and Now Describes Himself as a Mujahid’: Bombshell Docs Allegedly Describe Soldier’s Time in Captivity

THE BLAZE: U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl converted to Islam while held captive by the Taliban and declared himself a warrior for Islam, secret documents obtained by Fox News allegedly say. The reports which were prepared based on purported eyewitness accounts, indicate that Bergdahl, released over the weekend after being held for five years by the Taliban, declared himself a “mujahid” toward the end of his captivity and even at times fraternized openly with his captors, Fox News reported.

According to the reports, Bergdahl’s status with his captors changed over time. After he once escaped his captors for five days, he was recaptured and placed in a metal cage, the documents reportedly say. At other times, he appeared to maintain a friendly relationship with them. (+ video) » | Oliver Darcy | Thursday, June 05, 2014

Radical Islam in Secular Schools: Now the Shocking Truth Emerges

Schools should not become madrassas

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – DAMIAN THOMPSON: "Students' understanding of the arts, different cultures and other beliefs are limited." That's one of the complaints about Birmingham schools made by Ofsted in their leaked report. It sounds like a relatively mild criticism.

Not so. What the Trojan Horse scandal has revealed is that leaders of the Muslim community in Birmingham have been creating a Wahhabi-inspired counterculture in secular, not faith, schools.

Put simply, the interpretation of Islam that's sweeping through the Muslim world, thanks to Saudi money, seeks to deprive children of any exposure to the arts, which it condemns as idolatrous. Even listening to music is haram, forbidden. The underlying teaching is that the arts, by seeking to create beauty, blaspheme by detracting attention from the only source of true beauty, Allah, which can be appreciated only in the natural world he created. » | Damian Thompson | Saturday, June 07, 2014

The Queen in Paris: Flower Market Honour for Her Majesty

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Queen visits Parisian flower market named Marche [sic] aux Fleurs - Reine Elizabeth II in her honour


The Queen was paid the ultimate compliment by the people of Paris on Saturday when a flower market was named after her to reflect the “enormous affection” the French have for her.

In the city that executed France’s own monarch in 1793, the unlikely cry of “Long Live the Queen!” echoed around what is now known as the Queen Elizabeth II Flower Market.

Her Majesty received the honour from the city’s Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, on the final day of her State visit to France.

“This reflects the enormous affection of Parisians,” said Ms Hidalgo.

“It gives me great joy to give this lovely flower market your name.”

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were clearly moved by Ms Hidalgo’s gesture in the square near Notre Dame Cathedral.

Despite the excited crowds cheering on the Queen, who was dressed in light pink dress and hat, not everybody was happy about the new name of Marche [sic] aux Fleurs - Reine Elizabeth II. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Saturday, June 07, 2014

D-Day Anniversary: Queen 'Stirred' by Commemorations

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Queen speaks of her pride in the courage of the Allied forces who invaded Europe on D-Day - but warns peace and prosperity can never be taken for granted


On the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings the Queen travelled to the French coast with the Duke of Edinburgh, and spent the day with other heads of state honouring the actions of veterans and their fallen comrades.

Later at a banquet to mark her three-day state visit to France, the monarch described how the day's commemorations had left Philip and herself "filled with emotions".

She added: "With sorrow and regret, remembering the loss of so many fine young soldiers, sailors and airmen; with pride, at the sheer courage of the men who stormed those beaches, embodied in the veterans among us; and with thankfulness, knowing that today our nations are free and sovereign because allied forces liberated this continent from occupation and tyranny. » | Friday, June 06, 2014

D-Day : Documentary on the D-Day Invasion, Operation Overlord (Full Documentary)

Hillary Clinton May Have to Ditch Her Megarich Wall Street Friends If She Is to Make Another Run at the Presidency

THE INDEPENDENT: The former Secretary of State's ties to the banks that almost brought down the US economy may leave her vulnerable to challenges from the liberal left of the Democratic Party

Hillary Clinton might want to take the back door into Goldman Sachs, the investment house, in lower Manhattan on Friday. As she girds for the launch of her vaunted new book next week and thereafter – maybe, probably – a run at the presidency, fresh pictures of her on Wall Street will be unwanted.

Concern is growing among Hillary backers that her closeness to the banks that almost brought down the economy in 2008 could open her to potentially perilous challenges from the liberal left of the Democratic Party. Not helping has been a series by the leftist Mother Jones magazine highlighting those ties. » | David Usborne | New York | Thursday, June 05, 2014

Israël lâché par ses alliés

La réponse de Benyamin Netanyahou à l'isolement de son pays sur las scène international

LE POINT: Les États-Unis, l'Europe, la Russie, la Chine et l'Inde ont reconnu le gouvernement d'union nationale palestinien. Un camouflet pour Netanyahou.

Un mardi noir. C'est probablement ainsi que Benyamin Netanyahou se souviendra de ce 3 juin. En l'espace de quelques heures, et quasiment les unes après les autres, les grandes puissances ont annoncé soutenir le gouvernement palestinien d'unité nationale qui avait prêté serment la veille devant le président Abbas. Les premiers à ouvrir le bal de cette reconnaissance internationale furent les États-Unis. Vinrent ensuite l'Union européenne, les chefs de diplomatie de la France et de la Grande-Bretagne, le secrétaire général de l'ONU puis la Russie. Mais aussi la Chine et l'Inde. Deux pays qui n'ont posé aucune condition à leur soutien. Tandis que les gouvernements américain et européens fondent leur coopération avec le nouveau cabinet palestinien sur l'adhésion de ce dernier à trois principes : renoncement à la violence, respect des accords déjà signés et reconnaissance d'Israël. Des principes que Mahmoud Abbas et son Premier ministre, Rami Hamdallah, se sont engagés à respecter. » | Danièle Kriegel, corresponndante du Point à Jérusalem | vendredi 06 juin 2014

Israel gerät international in Isolation

DIE PRESSE: Die USA wollen mit neuer Palästinenserregierung kooperieren. In Jerusalem zürnt man über die US-Entscheidung.

Jerusalem. Benjamin Netanjahu kämpft auf einsamem Posten gegen die neu angelobte palästinensische Einheitsregierung. Anstelle der erwarteten internationalen Verurteilung wegen der Beteiligung der islamistischen Hamas an der Palästinenserregierung gerät Israels Premier selbst ins Visier der Weltöffentlichkeit. In Jerusalem zürnt man über die US-Entscheidung, mit der palästinensischen Übergangsregierung zu kooperieren. Dabei hat US-Außenminister John Kerry versprochen, das Technokratenkabinett unter Beobachtung zu halten. Saeb Erekat, der palästinensische Chefunterhändler, drohte Israel zudem mit rechtlichen Schritten. Die Palästinenser würden sich dazu an die „für Kriegsverbrechen zuständigen internationalen Institutionen“ wenden. » | Die Presse | Donnerstag, 05. Juni 2014

D-Day Anniversary: Live

Follow all the latest as royalty and political leaders from around the world join veterans for D-Day commemorations, 70 years on from the momentous World War Two mission

La reine Elizabeth II, méga-star

La reine déchaîne toujours les passions. " Ce que je ressens ? De la joie et un
peu de stress", résume Mathilde, une étudiante, âgée de 17 ans.

LE POINT: Véritable "queen star" à 88 ans, elle sera la seule dirigeante présente aux commémorations du 6 juin 1944 à avoir connu la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

D'un pas sûr malgré ses 88 ans, un bouquet de fleurs à la main, Elizabeth II, souriante et vêtue de blanc, quitte la gare du Nord à Paris. La reine entame en "guest star" une visite d'État qui va la conduire des plages du Débarquement aux ors républicains de l'Élysée. Arrivée en Eurostar accompagnée de son mari le prince Philip, la souveraine britannique, vêtue d'une robe crème et d'une veste blanche à liséré noir, coiffée d'un chapeau de la même couleur et portant des gants noirs, est accueillie par une foule de quelque 300 personnes, avant de s'engouffrer dans une Bentley noire. "C'est merveilleux qu'elle soit là !" dit, un drapeau canadien à la main, Margaret Kittle, visiblement émue, dont le mari a pris part à la Seconde Guerre mondiale au sein de la Royal Air Force. "Parmi tous les dirigeants qui seront demain sur les plages, c'est la seule à avoir connu la guerre", fait-elle valoir. (+ vidéo) » | Source AFP | jeudi 05 juin 2014