New Dark Age Alert! Obama’s Internet Megalomania!
MAIL ONLINE: President Obama will be given the power to shut down the Internet with a 'kill switch' in a new law being proposed in the US.

He would be able to order popular search engines such a Google and Yahoo to suspend access [to] their websites in times of national emergency.

Other US based Internet service providers as well as broadband providers would also come under his control in times of a 'cybersecurity emergency.' Any company that failed to comply would be subject to huge fines.

Critics of the new law, which has been proposed by former presidential candidate Joe Liebermann, said it would be an abuse of power to let the White House control the internet.

TechAmerica, one of the largest U.S. technology lobby groups, said the new law had the 'potential for absolute power.'

The proposed legislation, introduced into the US Senate by Lieberman who is chairman of the US Homeland Security committee, seeks to grant the President broad emergency powers over the internet in times of national emergency.

A sustained terror attack on multiple cities would be considered a national emergency as would a cyber attack by 'hackers' on the US financial system. Obama to be given the right to shut down the internet with 'kill switch' >>> Paul Thompson | Friday, June 18, 2010

French Resistance Anniversary Marked in London
THE GUARDIAN: Carla Bruni and Samantha Cameron lead their husbands to lunch inside 10 Downing Street


To the gallery >>>

US and Europe ‘Must Be Prepared for Iranian Missile Attack by 2020’
THE TIMES: The United States and Europe need to be protected by 2020 from a potential attack from Iran that could involve a “scores or even hundreds of missiles”, the US Defence Secretary warned yesterday.

Robert Gates painted the alarming scenario as he defended a US plan to deploy a new, advanced shipborne anti-missile system called SM3 Block 2B, which will have the range of an intercontinental ballistic missile, within ten years.

Appearing before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr Gates underlined the importance of deploying the anti-missile weapon to meet the potential Iranian threat, “especially if we fail to stop them getting nuclear weapons”.

“If Iran launched missiles on Europe, it wouldn’t be a handful but a salvo, maybe scores or even hundreds of missiles, so the SM3 2B would give us the ability to defend [against such an attack],” Mr Gates said. Read on and comment >>> Michael Evans, Pentagon Correspondent | Thursday, June 17, 2010

Watch Stakelbeck on Terror


CBN NEWS: On this week's first edition of Stakelbeck on Terror, CBN News goes one-on-one with Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren in "The Sitdown."

Also, watch as we explore the relationship between Iran and al Qaeda, and for an exclusive report featuring an interview with a radical Islamic leader some call Great Britain's most hated man.

The "War Council" segment features a roundtable debate on the Obama administration's refusal to use terms like "jihadist" and "radical Islam" to describe our enemies.

Then, go Inside Israel with a report from Jerusalem showing the Palestinian Authority's regular incitement against Israeli civilians.

And if you've heard of Islamic Sharia Law, don't miss this week's "Sharia Flaw," which provides shocking video of a Muslim college student's public call to genocide against Jews. [Source: CBN News] | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Stakelbeck’s Blog >>>

Muslim View: The Future of Islam in Europe
AL-AHRAM WEEKLY ON-LINE: While Western Islamophobia is a reality to contend with, Muslims based in the West often don't help matters, writes Khalil El-Anani*

The current Western obsession with the niqab, or full- face veil, often seems part of a subconscious plot to restrict anything Arab and Islamic, symbolic as that may be. The niqab is not really Islamic garb, this I am sure something that Western politicians know. And yet it is becoming a target of hate because it is seen as a cultural symbol that is extraneous, and indeed dangerous, to European societies.

Sometimes I wonder, what if it were Indian women, or Sikhs and Buddhists for that matter, who wore the niqab ? Would European parliaments still spend entire sessions discussing the niqab ?

Theological debate on niqab aside, Western outrage against the niqab seems to be a by-product of Islamophobia, a phenomenon that is raging like wildfire across Europe, asserting itself sometimes as mosque- phobia and at other times as minaret-phobia. Should this trend continue, the day may come when European parliaments ban men from wearing their beards long and shaving their moustaches. I wonder what kind of phobia we'll name that one!

There is a real crisis of conscience in the West. When it comes to Islam, Europe seems to be negating its past of freedom and equality, the very essence of what it claims to be defending today. What damage is done to 65 million in France, 22 million in Australia, and 10 million in Belgium, and a similar number in the Netherlands from hundreds, or even thousands of niqab -clad women? Whether the niqab is an expression of faith or habit, I fail to see the damage it is being blamed for.

Meanwhile, the Western intelligentsia seem silent on the matter. For all their loud defence of homosexual rights and of gay and lesbian marriages, the European intelligentsia remain sympathetic to anyone who criticises Islam and Muslims. Criticism of Islam is seen as part and parcel of Europe's freedom of expression. >>> Khalil El-Anani | Thursday June 17 – Wednesday June 13, 2010

* The writer is senior scholar at the Institute for Middle East and Islamic Studies, Durham University, UK.

Oil Spill: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Fears BP's 'Annihilation'
THE TELEGRAPH: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed concerns that the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill could lead to the "annihilation" of BP.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fears BP's 'annihilation' over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Medvedev stopped short of saying the disaster would prompt a review of Russia's partnership with BP, but he said: "This is a wake-up call."

"Certainly, we are not indifferent to their future... Hopefully, they can absorb the losses," he told the Wall Street Journal.

BP shares, which have fallen around 46pc since the spill began, rose 4.5pc in early tradiing on Friday.

BP is present in Russia through TNK-BP, the third largest oil producer in the country, accounting for roughly a quarter of BP's global production. It owns half of TNK-BP and the other half is owned by Alfa Access-Renova, a consortium of Russian businessmen.

When asked how the oil spill would affect Russia's view of BP as a partner, he said: "What I know is that BP will have to pay a lot of money this year.

"Whether the company can digest those expenditures, whether they will lead to the annihilation of the company or its breakup into pieces is a matter of expediency."

Mr Medvedev's comment come as estimates of the damage caused by the US's biggest environmental accident spiral[.] >>> | Friday, June 18, 2010

Medvedev Sees Risk to Euro
Russian President Dmitry Medvdev speaks with The Wall Street Journal. Photograph: WSJ
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed doubts about the future of Europe's common currency and said the Gulf of Mexico oil spill could threaten the survival of BP PLC.

Asked whether Europe's debt turmoil could threaten the euro, Mr. Medvedev said, "I don't exaggerate the threat, but it can't be underestimated."

The Russian president didn't rule out financial assistance to struggling European nations, but said the European Union should bear the burden of any major "financial injections."

"Russia's prosperity, to a large extent, depends on how well things are going on the European continent," Mr. Medvedev said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "We are not a member of the EU, but we are a European country."

On the eve of his first state visit to the U.S. next week, Mr. Medvedev also questioned whether the Gulf oil spill might lead to the "annihilation" or breakup of BP, as the company faces billions of dollars in losses from the disaster.

He stopped short of saying Russia would re-evaluate BP's lucrative partnership in Russia, which represents almost a quarter of its oil production, but predicted the spill will prompt a fundamental rethinking of oil exploration around the world.

"This is a wake-up call," Mr. Medvedev said. Of BP's fate, he added: "Certainly, we are not indifferent to their future. ... Hopefully, they can absorb the losses." >>> Gregory L. White, Robert Thomson, and Rebecca Blumenstein | Friday, June 18, 2010

Home Secretary Theresa May Bans Radical Preacher Zakir Naik from Entering UK
THE TELEGRAPH: A radical preacher who claimed that “every Muslim should be a terrorist” has been banned from coming to Britain, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Zakir Naik, a 44-year-old Indian televangelist, has been banned from coming to Britain. Photo: The Telegraph
In her first major test of being tough on extremism, Theresa May, the new Home Secretary, said she was banning Zakir Naik from entering the UK.

Dr Naik, a 44-year-old Indian televangelist, had been due to give a series of lectures at arenas in Wembley Arena and Sheffield.

The Home Secretary can exclude or deport an individual if she thinks that their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.

There had been speculation that Dr Naik would be allowed into the UK. However Mrs May said she was excluding him because of the “numerous comments” he made were evidence of his “unacceptable behaviour”.

This behaviour applies to anyone who writes or publishes material which can “foment justify or glorify terrorist violence” or “seek to provoke others to terrorist acts”.

Mrs May told The Daily Telegraph: “I have excluded Dr Naik from the UK. Numerous comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour.

“Coming to the UK is a privilege not a right and I am not wiling to allow those who might not be conducive to the public good to enter the UK.

“Exclusion powers are very serious and no decision is taken lightly or as a method of stopping open debate on issues.”

Home Office sources said Dr Naik had been filmed on a website making inflammatory comments such as “every Muslim should be a terrorist”. >>> Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor | Friday, June 18, 2010

BP's Tony Hayward Savaged by US Congressmen Over Oil Spill
THE TELEGRAPH: BP’s chief executive Tony Hayward has been subjected to a blistering attack by US Congressmen over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, who accused the company of “astonishing complacency”.

BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward was singled out for failing to ignore warnings signs before the fatal rig explosion. Photograph: The Telegraph
The boss of the oil giant was appearing before an influential committee a day after pledging a £13.5bn compensation fund to make amends for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Britain’s largest firm was condemned for increasing the risk of a “catastrophic blowout” by cutting “corner after corner”. It was accused of having a “cavalier attitude towards risk”.

Mr Hayward was singled out for failing to ignore warnings signs before the fatal rig explosion, which left 11 people dead and hundreds of thousands of barrels of oils spewing into the Gulf. BP has failed to contain the leak despite numerous attempts.

Henry Waxman, a California Democrat known as one of the toughest investigators in Congress, told Mr Hayward: “There is not a single email or document that shows that you paid even the slightest attention to the dangers at this well.

“There is a complete contradiction between BP’s words and deeds. You were brought in to make safety the top priority of BP, but under your leadership, BP has taken the most extreme risks.”

In a pointedly nationalist remark, Bart Stupak, from Michigan, said that while Mr Hayward could take “a golden parachute back to England, we in America are left to recover for years from the disaster”. >>> Alex Spillius, in Washington | Thursday, June 17, 2010

It really is difficult to see how Tony Hayward can remain in his position as BP’s chief executive. The buck stops with him. If the man had any honour, he’d resign; and without the golden parachute that these people have come to expect in recent years. The company, BP, has fouled up under his watch. The consequences should be faced. – © Mark

Wilders’ Chance of Dutch Cabinet Post Fades
FINANCIAL TIMES: The chances of Geert Wilders, the controversial anti-Islam politician, becoming a minister in the next Dutch government receded on Thursday after the Christian Democrat party declined to enter talks with either Mr Wilders or the Liberal party that won last week’s general election.

Mark Rutte, leader of the Liberals, was seeking to form a rightwing coalition of his party, Mr Wilders’ Freedom party, the PVV, and the Christian Democrats, CDA, in order to command a 76-seat parliamentary majority.

“It’s very disappointing, the CDA is pulling the plug on this,” Mr Wilders, who wants to end immigration from Muslim countries, told reporters. “The PVV would like nothing more than to govern. We want to be in the cabinet to change the Netherlands.” >>> Michael Steen in Amsterdam | Thursday, June 17, 2010

Islamischer Extremismus am Filmfestival von Cannes
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Am Filmfestival von Cannes könnte das Themenspektrum der gezeigten Werke nicht breiter sein. Von der Finanzkrise über Robin Hood bis zu den Kriegswirren in Algerien. Letztere wird im französischen Wettbewerbsbeitrag «Des Hommes et des Dieux» thematisiert. Erzählt wird die grausame Ermordung von französischen Mönchen im algerischen Atlas-Gebirge. Der Film beruht auf einer wahren Geschichte.

Clegg Clobbers the Traditional Family
MAIL ONLINE: New rights for flexible parental leave / Grandparents to get more rights when couples split / Crackdown on ads and marketing aimed at children / Labour's child tax credit scheme scaled back / Move to protect playgrounds and playing fields

Nick Clegg today vowed to end the tradition that sees mothers do the lion's share of looking after children by giving fathers the right to far more flexible leave.

The Deputy Prime Minister attacked the 'measly' two weeks he was given when his third son was born as he gave a major speech on the family.

And he insisted the whole premise that mothers will be the main carers should be destroyed in what amounts to a revolution of parents' rights.

A new Childhood and Families Ministerial Task Force will look at the best way to re-balance the family set-up.

In a speech to the Barnado's charity in central London, Mr Clegg said: 'Many couples find it enormously difficult to strike the right balance between work and home.

'Traditional arrangements that see mothers take the lion's share of leave simply don't suit everyone's needs.

'I know from my own experience - my own measly two weeks off following the birth of my third son - how frustrating it is for fathers who want to spend more time with their young children.

'Breaking down the old, outdated attitude to who-should-give-up-work-when is hugely important for men, hugely important for women but most importantly, children benefit enormously from having both parents actively involved from day one.' Clegg vows to end tradition of women doing bulk of parenting by offering flexible leave for dads >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, June 17, 2010

Bill O’Reilly’s Talking Points – June 16: The far left turns on President Obama

Congress Grills BP CEO: Highlights: Tony Hayward answers lawmakers' questions on Gulf oil crisis

Does Anyone Owe BP an Apology? : Brother of oil rig explosion victim rates Tony Hayward's remarks at Congressional hearing

Photo: Fox News
Lawmaker Warns Parks Takeover by Mexican Cartels, Illegals 'Intensifying'
FOX NEWS: Federal environmental laws are handcuffing U.S. Border Patrol agents to a foot-and-horseback strategy as they try to battle Mexican drug cartels and illegal immigrants who are turning wide swaths of America's border with Mexico into a virtual no-man's land.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, ranking Republican on the House Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee, said the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arizona -- part of which was closed in 2006 because it was considered too dangerous for Americans to visit -- is just the tip of the iceberg.

He said there's plenty of other parkland along the border that's either closed to the public or is considered too dangerous because of concern about drug gangs, human smugglers and illegal immigrants, and that the problem is getting worse.

"You travel here in America at your own risk," Bishop told FoxNews.com. >>> FoxNews | Thursday, June 17, 2010

Protester Disrupts Hayward Hearing: Woman says BP CEO should be charged with a crime and go to jail

Facing Congressional Wrath, BP Chief Apologizes for Oil Disaster
BP CEO Tony Hayward arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 17, 2010, to testify before the House Oversight and Investigations subcommittee hearing on "the role of BP in the Deepwater Horizon Explosion and oil spill. Photo:
FOX NEWS: In a congressional hearing Thursday that some have described as a public execution, BP chief executive Tony Hayward told Congress that he is "deeply sorry" for the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hayward's testimony came after members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee took turns in a long-awaited public flogging intended to capture the outrage of the nation.

Hayward sat grim-faced before the panel, which is investigating the explosion that killed 11 workers and unleashed a flood of oil that has yet to be stemmed.

Lawmakers accused Hayward, who has come to represent charges of corporate arrogance and greed, of being oblivious to the risks of the company's deepwater operations.

Some of the sharpest criticism came from Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.

"We are not small people. But we wish to get our lives back," he told Hayward. "I'm sure you'll get your life back, and with a golden parachute to England."

It was a reference to Hayward's much-criticized earlier remark that some day he hoped to get "my life back" and to comments on the White House driveway on Wednesday by BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg that "we care about the small people" of the Gulf Coast.

Hayward sipped a beverage and jotted notes as one lawmaker after another scorched him. Read on and comment >>> | Thursday, June 17, 2010

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Race Row Ignited in Australia after Former Coach Calls Aboriginal Footballers 'Cannibals'
THE TELEGRAPH: A race row has erupted in Australian sport after a senior Australian Football League figure referred to Aboriginal players as "cannibals" who could not be seen in the dark.

Mal Brown. Photo: The Telegraph
In a speech at a charity lunch in Melbourne, Mal Brown, a former coach and player, said that when he was making his team selection at a night-time game years ago he couldn't pick Aboriginal players out because of poor lighting at the ground.

"We had a distinct disadvantage, the West Australians, because the Victorians picked both sides," Mr Brown said. "They cheated, they picked the best players. And because there were no (stadium) lights, I couldn't pick any of the cannibals.

"I couldn't pick (Aboriginals) Nicky Winmar or Michael Mitchell or Chrissy Lewis. All the good black fellows, we couldn't pick them because they couldn't see them in the light." >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, June 17, 2010

Iran Shocked by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Condemnation of Religious Crackdown
THE TELEGRAPH: Not content with taking on America and the West, Iran's combative president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has attacked a key policy of his supporters in the religious establishment.

Mr Ahmadinejad baffled conservatives in the ruling elite by declaring his opposition to the annual crackdown on "immodest appearance and behaviour" in the young.

Police use the onset of summer to issue fines to women found wearing make-up and nail polish, or figure-hugging clothes. Veils are tightened to stop showing so much hair, with light, nearly transparent head-coverings a particular target. Men deemed to be 'harassing' women while driving are also stopped.

In a television interview marking the anniversary of his re-election, Mr Ahmadinejad said he did not approve, and that the police actions were "designed to create tumult".

"The government does not agree with this behaviour and will respond to and control it as much as it can," he said. "It is an insult to ask a man and woman walking on the steet about their relation to each other. Nobody has the right to ask such questions." >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, June 17, 2010

Birmingham Stops Camera Surveillance in Muslim Areas
THE GUARDIAN: Project halted after Guardian exposed use of 200-plus cameras in predominantly Muslim areas for counterterrorism

A project to spy on two Muslim areas in Birmingham using more than 200 CCTV cameras has been dramatically halted after an investigation by the Guardian revealed it was a counterterrorism initiative.

Bags are being placed over the cameras, recently installed in the neighbourhoods of Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook, to reassure the community their movements are not being monitored while a "full and in-depth consultation" takes place.

In a joint statement last night, West Midlands police and Birmingham city council announced the cameras would not be turned on. They apologised for not being "more explicit" about the funding arrangements of the project, which stipulated they should be used to combat terrorism, a mistake they conceded may have "undermined public confidence".

But officials insisted the £3m project would go ahead following a retrospective public consultation, arguing the cameras would help reduce crime. >>> Paul Lewis | Thursday, June 17, 2010