Fidel Castro Says Communism Doesn't Work
THE GUARDIAN: Former Cuban president says Marxist model 'doesn't even work for us' in offhand remark to US journalist Jeffrey Goldberg

It was a casual remark over a lunch of salad, fish and red wine but future historians are likely to parse and ponder every word: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us any more."

Fidel Castro's nine-word confession, dropped into conversation with a visiting US journalist and policy analyst, undercuts half a century of thundering revolutionary certitude about Cuban socialism.

That the island's economy is a disaster is hardly news but that the micro-managing "maximum leader" would so breezily acknowledge it has astonished observers.

Towards the end of a long, relaxed lunch in Havana, Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for the Atlantic magazine, asked Castro if Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting. The reply left him dumbfounded. "Did the leader of the revolution just say, in essence, 'Never mind'?" Goldberg wrote on his blog.

The 84-year-old retired president did not elaborate but the implication, according to Julia Sweig, a Cuba expert from the Council on Foreign Relations who also attended the lunch, was that the state had too big a role in the economy.

Raúl Castro has been saying the same thing in public and private since succeeding his older brother two years ago. With infrastructure crumbling, food shortages acute and an average monthly salary of just $25 (£16), it has become apparent that near-total state control of the economy does not work.

But for Fidel to acknowledge the fact could be compared to Napoleon musing that the march on Moscow was not, on reflection, a great success.

"Frankly, I have been somewhat amazed by Fidel's new frankness," said Stephen Wilkinson, a Cuba expert at the London Metropolitan University. "This is the latest of a series of recent utterances that strike me as being indicative of a change in the old man's character." >>> Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent | Thursday, September 09, 2010

The Bliar Wants Us All to Read the Koran!
WELT ONLINE: Der ehemalige britische Premierminister Blair kritisiert die Koran-Verbrennung – ermutigt aber jeden, das Buch stattdessen zu lesen.

Der ehemalige britische Premierminister Tony Blair ist selbst überzeugter Katholik. Bild: Welt Online
Der ehemalige britische Premierminister Tony Blair hat die geplante Koran-Verbrennung einer US-Kirchengruppe scharf verurteilt und zur inhaltlichen Auseinandersetzung mit dem Islam aufgerufen. Die für den 11. September geplante Koranverbrennung in der Gemeinde von Pastor Terry Jones in Gainesville im Bundesstaat Florida sei „respektlos, das ist böse und wird weitgehend von den Völkern, religiös oder nicht, verurteilt werden“, erklärte der Gesandte des Nahost-Quartetts in London. „Statt den Koran zu verbrennen ermutige ich dazu, ihn lieber zu lesen“, fügte Blair, der Katholik ist und eine Organisation zur Verständigung zwischen den Religionen gegründet hat, hinzu. „Als Christ“ schließe er sich der Aufforderung an Jones an, die Koranverbrennung abzusagen. Tony Blair ruft zur Lektüre des Koran auf >>> AFP/sip | Donnerstag, 09. September 2010

Quran Burning Issue: Terry Jones vs World


THE GUARDIAN: Qur'an burning would increase risk of terror attacks – Interpol >>> Matthew Weaver, Tim Hill and agencies | Thursday, September 09, 2010

Merkels Bekenntnis zu Westergaard zeigt Größe
WELT ONLINE: Angela Merkel plädiert für die Pressefreiheit und schließt damit auch die Freiheit des islamkritischen Karikaturisten mit ein.

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel plädiert für die Pressefreiheit. Bild: Welt Online
Es war kein Pflichttermin. Sie hätte es nicht tun müssen. Nur wenige Menschen wären nach einer Preisverleihung an den Karikaturisten Kurt Westergaard ohne die Laudatorin Angela Merkel auf die Idee gekommen zu fragen: Wo war denn gestern Abend eigentlich unsere Kanzlerin? Warum hat sie es nicht in die Festsäle der Orangerie in Potsdam geschafft und sich mit diesem Dänen abbilden lassen, dessen Mohammed-Zeichnung die islamische Welt vor sechs Jahren in Wallung versetzte?

Aber sie war da. Und hielt die bisher beste Rede ihrer Kanzlerschaft. "Keine Sonntagsrede“, wie sie gleich zu Beginn ihrer Philippika an die Medien betonte, „sondern Klartext.“ Das ist bemerkenswert, weil Angela Merkel bisher nicht in dem Ruf stand, öffentliche Reden und Auftritte im Fernsehen dazu zu nutzen, Tacheles zu reden. >>> Von Claus Christian Malzahn | Donnerstag, 09. September 2010

WELT ONLINE: Ehrung Westergaards – Merkels "Mangel an interkultureller Kompetenz": Deutsche Muslime kritisieren Kanzlerin Angela Merkel wegen der Ehrung Westergaards. Es sei ein unglücklicher Zeitpunkt. >>> | Donnerstag, 09. September 2010

Autor Abdel-Samad: "Der Islam wird als Kultur untergehen"
WELT ONLINE: Abdel-Samad ist vom Westen-Hasser zum Islamreformer geworden. Er rechnet mit seiner Religion ab: "Das islamische Haus stinkt."

Autor Hamad Abdel-Samad wird in der muslimischen Welt für seine Thesen angefeindet. Bild: Welt Online
Hamad Abdel-Samad wurde 1972 als drittes von fünf Kindern in der Nähe von Kairo geboren. Sein Vater ist ein sunnitischer Imam. Im Alter von vier Jahren wurde Abdel-Samad von einem 15-Jährigen vergewaltigt. Als er elf Jahre alt war, wurde er noch einmal missbraucht, diesmal von einer Gruppe Jugendlicher. 1995 kam er im Alter von 23 Jahren als latenter Antisemit und Westen-Skeptiker nach Deutschland.

Während seines Politik-Studiums in Augsburg setzte ein Wandlungsprozess ein. Seine Metamorphose vom Westen-Hasser zum liberalen Islamreformer sowie seine problematische Kindheit verarbeitete Abdel-Samad in seinem autobiografischen Buch „Mein Abschied vom Himmel“ (2009), der ihm ein religiöses Rechtsgutachten (Fatwa) in seiner Heimat einbrachte und ihm Polzeischutz bescherte.

Er arbeitete für die Unesco, am Lehrstuhl für Islamwissenschaft in Erfurt und am Institut für Jüdische Geschichte und Kultur an der Universität in München. Sein zweites Buch „Der Untergang der islamischen Welt“ kommt in die deutschen Buchläden (Droemer, 240 Seiten, 18 Euro). Abdel-Samad ist verheiratet mit Connie, deren Mutter Japanerin und deren Vater Däne ist. Das Ehepaar lebt in München. >>> Von Dietrich Alexander | Donnerstag, 09. September 2010

Le caricaturiste de Mahomet est opposé à la destruction du Coran
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RELIGION | Le dessinateur danois Kurt Westergaard, menacé de mort par des extrémistes musulmans pour avoir publié une caricature de Mahomet, a dénoncé le projet d'un petit groupe religieux américain de vouloir brûler le Coran.

Le dessinateur danois Kurt Westergaard, reçoit un prix média à Postdam [sic], le 8 septembre 2010. Photo : Tribune de Genève
"La provocation devrait pousser les gens à la réflexion, à éclaircir les choses, et à une prise de conscience. Ce n'est vraiment pas le cas ici", a estimé dans le quotidien Die Welt M. Westergaard, qui a reçu la veille un soutien appuyé de la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel.

Mais le caricaturiste, qui a reçu mercredi soir un prix récompensant la liberté de la presse, ne regrette pas ses propres dessins, affirmant que "rien ne va sans liberté d'opinion", et que "la satire est toujours une provocation". >>> AFP | Jeudi 09 Septembre 2010

Le Parlement européen demande à Paris de suspendre les expulsions de Roms
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: STRASBOURG | Le Parlement européen a adopté jeudi une résolution demandant à la France et aux autres Etats de l'UE de "suspendre immédiatement" les expulsions de Roms, qui ont suscité une vive controverse ces dernières semaines.

Cette résolution présentée par les socialistes, les libéraux, les verts et les communistes a obtenu 337 voix contre 245. >>> AFP | Jeudi 09 Septembre 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy's Party Headquarters Raided by Police
THE TELEGRAPH: The headquarters of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP party has been raided by police as part of the L'Oreal [sic] electoral fraud scandal.

Three officers visited the building in Paris's 8th arrondissement on Wednesday afternoon following claims about the finances of Lilian [sic] Bettencourt, France's richest woman.

The 87-year-old L'Oreal [sic] heiress is said to have handed over envelopes full of cash to senior politicians including Sarkozy in return for the authorities overlooking tax avoidance on her multi-million pounds fortune.

During the latest raid connected with the case, detectives were said to be looking for a document proving that Eric Woerth, the employment minister, had recommended to Mr Sarkozy that Patrice de Maistre, Mrs Bettencourt's wealth manager, be given the Legion of Honour.

It was Mr Woerth himself who decorated Mr De Maistre with the medal in January 2008, three months after the financier gave Mr Woerth's wife, Florence, a highly paid job in his company.

Mr Woerth was the budget minister at the time, and meant to be looking for alleged tax avoiders like Mrs Bettencourt. Both Woerths deny a conflict of interest. >>> Peter Allen, in Paris | Thursday, September 09, 2010

Iran Suspends Stoning of Woman
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran has suspended the execution by stoning of a woman convicted of adultery, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed, after weeks of condemnation from around the world.

The announcement came a day after European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called the stoning sentence against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani "barbaric beyond words", the latest in a string of criticisms by foreign powers.

"The verdict regarding the extramarital affairs has stopped and it's being reviewed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Iran's state-run English-language Press TV.

Ashtiani was convicted of adultery – a capital crime in the Islamic Republic – in 2006. She also has been charged with involvement in her husband's murder. >>> | Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Vitamin B Is Revolutionary New Weapon Against Alzheimer's Disease
THE TELEGRAPH: Vitamin B tablets could slow and even halt the devastating march of Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly, a breakthrough British study suggests.

The research showed that large doses of the supplement could halve the rate of brain shrinkage – a physical symptom associated [with] memory loss and dementia in the elderly.

The effects were so dramatic that the scientists behind the work believe it could revolutionise the treatment of the disease.

Brain shrinkage or atrophy is a natural part of ageing but it is known to be accelerated in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a kind of memory loss and forgetfulness – and Alzheimer's.

Scientists at the University of Oxford conducted a trial on 168 people and found that taking high doses of three vitamin B supplements every day reduced brain shrinkage associated with dementia by up to 53 per cent.

They said the results were so strong that it should open up a debate as to whether the tablets should be prescribed to everyone with MCI – half of whom develop Alzheimer's disease.

MCI affects 16 per cent of people over 70 – 1.5 million people in the UK.
Professor David Smith, a pharmacologist who co-authored the study, said the results were "immensely promising".

"It is a very simple solution: you give someone some vitamins and you protect the brain," he said. >>> Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent | Thursday, September 09, 2010

Sarah Palin Slams U.S. Pastor's Plan to Burn the Koran on 9/11 as 'Provocative... Like Building a Mosque at Ground Zero'
MAIL ONLINE: Presidents of Indonesia and Pakistan condemn church / British Muslims to burn flags at U.S. embassy in protest / Downing Street 'strongly opposes' Koran-burning / Obama: Burnings a 'recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda'

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has slammed the leader of a tiny U.S. church's plans to burn the Koran on September 11.

The conservative leader, who is the darling of the Right-wing Tea Party movement, slammed Reverend Terry Jones' plans as 'counter-productive'.

She added that the plan was 'insensitive and an unnecessary provocation - much like building a mosque at Ground Zero.'

Her comments came as the presidents of Pakistan and Indonesia - the world's largest Muslim nation - added their voices to world-wide condemnation of the event.

Downing Street also entered the row today, with a spokesman for the prime Minister saying he 'strongly opposed' any attempt to offend members of a religious group.

The spokesman said: 'Primarily this is an issue for the US, but clearly the government's view is that we would not condone the burning of any book.

'We would strongly oppose any attempt to offend any member of any religious or ethnic group. We are committed to religious tolerance.'

Addressing the pastor directly on her Facebook page last night, Sarah Palin said his plan would 'feed the fire of caustic rhetoric and appear as nothing more than mean-spirited religious intolerance.'

'Don't feed that fire,' she urged him.

'If your ultimate point is to prove that the Christian teachings of mercy, justice, freedom, and equality provide the foundation on which our country stands, then your tactic to prove this point is totally counter-productive.'

'Book burning is antithetical to American ideals,' she wrote. Read on and comment >>> Mail Foreign Service | Thursday, September 09, 2010

David Cameron Pays Tribute to His Late Father
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has paid tribute to his father, who died yesterday while on holiday in France, calling him “an amazing man.”



The Prime Minister said that while his father's death was “unexpected and sudden” it happened while Ian, 77, was enjoying a “wonderful holiday” with family and friends.

Mr Cameron also thanked Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, for helping him get to the hospital in time to see his father before he died.

Downing Street released a statement from Mr Cameron and his family this morning.

It said: “Our dad was an amazing man - a real life-enhancer. He never let the disability he was born with or the complications in later life get in the way of his incredible sense of fun and enjoyment.

“He touched a lot of lives in lots of different ways and was a brilliant husband and father. You could never be down for long when he was around. >>> | Thursday, September 09, 2010

Obituary: Ian Cameron
THE TELEGRAPH: Ian Cameron, who died on September 8 aged 77, was a successful stockbroker in the City of London and the father of the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

Ian Donald Cameron was born in London on October 12 1932, the son of Donald Ewen Cameron and his wife Enid (née Levita), who came from a distinguished Polish banking family. The Camerons had worked in the City for several generations.

His great-grandfather, Sir Ewen Cameron, came south from Invernesshire in the 1860s to work for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and helped the Rothschilds to sell war bonds during the Russo-Japanese war. Ian Cameron’s grandfather, Ewen Ivan, became senior partner of the stockbroking firm, Panmure Gordon, as did Ian’s father, Donald.

From birth Ian's legs were severely deformed, requiring him to undergo several operations and to wear special raised boots. He was sent to board at Betteshanger prep school in Kent, where, because of his disability, he was made to have an extra hour’s rest every day. At home, his mother treated him with much affection, but also believed that the effect of his disability had to be minimised, that he had to develop a sense of independence.

Shortly before he went to Eton, Ian’s father left his mother and married an Austrian, Marielen von Meiss-Teuffen. It was a difficult period for the boy, and he did not shine academically at school. He did, however, show the determination that was to be a hallmark of his character, and was not shy. One of his school friends recalled playing a game of indoor football with him: “I had the ball at my feet, and I said 'Oh yes, this is Ian, I can get past him’. Suddenly my wrists were seized in an iron grip, because all the strength of his legs had gone into his arms and wrists. I virtually needed a course of physiotherapy after that. He had this amazing strength, and he was always incredibly resilient, courageous and outgoing.” When it came to the Field Game, the school’s home-grown hybrid of football and rugby, Ian played in a position comparable to scrum-half, where he found that his low centre of gravity sometimes proved an advantage.

After school, Ian decided against going to university; neither did he do National Service, on account of his disability. Instead he trained as an accountant, a profession he disliked so much that he later banned his children from pursuing it. He then spent two years as a banker at Robert Fleming before following the family tradition by entering Panmure Gordon; he became a partner before the age of 30. Moving into a flat in Basil Street, Knightsbridge, he threw what a friend described as “endless parties with the most beautiful girls”. >>> | Thursday, September 09, 2010

Obama Asks Florida Pastor to Call Off Qur'an-burning: "You Could Have Serious Violence in Places Like Pakistan and Afghanistan"
JIHAD WATCH: He could have said, and should have said, that while he disagrees with the idea of burning the Qur'an, he would defend the liberty of Americans and the principle of freedom of expression. He could have said that anyone who murders an innocent person in Pakistan or Afghanistan or anywhere else because of this is entirely responsible for the murder, and Terry Jones and the other Qur'an-burners bear no responsibility for the actions of others. He could have said that to threaten violence and to commit acts of violence because of this is irrational, it's madness -- and, for that matter, it confirms the image of Islam as a religion of violence that Obama himself is so anxious to refute.

Instead, he surrendered American principles and semaphored once again that violent intimidation works. Read on and comment >>> Robert Spencer | Thursday, September 09, 2010

Imam Fears Moving NYC Mosque Could Inflame Tension
YAHOO! NEWS: NEW YORK – The imam behind a proposed Islamic community center and mosque near ground zero cautioned Wednesday that moving the facility could cause a violent backlash from Muslim extremists and endanger national security.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf told CNN that the discourse surrounding the center has become so politicized that moving it could strengthen the ability of extremists abroad to recruit and wage attacks against Americans, including troops fighting in the Middle East.

"The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack," he said, but he added that he was open to the idea of moving the planned location of the center, currently two blocks north of the World Trade Center site.

"But if you don't do this right, anger will explode in the Muslim world," he later said, predicting that the reaction could be more furious than the eruption of violence following the 2005 publication of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, September 09, 2010

NY Muslim Groups Decry Hostile Atmosphere
Watch video here

9/11 Koran Burning: Barack Obama Says Plan Will Be 'Recruitment Bonanza for al-Qaeda'
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama has condemned an American pastor’s plan to burn copies of the Koran on the ninth anniversary of September 11 as a “recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda”, as outrage has built across the Islam world.



The US President warned that the “destructive” act would inflame violence, endanger US troops and lead to an increased threat of terrorism against Western civilian targets.

"You could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who would be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities," he said.

"This is a recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda."

"If he's listening, I hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans. That this country has been built on the notion of freedom and religious tolerance."

"And as a very practical matter, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women who are in uniform." >>> | Thursday, September 09, 2010

'Burn-a-Koran Day' to Go Ahead
Watch video here

Pastor Ignores Pleas Not To Burn Koran
SKY NEWS: A pastor in the US has vowed to go ahead with plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks - despite warnings it could spark worldwide violence. Sky's US correspondent Greg Milam has more.



SKY NEWS: US Pastor Defiant Over Koran Burning Plans >>> Adam Arnold, Sky News Online | Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Barack Obama to Tax the Rich
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has announced that he would not extend tax cuts for the richest Americans passed by George W Bush, arguing that the country could not afford the luxury of aiding the wealthy.

Barack Obama argues that the country can not afford the luxury of aiding the wealthy. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Obama said he would not renew the ten-year reduction for families making more than $250,000 (£160,000) a year and individuals making more than $200,000. He however favoured extending them for middle class Americans.

The tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 were one of Mr Bush’s signature policies and have always been controversial. Democrats blamed them for the massive deficit, while Republicans said they encouraged consumer spending and the “trickle down” effect.

They have become a central issue in November’s mid-term elections, when Mr Obama’s party is in danger of losing its majority in Congress largely because of anger over the economy and high unemployment.

The White House is trusting that the decision will prove popular with voters who have regarded the Obama administration as too friendly to Wall Street and the rich. It will provide Republicans with fresh ammunition for the case that the president is a high-taxing big spender. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Wednesday, September 08, 2010

'We Are Still Determined': U.S. Pastor Vows to Carry Out Burn-a-Koran day on Sept 11 Despite Death Threats
MAIL ONLINE: Hillary Clinton – Act is 'disrespectful and disgraceful' / Gen Petraeus: 'It will spark war against all Christians'

The leader of a tiny U.S. church has today reiterated his determination to proceed with plans to burn copies of the Koran on September 11 despite pleas from senior military and political figures.

The Rev Terry Jones has been advised by the senior U.S. leader in Afghanistan, General David Petaeus, that the stunt would put American soldiers lives at greater risk and provide propaganda for the Taliban.

But Rev Jones, who says he has recently received more than 100 death threats and begun carrying a pistol for his own protection, today held a press conference to announce that he will not back down in the face of military, political or moral pressure.

He said: 'As you can imagine we have come under very much pressure in the direction of cancelling the event.

'But as of this time we have no intention of cancelling.

'We have also, which is something the news media has missed, received quite a lot of support.

'We understand the General Petraeus's concern and we are still considering it.

'But as of now we are not convinced that backing down is the right thing to do.

'So we will continue with our planned event[.]' >>> Mail Foreign Service | Wednesday, September 08, 2010