A Closer Alliance with France Will Be Good for Britain
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: This week's summit will lead to unprecedented military co-operation between our countries, says Defence Secretary Liam Fox.

Entente cordiale: David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy will establish far greater co-operation between their militaries. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
Too often, the debate on defence within Europe has been focused on what the EU should or should not do. Yet it has always been my view that defence must be a sovereign, and therefore an inter-governmental issue. When nations can benefit from co-operation without losing sovereignty, they should aim to do so – which is why this week will mark the beginning of a long-term commitment to closer defence and security links with France.

There are many reasons why this co-operation makes sense. We are Europe's only nuclear powers. We have the largest defence budgets and are the only two countries with real, large-scale expeditionary capability. We are both permanent members of the UN Security Council, and leading members of the G8 and G20. And there is no better time to deepen our relationship with France. Since President Sarkozy came into office we have seen a vigorous attempt to bring Europe and America closer together, and to bring France deeper into Nato. >>> Liam Fox | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Yemen: The New Breeding Ground for Terror
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The explosive devices intercepted en route to the US started their journey in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda’s latest stronghold, reports Con Coughlin.

Sir John Sawers, the head of Britain's MI6 foreign intelligence-gathering operation, last week singled out Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born terrorist who is believed to be the head of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
For an organisation that is supposed to be the poor relation of Osama bin Laden’s terror network, the sheer sophistication of the plot to plant two bombs on cargo planes en route to the US demonstrates that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is rapidly emerging as a major threat to Western security. Not since the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which killed 270 people, has a terror group sought to smuggle primed explosive devices in the cargo holds of commercial aircraft.

The fact that al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based branch appears – according to the initial reports, at least – to have been able to plant a number of explosive devices on aircraft whose ultimate destination was the United States is a graphic illustration of the sophisticated techniques it is able to employ in its attempts to wreak havoc on the streets of Western cities.

The main focus of the war against Islamist terrorism is focused on the lawless border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda’s main command structure continues to be based in spite of the massive military operation being undertaken by Nato and Pakistani forces. Senior Western intelligence officials, though, are becoming increasingly concerned about the rapid emergence of the off-shoot organisation that has successfully established itself in Yemen. >>> Con Coughlin | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Bill Maher Afraid of Mohammedans

Does Islam make Women Outdated?

Men and Women in Islam

Headscarf Row Mars Turkey's Anniversary Celebration
Hayrunnisa Gul [sic] was once denied enrolment at a university because she wore a headscarf
BBC: Turkey's main opposition leader and military officials have failed to attend the Republic Day reception hosted by President Abdullah Gul [sic].

Mr Gul [sic] had decided to allow his wife to wear the Islamic headscarf at the event in Ankara. In previous years he had held two separate receptions.

The fiercely secular army held its own reception, just before the president's.

Mr Gul's [sic] move is seen as a symbolic challenge to restrictions on wearing the scarf in public.

It also reflects the government's growing confidence that it can overturn the restrictions, correspondents say.

The Supreme Court recently has warned their relaxation violated the constitution.

Women are currently forbidden from covering their heads in many universities and all government offices, but few universities are complying and the education ministry says it will back any student flouting the ban.

President Gul [sic] had in the past held two receptions, so secular officials and military staff would not have to shake hands with his headscarf-wearing wife, Hayrunnisa. 'Creeping Islamisation' >>> | Saturday, October 30, 2010

'More Immigrants Should Work for the State': German Chancellor Angela Merkel Adds to the Country's Roaring Immigration Debate
MAIL ONLINE: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has risked causing further outrage by saying that more immigrants should work for the state.

The country has been in the grip of a tense debate about the integration of Muslims for several weeks.

Fuelled by divisive comments about Turks and Arabs by central banker Thilo Sarrazin, Germany has been debating how to balance an economic need for more workers with growing public concern over integration of immigrants.

Merkel spakred controversy earlier this month when she said that multiculturalism had 'utterly failed' in Germany.
Her latest comments are now likely to cause more anger among citizens who feel alienated by the influx of immigrants to the country.

Interviewed by a 31-year-old Berlin policeman of Turkish origin for her latest internet podcast four days ahead of an integration summit at her chancellery, Merkel said:
'Today, people with a migrant background are under- represented in the public sector, and that needs to change.'

However, Merkel conceded that this was not always easy.
'I've also noticed that if someone has a name that doesn't sound German they can often have trouble being taken on at all in some professions,' she said.

Since Sarrazin inflamed opinion by asserting Turks and Arabs sponged off the state and refused to integrate, some of Merkel's conservatives become more critical of Muslims, who make up an estimated 4 million of Germany's 82 million population. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Saturday, October 30, 2010

How Obama Surrendered at Home and Waged War Abroad
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As the midterms loom, the President is facing annihilation at the ballot box. Tariq Ali examines how the promise of Obama's election campaign has been so dramatically lost.

Barack Obama with the Daily Show host, Jon Stewart, this week. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
As the midterms rapidly approach, the beleaguered US President’s ratings are in steep decline, putting him on the defensive with little to offer his supporters except fine words. Those supporters have been voicing their discontent on the television networks but, much more seriously, are likely to punish Obama by staying at home and ignoring the ballot box on Tuesday.

Indeed, this has been a humiliating time for the once seemingly messianic President. This week’s decision for Obama to appear on the US satirical current affairs TV programme The Daily Show – which is largely watched by liberal voters – was a disaster. The audience openly laughed at him; the presenter, Jon Stewart, gave Obama the honour of being the first President to be called ''Dude’’ to his face on national television; and, worst of all, Obama was forced to recant on the most effective marketing slogan of his generation. ''Yes we can,” Obama admitted, had become ''Yes we can, but...’’ Not exactly a rallying cry.

The desperate move to try to rescue himself from disarray, if not extinction, was misguided. While the audience laughed at him, Obama’s self-justificatory response was wooden and dull. “When we promised 'Change you can believe in’, it wasn’t 'Change you can believe in in 18 months’.”

So how has Obama ended up in this mess? The question voters are asking is whether anything has altered substantially since the White House changed hands? To which I can answer: very little, apart from the mood music. The high hopes aroused during Obama’s galvanising election campaign have receded rapidly. Two wars and an economic crisis would test the capacity of any president, but Obama has been found wanting on many levels. His desire to please all has succeeded in antagonising many of his own supporters. Read on and comment >>> Tariq Ali | Saturday, October 30, 2010

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US midterm elections: Barack Obama's world turned upside down as Democrats face electoral disaster: By abandoning his own rhetoric of bipartisanship, President Obama divided America and set the course for a heavy Democratic defeat in Tuesday's midterm elections, argues Toby Harnden. >>> Toby Harnden, American Way | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Islamization of London (French with English subtitles)

Interview mit Oskar Freysinger, Schweizer Nationalrat
Teil 1:


Teil 2:


Teil 3:


Teil 4:


Teil 5:


Teil 6:

German Apostate of Islam from Turkey: Deutsch Abtrünniger des Islam aus der Türkei

Integrationsdebatte: Thilo Sarrazin verhöhnt Merkel, Wulff und Gabriel
WELT ONLINE: Thilo Sarrazin ist zurück: In einem Interview rechnet er mit seinen Kritikern ab. Wulffs Türkei-Reise nennt er "Harmonie-Kitsch-Sauce".

Der frühere Bundesbank-Vorstand und SPD-Politiker Thilo Sarrazin hat mit seinen Gegnern aus der Politik abgerechnet. “Ich habe mein Amt aufgegeben, weil nach der beispiellosen Kampagne aus der Spitze des Staates ein gedeihliches Arbeiten im Vorstand der Bundesbank nicht mehr möglich gewesen wäre“, sagte Sarrazin im Interview mit "Bild am Sonntag".

“Ich habe keinen Streit angefangen, sondern schwierige Sachverhalte schlüssig dargelegt. Der Zorn kam nicht von mir, sondern von meinen Gegnern in Politik und Medien.“ Sarrazin fügte hinzu: “Wer, wenn nicht einer wie ich – 65 Jahre alt, politisch erfahren und ohne materielle Bedrohungsängste – soll denn in Deutschland unangenehme Wahrheiten aussprechen? Manchmal habe ich den Eindruck, wir sind auf dem Weg in die Duckmäuser-Republik.“

Scharf kritisierte Sarrazin das Verhalten von Bundespräsident Christian Wulff während seines Türkei-Besuchs: “In der Türkei wurde und wird der christliche Glaube bestenfalls geduldet. Die Zahlen sprechen da eine deutliche Sprache: Gab es 1914 noch 25 Prozent Christen in der Türkei, sind es heute gerade noch 0,2 Prozent. Und an der deutschen Schule in Istanbul ist seit einigen Jahren der Deutschunterricht in den unteren Klassen verboten. Der Bundespräsident hat über diese nicht sehr erfreulichen Zustände eine Harmonie-Kitsch-Sauce gegossen.“

Auch die Äußerungen von Wulff in der Islam-Debatte wies Sarrazin zurück: “Es ist falsch zu sagen, dass der Islam zu Deutschland gehört. Die deutsche Kultur ist weitgehend ohne Bezug auf den Islam entstanden. Die Tatsache, dass bei uns Millionen Mitbürger islamischen Glaubens leben, ändert daran nichts. Ministerpräsident Erdogan hat die Türken hier vor einer Anpassung an Deutschland gewarnt.“ >>> WON/pku | Samstag, 30. Oktober 2010

Harriet Harman Rebuked for Calling Minister 'a Ginger Rodent'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Harriet Harman has been rebuked for calling a senior member of the government "a ginger rodent".

As a former Equalities Minister who was dedicated to helping minority groups, Harriet Harman perhaps should have known better.

But in an outspoken attack, the Labour Deputy Leader yesterday called Danny Alexander a "ginger rodent".

Delegates at Labour's Scottish conference could barely conceal their shock as Ms Harman, who is known for her strict adherence to politically correct views, turned her fire on the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the least correct way imaginable, mocking his red hair and comparing him to a squirrel.

Speaking to the conference in Oban, she also said the Lib Dems in Scotland had become "political mutants" after joining a coalition with Conservatives.

Ms Harman began her attack saying people had been dismayed after the election to wake up and see "Nick Clegg with David Cameron in the rose garden of Number 10".

She said there was then "incredulity" at seeing Mr Alexander, an MP from the north of Scotland, becoming "the frontman for the Tory cuts".

"Now, many of us in the Labour Party are conservationists and we all love the red squirrel," Ms Harman said. "But there is one ginger rodent which we never want to see again in the Highlands – Danny Alexander." >>> Melissa Kite | Saturday, October 30, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Harman says sorry for 'ginger rodent' jibe: Deputy Labour leader's joke about Danny Alexander backfires as she is accused of insulting all of Scotland's redheads >>> Press Association | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Irak : Tarek Aziz aurait entamé une grève de la faim
LE POINT: L'ancien ministre du dictateur irakien Saddam Hussein, Tarek Aziz, condamné à mort mardi par la Haute Cour pénale irakienne, est depuis jeudi en grève de la faim, a déclaré vendredi son fils à l'AFP, à Amman. "Mon père ainsi que 25 autres détenus sont en grève de la faim depuis hier", jeudi, a affirmé Ziad Aziz, qui réside à Amman, comme la famille proche de l'ancien vice-Premier ministre irakien. >>> Source AFP | Vendredi 29 Octobre 2010

Terrorisme : Le Yémen sous pression pour lutter contre Al-Qaeda
À Sanaa, capitale du Yémen, les autorités sont confrontées à une lutte nécessaire contre les réseaux d'Al-Qaeda. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Les autorités de Sanaa sont une nouvelle fois sous pression pour lutter contre les réseaux d'Al-Qaeda actifs sur son territoire, après l'interception, à Dubaï et en Grande-Bretagne, de colis contenant apparemment des explosifs en provenance du Yémen. Al-Qaeda au Yémen est devenue une cible privilégiée des États-Unis depuis l'attentat raté de Noël dernier, dont l'auteur, un jeune Nigérian qui a séjourné au Yémen, a tenté de faire exploser un avion reliant Amsterdam à Detroit.

Samedi, un porte-parole officiel a déclaré que le Yémen continuerait de "déployer ses efforts dans le domaine de la lutte contre le terrorisme en collaboration avec la communauté internationale". Il a assuré que la détermination du Yémen était justifiée par le fait que le terrorisme est "un péril qui menace tout le monde", indiquant que les services de sécurité et les autorités de l'aviation civile avaient commencé une "enquête" sur les colis suspects. "Cette enquête se déroule en coordination avec les autorités compétentes aux Émirats arabes unis, en Grande-Bretagne et aux États-Unis, et ses résultats seront annoncés en temps voulu", a-t-il ajouté. La police de Dubaï a indiqué que le colis intercepté à l'aéroport de Dubaï contenait des explosifs et un système de mise à feu "portant l'empreinte d'organisations terroristes comme celle d'Al-Qaeda". >>> Source AFP | Samedi 30 Octobre 2010

Turkey's Relationship with West on the Line in European Missile Defence Negotiations
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Turkey's government has been told that its relationship with the West could be seriously damaged if it rejects Nato's request to house part of a £165 million ballistic missile-defence shield that is being built to protect Europe from nuclear attack.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state and Robert Gates, the US secretary of defence, have held out the warning in behind-the-scenes talks with Turkish officials ahead of a Nato summit to be held in Lisbon on November 19, where a final decision is expected to be made on the missile-defence plan.

"Essentially we've told Turkey that missile-defence is an acid test of its commitment to the collective security arrangements it has with its western allies," a senior US official told The Daily Telegraph.

Nato's missile-defence programme is designed to protect Europe's population from nuclear-armed missiles the West fears Iran may acquire in coming years. The plans involve radar stations that can detect ballistic missile launches, and advanced interceptor missiles which can shoot them down.

Turkey is critical to the project, since its geographical location means radar sited on its soil will be able to detect Iranian ballistic missile launches early.

The November 19 deadline has left Recep Erdrogan, Turkey's Prime Minister, torn between his Islamist supporters and his country's western allies. Mr Erdrogan has made improving his country's relationship with Iran a central foreign policy. Turkey voted against a slew of new sanctions imposed by the United Nations on Iran this summer in an effort to slow down its nuclear programme.

"Sacrificing the Iranian friendship to Nato would mean an end to the independent foreign policy Turkey has followed in recent years, and the respect that that has earned it in the Islamic world," Hakan Albayrak, an influential pro-government commentator, said. >>> Praveen Swami, Diplomatic Editor | Friday, October 29, 2010

Explosive Devices 'Intended for Chicago Synagogues'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An international terrorist alert over an al-Qaeda parcel bomb plot has been triggered following the discovery of a package containing explosive material at a British airport.

The plot – described as a “credible threat” originating in Yemen - was uncovered by MI6 after a tip-off to one of its officers based in the Middle East.

On Friday night, airports in the United States were on high alert after parcels containing explosive material, and addressed to synagogues in Chicago, were discovered on cargo aircraft at East Midlands airport and in Dubai. >>> Richard Edwards, Duncan Gardham and Gordon Rayner | Saturday, October 30, 2010

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cargo plane bomb plot: Yemen doubts its link to the plot: The government of Yemen has expressed astonishment at the cargo plane bomb plots, claiming there were no UPS cargo planes that had taken off from Yemen >>> | Saturday, October 30, 2010

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cargo plane plot: Anwar al-Awlaki profile: Anwar al-Awlaki, the senior al-Qaeda figure linked to the East Midlands Airport cargo plane bomb plot, is rapidly becoming enemy number one for British intelligence organisations. >>> Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Retired US Chaplains Warn Against Gays in Military
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dozens of retired military chaplains say that serving both God and the U.S. armed forces will become impossible for chaplains whose faiths consider homosexuality a sin if gays are allowed to serve openly in the military.

If a chaplain preaches against homosexuality, he could conceivably be disciplined as a bigot under the military's non-discrimination policy, the retired chaplains say. The Pentagon, however, says chaplains' religious beliefs and their need to express them will be respected.

Clergy would be ineligible to serve as chaplains if their churches withdraw their endorsements, as some have threatened to do if "don't ask, don't tell" – the 1993 law that says the military cannot inquire into service members' sexual orientation and punish them for it as long as they keep it to themselves – ends.

Critics of allowing openly gay troops fear that clergy will leave the service or be forced to find other jobs in the military that don't involve their faiths.

"The bottom line is religious freedom," said retired Army Brig. Gen. Douglas Lee, one of 65 former chaplains who signed a letter urging President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to keep "don't ask, don't tell". >>> | Friday, October 29, 2010

David Cameron and the Euro Millions Roll-over
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: What has happened in the past couple of days is an affirmation of business as usual, writes Simon Heffer.

Business as usual for Mr Cameron. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
Since Lady Thatcher left office it has been easy to predict the outcome of EU summit meetings. A prime minister talks tough beforehand – especially in election campaigns – about defending British interests. Yet when he arrives it is a matter of moments before he is on his knees, doing exactly as he is bidden by our masters in Brussels.

Dave is no exception, and nor did I expect him to be. It is not just that he reminds us more of Ted Heath every day. It is that he is a natural appeaser, a man born to take the line of least resistance. He is also in bed with serious Leftists and federalists posing as Liberal Democrats, whose enthusiasm for the European project, and indeed for the disastrous notion of a single currency, remains undimmed. And it is part of Dave’s own project to realign his party on the centre-Left, which means, in the end, he will always do what he is told by Brussels. Read on and comment >>> Simon Heffer | Friday, October 29, 2010

Terror Alert: Suspicious Devices 'Dry Run' for Terror Campaign Against US Synagogues
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A series of suspicious packages found in Britain and Dubai could have been part of a “dry run” by al-Qaeda for a mail bomb plot in the United States, authorities believe.

The packages were found on an American-registered cargo plane at East Midlands airport in England, en route from Yemen to Chicago, via Cologne in Germany, and on aircraft in Dubai which had also come from Yemen.

"We know that these packages originated in Yemen and we are looking into potential links to terrorism," said one U.S. official.

It was claimed the devices were destined for synagogues in Chicago. Jewish organisations and synagogues in Britain said they were already on high alert. >>> Andrew Hough, and Peter Hutchison | Friday, October 29, 2010