Iran's President Admits Rift with Country's Senior Islamic Figures

THE GUARDIAN: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces he is on 'opposite side' to those who accuse him of revolutionary deviancy

Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has admitted for the first time that a rift has developed between him and some of the most senior figures of the Islamic regime.

In a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, the first since news emerged of his power struggle with the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the president said: "It is very clear now that we are 180 degrees away from them – we are actually on opposite sides."

He pointed the finger at ruling conservatives, who have accused the government of "revolutionary deviancy", while playing down suggestions that he has been at odds with Ali Khamenei.

In recent months, conservatives close to the supreme leader have launched an extensive campaign against the president and his allies, who they believe are undermining the supremacy of the leader.

Senior figures in the powerful revolutionary guards and some of the most prominent clerics in the country who have supported Ahmadinejad in the past are now distancing themselves from him.

Those who remain in his camp have faced accusations of "sorcery", "deviancy" and even espionage, and some presidential aides have been arrested.

"They arrested those people. Good for them," Ahmadinejad said. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Um Gottes willen, hör auf mit Deinen Komplimenten! So schön bin ich auch wieder nicht

Fast schon peinlich waren Merkel die vielen Komplimente, mit denen sie Obama überhäufte. Höhepunkt der Nettigkeiten: Bei einem Staatsbankett in der Nacht zum Mittwoch bekommt die Kanzlerin die Freiheitsmedaille verliehen. Merkel ist die erste europäische Regierungschefin, die von Obama so gewürdigt wird. Seit der Amtszeit von Altkanzler Helmut Kohl hat es keinen solchen deutschen Besuch in den USA gegeben
Charme-Offensive im Weißen Haus »

Medvedev Signs Amendments Introducing Forced Labor into Criminal Code

RUSSIA TODAY: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said a set of amendments to the Criminal Code contains new forms of punishment, while reducing charges of slander – once a criminal offense - to a civil offence.

Medvedev personally made the announcement on Tuesday while meeting with Justice Minister Aleksandr Konovalov. In Russia, the Justice Ministry includes the Federal Service for Execution of Punishment – the body that oversees the system of prisons, penal colonies and pre-trial detention centers.

“The draft law includes a number of novelties and deserves attention as it makes the criminal law more up to date, gets rid of obsolete norms that were passing from one code to another but were never observed, eliminates contradictions and introduces a new form of punishment – forced labor,” Medvedev said.

Apart from the introduction of forced labor, the bill establishes new penalties for petty economic crimes and crimes related to drug trafficking. Meanwhile, charges of libel and slander have been decriminalized and will fall under the civil code.

“The deeds that are listed as crimes in the current version of the Criminal Code are being decriminalized and after the law comes into force these acts will be persecuted as administrative offence,” the president noted.

The list of such actions pertain to libel, including cases of libeling judges involved in court cases, as well as non-qualified actions that do not cause grave consequences. » | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

French Declare that Bashar al-Assad Has Lost All Legitimacy

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France is to push for a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian regime for human rights violations in its assualt on opposition protesters.

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe [sic] told a meeting in Washington that President Bashar Assad has "lost his legitimacy to rule the country" and that Paris hoped to overcome Russian opposition to a Security Council rebuke.

Mr Juppe [sic] told an audience at the Brookings Institution, however, that France believes that strong support in the 15-member security council might persuade Russia to abstain.

He said that perhaps the Russians will see that there are 11 votes in favor of the resolution, and they will change their mind.

"The situation is very clear. In Syria, the process of reform is dead and we think that Bashar has lost his legitimacy to rule the country," Mr Juppe [sic] said. "We'll see what the Russians will do. If they veto, they will take their responsibility. Maybe if they see that there are 11 votes in favour of the resolution, they will change their mind. So there is a risk to take and we're ready to take it."

Amnesty International urged the Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Formula One: Bernie Ecclestone Urges Rethink on Bahrain Grand Prix after Human Rights Group Condemns FIA Report

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: In a dramatic about-turn, Bernie Ecclestone was last night trying to reverse the governing body’s decision over the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Formula One's chief executive was part of the World Motor Sport Council which passed a 'unanimous' vote last Friday to reschedule the race for Oct 30, pushing the Indian Grand Prix back to an unspecified date in December, but The Daily Telegraph understands that the 80 year-old has had a change of heart and written to Formula One's 12 teams urging them to express their discontent and demand a re-vote.

That will have come as a surprise to FIA president Jean Todt who spent yesterday conducting a PR offensive in Paris, claiming that everything in Bahrain was "back to normal" and defending the decision to reinstate the race.

Todt’s argument backfired somewhat when the report on which the WMSC's vote was based was dismissed as "blinkered" by a human rights group who said the member who compiled it only consulted with persons and organisations sympathetic to Bahrain's ruling Al Khalifa family.

During the two-day trip last week, FIA vice-president Carlos Gracia met Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the president of ASN, Sheikh Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, the Minister of Culture, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, the Minister of the Interior and Sheikh Salman bin Essa Al-Khalifa, the CEO of the Bahrain International Circuit.

Gracia also met Tariq Al Saffar, of the National Institute of Human Rights, who he quoted as saying "inaccurate information has been very bad for the country and does not help to improve the situation". Alex Wilks, campaign director for Avaaz, a web-based human rights group, called the report a "whitewash". » | Tom Cary, F1 Correspondent in Paris | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Libya: Col Gaddafi Pledges to 'Fight to the Death'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Gaddafi pledged to never surrender and said he would fight to the death, just hours after Nato strikes targeted his Tripoli compound.

In an audio speech broadcast on state television, the Libyan leader said: "We only have one choice: we will stay in our land dead or alive."

Col Gaddafi called on his supporters to flock to his Bab al-Aziziya compound which was hit several times by NATO air strikes on Tuesday.

He said: "We will not surrender, we welcome death. Martyrdom is a million times better."

On Tuesday low-flying NATO military craft unleashed a ferocious series of nearly 30 daytime airstrikes on Tripoli, rattling the Libyan capital, sending plumes of smoke billowing above Gaddafi's compound. » | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Pas de libération sous caution pour Khodorkovsky

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RUSSIE | La justice russe ne mettra pas le magnat Mikhaïl Khodorkovsky en liberté conditionnelle, a indiqué le journal «Kommersant» mardi. La demande a été retournée aux avocats de l’homme d’affaires emprisonné.

La justice russe a rejeté la demande de mise en liberté sous condition du magnat Mikhaïl Khodorkovsky, a indiqué le journal «Kommersant» mardi. La demande a été retournée aux avocats de l’homme d’affaires emprisonné.

Un porte-parole du tribunal Preobrajenski de Moscou, cité par le «Kommersant», a précisé que les avocats de Khodorkovsky n’ont pas produit les documents appropriés pour leur requête.

Autrefois considéré comme l’homme le plus riche de Russie, M. Khodorkovsky a été condamné en 2003, à l’époque où Vladimir Poutine était président de la République. Il purge une peine de 13 années d’emprisonnement.

Le président Dmitri Medvedev avait estimé le mois dernier que la remise en liberté de M. Khodorkovsky ne constituait pas une menace. Mais le Premier ministre Poutine avait adopté une position beaucoup plus ferme, comparant l’ancien magnat du pétrole au chef de gang américain Al Capone. » | ATS/Reuters | Mardi 07 Juin 2011

Merkel trifft Obama: „Intensiver Meinungsaustausch“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Arabellion, Afghanistan und die Euro-Krise standen auf der Agenda: Der amerikanische Präsident Obama hat sich mit Kanzlerin Merkel zum Auftakt ihres Besuches in Washington in einem Restaurant in Georgetown getroffen.

Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama hat mit Kanzlerin Angela Merkel zum Auftakt ihres Besuches in Washington vertraulich über das deutsch-amerikanische Verhältnis gesprochen. In einem Restaurant in Georgetown erörterten sie am Montagabend (Ortszeit) ferner die Lage in Nordafrika und Afghanistan sowie den Nahost-Konflikt und die Euro-Krise, verlautete aus deutschen Regierungskreisen. Es sei ein „gelungener, intensiver und freundschaftlicher Meinungsaustausch“ gewesen, hieß es.

Anlass der Reise ist die Verleihung einer „Medal of freedom“ durch den amerikanischen Präsidenten Obama. Es handelt sich um den höchsten zivilen Orden der Vereinigten Staaten, den einst auch Helmut Kohl erhalten hatte. Frau Merkel ist die erste europäische Regierungschefin, der Obama in seiner Amtszeit als Präsident diesen Orden verliehen hat.

Der Festakt dazu findet - nach amerikanischer Zeit - am Dienstagabend im Rosengarten des Weißen Hauses statt. Die Eheleute Michelle Obama und Joachim Sauer werden an dem Festakt teilnehmen. Anschließend fliegt Frau Merkel zurück nach Berlin, wo sie nach Plan am Mittwoch zur Mittagszeit eintreffen wird.

Hinsichtlich des protokollarischen Ablaufs enthält die Reise Frau Merkels Elemente eines Staatsbesuches. Am Dienstagvormittag ist nochmals eine Unterredung Frau Merkels mit Obama vorgesehen, von dem sie mit militärischen Ehren begrüßt wird. Am Nachmittag kommt Frau Merkel mit Vizepräsident Joe Biden und Außenministerin Hillary Clinton sowie Senatsmitgliedern zusammen. Westerwelle: „Vorzügliches Verhältnis“ » | FAZ.NET mit dpa | Dienstag 07. Juni 2011

Bin Laden Bounce Definitely Over for Obama

MAIL ONLINE: Those who forecast Barack Obama had sealed his second term as president with the killing of Osama Bin Laden look to be wrong.

According to a new poll, the 'Bin laden bounce' has already evaporated[.]

Obama's approval rating surged to 56 per cent in the aftermath of the terrorist's death but now just 47 per cent think he is doing a good job.

But it is domestic policies - notably Obama's handling of the economy - that is driving the frustration of the American public, according to a joint poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC news.

Fifty-nine per cent, a new high, gave Obama negative marks for his handling of the economy, up from 55 per cent a month earlier.

Obama's approval rating on the deficit issue has also hit a new low of 33 per cent, a drop of 6 per centage [sic] points since April.

The state of the economy poses a huge challenge for the president, whose re-election in 2012 may depend on his ability to convince voters that his economic policies have been successful. Bin Laden bounce definitely OVER for Obama as new poll shows he could lose the presidency over the economy » | Daily Mail Reporter | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

We Won't Accept Migrants Fleeing Turmoil in Africa, Theresa May Tells the French

MAIL ONLINE: Theresa May last night insisted Britain would not accept thousands of migrants fleeing the turmoil in North Africa.

The Home Secretary said the Government would not share the burden if European countries open their borders to asylum seekers.

In Calais to inspect joint immigration controls in the French port, Mrs May said: ‘I have made absolutely clear to my counterparts in Europe that we will not agree to so-called “burden sharing”.

'Britain will not be accepting large numbers of North African migrants. Instead we will be working with other European countries to get these people safely back to their home countries.

‘We have not, and will not, opt into any proposal that would weaken our borders,’ she added.

Tens of thousands of people have fled the political instability in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia in recent months. Their arrival in southern Europe has put huge strain on the continent’s system of open borders, leading to proposals that it be scaled back. » | Jack Doyle | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Hizb ut-Tahrir: This Is Open Hostility to Islam
POLITIC.co.uk: Taji Mustafa, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain, rejects coalition's 'colonial' approach:

"This policy has nothing to do with security. It is about forcing a set of values on a community simply because their beliefs do not conform to secular liberal norms, and is proof that liberals can be supremacist.

"After bombing Afghanistan and Pakistan, does Mr Cameron still expect people to believe in the Blairite delusion that it is Islamic beliefs that are the cause of security threats to the UK? Most serious observers have abandoned this discredited world view, which continues to be propagated by some politicians, and self-serving think tanks and academics whose funding relies on such nonsense.

"This Conservative-Liberal government has decided to display an open hostility to Islam - threatening to cut funding to some groups - in order to impose Cameron's definition of 'British' values, and coercing Muslims to leave any Islamic values that the government labels 'extremist'. » | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Syrian Army Officer Deserts Army
Al Jazeera has received a video statement, from one Syrian army officer who has deserted. He says he witnessed crimes against civilians who were just trying to protect themselves.

Syria Vows to Retaliate after Attack on Police and Security Forces

THE GUARDIAN: Regime to intensify crackdown on protesters after claiming that dozens of government personnel were killed in Jisr al-Shughour

The Syrian government has vowed to retaliate after claiming that dozens of its police and security forces were killed in attacks in and around the north-western town of Jisr al-Shughour.

In an indication they will intensify the crackdown on protesters that has already killed an estimated 1,200 civilians, authorities rapidly upgraded the toll in the town 20 miles from the Turkish border.

The state news agency, Sana, initially said 28 personnel had been killed, including in an armed ambush and at a state security post. It revised the figure up to 43, 80 and then 120 within the space of an hour without an explanation. The claims could not be independently verified.

"We will act firmly and decisively based on the law [and] will never be silent over any armed attack that targets the country's security," the interior minister, Ibrahim Shaar, said in a statement broadcast on state television. » | Nidaa Hassan in Damascus | Monday, June 06, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Syrian forces crackdown to result in massive loss of life: Residents of Jisr al-Shughour in north-west Syria warned of an imminent atrocity if the security forces carry out an operation to take control of the town following the deaths of 120 soldiers in clashes. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Universities: The Breeding Grounds of Terror

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related »

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My comment:

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

This comment also appears here

China: US Waging Global Internet War

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

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

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

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

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

Radical Indonesia Cleric Rejects Terrorism Charges

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

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

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

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

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

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