Russia Threatens New Confrontation over Georgian Provinces
THE TELEGRAPH: A fresh confrontation between Moscow and the West was looming after Russia announced that it was preparing to recognise the independence of the two Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

The State Duma, Russia's parliament, has been recalled and will meet in emergency session on Monday to debate an Abkhaz appeal for immediate recognition of the region's sovereignty. The South Ossetian rebel leader, Eduard Kokoity, said he would follow suit imminently.

Russian acquiescence to the proposals would inevitably mark a serious escalation of the crisis in the Caucasus by further undermining a fragile ceasefire in the area and creating a fresh diplomatic rift with the United States and Europe.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has signed 14 United Nations Security Council resolutions upholding accepting that Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain part of Georgia despite establishing rebel administrations after secessionist wars in the early 1990s.

But after crushing Georgia on the battlefield, Russia has indicated that it was no longer prepared to honour UN edicts on the breakaway provinces. Earlier this week, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told the world to "forget" about Georgia's territorial integrity.

Moscow is now signaling that it will move much quicker than expected in formally recognizing the two regions.

Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Duma's upper house or Federation Council, said a vote on recognition would be overwhelmingly passed.

"The Federation Council is ready to recognize the independent states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia if that is what the people of these republics want," he said. Russia Threatens New Confrontation over Georgian Provinces >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Tbilisi | August 20, 2008

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Saakashvili Speaks with Al Jazeera - August 15, 2008

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Why Former Muslim, Dr Ergun Caner, Became Christian

Dr Ergun Caner, an ex-Muslim from Turkey, Reverts to Christ: Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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A Turkish Woman Leaves Islam for Christ

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Russian Muslim Saved by the Love of Christ

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Vitaly Naumkin: Conversations with History
Even though this video is somewhat dated, it is still well worth watching. Unfortunately, it is rather long; so please set aside nearly 59 minutes to view it:


Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley >>>

MY ESSAYS:
Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom >>>

Islam: The Theocratization of Politics >>>

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Radical Islam Sweeping into Russian North Caucasus

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People & Power: Islam in China

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Hizb ut Tahrir London Meeting: An Eyewitness Report
JIHAD WATCH: A Jihad Watch reader went undercover to the Hizb ut Tahrir conference in London on the caliphate last Saturday, and kindly sends us this exclusive report about what was said there:

Khilafah The Need for Political Unity
London Conference 
Saturday 16th August 2008
Hosted by
Hizb Ut Tahrir – Britain

“The destruction of the Islamic Khilafah State over 80 years ago marked the beginning of dividing the Muslim World into countless nation states governed by a plethora of kings, dictators and western backed ‘democrats’. Today three major regions of the Muslim World are under occupation, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. Oil and food crisis has pushed millions of people into starvation. Sectarian divisions are fuelled by occupying powers to further divide and weaken us.

The Muslim Ummah now needs a new political thinking and direction. It requires a new leadership that will unify the Umma and utilize her resources to address these countless problems. This one day conference will address the obligation of unifying our Umma under one leadership and discuss how political unity is the only practical way forward for the Muslim Ummah.” -- Hizb Ut Tahrir, Britain Hizb ut Tahrir London Meeting: An Eyewitness Report >>> Posted by Robert Spencer | August 19, 2008

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Pennsylvania Pilot Says He’s on Watch List, Sues to Save Job
ASSOCIATED PRESS: HARRISBURG, Pa. — A commercial airline pilot and convert to Islam who says his name is on the U.S. government's secret terrorist watch list has fought back, filing a federal lawsuit against the Homeland Security Department and various other federal agencies.

Erich Scherfen says unless his name is removed from the list, he faces losing not only his job but the ability to make a living in his chosen profession.

"My livelihood depends on being off this list," Scherfen told reporters Tuesday after his lawyers filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.

He alleges that the government's actions have violated his and his wife's constitutional rights. The suit seeks a hearing and a decision before he is scheduled to lose his job on Sept. 1.

A New Jersey native, Scherfen, 37, said he believes his name was placed on a watch list because he converted to Islam in 1994 — even though he is a Gulf War combat veteran. Both he and his Pakistan-born wife, who is also a Muslim, said they have no criminal records or ties to terrorists. Pa Pilot Says He’s on Watch List, Sues to Save Job >>> By Peter Jackson | August 20, 2008

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US and Poland Sign Defence Deal
Watch video: Condoleezza Rice arriving in Poland >>>
BBC: The US and Poland have signed a deal to locate part of the US's controversial missile defence system on Polish soil.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice travelled to Warsaw for the ceremony, after 18 months of negotiations.

The deal has angered Russia, which has warned the base could become a target for a nuclear strike.

Washington says the system will protect the US and much of Europe against missile attacks from "rogue elements" in the Middle East such as Iran.

The agreement, which will see both US missiles and servicemen stationed on Polish soil, was signed by Ms Rice and Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski. US and Poland Sign Defence Deal >>> | August 20, 2008

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A New World Order: The Week Russia Flexed Its Military Muscle
THE INDEPENDENT: A six-day conflict in the Caucasus mountains has transformed the international balance of power, with Russia now looking stronger than ever. But what sparked it? Diplomatic Editor Anne Penketh reveals how the Georgian government walked straight into a trap set by Moscow – and considers the consequences of the first war in Europe for a decade

The Georgian president was on vacation in Italy. The defence minister and foreign minister were away on holiday too. The world's attention was riveted on the Olympic Games in Beijing, where the preparations for the lavish opening ceremony were in full swing.

Days later, the forces of the small, mountainous republic of Georgia, trained by American and Israeli experts, were fighting for the survival of their country against Russia's army in a vicious six-day war that brought Russia and the US into direct confrontation for the first time since the Cold War and led to a threat of nuclear conflagration.

The outcome was the humiliating rout of the Georgian army, pushed back by a huge Russian land, air and sea assault, and the loss of Georgia's two breakaway territories over which the government had intended to assert central control. And Russia is back at the forefront of a new world order in the dying days of the Bush presidency.

Few would have predicted that the firefights in Georgia's breakaway territory of South Ossetia between ethnic Ossetians and Georgian forces in the first week of August would escalate into a David versus Goliath combat in the Caucasus on 8 August. On that day, Vladimir Putin and George Bush were sitting only a few feet apart at the Olympic ceremony. The US president watched events through binoculars. He remained a spectator during the conflict, too, watching closely but letting it be known that the US would not intervene militarily to save Georgia.

As the dust begins to settle, it is becoming clear – based on accounts from Georgian officials, Russian officials and Western diplomats – that the pro-Western government of Georgia fell into a trap set by Russia following Nato's loss of nerve at a summit in April, when Nato leaders declined to offer Georgia a firm timetable for membership. And when Russia hit back with overwhelming force, the West was caught napping. A New World Order: The Week Russia Flexed Its Military Muscle >>> By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor | August 20, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
The Dangerous Neighbour - Vladimir Putin Takes on a Powerless West: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin approached the crisis in Georgia coolly and efficiently, prompting admiration even from some American observers. But Moscow's brutal strike against Georgian President Saakashvili has divided the Western world, with the split running straight through the European Union >>> | August 18, 2008

NZZ Online:
Russland lehnt Uno-Resolutionsentwurf zum Kaukasus ab: Rice wirft Moskau Zerstörung ziviler Infrastruktur vor >>> | 20. August 2008

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Teheraner Kampagne gegen Shirin Ebadi
NZZ Online: Die iranische Nobelpreisträgerin Shirin Ebadi hat am Montag eine Verleumdungsklage gegen die staatliche Teheraner Nachrichtenagentur Irna und verschiedene Zeitungen angestrengt. In einer Pressekonferenz erklärte Ebadi, die Agentur habe am 6. August einen lügenhaften Bericht verbreitet, wonach ihre Tochter zum verbotenen Bahai-Glauben übergetreten sei. Sie wies die Behauptung als falsch von sich und wollte auch den Autor des Berichtes belangen, ebenso wie die Blätter, die diesen aufgenommen haben. Die Anklage des Übertritts zu den Bahai ist in der Islamischen Republik ernst zu nehmen, weil diese dort im Gegensatz zu Christen und Juden aus ideologischen Gründen nicht zugelassen werden; zudem impliziert sie eine Abkehr vom Islam, worauf die Todesstrafe steht. Teheraner Kampagne gegen Shirin Ebadi: Mit lügenhaften Berichten gegen eine unliebsame Persönlichkeit >>> vk. Limassol | 19. August 2008

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L'Abkhazie décidée à faire reconnaître son indépendance par la Russie
LE MONDE: Le peuple d'Abkhazie a l'intention de demander à la direction russe de reconnaître l'Abkhazie." Par ces mots, Viatcheslav Tsougba, le vice-président du Parlement de la région séparatiste géorgienne d'Abkhazie a formellement enclenché, mercredi 20 août, le processus de reconnaissance de son indépendance. Le Parlement abkhaze doit examiner, mercredi après-midi, un appel en ce sens du président de la république autoproclamée, Sergueï Bagapch. S'il est adopté, cet appel devrait être soumis pour approbation finale jeudi à un "congrès national", un rassemblement de tous les partis politiques et organisations sociales abkhazes qui doit se tenir sur une place publique à Soukhoumi, la capitale abkhaze.

Selon l'agence Interfax, le Conseil de la Fédération, la chambre haute du Parlement russe, s'est dit mercredi "prêt à reconnaître" l'indépendance des régions séparatistes géorgiennes d'Abkhazie et d'Ossétie du Sud. Dès lundi, une session extraordinaire de la chambre haute du Parlement doit se réunir pour aborder la question. L'Abkhazie décidée à faire reconnaître son indépendance par la Russie >>> Par LEMONDE.FR avec AFP | 20/08.2008

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’Boys Forced into Muslim Flogging Ritual’
TIMESONLINE: A devout Muslim encouraged two teenage boys to flog themselves until their backs were covered in bloody cuts, a jury was told yesterday.

Syed Mustafa Zaidi, 44, a Shia Muslim, was celebrating the traditional Ashura festival, a ritual act of lamentation commemorating the slaughter of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Husayn, and his followers in the 14th century. It involves Shia Muslims flailing themselves with a zanjeer zani, an implement with a wooden handle and five chains attached to sharp knives. The men whip themselves to recreate the suffering of the martyrs.

After flogging himself, Mr Zaidi was said to have forced the two boys, aged 15 and 13, to join in the annual ceremony that took place last January at a community mosque in Levenshulme, Manchester. The boys were left with bloody cuts across their backs.

It is the first case of its kind, involving the religious practices of Shia Muslims, to be brought to trial in Britain. Mr Zaidi denies two counts of child cruelty amounting to “wilful ill-treatment”. ’Boys Forced into Muslim Flogging Ritual’ >>> By Russell Jenkins | August 19, 2008

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Nato Cools Relations with Russia
Watch video: Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has warned Russia that there "will be no business as usual" >>>
BBC: Nato foreign ministers have said they "cannot continue business as usual" with Russia, and demanded that Moscow pull troops from Georgia immediately.

The declaration followed talks in Brussels about the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Russia accused Nato of bias and of trying to save a "criminal regime".

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a withdrawal was possible within three or four days - if Georgia did likewise. Nato Cools Relations with Russia >>> | August 19, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Russia Dismisses Nato's 'Empty Words' as it Stands Firm in Georgia >>> By Michael Evans, Defence Editor, in Brussels | August 19, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Russia rejects UN call to pull out of Georgia: Russia has rejected a draft UN resolution demanding it immediately pull out of Georgia, as President Demitry Medvedev again delayed the withdrawal >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Tbilisi and Jon Swaine | August 20, 2008

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How Is Islam Not Already Controlling the US?

Part 2
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Frank Gaffney Jr: Obama’s Islamist problem
TOWNHALL.COM: Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama’s appearance before a large evangelical congregation in Orange County over the weekend underscored an evident imperative of his campaign: Emphasize his Christian faith and put to rest insistent rumors that he secretly adheres to the Islamic creed of his father and youth.

The effort to minimize any grounds for fearing Obama has an abiding, if covert, attachment to Islam has prompted him to risk offending Muslims in order to avoid off-message controversies and photo ops. It is, therefore, curious in the extreme that he is giving a prominent role at next week’s Democratic convention to a leader of an organization identified by the Department of Justice as a Muslim Brotherhood front organization and an unindicted co-conspirator in a terrorism financing conspiracy.

Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), an organization created by the radical, Saudi-financed Muslim Students Association. She will represent the Muslim community at the first-ever interfaith prayer service at a Democratic nominating convention.

Now, we know from the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial that ISNA is one of many Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated groups operating in America. We also know from a Brotherhood document entered into evidence in that case (which is currently being retried after the first prosecution resulted in a mistrial) that, “The work [of Brotherhood members] in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within, and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions.”

The question is why would Barak Obama’s campaign – which has prevented Muslim women wearing headcoverings from being in the background of photographs with the candidate and which recently fired a Muslim-outreach coordinator who had ties to another unindicted HLF co-conspirator – allow itself to be put in such company? Obama’s Islamist Problem >>> By Frank J. Gaffney Jr. | August 18, 2008

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Bombing Kills Dozens in Algeria
BBC: A bomb at a police college east of the Algerian capital, Algiers, has killed 43 people and injured a further 38, the interior ministry says.

The bombing targeted a paramilitary police training school at Issers, near Boumerdes, about 60km (40 miles) east of Algiers.

An attacker drove a car full of explosives into the school's entrance, witnesses told the AFP news agency.

Algeria has suffered regular attacks blamed on militants linked to al-Qaeda.

Tuesday's attack came as exam candidates were waiting outside the police school, witnesses said.

Civilians as well as security officials were among the victims, they added. Bombing Kills Dozens in Algeria >>> | August 19, 2008

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Set Apart for God and Torah
Photo of Haredi Jewis courtesy of the BBC
BBC: The BBC's Erica Chernofsky in Jerusalem gets a rare insight into the lives of members of Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Sitting on a park bench in the late afternoon, Michal Greenwald watches her children run around the playground with dozens of other kids as she takes a few minutes rest from her hectic day.

A full-time property lawyer, Mrs Greenwald is the sole breadwinner and also takes care of her four young children and tends to the housework. Her husband, Shmuel, spends his days studying in a religious seminary for men. She says she cannot imagine life any other way.

''Girls are raised this way from a young age, and such are the lives of Haredim in Israel,'' she says of the Ultra-Orthodox Jews who choose to live separately from mainstream Israeli society.

It is difficult to walk the streets of Jerusalem without running into Haredim, but their community can seem isolated and closed.

The men are distinct in their long black wool coats and trousers, stark white button-down shirts and black hats, even in the heat of the Middle Eastern summer. Set Apart for God and Torah >>> | August 19, 2008

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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Vows Further Retribution against Georgia

THE TELEGRAPH: Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, said Georgian actions would not go 'unpunished' as the United States accused Moscow of deploying short-range missiles to positions within range of the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

Amid few signs that the Kremlin was honouring its latest pledge to withdraw troops, Mr Medvedev also threatened to "crush" any other ex-Soviet states that attempted to follow Georgia's example by killing Russian citizens.

For the first time since the conflict began 11 days ago, Mr Medvedev was allowed to stand in for Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, who has clearly been in charge of running Russia's war.

Giving a passable imitation of his predecessor, the president - who has been given coaching to imitate Mr Putin's abrasive style - adopted an uncompromising position that appeared designed to defy the United States, which has solidly backed Georgia during the conflict.

"What the Georgian authorities did exceeded human understanding," he told troops at a Russian military base in Vladikavkaz, a city in the Caucasus close to the Georgian border. "Their actions cannot be explained and moreover must not go unpunished."

Mr Medvedev gave no hint over what further retribution against Georgia he sought. Russia has already announced plans to launch a genocide investigation against the Georgian government, perhaps with the view to bringing war crimes charges against President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Meanwhile, Pentagon officials confirmed Russia had deployed short-range SS-21 missiles inside the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia, a move that is likely to unnerve Mr Saakashvili's government and undermine the already fragile ceasefire. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Vows Further Retribution against Georgia >>> By Adrian Blomfield near Gori | August 19, 2008

THE NEW YORK TIMES:
Russia Seems to Be Hunkering Down in Georgia >>> By Andrew E Kramer | August 18, 2008

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Islamic Terror Cell 'May Have Been Plotting to Attack Queen'
Image of Aabid Hussein courtesy of the BBC
THE TELEGRAPH: A terror cell caught with details of bomb-making and suicide vests may have been plotting to attack the Queen and members of the Royal family, it can be disclosed.

The cell, which included Britain's youngest ever terrorist, arrested on his way home from his GCSE chemistry exam, was found with information about the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh along with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal.

Also on the list were Princess Michael of Kent, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and The Duke and Duchess of Kent.

Aabid Hussain Khan, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, had compiled pictures, maps and details of the opening hours of official residences from information available on the internet.

There were also details of London landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and the underground as well as the New York and Washington metros and a home-made video of the Washington Memorial and World Bank in the US.

A counter-terrorism source said: "They had details of explosives and poisons along with information about London landmarks and a computer folder on Royal residences. We would be foolish to rule out the fact that they may have been planning an attack."

Detective Chief Superintendent John Parkinson, Head of the Counter Terrorism Unit in Leeds, said the men posed a "very real threat". Islamic Terror Cell 'May Have Been Plotting to Attack Queen' >>> By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | August 18, 2008

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Pope Urges Fight against Racism
BBC: Pope Benedict XVI has urged Christians to help society combat intolerance to foreigners amid a row over criticism of the government by Roman Catholics.

An article in the country's biggest circulation Catholic weekly magazine criticised the government's crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Talking at his summer residence near Rome, the Pope spoke of worrying displays of racism in some countries.

While he did not name them, he clearly intended to include Italy.

The Pope said that while racism was often tied to social and economic problems, these could never justify contempt or racial discrimination.

Taking his cue from an Old Testament passage about the duty of welcoming foreigners, the Pope said peace and justice could only be created in a world where every human person was respected. Pope Urges Fight against Racism >>> By David Willey, BBC Rome | August 17, 2008

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Georgia Conflict: Condoleeza Rice Toughens Stance towards Russia

THE TELEGRAPH: Washington has toughened its stance towards Russia as it sought to limit the damage to its prestige over the crisis in Georgia.

On the defensive after criticism that its response to the crisis has failed to stop Russia from prolonging its military operations in Georgia, the Bush administration lashed out at Moscow. Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said that Russia's reputation was now "in tatters".

But this did not stop Russia from searching for a fresh pretext to extend its occupation of Georgian territory. While President Dmitry Medvedev announced that a troop withdrawal would finally begin on Monday, a spokesman for the Russian defence ministry later accused Georgia of preparing "a major provocative act" in the strategic town of Gori.

Miss Rice, who is to leave Washington for Brussels on Monday for an emergency Nato summit, called on Mr Medvedev to ensure that he carries out his latest promise.

"I hope this time he will keep his word," she said.

"Russia's reputation as a potential partner in international institutions, diplomatic, political, security, economic, is frankly, in tatters.

She added: "Russia will pay a price. We will look seriously with our allies and bilaterally at the consequences of this Russian action ... Georgia will rebuild, Russia's reputation may not be rebuilt." Georgia Conflict: Condoleeza Rice Toughens Stance towards Russia >>> By Alex Spillius in Washington and Adrian Blomfield in Gori | August 18, 2008

THE NEW YORK TIMES:
Russia, Pledging to Leave Georgia, Tightens Its Grip >>> By Michael R. Gordon | August 18, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Merkel's Most Serious Foreign Policy Crisis: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is now facing her most serious foreign policy crisis to date. The war in the Caucasus has shattered relations with Russia and sparked disagreements within the EU -- and with the United States >>> By Ralf Beste, Markus Feldenkirchen and Alexander Szandar | August 18, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Russia's Strategy Paralyzes US Government: The Bush Administration has warned that ties with Russia are imperiled, but the truth is that the US can undertake little more than symbolic action against Moscow. As much as Russia's actions have irritated the Americans, no one is interested in an escalation >>> By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Washington, D.C. | August 15, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Cross Us and We’ll Crush You, Warns Medvedev >>> By Philippe Naughton | August 18, 2008

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Russia Warned: Withdraw from Georgia, or Else
THE GUARDIAN: European leaders warned Russia yesterday to withdraw its forces rapidly from Georgia or face unspecified consequences, as Moscow stalled on its pledges to honour a ceasefire and pull back the thousands of troops from the Caucasus republic.

With the US and European governments due to meet tomorrow to consider their options for the first time since the crisis erupted 10 days ago, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France threatened the Kremlin with an ultimatum for the first time, warning that more delays in a pullout "would have serious consequences on relations between Russia and the European Union".

The French warning echoed similar statements from the Americans in recent days, none of which appears to have rattled the Russians, whose forces remain in firm control of large tracts of Georgia well beyond the two separatist enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"People are going to begin to wonder if Russia can be trusted," said Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, yesterday of Moscow's failure to keep its promises.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, added to the pressure on Moscow by insisting on an "urgent" retreat. She also backed Georgian aspirations to join Nato. Downing Street said it would send the foreign secretary, David Miliband, to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, later this week. Russia Warned: Withdraw from Georgia, or Else: Nato to hold emergency meeting amid doubts over Kremlin promise >>> By Ian Traynor in Brussels and Luke Harding in Tbilisi | August 18, 2008

NZZ Online:
Merkel sichert Georgien Unterstützung zu: Russlands Präsident kündigt Beginn des Truppenrückzugs an >>> 17. August 2008

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The Day After: 1983 – Nuclear Attack [ABC]

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Qaeda's Zawahiri Slams Musharraf as 'Enemy of Islam'
AFP: DUBAI — Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri slammed Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf as an enemy of Islam, in a first audio message in English posted online on Saturday.

In the message, excerpts of which were aired by Pakistan's ARY One television last week, Zawahiri also dismissed the Pakistani army as a "band of mercenaries" controlled by the US administration.

"Pervez (Musharraf) has proven himself to be one of the biggest enemies of Islam, if the not the biggest," Zawahiri said in the purported message, which was posted on a website usually used by Islamist militant groups.

He chided Musharraf for offering "all support to topple the Muslim emirate in Afghanistan," referring to the US-led war which defeated the Taliban regime in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

"Is the Pakistan Army an army defending Muslims, or merely a security service agency or a band of mercenaries which kills Muslims ... to please its masters, the neo-crusaders in the White House," he said, in an apparent attempt to incite Muslim Pakistanis against the army. Qaeda's Zawahiri Slams Musharraf as 'Enemy of Islam' >>> | August 16, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Pervez Musharraf Resigns as Pakistani President >>> By Jeremy Page and Zahid Hussain, in Islamabad | August 18, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
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Ethnic Georgians Doing Forced Labour in South Ossetia
ARAB NEWS: TSKHINVALI, Georgia: Teams of ethnic Georgians, some under armed guard, were being forced to clean the streets of South Ossetia’s capital yesterday. It was the first apparent evidence of humiliation or abuse of Georgians in the Russian-controlled breakaway republic.

Three teams of ethnic Georgians, men in their 40s and 50s, were seen cleaning the streets of Tskhinvali, which was badly damaged in the fighting. When approached, one worker confirmed that he was being forced to work.

One group of about two dozen men was escorted through the streets by armed Ossetians and a Russian officer. “Labor turns even monkeys into humans,” the Russian officer said. He threatened to arrest an AP photographer when he attempted to take pictures. Georgians Doing Forced Labor in South Ossetia >>> By Mansur Mirovalev & AP | August 17, 2008

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE:
Georgians doing forced labor in S. Ossetia >>> AP | August 16, 2008

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Editorial: Deeper Malaise Afflicting Europe
ARAB NEWS: THE American educational system was a pioneer in abandoning corporal punishment in schools, preferring to trust children would be influenced to do the right thing by pure reason and such minor penalties as detention. But things have changed. When some high schools open in Texas for the next school year, some teachers will be carrying guns to defend themselves from their pupils who often themselves bring guns and knives to class.

That a society which forbids the cane for serious cases of indiscipline is nonetheless prepared to let teachers fire guns at students in self-defense is mind-boggling. It does not matter that this astonishing development is currently taking place in a handful of schools in only one state. It is a further searing indictment of the continuing right to bear arms enshrined in the second amendment to the US Constitution. It also points to a deeper malaise which is by no means confined to America but which clearly affects Europe as well.

Western societies have lost control of their children. Since the 1960s, youth culture has been progressively commercialized. From the minute they are able to watch TV, billions of advertising dollars target children. Vulnerable young minds are being pressed to grow up too fast and encouraged to believe that they have a useful contribution to make to society — at the very time when society should, in fact, be educating them, both in academics and character-building. Editorial: Deeper Malaise Afflicting Europe >>> | August 17, 2008

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Italy: Illegal Immigration Soars
Photo of illegal immigrants entering Italy from North Africa courtesy of the BBC
BBC: The number of illegal immigrants entering Italy doubled in the first seven months of the year compared with the same period in 2007, Rome says.

The figures come in spite of a government crackdown on crime and an increase in the number of deportations.

More than 15,000 illegal immigrants entered the EU via Italy between January and July, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said.

Many illegal immigrants arrive on boats organised by people traffickers.

Mr Maroni, whose Northern League party formed part of the right-wing government coalition, has campaigned strongly against clandestine immigration.

Most of the illegal immigrants come across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has launched a crackdown on crime, which most Italians associate with illegal immigration.

He brought in stringent new measures making it an offence punishable by up to four years jail to enter the country illegally. Italy Illegal Immigration Soars >>> By David Willey, BBC News Rome | August 15, 2008

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Hillraiser Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild Speaking about Hillary and Obama on Fox

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Russia’s New Nuclear Challenge to Europe
TIMESONLINE: Russia is considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads for the first time since the cold war, senior military sources warned last night.

The move, in response to American plans for a missile defence shield in Europe, would heighten tensions raised by the advance of Russian forces to within 20 miles of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, yesterday.

Under the Russian plans, nuclear warheads could be supplied to submarines, cruisers and fighter bombers of the Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between the European Union countries of Poland and Lithuania. A senior military source in Moscow said the fleet had suffered from underfunding since the collapse of communism. “That will change now,” said the source.

“In view of America’s determination to set up a missile defence shield in Europe, the military is reviewing all its plans to give Washington an adequate response.”

The proposal to bring back nuclear warheads was condemned by Kurt Volker, the US ambassador to Nato, who said he knew of the threat.

“It is really unfortunate that Russia chooses to react by putting nuclear warheads in different places – if indeed it does that – when the rest of the world is not looking at some kind of old-fashioned superpower conflict,” he said.

The warnings came 24 hours after Russia told Poland that it could face a nuclear strike for agreeing to let the United States station components of the missile defence shield on its soil. Russia’s New Nuclear Challenge to Europe >>> By Mark Franchetti, Tbilisi | August 17, 2008

THE GUARDIAN:
Russia Denies South Ossetia Pullout Under Way: Defence ministry official says withdrawal under consideration >>> By Luke Harding, Mitch Prothero, and Jenny Percival | August 17, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
'Moscow Sees No Need to Give an Inch': After promising to leave, Russian troops haven't budged from Georgia in the wake of a surprising flare-up of violence in the Caucasus. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also wouldn't budge in his posture toward Angela Merkel during a mini-summit on Friday. German commentators wonder if Russia cares about Europe at all >>> By Michael Scott Moore | August 16, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Opinion: Russia Capitalizes on New World Disorder >>> By Gerhard Spörl | August 14, 2008

leJDD.fr:
Géorgie: Les Russes persistent >>> Par Maud Pierron (avec Reuters) | Dimanche 17 Août 2008

SPIEGELONLINE:
Russen zögern Truppenabmarsch hinaus >>> als/dpa/AFP | 17.08.2008

WELTONLINE:
Europa muss Russland die Grenzen aufzeigen: Das russische Vorgehen und die manifeste Unfähigkeit des Westens, es zu stoppen, versetzt nicht nur die Ukraine in größte Unruhe, die damit rechnen muss, als nächstes an die Reihe zu kommen, sondern auch die osteuropäischen EU-Staaten >>> Von Richard Herzinger | 16.08.2008

WELTONLINE:
UKRAINE, ESTLAND, POLEN - Die Angst vorm großen Bruder Russland: Bei Moskaus Ex-Verbündeten wächst die Angst vor dem großen Nachbarn. Länder wie die Ukraine oder Estland haben während des Kaukasus-Kriegs große Solidarität mit Georgien gezeigt. Jetzt nimmt die Sorge zu, dass bei ihnen Ähnliches passieren könnte. Auf der Krim beginnen viele bereits, Geld ins Ausland zu schaffen >>> Von Stephanie Bolzen | 16.08.2008

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British Spies Urged to Come Out of the Closet
TIMESONLINE: The intelligence service MI5 has teamed up with Britain’s leading gay lobby group to recruit more homosexuals and to encourage spies to be open about their sexuality.

MI5, which targets home-grown terrorists and foreign spies, has hired Stonewall to advise on how it can attract a broader range of applicants.

Until the early 1990s gays were barred from sensitive government jobs because of fears that they would be vulnerable to blackmail. The ban followed revelations about the notorious Cambridge spy ring, the 1950s group of Cambridge graduates who worked in the intelligence service. Two of the ringleaders, Guy Burgess and Anthony Blunt, were both gay.

This year MI5 will appear in Stonewall’s graduate recruitment guide, which lists gay-friendly employers.

Since the London Underground bombings on July 7, 2005 MI5 has been expanding rapidly. Staff numbers are expected to hit 3,500 by the end of the year, up from 1,500 in 2001.

The drive to recruit British Muslims and speakers of Asian languages has been well reported, but MI5’s targeting of the gay community will come as something of a surprise.

Ben Summerskill, director of Stonewall, said: “I am optimistic that in 10 to 15 years their [MI5’s] employment profile will look very much like modern Britain. There is no reason why there shouldn’t be a lesbian or gay director-general.” Spies Urged to Come In from the Closet >>> By Jonathan Oliver | August 17, 2008

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Ukraine Offers Satellite Defence Co-operation with Europe and US
THE INDEPENDENT: Ukraine inflamed mounting East-West tensions yesterday by offering up a Soviet-built satellite facility as part of the European missile defence system.

The proposal, made amid growing outrage among Russia's neighbours over its military campaign in Georgia, could see Ukraine added to Moscow's nuclear hitlist. A Russian general declared Poland a target for its arsenal after Warsaw signed a deal with Washington to host interceptor missiles for America's anti-nuclear shield.

The move came as the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, signed a cease-fire deal that sets the stage for a Russian troop withdrawal after more than a week of warfare with its neighbour Georgia.

The deal calls for both Russian and Georgian forces to pull back to positions they held before fighting erupted on August 8. As of last night, though, there was little apparent evidence of a Russian pull-out from the Georgian town of Gori, which Russian tanks and troops took last weekend. Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, insisted a broader withdrawal would be contingent on further security measures.

Just hours before Mr Medvedev put his signature to the ceasefire deal, Russian forces blew up a Georgian railway bridge on the main line west of the capital, Tbilisi, an act that critics interpreted as a malacious attempt to cripple the country's infrastructure. Moscow at first issued a denial, but television footage shot by the Reuters news agency clearly showed the bridge's twisted remains. Ukraine Offers Satellite Defence Co-operation with Europe and US >>> By Damien McElroy in Tbilisi | August 17, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Georgia: Let's Not Start World War III >>> By Mike Jackson* | August 17, 2008

*Sir Mike Jackson served as Chief of the General Staff

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The Rebirth of the Great Power Diplomacy of the 19th Century? The First Rumblings of World War III?
THE TELEGRAPH: Last month, Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's hawkish ambassador to Nato refused to reveal how the Kremlin would retaliate if Poland agreed to co-host an American missile defence shield.

But he did promise that the response would come as a "pleasant surprise" for the West.

Just as he intended, the Kremlin's reply was neither pleasant nor, entirely, a surprise.

Alongside the ambitions of Georgia and Ukraine to join Nato, missile defence has been the principal source of tension between Moscow and the West. Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, has threatened to retrain nuclear missiles on Europe for the first time since Soviet times and Russia has already walked away from an arms treaty that was pivotal in ending the Cold War.

But the Russians have gone even further in their threats. Poland faces not just the prospect of having Russian missiles pointing in its direction but also risks "100 percent" a military attack. And not just any attack, if Gen Anatoly Nogovitysn is to be believed, but a nuclear attack.

Under Russia's military doctrine, the country's deputy chief of staff explained, the Kremlin had every justification to launch a nuclear strike against Poland if the missile shield is built.

These are strong words and we have yet to see whether this is mere bluster. Dmitry Medvedev, the president, struck a slightly more moderate note but Mr Putin, the real power in Russia, has not yet given his reaction.

Poland, unlike Georgia, is already a member of Nato. A Russian military assault on the country would, if Warsaw were to invoke article five of the Nato treaty, oblige Britain and the other members of the alliance to come to Poland's rescue. In other words, it could be the beginning of World War III. Analysis: Russia Is a Foe to Be Reckoned With >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Tbilisi | August 15, 2008

TOWNHALL.COM:
Vlad the Assailer >>> By Bill O’Reilly | August 16, 2008

MAIL Online:
Superpower Rivalry Is Once Again a Fact of Life – and Death >>> By Max Hastings | August 16, 2008

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US Demands Russian Troop Pull-Out
Photo of Saakashvili courtesy of Google Images
Watch video: President Saakashvili and the US secretary of state give a news conference >>>
BBC: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has demanded that Russian forces withdraw from Georgia immediately.

It comes after Georgia's president signed an EU-brokered ceasefire deal, after nearly five hours of talks.

In angry comments at a news briefing in Tbilisi, President Mikhail Saakashvili said his country would never accept the loss of any of its territory.

The crisis began when Georgia attacked the breakaway region of South Ossetia a week ago sparking Russian intervention.

President Saakashvili said he had signed the six-point ceasefire agreement - brokered by France - but that it was not a permanent solution. US Demands Russian Troop Pull-Out >>> | August 15, 2008

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Merkel fordert Abzug Rußlands
STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG ONLINE: Berlin/Moskau/Tiflis - Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hat die russischen Militäraktionen im Südkaukasus deutlich kritisiert und Präsident Dmitri Medwedew zum Truppenanzug aus dem Kerngebiet Georgiens aufgefordert. Nach einem Gespräch mit Medwedew in Sotschi am Schwarzen Meer sagte sie am Freitag, sie habe "einige Aktionen Russlands für nicht verhältnismäßig gehalten". Dazu gehöre insbesondere die Präsenz von Truppen im Kerngebiet Georgiens.

Medwedew sagte, es sei aus seiner Sicht unwahrscheinlich, dass die abtrünnigen georgischen Regionen Südossetien und Abchasien jemals wieder Teil des Landes würden. Russland respektiere zwar das Prinzip der territorialen Integrität. "Nach allem was passiert ist, ist es unwahrscheinlich, dass Osseten und Abchasen jemals wieder in der Lage sein werden, mit Georgien in einem Staat zu leben", fügte der russische Präsident aber hinzu.

Merkel sagte, es müsse "umgehend dazu kommen, dass der Sechs-Punkte-Plan verwirklicht wird, und dass sich die russischen Truppen aus dem Kerngebiet Georgiens wieder zurückziehen". Mit einer Annahme des EU-Plan zur Beilegung der Krise wäre das Problem im Südkaukasus zwar noch nicht gelöst, aber es wäre ein Fortschritt. Merkel fordert Abzug Russlands >>> AP | 15.08.2008

STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG ONLINE:
Merkel reist nach Tiflis: Augenzeugen berichten, russische Truppen seien in Gori einmarschiert >>> DPA | 15.08.2008

NZZ Online:
Saakaschwili macht Europa Vorwürfe: Rice fordert sofortigen russischen Truppenabzug aus Georgien >>> | 15. August 2008

TAGES ANZEIGER:
Georgiens Präsident kritisiert Nato und EU: Michail Saakaschwili gibt dem Westen eine Mitschuld am blutigen Konflikt im Kaukasus >>> | 15. August 2008

LE FIGARO:
Merkel juge irraisonnable l'attitude de la Russie >>> Par Cécile de Corbière, à Berlin | 15.08.2008

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Sharia Courts in the UK: They Must Be Stopped

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Bush Condemns ‘Bullying’ Russia
Watch video: President Bush: "Russia must respect the freedom of its neighbours"
BBC: US President George W Bush has accused Russia of "bullying and intimidation" in its military actions inside Georgia.

Mr Bush demanded that Moscow respect Georgia's territorial integrity and withdraw the troops it sent in a week ago - or risk international isolation.

The crisis began when Georgia attacked the breakaway region of South Ossetia, sparking Russian intervention.

Meanwhile Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili said his country would never accept any foreign occupation.

In a joint news conference with the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mr Saakashvili criticised the West for not granting his country Nato membership earlier this year.

It followed nearly five hours of talks on an EU-brokered ceasefire deal.

The Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, has demanded that Georgia sign the deal immediately - but said only Russia could guarantee peace in the region. Bush Condemns ‘Bullying’ Russia >>> August 15, 2008

THE SPECTATOR:
Russia’s Aggression In Georgia Is A Portent Of Perils To Come: Philip Bobbitt says that the crisis reflects Russia’s determination to remain an old-fashioned nation state, dominating its region. Intellectual imagination will be needed to thwart that ambition: a recognition that the post-Cold War world needs new global institutions >>> By Philip Bobbitt | August 13, 2008

TIME:
Staring Down the Russians: The end of the Cold War was supposed to usher in a new age in which the major powers would no longer dictate to their neighbors how to run their affairs. That is why Russia's invasion of Georgia is so tragic and so potentially ominous. Russia is now on watch: Will it continue to rely on coercion to achieve its imperial aims or is it willing to work within the emerging international system that values cooperation and consensus? >>> By Zbigniew Brzezinski | August 15, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
After Russia's Invasion of Georgia, What Now for the West?: At least for now, the smoke seems to be clearing from the Georgian battlefield. But the extent of the wreckage reaches far beyond that small country >>> By John R Bolton | August 15, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH - Related:
Russian General Says Poland a Nuclear 'Target': Poland has made itself a nuclear target for Russia’s military by hosting elements of a US anti-missile system, a senior Russian general warned >>> By Damien McElroy in Tbilisi | August 15, 2008

MAIL Online:
Russian General Threatens Nuclear Strike on Poland as Bush Demands Moscow Withdraws from Georgia >>> | August 15, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Russia Threatens Nuclear Attack on Poland over US Missile Shield Deal: Russia threatened a nuclear strike against Poland after a landmark deal to site American global anti-missile shields in the country >>> By Harry de Quetteville and Andrew Pierce | August 15, 2008

THE GUARDIAN:
Abdullah Gül Challenges US Superpower Status: US must share power in new world order, says Turkey's controversial president >>> By Stephen Kinzer | August 16, 2008

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An Arab Country As You Might Never Have Imagined
Watch video: Out of the Closet in the Lebanon
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Danish Cartoonist Editor: We’re Ready to Face Jordan Court
THE EARTH TIMES: Amman - The Danish cartoonist who drew caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed three years ago which sparked worldwide protests by Muslims and a boycott of Danish products said he was ready to defend himself in an Amman court, Jordanian media reported Thursday. "I would like to go to Amman to stand trial. However, what I fear is that I would be convicted in advance," Kurt Westergaard told the Jordan Times in an interview that was conducted in Copenhagen earlier this week.

On June 3, Amman Prosecutor Hassan Abdullat subpoenaed Westergaard and 20 other Danish journalists and editors involved in the republication of the 12 controversial images that were originally published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten in September 2005.

The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed in April by a coalition of media outlets, professional syndicates and political parties.

The prosecutor's move was based on articles in the Jordanian penal code and the country's Press and Publication Law.

Westergaard said he had learnt that he had been subpoenaed by the Amman prosecutor, but that he had not been officially notified of the subpoena.

Asked about the rationale behind the pictures, the 73-year-old artist said, "I made the cartoons to highlight that there are some terrorists who misuse Islam and they take it as their spiritual ammunition."

"I wanted to depict the terrorists as if they were taking the Prophet Mohammed as a hostage. I have no problems with Islam but with the terrorists."

Westergaard described himself as an atheist and stressed his respect for Islam and all religions, but refused to apologize.

"I respect Islam and its followers and I have nothing against it. However, I will not apologize. We have freedom of the press and religion in Denmark," he said. Danish Cartoonist, Editor: We're Ready to Face Jordan Court >>> By DPA | August 14, 2008

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Diana West: Roars About Russia, Bare Whispers About Islam
TOWNHALL.COM: Amazing how quickly the punditocracy switches maps, time zones and histories, simultaneously mastering new combinations of consonants and vowels, to report and react to a "surprise" conflict in Georgia. It's almost hard to recall that, just a few days ago, the most urgent questions confounding most of the media had to do with just how narcissistic John Edwards really is, or what the ramifications of Barack Obama's plans to announce his vice presidential pick via text message might finally be.

Since the sight of tanks rolling usually has a way of concentrating the media mind, the question has become: Whither Russia?
In truth, the demise of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn earlier this month was a journalistic godsend. After all, who hadn't already dusted off their long-retired Soviet history books -- not to mention their long-retired Soviet history experts, all of whom have had the busiest couple of weeks in years -- by the time Vladimir Putin announced last week that "war has started" over South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

Historical memory somewhat refreshed, Western media were ready with the headlines -- "The evil empire is back"; "Welcome to the 19th century"; "The Russian bear's new teeth" -- to promote the main thrust of most stories: namely, that Russia is reverting to tsarist, expansionist, Soviet-style, empire-amassing type. Roars About Russia, Bare Whispers About Islam >>> By Diana West | August 15, 2008

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US Court Rules Saudi Arabia Immune in 9/11 Case
REUTERS: NEW YORK - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, four princes and other Saudi entities are immune from a lawsuit filed by victims of the September 11 attacks and their families alleging they gave material support to al Qaeda, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday.

The ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a 2006 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Casey dismissing a claim against Saudi Arabia, a Saudi charity, four princes and a Saudi banker of providing material support to al Qaeda before the September 11 attacks. U.S. Court Rules Saudi Arabia Immune in 9/11 Case >>> | August 14, 2008

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Conservatives’ Favourite Think-Tank Group to Be Sued by Muslims
THE INDEPENDENT: Policy exchange, the right-wing think-tank with close links to Conservative leader David Cameron's inner circle, is facing legal action for accusing British mosques of distributing extremist literature.

The Independent has learnt that the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in west London has hired the law firm Carter Ruck to sue the think-tank for defamation. An initial complaint will be made "very soon", a source close to the case said.

Al-Manaar claims that Policy Exchange fabricated several receipts used as evidence of purchase. The North London Central Mosque in Finsbury Park, from which the jailed radical preacher Abu Hamza gave sermons, is also understood to be pursuing libel action against the think-tank through the solicitors' firm Dean and Dean. Tories’ Favourite Think-Tank Group Sued by Muslims >>> By Amol Rajan | August 15, 2008

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Die Tage Musharrafs scheinen gezählt
NZZ Online: Die Zeichen mehren sich, dass Pakistans Präsident Musharraf in den nächsten Tagen zurücktreten könnte. Vieles deutet darauf hin, dass Musharraf dem drohenden Amtsenthebungsverfahren entgehen möchte und ins Exil abwandern will. Für die USA bedeutet dies, dass die Karten in diesem geopolitisch wichtigen Gebiet neu gemischt werden.

hoh. Er war General, Putschist und Präsident. Nun droht dem zeitweilen engsten Verbündeten der USA im Hindukusch ein glanz- und ruhmloser Abgang. Die Rede ist von Pervez Musharraf, Präsident der Republik Pakistan. Seit Tagen betreiben die USA Diplomatie auf Hochtouren. Ihr Ziel lautet: Musharraf dazu bewegen, vor Beginn eines Amtsenthebungsverfahren gegen ihn zum Rücktritt zu bewegen. Das ist für einen Staats- und Militärmann eine besonders bittere Pille, lenkte er doch die Geschicke des Landes während gut zehn Jahren. Die Tage Musharrafs scheinen gezählt: Rücktritt von Pakistans Präsidenten immer wahrscheinlicher >>> | 15. August 2008

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Assomption : 50 000 pèlerins 
à Paris et à Lourdes
LE FIGARO: Moins d'un mois avant la visite en France de Benoît XVI, du 12 au 15 septembre, le culte marial confirme son renouveau.

Des milliers de catholiques pratiquants s'apprêtent à suivre messes et processions prévues un peu partout en France pour le 15 août, fête de l'Assomption, qui célèbre «l'enlèvement» au ciel de la Vierge Marie. Cette année, marquée par la venue en septembre prochain du pape Benoît XVI en France, devrait connaître un éclat particulier, tandis que le culte marial confirme son renouveau. À Paris, quelque 20 000 fidèles sont attendus. Certains ont participé dès hier soir à la désormais traditionnelle procession fluviale qui ouvre les festivités, dans l'île de la Cité. Assomption : 50 000 pèlerins 
à Paris et à Lourdes >>> C.G. | 14.08.2008

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Canada to Expel US Army Deserter
BBC: Canada is to deport a United States soldier who fled to the country to avoid deployment in Iraq.

Spc Jeremy Hinzman, 29, was told his family's application for refugee status had been turned down by Canada.

His supporters say Spc Hinzman, who had already served a tour of duty in Afghanistan, was the first Iraq war resister to seek sanctuary in Canada.

Some 200 deserters from the US military are believed to have fled to Canada, some living incognito.

Others have sought refugee status.

Lee Zaslofsky, a spokesman for the War Resisters' Support Campaign, a pressure group helping US deserters in Canada, told AFP news agency Spc Hinzman would face "cruel" and "harsh" punishment in the United States.

Deserters from the US military face a court martial and up to five years in prison. Canada to Expel US Army Deserter >>> | August 13, 2008

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