Barack Obama Invites Middle East Leaders to Washington
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama has called on Israel and the Palestinians to “step back from the abyss” and renewed his support for the creation of a Palestinian state.

Deepening his direct role in reviving stalled Middle East peace efforts, Mr Obama met King Abdullah on Tuesday and invited Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for separate talks by early June.

The US president reassured King Abdullah of his commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite reluctance by Mr Netanyahu’s new right-leaning government to support the idea of eventual Palestinian statehood. >>> By Tom Leonard in New York | Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Ahmadinejad ist für die Araber kein Held: Viele trennen zwischen Rassismus und Antisemitismus
NZZ Online: Die arabischen Reaktionen auf die Rede von Ahmadinejad in Genf sind verhalten. Den Zwiespalt zwischen der Abneigung gegen den iranischen Präsidenten und der Sympathie für die Palästinenser wollen die Araber schweigend aussitzen.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Bild dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
ber. Kairo, 21. April

Die arabische Presse hat kaum auf die israelfeindliche Rede des iranischen Präsidenten Ahmadinejad bei der Uno-Konferenz gegen Rassismus in Genf reagiert. Ahmadinejad ist praktisch das einzige hohe Regierungsmitglied aus den Staaten des Nahen Ostens an der Uno-Konferenz. Die meisten übrigen schickten zweitrangige Delegationen. Zwar verliessen diese den Saal bei Ahmadinejads Rede nicht, doch echte Begeisterung zeigten nur die Iraner. In Iran selbst bewies die Presse am Dienstag, dass sich an Ahmadinejads Rede die Geister scheiden. Konservative Blätter nannten den Präsidenten mutig, doch Reformisten kritisierten ihn. >>> NZZ | Dienstag, 22. April 2009

Le texte final a été adopté par consensus
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: DURBAN II | Le document final ne contient pas de modifications par rapport au projet transmis vendredi. Le texte appelle à combattre l'intolérance.

La conférence de l'ONU contre le racisme (Durban II) a adopté mardi par acclamations sa déclaration finale, sans modifications par rapport au projet transmis vendredi.

Aucun pays n'a demandé un vote et le texte n'a pas été modifié par rapport au texte du Russe Youri Boychenko, adopté par le comité préparatoire vendredi dernier. Tous les groupes régionaux ont approuvé ce document, qui appelle à combattre l'intolérance.

La conférence se poursuivra néanmoins jusqu'à vendredi pour entendre tous les participants, a précisé un porte-parole de l'ONU.

Micheline Calmy-Rey salue l'accord de Genève 


La conseillère fédérale Micheline Calmy-Rey s'est déclarée mardi «très satisfaite» de l'adoption par consensus d'un document final à la conférence de l'ONU contre le racisme. Il répond aux grands principes défendus par la Suisse, a-t-elle dit. >>> ATS | Mardi 21 Avril 2009

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Racisme: l'adoption de la Déclaration est "la réponse à Ahmadinejad selon l'ONU

La délégation iranienne lors du vote de la déclaration finale de la Conférence de l'ONU sur le racisme, le 21 avril 2009 à Genève. Photo grace à la Tribune de Genève
GENEVE | L'adoption de la Déclaration finale sur le racisme à la Conférence de l'ONU de Durban II mardi à Genève est "la réponse" au discours antisémite du président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a déclaré la Haut commissaire de l'ONU pour les droits de l'Homme Navy Pillay. >>> AFP | Mardi 21 Avril 2009

CIA: Obama lässt Tür für Verfahren wegen Folter offen
WELT ONLINE: Überraschende Wendung im Umgang mit den unter George W. Bush üblichen Foltermethoden: US-Präsident Barack Obama lässt die Tür für eine Strafverfolgung der Verantwortlichen für brutalen Verhöre mutmaßlicher Terroristen offen. Jetzt ist offenbar der US-Justizminister am Zug.

Am Rande eines Treffens mit dem jordanischen König Abdullah am Dienstag bekräftigte US-Präsident Obama zwar seine Haltung, dass CIA-Verhörbeamte, die im Rahmen der ihnen in der Bush-Zeit vorgegebenen Richtlinien gehandelt hätten, nicht einem Strafverfahren ausgesetzt werden sollten. Aber was die Verantwortlichen für die Formulierung der zulässigen Folterpraktiken betreffe, „das wird mehr eine Entscheidung sein, die im Rahmen verschiedener Gesetze beim Justizminister liegt“, sagte Obama. „Ich will das nicht vorwegnehmen.“

Der Präsident betonte, wegen der brutalen Verhörmethoden hätten die USA ihre „moralische Stellung“ verloren. >>> rtr/AP/dcs | Dienstag, 21. April 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama: Bush Officials Could Be Prosecuted over 'Torture' Documents

US President Barack Obama has bowed to pressure from the Left by opening the door to Bush administration officials being prosecuted for approving alleged torture by CIA interrogators.

In a dramatic shift by a White House that on Monday had brushed aside questions about the issue by insisting the American president was "focused on looking forward", Mr Obama indicated that officials could be called to account for the US losing its "moral bearings".

Last week, Mr Obama made public four memos written by officials in President George W. Bush's administration that contained explicit details of the CIA's methods of extracting information from al-Qaeda suspects between 2002 and 2005. >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Vatican Planned to Move to Portugal If Nazis Captured Wartime Pope
Pope Pius XII. Photo: GoogleImages
THE TELEGRAPH: Secret plans were drawn up by the Vatican to elect a new Pope and flee to a friendly country should Hitler have carried out his threat to kidnap the wartime Pontiff, it was claimed yesterday.

Pope Pius XII told senior bishops that should he be arrested by the Nazis, his resignation would become effective immediately, paving the way for a successor, according to documents in the Vatican's Secret Archives.

The bishops would then be expected to flee to a safe country – probably neutral Portugal – where they would re-establish the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church and appoint a new Pontiff.

That Hitler considered kidnapping the Pope has been documented before, but this is the first time that details have emerged of the Vatican's strategy should the Nazis carry out the plan.

"Pius said 'if they want to arrest me they will have to drag me from the Vatican'," said Peter Gumpel, the German Jesuit priest who is in charge of researching whether Pius should be made a saint, and therefore has access to secret Vatican archives.

Pius, who was Pope throughout the war, told his advisers "the person who would leave the [Vatican] under these conditions would not be Pius XII but Eugenio Pacelli" – his name before he was elected Pontiff – thus giving permission for a new Pope to be elected.

"It would have been disastrous if the Church had been left without an authoritative leader," said Father Gumpel.

"Pius wouldn't leave voluntarily. He had been invited repeatedly to go to Portugal or Spain or the United States but he felt he could not leave his diocese under these severe and tragic circumstances." Vatican documents, which still remain secret, are believed to show that Pius was aware of a plan formulated by Hitler in July 1943 to occupy the Vatican and arrest him and his senior cardinals. >>> By Nick Squires in Rome and Simon Caldwell | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Israelis Feel Chill as US Sets Out New Ground Rules
BRISBANE TIMES: CAN Israel still call the United States its best friend? Not if you believe the media in Israel.

The increasingly tense dialogue between the US President, Barack Obama, and the new Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has taken on all the trappings of a duel here.

Almost every day brings news of another sore point, blighting the once warm relationship between the two countries.

Anyone could be forgiven for thinking the most immediate threat to national security in Israel lay across the Atlantic. That Mr Obama uses almost every opportunity he gets to set the parameters of a final peace agreement between Israel and Palestine is bad enough.

But now officials in his administration are openly using Israeli anxiety at Iran's nuclear program as a bargaining chip to force its hand on giving up control of the West Bank Palestinian territory.

No less a figure than the White House chief-of-staff, Rahm Emanuel, was quoted this week laying down the law: if Israel wants US help to defuse the Iranian threat, then get ready to start evacuating settlements in the West Bank, he was reported to have told Jewish leaders in Washington. >>> Jason Koutsoukis Herald Correspondent in Jerusalem | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Iran May Ease American Reporter's Sentence
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran may reconsider an eight-year jail term for an American journalist during her appeal, the judiciary spokesman said Tuesday in an indication her sentence will be commuted.

The statement was the latest hint Iran could be backing off from the imprisonment of 31-year-old Roxana Saberi on charges of spying for the U.S. On Monday, the judiciary chief ordered a full investigation into the case, a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged Tehran's chief prosecutor to ensure Ms. Saberi be allowed a full defense during her appeal.

The case has been a source of tension with the U.S. at a time when President Barack Obama is trying to open a dialogue with Iran to end a decades-long diplomatic standoff. The U.S. has called the accusations against Ms. Saberi, a dual American-Iranian citizen, baseless and demanded her release. >>> Associated Press | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Dick Cheney Demands Barack Obama Reveals Torture 'Success' Memos
TIMESONLINE: Dick Cheney has asked for secret US documents to be released showing that harsh CIA interrogation techniques such as waterboarding produced valuable intelligence.

The former US Vice President used an interview with FOX News to step into the row that has developed since President Obama ordered the publication of Bush administration legal memos justifying practices which are condemned in many parts of the world as torture.

Mr Cheney said that he had made a formal request to the CIA for the documents be declassified because he knew that the interrogation process - now banned by Mr Obama - had been very successful, and he wanted the rest of the country to understand.

The additional documents had to be made public to allow an "honest debate", Mr Cheney said.

In the interview, Mr Cheney also attacked Mr Obama for apologising for US actions that he said did not need apologising for, and for actions and statements which he claimed had harmed the standing of the US in the world. >>> Jenny Booth | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

FOX NEWS: Cheney Calls for Release of Memos Showing Results of Interrogation Efforts

Former Vice President Cheney says he knows how successful the interrogation techniques were in collecting intelligence for the United States and wants that information to be released to the public as well as the legal memos explaining the decision to allow the heavily criticized methods.

Now that the memos showing the rulings of interrogation techniques have been released, the Obama administration should release additional documents that show what the interrogations yielded to make it an "honest debate," former Vice President Dick Cheney told FOX News on Monday.

In an interview with FOX News' Sean Hannity aired on "Hannity" Monday night, Cheney questioned the point of releasing the legal decisions behind the interrogations but not the outcome of them.

"One of the things that I find a little bit disturbing about this recent disclosure is they put out the legal memos, the memos that the CIA got from the Office of Legal Counsel, but they didn't put out the memos that showed the success of the effort," Cheney said.

Cheney said he's asked that the documents be declassified because he has remained silent on the confidential information, but he knows how successful the interrogation process was and wants the rest of the country to understand. >>> FOXNews.com | Monday, April 20, 2009

Workout Tips for Jihad Offered by al-Qaeda Supporting Magazine
THE TELEGRAPH: An al-Qaeda-supporting magazine has published workout tips for extremists planning jihad in countries such as Afghanistan.

The exercise advice is contained in Jihad Recollections, an English language online magazine. Image courtesy of The Telegraph
Complete with photographs of men in white robes with scarves covering their faces performing a variety of squats and sit-ups, it advises supporters to keep in shape so that they can "strike hard" against their enemies.

There is also a warning against visiting "un-Islamic" western gyms including LA Fitness with their "music, semi-naked women, free mixing and the danger of showing off".

And there is advice against using weights because of their unavailability on the front line in places such as Afghanistan.

The advice is contained in Jihad Recollections, an English language online magazine believed to be published in the United States which openly supports al-Qaeda and contains an article purporting to be written by Osama bin Laden[.] >>> By John Bingham | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The front cover. Image: GoogleImages

Aussie Mother Jailed Two Years for 'Insulting' Kuwaiti Emir
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The lawyer for a Sydney woman sentenced to two years in a Kuwaiti prison will try to obtain a lesser sentence or early release for his client, the Department of Foreign Affairs says.

Nasrah Alshamery was convicted yesterday of insulting the country's ruler after a row broke out at Kuwait International Airport when the Sydney family of nine were on holiday there last year.

DFAT confirmed a criminal court sentenced the 43-year-old mother of seven, who suffers from diabetes and is on a disability pension, to two years in jail.

A DFAT spokesperson said Alshamery's Kuwaiti lawyer, Falah al-Hajraf, would seek a reduced sentence or early release.
"I will appeal the verdict tomorrow," Mr al-Hajraf told the media earlier.

"My client has denied the charge during the trial and insisted she committed no wrongdoing." >>> Georgina Robinson | Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Yael Levy: Switzerland Plays Neutrality Card
YNET NEWS: Former ambassador to Geneva chides Swiss president for meeting with Iranian president, says country cannot remain neutral in the face of Holocaust denial. Historian Arieh Kochavi explains why Switzerland's neutrality serves its long-term interests

Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz justified his meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday, asserting to his critics that Switzerland is maintaining its neutrality.

The neutrality card failed, however, to win over at least one skeptic, Israel's former ambassador to Geneva, Yitzhak Meir.

"It was impossible to remain neutral in the face of the evil of World War II, and it is impossible to remain neutral in the face of Ahmadinejad," Meir told Ynet.

"As a friend of Switzerland, I believe that the president was mistaken in his understanding of the average citizen's stance in Switzerland today," said Meir, who dispatched a letter to Merz's office in Berne.

"I wrote to him that what he did wasn't just wrong, it was a gross error. I regret this, and it pains me as a man who has seen the other sides of Switzerland."

The former ambassador believes that Switzerland has yet to understand that the neutrality it aspires to is not feasible.

"The committee that Switzerland formed after WWII acknowledged the fact that the country carried out a role that the Swiss couldn't forgive themselves for. They couldn't come to terms with what occurred in their country in the name of 'neutrality' – their policies regarding Jewish refugees. And here, once more the issue of neutrality is on the table."

Meir emphasized that Switzerland does not deny the Holocaust like Ahmadinejad and his ilk, but added that this is what makes the meeting so problematic.

"Holocaust deniers will be able to use the meeting despite Switzerland's stance. This meeting is grave because it creates a sort of banality and laicization of the Swiss attempt not to forget the Holocaust. I see President Merz's choice as an anti-Swiss act." >>> Yael Levy | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Torture Memo Has Put US in Danger, CIA Tells Barack Obama
The decision to release the ‘torture’ memos was the decision of a rooky. – Mark
Michael Hayden, who led the CIA under President Bush, said that the release of the memos would make it harder to get information from terrorist suspects. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMESONLINE: President Obama visited the CIA headquarters yesterday to placate officials dismayed by his decision to release top secret “torture” memos, a move that has provoked accusations that he is willing to compromise America’s safety out of political correctness.

Mr Obama’s first visit to the CIA, to boost morale there and shore up his own reputation, came as his decision to release the memos detailing brutal interrogation sessions of terror suspects continued to attract criticism.

There were claims from inside the agency’s ranks that the move had undermined its ability to extract vital intelligence from America’s enemies, and could even blow the cover of some secret operatives.

Michael Hayden, who ran the CIA under President Bush, said before Mr Obama’s visit that the release of the memos had compromised the CIA’s intelligence gathering work and, in effect, aided America’s enemies.

Mr Obama sought to assure CIA staff that they still had his support and that he was prepared to draw a line under the agency’s dubious recent practices.

“Don’t be discouraged by what’s happened the last few weeks,” he said. “Don’t be discouraged that we have to acknowledge potentially we have made some mistakes — that’s how we learn. >>> Tim Reid in Washington | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Barack Obama to Meet CIA Agents to Calm Anger over 'Torture' Memos
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama is to make his first visit to the Central Intelligence Agency in an attempt to calm an uproar among America's spies over his release of secret memos about interrogation techniques.

President Barack Obama is to make his first visit to the CIA . Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
The White House said he would address staff at the agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia about the "importance of the CIA's mission".

His visit came as it emerged that the highly controversial technique of "waterboarding", a type of simulated drowning, was used 266 times on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah, two senior al-Qaeda prisoners.

Last week, Mr Obama released four memos, running to 126 pages, written by officials in President George W. Bush's administration and containing explicit details of the CIA's methods of extracting information from al-Qaeda suspects between 2002 and 2005.

Although Mr Obama said that neither CIA interrogators nor the authors of the memos should be prosecuted, civil liberties groups have demanded that charges be brought, arguing that the "Nuremberg defence" of following orders is unacceptable.

The methods, eventually prohibited by the Bush administration, included sleep deprivation for up to 11 days, forced nudity and stress positions as waterboarding, in which "water is continuously applied from a height of 12 to 24 inches" for "20 to 40 seconds". It was also revealed that Abu Zubaydah was placed in a box with an insect in order to exploit his fear of them.

Leon Panetta, Mr Obama's CIA chief, and four most recent former heads of the spy agency had all implored the US president not to release the memos, stating that doing so would damage national security and demoralise CIA operatives. >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Monday, April 20, 2009

Kommentar: Schafft die Uno ab!
WELT ONLINE: Die Uno ist nur noch eine Bühne für komische Kleindiktatoren und Präsidentendarsteller wie Ahmadinedschad. Antisemiten, Pädophile und Völkermörder sind die einzigen Interessengruppen, die von der Weltorganisation profitieren.

Preisfrage: Was war das hochwichtige Ereignis, das tout le monde kurz vor dem 11. September 2001 beschäftigte? Antwort: Die Uno-Konferenz gegen Rassismus in der südafrikanischen Stadt Durban. Bei jener Konferenz stand von Anfang an fest, wer am Rassenhass, am Kolonialismus, wer an eigentlich allem Übel dieser Welt schuld ist: der Staat Israel. Die schlimmste Form des Rassismus, so wurde festgestellt, sei Kritik an der islamischen Religion. Die „Protokolle der Weisen von Zion“ – jene antisemitische Fälschung, die beweisen soll, dass eine jüdische Verschwörung die Welt in ihren Klauen hält – waren eigentlich noch das mildeste Dokument, das in Durban verteilt wurde.

Auch „Mein Kampf“, eine Schrift des bekannten Antirassisten Adolf Hitler, wurde herumgereicht. Kurz: Bei der Konferenz von Durban handelte es sich um einen Pogrom, der den vornehmen, den schwarzen Anzug der Diplomatie trug. Und weil die Veranstaltung so schön war und allen Beteiligten so ungeheuren Spaß gemacht hat, wird sie an diesem Montag, dem 20. April, auch gleich fortgesetzt. Die Nachfolgekonferenz findet in Genf statt. Federführend sind dabei – das ist jetzt kein Witz – folgende drei Nationen: Libyen, der Iran und Kuba. Ganz zufällig ist der 20. April auch jener Tag, an dem Adolf H. in Braunau das Licht der Welt erblickte. Die Uno feiert in Genf also Führers Geburtstag. Die Uno wurde unter Beteiligung eines KGB-Spions gegründet >>> Von Hannes Stein, Autor der WELT und WamS | Montag, 20. April 2009

Hassrede: Schweizer Delegierte blieben im Saal
TAGESANZEIGER: Das Treffen zwischen Hans-Rudolf Merz und Mahmud Ahmadinejad belastet die diplomatischen Beziehungen zwischen der Schweiz und Israel. Aber auch die Juden in der Schweiz sind irritiert.

Der Schweizer Umgang mit dem iranischen Präsidenten Mahmud Ahmadinejad sorgt zunehmend für Empörung. Israel rief aus Protest über das Treffen mit Bundespräsident Merz seinen Botschafter aus der Schweiz zurück. Der Schweizerische Israelitische Gemeindebund (SIG) hat mit grosser Betroffenheit auf die Rede des iranischen Präsidenten an der Antirassismus-Konferenz in Genf reagiert. Die hetzerischen Worte seien der Konferenz nicht nur unwürdig, sondern widersprächen auch deren Zielen, schreibt der SIG. Dass zahlreiche westliche Staaten den Saal demonstrativ verlassen haben, werde begrüsst. Der SIG bedauere aber, dass sich die Schweiz dem Protest nicht anschloss. Von der Schweiz werde nun erwartet, dass sie die Hetzrede zumindest öffentlich klar verurteile. Die Schweiz teile die Ansichten von Ahmadinejad nicht, die Schweizer Delegierten seien allerdings im Saal geblieben, weil man das Recht auf Meinungsäusserung achte, sagte ein EDA-Sprecher am Montagabend. >>> vin/ap/sda | Montag, 20. April 2009

Ban Ki Moon weist Ahmadinejad zurecht: Eklat bei der Anti-Rassismus-Konferenz in Genf – Auszug unter Protest
NZZ Online: Mit antiisraelischen Äusserungen hat der iranische Präsident Ahmadinejad für einen Eklat bei der Eröffnung der Anti-Rassismus-Konferenz in Genf gesorgt. Israel sei das «grausamste und rassistischste Regime», erklärte er. Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon wies daraufhin in ungewöhnlich scharfer Form zurecht.

Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon hat in ungewöhnlich scharfer Form die Rede des iranischen Präsidenten Mahmud Ahmadinejad auf der Uno-Konferenz gegen Rassismus kritisiert. «Ich verurteile, dass der iranische Präsident diese Plattform dazu genutzt hat, Schuldzuweisungen zu machen, zu spalten und aufzuhetzen», sagte Ban in Genf. «Es ist zutiefst bedauerlich, dass mein Appell, sich der Zukunft der Einheit zuzuwenden, nicht beachtet wurde.» >>> ap | Montag, 20. April 2009

Judges To Order More Lashings Than Prison Sentences (July 2008)

Terrorism: Al-Qaeda No.2 Unimpressed by Obama
Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Photo: GoogleImages
ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (AKI): Dubai - Barack Obama's election as US president has failed to lift America's status in the Muslim and Arab world, and is a victory for Al-Qaeda, according to a new audio message allegedly from the terror network's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The video was posted on key jihadist websites on Monday.

The authenticity of the tape is yet to be verified. The purported message is in Arabic and, unlike previous ones, contains no English subtitles. The message is edited with extracts from recent Arabic TV interviews with Arab political analysts.

"In our view, America is still the country that kills Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. It is the country that steals our assets and occupies our lands, and which props up thieving and corrupt Arab regimes.

"The Islamic nation has opted to revive Islam and refuses to give in to oppression. Killing or capturing people casts the US in an even worse light. The US airstrikes in Pakistan pour oil on the flames and will lead to further defeats for that country," al-Zawahiri says.

Obama's election was actually a political triumph for Al-Qaeda and the result of US defeat in Iraq, the message says.

"Obama's victory is nothing more than the recognition by the American people that (former president George W.) Bush's policies had failed, and that the administration was lying when it claimed to have defeated the mujadeen (holy warriors)," al-Zawahiri says. >>> | Monday, April 20, 2009

Women in Somali City Must Cover Up or Go to Jail
CNN: Women in Somalia's third-largest city, Baidoa, have been ordered to wear Islamic dress starting this week or face jail time, according to a resident and Somali media reports.

The order -- issued last week by Al-Shabaab, the radical Islamist militia that controls the city -- also warns business owners to close their shops during daily prayers, or they will be temporarily shut down, a local journalist said.

The militia has ordered women to cover their bodies and heads from view, according to a resident of Baidoa who did not want to be identified for security reasons. The clothing must be black, red or white, and women in the impoverished city are concerned that they will not be able to purchase clothing that conforms to the order, the resident said.

He said women would be jailed if they violated the order after it goes into effect Tuesday. Somalia's Shabelle Media, quoting an Al-Shabaab spokesman, said they would spend 12 hours in jail. >>> CNN's Ben Brumfield and journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report | Monday, April 20, 2009

Ahmadinejad: Israel Will Disappear From Map (June 2008)

Iran's Ahmadinejad on Holocaust

Netanyahu Vows Not to Allow Second Holocaust
Yom Hashoah. Images: GoogleImages
ASSOCIATED PRESS: JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday not to allow Holocaust deniers to carry out a second Holocaust against the Jewish people.

Speaking at the ceremony marking Israel's annual memorial day for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazis and their collaborators during World War II, Netanyahu also described a U.N. anti-racism conference under way in Geneva as an anti-Israel event.

The hawkish prime minister, who took office about three weeks ago, criticized the president of Switzerland for meeting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the conference. Netanyahu called Ahmadinejad a Holocaust denier who wants to perpetrate another massacre of Jews.

"We will not allow the Holocaust deniers to carry out another Holocaust against the Jewish people. This is the supreme duty of the state of Israel. This is my supreme duty as prime minister of Israel," Netanyahu said. >>> By Mark Lavie | Monday, April 20, 2009

Britain and EU Diplomats Walk Out as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Calls Israel 'Racist'
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain and other European Union countries have walked out of a United Nations conference after Iran's president attacked Israel as the "most cruel and racist regime".

A protester with a wig is led away by UN security as he tried to interrupt the speech of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at the UN Racism conference. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad smiled as European diplomats left in protest over his opening address to a controversial UN summit to fight racism.

President Ahmadinejad, speaking as Israelis prepares to commemorate the Holocaust on Tuesday, described Jews and Israel's creation as the "ugly face" of a Western conspiracy.

"They sent migrants from Europe, the United States in order to establish a racist government in the occupied Palestine," he said.

"The word Zionism personifies racism that falsely resorts to religion and abuses religious sentiments to hide their hatred and ugly faces."

EU diplomats launched a walk out when Mr Ahmadinejad claimed that the "pretext of Jewish suffering", a reference to the Holocaust, had been used to create Israel.

The United States, Israel, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand boycotted the conference because of fears that Mr Ahmadinejad would use the event to equate Zionism with racism.

British and other EU officials had attended the conference but walked out after Iran's leader launched into an attack on Western support Israel's "totally racist" policy in Gaza. >>> By Bruno Waterfield | Monday, April 20, 2009

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – Nile Gardiner: Durban II: Gordon Brown's Cowardly Decision Not to Boycott

It is rare when continental European partners such as Germany show a bit of backbone on the world stage. This weekend, Angela Merkel joined the leaders of the United States, Israel, Australia, Italy and Holland in boycotting the Durban Review Conference in Geneva. In contrast, Gordon Brown's government has decided to participate, even though the event is being graced by the presence of Iranian despot Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who believes in wiping a fellow UN member off the face of the earth. The whole farce is organized by a steering committee led by major human rights violators such as Libya, Russia, Cuba and Iran. Comment here >>> Nile Gardiner | Monday, April 20, 2009


BBC: Walkout at Iran Leader's Speech

Diplomats have walked out of a speech by the Iranian president at a UN anti-racism conference after he described Israel as a "racist government".

Two protesters, wearing coloured wigs, disrupted the beginning of the speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - followed by the Western walkout.

Others enthusiastically clapped as Mr Ahmadinejad continued his address.

France said it was a "hate speech". A number of other Western countries have boycotted the conference altogether.

The walkout is a public relations disaster for the United Nations, which had hoped the conference would be a shining example of what the UN is supposed to do best - uniting to combat injustice in the world, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva. >>> | Monday, April 20, 2009

Watch BBC video: Diplomats walk out of the summit and protesters heckle Iran's leader >>>
BBC:
In Quotes: Ahmadinejad Speech >>> | Monday, April 20, 2009

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Iran's President Slams Israel, Prompts Walkouts

GENEVA -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the Holocaust as a "pretext" for aggression against Palestinians, prompting European diplomats to walk out of a speech disrupted by jeering protesters in rainbow wigs tossing red clown noses at the hardline leader.

Mr. Ahmadinejad was the first government official to take the floor at a U.N. racism conference opening on the eve of Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day. Two protesters in clown costumes tossed soft red objects at Mr. Ahmadinejad as he recited a Muslim prayer to begin his speech.

A Jewish student group from France later took credit for causing the disturbance, saying members threw clown noses to "symbolize the mascarade that this conference represents."

Mr. Ahmadinejad restarted his talk and delivered a speech that lasted more than a half-hour, saying the United States and Europe had helped establish Israel after World War II and victimize Palestinians "under the pretext of Jewish suffering."

That prompted a walkout by some 40 diplomats from Britain and France and other European countries that had threatened to leave the conference if it descended into anti-Semitism or other rhetoric harshly critical of Israel, which marred the U.N.'s last racism gathering eight years ago in South Africa.

The United States and eight other Western countries were already boycotting the event because of concerns about its fairness.
Mr. Ahmadinejad went on to accuse Israel of being the "most cruel and racist regime." >>> Associated Press | Monday, April 20, 2009

WELT ONLINE: Antirassismus-Konferenz: Der erwartete Eklat des Mahmud Ahmadinedschad

Der erste Tag der Antirassismus-Konferenz in Genf hat im Schatten mehrerer Boykotts begonnen – und ist im Eklat geendet. Als Irans Präsident Ahmadinedschad seine Rede für anti-israelische Tiraden nutzte, verließen mehrere EU-Delegierte den Raum. Die Verstimmungen gehen jedoch weit über Europa hinaus.

Wahrscheinlich hätten die Tänzer die Stimmung bessern sollen. Die südafrikanische Regierung, 2001 Gastgeberin der ersten Antirassismus-Konferenz in Durban, hatte sie nach Genf geschickt: Frauen in Saris, Männer mit Buschkronen aus Glasperlen. Sie hüpften und klatschten vor dem Podium, auf dem Ban Ki-moon saß. Doch mehr als ein müdes Lächeln konnten die Spezialisten für „interkulturelle Tanzfusion“ dem UN-Generalsekretär nicht abringen.

Die „Durban II“ genannte Konferenz begann heute im Schatten des Boykotts durch mehrere westliche Staaten – und sie endete im Eklat um die Rede des iranischen Staatspräsidenten Mahmud Ahmadinedschad. Neben Ländern wie Israel, Kanada oder den USA blieb erstmals auch Deutschland einer UN-Konferenz fern.

Ban Ki-moon kritisierte das in seiner Eröffnungsrede. „Ich bedauere zutiefst, dass einige sich entschlossen haben, beiseite zu treten“, sagte der UN-Generalsekretär. „Wir träumen davon, in eine neue Richtung zu gehen, jedoch bleiben zu viele von uns in der Vergangenheit verstrickt. Wir sprechen davon, eine neue Einheit zu finden, wie es die Zeit verlangt, aber wir bleiben schwach und gespalten.“ Gerade in Zeiten der Wirtschaftskrise, sei es wichtig gegen Rassismus zu kämpfen – in all seinen Formen, auch Antisemitismus und Islamophobie. Ahmadinedschads Eklat >>> Von Stefanie Bolzen und Elisalex Henckel | Montag, 20. April 2009

DIEPRESSE: Eklat von Ahmadinejad bei Rassismuskonferenz

Bei der Rede des iranischen Präsidenten verließen die Vertreter aller EU-Staaten, so auch Österreichs, den Saal. Ahmadinejad nützte den Auftritt in Genf erneut für seine berüchtigten antiisraelischen Tiraden.

WIEN/GENF. „Ich bin zutiefst enttäuscht.“ Diese bitteren Worte packte UN-Generalsekretär Ban Ki-moon in seine Eröffnungsrede vor der Antirassismuskonferenz in Genf. Grund für die Klage: Eine Reihe wichtiger Staaten boykottiert das UN-Treffen, das bis Freitag dauern soll. Kanada und Israel hatten schon vor Längerem klargestellt, keinesfalls teilzunehmen. Und bis Montagmorgen sagten dann auch die USA, Australien, die Niederlande, Italien, Polen und Deutschland ab.

Diese Länder fürchten, die UN-Antirassismuskonferenz könne wie schon 2001 im südafrikanischen Durban in ein antiisraelisches Spektakel abgleiten. Damals wollten eine Reihe arabischer und islamischen Staaten die Gleichsetzung von Zionismus mit Rassismus durchsetzen. Die USA und Israel verließen das Treffen.

Österreich nimmt an der Nachfolgekonferenz in Genf teil – jedoch so wie Frankreich, Großbritannien und andere EU-Staaten nur auf Beamtenebene. Es wird durch Österreichs Botschafter in Genf, Christian Strohal, vertreten sein. Für den Fall, dass die Konferenz kippen sollte, behalte man sich „entsprechende Schritte“ vor, heißt es aus dem Außenministerium auf Anfrage der „Presse“. Diese Schritte würden in Abstimmung mit den anderen teilnehmenden EU-Staaten gesetzt. >>> Wieland Schneider (Die Presse) | Montag, 20. April 2009

LE FIGARO: Nouvelle provocation d'Ahmadinejad à Genève

Le président iranien a déclaré que le gouvernement israélien était raciste, devant la conférence de l'ONU consacrée au sujet, provoquant le départ des diplomates européens et la condamnation de Ban-Ki-Moon.

Des diplomates quittant la salle, des manifestants avec des perruques multicolores et des nez rouge de clown qui crient «raciste, raciste» (voir la vidéo), les sièges désertés des Etats-Unis, de l'Australie et des autres pays qui ont boycotté le sommet ... Lundi, l'intervention de Mahmoud Ahmadinejad devant la conférence de l'ONU sur le racisme qui s'est ouverte le jour même aura été mouvementée. Toute cette agitation n'aura pas empêché le président iranien d'accuser Israël d'être le «régime le plus cruel et le plus raciste».Il a critiqué la création de l'État hébreu après 1945. «Après la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, ils (les Alliés, ndlr) ont eu recours à l'agression militaire pour priver de terres une nation entière sous le prétexte de la souffrance juive», a expliqué Ahmadinejad devant un parterre de diplomates. «Ils ont envoyé des migrants d'Europe, des Etats-Unis et du monde de l'Holocauste pour établir un gouvernement raciste en Palestine occupée», a-t-il affirmé. >>> Jérôme Bouin (lefigaro.fr) Avec AFP et AP | Lundi 20 Avril 2009

L’EXPRESS.fr: La France s'indigne du discours d'Ahmadinejad

Dans son discours à la conférence contre le racisme "Durban II", Mahmoud Ahmadinejad s'en est violemment pris à l'Etat d'Israël. La délégation française, qui avait pourtat mis en garde le président iranien, a quitté la salle et Nicolas Sarkozy condamne "ce discours de haine"..

Le discours prononcé par le président iranien constitue "un appel intolérable à la haine raciste" et "il bafoue les idéaux et les valeurs inscrites dans la Déclaration universelle des droits de l'Homme", a déclaré le président Nicolas Sarkozy dans un communiqué.

Le chef de l'Etat, "qui avait déjà rejeté des propos inacceptables tenus en d'autres circonstances par le président iranien, condamne totalement ce discours de haine, poursuit le texte. [M. Sarkozy] appelle à une réaction d'une extrême fermeté de l'Union européenne".

Bernard Kouchner a affirmé de son côté qu'"aucun compromis n'est possible" face aux déclarations anti-israéliennes du président iranien. Ce dernier a critiqué la création d'Israël après 1945, l'assimilant à un "gouvernement raciste", lors de son discours lundi devant les participants à la Conférence de l'ONU sur le racisme à Genève.

"J'ai indiqué très clairement que la France ne tolèrerait pas que quiconque prenne la Conférence en otage et s'en serve comme d'une tribune pour tenir des propos haineux, a souligné le ministre des Affaires étrangères. Je souhaite que ce geste de protestation suscite une prise de conscience au sein de la communauté internationale: la protection des droits de l'Homme et la lutte contre toutes les formes de racisme sont trop importantes pour que les nations ne s'unissent pas contre tous les discours de haine, contre tous les dévoiements". >>> Par LEXPRESS.fr | Lundi 20 Avril 2009

Iranian President Says Reporter Must Get Full Appeal
THE TELEGRAPH: Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has offered a potential olive branch to the United States over the spying conviction of an Iranian-American journalist by urging a full defence be allowed at her appeal.

His surprisingly moderate statement came a day after Tehran announced conviction of Roxana Saberi, 31, a dual American and Iranian citizen, and an eight-year jail sentence.

In a move that could be an overture to President Barack Obama, Mr Ahmadinejad instructed chief Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi to ensure that "suspects be given all their rights to defend themselves" against the charges.

Mr Obama did not respond directly to Mr Ahmadinejad, who could also have been positioning himself internally against the hard-line Iranian judiciary, but made emollient comments about Miss Saberi's case at a press conference in Trinidad.

"Obviously I'm gravely concerned with her safety and well being," he said. "We are working to make sure that she is properly treated and to get information about the disposition of her case.

"She is an American citizen and I have complete confidence that she was not engaging in any sort espionage. She is an Iranian-American who was interested in the country which her family came from and it is appropriate for her to be treated as such and be released." >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Sunday, April 19, 2009

Hardliners Win Northern Cyprus Election
BBC: Turkish Cypriot nationalists have swept to victory in a parliamentary election in northern Cyprus that could hamper peace talks with Greek Cypriots.

The right-wing National Unity Party (UBP), which favours closer links with Turkey rather than EU membership, has won 44% of the vote.

That leaves the ruling Republican Turkish Party (CTP) of leader Mehmet Ali Talat with only 29%.
Mr Talat retains his position, but his hands will now be tied at peace talks.

Cypriot problem

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded the island in response to an attempt by Greek Cypriots to make it part of Greece.

Frustration at the slow progress of talks aimed at reuniting the island appears to have been a key element in this latest poll, the BBC's Tabitha Morgan reports from Cyprus.

When Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Talat began talks with the Greek Cypriot leader, President Dimitris Christofias, over a year ago, he predicted a deal within months.

As part of the package, the breakaway Turkish Cypriot republic - which is only recognised by Turkey - would have gained automatic membership of the EU.

None of this has happened.

Two-state solution

The leader of the nationalist UBP party, Dervis Eroglu, has said he will be pressing for international recognition for the breakaway state.

The UBP wants the island to remain divided and has its sights on a two-state model. >>> | Sunday, April 19, 2009

Boykott: Deutschland sagt Anti-Rassismus-Konferenz ab
WELT ONLINE: Deutschland boykottiert erstmals eine Konferenz der Vereinten Nationen. Die Bundesregierung befürchtet wie andere westliche Staaten, dass die Konferenz von islamischen Ländern für propagandistische Attacken gegen Israel missbraucht werden könnte. Dazu gibt Irans Präsident auch allen Anlass.

Irans Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad traf den Schweizer Präsidenten Hans-Rudolf Merz. Bild dank der Welt
Die Bundesregierung hat ihre Teilnahme an der umstrittenen Antirassismus-Konferenz der Vereinten Nationen in Genf abgesagt. Bundesaußenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hatte sich am Abend in einer Telefonkonferenz nochmals mit anderen EU-Kollegen abgestimmt. Danach fiel die Entscheidung.

Steinmeier hatte schon am Samstag mit seinen Kollegen aus Frankreich, Großbritannien, Schweden, Dänemark, Spanien, Tschechien und den Niederlanden telefoniert, um eine einheitliche Linie zu finden. Dabei wurde ein weiteres Gespräch für Sonntagabend vereinbart.

Damit ist es das erste Mal, dass Deutschland eine Konferenz der Vereinten Nationen boykottiert. Bei der Veranstaltung, die am Montag in Genf eröffnet wird, wird auch der iranische Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad erwartet. Die Bundesregierung befürchtet ebenso wie andere westliche Staaten, dass die Konferenz von islamischen Ländern für propagandistische Attacken gegen Israel missbraucht werden könnte.

Israel hat seine Teilnahme an der Konferenz abgesagt und die Tagung als „tragische Farce“ bezeichnet. Außenamtssprecher Jossy Levy sagte, zwar diene die Konferenz offiziell dem Kampf gegen den Rassismus, zugleich aber sei ein Holocaust-Leugner eingeladen.

Auch Australien, Kanada, die Niederlande und die USA hatten wegen eines umstrittenen Entwurfs für die Abschlusserklärung abgesagt. >>> AP/AFP/cl | Sonntag, 19. April 2009

LEFIGARO.fr: La France ira à la conférence de l'ONU sur le racisme

D'autres pays occidentaux ont déjà fait savoir qu'ils boycottaient cette Conférence de l'ONU dite de Durban II, notamment les Etats-Unis. Ces pays craignent des débordements de la part du président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

« Défendre son point de vue sur les droits de l'homme ». C'est la raison pour laquelle la France participera à la Conférence de l'ONU sur le racisme qui s'ouvre lundi à Genève, a indiqué dimanche une source proche de l'Elysée. L'Allemagne, en revanche, a annoncé dimanche soir qu'elle ne serait pas présente à Genève.

Les Etats-Unis ont eux aussi décidé de boycotter cette conférence. Le président Barack Obama s'est cependant engagé à collaborer avec les Nations unies dans la lutte contre le racisme. Israël et le Canada ont, quant à eux, fait savoir de longue date qu'ils ne seraient pas présents. L'Italie leur avait emboîté le pas début mars. >>> L.D. (Lefigaro.fr) avec AFP | Dimanche 19 Avril 2009

USA boykottieren Antirassismuskonferenz in Genf
TAGESANZEIGER: Die USA haben ihre Teilnahme an der Antirassismus-Konferenz der Uno in Genf endgültig abgesagt.

Das Abschlussdokument, auf das sich Diplomaten am Freitag geeinigt hatten, sei nicht akzeptabel, sagte ein Sprecher des US- Aussenministeriums am Samstag.

Die USA hatten zunächst an vorbereitenden Sitzungen teilgenommen und entsprachen damit der Ankündigung von Präsident Barack Obama, verstärkt auf Diplomatie und Zusammenarbeit mit den Vereinten Nationen setzen zu wollen.

Nun habe sich aber gezeigt, dass die Bedenken der USA in dem Abschlussdokument nicht ausreichend berücksichtigt worden seien, sagte der Sprecher. «Deshalb werden die USA an der Konferenz zur Besprechung dieses Dokuments nicht teilnehmen.» >>> bru/sda | Sonntag, April 19, 2009

Church of England Bishop Accused of Trying to Set Up Rival Church
THE TELEGRAPH: One of the Church of England's leading bishops has been accused of setting up a rival church by another senior Anglican clergyman.

The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali has been accused of trying to set up rival church. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
The Very Rev Colin Slee, the liberal Dean of Southwark has publicly attacked the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, and said that he was one of three bishops whose position was now "open to some debate".

The Dean's broadside, delivered in the introduction to the annual report for Southwark Cathedral, will infuriate evangelical supporters of the Bishop, 59, and further widen the gulf between the traditional and liberal wings of the church. >>> By Chris Hastings | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Revealed: Government Helpline Tells Children 'Cannabis Is Safer than Alcohol'
Absurd and disgraceful! How low will this dreadful government stoop? - Mark
THE TELEGRAPH: Children calling the Government's drugs helpline are being told that cannabis is safer than alcohol and that ecstasy will not damage their health, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has found.

Advisers manning the “Frank” helpline are informing callers they believed to be children as young as 13 that alcohol is a “much more powerful drug than cannabis” and that using the illegal drug recreationally is not harmful because it “doesn’t get you that high”.

Callers are also being told that taking ecstasy will not lead to long-term damage and that if they are in doubt, to “just take half a pill and if you are handling that OK, you can take the other half.”

They are even being told that they would be able to smoke a cannabis joint, on top of ecstasy, with no ill-effects.

The advice, given to reporters who rang the helpline posing as young people, has alarmed anti-drugs campaigners who branded it “scandalous” and “irresponsible.”

Health experts have condemned the advice given to children as “frankly appalling”, “factually incorrect” and “worryingly cavalier”. >>> By Julie Henry, David Barrett and Alex Ralph | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Iraqi Gay Men Face 'Lives of Hell'
BBC: Grainy footage taken on a mobile phone and widely distributed around Baghdad shows a terrified young Iraqi boy cowering and whimpering as men with a stick force him to strip, revealing women's underwear beneath his dishdasha (Arab robe).

Mobile footage of gay men being abused is being widely circulated in Iraq. Photo courtesy of the BBC
"Why are you dressed as a girl?" roars one of the men, brandishing his stick as the youth removes his brassiere.

The sobbing boy, who appears to be about 12, tries to explain that his family made him do it to earn money, as they have no other source of income.

The scene, apparently filmed in a police post, reinforced reports of a campaign against gay men in Iraq which activists say has claimed the lives of more than 60 since December.

In the latest manifestation of the campaign, posters have appeared on walls in the poor Shia suburb of Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, listing alleged homosexuals by name and threatening to kill them.
Those named have gone underground, while gay men throughout the city and in some other parts of the country also live in fear. >>> By Jim Muir, BBC News, Baghdad | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Watch BBC video: Jim Mui’s report >>>

La charia instaurée en Somalie
Un groupe de combattants islamistes en mars, à Mogadiscio. Photo grace au Figaro
LEFIGARO.fr: La loi coranique a été votée à l'unanimité par le Parlement de transition, suite à l'accord de cessez-le-feu entre le gouvernement et les groupes islamistes radicaux.

«Nous avons un gouvernement islamique». Le Parlement de transition somalien a approuvé samedi à l'unanimité à Mogadiscio le projet de loi du gouvernement instaurant la loi coranique (charia) dans le pays, en guerre civile depuis 1991. «Il y a avait 340 membres du Parlement présents à la session et ils ont voté à l'unanimité pour l'instauration de la charia en Somalie», a indiqué le vice-président de l'Assemblée. La charia était réclamée par les insurgés islamistes actuellement opposés aux autorités. >>> Lefigaro.fr avec AFP | Samedi 18 Avril 2009

REUTERS: Somali MPs Vote to Establish Sharia Law

MOGADISHU - Somali members of parliament voted unanimously on Saturday to implement sharia law across the country in a move aimed at undermining hardline Islamist rebels who have been waging a two-year insurgency.

The approval by parliament had been expected since March 10, when the cabinet appointed by new President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed also voted to establish sharia, or Islamic, law.

Experts say Ahmed's move undermines guerrillas who have been fighting the government and questioning his Islamic credentials. It will also please wealthy potential donors in Gulf nations.

Osman Elimi Boqore, the deputy speaker of parliament, said 343 MPs attended Saturday's session.

"All of them voted 'yes' and accepted the implementation of sharia," he told reporters. "There was no rejection or silence, so from today we have an Islamic government." >>> Reporting by Ibrahim Mohamed; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Richard Balmforth, © Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Damascene Perversion: Syria's Underwear Sellers Peddle Sex and Seduction
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Maid's costumes, musicial negligee and remote-controlled underpants: You'd be surprised what you can find in a Damascus market. Syrian underwear is now so famous that it is exported throughout the Middle East -- and Palestinian women, reportedly, have the wildest taste.

Syrian underwear has become famous throughout the Middle East for its audacity. "Ever since people started going to Internet cafes and seeing what the rest of the world is wearing, demand has completely changed," says underwear merchant Abdullah Hayek. Photo courtesy of SpiegelOnline International
It's the "latest thing," Abdullah Hayek says, holding the garment up. It's an almost non-existent bra and thong, which consists of strings and a tiny triangle. It's made, not of fabric, but of sugar fondant, which has been rolled out until it is wafer-thin, held together with elastic cords.

"This allows the husband to nibble the underwear off of his wife's body," explains Hayek. The garment, which costs the equivalent of about €3 ($3.9), is available in a selection of flavors, including pineapple, apple, honey, chocolate and mango. "I probably sell 15 of them a day," said Hayek.

The Hamidiyeh souk in Damascus is without doubt one of the best markets in the Arab world. Naturally you can find carpets, inlaid crafts and Oriental kitsch being hawked to tourists within the maze of alleyways. But the majority of customers are Syrian. They push through the souk by the thousands, buying washing powder in one alley and dishes in another -- and, at the intersection where the lingerie merchants sit, they buy sexy underwear. >>> By Ulrike Putz in Damascus | Friday, April 17, 2009

US Journalist Receives Eight-year Sentence for Spying
Roxana Saberi in happier times. Photo: GoogleImages
TIMESONLINE: AN American journalist has been jailed for eight years after an Iranian court convicted her of spying.

The trial of Roxana Saberi, 31, lasted just five days and took place behind closed doors.

Saberi, a freelance reporter for the BBC and America’s National Public Radio, was arrested in January initially for not carrying the correct press credentials. She was then accused of passing classified information to US intelligence services and taken to Tehran’s Evin jail.

The United States say the charges of espionage are baseless and have demanded her immediate release, while fellow journalists have set up an internet campaign to highlight her plight.

A former Miss North Dakota, Saberi, who has an Iranian father and Japanese mother, moved to Iran six years ago. The 31-year-old is a citizen of both the United States and Iran, but Tehran does not recognise dual nationality status. >>> Robin Henry | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Free Roxana Saberi >>> Asian American Journalists Association

leJDD.fr: Iran: Condamnée à tort?

Roxana Saberi, une Irano-américaine qui travaillait pour la BBC à Téhéran, a été condamnée à huit ans de prison ferme pour espionnage. Un verdict annoncé samedi que dénonce Hillary Clinton, qui se bat depuis un mois pour faire libérer la journaliste. L'affaire menace les efforts de l'Iran et des Etats-Unis qui tentent ces derniers mois de renouer leurs relations diplomatiques.

Les appels d'Hillary Clinton, la secrétaire d'Etat, n'auront rien changé: la journaliste irano-américaine Roxana Saberi a été condamnée à huit ans de prison à Téhéran pour espionnage au profit des Etats-Unis, a-t-on appris samedi auprès de son avocat, Me Abdolsamad Khorramshahi. Ce dernier a annoncé que sa cliente fera appel. Cette jeune femme de 31 ans, qui travaillait depuis six ans pour la BBC et la radio publique américaine NPR, avait été arrêtée en janvier dernier et aussitôt incarcérée sur le site d'Evin, la prison réservée aux détenus politiques.

Son procès s'est déroulé en une seule journée, lundi dernier, à huis clos devant le tribunal révolutionnaire de Téhéran. Une durée inhabituellement brève. Le verdict, qui devait tomber dans quelques semaines selon le porte-parole du ministère iranien de la Justice, a également été rendu bien plus vite que prévu. >>> Par G.V. (avec Reuters), LeJDD.fr Samedi 18 Avril 2009

Simon Heffer: The Home Secretary Is a Walking Disaster
THE TELEGRAPH: The preposterous Jacqui Smith is a disgrace to the office of Home Secretary.

The indescribable Jacqui Smith. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
I know that people like me are supposed to write newspaper columns because we have a certain command of the English tongue. However, there are times when even the most experienced of us is forced to struggle. How, after all, can one describe Jacqui Smith, our Home Secretary? The adjectives come thick and fast, but all seem insufficient to describe this ambulant catastrophe. Preposterous, corrupt, dim, incompetent, sleazy, incapable: none of them is quite the job.

Miss Smith began by looking corrupt, when it was revealed that she was occupying a room at her sister's house and charging for it as her main residence. She then looked sleazy, dim and preposterous when it emerged that her husband, incarcerated at what was allegedly her second residence, was watching porn films and charging them to the taxpayer. Incompetence and incapability can now be added to the charge sheet following her role in the raiding of the office of Damian Green, a Conservative MP and the party's immigration spokesman: and perhaps one other adjective too – disgraceful. >>> By Simon Heffer | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Iran Is 'Guarantor' of Mid East Security
THE TELEGRAPH: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that Iran is the 'guarantor' of security in the Middle East as his armed forces paraded in Tehran.

Iranian snipers in full camouflage take part in the Army Day parade in Tehran. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Speaking on Iran's Army Day, which featured a parade in the capital including the arresting sight of snipers turned out in full camouflage, Mr Ahmadinejad claimed: "Iran's armed forces are the guarantor of security in the region.

"Today the Iranian nation, with its religious armed forces, is ready to have a wide role in world management and to establish security based on justice across the world.

"The world should know that Iran is a nation of ideals and supports peace and security based on justice for all nations." >>> By The Telegraph’s Foreign Staff and Agencies in Tehran | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Protest gegen Verhaftung von Regierungskritikern in Ankara: Tausende Demonstranten ziehen zum Atatürk-Mausoleum
NZZ Online: Mit einem Marsch zum Mausoleum von Mustafa Kemal Atatürk haben tausende Menschen in Ankara gegen die Festnahme von säkular orientierten Regierungskritikern protestiert.

Die Demonstranten, überwiegend Studenten und Akademiker, schwenkten türkische Flaggen und skandierten: «Die Türkei ist säkular und wird es bleiben.» Dabei beriefen sie sich auf Atatürk, der 1923 den modernen türkischen Staat mit ausdrücklich weltlicher Ausrichtung gründete. An der Kundgebung nahmen mehr als 5000 Menschen teil. >>> ap | Samstag, 18. April 2009

Analyse: Mit Charme allein kommt Obama nicht weiter
WELT ONLINE: Barack Obamas Politik der ausgestreckten Hand hat ihm selbst bei Amerika-Gegnern wie Iran oder Kuba Sympathien eingebracht. Doch echte Ergebnisse bleiben aus. Nun folgt Phase zwei: Obama muss Zähne zeigen, wenn er seine Freundlichkeit nicht als Schwäche verstanden sehen will.

Obama macht sich viele Freunde, doch der Staat, der seinen Namen wert ist, hat weder Freunde noch Feinde - nur Interessen. Bild dank der Welt
Vor Barack Obamas ausgestreckter Hand ist niemand sicher. Ob Russland, Iran, Kuba, Venezuela und ganz Südamerika: Wer sich nicht schnell genug in die Büsche schlägt, wird mit Aufmerksamkeit überschüttet, vom erfrischenden Lächeln Obamas umgarnt, mit Handschlag getätschelt, mithilfe amerikanischer Selbstkritik versöhnt oder sonst wie in den obamaschen Wohlfühl-Kosmos eingemeindet.

Es fällt einem kaum ein Land ein, das noch nicht Objekt dieser schnellsten globalen Charmeoffensive der Geschichte war. Bis auf Nordkorea vielleicht, das mit Raketentests und Ausstieg aus den Atomgesprächen um Obamas Aufmerksamkeit buhlt und noch nicht erhört wurde. Diese Macho-Anmache aus Pjöngjang war offenbar selbst dem Prinzen der Herzen zu derb, um positiv beschieden zu werden.

Am Ende der Amtszeit von George W. Bush schwärmten Emissäre amerikanischer Think Tanks in die Welt aus um zu erfragen, wie ein neuer Präsident die Beziehungen und das Image der USA aufpolieren könnte. Das Ergebnis diverser Studien war nicht sonderlich überraschend: Je mehr Distanz der neue zum alten Präsidenten legt, desto besser. Und das ist Obama wahrlich gelungen. Wenn selbst ein Amerikahasser wie Venezuelas Präsident Hugo Chávez in Obamas Ohr säuselt „Ich möchte Dein Freund sein“, dann ist klar: Die Hypnose hat funktioniert. Die Frage ist, wie lange sie hält. >>> Von Clemens Wergin | Samstag, 18. April 2009

Obama Offers Cuba 'New Beginning'
BBC: President Barack Obama has said the US seeks a "new beginning" with Cuba and an "equal partnership" with all the nations of the Americas.

Mr Obama was addressing Latin American and Caribbean leaders at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

The summit follows a historic thaw in relations between the US and Cuba.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed an offer for talks from Cuban President Raul Castro, saying the old US policy had failed.

New beginning

"The US seeks a new beginning with Cuba," Mr Obama told leaders gathered in Port of Spain.

"I know there is a longer journey that must be travelled to overcome decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day." >>> | Saturday, April 18, 2009

Watch BBC video: Obama seeks 'equal partnership' >>>

New NATO Chief Is Islam's "Major Enemy": Taliban
REUTERS: KABUL - Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents say the incoming NATO chief is the "major enemy" of Muslims for defending the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad when prime minister of Denmark.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish premier until earlier this month, is due in August to become secretary general of NATO, which leads a 56,000-strong international force fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The publication of the cartoons in a Danish newspaper in 2006 led to riots across the Muslim world, including bloody protests in Afghanistan in which several people were killed. Rasmussen had defended the publication of the cartoons on the grounds of free speech and refused to apologize to Muslim countries.

In an article posted on the Taliban's website (http://alemarah1.org/english/), the insurgent group said Rasmussen's appointment would "further strengthen the faith of the Muslims" to fight against NATO and would lead to "intensification of war" in Afghanistan.

"The major enemy of Islam's Prophet...has become the secretary general of NATO," said the undated article. >>> Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox | Thursday, April 16, 2009

Saudi Arabia: Driving for Reform – March 16, 2008

UN-Konferenz gegen Rassismus auf der Kippe
SUEDDEUTSCHE.DE: Deutschland und andere Staaten schließen Boykott der Anti-Rassismus-Konferenz nicht aus, die EU lädt Lukaschenko ein, Abchasien kündigt ein Militärmanöver an.

Die umstrittene Anti-Rassismus-Konferenz der Vereinten Nationen (UN) in Genf steht kurz vor dem geplanten Beginn immer noch auf der Kippe. Deutschland hielt sich - wie zahlreiche andere Staaten - die endgültige Entscheidung über Teilnahme oder Boykott am Freitag weiterhin offen.

Hinter den Kulissen wurde intensiv über die Formulierungen für die offizielle Konferenz-Erklärung verhandelt. Das Treffen soll an diesem Montag beginnen. Der Westen fürchtet, dass es von Staaten wie dem Iran als Bühne für anti-israelische Parolen genutzt werden könnte. >>> dpa | Freitag, 17. April 2009

LOS ANGELES TIMES: UN Anti-racism Conference Prepares for Likely High Tensions over Israel, Religion

GENEVA (AP) — Concerns are high that next week's United Nations anti-racism conference may descend into contentious debate over Israel that marred the last such gathering eight years ago.

Already, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust — plans to speak Monday as the conference opens.

The United States and the European Union had not decided Friday whether to attend the meeting or boycott it over Islamic nations' demands to condemn Israel and call for a ban on defaming religion. Israel and Canada have said they won't attend over concerns about a possible repeat of verbal attacks on the Jewish state.

"We have made clear ... that we cannot tolerate it if this anti-racism conference is turned into an accusatory event, a one-sided event against the state of Israel," said Thomas Steg, a spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Many Muslim nations want curbs to free speech to prevent insults to Islam they say have proliferated since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Riots erupted across the Muslim world after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005.

The five-day meeting in Geneva is designed to review progress in fighting racism since the United Nations' first such conference eight years ago in South Africa.

That meeting, which ended four days before 9/11, was dominated by quarrels over the Middle East and the legacy of slavery. The United States and Israel walked out midway through the conference over a draft resolution that singled out Israel for criticism and likened Zionism — the movement to establish a Jewish state in the Holy Land — to racism.

Those references were removed from the final declaration, though it did cite "the plight of the Palestinians" as an issue.

Many of the 2001 issues — such as criticism of Israel — now are re-emerging.

Direct references to Israel and to defamation of religion have been dropped from the draft document for this year's conference, but there is pressure from Muslim countries to reinsert them. >>> Eliane Engeler, Associated Press Writer | Friday, April 17, 2009

Afghanistan: No Sex, No Food!
Afghan cleric Ayatollah Mohammed Asef Mohseni claimed the law he devised did not condone marital rape. Photo courtesy of MailOnline
MAILOnline: A new Afghan law that has drawn Western condemnation for restricting women's rights does not allow marital rape as its critics claim, but lets men refuse to feed wives who deny them sex, the cleric behind it says.

Ayatollah Mohammed Asef Mohseni's Shi'ite personal status law sparked controversy abroad because of a provision that 'a wife is obliged to fulfil the sexual desires of her husband'.

This was read by some as an open door to marital rape, and together with clauses restricting women's freedom of movement denounced as reminiscent of harsh Taliban-era rules.

The law has been criticised by Western leaders with troops fighting in Afghanistan, including U.S. President Barack Obama, who called it 'abhorrent'.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who signed the law last month, has since put it under review.

But Mohseni said the law - which only applies to the 15 percent of Afghans who are Shi'a muslims - has been misinterpreted by critics.

Its sexual clauses aimed only to ensure men's sexual needs were met within marriage, because Islam prohibited them seeking satisfaction with other women.

'Why should a man and woman get married if there is no need for a sexual relationship? Then they are like brother and sister,' he told Reuters in an interview in his recently built central Kabul mosque and university complex.

'A man and wife can negotiate how often it is reasonable to sleep together, based on his sex drive, and a woman has a right to refuse if she has a good reason,' said the bearded cleric.

'It should not be compulsory for the wife to say yes all the time, because some men have more sexual desires than others,' he said, adding that husbands should never force themselves on their wives and the law does not sanction that.

But women do have a duty to meet their husband's needs.

'If a woman says no, the man has the right not to feed her,' Mohseni said. New Afghan Law Does Not Allow Marital Rape... But Lets Men Refuse to Feed Wives Who Deny Them Sex, Says Cleric >>> By Mail Foreign Service | Friday, April 17, 2009

Notre sauveur !
LE MONDE: Les Etats-Unis veulent nouer un "nouveau partenariat" avec l'Amérique latine, parler "avec" elle, et non plus "pour" elle, "écouter, échanger, consulter", d'égal à égal, et non plus "dicter" ses choix, "apprendre d'elle" aussi, afin de poursuivre ensemble des objectifs communs.

Ces bouts de petites phrases, glanés dans les discours récents du vice-président américain Joe Biden, résument l'esprit dans lequel Barack Obama participe, du vendredi 17 avril au dimanche 19 avril, à Trinité-et-Tobago au 5e Sommet des Amériques, qui rassemble 34 pays du continent. Humilité, dialogue, coresponsabilité, désir de comprendre. Il s'agit, dans cette région comme ailleurs, de rompre avec l'unilatéralisme, réel ou supposé, de l'administration Bush et de désarmer l'antiaméricanisme qu'elle laisse en héritage. Barack Obama tend la main à l'Amérique latine >>> PORT OF SPAIN (TRINITÉ-ET-TOBAGO) ENVOYÉ SPÉCIAL | Jeudi 16 Avril 2009

Obama will eine moderne Bahn für die USA: 13 Milliarden Dollar für Hochgeschwindigkeitszüge angekündigt
NZZ Online: Der amerikanische Präsident Obama hat sich am Donnerstag nachdrücklich dafür ausgesprochen, ein Schienennetz für Hochgeschwindigkeitszüge aufzubauen. Die USA könnten es sich nicht länger leisten, auf eine umfassende Modernisierung der Bahn zu verzichten.

Obama fuhr im Zug zu seiner Inauguration von Chicago nach Washington. Bild dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama will mit 13 Milliarden Dollar ein neues Netz schneller Bahnverbindungen in den USA schaffen. Insgesamt sollten zehn Korridore für Hochgeschwindigkeitszüge geschaffen werden, kündigte Obama am Donnerstag in Washington an. «Längst überfällig» >>> sda/afp | Donnerstag, April 16, 2009

Barack Obama Reveals George Bush's 'Torture' Techniques
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has disclosed the controversial CIA interrogation techniques of the Bush administration, including the threat of stinging insects, simulated drowning and depriving prisoners of sleep for up to 180 hours.

Leg shackles on the floor at at the U.S. Naval Base, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Photo: The Telegraph
The US government released four memos written by the Justice Department in 2002 and 2005 to provide legal cover for methods that have been widely criticised as torture and which the new president has already disowned.

They exposed in graphic detail how 28 al-Qaeda suspects were questioned at CIA secret prisons, revealing the use of forced nudity, facial and abdominal slaps and the use of confined space and "stress positions".

They considered locking suspects in a box with an insect which they claimed was a stinging insect. >>> By Alex Spillius in Washington | Thursday, April 16, 2009

Speaking Truth to Muslim Power
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Obama does no favors to Islam by ignoring its internal debates.

Muslimatoon. Photo: The Wall Street Journal
'The United States is not at war with Islam and will never be. In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical in rolling back a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject."

So spoke President Barack Hussein Obama in Turkey last week. Following in the footsteps of the Bush administration, Mr. Obama wants to avoid labeling our enemy in religious terms. References to "Islamic terrorism," "Islamic radicalism," or "Islamic extremism" aren't in his speeches. "Jihad," too, has been banished from the official lexicon.

But if one visits the religious bookstores near Istanbul's Covered Bazaar, or mosque libraries of Turkish immigrants in Rotterdam, Brussels or Frankfurt, one can still find a cornucopia of radical Islamist literature. Go into the bookstores of Arab and Pakistani immigrant communities in Europe, or into the literary markets of the Arab world and the Indian subcontinent, and you'll find an even richer collection of militant Islamism.

Al Qaeda is certainly not a mainstream Muslim group -- if it were, we would have had far more terrorist attacks since 9/11. But the ideology that produced al Qaeda isn't a rivulet in contemporary Muslim thought. It is a wide and deep river. The Obama administration does both Muslims and non-Muslims an enormous disservice by pretending otherwise.

Theologically, Muslims are neither fragile nor frivolous. They have not become suicide bombers because non-Muslims have said something unkind; they have not refrained from becoming holy warriors because Westerners avoided the word "Islamic" in describing Osama bin Laden and his allies. Having an American president who had a Muslim father, carries the name of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, and wants to engage the Muslim world in a spirit of "mutual respect" isn't a "game changer." This hypothesis trivializes Islamic history and the continuing appeal of religious militancy.

Above all else, we need to understand clearly our enemies -- to try to understand them as they see themselves, and to see them as devout nonviolent Muslims do. To not talk about Islam when analyzing al Qaeda is like talking about the Crusades without mentioning Christianity. To devise a hearts-and-minds counterterrorist policy for the Islamic world without openly talking about faith is counterproductive. We -- the West -- are the unrivalled agent of change in the Middle East. Modern Islamic history -- including the Bush years -- ought to tell us that questions non-Muslims pose can provoke healthy discussions. >>> By Reuel Marc Gerecht* | Thursday, April 16, 2009

* Mr. Gerecht, a former Central Intelligence Agency officer, is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Efforts to Continue for Enforcement of Islam: Maulana Aziz
Maulana Abdul Aziz. Photo: Google Images
THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Pakistan): ISLAMABAD: Maulana Abdul Aziz was greeted by hundreds of cheering people at the Red Mosque here on Thursday night.

Earlier in the day, he was freed by the Supreme Court on bail.

Speaking to Geo News, he said that a brutal operation was launched against them in the Red Mosque. He said: “Our struggle was for a noble cause to implement Islam across the country for which efforts would continue.”

To a question, he denied that he was released as a result of any deal. But admitted that a deal was offered to him which he rejected.

Responding to another question, Maulana Aziz said that he considers suicide attacks in the country as unjustified. However, he added that such attacks against Kufaar were correct.

Maulana Abdul Aziz is due to lead the Friday prayers in Lal Masjid tomorrow. [Source: The International News (Pakistan)] | Thursday, April 16, 2009