Friday, September 04, 2009
TAGES ANZEIGER: Levi Johnston, der beinahe Palin-Schwiegersohn, hat einiges zu erzählen.
Vor Jahresfrist noch war es wie im Biedermeier, und Spitzweg hätte seine helle Freude am Motiv gehabt: Die werdende Mutter, jung und rehäugig, daneben der werdende Vater, ein muskulöser Eishockeycrack mit einem herb-hübschen Gesicht, in Liebe ineinander versunken. Das waren noch Zeiten, damals auf dem republikanischen Präsidentschaftskongress in Minneapolis, als Levi Johnston der von ihm geschwängerten Bristol Palin schöne Augen machte, derweil die Schwiegermutter in spe die republikanischen Getreuen in Verzückung versetzte und dabei sogar den Kandidaten John McCain überstrahlte.
Idylle ist implodiert
Die Idylle ist in der Zwischenzeit implodiert: Levi würde es nicht im Traum einfallen, sich auf einer Bühne mit der ehemaligen Gouverneurin von Alaska zu zeigen. Sie ihrerseits würde ihn aus dem Saal werfen lassen. Denn Levi, dieser Redneck aus Wasilla in Alaska, bewirft sie mit publizistischen Handgranaten. Im Hochglanzmagazin «Vanity Fair» packt er über Sarah Palin aus. Erst machte er sie zur Grossmutter, nun zum Gerede der Nation.
Palin habe geheimhalten wollen, dass Bristol schwanger war, behauptet er. Sie habe das Kind selbst adoptieren wollen, damit niemand herausfinde, woher es in Wirklichkeit stammte. Überhaupt sei Palin keine gute Mutter und Hausfrau gewesen, behauptet Levi weinerlich: «Sarah hat nicht gekocht, ihr Ehemann Todd auch nicht – die Kids haben alles selber gemacht: gekocht, saubergemacht, die Wäsche gewaschen, sich für die Schule fertig gemacht.» >>> Von Martin Kilian, Washington | Freitag, 04. September 2009
THE SPECTATOR: The Spectator on the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi
So who to believe? Saif al-Gaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator, has said that the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi was ‘on the table’ during trade talks with Britain. Lord Mandelson, who was holidaying with the young prince of Tripoli in Corfu a few weeks ago, says such a suggestion is not just wrong but ‘quite offensive’. David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, insists it is a ‘slur’ even to suggest that the release of the only man convicted for the Lockerbie bombing would be raised.
As this squalid story has unfolded in the last few weeks, it is becoming all too clear that Megrahi was indeed ‘on the table’. The Libyans were told that Gordon Brown personally wished that Megrahi should not die in a Scottish prison. It is all too typical of the Prime Minister that he has not had the courage to share this view with the British public — we found out via an ambassador, a minister and a declassified document. And this is why the scandal is lasting so long: it offers wider insights into the nature of the government.
Officially, British policy is to encourage Libya to become a responsible actor on the world stage — this has been the case since Gaddafi’s decision six years ago to relinquish weapons of mass destruction that no one had known that he possessed. But the Megrahi affair demonstrates deep flaws in this strategy. If Libya was going to become a genuine partner in fighting terror it should not have been so keen for the return of a terrorist convicted on 270 counts of murder. Nor should the British government bend principles of foreign policy to suit the oil companies hungry for a slice of Libya’s offshore resources. >>> | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
TIMES ONLIONE: Jack Straw was personally lobbied by BP over Britain’s prisoner transfer agreement with Libya just before he abandoned efforts to exclude the Lockerbie bomber from the deal.
The Times has learnt that the Justice Secretary took two telephone calls from Sir Mark Allen, a former M16 agent, who was by then working for BP as a consultant, on October 15 and November 9, 2007.
Having signed a $900 million oil exploration deal with Libya earlier that year, BP feared that its commercial interests could be damaged if Britain delayed the prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) through which the Gaddafi regime hoped to secure the return home of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi.
For six months, talks with Libya were deadlocked as Britain — under pressure from the devolved Scottish government — vainly sought to ensure that the deal would not cover al-Megrahi.
On December 19, 2007, Mr Straw wrote to Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, to say that he had been unable to secure an exclusion for al-Megrahi from the deal. “The wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage and in view of the overwhelming interests for the United Kingdom I have agreed that in this instance the PTA should be in the standard form and not mention any individual,” he wrote.
Britain has faced criticism from the Obama Administration for signing the transfer agreement despite a decade-old promise to the US that anyone convicted of the Lockerbie bombing would serve out the sentence in Britain.
The fresh disclosures last night may yet throw doubt over Gordon Brown’s assertion on Wednesday that there had been “no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Colonel Gaddafi”.
An aide to the Justice Secretary confirmed last night that Sir Mark, who had dealt often with Mr Straw when he was Foreign Secretary, “wanted to know what was happening with the PTA and get Jack’s perspective”. He added: “BP wanted to make its case because they were concerned that not making progress might have an effect on their deal with Libya.” >>> Tom Baldwin and Philip Webster | Friday, September 04, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: The British National Party is poised to give up its whites-only membership policy after a legal challenge accusing it of racial discrimination.
Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right party, indicated yesterday that the BNP would accept members of different ethnicities for the first time, blaming Britain’s “undemocratic Orwellian equality laws”.
In a statement published on the BNP’s website, Mr Griffin said that the party would have to adapt or die, even though amending its constitution would “stick in the craw of all dedicated nationalists”. The party is considering the change in light of an injunction being sought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which claims that the BNP’s membership rules breach the Race Relations Act.
Any alteration to policy would mark a significant moment for the party, which since it was founded in 1982 has only accepted white members.
Mr Griffin, elected as a North West MEP in June, has a criminal conviction for distributing material likely to incite racial hatred.
His push to open up membership is likely to cause factional rows within the BNP, with the party’s most conservative elements resisting such change.
The BNP currently restricts its membership to “indigenous Caucasians”, which it defines broadly as Celts and Anglo-Saxons. The commission says that this is in breach of the Act as it discriminates on the basis of ethnicity. It issued proceedings against the party last month, seeking an injunction to ban such criteria.
The case was due to begin at Central London County Court on Wednesday but was adjourned after the BNP changed solicitors at the last minute.
In his statement, Mr Griffin said that to continue fighting the commission would bleed the party dry. He claimed that it would cost more than £1million to appeal and said would strip the party of the ability to fight the next general election. He appeared resigned to losing the case, saying that it was a matter of “evolving and living to fight another day or going down in a blaze of glory”. >>> Fiona Hamilton, London Correspondent | Friday, September 04, 2009
MAIL ONLINE:
Muslim community leader arrested for 'making up BNP kidnap story' >>> | Friday, September 04, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: The huge wildfires burning in the foothills above Los Angeles were started by arson and will be investigated as a homicide after two firemen died tackling the blaze, according to the authorities.
Investigators found evidence of arson at the point of origin for the largest of eight fires burning in the county, which has blackened an area the size of Chicago.
"Arson investigators from the US Forest Service [and other agencies] ... have concluded that the Station Fire was the result of an arson," Forest Service Commander Rita Wears told reporters at a press conference. >>> Alex Spillius, in Washington | Friday, September 04, 2009
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Ce livre très intéressant donne l'utilisateur un aperçu de l'Iran et sa politique intérieure.
Reza Pahlavi montre d'une grande compréhension et d'équilibre dans son approche du problème que l'Iran est pour le monde aujourd'hui.
Il est très sympathique et raisonnable. Si le peuple iranien de choisir de devenir une monarchie constitutionnelle, puis Reza Pahlavi est l'homme à être couronné.
Et si cela se produit, l'Iran aura un avenir beaucoup plus prometteur, et au Moyen-Orient deviendra un lieu beaucoup plus sûr.
Ce livre est une lecture incontournable si l'on veut être bien informés en matière de politique iranienne. – Mark
YNET NEWS: Prosecutors accusing Shiite cleric, 12 others group of receiving funds from Iran to promote 'extremist ideas to sow unrest in Egypt'
An Egyptian official says a Shiite cleric and 12 others have been accused of receiving funds from Iran to promoting "extremist" Shiite doctrine in Sunni-dominated Egypt.
Shiites form a small minority in Egypt, where Sunni Islam is the official state religion.
The official said Thursday that prosecutors are accusing the group of insulting Sunni Islam and promoting extremist ideas to sow unrest in Egypt. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, September 03, 2009
YNET NEWS: Moments after Islamic Republic's parliament approves president's nominee for defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi, accused of involvement in 1994 bombing of Jewish center in Argentina, new minister says Every [sic] move from the Zionist entity against Iran, will be met with powerful response'. Meanwhile, Official says willing to talk with world powers, but not about nuclear program
Iran's new Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, accused of involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Argentina, used his first moments in office to send a clear message to Israel that any attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities would yield a powerful response from Iran.
Vahidi is one of five prominent Iranians sought by Argentina in the bombing, which killed 85 people. He was the commander of a special unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard known as the Quds Force at the time of the attack.
Iran's conservative-dominated parliament approved Vahidi's appointment on Thursday.
Following the approval of his appointment, Vahidi addressed the possibility that Israel may attack his nation's nuclear facilities: "Every move from the Zionist entity against Iran, will be met with a harsh and powerful response from Iran."
He said his great success in the Thursday's Majlis vote "attests to the anti-Zionist spirit of the Iranian parliament and people".
In response to objections voiced by heads of the Argentinean Jewish community, as well as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, to his appointment. "The Zionist regime's propaganda always has a reverse effect on the Iranian regime," he said.
Regarding the West's suspicion of his involvement in the Buenos Aires bombing, he said, "Everyone knows that what was published was under pressure from the Zionist lobby."
Meanwhile, the Iranian parliament rejected in the vote the nominees for the energy, education, as well as welfare and social security ministries, two of them women.
But Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi was approved as health minister, the Islamic Republic's first female minister since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran won't discuss nuclear work with powers >>> Dudi Cohen | Thursday, September 03, 2009
THE JERUSALEM POST: An educational foundation in the UK has announced plans to distribute to high schools a free book that highlights the scientific and cultural legacies of Muslim civilization.
1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World is the creation of the Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization (FSTC), a Manchester-based organization set up to raise awareness of the contributions of the Muslim world to modern civilization.
FSTC said the contribution that Muslim and other civilizations have made to the modern world has been widely overlooked and that its team of academics has focused on debunking the myth of the so-called "Dark Ages of Civilization."
"The period between the 7th and 17th centuries - which has been erroneously labeled 'the Dark Ages' - was in fact a time of exceptional scientific and cultural advancement in China, India and the Arab world," Prof. Salim Al-Hassani, chief editor of the book, said.
"This is the period in history that gave us the first manned flight, huge advances in engineering, the development of robotics and the foundations of modern mathematics, chemistry and physics."
The foundation said it hoped to distribute 3,000 copies of the book to UK schools by October and is seeking public support for the campaign through a sponsorship scheme. >>> Jonny Paul, JPost Correspondent in London | Thursday, September 03, 2009
SAUDI GAZETTE: JEDDAH – An Indian man has been sentenced to two months’ prison and 50 lashes of the whip for attempting to commit suicide.
The case was first brought to the District Court after a member of the public informed authorities of a man’s attempt to kill himself, and upon investigation it transpired that he had made repeated attempts to end his own life, prompting the prosecutor general to seek prison and lashes for the accused.
The ruling, which is not open to appeal and received no objection from the accused, has not met with the approval of everyone, however.
“The first thing that should happen is that the man should be given psychiatric examination and treatment to help him overcome his problem,” said legal consultant Umar Al-Khouli.
“Taking him to court and then putting him in prison may only make things worse for him and maybe others as well.” – Okaz/SG [Source: Saudi Gazette] Adnan Al-Shabrawi | Thursday, September 03, 2009
BBC: A report by the Human Rights Watch pressure group has detailed what it says is systematic discrimination in Saudi Arabia against Shia Muslims.
Unfavourable treatment of minority Shia extends from education and employment to the justice system, leading to a big increase in sectarian tension, it says.
They comprise 10 to 15% of the Saudi population, and have long complained of being treated as second-class citizens.
Human Rights Watch wants a government commission to tackle the problem.
Saudi Arabia follows the puritanical form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, and many Wahhabi clerics regard Shia Muslims as unbelievers.
Equal opportunities
The report focuses on an incident in February, when Shia pilgrims in the holy city of Medina clashed with religious police.
This led to Shia demonstrations in the Eastern Province followed by the arrest of a number of the protestors.
Shias want equal opportunities in government and the military as well as freedom of worship.
They want to be able to build their own mosques, have their civil courts granted more power and to print their own religious books. >>> | Thursday, September 03, 2009
DIE PRESSE: Der Streit zwischen Libyen und der Schweiz wird immer skurriler: Der "Schurkenstaat" Schweiz solle unter den Nachbarländern aufgeteilt werden, fordert der libysche Revolutionsführer Muammar al-Gaddafi nun.
Der Streit zwischen Libyen und der Schweiz droht zu eskalieren - und nimmt zugleich immer skurrilere Züge an. Trotz der Zusage der libyschen Regierung, zwei seit einem Jahr festgehaltene Schweizer wieder heimreisen zu lassen, sind diese noch immer nicht frei. Und Libyens Staatschef Gaddafi legt noch eines drauf: Er will angeblich bei der UN-Vollversammlung Mitte September formell beantragen, das schweizerische Staatsterritorium auf die Nachbarländer Deutschland, Frankreich und Italien aufzuteilen.
Rein rechtlich hat der Antrag keine Chance, das Völkerrecht schützt die territoriale Unversehrtheit. Doch er zeigt, dass Gaddafi nichts auslässt, um sich an dem "Schurkenstaat" Schweiz (Zitat) für die kurzzeitige Verhaftung seines Sohns in Genf zu rächen. >>> Red. | Donnerstag, 03. September 2009
L’EXPRESS: Le docteur Ahmed Eleuch est incarcéré en Tunisie depuis le 30 juillet. Les autorités locales soupçonnent ce Français d'origine tunisienne de collusion avec les milieux islamistes - ce qu'il nie. En France, sa famille et ses amis s'inquiètent.
"Nous nous attendions à une fête le jour de son arrivée à l'aéroport. Le résultat vous le connaissez..." Alaa-Eddine, l'un des fils d'Ahmed Eleuch, est encore choqué par l'arrestation de son père, le 30 juillet, à Tunis. Interpellé à la douane à sa descente de l'avion en provenance de Paris, ce psychiatre de 53 ans installé depuis des années à Saint-Denis est alors placé en détention au centre pénitentiaire de Mornaguia. Une semaine plus tard, le tribunal de la capitale tunisienne le condamne à quatre ans de prison ferme et trois ans de contrôle administratif pour "atteinte à la sûreté de l'Etat". Depuis, son épouse, Afifa, restée au domicile familial du Val d'Oise avec certains de ses enfants, est rongée par l'inquiétude. "Je savais que c'était dangereux de vouloir rentrer en Tunisie, explique-t-elle, j'ai même essayé de l'empêcher de partir."
"Aucune preuve"
Ahmed Eleuch, qui avait quitté son pays en 1987 pour des raisons politiques, est qualifié par ses proches de "doux, tolérant et ouvert au dialogue". Selon eux, il mène une existence tranquille, partagée entre son cabinet de Saint-Denis et les ateliers d'aide à l'intégration qu'il organise.
De retour en Tunisie, où il voulait voir son père gravement malade, il a été rattrapé par son lointain passé de sympathisant d'un mouvement islamiste. "Le ministre de la justice tunisien a pourtant encouragé les exilés à rentrer au pays, en disant que tout était oublié", se plaint son épouse. >>> Par Benoît Puichaud | publié Mercredi 02 Septembre 2009 / mis à jour 03 Septembre 2009
NZZ ONLINE: Bis es Ghadhafis Antrag zur Aufteilung der Schweiz unter die Nachbarländer bis in die Generalversammlung schafft, muss er etliche Hürden nehmen. Über die endgültige Tagesordnung entscheidet ein 27-köpfiges Komitee. Unter normalen Umständen hätte er keine Chance. Doch in diesem Jahr gibt es eine spezielle Konstellation.
Der Antrag Libyens an die Generalversammlung der Uno widerspricht allen völkerrechtlichen Gepflogenheiten. Die Schweiz, ein Uno-Mitglied auflösen zu wollen, ist per se ein Affront für die Staatengemeinschaft. Trotzdem soll der Vorstoss in der Uno-Bürokratie eingespeist worden sein, wie die Berner Nationalrätin Christa Markwalder, Vizepräsidentin der Aussenpolitischen Kommission des Nationalrates, in der Sendung «10 vor 10» des Schweizer Fernsehen sagte.
Ringen um die Agenda
Was passiert nun mit diesem Schreiben? Der Antrag wird nicht automatisch der Generalversammlung der Uno vorgelegt, die vom 15. bis 30. September in New York tagt. Was in den zwei Generaldebatten besprochen wird, ist Gegenstand eines komplizierten Auswahlprozesses. Die erste Fassung der Agenda ist bereits am 9. Februar erstellt und bis Juli mehrmals angepasst worden. Dazu gibt es noch eine Liste von ergänzenden Traktanden, die bis 20 Tage vor Eröffnung der Session eingereicht werden können.
Auf keiner dieser Listen ist der Antrag Libyens bisher zu finden. Gemäss Regel 15 des Auswahlverfahrens können Angelegenheiten von besonderer Dringlichkeit und Wichtigkeit auch noch später eingereicht werden. Ob der Brief der Ghadhafi-Regierung unter diese Kategorie zu rechnen ist, darf bezweifelt werden. >>> spi. | Donnerstag, 03. September 2009
THE TRIPOLI POST: TRIPOLI, Libya: As Western media continue their unfair, confused, disinforming and deceptive coverage of the release of the innocent Libyan citizen Abdulbaset Al-Megrahi from his eleven-year captivity in European prisons, Libya celebrates the First September Revolution’s 40th Anniversary as never before. A grand celebration sets in motion a week of unprecedented events scheduled to sweep through the country started on 1 September. The celebrations offered at least a glimpse into the country’s rich 14,000 [?] year history.
Dignitaries from around the world gathered in Tripoli’s Green Park last night to witness what has been one of the Africa’s largest, most successful and most spectacular events in history. The celebration marked the 40th Anniversary of the Al Fateh Revolution. Guests joined Muammar Al Gaddafi, Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution, for a full schedule of activities from a military parade to an exclusive Iftar dinner and opening ceremony designed to bring to life Libya’s rich history and culture.
Al-Megrahi, however, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001 after being unjustly convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. He served eleven years and five months in prison including more than two years in the infamous Camp Zeist prison in Holland. Legal experts in the US, Britain and the rest of the world have made it clear since the begging of the shame [sic] trial in the Netherlands that the trial was unfair and the prosecutor had no case.
Military Precision
The celebrations launched with a perfectly executed military parade involving troops from countries across the world. African nations such as Senegal and Algeria participated alongside European countries including Italy and Ukraine, marching to music and bearing their national flags. Troops from Greece and the French Foreign legion also participated. The soldiers were followed by full artillery of military vehicles, from trucks to tanks, some carrying an anti-aircraft weaponry while naval vessels passed by offshore. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, King Abdullah of Jordan, Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani from Qatar, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Boutaflika, Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Benin’s President Karekou were amongst the VIP audience as the Frecce Tricolori, Italian acrobatic planes, flew in formation over the parade ground and around Tripoli’s beautiful coastline.
VIP Iftar
Close by dignitaries made their way a specially designed dining area, constructed to float atop the water of the Red Castle lake. A lantern-lit path from the bank of the lake to the VIP iftar was created in front of the Red Castle outer wall onto which unique projections were placed. The projections mark the beginning of what is known as ‘Libya by Light’, a week-long schedule of Libya inspired images across six of the country’s key cities. Some of the best international brands were brought in to offer a new dimension to the proceedings; the meal itself was designed and prepared by acclaimed Parisian restaurant Le Notre and guests were given limited edition gold Chopard watches with outline of Africa on the face and a diamond marking Libya within it.
Libya Takes to the Stage
As hundreds of performers prepared themselves for their grand debut on what is considered by organizers to be one of the largest tent-like stages to have ever been constructed, dignitaries arrived in golf kart manufactured by the likes of Hummer and Cadillac. Joined by the Leader’s family, further guests attended the opening ceremony included Turkey first lady, Prime Minister, Amina Erdogan, former Ukrainian Acting Prime Minister Ioulia Tymochenko, French Minister for Co-operation Alain Joyandet and the President of Chad Idriss Déby and the President of Niger Mamadou Tandja. And the show certainly impressed; acrobats, lasers, projections and illuminated sculptures of animals all came together to give the show a sense of style, grandeur and magic. >>> | Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Chopard >>>
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In Germany, it seems, it's okay to name children "Jihad." A Berlin court has ruled that the name Djehad is neither denigrating nor offensive -- even if the child's father is a man considered by German intelligence agents and the United States to be one of the country's most radical Islamists.
A Berlin court ruled this week that a man suspected of being one of Germany's leading radical Islamists, can name his son "Djehad," an alternative spelling of the Arabic word jihad. A city official had previously rejected the name because of its connotation of Islamic holy war.
A city official said it had rejected listing the name in the city's birth registry because it could endanger the child's welfare. Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States, the term "jihad," which in the West is usually regarded as meaning "holy war," has had negative connotations in Germany. The child's father himself, German-Egyptian Reda Seyam, is being monitored by German intelligence agencies and is known to have fought as a jihadist in Bosnia.
But this week a local superior court, following previous rulings in an administrative court and a regional court, said the name was unobjectionable. >>> dsl -- with wires | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: For some time America has regarded this country as Little Britain. The Lockerbie bomber case is seen as the final straw
After Gordon Brown met Colonel Muammar Gaddafi at the G8 summit in Italy earlier this year he joked that he had discovered Michael Jackson alive and well. There is indeed an uncanny resemblance between the Libyan leader and the King of Pop. But it was not, of course, the singer who asked the Prime Minister to release the Lockerbie bomber. Michael Jackson is dead — and so now is the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States.
The row over the decision to allow Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi to return to Libya is the final nail in the coffin for the transatlantic bond first identified by Winston Churchill after the Second World War. Even Barack Obama abandoned his normal diplomatic tone to criticise the “highly objectionable” arrival of the bomber in Tripoli. Robert Mueller, the head of the FBI, said that the release of the man convicted of murdering 270 people on Pan Am Flight 103 made a “mockery of justice” and would give “comfort to terrorists around the world”. There was a widespread assumption in Washington all along that the decision was linked to a trade deal.
For the Americans, this is not just about justice it is also about trust — the White House sees the release of al-Megrahi as a blatant breach of an agreement given by the British Government that he would serve out his sentence in Scotland. It is impossible to sustain a relationship, let alone a special one, if one partner can no longer believe what the other one says. In Whitehall there are already nervous mutterings about whether intelligence-sharing and military co-operation will be able to continue in the same way.
This may be a tipping point but in fact the United States has been tilting away from Britain for some time. Ironically, at the very moment when people in this country are rediscovering after years of hostility their love of America — as a result of the election of the first black president — the Americans are tiring of their old European flame.
On holiday on Long Island this summer, I was struck by the anti-British mood. There are T-shirts for sale in New York with the slogan “Britain’s not that great” printed next to pictures of a helmeted policeman and Big Ben. “Your country is just a dipshit little nation,” an influential celebrity agent told me over dinner in the Monkey Bar (the fashionable Manhattan restaurant that is part owned by the British restaurateur Jeremy King). “It’s got no power or influence any more. I bet only 5 per cent of the people in this room have even heard of Gordon Brown.”
In different areas, antipathy towards Britain is taking hold just as anti-Americanism in this country fades. The debate about health reform in the US has been dominated by distorted accounts of appalling death rates and eugenic policies under the “evil” NHS. Meanwhile, the British Armed Forces are facing increasing criticism for what the Americans see as a failure to pull their weight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The City of London has been decimated by the credit crunch and could end up paying a heavier price than Wall Street as the new financial world order takes shape. Even London Fashion Week is a poor relation to similar events in New York, Paris and Milan.
There is a growing perception in the US that the UK is losing its way — with MPs who have been caught fiddling their expenses, a recession deeper than anywhere else and a leader who has become a lame duck. Newsweek, the magazine that hailed Cool Britannia in the 1990s, recently redefined us as “Little Britain”, a nation struggling to keep a foothold in a rapidly changing world. It used to be said that we punched above our weight — but now we have become the global punch bag as China and India rise. The new dawn is over, replaced by a gloomy dusk. >>> Rachel Sylvester | Tuesday, September 01, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: A veteran United States senator has asked Congress to investigate whether negotiations for a lucrative Libyan oil contract played a role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber.
The call from Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, will add to the pressure on Gordon Brown, who has been accused of damaging - or even killing off - the transatlantic "special relationship" by backing the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi.
The Prime Minister insisted yesterday that there had been nothing underhand in the decision by the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to free al-Megrahi. The 57-year-old is dying from prostate cancer.
“There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Colonel Gaddafi,” Mr Brown told an audience in Birmingham.
The former Libyan intelligence office served just eight years of a life sentence for his role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, killing 270 people including 11 on the ground. Two-thirds of the victims were American and their relatives reacted with fury to the news that he was to be freed.
Mr Lautenberg called for a Senate investigation into the decision in a letter to Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican member. He said that the congressional panel “must expose the truth" and “uncover whether justice took a back seat to commercial interests". >>> Philippe Naughton | Thursday, September 03, 2009
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: All Col. Moammar Khadafy needs is an extended pinkie.
He certainly has real-life guests to rival the fictional villains assembled by Dr. Evil in the "Austin Powers" movies.
Where Dr. Evil has No. 2 and Frau Farbissina, the Libyan dictator has president-by-terror Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and president-by-genocide Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who is under indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
To top it off, the guest list at the celebration of Khadafy's 40th year in power includes the man known in Somalia as "the father of piracy," Mohammed Abdi Afweyne.
In attending the four-day extravaganza, Afweyne reportedly took a break from exacting ransom for a ship held hostage off the Somali coast.
In May, the supposedly reformed Khadafy said that such piracy is not piracy at all, but "self-defense" against "greedy Western nations."
"It is defending the Somalia children's food," Khadafy said.
Among the ships that Afweyne's pirates hijacked was a World Food Program freighter carrying 850 tons of rice bound for the starving in Somalia.
As this week's 40th anniversary celebration in Libya neared, Prince Andrew had originally RSVP'd in the affirmative. He bowed out following the furor over the hero's welcome given to freed Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
Otherwise, the prince might have found himself sitting with a thug, a genocidal psychopath and a pirate kingpin while huge screens flashed photos of a bomber convicted of murdering 270 innocents.
The big photos of Libya's new national hero accompanied a performance by a New Zealand bagpipe band, complete with kilts. The bomber was freed by the Scottish justice secretary.
"The freeing of al-Megrahi was a highlight of the colonel's time in office and he wanted to honor Scotland for it," a Libyan official said. >>> Michael Daly | Thursday, September 03, 2009
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: The Libyan government on Wednesday denied claims by the Lockerbie bomber's family that he was in intensive care and dying faster than expected.
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi "is not in a dangerous situation" and was merely moved to a VIP room at the Tripoli hospital, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Seyala. >>> Helen Kennedy, Daily News Staff Writer | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
leJDD.fr: En Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rencontre des difficultés pour obtenir la confiance de son cabinet. Plusieurs noms pourraient être retoqués par le Parlement.
Après la rue, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doit affronter le Parlement (le Majlis). Le président de la République islamique, dont la réélection le 12 juin dernier avait jeté une partie de la population dans la rue, a choisi les 21 membres de son cabinet. Mais comme le veut le système iranien, chacun des ministres doit désormais être approuvé par le Parlement. Pour Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, c'est ici que les choses se compliquent. Ici aussi où ressurgissent les tensions à la tête de la République islamique, voire au sein même du clergé chiite. Censée être une formalité – les conservateurs dominent le Majlis - la nomination du cabinet s'éternise. Le Parlement examine mercredi, pour la quatrième journée consécutive, sa composition, notamment les candidats proposés pour les postes sensibles de l'Intérieur et du Pétrole. Le vote de confiance pourrait toutefois intervenir dans la soirée ou jeudi matin. Mais certains candidats pourraient toutefois passé à la trappe. Pour diverses raisons.
Des élus ultraconservateurs voient notamment d'un mauvais œil le choix de trois femmes, une première depuis la révolution islamique de 1979. Et ce, bien que celles-ci ne soient pas connues pour leur ouverture. "L'islam respecte la femme. Mais cela ne veut pas dire qu'on doit leur laisser des positions sociales importantes", a ainsi estimé l'ayatollah Ahmad Khatami. Autre choix contesté, celui de Kamran Daneshjou pour le portefeuille du ministère des Sciences, de la Recherche et des Technologies. Vice-ministre de l'Intérieur sous "Ahmadinejad I", il était en charge de l'organisation de la présidentielle du 12 juin. Or, plusieurs élus estiment que choisir cet homme - alors que le résultat de l'élection est toujours controversé et que l'opposition n'a pas renoncé à se faire entendre - ne participe pas à l'apaisement. D'autres, la frange la plus "libérale" des conservateurs, dénoncent le choix de Heydar Moslehi pour le ministère des Renseignements, soulignant son "passé douteux". L'homme est l'ancien représentant du Guide suprême auprès des bassidjis, le bras armé des Gardiens de la révolution. Ahmadinejad lâché par le Guide? >>> Marianne Enault, leJDD.fr | Mercredi 02 Septembre 2009
LE TEMPS: La Suisse doit être démantelée et ses régions linguistiques réparties entre ses voisins. Mouammar Kadhafi va soumettre cette requête devant l’assemblée générale de l’ONU qui débute le 15 septembre. Il l’avait déjà formulée lors du sommet du G8 en Italie en juillet.
«La Libye a déposé cette requête», a déclaré mercredi soir la vice-présidente de la Commission de politique extérieure du National Christa Markwalder (PLR/BE) dans l’émission «10 vor 10» de la TV alémanique. Le chef d’Etat libyen demande que figure à l’ordre du jour la division du territoire suisse et sa répartition entre les pays voisins, a ajouté Mme Markwalder.
Début juillet lors du G8, Mouammar Kadhafi avait déclaré que la Suisse «est une mafia mondiale et non un Etat». Et d’ajouter qu’elle «est formée d’une communauté italienne qui doit retourner en Italie, d’une autre communauté allemande qui doit retourner en Allemagne et une troisième communauté française qui doit retourner en France».
La Libye assume pour un an la présidence de l’assemblée générale de l’ONU. Mme Markwalder craint qu’elle n’utilise cette fonction pour nuire à l’image et à la réputation de la Suisse. Selon elle, la diplomatie suisse va devoir se retrousser les manches pour éviter un scandale devant l’ONU. >>> ATS | Jeudi 03 Septembre 2009
BERNER ZEITUNG: Der libysche Staatschef hat bei den Uno einen Antrag gestellt: Sie sollen in der Herbstsession die Schweiz von der Landkarte streichen und unter den Nachbarn aufteilen.
Was Libyens Staatschef Moammar al-Qadhafi bereits im Juli am G8-Gipfel in Italien forderte, hat er nun als formellen Antrag an die Uno-Vollversammlung gestellt. Dies berichtete die Berner Nationalrätin Christa Markwalder, Vizepräsidentin der Aussenpolitischen Kommission (APK) des Nationalrates, heute in der Sendung «10vor10» des Schweizer Fernsehens.
«Libyen hat den Antrag gestellt, dass an der Uno-Vollversammlung, die am 15. September beginnt, auch das Traktandum diskutiert werden soll, dass das schweizerische Staatsterritorium aufgeteilt und an die Nachbarländer verteilt werden soll», sagte Markwalder. «Dem Image der Schweiz abträglich» >>> oku/sda | Donnerstag, 03. September 2009
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Editorial: It was Winston Churchill who asked in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, "What kind of people do they think we are?" And it is Gordon Brown who has given grounds to believe that today's British are a cowardly, unprincipled, amoral and duplicitous lot. Because he is all of those.
Can he remain in power having been revealed as at least complicit in an atrocious miscarriage of justice and breach of faith? That will be up to the Brits, but on this side of the Atlantic Ocean it is inconceivable that an elected official would have a snowball's chance after sanctioning an oil-for-terrorist deal.
Surely Brown can hardly survive the revelation that his government assured Libya that the prime minister did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in prison, a message duly passed on to the Scottish official who released Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on "compassionate grounds."
As for the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain, the storied alliance built on the resolve of World War II and carried on through Thatcher and Blair, through Iraq and Afghanistan: It is, in a word, gone.
Brown's maneuverings to get into the good graces of Libyan mass murderer Moammar Khadafy broke the bond between America and the Blessed Plot beyond his ability to repair it. That work will fall to someone else, someone who values human life more than commercial expediency, someone who is stalwart rather than a sneak, someone true to his pronouncements.
The U.S. and the U.K. committed to imprisoning Megrahi in Scotland after the Libyan spy was convicted of blowing Pan Am Flight 103 out of the air over that country in 1998. The atrocity was a direct precursor of 9/11, and no one could have imagined that Brown - leader of a nation that, too, has been terror's target - would trash the pledge.
But Brown did trash the pledge, and in the most revolting terms, letting it be known, it bears repeating, that he did not want Megrahi, author of 270 murders, to die in prison.
So, Megrahi has returned to Libya a hero, perhaps dying of prostate cancer, perhaps not. Brown got his way, and he will never outlive the stain. [Source: New York Daily News] | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
MAIL ONLINE:
Brown the betrayer: U.S. fury over British broken promise to keep Lockerbie bomber in jail >>> James Chapman | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
BBC: An Arab organisation is to be put on trial in the Netherlands over its publication of a cartoon deemed offensive to Jews, prosecutors say.
The cartoon, published by the Arab European League (AEL) on its website, questions the Holocaust.
It said the decision to prosecute illustrated bias against Muslims.
It said the same standards were not applied to the Dutch MP Geert Wilders, who made a film including cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Last month prosecutors said they would not put the far-right MP on trial for distributing the controversial Danish cartoons, which caused a storm of protest after their publication in 2005.
However, he is still being investigated separately for inciting hatred against Muslims by making statements comparing Islam to Nazism.
But Dutch prosecutors said the AEL cartoon was "discriminatory" and "offensive to Jews as a group... because it offends Jews on the basis of their race and/or religion".
The cartoon shows two men standing near a pile of bones at "Auswitch" (sic). One says "I don't think they're Jews".
The other replies: "We have to get to the six million somehow."
A spokeswoman for the prosecuting authority said the group could be fined up to 4,700 euros (£4,100), though in theory a prison sentence was also possible. >>> | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Addressing controversy over the recent release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted "there was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing" by the U.K. leading up to the release.
Meanwhile, Scotland's parliament passed a motion late Wednesday denouncing Kenny MacAskill, the justice minister who made the decision to release Mr. al-Megrahi last month. The harsh rebuke, which was approved in a 73-50-1 vote, condemned Mr. MacAskill for mishandling the decision in a way that damaged Scotland's international reputation. >>> Alistair MacDonald and Paul Sonne| Wednesday, September 02, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: The health of the Lockerbie bomber is deteriorating so fast that European cancer specialists are being flown to Tripoli in a chartered aircraft to treat him, Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi's brother has told The Times.
"He's in a bad situation. The last check-up was very, very bad... He's dying," said Mohammed al-Megrahi, who doubted his brother would live another month. "We are really worried about him, but it's the wish of God."
Mr al-Megrahi would not, or could not, say where the specialists were coming from or who was paying for them.
A Libyan government official said that al-Megrahi "has been admitted to the emergency room in the hospital. He is in a bad way. He is unable to speak to anyone."
A hospital spokesman said: "Because of the treatment he is receiving, his immune system is very weak."
Critics of the Scottish Government's decision to release al-Megrahi last month have questioned how ill he really is, but there seems little doubt that he is in his final weeks, or even days. >>> Martin Fletcher in Tripoli | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: If her estranged potential son-in-law is to be believed, Sarah Palin is not just the vice-presidential candidate who lost and the Governor who quit.
According to Levi Johnston, who nearly married her daughter, Mrs Palin was the supermom who did not cook, the hockey mom who almost never attended her son's hockey matches and the fearless outdoorswoman who had never touched a fishing rod and did not know what sort of gun nestled in a box under her bed.
Exhausted - or just bored - by her duties as head of Alaska’s state government, Mrs Palin would return home most days by 5pm to take long baths and watch her favourite home improvement shows on television, according to Levi Johnston, who fathered her first grandchild and nearly married her daughter.
Mrs Palin argued frequently with her husband about the idea of divorce, insisted that she was going to adopt the baby her daughter was about to have with Mr Johnston and rapidly lost what enthusiasm she had for the Governor’s job on her return to Alaska last November, Mr Johnston claims.
Most woundingly for a woman portrayed by the McCain campaign as a doting supermom, the former high school ice hockey star writes: “There wasn’t much parenting in that house. Sarah doesn’t cook, Todd (her husband) doesn’t cook - the kids would do it all themselves: cook, clean, do the laundry and get ready for school." >>> Giles Whittell in Washington | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
REUTERS: LONDON - Oil major BP Plc said it has made an oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, which analysts believe could contain over 1 billion barrels of recoverable reserves, reaffirming the Gulf's strategic importance to the industry.
BP said in a statement on Wednesday that it had made the "giant" find at its Tiber Prospect in the Keathley Canyon block 102, by drilling one of the deepest wells ever sunk by the industry.
Further appraisal will be required to ascertain the size of volumes of oil present, but a spokesman said the find should be bigger than its Kaskida discovery which has over 3 billion barrels of oil in place.
Estimates of recoverable reserves range from around 20 percent of oil in place. >>> Tom Bergin | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Ja wirklich! Islam ist Teil von Amerika genau so sehr als Christentum Teil von Saudi Arabien ist!
Offensichtlich, versucht Barack Hussein Obama die Religion seines Vaters an die Amerikaner aufzudrängen.
So eine Art Politik zu treiben, so eine Verfälschung der Geschichte absichtlich zu schildern, so eine Lüge zu verbreiten!
Mit so einem Mann am Steuer des mächtigsten Landes der Welt kann man für die Zukünft nur schwarz sehen! Und zu sagen, daß der Islam bedeutet Gerechtigkeit und Fortschritt ist nichts Anders als lächerlich. – © Mark
DIE PRESSE: US-Präsident Obama würdigt bei einem Abendessen anlässlich des Fastenmonats Ramadan den Beitrag von Muslimen zur US-Gesellschaft. Der Islam stehe für Gerechtigkeit und Fortschritt. Er sei eine "große Religion".
US-Präsident Barack Obama hat den Beitrag von Muslimen zur amerikanischen Gesellschaft gewürdigt. Bei einem Abendessen am Dienstagabend anlässlich des muslimischen Fastenmonats Ramadan bezeichnete er den Islam als "große Religion" und sprach von dessen "Engagement für Gerechtigkeit und Fortschritt".
An dem Dinner nahmen neben Kabinetts- und Kongressmitgliedern auch mehrere Vertreter muslimischer Organisationen der USA teil. Obama sagte, der Islam sei ein "Teil von Amerika", schreibt die "Washington Post". Bereits Obamas Vorgänger George W. Bush hatte ein Iftar veranstaltet, ein Abendessen zum Fastenbrechen. >>> Ag./phu | Mittwoch, 02. September 2009
THE WASHINGTON POST: WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has praised the contributions of American Muslims at a dinner to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Obama joined Cabinet secretaries, ambassadors and members of Congress to pay tribute to what he called "a great religion and its commitment to justice and progress."
The president also welcomed American Muslim community leaders to the event in the State Dining Room.
Obama said Islam is "part of America." He said the American Muslim community is diverse, like the broader citizenry of the United States. >>> Ann Sanner, The Associated Press | Tuesday, September 01, 2009
DIE PRESSE: Der Druck auf US-Präsident Barack Obana steigt. Nach sieben Monaten Regierungszeit bewertete laut einer Umfrage des TV-Senders CNN erstmals eine Mehrheit der politisch unabhängigen US-Bürger seine Politik negativ.
Erstmals seit seinem Amtsantritt im Jänner [Januar] bewerte eine Mehrheit der politisch unabhängigen US-Bürger die Politik von US-Präsident Barack Obama negativ. 53 Prozent der Unabhängigen gaben an, sie seien mit Obamas Arbeit im Weißen Haus nicht zufrieden, 43 Prozent sprachen sich positiv aus. Das geht aus einer am Dienstag veröffentlichten Umfrage des Nachrichtensenders CNN hervor. Die Mehrheit der unabhängigen Stimmen habe Obama bei den Präsidentschaftswahlen den Weg ins Weiße Haus geebnet, sagte CNN-Meinungsforscher Keating Holland. "Wenn er diese Unterstützung verliert, wird es für Obama schwieriger, aus der Mitte zu regieren." >>> APA, Red. | Mittwoch, 02. September 2009
NZZ ONLINE: Der Bundesrat will den Streit mit Libyen vorerst nicht eskalieren lassen. Er hält am umstrittenen Vertrag fest, obwohl es keine Anzeichen für eine rasche Freilassung der Schweizer Geiseln gibt. Von Libyen wird erwartet, dass es die Verpflichtungen ebenfalls einhält.
Der Bundesrat steckt in einer schwierigen Situation. Bundespräsident Hans-Rudolf Merz hat einen umstrittenen und für die Schweiz wenig vorteilhaften Vertrag mit Libyen unterzeichnet. Obwohl die Schweiz alle ihre Verpflichtungen erfüllt hat, sind die Geiseln immer noch in Tripolis. Und es gibt weiterhin keine zuverlässigen Anzeichen, dass die ABB-Mitarbeiter demnächst ausreisen können. Eher scheint es, dass Libyen immer neue Forderungen stellt.
Trotz der eigentlich unmöglichen Situation und trotz dem wachsenden Druck der Öffentlichkeit will der Bundesrat die Affäre nicht weiter anheizen. Dahinter steht die Hoffnung, dass damit letztlich auch Libyen seinen Verpflichtungen nachkommen wird. Mit einem Tag Verspätung hat die libysche Regierung inzwischen immerhin einen Vertreter für das Schiedsgericht ernannt, das die Affäre um Hannibal Ghadhafi klären soll.
Wie Bundespräsident Merz und Aussenministerin Micheline Calmy-Rey am Mittwoch vor den Medien gemeinsam erklärten, strebt der Bundesrat normale Beziehungen mit Libyen und vor allem auch die Rückkehr der beiden in Libyen festgehaltenen Schweizer Geschäftsleute an. Er hält aus diesem Grund am umstrittenen Vertrag mit Libyen fest. Wie Merz betonte, erwartet er aber, dass Libyen seinen Teil der Vertrags ebenfalls erfüllt. EDA für Umsetzung zuständig >>> tsf. | Mittwoch, 02. September 2009
LE TEMPS: Les principales Eglises et communautés religieuses de Suisse s’opposent à une initiative qui «pousse à la méfiance au sein de la population». Elles appellent à promouvoir activement l’intégration des communautés islamiques.
Juifs, chrétiens et musulmans de Suisse rejettent résolument l’initiative anti-minarets, soumise au peuple le 29 novembre prochain. Mercredi matin, le Conseil suisse des religions (SCR), qui réunit les principales Eglises et communautés religieuses du pays, a déclaré lors d’une conférence de presse à Berne que cette initiative «instrumentalise la religion à des fins politiques» et «ne résout aucun problème». Au contraire, elle «alimente les suspicions et les craintes de la population» ainsi que «l’agressivité à l’égard des personnes de confession musulmane». Elle constitue même «un recul législatif, puisque le peuple suisse a aboli toute exception religieuse que contenait la Constitution fédérale».
Cette prise de position commune sur un projet de votation est une première depuis la création du SCR en 2006. Selon le pasteur Thomas Wipf, président du Conseil, elle peut être considérée «comme une pierre milliaire dans l’histoire du dialogue entre chrétiens, juifs et musulmans», même au-delà de la Suisse.
«Pour les membres d’une communauté religieuse, les édifices qui abritent leurs activités ne sont pas de simples lieux de rassemblement, mais le symbole de leur foi et l’expression de leur manière de célébrer Dieu», affirme la prise position, contenue dans un document de huit pages intitulé «Pour une cohabitation des religions en paix et en liberté». «C’est pourquoi, poursuit-elle, pour de nombreux musulmans, le minaret fait tout naturellement partie de la mosquée. Interdire les minarets blesserait ces personnes dans leur dignité et porterait atteinte à leur droit fondamental de pratiquer leur foi.» D’après le SCR, «respecter les croyants en tant que personnes implique aussi l’ouverture face aux diverses expressions de la foi», un droit garanti par la Constitution. Cela «pour autant que l’ordre législatif suisse soit respecté». >>> Patricia Briel | Mercredi 02 Septembre 2009
ISLAM IN ACTION: Inspired by President Obama's pro-Islamic speech in Cairo, approximately 50,000 Muslims are expecting to attend a prayer service outside Capitol Hill. They claim that this is about them loving America. If they really loved America as we know it, they would be in the streets protesting against the Sharia push, and the Islamic preachers of hate in America. But they do not, this is all about them pushing Islam on America.
Elizabeth mosque organizes national prayer event in D.C.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Jeff Diamant
STAR-LEDGER STAFF
A mosque in Elizabeth, Dar-ul-Islam, is spearheading a national prayer gathering next month in Washington, D.C., that organizers are billing as the first event of its kind -- organized prayer for tens of thousands of Muslims outside the U.S. Capitol building. >>> | Monday, August 31, 2009
Islam on Capitol Hill >>>
Hat tip: Always On Watch >>>
WELT ONLINE: Gordon Brown hat die Begnadigung des Lockerbie-Attentäters unterstützt. Der öffentliche wie politische Druck wächst. Die Opposition erhebt den Vorwurf, dass es allein um wirtschaftliche Belange ging. Der Premierminister hingegen verneinte, dass das Interesse an libyschem Öl dabei eine Rolle spielte.
Der britische Premier Gordon Brown gerät im Streit um die Freilassung des Lockerbie-Attentäters immer mehr unter Druck: Brown unterstützte offensichtlich die Begnadigung des Libyers Abdel Bassit Ali Mohammed al-Megrahi. Ein früherer Staatssekretär im britischen Außenministerium bestätigte am Dienstagabend, Brown habe nicht gewollt, dass der krebskranke Al-Megrahi im Gefängnis in Schottland stirbt. Bill Rammell erklärte im Sender BBC, dass er dies im Februar seinem Amtskollegen in Libyen mitgeteilt hätte. Er habe jedoch „ausdrücklich“ betont, dass die Entscheidung über die Zukunft Al-Megrahis bei der schottischen Landesregierung lieg[.] >>> dpa/sk | Mittwoch, 02. September 2009
WELT ONLINE: Die Finanzminister der Euro-Zone stimmen derzeit ihre Position für das anstehende G20-Treffen ab. Ziel müsste ein weltweiter Kurswechsel bei millionenschweren Bonuszahlungen für Manager sein, damit Banken nicht abwandern. Doch nicht alle Staaten sind mit gleicher Entschlossenheit wie Deutschland bei der Sache.
Drei Wochen vor dem G20-Treffen in Pittsburgh ringen die EU-Länder um eine einheitliche Linie, die millionenschweren Sonderzahlungen für Bank-Manager zu beschneiden. „Die Bonuskultur muss zu einem Ende kommen", sagte der amtierende Vorsitzende der EU-Finanzminister, Schwedens Ressortchef Anders Borg. Er warf den Bankern vor:„Sie feiern wie 1999, dabei haben wir schon 2009.“
Die Europäer wollen beim G20-Gipfel einen weltweiten Kurswechsel bei Bonuszahlungen im Banksektor durchsetzen. „Es gab einen europäischen Konsens, in Details sind aber noch Unterschiede da“, sagte der österreichische Finanzminister und Vize-Kanzler Josef Pröll nach Beratungen mit seinen europäischen Amtskollegen. „Es kann nicht sein, dass Manager mit Tagesgewinnen unglaubliche Summen abschöpfen.“ Es solle künftig bei Bonuszahlungen mehr Transparenz geben – so sollten diese offengelegt werden. Eine Neuorientierung bei den Sonderzahlungen könne es aber nur geben, wenn diese weltweit zum Zuge kommen. Sonst drohe eine Abwanderung von Banken. >>> dpa/mos | Mittwoch, 02. September 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: Ben and Jerry's has changed the name of one of its best-selling ice creams to Hubby Hubby, in celebration of the legalisation of gay marriage in its home state of Vermont.
The flavour formerly known as Chubby Hubby will be sold under the playful new name for the length of September.
Ben and Jerry's has developed a reputation for social activism – and smart publicity stunts – since being founded by two former hippies in Burlington, Vermont in 1978.
The firm has striven to retain its freethinking reputation despite its 2000 sale to food giant Unilever, and earlier this year marked Barack Obama's election as US president by renaming one of its nutty ice cream flavours "Yes Pecan".
The state of Vermont's decision to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples, which came into force on Tuesday, was deemed suitable grounds for another celebration.
“At the core of Ben & Jerry’s values, we believe that social justice can and should be something that every human being is entitled to,” said Walt Freese, chief executive of Ben & Jerry’s. >>> Matthew Moore | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
THE GUARDIAN:
Gay couples tie the knot in Vermont: New law takes effect as Vermont becomes the latest state to allow same-sex marriage >>>| Tuesday, September 01, 2009
LE TEMPS: La Libye exigerait désormais que la Suisse paie une caution de 430 000 francs pour les deux hommes d’affaires retenus à Tripoli. Le Conseil fédéral tiendra une conférence de presse à 14h30 en présence de Hans-Rudolf Merz et de Micheline Calmy-Rey.
En juillet, Mouammar Kadhafi avait déclaré à L’Aquila, lors du G8, vouloir «démanteler la Suisse». Si son vœu ne s’est pas exaucé, il a en tout cas réussi à semer la zizanie au sein du Conseil fédéral, à diviser le monde politique et à mettre le président de la Confédération dans une situation embarrassante. Hans-Rudolf Merz est désormais pour beaucoup «politiquement mort». Mais rares étaient ceux, hormis la Jeunesse socialiste, qui osaient mardi ouvertement exiger sa démission. La Suisse ne veut pas subir une humiliation supplémentaire susceptible de réjouir les Libyens tant que les deux hommes d’affaires retenus depuis un an à Tripoli ne seront pas de retour.
Le président de la Confédération présentera aujourd’hui, en collaboration avec les Affaires étrangères (DFAE), une proposition au Conseil fédéral concernant la suite de la procédure pour régler l’affaire. En attendant, Pascal Couchepin a profité de sa traditionnelle sortie à Zimmerwald pour voler à son secours (lire ci-dessous). Le PLR, lui, hausse le ton: il exige du gouvernement qu’il suspende l’accord signé le 20 août, «car la Libye ne le respecte pas». Jeu simpliste dénoncé >>> Valérie de Graffenried | Mercredi 02 Septembre 2009
THE INDEPENDENT: War crimes suspect and notorious Somali pirate turn out for anniversary party
The celebrations marking Colonel Gaddafi's 40th anniversary as Libya's dictator lit up the Tripoli sky last night as a number of international pariahs, described by one diplomat as a "gallery of grotesques", gathered to enjoy a lavish parade, dance spectacles and fighter jets streaking overhead.
The celebration was meant to be the crowning act in Gaddafi's rehabilitation on the international stage, but the Libyan leader's respectability, already undermined by the controversy raging over the release of the only convicted Lockerbie bomber, was further eroded by accusations that a notorious Somali pirate leader was among the VIPs in attendance.
Mohammed Abdi Afweyne, a confessed leader of one of the largest pirate gangs that has been terrorising shipping off the Horn of Africa, has been in Tripoli since Saturday, according to sources in Somalia.
Government sources refused to confirm or deny the presence of Afweyne, the leader of a gang of hijackers that seized control of the MV Faina, a Ukrainian cargo ship loaded with tanks and heavy weapons. Reports also suggest that Afweyne had met with senior Libyan officials.
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese ruler who is indicted for war crimes in Darfur, were among those enjoying the party which was expected to go on until dawn.
The only European leader to accept an invitation to the opening of the week-long extravaganza marking the Libyan leader's 40 years in power was the Maltese President George Abela. France and Italy were represented at ministerial level while Britain attempted to distance itself by sending an embassy chargé d'affaires, Mark Matthews. The British Government has been deeply embarrassed by repeated accusations that it traded the release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber in return for Libyan oil and gas. Britain's ambassador to Libya, Vincent Fean, took the opportunity to visit Malta instead of staying for the party, while in private British diplomats were said to be deeply concerned with the content of last night's show.
As dozens of world leaders were seated behind bulletproof glass to watch the festivities, only Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez broke away from the heavy security to joke with reporters. >>> Daniel Howden in Tripoli | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
THE INDEPENDENT: Russian liberals sued over pamphlet saying that the dictator killed civilians
The grandson of Joseph Stalin has launched a libel suit against one of Russia's leading liberal newspapers, accusing it of lying in an article which stated Stalin had killed Soviet citizens.
As the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, defended the reputation of the wartime leader in Poland, Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, the dictator's grandson, began his quest to claim nearly £200,000 from Novaya Gazeta.
"Half a century of lies have been poured over Stalin's reputation and he cannot defend himself from the grave, so this case is essential to put the record straight," Mr Dzhugashvili's lawyer, Leonid Zhura, told Reuters.
Liberal critics say that the drive to rehabilitate Stalin has official backing, with the Kremlin keen to glorify Russia's Soviet past and make Russians proud of their history, while glossing over Stalin's crimes.
Dzhugashvili is Stalin's real surname, and Yevgeny Dzhugashvili is the son of Stalin's son, Yakov, who was killed during the Second World War. It is believed that the Nazis offered to trade Yakov for a captured German field marshal, but Stalin refused the offer. Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, however, remains an enthusiastic Stalinist. >>> Shaun Walker in Moscow | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was not an accident, according to the memoirs of lawyer Michael Mansfield who represented Mohamed Fayed at the inquest into the crash.
The 1997 accident in the Alma Tunnel in Paris still poses unanswered questions despite lengthy inquest at the High Court, he claims in his book, Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer.
The 67-year-old QC, who has represented clients in high profile cases ranging from the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence to the Birmingham Six, insisted the inquest had not been a waste of time and that Mr Fayed was entitled to the procedure as “a grieving father”.
In the book, which is being serialised in The Times, he wrote: “I found it difficult simply to accept that what happened in the Alma Tunnel in Paris was ‘just one of those tragic things’. Of course it might have been, but then that’s what “they” always hope we will think.
“Judging whether a hidden hand is at work is always difficult, but I prefer a healthy and inquisitive assessment of the authorised version, and for me it was mere serendipity to be approached a year after the crash and asked to represent Mohamed Al Fayed for the purposes of an inquest.” >>> Alastair Jamieson | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
TIMES ONLINE:
Princess Diana: I've always believed the crash was not an accident: From Stephen Lawrence to the Birmingham Six, a radical lawyer has fought many controversial cases. In this exclusive extract from his memoirs he reveals his part in the most high-profile: the death of Diana >>> Michael Mansfield | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
THE INDEPENDENT: Academic stumbles upon previously unseen section of Codex Sinaiticus dating back to 4th century
A British-based academic has uncovered a fragment of the world's oldest Bible hiding underneath the binding of an 18th-century book.
Nikolas Sarris spotted a previously unseen section of the Codex Sinaiticus, which dates from about AD350, as he was trawling through photographs of manuscripts in the library of St Catherine's Monastery in Egypt.
The Codex, handwritten in Greek on animal skin, is the earliest known version of the Bible. Leaves from the priceless tome are divided between four institutions, including St Catherine's Monastery and the British Library, which has held the largest section of the ancient Bible since the Soviet Union sold its collection to Britain in 1933.
Academics from Britain, America, Egypt and Russia collaborated to put the entire Codex online this year but new fragments of the book are occasionally rediscovered. >>> Jerome Taylor, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Related:
World's Oldest Bible Published in Full Online >>> Chris Irvine | Monday, July 06, 2009
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: A former Revolutionary Guard wanted by Interpol for allegedly masterminding Argentina’s worst terrorist attack looks set to become Iran’s new Defence Minister after Parliament signalled that it would confirm President Ahmadinejad’s provocative choice.
The development came as Saeed Jalili, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, sounded a conciliatory note to the international community, saying that Tehran was ready to present a new package of proposals to foreign governments in the hope of restarting talks on its nuclear programme.
American officials said that they had yet to receive any official notification from Tehran and it remains unclear whether the new proposal is substantively different from the one rejected by Western powers last year. Efforts to restart talks have repeatedly floundered over Iran’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment.
Representatives of Britain, the United States, France, Germany, China and Russia will meet in Frankfurt to discuss tougher sanctions targeting Iran’s energy sector.
Mr Jalili said that Mr Ahmadinejad’s re-election had given the country a powerful mandate to put forward a new proposal — a surprising interpretation of the disputed victory that has thrown the country into its worst crisis since the Islamic revolution.
The power struggle triggered by the allegedly rigged elections has opened cracks even among the conservative establishment and led to unprecedented criticism of both Mr Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. >>> Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent | Tuesday, September 01, 2009
BUENOS AIRES HERALD: Iran's parliament is signalling support for the hardline president's choice of new defence minister, a man Argentina says was involved in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish centre that killed 85 people.
One member of parliament, Hadi Qavami, interrupted a speech by Defence Minister-designate Ahmad Vahidi to say he had initially opposed Vahidi's nomination but he changed his mind after "the Zionists' allegations" and would now vote for him.
The comment drew praise from other deputies in the assembly, who chanted "Death to Israel", state broadcaster IRIB reported.
Under parliamentary rules, two MPs can take the floor to voice opposition to a ministerial nominee, but no one did so in the case of Vahidi, a sign he will be backed by the legislature in a vote of confidence scheduled for Wednesday. >>> | Wednesday, September 02, 2009
NZZ ONLINE: Bei der Hauptzeremonie der Gedenkveranstaltung zum Kriegsbeginn vor 70 Jahren hat die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkels die Verantwortung Deutschlands für den Zweiten Weltkrieg und das damit verbundene Leid in vielen Völkern Europas unterstrichen.
Die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hat die deutsche Verantwortung für den Zweiten Weltkrieg und das damit verbundene Leid in vielen Völkern Europas unterstrichen.
«Heute vor 70 Jahren begann mit dem deutschen Überfall auf Polen das tragischste Kapitel in der Geschichte Europas», sagte die Bundeskanzlerin während einer Gedenkstunde auf der Westerplatte bei Danzig. Der von Deutschland entfesselte Krieg habe «Jahre der Entrechtung, der Erniedrigung und der Zerstörung» gebracht.
Inzwischen habe sich Europa aus einem «Kontinent des Schreckens» in einen «Kontinent der Freiheit und des Friedens» verwandelt. «Deutschlands Partner in Ost und in West haben diesen Weg durch Versöhnungsbereitschaft geebnet. Sie haben uns Deutschen die Hand zur Versöhnung ausgestreckt. Wir haben sie voller Dankbarkeit ergriffen.»
Merkel hob vor mehreren Staats- und Regierungschefs hervor, dass der Weg Europas zur Freiheit erst mit dem Fall des Eisernen Vorhangs vollendet worden sei. Gleichzeitig wies sie ausser der Rolle Polens auch die Verdienste Ungarns und der damaligen Tschechoslowakei hervor. Aufruf zur Versöhnung >>> sda/dpa/afp/ap | Dienstag, 02. September 2009
NZZ ONLINE: Vor genau 70 Jahren, am 1. September 1939, marschierten deutsche Truppen in Polen ein und rissen damit den Zweiten Weltkrieg vom Zaun. Zu spät hatten die Westmächte versucht, Nazideutschland vor diesem Schritt zurückzuhalten. Hitlers Grössenwahn verwandelte die Welt in ein Trümmerfeld, auf dem Millionen von Toten zurückblieben.
Am 1. September 1939 überfiel Nazideutschland das Nachbarland Polen und entfesselte damit den Zweiten Weltkrieg. Mit dem deutschen Einmarsch brach die nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg mühsam errichtete Ordnung von Versailles zusammen. Das System kollektiver Sicherheit, das die friedliche Koexistenz zwischen den alten Mächten und den neuen Staaten Europas hätte garantieren sollen, war gescheitert. Allzu divergierende Interessen und unvereinbare Traditionen hatten es geschwächt, und die skrupellose Machtpolitik des deutschen Diktators Hitler hatte ihm in wohlberechneten Schritten den Todesstoss versetzt. Vor allem Grossbritannien und Frankreich waren nicht willens gewesen, Hitler Einhalt zu gebieten. Dieser hatte sich überdies eine Woche zuvor die Komplizenschaft des andern grossen Massenmörders sichern können, des sowjetischen Despoten Stalin. Polen war für beide eine begehrte Beute. Politik durch Aggression und Betrug >>> de. | Dienstag, 01. September 2009
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