American Bigotry at Its Worst and Most Shameful! And from a Fossil, to Boot: Gay Dutch Soldiers Responsible for Srebrenica Massacre Says US General*
THE TELEGRAPH: A former American general blamed "open homosexuality" in the Dutch army for the failure to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.



The Dutch government condemned the comments by Gen John Sheehan, a former Nato commander and senior marine officer, as outrageous.

Gen Sheehan made the remarks at a Senate hearing where he argued against plans by President Barack Obama to end a ban on allowing gays to serve openly in the US military.

Gen Sheehan said that after the end of the Cold War, European militaries changed and concluded "there was no longer a need for an active combat capability."

He said this process included "open homosexuality" which resulted in "a focus on peacekeeping operations because they did not believe the Germans were going to attack again or the Soviets were coming back."

"The case in point that I'm referring to is when the Dutch were required to defend Srebrenica against the Serbs," he said, referring to the UN peacekeeping force deployed to protect Bosnian Muslim civilians.

"The battalion was understrength, poorly led, and the Serbs came into town, handcuffed the soldiers to the telephone polls, marched the Muslims off and executed them."

Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, pressed him to clarify his comments.

"Did the Dutch leaders tell you it (the fall of Srebrenica) was because there were gay soldiers there?" asked an incredulous Levin.

"Yes," Sheehan said and added: "They included that as part of the problem." >>> The Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Friday, March 19, 2010

*How many hate crimes against gays in Holland is this man going to be responsible for now that he has uttered such irresponsible comments? It could unleash all kinds of violence from homophobic crackpots. The Netherlands already has a problem with growing crimes against gays. There really was no need to stoke the fire. The comment also comes from a man who is old enough to know better. – © Mark

Dutch Outrage as US General Blames Gay Soldiers for Srebrenica
TIMES ONLINE: A retired American general has blamed the UN's historic failure to protect the Bosnian "safe haven" of Srebrenica on the fact that there were openly gay soldiers in the Dutch peacekeeping battalion assigned to it.

The comments from former Marine Corps general John Sheehan prompted outrage in the Netherlands, where the humiliation in July 1995 of 400 armed Dutch peacekeepers and the subsequent massacre by Serb forces of 8,000 Muslim men and boys remains a subject of acute national sensitivity.

General Sheehan, one of two Nato "supreme commanders" at the time of the massacre, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee against a proposal to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the US military.

He told the senators how the Armed Forces of various European countries had lost their combat focus after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and turned to peacekeeping because “they did not believe the Germans were going to attack again or the Soviets were coming back”.

The general said that Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and other nations all took the decision that there was no longer a need for an active combat capability in the military.

"They declared a peace dividend and made a conscious effort to socialize their military - that includes the unionisation of their militaries, it includes open homosexuality. That led to a force that was ill-equipped to go to war," he said.

"The case in point that I’m referring to is when the Dutch were required to defend Srebrenica against the Serbs: the battalion was under-strength, poorly led, and the Serbs came into town, handcuffed the soldiers to the telephone poles, marched the Muslims off, and executed them.

“That was the largest massacre in Europe since World War II." >>> Philippe Naughton | Friday, March 19, 2010

Gay Army Is a Non-issue in Holland
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Retired US Marine General John Sheehan got one thing right in his testimony to the US Congress: gays serve in the Dutch military. But it takes a foreigner to point that out. Here in The Netherlands, gays have served in the military for decades.

General Sheehan blamed the fall of the UN enclave in Srebrenica in 1995, which led to the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims, partly on the fact that homosexuals served in the Dutch military.

"That was the largest massacre in Europe since World War Two. The Dutch army allowed homosexuals and you know what happened there."

The retired general made these comments during a hearing considering whether to lift the US 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that allows homosexuals to serve in the military only if they keep quiet about it.

What?


The reaction here in The Netherlands has been a universal, 'huh?' From the current Foreign Minister to the Defence Minister at the time of the Srebrenica massacre; from leaders of unions representing soldiers to the former army commander; all have said that General Sheehan's remarks do not have the slightest basis in reality.

The Dutch caretaker Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said via Twitter that he was amazed at the ex general's comments - saying they reflected more about the discussion around homosexuals in the US army than anything else.

Minister of Defense Eimert van Middelkoop twittered: "scandalous and unbefitting a soldier". And the Dutch ambassador to the US, Renee Jones-Bos, added in a statement on the embassy's website that she "couldn't disagree more'' with Sheehan's claims.

"I take pride in the fact that lesbians and gays have served openly and with distinction in the Dutch military forces for decades, such as in Afghanistan at the moment',' she said. >>> John Tyler | Friday, March 19, 2010

Former US General: ‘Gays Make Dutch Military Weak’
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: A former American general has blamed homosexuals serving in the Dutch military for the fall of Srebrenica.

Fifteen years after the safe area of Srebrenica fell to Serb militias, an American general has found the cause: homosexuals had weakened the Dutch UN battalion charged with protecting the enclave. John Sheehan, a former high-ranking Nato official, said this on Thursday when he publicly addressed the American president Barack Obama’s plans to allow gays to serve in the military.

According to the charges brought against the Bosnian-Serb leader Radovan Karadzic at the special tribunal in The Hague, 9,210 Muslim men were killed in Srebrenica and its surrounding area in 1995. A Dutch UN battalion had been charged with the task of protecting the valley against the Serbs. A study by the Dutch research institute NIOD has found that the soldiers did not have an adequate mandate to act and the battalion was insufficiently prepared.

Speaking in the American Senate, Sheehan said European countries tried to “socialise” their armed forces by letting people serve in the army too easily, which left them weakened. >>> NRC Handelsblad News Staff | Friday, March 19, 2010

Greek PM Gives European Leaders a Week to Produce Rescue Plan
THE GUARDIAN: George Papandreou has threatened to turn to the IMF in exasperation with the EU's lack of clarity on a plan to resolve the Greek crisis

Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, has set the EU a deadline to come up with a rescue plan. Photograph: The Guardian
Greece raised the stakes in the row over how to stabilise the euro today when prime minister George Papandreou set European leaders a deadline of next week for unveiling rescue plans for his battered economy and threatened to turn instead to the International Monetary Fund for help.

Clearly exasperated by the lack of clarity from the EU on what it might do to help resolve Greece's ballooning debt and deficit crisis, Papandreou effectively told European leaders it was time to put up or shut up.

The 16-country eurozone had to deliver on its pledge last month of coming to Greece's rescue if need be by putting a "loaded gun on the table" which would deter speculators betting on a Greek sovereign default and reduce the punitive rates on Greek borrowing.

"This is an opportunity we should not miss," Papandreou told the European parliament in Brussels. "We are expecting this from the summit next week."

Papandreou's remarks put him on a collision course with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who became the first European head of government on Wednesday to demand that the rule book for the euro be rewritten to enable the ejection of persistent fiscal delinquents. >>> Ian Traynor in Brussels | Thursday, March 18, 2010

France’s First ‘Lady’
MAIL ONLINE: There's a time for reminiscing over your old photo albums.

But unfortunately for Carla Bruni, now is not that time.

Just as France's first lady tries to keep a low profile amid global headlines about the state of her marriage, another reminder of her somewhat racy past has propelled her straight back into the spotlight.

Two photographs of Miss Bruni in her modelling days are up for grabs at an auction. In one, taken by the legendary Helmut Newton, the then 25-year-old leans against a mahogany piano, with her skirt riding up in a rather risque fashion.

Pictures of Miss Bruni, 43, in various states of undress have surfaced before.

But as she fights rumours that affairs on both sides have endangered her marriage to French president Nicolas Sarkozy she may wish she'd kept her clothes on just for once. Don't you wish you'd kept your clothes on, Carla? Provocative photos of Miss Bruni aged 25 are put up for auction >>> Katie Glass | Friday, March 19, 2010

Isn’t This a Perfect Example of Why the West Can’t Win the War Against Islam? Blair's Fight to Keep His Oil Cash Secret: Former PM's Deals Are Revealed As His Earnings Since 2007 Reach £20million
MAIL ONLINE: Tony Blair waged an extraordinary two-year battle to keep secret a lucrative deal with a multinational oil giant which has extensive interests in Iraq.

The former Prime Minister tried to keep the public in the dark over his dealings with South Korean oil firm UI Energy Corporation.

Mr Blair - who has made at least £20million since leaving Downing Street in June 2007 - also went to great efforts to keep hidden a £1million deal advising the ruling royal family in Iraq's neighbour Kuwait.

In an unprecedented move, he persuaded the committee which vets the jobs of former ministers to keep details of both deals from the public for 20 months, claiming it was commercially sensitive. The deals emerged yesterday when the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments finally lost patience with Mr Blair and decided to ignore his objections and publish the details.

News of the secret deals fuelled fresh accusations that Mr Blair is 'cashing in on his contacts' from the controversial Iraq war in what one MP called 'revolving door politics at its worst'.

They will increase concerns that Mr Blair is using his role as the West's Middle East envoy for personal gain.

The revelations also shed fresh light on his astonishing earnings, which include lucrative after-dinner speaking, consultancies with banks and foreign governments, a generous advance for his forthcoming memoirs, as well as the pension and other perks he enjoys as a former Prime Minister.

The full extent of his income is cloaked in secrecy because he has constructed a complex web of shadowy companies and partnerships which let him avoid publishing full accounts detailing all the money from his commercial ventures.

Critics also point out that a large proportion of his earnings comes from patrons in America and the Middle East - a clear benefit from forging a close alliance with George Bush during his invasion of Iraq.

Last night Tory MP Douglas Carswell said of Mr Blair's links to UI Energy Corporation: 'This doesn't just look bad, it stinks.

'It seems that the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has been in the pay of a very big foreign oil corporation and we have been kept in the dark about it. Read on and comment here >>> Jason Groves | Thursday, March 18, 2010

France Debates the Return of Bordellos
THE TELEGRAPH: French MPs are calling for bordellos to return to France more than 60 years after they were banned.

Chantal Brunel, a political ally of President Nicolas Sarkozy, says it should be made legal for women to sell sex on licensed premises, and pay tax on their earnings.

Her demand comes as survey revealed six out of ten French people wanted brothels to be legalised.

Ms Brunel, an MP for the ruling UMP party, said: "Women selling sex should be allowed to do so legally on special licensed premises.

"This would free thousands of women from the exploitation they suffer at the hands of pimps and criminal gangs and offer them much more security they currently have on the streets.

"It would give them a legal taxable income and they would not be handing over large sums of their earning to a pimp."

France had 1,400 legal brothels before they were all shut down under a law banning prostitution in 1946. >>> | Thursday, March 18, 2010

Episcopal Church Approves Consecration of First Lesbian Bishop
THE TELEGRAPH: America’s Anglican church has approved the consecration of its first openly lesbian bishop, in a move likely to worsen divisions over homosexuality.

The Episcopal Church of the USA, the most liberal province within the Anglican Communion, had been under pressure not to allow the Rev Mary Glasspool to become Assistant Bishop of Los Angeles.

Its leaders had been warned personally by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, not to take any decisions that would deepen the crisis over sexuality within the worldwide church.

But bishops and dioceses across the national church have now approved the consecration of Miss Glasspool, after she was elected last year, and a ceremony has been scheduled for May 15th. She and the Rev Diane Bruce will become the first women bishops in Los Angeles.

Miss Glasspool, a Canon in the Diocese of Maryland who has been with her female partner since 1988, said: “I am also aware that not everyone rejoices in this election and consent, and will work, pray, and continue to extend my own hands and heart to bridge those gaps, and strengthen the bonds of affection among all people, in the Name of Jesus Christ.” >>> Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Thursday, March 18, 2010

'Jihad Jane' Pleads Not Guilty
THE TELEGRAPH: An American woman who authorities say dubbed herself "Jihad Jane" online pleaded not guilty to charges of involvement in an overseas terrorist plot.

Colleen LaRose an American woman known as Jihad Jane. Photograph: The Telegraph
Colleen LaRose, 46, from Pennsburg near Philadelphia, appeared before a federal court wearing a green jumpsuit and with corn rows in her blonde hair.

A May 3 trial date was set.

She was accused of conspiring with jihadist fighters and pledging to commit murder in the name of a Muslim holy war.

Authorities say she wanted to kill a Swedish artist who had offended Muslims, and grew acquainted online with violent co-conspirators from around the world.

They say she posted a YouTube video in 2008 saying she was "desperate to do something" to ease the suffering of Muslims.

She was arrested in October 2009 in Philadelphia while returning to the United States.

LaRose spent most of her life in Texas, where she dropped out of high school, married at 16 and again at 24, and racked up a few minor arrests.

After a second divorce, she followed a boyfriend to Pennsylvania in about 2004 and began caring for his father while he worked long hours, sometimes on the road.

As she moved through her 40s without a job or any outside hobbies, her boyfriend said she started spending more time online.

Though her boyfriend, Kurt Gorman, did not consider her religious, and she apparently never joined a mosque, LaRose had by 2008 declared herself "desperate" to help suffering Muslims in the YouTube video.

"In my view, she sort of slipped sideways into Islam. ... There may have been some seduction into it, by one or more people," said Temple University psychologist Frank Farley. >>> | Thursday, March 18, 2010

Democrats a Few Votes Short for Health Bill


Obama on 'Deem and Pass' Rule

Fox News Poll: 55% Oppose Health Care Reform
FOX NEWS: As Americans wait for Congress to act on health care, a Fox News poll released Thursday finds 55 percent oppose the reforms being considered, while 35 percent favor them.

As Americans wait for Congress to act on health care, a Fox News poll released Thursday finds 55 percent oppose the reforms being considered, while 35 percent favor them.

In addition, just over half of voters think House Democrats are “changing the rules” to get their bill passed.

About a third of voters (31 percent) think House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are “playing by the rules” to get health care through, while 53 percent think they are “changing the rules.” Looking at the results by political party, 53 percent of Democrats think their party is playing by the rules, about one in four think they are changing the rules (27 percent) and the rest are unsure (19 percent). Varying majorities of Republicans (78 percent) and independents (57 percent) think House Democrats are changing the rules to pass the bill.

The level of public support for the health care overhaul has remained fairly steady since last July -- 35 percent favor it now and 36 percent favored it last summer. The number opposed -- 55 percent -- is up from 51 percent in January, and from 47 percent last July. Opposition hit a high of 57 percent in December.

Among partisans, the president’s party faithful are alone in supporting the proposed reforms. Sixty-six percent of Democrats favor them, while 53 percent of independents and 88 percent of Republicans oppose them. >>> Dana Blanton, FOXNews.com | Thursday, March 18, 2010

President Promises Health Care Transparency

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama postpones Indonesia trip: President Barack Obama has been forced to postpone his much-anticipated trip to Indonesia while wrangling over health care reform continues. >>> | Thursday, March 18, 2010

Divide Nigeria in Two, Says Muammar Gaddafi
BBC: Nigeria should be divided into two nations to avoid further bloodshed between Muslims and Christians, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has said.

In a speech to students, he praised the example of India and Pakistan, where he said partition saved many lives.

Splitting Nigeria "would stop the bloodshed and burning of places of worship," state news agency Jana quoted him as saying.

A senior Nigerian diplomat said he was not taking the suggestion seriously.

Hundreds of people have died in communal violence in villages around the central Nigerian city of Jos this year.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says Col Gaddafi's suggestion is unsurprising given his past form.

Last year, he called for Switzerland to be abolished and for its land to be divided between Italy, Germany and France. >>> | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

U.S.-born Al Qaeda Cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki Calls for American Muslims to Wage Jihad Against Homeland
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: The American-born Muslim cleric who may have inspired the gunman in the Fort Hood massacre has a message for other American Muslims: turn against your country.

In a 12-minute audio message obtained by CNN, Anwar Al-Awlaki of Yemen calls his former country "evil" and praised Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who has been charged with gunning down 13 people in Fort Hood last year.

"To the Muslims in America, I have this to say: How can your conscience allow you to live in peaceful co-existence with a nation that is responsible for the tyranny and crimes committed against your own brother and sisters?" Al-Awlaki says in the message, according to CNN.

Al-Awlaki has emerged as a major figure in Al Qaeda's attempts to recruit American insurgents through Internet sermons. The FBI had questioned him about his role as "spiritual adviser" to Sept. 11 hijackers Nawaf al-Hamzi and Hani Hanjour at the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Va., before he fled to Yemen. >>> Ethan Sacks | Daily News Staff Writer | Thursday, March 18, 2010

Jihad Against US ‘Binding’


CNN: Purported al-Awlaki message calls for jihad against U.S. >>> Paula Newton | CNN | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Immunität: Türkische Imame sollen per Gesetz straffrei bleiben
WELT ONLINE: Imame sollen in der Türkei vor Strafverfolgung geschützt werden – auch wenn sie sich politisch äußern. Die Regierung Erdogans will per Gesetz eine beschränkte Immunität für die Vorbeter erreichen. Die Opposition befürchtet darin einen weiteren Schritt in der schleichenden Islamisierung des Landes.

Imame sollen in der Türkei teilweise Immunität vor dem Gesetz genießen. Bild: Welt Online
Die türkische Regierung will den von der Religionsbehörde angestellten Imamen künftig eine beschränkte Immunität vor Strafverfolgung garantieren. Ein in das Parlament eingebrachter Gesetzentwurf sehe vor, dass die Prediger nur mit Zustimmung ihres Dienstherren angeklagt werden können, berichtete die türkische Tageszeitung „Sabah“.

Damit werde auch die Möglichkeit eingeschränkt, die Vorbeter für politische Äußerungen juristisch zu verfolgen. >>> dpa/br | Donnerstag, 18. März 2010

Hinrichtung: Nordkorea exekutiert KP-Funktionär wegen Inflation
WELT ONLINE: In Nordkorea ist ein Funktionär der Kommunistischen Partei hingerichtet worden. Dem hochrangigen Regierungsmitglied wurde Versagen im Kampf gegen die grassierende Inflation vorgeworfen. Pak Nam-ki soll Schuld sein an der desaströsen Währungsreform, die Ende 2009 zu Hungerunruhen geführt hatte.

Nordkoreas Führer, Kim Jong-il, an einer Parade zu seinen Ehren. Der Machthaber ist bekannt für seine Willkür. Bild: Welt Online
Wegen einer verfehlten Währungsreform ist in Nordkorea ein hochrangiges Regierungsmitglied hingerichtet worden.

Der ehemalige Planungs- und Finanzdirektor in der Kommunistischen Partei, Pak Nam-ki, wurde in der vergangenen Woche auf dem Gelände einer Kaserne in Pjöngjang exekutiert, wie die südkoreanische Nachrichtenagentur Yonhap berichtete.

Dem 77-Jährigen, der Ende Februar aus dem Amt geworfen worden war, wurde Versagen im Kampf gegen die grassierende Inflation vorgeworfen. Im November hatte Nordkorea seine Währung Won abgewertet und die Lebensmittelkrise in dem Land dadurch dramatisch verschlimmert.

Pak wurde damit die Schuld an der desaströsen Währungsreform gegeben, die Ende vergangenen Jahres zu Hungerunruhen im Land geführt hatte. >>> AFP/br | Donnerstag, 18. März 2010

Nigeria : des chrétiens massacrés dans un village
L'attaque est survenue dans la bourgade de Byei, à une quinzaine de kilomètres au sud de Jos, la capitale de l'Etat du Plateau. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Au moins 13 villageois, dont des femmes et des enfants, ont été tués à la machette et brûlés mercredi par des éleveurs musulmans. Une énième poussée de violences dans ce pays en proie depuis 2001 à des conflits interreligieux.

Nouvel épisode de violences interreligieuses au Nigeria. Au moins 13 villageois chrétiens, dont des femmes et des enfants, ont été tués mercredi par des éleveurs musulmans. L'attaque est survenue vers 1h30 dans la bourgade de Byei, à une quinzaine de kilomètres au sud de Jos, la capitale de l'Etat du Plateau. Une zone majoritairement chrétienne et peuplée par l'ethnie berom. Les assaillants, qui seraient quant à eux issus de l'ethnie d'éleveurs fulani (à majorité musulmane, ndlr), étaient déguisés en militaires lors de leur raid, selon ces mêmes sources.

«Je peux confirmer que 13 personnes sont mortes et six autres ont été grièvement blessées. Elles ont été admises dans un hôpital de missionnaires», près de Jos, a déclaré un haut responsable local. «Le gouvernement fera tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour traduire les assaillants devant la justice», a-t-il ajouté.

Mercredi soir, sept personnes suspectées d'avoir participé à ce massacre ont été arrêtées en possession d'armes, a annoncé un porte-parole de l'armée, tandis que le gouverneur de l'Etat Jonah Jang a lancé un appel au calme à la télévision.

«Ce que j'ai vu dans le village est très triste, a expliqué un responsable gouvernemental sous couvert d'anonymat. J'ai vu les cadavres de femmes, dont certaines étaient très vieilles, celui d'un enfant qui devait avoir moins de cinq ans, et celui d'une femme qui était brulée, avec un enfant sur son dos.» >>> Par Le Figaro | Mercredi 17 Mar 2010

Tehran Accused of Arming Taleban with Weapons and Explosives
TIMES ONLINE: The Iranian Government has been accused by Afghan and Western officials of delivering tonnes of weaponry to the Taleban, including plastic explosives, mortars, grenades and technical manuals.

Weapons and documents shown to Channel 4 News indicate that more than ten tonnes of weapons have been intercepted at Iran’s desert border with Afghanistan in the past year, with a tonne and a half recovered in the past week.

The reports come as General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, warned the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iran also provided a base for al-Qaeda operatives. Afghanistan’s intelligence agency estimates that about 60 per cent of the weaponry it has intercepted from Iran has been supplied by the Iranian Government rather than black market dealers.

In a report on Iran’s weapons smuggling to the Taleban — to be aired by Channel 4 News this evening — one Afghan Taleban commander claims that the Iranian border is assuming greater importance than that into Pakistan. >>> Tom Coghlan | Thursday, March 18, 2010

Bernard Madoff 'Beaten Up In Jail'
TIMES ONLINE: Bernard Madoff, the multibillion-dollar investment fraudster, was reportedly beaten up in prison by a fellow inmate with a black belt in karate who inflicted serious injuries.

The former Wall Street tycoon was allegedly attacked for the second time last December as he served the first months of a 150-year sentence for operating a $65 billion Ponzi scheme.

After the attack, Madoff, 71, was transferred to a low-security medical centre, where he was treated for a broken nose, fractured ribs and cuts to his head and face, a prisoner in Butner, North Carolina, told The Wall Street Journal. >>> Nico Hines | Thursday, March 18, 2010

Israel Targeted by Gaza Rockets as Ashton Visits
THE TELEGRAPH: Palestinian militants fired a rocket from the Gaza Strip into a kibbutz in southern Israel, killing a Thai worker, while EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was on an hours-long visit to the area.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Photo: The Telegraph
The rocket was launched into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing a Thai agricultural worker, while Baroness Ashton was visiting the Hamas-controlled enclave.

It was the first strike from the territory to cause any fatalities since the end in January 2009 of Israel's Gaza war.

An hour before the attack, the EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton crossed into the Gaza Strip to tour UN facilities and see how the international funding was being used.

At a Gaza news conference after the attack, Baroness Ashton said: "I condemn any kind of violence, we have got to find a peaceful solution to the issues and problems."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also expressed his condemnation, saying in a statement: "All such acts of terror and violence against civilians are totally unacceptable and contrary to international law."

An unknown Gaza group, Ansar al-Sunna, claimed responsibility for the attack – launched a day before the international Quartet of Middle East peace mediators was to meet in Moscow to discuss ways to revive Israeli-Palestinian talks. >>> | Thursday, March 18, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: No crisis between US and Israel, says Barack Obama: President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that Israeli plans to build more homes near East Jerusalem were not helpful for the Middle East peace process, but he said the issue had not led to a crisis with one of the United States' closest allies. >>> | Wednesday, January 17, 2010

French Law Drives Country’s First Television Wine Channel Into Exile
TIMES ONLINE: You might think that French officials would have raised their glasses in celebration of a project to create the first Gallic television channel dedicated to wine.

Instead, they appear intent on driving the station into exile, possibly to Britain, after deciding that it will fall foul of the toughest laws on alcohol promotion outside the Muslim world.

Edonys, a private group which hopes to start broadcasting later this year, has been warned by France’s Higher Audiovisual Council that it will receive authorisation only if it drops plans for programmes featuring wine-tastings and expert discussions. The broadcasting authority deemed these illegal under a law that prohibits “all direct or indirect propaganda in favour of alcoholic drinks” on television.

However, the station is refusing to amend its schedule and executives are now looking for a base outside France. Britain, Luxembourg and Belgium are among the options.

“France is the world reference when it comes to wine and yet we are the only non-Muslim country where you cannot talk about wine on the television,” said Jean-Michel Peyronnet, an eminent wine journalist, who is among the founders of Edonys. “It’s not just surprising, it’s a scandal.” >>> Adam Sage, Paris | Thursday, March 18, 2010

Margaret Thatcher on Terrorism

Margaret Thatcher: ‘The Lady’s Not for Turning’

Margaret Thatcher on Socialism

Margaret Thatcher: Free Society Speech (1975)

Cornell University on Alert After Suspected Suicides
BBC: Cornell University staff are monitoring bridges over river gorges on its campus and checking on students after three fell to their deaths in the past month.

The head of the US college also took out an ad in the campus paper urging students: "If you learn anything at Cornell, please learn to ask for help."

The first of the deaths has been ruled a suicide. The others, which happened last week, are being investigated.

Three other students at Cornell have killed themselves this academic year.

But university officials insist its suicide rate is in line with the national average for its student population of 20,000 - about two per year. 'Suicide school' >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Vatican Investigates Bosnia 'Apparition' of Virgin Mary
BBC: The Vatican has announced a commission to investigate claims that the Virgin Mary appears on a daily basis in a town in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

Six children first reported the apparition in the town of Medjugorje in June 1981.

However, the sightings have not yet received official recognition from the Catholic Church.

The 20-strong commission will report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the top doctrinal body.

Long debate

For almost 30 years, the Virgin Mary has been said to appear daily in Medjugorje, dressed sometimes in a grey dress and veil and sometimes in gold, crowned with stars and floating on a cloud.

It is said she speaks in Croatian, uttering the words: "I've come because there are many true believers here. I wish to be with you to convert and reconcile the whole world."

It is also said that three flashes of light precede her apparitions, during which the voices of the visionaries can no longer be heard.

But the Catholic Church has long debated the credibility of the sightings. >>> Mark Lowen | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Merkel Supports Eurozone 'Red Card'
BBC: Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel says she wants the eurozone to be able to exclude one of its members in future if that is necessary to avert a crisis.

Mrs Merkel told the German Bundestag (parliament) that existing EU rules were not strong enough to deal with the current crisis triggered by Greece.

Exclusion from the 16-nation eurozone would be a "last resort", she said.

Germany, seen as the driving force of the euro system, is reluctant to bail out Greece's debt-laden economy.

But Mrs Merkel said no eurozone country would be left on its own to deal with the current crisis. Greece's budget deficit - four times higher than EU rules allow - has raised fears of possible contagion in the eurozone. >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Labour Has Taken 13 Years of Diabolical Liberties with Britain
THE TELEGRAPH: Individualism and autonomy used to be prized – now they are held in contempt, argues Simon Heffer

A danger of the Government's having made such a mess of the economy is that one risks forgetting all the other horrors for which it is responsible. Between now and the election I shall make a point of discussing some of these other factors that an intelligent voter should want to consider before casting his or her ballot. Despite stiff competition from matters like Europe, immigration, law and order and the near-destruction of our education system, one is perhaps worse than all the others: the insidious and at times quite terrifying assault on our civil liberties.

I have been prompted to think more about this after reading a new book by one of Cambridge University's most impressive young political philosophers, Ben Colburn. In Autonomy and Liberalism (Routledge, £70), Dr Colburn seeks "an understanding of what a liberal political philosophy is committed to". In this country, "liberal" is still just a term of approbation. Mrs Thatcher was a 19th century liberal. I have always considered myself a Gladstonian liberal. However, in America the word is used by people whose politics are broadly the same as Mrs Thatcher's and mine as a term of abuse. Perhaps the difference is that we think of liberalism in predominantly economic terms and the Americans think of it as defining something social.

This creates what Dr Colburn calls "a cacophony" surrounding the term, and in his book he seeks to restore order. To his mind, individual autonomy is central to the liberal political philosophy. Although a political philosopher, Dr Colburn takes a view of autonomy that verges upon the spiritual: "What is distinctive and valuable about human life is our capacity to decide for ourselves what is valuable in life, and to shape our lives in accordance with that decision".

There has, he argues later in his book, to be equality of access to autonomy; and he points out that autonomy is not a term interchangeable with freedom, and demonstrates how increased freedom may actually restrict the autonomy of some individuals simply because they do not have the knowledge or the means to handle it. These are rarified points, worthy of a political philosopher, but perhaps not with an immediate practical application to our politics. However, it is precisely this sort of philosophical underpinning that has been absent from so much policy during the past 13 years, and which has caused unnecessary restrictions to our autonomy: and, in the process, created a state that is becoming progressively more and more authoritarian, and therefore unpleasant, to live in. >>> Simon Heffer | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Quarter of Adults Out of Work, Official Figures Show
THE TELEGRAPH: More than one in four adults in Britain are not working, after a record number left the workforce in recent months, official figures indicated.

A total of 10.6 million people either did not have a job, or have stopped looking for one, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics, which indicated that more people than ever before had abandoned the workplace – choosing instead to study, go on sick leave or just give up searching for a job.

A record 149,000 left the workforce and became "economically inactive", between November last year and January, the ONS said. These people more than offset the fall in the headline unemployment.

Unemployment fell for the third month in a row, dropping by 33,000 to hit 2.45 million. It has yet to breach the symbolic 2.5 million mark, let alone the 3 million barrier that haunted the recessions of the early 1990s and 1980s.

However, economists immediately expressed caution about the monthly figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The total number of economically inactive hit 8.16 million, the highest since the ONS started recording this measure in 1971.

The number out of a job, or econically inactive totals 10.6 million, or 28 per cent of adults of working age. >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Dubai Jails Indian Pair for 'Sexy Texts'
BBC: Steamy text messages have resulted in a three-month jail sentence for a Indian man and an Indian woman in Dubai.

Judges ruled that they had planned to "commit sin", a reference to an extramarital affair - which is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.

The unnamed pair, aged 47 and 42, were working as cabin crew for Dubai's Emirates airline.

Their "sexy texts" first surfaced last year, in a divorce lawsuit by the woman's estranged husband. Crimes of passion >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

My “Friend” Ahmadinejad – Recep Tayyip Erdogan
BBC: The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has told the BBC that he believes Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons.

Mr Erdogan said he was confident Iran's nuclear programme was for civilian purposes only and described President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a "friend". Iran Nuclear Programme ‘Solely Civilian’ – Turkish PM (with video) >>> | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

World of Islam Children's Books Spark Protest from US Muslims
THE GUARDIAN: Council on American-Islamic Relations complains Muslims are portrayed as violent in series by foreign policy thinktank

Protesters feel that the books indicate that Muslims are something American society should be wary of. Photograph: The Guardian
A series of US children's textbooks on Islam contains misleading and inflammatory rhetoric about the religion, inaccurately portraying its followers as hostile and deserving of suspicion, according to a US Muslim civil liberties group.

The Pennsylvania chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has begun what it calls a public awareness campaign against the World of Islam books by Mason Crest Publishing.

"The overall theme of the books is that Muslims are inherently violent, that Islam is a second-rate religion and that one should be wary of Muslims in any society," said Moein Khawaja, the chapter's civil rights director. "These books do not fulfil the mission of a school, which is to educate."

Among dozens of examples cited by Khawaja, the book Muslims in America says: "Some Muslims began immigrating to the United States in order to transform American society, sometimes through the use of terrorism." Elsewhere, a picture of two smiling Muslim girls in head scarves appears on a page subtitled "Security Threats".

Mason Crest produced the 10-book series, which is designed for ages 10 and older, in partnership with the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute. >>> Associated Press | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Hillary Clinton to Call Benjamin Netanyahu in Bid to Ease Tensions
THE TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, is planning to telephone Benjamin Netanyahu, the Isreali prime minister, in an effort to ease a bitter diplomatic feud.

Hillary Clinton: "We have an absolute commitment to Israel's security." Photo: The Telegraph
US officials said the call would be made in the next 24 hours, as the Obama administration awaits Mr Netanyahu's response to its complaints over Israeli settlement policy, which has provoked the deepest US-Israel row in years.

But in a possible sign that it wants to stop the row widening, the administration also said the dispute was a disagreement between friends which would not shatter the "unbreakable bond" between the allies.

Uncertainty over US-Israeli relations unfolded amid rising regional tensions, as hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in east Jerusalem in the worst rioting in years.

The row erupted when Washington, frustrated over a lack of success for its peace brokering, reacted angrily last week to an Israeli announcement that 1,600 new settler homes would be built in annexed east Jerusalem.

The move came at the moment the United States had convinced the Palestinians to take part in indirect "proximity" talks with the Israelis, and during a visit to Jerusalem by Vice President Joe Biden.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters he expected a conversation "very soon" between Mrs Clinton and Mr Netanyahu. >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A Bitter Century: Armenia's Fears

Turkey Threatens to Expel 100,000 Armenians Over 'Genocide' Row
THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey has threatened to expel 100,000 Armenians from the country in response to the US branding the First World War killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as "genocide".

Ottoman soldiers posing in front of Armenians they hung on a public place, image taken in Alep in 1915. Photograph: The Telegraph
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, said the position of the immigrants, many of whom have lived there as refugees for a generation, was being reviewed in the wake of the row.

Armenia claims more than 500,000 of its countrymen died in bitter in-fighting as the Ottoman Empire disintegrated at the height of the First World War.

Turkey concedes that tens of thousands died in ethnic fighting but vehemently disputes accusations that massacres were systematically planned.

Tensions with Armenia have recently escalated as a well-organised worldwide campaign has persuaded the American Congress and Swedish parliament to adopt resolutions condemning the incidents as "genocide".

An Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Bill has also been put before the House of Commons and Mr Erdogan has warned Gordon Brown that relations would suffer if parliament passes it.

Turkish law already makes discussion of genocide an offence punishable by imprisonment.

"There are currently 170,000 Armenians living in our country. Only 70,000 of them are Turkish citizens, but we are tolerating the remaining 100,000," said Mr Erdogan.

"If necessary, I may have to tell these 100,000 to go back to their country because they are not my citizens. I don't have to keep them in my country." >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Related:

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Turkish EU Minister on the Armenian Genocide Controversy: 'We Are Very Sensitive About This Issue' >>> Interview conducted by Bernhard Zand and Daniel Steinvorth | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Turkey Threatens 'Serious Consequences' After US Vote on Armenian Genocide >>> Robert Tait in Istanbul and Ewen MacAskill in Washington | Friday, March 05, 2010

A Bitter Century: Armenian Survivor

Cover-up*? Hawaii Considers Ban on Requests for Obama's Birth Certificate
THE TELEGRAPH: Hawaii may start ignoring repeated requests for proof that President Barack Obama was born on the islands.

Mr Obama was born to a Kenyan father and an American mother. Photograph: The Telegraph
Repeated requests to see President Barack Obama's birth certificate may fall on deaf ears after the House Judiciary Committee heard a bill permitting government officials to ignore people who won't give up.

So-called "birthers" claim Mr Obama is ineligible to be president because, they argue, he was actually born outside the United States, and therefore doesn't meet a constitutional requirement for being president.

"Sometimes we may be dealing with a cohort of people who believe lack of evidence is evidence of a conspiracy," said Lorrin Kim, from the Hawaii Department of Health.

Under Hawaii state law, the release of a birth certificate is prohibited for people who do not have a tangible interest.

Hawaii Health Director Dr Chiyome Fukino issued statements last year and in October 2008 saying that she had seen vital records that prove Mr Obama is a natural-born American citizen.

Mr Obama was born to a Kenyan father and an American mother. >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Activist Calls Obama a Fraudster

RUSSIA TODAY: Obama’s unwillingness to unseal his official birth certificate implies some kind of fraud on his part, says Orly Taitz, an activist who has been questioning the legitimacy of President Barack Obama’s presidency. >>> | Monday, March 08, 2010 | Edited Saturday, March 13, 2010

Childhood Photo of Barack Obama in Indonesia Found
THE TELEGRAPH: A photograph taken more than 40 years ago showing a young Barack Obama as a schoolboy in Indonesia has been found, days before he begins his presidential visit to the country.

Barack Obama, then known as Barry Soetoro, center, is pictured at a classmate's birthday party in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: The Telegraph
The picture was given to Associated Press by Hadi Surya Dharma, a childhood friend of Mr Obama's, who sits beside the future president in the black and white photo.

Mr Obama, who was born to a Kenyan father and an American mother, moved to Indonesia when he was seven – after his mother married an Indonesian man she met while studying at the University of Hawaii.

Mr Obama and his mother first set up home in the Menteng Dalam area of Jakarta.

Now a jumble of houses and narrow streets in the shadow of tower blocks, at the time it was on the edge of the city and fruit trees were landmarks.

Many families still live there, and they shared memories of the boy they knew as Barry. >>> | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Racism! Wal-Mart Announcement Tells 'All Black People' to Leave Store
THE TELEGRAPH: A branch of Wal-Mart is being investigated after an announcement was made via the store's loudspeakers for 'all black people' to leave.

Customers and staff at the Wal-Mart superstore in New Jersey were shocked after a man used the public address system to tell "all black people" to leave.

On Sunday evening at the Washington Township store, a male voice calmly announced: "Attention Wal-Mart customers: All black people leave the store now."

Officials from Wal-Mart Stores are reviewing security tapes to try to determine who made the announcement. >>> | March 17, 2010

States Move to Raise Speed Limits

Sterling Looks Doomed

Israel gerät immer stärker in den Strudel der Kritik: Scharfe Rüge der Uno und der USA
NZZ ONLINE: Die internationale Kritik an der Siedlungspolitik Israels reisst nicht ab. Der Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon hat die Regierung Netanyahu aufgefordert, in ihrer Politik einen Richtungswechsel einzulegen. Washington hat konkrete Forderungen an Tel Aviv gerichtet.

Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon hat von Israel einen «Richtungswechsel» im Nahost-Konflikt gefordert. Die Lage im weitgehend abgeriegelten Gazastreifen sei ausserordentlich besorgniserregend, sagte Ban am Dienstag im Hauptquartier der Unoin New York.

Die Situation ermutig Schmuggler und gebe Extremisten Auftrieb. Weil er über die Entwicklung «zutiefst frustriert» sei, werde er nach den Gesprächen des Nahostquartetts - bestehend aus Uno, USA, EU und Russland - am Freitag in Moskau in den Nahen Osten reisen, sagte Ban.

Auch wegen des geplanten Wohnungsbaus in Ost-Jerusalem griff der Koreaner Israel scharf an. «Wir sind sehr besorgt und verurteilen den Plan der israelischen Regierung. Die Siedlungen sind nach internationalem Recht illegal. Zudem ist der Status der Stadt Jerusalem, die für drei Weltreligionen heilig ist, ungeklärt.»

Ein solcher Status könne nur durch internationale Verhandlungen bestimmt werden, nicht durch vollendete Tatsachen. Das israelische Innenministerium hatte vor einer Woche angekündigt, 1600 neue Wohnungen im Nordosten des besetzten arabischen Ostteils Jerusalems bauen zu wollen. >>> sda/dpa/Reuters/afp | Dienstag, 16. März 2010

Suisse – Micheline Calmy-Rey: "La libération de Max Göldi est une priorité"
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE KADHAFI | La cheffe de la diplomatie helvétique Micheline Calmy-Rey a rencontré mardi son homologue allemand Guido Westerwelle lors d'une visite de travail à Berlin.

L'Allemagne faisant office de médiatrice dans la crise qui oppose Berne à Tripoli, les solutions pour parvenir à une libération du Suisse Max Göldi ont été abordées.

«La libération de Max Göldi, retenu depuis plus d'un an et demi en Libye, est une priorité pour le Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE)», ont réitéré les services de Micheline Calmy-Rey dans un communiqué. Et «la Suisse continue de miser sur la voie diplomatique pour trouver une solution constructive», ont-ils souligné.

En parallèle aux efforts de médiation de l'UE, des entretiens entre la Suisse et la Libye avaient eu lieu sous l'égide de l'Allemagne à la fin février, à Berlin. Rien n'avait alors filtré sur le contenu des discussions visant à libérer les deux ressortissants suisses, Rachid Hamdani et Max Göldi, alors encore tous deux retenus à Tripoli. >>> ATS | Mardi 16 Mars 2010

Dhimmitude! Entschädigung für Hannibal Ghadhafi*: Der Kanton Genf will sich an den Kosten beteiligen
NZZ ONLINE: Der Kanton Genf bedauert die Veröffentlichung der Polizeifotos Hannibal Gaddafis. Er ist zudem der Meinung, Hannibal Ghadhafi stehe deswegen eine angemessene Entschädigung.

Dies hielt der Kanton Genf in seiner Eingabe vom Dienstag an das zuständige Gericht fest, wie die Sendung «10 vor 10» berichtete. Der Text liegt der Nachrichtenagentur SDA vor. Der Zivilprozess soll am kommenden Donnerstag stattfinden.

Hannibal Ghadhafi hatte im vergangenen Dezember eine Ziviklage wegen Verletzung seines Persönlichkeitsschutzes eingereicht und 100'000 Franken Entschädigung gefordert.

Er klagte gegen den Kanton Genf, die Westschweizer Zeitung «Tribune de Genève» sowie einen Journalisten der Zeitung wegen der Veröffentlichung seiner Polizeifotos am 4. September 2009. Der Kanton Genf hatte seinerseits Klage gegen Unbekannt wegen Amtsgeheimnisverletzung eingereicht. >>> sda | Mittwoch 17. März 2010

*Es ist erstaunlich wie schnell die Regierung agieren kann, um eine Lösung zu finden, wenn es um verlorenes Geld geht (Embargo)! – © Mark

IslamOnline Website in Crisis as Employees in Egypt Stage Sit-in
THE GUARDIAN: Future of one of the world's largest Islamic sites in doubt as row escalates between Qatari managers and workers in Egypt



The future of one of the largest Islamic websites in the world was in doubt today after hundreds of staff walked out, accusing new managers of trying to hijack the site in order to promote a hardline, conservative agenda.

IslamOnline, which draws over 120,000 visitors a day and is one of the most popular internet destinations in the Middle East, was plunged into crisis following an attempt by the website's senior management in Qatar to wrest control of the site's content away from its editorial offices in Cairo.

Insiders claim that the move, which would involve many of the site's 350 Egypt-based staff losing their jobs, is part of a broader effort by conservative elements in the Gulf to reshape the identity of a media outlet long viewed as a bastion of liberal and reformist voices within the Islamic world.

"This is not an issue of money," journalist Fathi Abu Hatab told the Guardian via telephone from the website's offices, which are currently under occupation by staff. "It's a matter of editorial independence and media ethics, and we are not going to back down. They are trying to hijack IslamOnline, and we are resisting."

IslamOnline was founded in 1997 by the controversial Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a popular preacher who has previously been banned from entering the United States and Britain.

Promoting a "holistic" vision of Islam, it offered Muslims a wide range of online guidance on political, family and social issues. With a reputation for including non-Muslims and secular Muslims on its payroll, the multilingual website quickly gained global popularity as a source for theological answers to questions involving everything from homosexuality to Hamas.

"When it was launched, IslamOnline was very distinctive and very different," said one former employee, who worked for the site for seven years. "Most other Islamic websites are quite dull and dense, but this one saw Islam as a way of life and offered practical help."

Most importantly, it enjoyed a degree of editorial independence from its financial backers, a welcome rarity in the Arab media world. >>> Jack Shenker in Cairo | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

UK Courts May Hear Mohammed Case
THE COPENHAGEN POST ONLINE: Justice minister calls it unacceptable that proposed lawsuit against Danish newspapers could be heard in British court system

Because EU member states generally recognise the authority of each other's legal systems, Denmark may be forced to pay damages through the British courts if plaintiffs win their lawsuit over the printing of the Mohammed cartoons.

Saudi lawyer Faisal Yamani has taken the case to court in London – claiming to have done so on behalf of some 95,000 descendants of the prophet Mohammed – saying the drawings amount to defamation against them and the Islamic faith.

In August last year, Yamani requested that 11 Danish newspapers remove all the relevant images from their websites and issue apologies along with promises that the images would never be printed again.

Politiken was the only newspaper to agree to the demand, having acquiesced last month.

But justice minister Lars Barfoed has now asked the European Commission to step in to stop the case from being heard in the UK. Barfoed said that while he respected the legal cooperation among EU member states, the proposed lawsuit amounts to a restriction on the freedom of expression.

‘It’s fundamentally reasonable that judgments in the EU can often be exercised across borders,’ Barfoed told Berlingske Tidende newspaper. ‘But it would be taking it to the extreme if a UK court could rule against the Danish media and then require compensation and court costs to be paid.’ >>> RC News | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Related:

THE TELEGRAPH: Defamation Case Over Prophet Mohammed Cartoons 'To Be Held' in Britain >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The World From Berlin: 'Westerwelle Has a Lot to Learn'
German Foreign Minister and FDP leader Guido Westerwelle hitting back at his critics at a party meeting on Sunday. Photograph: Spiegel Online International
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has furiously rejected accusations of nepotism being levelled at him by opposition politicians and the media. Commentators wonder whether Germany's top diplomat, so prone to shrill tirades, is diplomatic enough for his job.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, under fire from opposition politicians and media commentators for taking party donors and his partner Michael Mronz on official trips abroad, hit back at his critics over the weekend, dismissing the accusations as "slander" that was damaging Germany.

"Such slander by the opposition against a foreign minister while he is on a foreign trip in the interest of German jobs damages Germany," the leader of the country's pro-business Free Democrat Party (FDP) told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper in an interview published on Sunday. "Political culture has hit a low point when the opposition even attacks the relatives of political opponents for party political gain."

"I've got a very thick skin," the leader of Germany's pro-business FDP said. "Party political defamation campaigns just make me fight harder."

SPIEGEL reported last week that Westerwelle, who is also deputy chancellor in Angela Merkel's government, has been taking friends and party donors on official trips abroad, and that he took part in a ceremony that Mronz had helped organize to mark the opening of a luxury hotel in Bonn.

It also emerged last week that the manager of a company in which Westerwelle's brother, Kai Westerwelle, owns a stake was part of the business delegation accompanying the minister on a trip to Asia in January. Ralf Marohn, the majority owner and managing director of Far Eastern Fernost Beratungs- und Handels GmbH, a trading consultancy, was on Westerwelle's government jet for the four-day trip to Estonia, Japan and China. According to a corporate register seen by SPIEGEL ONLINE, Kai Westerwelle took a €15,000 ($20,600) stake in the consultancy in 2007.

The allegations, together with Westerwelle's controversial remarks about benefits paid to the long-term unemployed, have hit the FDP's opinion poll ratings ahead of a major regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, in May.

Several media commentators say the accusations against Westerwelle are exaggerated, but that he hasn't done himself any favors with his shrill reaction to them. >>> David Crossland | Monday, March 15, 2010

Turkish EU Minister on the Armenian Genocide Controversy: 'We Are Very Sensitive About This Issue'
Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s Minister for European Affairs. Photo: Spiegel Online International
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In a SPIEGEL interview, Ankara's Minister for European Affairs Egemen Bagis discusses Turkey's journey to the West and his country's dispute with the United States over a resolution on the genocide of the Armenians recently passed by Congress.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Bagis, why does Turkey still need a minister for European Union affairs? Isn't Europe a dead issue in your country?

Bagis: Absolutely not. My government is investing more energy in the reform process than any other government. In 2013 we will be ready for accession.

SPIEGEL: But do Turks share your enthusiam? Three out of four Turks believe that the EU wants to divide your country and spread Christianity.

Bagis: I have other figures: If Turkey held a referendum today on accession, 60 percent would vote for it. On the other hand, only 40 percent of Turks believe that accession will definitely take place. In Europe it is the other way round: Forty percent want to take Turkey in, but 60 percent believe the country will join the EU one day.

SPIEGEL: In other words: There is skepticism on both sides.

Bagis: Let's put it this way: Some countries like Malta apply for membership and are in the next day. Others need a little more time. I have no problem with the fact that some Europeans say they want negotiations with an open-ended outcome. Today everything has an open-ended outcome, even Catholic marriages. >>> | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Interview conducted by Bernhard Zand and Daniel Steinvorth

Gegen “Linke Verzerrungen”: Radikale Christen wollen US-Schulbücher reinigen
WELT ONLINE: In Texas wollen fundamentalistische Christen die Lehrpläne revidieren. Ihr Ziel: Angeblich linke Lehren aus den Schulbüchern zu tilgen. So soll Ronald Reagan besser wegkommen. Den Hip-Hop, eine Jugendkultur der Schwarzen, wollen die Konservativen nicht mehr als kulturelle Entwicklung gewürdigt wissen.

Schüler in Texas sollen Thomas Jefferson, den dritten Präsidenten der USA und Vordenker der Verfassung, nicht mehr als Ideengeber für politische Entwicklung im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert kennenlernen. Jefferson, der die Trennung von Staat und Kirche forderte, wird in den Lehrplänen, die von der ersten Klasse bis zur Highschool gelten, durch den Reformator Johannes Calvin ersetzt, nach dessen strenger Lehre Gott die Menschen in Auserwählte und Nicht-Auserwählte teilte.

Das hat neben etlichen weiteren Änderungen der staatliche Erziehungsausschuss des Bundesstaates Texas in Austin nach erbitterten Debatten beschlossen. Der Gründung der Vereinigten Staaten werden nicht mehr säkulare, sondern christliche Motive unterstellt. Darum sollen Schüler auch nicht mehr lernen, "dass die Verfassung die US-Regierung daran hindert, eine Religion über andere zu stellen“. >>> Von Ansgar Graw | Dienstag 16. März 2010

Iran Urges Sweden to Take Action on Cartoons
PRESS TV: Iran has urged Sweden to “seriously deal with” a Swedish newspaper which has republished a sacrilegious cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“Iran strongly denounces the reprinting of the disrespectful cartoons,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast on Monday, adding that Tehran was concerned about the negative consequences of such “provocative acts.” >>> AKM/HGH | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Defamation Case Over Prophet Mohammed Cartoons 'To Be Held' in Britain
THE TELEGRAPH: A Saudi Arabian lawyer has threatened to use British courts to overturn a Danish free speech ruling by bringing a defamation case over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that depicted Islam's founder as a terrorist.

Faisal Yamani, a Jeddah based lawyer, is planning to take a case to London's libel courts on behalf of over 90,000 descendants of Mohammed who have claimed that the drawings have defamed them and the Islamic faith.

Cartoon caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed were published in Danish newspapers in 2006 triggering violent protests across the Muslim world and riots which claimed the lives of over 50 people.

According to Danish press reports, the case can be heard in the [sic] Britain because the images, including a caricature of Mohammed with a bomb shaped turban, have been freely accessible via the internet.

Danish politicians and publishers are furious that European Union rules reward "libel tourism" by enforcing British defamation rulings across Europe.

Ebbe Dal, managing director of Danske Dagblades Forening, the Danish national newspaper association, is concerned that Britain's tough libel laws could be used to restrict free speech in liberal countries such as Denmark.

"The Danish courts have decided that the case is not actionable and that we are allowed to print the drawings in Danish newspapers and websites," he said.

"It would be very odd if a civilised country like Britain could go against that. If this succeeded we would have to pay a lot of money to Saudi Arabians misusing the British courts to make it difficult for freedom of speech." >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Iran to Execute Stone-throwing Demonstrator
THE TELEGRAPH: A student who was arrested for throwing a stone during pro-democracy demonstrations is to be executed, Iran said yesterday.

Mohammad-Amin Valian, a 20-year-old Islamic studies student, was arrested on the basis of a photograph taken at a mass demonstration against the rigged presidential election last year. He was among six people convicted of the Islamic crime of moharebeh, or waging war against God.

Their sentences were announced in an apparent attempt to forestall fresh demonstrations to coincide with yesterday's annual festival of fire.

Mr Valian's plight has become a rallying point for opponents of the regime and yesterday's announcement is the latest blow to the movement. The combination of his young age and the flimsy nature of his offence has spurred condemnation of the severity of the sentence.

Clashes were reported last night as Iranians celebrated Charshanbe Soori, a pre-Islamic bonfire night, in defiance of warnings of severe retaliation from the regime. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, March 16, 2010