La vague "bleue Marine" du FN provoque une onde de choc
Marine Le Pen a affirmé dimanche qu'elle partait en 2012 "pour gagner et pas pour faire de la figuration". Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Un sondage plaçant Marine Le Pen en tête du 1er tour de la présidentielle fait vivement réagir la classe politique.

Après la parution d'un sondage la donnant en tête au premier tour en 2012, Marine Le Pen a assuré dimanche concourir "pour gagner et pas pour faire de la figuration", tandis que la polémique se poursuivait de plus belle sur l'usage par Nicolas Sarkozy des questions de laïcité et de religion. Décontractée, vêtue d'une chemise bleue éclatante, la présidente du Front national a affirmé que le Front national était "dans une grande dynamique". "Je pense qu'effectivement on pourrait assister demain à une vague bleue Marine qui commencera peut-être aux cantonales", a dit la fille de Jean-Marie Le Pen, ex-président du FN, quatre mois à peine après son arrivée à la tête du parti frontiste. >>> Le Point.fr | Lundi 07 Mars 2011

Gaddafi öffnet Libyen für Uno-Inspekteure
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Libyen versinkt in Gewalt und Chaos - Gaddafis Soldaten und Aufständische kämpfen erbittert um die Kontrolle in den Städten. Jetzt gibt es etwas Hoffnung für die Bevölkerung: Erkundungsteams von Uno und EU sollen sich Klarheit über die humanitäre Lage im Land verschaffen.

Tripolis/New York/Washington - Wie viele Menschen sind in Libyen auf der Flucht, wie viele sind verletzt oder getötet worden? Genaue Informationen aus dem von schweren Kämpfen erschütterten Land sind schwer zu bekommen. Uno und EU entsenden jetzt Erkundungsteams nach Libyen, um sich ein genaues Bild von der humanitären Lage in dem nordafrikanischen Staat zu machen.

Der libysche Außenminister Mussa Kussa habe in einem Telefonat mit Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon der sofortigen Entsendung eines Teams nach Tripolis zugestimmt, teilte ein Uno-Sprecher in New York mit. Ban, der bereits das gewaltsame Vorgehen des Regimes von Muammar al-Gaddafi angeprangert hatte, habe gegenüber Kussa auf ein sofortiges Ende des Kämpfe gedrängt. Auch habe der Uno-Generalsekretär die Regierung Gaddafis aufgefordert, die Sicherheit aller Ausländer zu garantieren und Hilfsorganisationen ungehinderten Zugang zu den Bedürftigen zu ermöglichen. >>> anr/dpa/AFP/Reuters | Montag, 07. März 2011

Ukrainian Nurse Says Gaddafi 'Perfectly Healthy'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Ukrainian nurse who worked for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has said he is in good health and is a 'great psychologist'.

The nurse, filmed secretly while reluctantly talking to a TVI reporter, was identified only by her first name Oksana. She left Libya in late February as Col Gaddafi's forces tried to quell a revolt that threatens his grip on power.

Col Gaddafi had a group of nurses from the former Soviet republic on his payroll.

The most well-known of his nurses was Galyna Kolotnytska, 38, who was said to be his private nurse.

Leaked diplomatic cables have shown that US diplomats believe she may have been the Libyan dictator's lover as well as his nurse though Miss Kolotnytska's family has denied the reports. She returned to her home in Kiev last Sunday.

In the interview, aired late on Saturday, Oksana told TVI she had worked for Col Gaddafi for over two years. >>> | Monday, March 07, 2011

The Battle for Control in Libya
Mar 06 - Troops loyal to Gaddafi launched counter-offensives against rebel-held towns, increasing fears that Libya is heading for a protracted civil war. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Inside Story: Egypt's State Security

Libya Braces for Prolonged Conflict
Euphoria in anti-government strongholds is fading as Gaddafi forces "draw line in sand" on road to key town of Sirte

AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Opposition forces in Libya are bracing for a prolonged campaign in their bid to overthrow the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, the country's long-time leader, as their fighters battle to repulse ferocious assaults by government soldiers. >>> Al Jazeera and agencies | Monday, March 07, 2011

Battles Continue in Libya
Libyan state television has broadcast an appearance by leader Muammar Gaddafi before crowds in Tripoli's Green Square.
Pro-government supporters also rallied in the capital on Sunday.
Pictures have also emerged of fighting in the Libyan town of Misurata.
Opposition fighters also say they have repelled an attack by government forces, including tanks and artillery.
At least 18 people were killed.
Al Jazeera Charles Stratford reports on the fighting seen across the country

New York Rally Condemns Congressional Hearing on Muslim Terrorism
THE GUARDIAN: Protesters say hearings planned by Congressman Peter King are unfair for singling out Muslims rather than extremists

Some 300 people gathered in Times Square in New York on Sunday to speak out against a planned congressional hearing on Muslim terrorism, criticising it as xenophobic and saying that singling out Muslims, rather than extremists, is unfair.

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and the imam who led an effort to build an Islamic centre near the World Trade Centre site were among those who addressed the crowd.

"Our real enemy is not Islam or Muslims," said the imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf. "The enemy is extremism and radicalism and radical ideology."

The chairman of the homeland security committee, Peter King, has said affiliates of al-Qaida are radicalising some American Muslims and has planned hearings, starting on Thursday, on the threat he says they pose.

King, a Republican from New York's Long Island, told CNN's State of the Union programme on Sunday that he feared Muslims in the US were becoming more radical and identifying with terrorists.

Speakers at the cold and drizzly Times Square rally said King was targeting Muslims unfairly. >>> Associated Press | Monday, March 07, 2011

Comment:

To say that our real enemy is not Islam but extremism and radicalism is like saying that a flood is caused by the water, not the heavy rainfall that brought it! In other words, we have to ask ourselves what is it that is causing all this extremism, what is the source of our problems with Islamic terrorism and Islamic extremism? What is feeding all this extremism? And of course the answer to these questions is the socio-political ideology known as Islam. It is wrapped up in a deity; but that alters nothing. Islam breeds extremism. It really is a no-brainer! Any ideology which calls for total submission and total dedication to the cause, and to the exclusion of all else, even until death, is bound to make people single-minded and obsessive. By its very nature, it is bound to breed extremism. In the case of Islam, it breeds Islamic extremism. Full stop! It’s that simple! – © Mark

London Imam Subjected to Death Threats for Supporting Evolution
THE GUARDIAN: Mosque suspends engineering lecturer Usama Hasan for 'antagonising' community and backing women's rights

An imam of an east London mosque has been subject to death threats and intimidation for expressing his views on evolution and women's right to refuse the veil.

Dr Usama Hasan, vice-chairman at Leyton mosque and a senior lecturer in engineering at Middlesex University, ceased delivering Friday prayers after 25 years of service when 50 Muslim protesters disrupted his lecture by handing out leaflets against him and shouting in the mosque for his execution.

A statement from the secretary of the mosque, Mohammad Sethi, that was leaked to extremist websites, said Hasan had been suspended after his lecture resulted in "considerable antagonism" from the community and for his "belief that Muslim women are allowed to uncover their hair in public".

Sethi's letter, dated 24 February, said Hasan's views were in "violation of the constitution of the Masjid Trust" and that the decision had been made for the "safety and security of all parties". >>> Rowenna Davis | Sunday, March 06, 2011

Saudi Arabia Bans Public Protest
THE GUARDIAN: Ruling by senior clerical council follows two weeks of Shia demonstrations and 22 arrests

Public protests have been banned in Saudi Arabia following demonstrations by minority Shia groups.

The ruling comes after widespread demonstrations in the Middle East – including those that led to the downfall of regimes in Egypt and Tunisia – and two weeks of Shia agitation in Saudi Arabia itself, during which 22 people were arrested.

A statement issued by the country's council of senior clerics said: "The council ... affirms that demonstrations are forbidden in this country. The correct way in sharia [law] of realising common interest is by advising, which is what the Prophet Muhammad established.

"Reform and advice should not be via demonstrations and ways that provoke strife and division, this is what the religious scholars of this country in the past and now have forbidden and warned against."

The statement goes on to make clear the council's stance against political parties, which are banned as they are deemed to be not in keeping with Islam. >>> Agencies | Sunday, March 06, 2011

Gaddafi Troops' 'Gains' Disputed
BBC: As I write I can hear volleys of gunfire hammering around Tripoli. It is around 1430 on Sunday and since early morning supporters of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have been out in the streets celebrating.

They have been told - and seem to believe without question - that his forces have scored important victories. One of the government spokesmen said Zawiya, Misrata and Ras Lanuf had been recaptured from rebels, and that Col Gaddafi's forces were advancing on Benghazi, the epicentre of the rebellion.

Not long after first light, I went to Green Square, right in the middle of Tripoli and the place where true believers in the regime congregate to celebrate its triumphs.

A couple of thousand people were there - the numbers have grown since then - and the atmosphere was crackling with feverish celebration.

Young men had climbed on to speakers and were dancing to music that praised their leader. Women, many with small children, swayed and sang along.

Guns were everywhere, pistols as well as Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles. Every so often their owners fired into the air. Someone was letting off fireworks as well.

There were green flags, green bandanas and green fringed posters of the colonel which kept getting kissed.

"Libya is united again," one man said. "We all love Gaddafi. He is our father and our brother. He is our leader." >>> Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East editor, Tripoli | Sunday, March 06, 2011

Tripoli Celebrates Gaddafi 'Win'
Pro-Gaddafi supporters are extremely festive in the capital Tripoli, celebrating the government's supposed victory against anti-government rebels.
Meanwhile, across the country, rebels still continue to oppose pro-Gaddafi forces.
Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Tripoli

Libya: A State of Terror - The Great Escape

Reforming Saudi Arabia
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Arab News runs an open letter to the King, by a Saudi lawyer, Khalid Alnowaiser. In the letter, Alnowaiser spells out the changes he thinks critical for Saudi Arabia to meet the challenges the country is now facing and will continue to face until political, social, and economic reforms are made.

For a person who’s been following Saudi Arabia’s halting march toward modernization, there’s not much new in his letter. He points out the flaws, like a dysfunctional legal system; an economy that relies on one commodity; violations of human rights and the limited rights of women; a failed education system. He calls on the King to start instituting the changes necessary. All good.

What’s disquieting, to say the least, is the pushback in the comments to his letter. There are those who somehow see the letter as a call to abandon Islam and Shariah law; others wrap their arms protectively around the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, seeing it as a necessity for good governance. No one actually calls Alnowaiser a kufar, but some suggest that his program of reform will inevitably lead the Saudi nation down the road to perdition. Continue reading and comment >>> | Sunday, March 06, 2011

Revolution in Libyen: Gaddafis Gegenoffensive setzt Westen unter Druck
Nach Berichten des libyschen Staatsfernsehen haben regierungstreue Truppen gleich mehrere Städte zurückerobert. Aufständische und Augenzeugen widersprachen diesen Darstellungen. Bild: Spiegel Online
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Eingreifen oder abwarten? Libyen droht nach immer heftigeren Kämpfen in einem Bürgerkrieg und damit im Chaos zu versinken, der Druck zu intervenieren nimmt zu, vor allem die westlichen Staaten sind gefragt. Doch noch schauen Deutschland, die EU und die USA rat- und tatenlos zu.

Hamburg - Erbitterte Kämpfe zwischen Aufständischen und Regierungstruppen in Libyen nähren die Angst vor einem langen und blutigen Bürgerkrieg. Truppen von Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi griffen am Sonntag die erst kurz zuvor von Rebellen eroberte Stadt Ben Dschawad an. Im nahe gelegenen Ras Lanuf, wo ein wichtiger Ölhafen liegt, konnten die Aufständischen dagegen einen Gegenangriff abwehren.

Ähnlich instabil die Lage im Westen des Landes: Erneute Angriffe von Gaddafi-Truppen auf die Stadt Sawija, die etwa 50 Kilometer von der Hauptstadt Tripolis entfernt und seit Tagen äußerst heftig umkämpft ist; Gaddafi-Einheiten gehen dort mit schweren Waffen vor. Unklar die Ursache für schweres Maschinengewehrfeuer in Tripolis. Nach Darstellung der Regierung wurde so die Rückeroberung mehrerer Städte gefeiert, die aber offenbar noch immer in Rebellenhand sind; ebenso wie die Stadt Bengasi, wo die Proteste gegen Gaddafi ihren Anfang genommen hatten. >>> tdo/Dapd/dpa/Reuters | Sonntag, 06. März 2011

Kadhafi fête sa longévité politique dans une capitale divisée
REUTERS FRANCE: TRIPOLI - Mouammar Kadhafi a transformé Tripoli dimanche en lieu de célébration de ses 41 ans de règne sur la Libye, mais les habitants d'un des quartiers les plus troublés de la ville se jurent de continuer à lui résister.

La capitale s'est réveillée au son de tirs de mitrailleuse qui fêtaient ce que le gouvernement a présenté comme sa victoire sur les rebelles dans des villes clés du pays. A l'aube, des milliers de fidèles de Kadhafi se sont répandus dans les rues en brandissant des drapeaux et en tirant des coups de feu en l'air.

Dans le quartier populaire de Tadjoura, point de cristallisation de l'hostilité à Kadhafi dans la capitale, des habitants inquiets ont vu passer des camions remplis de partisans du "guide libyen" qui hurlaient "Dieu, Mouammar, la Libye, rien d'autre". >>> Par Maria Golovnina et Michael Georgy | Dimanche 06 Mars 2011

Angst vor langem Bürgerkrieg in Libyen wächst
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Tripolis - Angesichts erbitterter Kämpfe zwischen Aufständischen und Regierungstruppen in Libyen wächst die Angst vor einem langen Bürgerkrieg.

Truppen von Machthaber Muammar Gaddafi griffen am Sonntag drei von Rebellen gehaltene Städte an. Dabei kamen Panzer, Artillerie, Kampfflugzeuge und Hubschrauber zum Einsatz. Die Kämpfe ereigneten sich in den Städten Sawija und Misrata im Westen des Landes sowie in der Ölhafenstadt Ras Lanuf weiter im Osten. Regierungssprecher berichteten von Erfolgen. Gaddafi beklagte sich über mangelnde Unterstützung aus dem Ausland. Er kämpfe gegen den Terrorismus, sagte der seit über 40 Jahren herrschende Staatschef. Die EU entsandte eine Delegation nach Tripolis, um sich über die Lage der Bevölkerung zu informieren. >>> | Sonntag, 06. März 2011

'Huda the Executioner' - Libya's Devil in Female Form
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: How pulling on a hanging man's legs made Huda Ben Amer one of Colonel Gaddafi's most trusted elite.


When Colonel Gaddafi hanged his first political opponent in Benghazi's basketball stadium, thousands of schoolchildren and students were rounded up to watch a carefully choreographed, sadistic display of the regime's version of justice.

They had been told they would see the trial of one of the Colonel's enemies.

But instead a gallows was dramatically produced as the condemned man knelt in the middle of the basketball court, weeping and asking for his mother, hands bound behind his back.

The crowd, many of them children, cried and yelled out "No, no" or called on God to help them as they realised what was about to happen. Two young men bravely ran up to the revolutionary judges and begged them for mercy.

The worst moment came right at the end, as the hanged man kicked and writhed on the gallows. A determined-looking young woman stepped forward, grabbed him by the legs, and pulled hard on his body until the struggling stopped. >>> Nick Meo, Benghazi | Sunday, March 06, 2011

Gadhafi Family Excesses

Gadhaf: The Mad Dog’d Mad Life

Inside the World of Gadhafi

Egyptian Protesters Storm State Security HQ
Protesters storm the state security headquarters in Alexandria, Egypt, after forces inside reportedly open fire. Video courtesy of Reuters

Egyptian Police Holed Up Against Angry Mob
Protesters storm security offices in Alexandria, driving police to hole out in the building's top floors. Video courtesy of Reuters

Moammar Gadhafi’s Son Speaks with CNN

Gillard Arrives in US for Obama Talks

Libya: A State of Terror
As Muammar Gaddafi wages war against a popular uprising, Libyan exiles explain how terror has long been a tool of the regime

Russian Church Calls for 'National Dress Code'
Russia's orthodox church has stirred controversy by calling for a "national dress code." A senior cleric in the church claimed Russian woman who wear revealing clothes encourage sexual assault. Al Jazeera's Neave Barker reports from Moscow

Conflicting Claims Abound in Libya
Everything in the Libyan conflict depends on who you believe, and in the capital, Tripoli, they believe Gaddafi's forces have taken back control of the towns of Az-Zawiyah and Misrata from the rebels. But witnesses have told Al Jazeera the government claims are false. Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports

Libya Rebels Battle Gaddafi Loyalists
Anti-government fighters in the western Libyan town of Az Zawiyah have fought off forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan president, pushing them from the town. But the limited effectiveness of Gadaffi's forces and the overall disorganisation of the rebels have led largely to a stalemate situation. Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports

SCHWEIZ: Bund sperrt Grenzen für den Gaddafi-Clan
20 MINUTEN ONLINE: Bundesrätin Micheline Calmy-Rey will das Gaddafi-Regime vor den Richter bringen. Vorerst hat die Schweiz für die Mitglieder des Gaddafi-Clans eine Einreisesperre verhängt.

Bundespräsidentin Micheline Calmy-Rey fordert die Schweizer Justiz dazu auf, die Verantwortlichen für die Entführung von Max Göldi und Rachid Hamdani zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen.

«Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass man in der Schweiz eine Strafuntersuchung einleitet, um die Umstände der Entführung von Max Göldi und Rachid Hamdani im Herbst 2009 zu untersuchen und die Schuldigen vor den Richter zu bringen», sagte die Bundespräsidentin im Interview mit der «NZZ am Sonntag». Calmy-Rey: «Zeit, zurückzuschlagen» >>> ast | Samstag, 05. März 2011

Kadhafi: "C'est moi ou Al-Qaïda"
leJDD.fr: En exclusivité mondiale, le chef d'Etat libyen a reçu, samedi, deux envoyés spéciaux du JDD dans son QG de Tripoli. Retrouvez ici des extraits de cet entretien exceptionnel, publié dimanche dans le JDD nouvelle formule.

LA MENACE TERRORISTE 

"Quand il y a eu la confusion en Tunisie et en Egypte (…) Al-Qaida a donné instruction à ses cellules dormantes en Libye de faire surface (…) Les jeunes ne connaissaient pas Al-Qaida ni l’idéologie de cette organisation. Mais les membres de ces cellules vont jusqu’à leur donner des pilules hallucinogènes. (…) Aujourd’hui, ces jeunes ont pris goût à ces pilules et pensent que les mitraillettes sont comme une sorte de feu d’artifice."

"Je m’étonne vraiment que l’on ne comprenne pas qu’il s’agit ici d’un combat contre le terrorisme (…) Nos services de renseignement coopèrent. Nous vous avons beaucoup aidé ces dernières années! Alors pourquoi lorsque nous sommes dans un combat contre le terrorisme ici en Libye on ne vient pas nous aider en retour!"

"Il y aura un Djihad islamique en face de vous, en Méditerranée (…) Les gens de Ben Laden viendront imposer des rançons sur terre, et sur mer. On reviendra au temps de Barberousse, des pirates, des Ottomans qui imposaient des rançons sur les bateaux. Ce sera vraiment une crise mondiale et une catastrophe pour tout le monde." LE RÔLE DE LA FRANCE DANS LA CRISE >>> Laurent Valdiguié, Le Journal du Dimanche | Samedi 05 Mars 2011

"Kadhafi a peur"

leJDD.fr: "Aujourd'hui, Kadhafi a peur" : Envoyé spécial du JDD à Tripoli, Laurent Valdiguié raconte au JDD.fr sa rencontre avec Mouammar Kadhafi. >>> La Rédaction, leJDD.fr | Dimanche 06 Mars 2011

Heavy Machinegun Fire Rocks Libyan Capital Tripoli

REUTERS: Heavy automatic weapons fire erupted in the Libyan capital Tripoli Sunday, the first such outbreak in Muammar Gaddafi's main stronghold in a two-week-old insurrection against his 41-year-old rule.

Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim denied any fighting was under way in Tripoli, saying the gunfire was staged to fete the army's recapture of several cities from rebel forces.

It was unclear who was doing the shooting, which started just before daybreak, or what had caused it. Machine gun volleys, some of them heavy caliber, reverberated around central Tripoli along with ambulance sirens, pro-Gaddafi chants, and a cacophony of car horns as vehicles sped through the vicinity.

"These are celebrations because government forces have taken control of all areas to Benghazi and are in the process of taking control of Benghazi," Ibrahim said, referring to Libya's rebel-controlled second largest city situated in the far east.

State television reported that government forces had retaken the important coastal cities of Zawiyah and Misrata, to the immediate west and east of Tripoli, and were also heading for Benghazi, where the opposition National Libyan Council has set up a crisis committee, in a quest for foreign recognition.

The state television report provided no details and, with poor communication affecting all areas outside Tripoli, there was no immediate way to confirm the battlefield turnaround. Rebel spokesmen could not be reached for comment. >>> Maria Golovnina | Tripoli | Sunday, March 06, 2011

Turning a Blind Eye to the Blood-thirsty Clerics
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pakistan is being swamped by a rising tide of religious hatred, while its political leaders remain silent, writes Praveen Swami.

Fewer than a thousand people made their way to Islamabad’s Khatun-i-Fatima church yesterday to mourn the passing of Shahbaz Bhatti: diplomats and journalists far outnumbered the politicians who claimed to have been proud to have called Pakistan’s assassinated religious minorities minister a friend.

Yusuf Raza Geelani, prime minister of Pakistan, fondly recalled spending time with Mr Bhatti in the church at Christmas, and promised to bring his assassins to justice, but had not one word to say about the cause his colleague died for. Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, was unable to attend.

Mr Bhatti is the second politician to have been killed in recent weeks for demanding amendments to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. His colleague Salman Taseer, the governor of the province of Punjab, was shot dead by one of his own guards in January. Incredibly, Mr Taseer’s assassin was showered with rose petals by lawyers when he was first brought to face trial, while clerical groups organised giant protests to applaud his actions.

Pakistan’s political establishment, though, has been silent in the face of a rising tide of religious hatred. The battle over the blasphemy laws is just one part of a larger war over religion and identity that is threatening the foundations of the nuclear-armed state – but its leaders seem to have neither the will nor the ability to drag it away from disaster. Continue reading and comment >>> Praveen Swami | Saturday, March 05, 2011

Wherever you find Islam, you find bloodshed! – Mark

This comment also appears here

Rebels Turn Tour Guides in Gaddafi Home
Mar 5 - Rebel fighters show off what they say is a beachside compound belonging to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

Amnesty: Qatari Blogger Detained
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Human rights group says Sultan al-Khalaifi has been held incommunicado in Qatar since March 2 and risks being tortured.

Amnesty International says a blogger and human rights activist has been detained incommunicado in Qatar and is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

The UK-based human rights group said Sultan al-Khalaifi was arrested on March 2 by around eight individuals in plain clothes, believed to be members of the security forces.

According to information received by Amnesty International, al-Khalaifi had told his wife earlier that day that state security had contacted him, asking him to report to them, but that he did not know why.

The reasons for his detentions and his whereabouts are unknown, Amnesty said in a statement on Friday, adding that it is believed he is being held in the custody of state security.

Amnesty said al-Khalaifi is the founder of a rights group which campaigns primarily on cases of detention in Qatar, but is legally registered in Switzerland. >>> Al Jazeera | Saturday, March 05, 2011

Libya Oil Sales Continue


Verbunden >>>

Anon: The New Face of Cyber-War
Anonymous, or Anon, is a movement made up of a number of nameless internet activists from around the world.
 For many, the 'hacktivist' group has become the face of the new cyber-war against oppressive governments and all-powerful corporates. 
Describing itself as "the freedom of speech, the freedom of information and the freedom of expression taken to a logical extreme," Anon says it breaks laws, but only for the greater good.
 Al Jazeera's Scott Heidler reports

Lies That Launched a War
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was sanctioned largely because of claims the country had weapons of mass destruction. The source of some of the alleged intelligence behind the claims was an Iraqi defector living in Germany, someone who has now admitted the evidence he submitted was false. Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips reports

Traveller's Guide: Syria
THE INDEPENDENT: Rogue state or not, this Middle Eastern nation is packed with attractions that will dazzle anyone who visits, says Matthew Teller

Libya, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, North Korea and... Syria: according to the last Bush administration, these half-dozen nations comprise the Axis of Evil. Yet walking by the Mediterranean coast, threading through the timeless streets of Damascus or clambering around a desert citadel, it is hard to reconcile Syria as a "rogue state". For its urbane self-possession, borne out of cultural roots which plunge deeper than anything Europe can match, Syria fascinates. Above all, the joviality and irreverent approachability of the Syrian people make the greatest impression on the visitor.

A country this old has had plenty of time to gather legends. Muslim tradition recalls that the Prophet Mohammed, arriving in the hills overlooking Damascus – a city then enveloped by gardens and the flowing River Barada – refused to go on. Paradise was unique, he reasoned: entering Damascus would rob him of the chance to enter heaven.

The gardens have gone and the Barada is mostly dry, but Syria's capital – perhaps the world's oldest continuously inhabited city – can still draw on 10,000 years of history to boggle the imagination.

In land area, Syria is nearly as big as Britain. Most of the 22 million people are Muslim, though there's a substantial Christian minority of around 10 per cent. Desert aside, Syria has 200km of Mediterranean coastline, with beach resorts around Lattakia backed by forests and orchards. Just inland, fertile mountains run parallel to the coast, cresting 2,000 metres in places: the walking here, on rural tracks between farming villages, is as good as anywhere in the Middle East. Motorways and high-speed trains connect the cities. >>> Matthew Teller | Saturday, March 05, 2011

Libya: A State of Terror
As Gaddafi wages war against a popular uprising, Libyan exiles explain how terror has long been a tool of the regime

News Bulletin - 1405GMT Update (Saturday, March 5, 2011)
The main headlines on Al Jazeera English, featuring the latest news and reports from around the world

Union entfacht Streit um Islam in Deutschland neu
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Berlin - Die Union streitet erneut heftig über die Bedeutung des Islam für Deutschland.

Fraktionschef Volker Kauder setzte sich am Samstag ebenso wie zuvor der neue Innenminister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) deutlich von der Einschätzung von Bundespräsident Christian Wulff ab, der Islam gehöre zu Deutschland. "Der Innenminister hat völlig recht", sagte Kauder der "Passauer Neue Presse". Der Islam habe die deutsche Gesellschaft nicht geprägt und präge sie auch heute nicht, betonte der CDU-Politiker. "Der Islam gehört damit nicht zu Deutschland". Wie zuvor Friedrich, schränkte auch er ein, die Menschen muslimischen Glaubens gehörten allerdings zu Deutschland. >>> | Samstag, 05. März 2011

Zeitung: Öl-Millionen fließen noch in Gaddafis Taschen
PASSAUER NEUE PRESSE: London - Trotz der Sanktionen des Westens sollen immer noch Öl-Millionen in die Taschen des libyschen Staatschefs Muammar al-Gaddafi fließen. Das berichtete die britische "Financial Times" aunter [sic] Berufung auf internationale Experten. Libyens Zentralbank habe die Kontrolle über Gelder aus den Rohölexporten - und damit potenziell auch Gaddafi, hieß es. Grund sei, dass die Sanktionen nicht auf die Zentralbank zielten. Libyen ist einer der größten Ölexporteure der Welt. [Quelle: Passauer Neue Presse] | Samstag, 05. März 2011

Combats à Zaouïah, les rebelles de l'Est avancent vers Tripoli
REUTERS FRANCE: TRIPOLI - Des combats font rage samedi à Zaouïah, dans l'ouest de la Libye, entre les forces fidèles à Mouammar Kadhafi et les insurgés, qui affirment avoir repoussé un assaut du régime libyen sur cette ville proche de Tripoli.
Plus à l'est, les rebelles affirment poursuivre leur progression en direction de la capitale au lendemain de la prise de contrôle de Ras Lanouf et de son important terminal pétrolier.

A Zaouïah, les insurgés ont déclaré que les forces du dirigeant libyen avaient été chassées du centre de la ville après une incursion dans la matinée avec l'appui de blindés.

Mais un journaliste de Reuters a constaté que les forces du régime se rapprochaient à nouveau du centre de la ville en fin de matinée. Des forces pro-Kadhafi ont établi des barrages à trois kilomètres du centre, bloquant les accès.

Selon Al Djazira, Mouammar Kadhafi a entrepris d'envoyer des renforts vers cette localité située à une cinquantaine de kilomètres à l'ouest de Tripoli. >>> Par Maria Golovnina | Samedi 05 Mars 2011

Libysche Rebellen rücken Richtung Westen vor
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Benghasi - Gegner des libyschen Machthabers Muammar Gaddafi haben nach eigener Darstellung im Osten des Landes weitere Gebiete eingenommen.

So sei die Stadt Bin Dschawad unter ihrer Kontrolle, teilten die Rebellen mit. Auch der wichtige Ölhafen Ras Lanuf wurde am Samstag von ihnen beherrscht. Die Front verlief westlich der Stadt. Aus der etwa 50 Kilometer von Tripolis entfernt liegenden Küstenstadt Sawija gab es Berichte über schwere Kämpfe. Ein Sprecher der Aufständischen sagte, man habe einen Panzerangriff von regierungstreuen Soldaten zurückgeschlagen. Gaddafis Anhänger sammelten sich demnach am Rande der Stadt. Auch zwei Wochen nach Beginn der Unruhen sind die Frontverläufe in Libyen unklar und ändern sich immer wieder. 60 Prozent der libyschen Ölförderung sind nach Schätzungen der Internationalen Energiebehörde IEA zum Erliegen gekommen. Tausende ausländische Fachkräfte sind geflüchtet. >>> | Samstag, 05. März 2011

Libya Rebels Hold Ground as Refugees Flee
Mar 4 - As rebels hold Benghazi, thousands continue to flood out of the borders of Libya straining relief efforts. Maryam Ishani reports

Un sondage donne Marine Le Pen en tête au premier tour en 2012
REUTERS FRANCE: PARIS - Marine Le Pen arriverait en tête au premier tour de l'élection présidentielle française en 2012, devant Nicolas Sarkozy et la socialiste Martine Aubry, selon un sondage Harris Interactive pour Le Parisien Dimanche.

Selon cette enquête publiée samedi sur leparisien.fr, la présidente du Front national recueillerait 23% des voix, contre 21% pour le président sortant, à égalité avec le premier secrétaire du Parti socialiste, Martine Aubry. >>> Elizabeth Pineau, édité par Jean-Stéphane Brosse | Samedi 05 Mars 2011