Is This Photo of Osama bin Laden Dead for Real?
Photo: Google Images
It seems very strange to me that they should rush to bury him at sea. I know that in Islam, bodies have to be buried quickly; but here was a man who did not deserve to have Islamic customs adhered to. Forensic evidence would have been far more important than following custom. I hope that Obama and his special US forces had the good sense to hold back DNA evidence, and many photos of the mutilated body. The first thing I thought when I saw the supposed photo of him lying dead was this: His beard was far whiter in recent times than the photograph suggests. Now this proves nothing, of course, since it is quite a common practice for Muslim men to dye their whiskers. But it does lead one to ask oneself that question.

I am sure I speak for the many when I say: Show us the conclusive evidence of this man's death, Obama! We need to see it NOW. With an election coming up, and you being so behind in the polls, it is rather difficult to feel convinced by the meagre evidence, if any, that you have given us. Telling us that Osama is dead proves nothing. – © Mark

This is a compilation of two comments I wrote earlier today which also appeared here

TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – WILL HEAVEN: Why that photo of a dead Osama bin Laden is a photoshopped fake » | Will Heaven | Monday, May 02, 2011

Obituary: Osama Bin Laden
BBC: Osama Bin Laden came to the world's attention on 11 September 2001, when the attacks on the United States left more than 3,000 people dead and hundreds more injured.

In a matter of three years, the Saudi-born dissident had emerged from obscurity to become one of the most hated and feared men in the world.

Osama Bin Laden was born in 1957, apparently the 17th of 52 children of Mohamed Bin Laden, a multimillionaire builder responsible for 80% of Saudi Arabia's roads.

His father's death in a helicopter crash in 1968 brought the young man a fortune running into many millions of dollars, though considerably less than the widely published estimate of $250m.

Mujahideen

While studying civil engineering at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bin Laden came into contact with teachers and students of the more conservative brand of Islam.

Through theological debate and study, he came to embrace fundamentalist Islam as a bulwark against what he saw as the decadence of the West.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 changed Bin Laden's life forever. He took up the anti-communist cause with a will, moving to Afghanistan where, for a decade, he fought an ultimately victorious campaign with the mujahideen.

Intelligence experts believe that the US Central Intelligence Agency played an active role in arming and training the mujahideen, including Bin Laden. The end of the war saw a sea change in his views. (+ video) » | Monday, May 02, 2011

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The Death of Osama bin Laden
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE – BLOGS – DANIEL WARNER: The death of Osama bin Laden is a major event, perhaps more important in its symbolism than in the reality of the end of Al Qaeda and terrorism. Ten years after the attacks in the United States, the "leader" of the group credited with the attacks has been killed by American forces in Pakistan.

Bin Laden had been personified as the head of the Axis of Evil. But, that is to assume that the nebulous network called Al Qaeda was organized in a hierarchical structure as a traditional military organization. It is also to assume that the War on Terror was a traditional war against a traditional enemy who could be overcome by military force.

Amid the chest-pounding satisfaction of the American people that justice has finally been done remains the fundamental question of what drove suicide bombers into the Twin Towers. The root causes of the terrorist acts around the world have been neither identified nor properly dealt with. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a stalemate, with a forthcoming announcement of a Palestinian state in September looming on the horizon. Continue reading and comment » | Daniel Warner | Monday, May 02, 2011

Le cadavre d'Oussama Ben Laden a été plongé en mer
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Dix ans après les attentats du 11 septembre, les Etats-Unis ont mené une opération militaire au Pakistan au cours de laquelle le chef d'Al-Qaïda a été tué. Son corps a été immergé en mer. Al-Qaïda compte encore dans ses rangs et en liberté plusieurs figures importantes.

Le président des Etats-Unis Barack Obama a annoncé dimanche soir que le chef d’Al-Qaïda, Oussama Ben Laden, avait été tué au Pakistan par les services spéciaux américains. Cette opération met fin à une longue traque de l’auteur des attentats du 11 septembre 2001.

«Ce soir, je suis en mesure d’annoncer aux Américains et au monde que les Etats-Unis ont mené une opération qui a tué Oussama Ben Laden, le dirigeant d’Al-Qaïda, un terroriste responsable du meurtre de milliers d’innocents», a déclaré M. Obama lors d’une allocution solennelle à la Maison Blanche.

M. Obama a précisé que le chef d’Al-Qaïda avait été tué lors d’un échange de tirs dans une résidence où la présence de Ben Laden avait été évoquée en août dernier. Aucun Américain n’a été blessé dans l’opération, a indiqué M. Obama, ajoutant que les Etats-Unis étaient en possession du corps de leur ennemi. » | AFP | Lundi 02 Mai 2011

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Mort de Ben Laden : explosion de joie américaine
Des milliers d'Américains ont manifesté leur joie devant la Maison Blanche ce dimanche soir, chantant "USA, USA" après l'annonce du président Barack Obama de la mort d'Oussama Ben Laden

Bin Laden Chose Wrong Path in History: Khashoggi
ARAB NEWS: DAMMAM: Prominent Riyadh-based Saudi journalist Jamal A. Khashoggi, who fought alongside Afghans and other Arabs including Osama Bin Laden in the war against the erstwhile Soviet Union in the 1980s, described Bin Laden’s killing as no big news. “If you ask me, it is no news because I expected this to happen a long time ago,” he told Arab News in an exclusive interview.

Khashoggi said the fact that Osama survived for this long after Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was the real story. “It was a big failure of US intelligence,” he said.

According to him it is a very peculiar thing to happen in a very peculiar year. “The news of his killing comes at a time when the Al-Qaeda ideology has been completely rejected by the Arab world. Al-Qaeda was in eclipse … to be very specific it was buried in January 2011 in Tahrir Square in Cairo,” he said, referring to the massive people’s movement that swept aside longtime Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

“In a sense it is the right ending for Osama because the recent development in the Arab world clearly indicated that there was no place for him or his ideology,” said Khashoggi. “The rise of the nonviolent movement in the Arab world was the complete rejection of the Al-Qaeda philosophy.”

Khashoggi said he felt sorry that Bin Laden chose the wrong path when he was at the crossroads of history. “He hijacked our religion and chose the path of violence. I remember how we were all in the grip of violence in the early and mid-2000s, here in Saudi Arabia, Algeria … there were suicide bombings, bomb blasts, killings. His ideology did not conform with my understanding of Islam,” he said. » | Siraj Wahab | Arab News | Monday, May 02, 2011

Stocks Set for Higher Open after Death of Osama bin Laden
CNN MONEY: NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks are poised for a higher open, as investors cheer news that Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces Monday.

The founder and leader of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, was killed by U.S. forces in Abbottabad, north of Pakistani capital of Islamabad.



In an address to the nation Sunday night, President Barack Obama called bin Laden's death, "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda." » | CNNMoney staff | Monday, May 02, 2011

Rejoice! Bin Laden's Death Is Cause for International Celebration
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – CON COUGHLIN: Rejoice! It’s taken ten long, hard years, but the Americans have finally got their man. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, is dead. As Ronald Reagan once said of a former bunch of Islamist terrorists, you can run, but you can’t hide.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of bin Laden’s death is that he was found hiding in a modern complex outside one of Pakistan’s most prestigious military colleges.

I have always maintained that bin Laden, who has suffered from a severe kidney condition for many years, could not have survived on the run for so long without outside help and support. My personal hunch was that he was being protected by elements within Pakistan’s ISI intelligence agency, which previously enjoyed a close relationship with bin Laden.

The fact that the American special forces that tracked bin Laden to his bolt-hole could not even tell the Pakistani authorities what they were up to tells you all you need to know about the level of Pakistani complicity in bin Laden’s survival for so many years after the worst terrorist attack in world history. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Monday, May 02, 2011

Obama annonce la mort de Ben Laden
«Justice est faite», a déclaré Barack Obama en annonçant qu’une opération commando avait réussi à éliminer le chef d’al-Qaida

Terrornetz Al Qaida: Usama bin Ladin getötet
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama hat in einer Fernsehansprache mitgeteilt, dass der Kopf des Terrornetzes Al Qaida bei einer Kommandoaktion der amerikanischen Streitkräfte getötet worden ist. Laut Fernsehberichten wurde der Leichnam Bin Ladins im Meer beigesetzt.

Der Kopf des Terrornetzes Al Qaida, Usama bin Ladin, ist tot. Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama teilte in einer Fernsehansprache mit, dass Bin Ladin am Sonntag bei einer Kommandoaktion getötet worden sei: „Der Gerechtigkeit wurde Genüge getan.“ Pakistan habe die Vereinigten Staaten dabei unterstützt, Bin Ladin aufzuspüren.

Ein Vertreter der pakistanischen Sicherheitsbehörden bestätigte den Tod Bin Ladins, ohne Details seiner Tötung zu nennen. Usama bin Ladin galt als Drahtzieher der Terroranschläge im September 2001 in den Vereinigten Staaten, bei denen fast dreitausend Menschen um[s] Leben kamen. Die Vereinigten Staaten haben nach der Mitteilung vom Tod des Al-Qaida-Führers ihre im Ausland befindlichen Staatsangehörigen vor möglichen Vergeltungsmaßnahmen des Terrornetzes gewarnt und ihre Botschaften weltweit in Alarmbereitschaft versetzt. Jubel in Washington » | FAZ.NET mit dpa/AP/AFP/Reuters | Montag, 02 Mai 2011

Photograph of Osama bin Laden Dead
Photo: Google Images

Osama bin Laden killed in US raid

THE TIMES: Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda terrorist network, has been killed in a US military assault in Pakistan. A decade after more than 3,000 people died in a series of co-ordinated attacks on September 11, 2001, the world’s most wanted fugitive is dead. President Obama made the announcement late last night during a live address from the White House. “This is a good and historic day,” he said. “We can say to those families who… (+ photos) » | Nico Hines, Washington | Monday, May 02, 2011 [£]

Bin Laden's Body Buried at Sea - NY Times
REUTERS: The body of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was taken to Afghanistan after he was killed in Pakistan and was later buried at sea, the New York Times reported on Monday. [Source: Reuters] | Reuters | WASHINGTON | Monday, May 02, 2011

Osama bin Laden, Born to Privilege, Dies a Pariah
LOS ANGELES TIMES: He used his great wealth to fund a terrorist campaign fueled by a puritanical vision of Islam and a hatred for the West.

Reporting from Islamabad— Osama bin Laden, a scion of one of Saudi Arabia's wealthiest families, became the grim apostle of a strain of Islamic radicalism that exalted violence against non-believers, and the leader of a terrorist network that launched repeated attacks in the West, most spectacularly in the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2011.

Born in 1957 to a life of privilege, Bin Laden was one of more than 50 offspring of a Saudi construction magnate. He spent his youth in mansions filled with crystal chandeliers, gold statues and Italian tapestries.

Yet he became a figure of worldwide influence as a supporter of Muslim freedom fighters in Afghanistan in the 1980s and, later, as an organizer and financier of terrorist cells who concealed his whereabouts, living in safe houses, remote camps and even caves in Sudan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The world's most wanted man was killed during a firefight Sunday with U.S. forces in Abbotabad, about 30 miles northeast of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. He had a $25-million bounty on his head set by the U.S.

Yossef Bodansky, a terrorism expert who wrote a biography of Bin Laden, labeled him "the man who declared war on America." For former President George W. Bush and countless Americans, he was simply "the evil one."

In 1994, Saudi Arabia stripped Bin Laden of his citizenship. Many members of his family, closely linked to the monarchy, had disavowed him long before. Hatred for America » | Monday, May 01, 2011

LA TIMES PHOTOGALLERY: The death of Osama bin Laden: Osama bin Laden, the leader of the Al Qaeda network that executed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was killed as the result of a U.S. military operation, President Obama has announced. The world’s most wanted terrorist was 54. »| Times Editors | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Al Jazeera Live

Osama Bin Laden Killed

Related »

Osama bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Announces
THE GUARDIAN: Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind al-Qaida, is dead, President Obama announces from the White House

Osama bin Laden, the criminal mastermind behind al-Qaida and the world's most sought-after terrorist since the attacks of 11 September 2001, has been killed by a US operation, President Barack Obama has announced.



In an address to the nation, President Obama said Bin Laden was killed in a "targeted operation" in Abbottabad, a highland town north of Islamabad, last night.

The operation started with an intelligence lead last August, and culminated in an operation involving a "small team of Americans". "After a firefight they killed bin Laden."

None of the Americans was killed. Pakistani co-operation "helped to lead us to him" he said.

Osama's body is in possession of the US, according to the first reports from the US television networks.

As the news spread, crowds gathered outside the gates of the White House in Washington DC, singing the national anthem and cheering.

President Obama made the highly unusual Sunday night live statement to announce the news at around 11.30pm eastern time. » | Richard Adams in Washington and Declan Walsh in Islamabad | Monday, May 02, 2011

EU Considers Reinstating National Border Controls
THE GUARDIAN: In response to intense pressure from France and Italy, European Commission to unveil new proposals on Wednesday

Brussels said on Sunday that national passport controls might be reintroduced across Europe to allow the "temporary" re-erection of borders between 25 countries.

Responding to intense pressure from Italy and France to tighten the no-borders system known as the Schengen regime, José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European commission, said he was looking at ways of satisfying the two countries' concerns. Paris and Rome are alarmed at an influx of migrants fleeing revolutionary north Africa.

In a letter to French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, Barroso said that the commission would unveil new proposals on Wednesday on immigration policy, common European asylum procedures, and reform of the Schengen system.

The commission's proposals are to go to a summit of EU leaders next month, with France and Italy leading the charge for a partial renationalisation of border controls, a trend the commission would like to resist but looks too weak to counter.

The Franco-Italian push to place greater restrictions on the Schengen regime, launched last week after a furious row between Paris and Rome over refugees from Tunisia, has already won support from a handful of other EU countries, including Germany. » | Ian Traynor in Brussels | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Libya Crisis: Britain Expels Libyan Ambassador
BBC: The Libyan ambassador to the UK has been expelled following attacks on British embassy premises in Tripoli.

Foreign missions in Libya's capital have been targeted by crowds angry at reports that a Nato air strike had killed a son of Col Muammar Gaddafi.

A BBC team there said the UK embassy building had been completely burnt out.

The foreign secretary said the Gaddafi regime had failed in its duty to protect it and that Omar Jelban had been given 24 hours to leave the UK.

Meanwhile, the United Nations announced it was withdrawing all its international staff from Tripoli after some of its facilities in the city were also attacked by angry crowds.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The Vienna Convention requires the Gaddafi regime to protect diplomatic missions in Tripoli.

"By failing to do so that regime has once again breached its international responsibilities and obligations. I take the failure to protect such premises very seriously indeed."

The UK currently has no diplomats in the Libyan capital.

Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt said official lines of communication with Col Gaddafi's government would remain open, as other Libyan officials would stay in its UK embassy after the ambassador's departure. (+ video) » | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Johannes Paul II. Der erste selige Superstar
Bild: Frankfurter Allgemeine
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Es schien Benedikt XVI. leicht zu fallen, auf den Wunsch aus der Weltkirche einzugehen: die Seligsprechung von Johannes Paul II. Am Wochenende stellte er sich selbst in den Schatten seines Vorgängers - in einen Schatten also, der Weggefährten leuchten lässt.

Am Sonntag um 10.36 Uhr brachen mehr als eine Millionen Menschen auf dem Petersplatz und in der Umgebung in Jubel aus. Noch weiter entfernt liegende Straßen versanken in einem Meer von meist polnischen Fahnen. Der Beifall schreckte die Stare, Möwen und zwei Wildenten auf ihren Rastplätzen auf der Engelsburg auf und ließ sie in den Himmel über Rom entschwinden. Menschen brachen in Freudentränen aus und die Verbindungen der Mobiltelefone brachen zusammen. Selbst die Sonne sandte nach Tagen des Regens wärmende Strahlen herab. „Rom und der Weltkreis“ feierten: „Johannes Paul II. ist selig“. » | Von Jörg Bremer, Rom | Sonntag, 01. Mai 2011

Royal Wedding: The Rise and Rise of Pippa Middleton
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A star is born, but let's pray Kate's little sister is not the new Princess Margaret.

Kate Middleton may have won the nation's hearts on Friday, but as the day's celebrations drew to a close it was clear that her little sister, Pippa, had captured the eyes.

Arriving back at The Goring Hotel close to 3am in a slinky, long emerald gown, with diamanté embellishment, she retained the poise and serene sparkle that had bewitched onlookers all day.

From the moment Pippa arrived at Westminster Abbey, clad in an audaciously simple cowl-necked ivory sheath that skimmed like a glove over her slender yet shapely figure, the nation swooned; you could almost hear the collective male gasp every time she bent to straighten Kate's dress.

By the time Friday's royal wedding service was halfway through, Pippa's crepe-covered derrière was "trending" wildly on social media site Twitter, and by the day's end there were three separate Facebook pages dedicated to praise of her posterior – with the "Pippa Middleton *** Appreciation Society" leading the panting field. Many other admirers, however, had eyes only for the tantalising glimpses of cleavage afforded by her dress's teasing neckline.

What was interesting was that women were every bit as captivated as male onlookers.

While I was waiting in BBC Newsnight's green room on Friday night to discuss the day's great events with half a dozen pundits of varying royalist and republican tendencies, the talk was in perfect accord when it came to the impact of the younger Middleton sister: everyone thought she was utterly ravishing. » | Rowan Pelling | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Syrian Government Forces Launch Fresh Attacks Against Deraa Protesters
THE OBSERVER: Mosque in Deraa comes under fire as groups opposing President Assad call for army to lead transition to democracy

The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad sent fresh troops on Saturday to pound the besieged southern city of Deraa, as a new opposition group appealed to the army to help the transition to democracy.

Tanks and armoured personnel carriers entered the city and troops stormed the Omari mosque, a hub for protesters, killing four people as Syria's government continued to crush dissent in the city, which has been at the centre of the six-week uprising.

Activists said that houses in the Karak district of the city were damaged by shelling which started at 5am local time on Saturday, the sixth day of a sustained siege on the city.

"They are trying to break the will of the protesters and residents while also arresting any leaders," said Rami Nakhle, a Syrian cyber-activist based in Beirut.

The assault on the Omari mosque lasted 90 minutes, during which troops fired tank shells and heavy machine guns, resident Abdullah Abazeid told Associated Press. Three helicopters participated in the operation, dropping paratroopers on top of the mosque itself, he said.

Among the dead was the son of the mosque's imam, Ahmed al-Sayasna, residents said. Sayasna is in hiding, accused by the government of inciting protests. » | Katherine Marsh in Damascus | The Guardian | Saturday, April 30, 2011

One On One - Amr Khaled
The world's first Islamic television evangelist talks about encouraging peaceful change within Islam

Frost Over the World - The Royal Wedding
It is estimated that about two billion people around the world watched the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. What does that say about the popularity of the British royal family, or more particularly this newly-wed couple?

Minister Checks Prison's Readiness to Receive Ousted President
AL-MASRY AL-YOUM: Minister of Interior Mansour al-Essawy made a surprise visit to Tora prison's hospital Saturday night, a senior security source said.

The source told Egyptian news agency MENA that the minister checked all the hospital's departments to determine what renovations are required to prepare it for hosting Egypt's toppled president, Hosni Mubarak.

Following the investigation, Essawy convened with his assistant for the prison sector and Tora's chief to receive a detailed report on inmates' conditions.

Earlier in April, Egypt's attorney general ordered an investigation into the possibility of transferring Mubarak to the prison. » | MENA | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Republicans Celebrate with 'Not Royal' Street Party

CNN: London -- A lot has changed since the 17th century, when Oliver Cromwell overthrew the monarchy -- violently turning England into a short-lived republic. Today, British republicans fight with ... street parties. » | George Webster and Leo Dawson for CNN | Saturday, April 30, 2011

Pope John Paul II Beatified at the Vatican

Windsor Wonderland: William and Kate Celebrate Dream Wedding
Photo: Spiegel Online International
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Britain celebrated the royal wedding of William and Kate with a grand patriotic spectacle. Friday's ceremony also sent out a message: With these two at the helm as the future king and queen of England, the monarchy will be less distant from its subjects in the years to come -- and also a little more human.

If you want to know just how important a particular event is to the Brits, you just have to look at the bets that the bookmakers are accepting. In the runup to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, you could, for example, bet that the bride or groom would drop the wedding ring during the ceremony in Westminster Abbey (something which did not happen), or that Kate would mix up the first names of her husband, like Diana before her (she did not), or that Prince Philip would fall asleep during the ceremony (fortunately he did not) or that the Queen would wear a yellow hat (which she did).

The British had been preparing for the royal wedding for weeks. Some had chosen the best place to observe the proceedings and had camped out on the sidewalk for days. Others chose to use the public holiday to hold royal-themed parties.

There were certainly enough attempts to make money out of the occasion. The high-end supermarket chain Waitrose, for example, had a royal couple made out of gingerbread on sale. Demand rapidly increased in the past few days, and hundreds of the gingerbread royals were sold.

The route that Kate and William traveled after the ceremony in their century-old coach had resembled a carnival scene for days. People were already camped out on Thursday evening to reserve the best places along the route. More and more arrived over the course of the evening, braving the cold. The sense of anticipation grew by the hour. Across the country, around 5,000 street parties were held in what was no less than an impressive patriotic spectacle.

The wedding was also a kind of national festival. The British were celebrating their royal family and their own Britishness. Early on Friday morning, hundreds had gathered at the Goring Hotel, where Kate Middleton spent her last night as an unmarried woman together with her parents and siblings. Spectators outside Westminster Abbey fought fiercely for the best seats. Some of them had left their homes or hotels at the crack of dawn to get a place in the front row, and were not willing to settle for less.

Even after the wedding, people continued celebrating -- some out of conviction, others simply because everyone else was doing so. The euphoria did not let up. » | Marco Evers, Barbara Hans and Carsten Volkery in London | Friday, April 29, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL PHOTO GALLERY: The Wedding of the Year »

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL PHOTO GALLERY: The Hats of Westminster »

Seligsprechung von Johannes Paul II. Innozenz XI. musste weichen
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Papst Benedikt XVI. hat Johannes Paul II. selig gesprochen. Hunderttausende verfolgten in Rom die Messe. Derart viele, dass selbst Papst Innozenz XI. musste weichen. Oder gab es andere Gründe für dessen Umbettung?

Zum Vatikan gehören Verschwörungsgeschichten. Gerade entsteht eine um den seligen Papst Innozenz XI. (1611-1689), der jetzt aus seiner Grabstätte in der Sebastiankapelle von Sankt Peter weichen musste. Am Wochenende soll an seiner statt Papst Johannes Paul II. (1920-2005) seine letzte Ruhe finden. Am Sonntag wird der Vorgänger von Benedikt XVI. seliggesprochen. Dafür wird sein Sarg aus den Grotten in die Basilika hinaufgebracht. Für die Pilger war es unten zu eng geworden. Zunächst waren Messen am Grab von Karol Wojtyla unweit des Petrusgrabes eine Ausnahme. Mittlerweile werden sie genau gestaffelt, denn fast 20.000 Menschen täglich wollen dem früheren Papst ihre Reverenz erweisen. » | Von Jörg Bremer, Rom | Sonntag, 01. Mai 2011

Syrie: "On a reçu la visite des services de sécurité la nuit dernière"
leJDD.fr: Professeur d’anglais de 35 ans, Amina Abdallah tient sur Internet l’un des rares blogs* en activité en Syrie. Extraits

On a reçu la visite des services de sécurité la nuit dernière: ils sont arrivés au petit matin. Tout le monde dormait. Le vacarme m’a réveillée et j’ai immédiatement compris ce qui se passait. Notre gardien s’est retrouvé nez à nez avec deux jeunes hommes, musclés, portant des vestes de cuir et fumant tous les deux. Je savais bien qu’un jour ou l’autre, nous allions recevoir ce genre de visites. Déjà, des amis ou des collègues y avaient eu droit. Alors, pourquoi pas moi? Je me suis habillée le plus vite possible, j’ai glissé mon passeport américain dans la poche de mon jean en gardant une main dessus, comme je l’aurais fait avec un talisman. J’ai chaussé mes lunettes et suis descendue au rez-de-chaussée. Mon père était déjà debout. Quand ils m’ont vu arriver, l’un des gars a dit:

"C’est elle!"
- Moi?


- Oui, faut qu’on parle de certaines choses.


- Comme quoi?

Il a commencé à énumérer une longue liste de commentaires que j’avais postés sur mon blog en anglais et en arabe. » | Amina Abdallah, Le Journal du Dimanche | Samedi 30 Avril 2011

Assad's Fall Would Create Shockwaves from Tehran to Tel Aviv
THE OBSERVER: Unrest in Syria has greater potential consequences than any other event in the Arab Spring so far

As decades-old dictatorial regimes crumbled around him in January, Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, denied that revolution would spread to his country. Balhermep, the Ba'athist concept of "the ruling of the people", would keep his country together.

But as demonstrations in towns and villages across Syria seemed only to be spreading last week, even as the regime intensified its crackdown, that notion appeared to be unravelling.

The international consequences of regime change in Syria are many and complex. The fallout will be particularly marked in Lebanon and Palestine, and there will also be impacts on the country's alliances with Iran, Turkey, and Iraq, and, perhaps most importantly, on its relationship with Israel.

Damascus's influence has always been strong in these areas. Syria is vital to Hezbollah, which leads a Lebanese coalition supporting Assad. Lebanon has no land borders except with Syria on the east and north, and with Israel to the south. To the west is the Mediterranean, swimming with battleships and an international force to prevent the smuggling of weapons. Hezbollah's links with Syria are, in turn, the linchpin of the alliance between Tehran and Damascus, for the party's first loyalty is to Iran and the supreme leader of its Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The fall of the Assad regime would mean the loss of Iran's only ally in the region and thus a weakening of the clerical regime. This could boost the enthusiasm of Iranian reformers, who have been sidelined and repressed since the disputed presidential elections in Iran in 2009. » | Zaki Chehab, The Observer | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Nick Clegg Interview: A Year in the Eye of the Storm
THE OBSERVER: From darling of the TV debates to villain of the tuition fees protests, the deputy PM Nick Clegg has had a year of extraordinarily mixed fortunes. Days before the crucial AV vote, he reflects on his punishing first year in office and opens up about life in the coalition, the impact on his family… and having a sneaky fag in the garden

We are talking in his capacious Whitehall quarters with its fine view over St James's Park, and I pop a fairly obvious question: has he enjoyed the last year? Up until this point, Nick Clegg has been as candid, good-humoured and relaxed as it is reasonable to expect from a frontline politician under great pressure. In fact, he has been bouncy. But now the sun disappears behind the low cloud of wariness that scuds across his face. His reply is cagey: "I'm not sure whether to take up your invitation to provide a kind of enjoyment monitor."

He smells a trap. If he responds that it has been a thrill to be the first Liberal in many, many decades to be entitled deputy prime minister, then he will expose himself to the accusation that he is on a power frolic while thousands of voters are suffering the effects of spending cuts, tax rises and job losses. If he says that he hasn't enjoyed it, then he will feed the rumours that he has often been depressed by the onslaught on him.

In the end, though, he can't leave the question alone and comes back to it without prompting: "Enjoyment? Some parts more than others."

In the positive column: "Do I get up every morning and ask: am I doing the things that I believe in and am I doing them for the best possible motives? Yes. Unambiguously yes."

In the negative column, he has been pounded by "a barrage of criticism". It is not David Cameron who has been burnt in effigy by protesting students. It is not George Osborne who has had dog shit poured through his letterbox. It is not William Hague who gets sworn at when he takes to the streets of his constituency. For opponents of the coalition, it is Nick Clegg who is the magnet for loathing. That has got to be tough for a politician who liked it when he was liked.

Many politicians before him have travelled this trajectory from the fresh face enjoying the cheers of the crowd to the battle-bloodied leader who can no longer hope to be loved and must instead aim to gradually win respect for his resilience. Yes, it is a road well travelled. But rarely at such speed. A process that normally takes years – about six if you think of Tony Blair – has in the case of Clegg been compressed into months.

His very existence as deputy prime minister is a daily reminder to the Conservatives and their tribalist mouthpieces in the media that the Tories failed to achieve a clear election win, even against an opponent as unpopular as Gordon Brown. For many on the left, Clegg is the great betrayer who sold out when he contracted his shotgun marriage with David Cameron. » | Andrew Rawnsley | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Libyan Government: NATO Strike Kills Gaddafi's Son
Libyan government says one of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's sons has been killed in a NATO attack on a Tripoli house. NATO did not confirm reports of 29-year-old Saif al-Arab's death. Opposition forces voiced scepticism, suggesting that the news could have been fabricated. 
Al Jazeera's Caroline Malone reports

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Col Gaddafi's youngest son 'killed in Nato air strike': Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, the youngest son of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed by a Nato air strike, the Libyan government said. » | Alastair Jamieson | Sunday, May 01, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Muammar Gaddafi son killed by Nato air strike – Libyan government: Saif al-Arab and three of Muammar Gaddafi's grandsons killed, according to reports – but the Libyan leader was unharmed » | Tim Hill and agencies | Sunday, May 01, 2011

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Nato air strike 'kills Gaddafi's son': If details verified, serious questions will be raised about who authorised missile attack that goes beyond UN Resolution 1973 » | David Randall | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Only in America! Fatty Food as Lifestyle Choice
Welcome to the Heart Attack Grill, a Texan restaurant that celebrates cholesterol.

The pick of the menu? The quadruple bybass burger.



Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports on how some people are choosing to buck the politically correct healthy eating trend.

Analysing Al-Qaeda Arrests in Germany
Three suspected al-Qaeda members arrested in Germany were working on a bomb to target a crowded area. 



The authorities in Germany were taking no chances with their new captives, flying them for their first court appearance under enormous security.



James Denselow, security analyst, discusses how the case in Germany underlines the difficulty in striking the balance between civil liberties and security with Al Jazeera's Felicity Barr.