Saudi Woman Attacked on Board a Plane
ARAB NEWS: RIYADH: An Emirati man attacked a Saudi woman on board an Emirates flight from Frankfurt to Dubai, a report in Al-Eqtisadiah daily said yesterday.

The incident took place because of seating problems. The Saudi woman and her husband asked the Emirati family to move, which the Emiratis refused to do.

The Emirati man then attacked the Saudi woman causing injuries which resulted in her losing consciousness.

The woman’s husband and other passengers intervened to rescue the woman and a doctor on board called for landing in Istanbul in order to treat the woman.

The woman’s husband asked that the Emirati man be handed over to Turkish authorities but the plane crew refused his request.

The crew’s report of the incident said that the woman was attacked by her husband.

The Saudi woman’s husband said that after the crew admitted that the report provided false information, the Saudi Embassy in Ankara sent memos to both the Saudi Interior Ministry and the UAE Embassy in Ankara.

The husband expressed his disapproval of what happened, adding that his wife had done nothing to warrant such a violent reaction. A source at the Saudi Embassy in Ankara said that the incident happened but refused to give any further details.

The Saudi couple were returning to Saudi Arabia after spending their honeymoon in Germany, the local daily stated. [Source: Arab News] | August 27, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Bush : le geste de la Russie «irresponsable»
LE FIGARO: REACTIONS - Le président des Etats-Unis s'est insurgé, tout comme la communauté internationale, contre la reconnaissance par la Russie de l'indépendance de l'Abkhazie et de l'Ossétie du Sud.

La reconnaissance mardi par la Russie de l'indépendance des républiques séparatistes géorgiennes d'Abkhazie et d'Ossétie du Sud s'est heurtée à un front des pays occidentaux qui, à l'instar de Tbilissi, ont condamné une violation «inacceptable» du droit international.

Le président George W. Bush a dénoncé mardi la décision russe, avertissant Moscou qu'il devait «reconsidérer cette décision irresponsable». «Les Etats-Unis condamnent la décision du président russe de reconnaître les régions géorgiennes d'Ossétie du Sud et d'Abkhazie comme des Etats indépendants», a déclaré M. Bush dans un communiqué diffusé depuis son ranch de Crawford au Texas.

L'UE a «condamné fermement cette décision contraire aux principes d'indépendance, de souveraineté et d'intégrité territoriale de la Géorgie». La présidence française de l'UE, qui consulte ses partenaires afin de parvenir à une position commune au sommet extraordinaire de lundi, «appelle de ses voeux une solution politique des conflits en Géorgie». L'Union européenne va prendre «prendre des mesures» a déclaré mardi le ministre français des Affaires étrangères Bernard Kouchner, lors d'une audition sur l'Afghanistan à l'Assemblée nationale. «On a peur d'une guerre et on n'en veut pas» a -t-il déclaré le même jour sur France 2. Le chef de la diplomatie française a accusé les troupes russes de préparer «cette nuit» (dans la nuit de mardi à mecredi) un «nettoyage ethnique» d'Akhalgori, une ville d'Ossétie du Sud où vivent des Géorgiens, estimant que «cela n'est pas acceptable». Bush : le geste de la Russie «irresponsable» >>> | 26.08.2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché)
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié)

White Muslim Convert Arrested over ‘Gordon Brown Assassination Plot’
THE TELEGRAPH: A white Muslim convert is being held by detectives investigating alleged threats to kill the Prime Minister and Tony Blair.

The 25-year-old man was arrested at a flat in the Whalley Range area of Blackburn, Lancs, shortly before 7am on Tuesday.

He is believed to be a friend of two other men arrested by counter-terrorism officers at Manchester Airport on August 14.

The pair, who had been about to board a flight to Finland, live less than 100 yards from the home of the suspect held on Tuesday.

A fourth suspect, also from Blackburn, was arrested in Church, near Accrington, shortly after the arrests at Manchester Airport.

All four men are being questioned about a posting on an Arabic website that often carries messages from senior members of al-Qaeda.

The message, written in English, allegedly included a threat to target "all the political leaders, especially Tony Blair and Gordan (sic) Brown".

It appeared only briefly on January 24 and purported to have been written by Shaykh Umar Rabie al-Khalaila, who described himself as "the leader of al-Qaeda in Britain".

The latest man to be arrested changed his name when he converted to Islam four years ago. White Muslim Convert Arrested over ‘Gordon Brown Assassination Plot’ >>> By Nigel Bunyan | August 26, 2008

MAIL Online:
Fifth Suspect Arrested over 'Islamic Internet Plot to Kill Gordon Brown' >>> By James Tozer | August 27, 2008

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The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Barack Obama ‘Ought to Be Shot’ Says Racist Plotter
THE TELEGRAPH: A man at the centre of a suspected assassination plot against Senator Barack Obama has said that the presidential candidate "ought to be shot" because of his colour.

The chilling threat by Nathan Johnson, 33, followed his arrest with two other men when an arms cache was found in a pick-up truck. The men, one of whom is said to have strong ties to the white supremacist movement, were last night under investigation and facing initial charges for illegal firearms possession.

Mr Johnson boasted in an interview with the CBS4 radio station in Denver that he and his friends Tharin Gartrell, 28, and Shawn Robert Adolph, 33, had discussed killing Mr Obama when he accepted the nomination of the Democratic party at a sports stadium on Thursday.

"He don't belong in political office," he said. "Blacks don't belong in political office. He ought to be shot."

US authorities moved quickly to state there had been "no credible" threat to Mr Obama's life and any plot the men had hatched had been "crude", while his advisers sought to play down the incident. "We're not commenting on security issues," said Anita Dunn, a senior aide.

But the Secret Service, FBI and the US Joint Terrorism Task Force are all investigating the alleged plot and more arrests could follow. Barack Obama ‘Ought to Be Shot’ Says Racist Plotter >>> By Toby Harnden in Denver | August 27, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
White against Black - The Hidden Issue in the US Presidential Campaign: McCain against Obama. Republican against Democrat. Old against young. There are a number of ways to define the ongoing battle for the White House. But the most important is getting short shrift: black against white >>> By Gerhard Spörl | August 27, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Hillary Clinton Tells Democratic Convention: 'I Am a Proud Supporter of Barack Obama' >>> By Toby Harnden in Denver | August 27, 2008

TOWNHALL.COM:
Another Radical Obama Association? >>> By Amanda Carpenter | August 26, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Dmitri Medwedjew: "Russland hatte keine andere Wahl als Krieg"
Video: Georgien fordert EU zum Handeln auf: Nach der Anerkennung der abtrünnigen georgischen Provinzen Abchasien und Südossetien durch Russland hat Georgiens Präsident Micheil Saakaschwili die Weltgemeinschaft zum Handeln aufgefordert >>>
WELT ONLINE: Russlands Präsident Medwedjew hat sein Vorgehen in der Kaukasus-Krise gerechtfertigt. Was für das Kosovo gelte, müsse auch für Südossetien und Abchasien gelten. Um Leben zu retten, habe Russland nach der georgischen Attacke keine Wahl gehabt, als in den Konflikt einzugreifen.

Der russische Präsident Dmitri Medwedjew hat die Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit von Südossetien und Abchasien verteidigt. Mit Blick auf die Unabhängigkeit des Kosovos erklärte er in einem Beitrag für die Zeitung "Financial Times", bei internationalen Beziehungen könne man nicht "eine Regel für die einen und eine andere für die anderen" anwenden.

Nach der vom Westen unterstützten "unrechtmäßigen" Unabhängigkeitserklärung des Kosovos von Serbien sei es unmöglich gewesen, den Menschen in Südossetien und Abchasien zu erklären, dass das, "was gut für die Kosovo-Albaner war, nicht auch gut für sie sei". Dimitri Medwedjew: "Russland hatte keine andere Wahl als Krieg" >>> | 27. August 2008

DAILY EXPRESS:
Land-Grabbing Russians ‘Are the New Nazis’: RUSSIA was last night accused of acting like Nazi Germany by “annexing” the breakaway Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia >>> By Will Stewart in Moscow and Cyril Dixon | August 27, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Warum Gaddafis Sohn die Politik verlässt
Foto von Seif al-Islam dankt der Welt
WELT ONLINE: Er war mit der einzige, der den libyschen Revolutionsführer Muammar al-Gaddafi ungestraft kritisieren durfte: Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, Sohn des umstrittenen Potentaten. Der Westen hätte in ihm gerne Gaddafis Nachfolger gesehen. Doch Seif al-Islam gab seinen Rückzug aus der Politik bekannt – auf Druck seines Vaters.

Ob beim Friseur oder im Basar, in Damaskus, Beirut oder Rabat – wo immer man nach Muammar al-Gaddafi fragt, wird der Finger unter die Nase gehalten und das Schnupfen eines Kokainsüchtigen simuliert. Was der Mann von der Straße dem libyschen Revolutionsführer unterstellt, würde seinen unausgeschlafenen Eindruck sowie seine Unberechenbarkeit erklären.

Anfang August stoppte Gaddafi alle Öllieferungen an die Schweiz, nachdem dort einer seiner sechs Söhne wegen Misshandlung der eigenen Angestellten verhaftet worden war. Schweizer Firmen in Libyen, inklusive Nestlé, wurden geschlossen, zwei Schweizer Staatsbürger verhaftet.

Für Muammar Gaddafi ist das alles business as usual, schließlich diktiert er die Rechtsstaatlichkeit. Politisch Andersdenkende werden verfolgt, unliebsame Presseberichte bestraft und unabhängige Nichtregierungsorganisationen nicht zugelassen. Punkte, die Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, der zweitgeborene und politisch engagierte Sohn des Revolutionsführers – im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Libyern – ungestraft kritisierte.

Vergangene Woche hielt er in Sebah, einer Wüstensiedlung im Süden des Landes, eine seiner kritischen live im Fernsehen übertragenen Reden. Seif al-Islam forderte bessere Lebensbedingungen für die Bevölkerung, den Aufbau der nicht existenten Zivilgesellschaft, eine rechtschaffene Justiz und eine freie Presse. Obwohl es wie eine Wahlkampfrede klang, verkündete der 36-Jährige im Anschluss seinen Rückzug aus der Politik. Warum Gaddafis Sohn die Politik verlässt >>> Von Alfred Hackensberger | 26. August 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Gaddafi Son Says Lockerbie Families Were ‘Greedy’: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son has accused relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims of "trading with the blood of their sons and daughters” in their demands for compensation.

Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, who is seen as the leading candidate to succeed his father as Libyan leader, said that the Lockerbie families were "very greedy” during negotiations over payouts for the deaths of loved ones.

Mr Gaddafi also told BBC2’s The Conspiracy Files that the Libyan government had only taken responsibility for Britain’s worst terrorist attack in order to get international sanctions lifted. >>> | August 29, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Medwedjew würde auch Kalten Krieg riskieren
Foto von Dmitri Medwedjew dank Google Images
WELT ONLINE: Jede Kritik perlt an ihm ab: "Wir haben vor nichts Angst", erwiderte Russlands Präsident Dmitri Medwedjew auf die scharfe Kritik des Westens an seiner Kaukasus-Politik. Auch einen Kalten Krieg mag er nicht ausschließen. Seiner Meinung nach hat Russland den Friedensplan erfüllt. Alles weitere hänge allein vom Westen ab.

Der russische Präsident Dmitri Medwedjew hat nach der Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit von Abchasien und Südossetien die Standhaftigkeit seines Landes gegenüber dem Westen bekräftigt.

"Wir haben vor nichts Angst, auch nicht vor der Aussicht auf einen Kalten Krieg", sagte Medwedjew am Dienstag in einem Interview des englischsprachigen Fernsehsenders Russia Today. "Natürlich wollen wir das nicht", fügte der Staatschef hinzu. "Alles hängt von der Haltung unserer Partner, der Weltgemeinschaft und unserer Partner im Westen ab."

Auf die Frage, ob Russland auf die Konsequenzen seiner Anerkennung der beiden abtrünnigen georgischen Provinzen vorbereitet sei, sagte Medwedjew: „Wenn der Westen gute Beziehungen zu Russland aufrechterhalten will, wird er die Gründe für eine solche Entscheidung verstehen, und die Lage wird ruhig sein.“ Medwedjew würde auch Kalten Krieg riskieren >>> AFP/DPA/AP/FSL | 26. August 2008

LE FIGARO:
Medvedev n'a pas peur d'une nouvelle «guerre froide» >>> | 26. 08. 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Russia 'Ready for New Cold War' over Georgia: Russia has said it is prepared for a new Cold War, after President Dmitry Medvedev defied the West by formally declaring the independence of two Georgian rebel regions. Shredding any hope that his offensive in Georgia could be rolled back under an internationally agreed ceasefire, Mr Medvedev unilaterally redrew the map of the region by recognising the secession of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after meeting Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Mr Medvedev also gave warning Russia would go to any lengths to defend the enclaves. "We're not afraid of anything [including] the prospect of a Cold War," he said. "Russia is a state which has to ensure its interests along the whole length of its border. This is absolutely clear."

Speaking later about the deployment of a US anti-missile system close to Russian borders, Mr Medvedev said Moscow "will have to react somehow, to react, of course, in a military way." >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Tbilisi and Damien McElroy | August 27, 2008

GLOBE AND MAIL:
Russia Eyes Annexing Georgia, President Warns >>> By Jane Armstrong | August 26, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Margaret Thatcher’s View on Europe: The Bruges Speech
The following should in no way be construed as necessarily reflecting my own opinion on the European Union. I place this video and the following links here because the points raised by Baroness Thatcher in the lecture were worthy of serious consideration, and still are. - ©Mark


MARGARET THATCHER FOUNDATION:
The Bruges Speech in full >>>

THE BRUGES GROUP:
Bruges Revisited >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Miliband Urges Russia to ‘Abide by Law’
BBC: Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said Russian recognition of Georgia's breakaway regions is "unjustifiable and unacceptable".

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has declared he formally recognises South Ossetia and Abkhazia's independence.

But Mr Miliband urged Russia to "abide by international law as the basis for resolving this crisis".

Moscow's move has been criticised by the US, France and Germany. Nato says it violates UN resolutions. UK Urges Russia to ‘Abide by Law’ >>> | August 26, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Micheline Calmy-Rey will Osama Bin Laden treffen
Foto von Micheline Calmy-Rey, die Außenministerin der Schweiz, dank dem Monde. In Teheran trug diese Politikerin einen Schleier beim Treffen Ahmadinejads
TAGES ANZEIGER: Die Schweizer Aussenministerin bricht ein diplomatisches Tabu: Sie möchte mit Osama Bin Laden Gespräche führen. Wo sie den Terrorfürsten finden will, verriet Micheline Calmy-Rey bisher nicht.

Spätestens seit dem Anschlag vom 11. September 2001 ist der Tenor in den westlichen Demokratien einhellig: mit Terroristen wird nicht verhandelt. Doch die Schweizer Aussenministerin will mit diesem Tabu brechen. Wie die französische Zeitung «Le Monde» berichtet, ist Aussenministerin Micheline Calmy-Rey bereit, «sich mit Osama Bin Laden an einen Tisch zu setzen und einen Dialog mit dem Terrorfürsten zu initiieren.»

Terroristen als wichtige «Mitspieler»

Calmy-Rey wäre damit die erste Ministerin eines demokratischen Landes, die sich mit dem Chef einer Terrororganisation an einen Tisch setzt. Die Schweizer Aussenministerin machte diese Aussage am Rande der Botschafterkonferenz in Bern. Sie hat in ihrer Eröffnungsrede für eine aktive Politik des Dialogs geworben. Gegenüber «Le Monde» präzisierte die Bundesrätin, die Schweiz müsse sich für einen aktiven Dialog engagieren - auch mit politischen Unpersonen. Organisationen wie die Hamas oder die Hizbollah oder die Farc würden zu terroristischen Mitteln greifen. Die Schweiz verurteile dies. Die Vertreter der Organisationen seien aber wichtige Mitspieler, wenn man Konflikte beenden wolle. Mit diesen Leuten zu verhandeln, heisse aber nicht, dass man ihre Taten entschuldigen und akzeptieren wolle. Micheline Calmy-Rey will Osama Bin Laden treffen >>> Von Hubert Mooser | 26. August 2008

LE MONDE:
La ministre des affaires étrangères suisse prête "à s'asseoir à la table de Ben Laden" >>> | 25. 08. 2008

AFP:
Switzerland Does Not Rule Out Talking to Osama bin Laden >>> | August 25, 2008

TAGES ANZEIGER:
CVP hat Calmy-Reys diplomatische Fehltritte satt: Aussenministerin Micheline Calmy-Rey soll vom Bundesrat an die Leine genommen werden. Allenfalls müsse sie das Departement wechseln. Das fordert CVP-Präsident Christophe Darbellay >>> 31. August 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché)
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié)

As the West Sleeps, Islamists Work on Establishing a Worldwide Islamic State: Part 1
FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS: While we in the West sleep, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, is whispering in Arabic to hundreds of millions of Muslims how to establish Islamic states. In July he wrote two extensive columns (on July 13th and July 22nd) on the subject of the Islamic state in Arabic. Some Islamist apologists who remain ignorant of the threat of the Islamic state argue that the ascendancy of political Islam in the Muslim world is the better of “other evils” that could arise. Many Muslims and non-Muslims alike across the world, however, believe that it is self-evident that the ascendancy of political Islam will remain a significant security threat to the United States and to the West for decades to come as it has been so obviously so for anti-Islamist Muslims and non-Muslims alike in the Middle East.

This security threat is manifold. The attempt to create “Islamic” states which derive their laws from the theological interpretations of Islam and Sharia by clerics will always give rise to variant forms of internal and transnational movements which are supremacist in their worldview and thus justify various forms of terrorism against non-Muslims. Many in the state department believe that somehow Muslims are sentenced to live under the Islamist rule and rather governments which are pluralistic and are blind to a single religion are not possible under Muslims majority governments. Many of us would beg to differ. While this may be the line which the Muslim Brotherhood would like us to accept without debate, the reality is that a plurality if not a majority of Muslims refuse to subscribe to the religio-political collectivism of the Muslim Brotherhood and the now archaic concept of the Islamic state.

Up to this point, we have done very little in the public space to expose and engage the real ideological motives of the Muslim Brotherhood. The discourse over political Islam continues to grow but without reviewing source material and their discourse in Arabic we will make little headway. Some have been doing this but real time debate among Muslims is sparse to nonexistent over the subject of political Islam.

The English discourse over issues related to political Islam by the MB is hypocritically filtered for the Western audience. One need just review the MB’s English website and compare it to their Arabic website. They are not simple translations of one another. Same organization, same ultimate mission, very different messaging for very different fronts in the same conflict. A real debate over political Islam will only occur when we engage the ideas they present to their Arabic audience, as well. The English version of their message plays a mere peripheral cosmetic role based out of London. The Arabic version stems from deep within their soul and reflects their home base of operations. The major difference between them reflects their dissimulation and hypocrisy. Thus, true anti-Islamist activity must center on their deeply engrained ideologies which are expressed in Arabic. As the West Sleeps, Islamists Work on Establishing a Worldwide Islamic State: Part 1 >>> By M Zuhdi Jasser

Part 2 >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
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Die Araber setzen über das Rote Meer
NZZ Online: Ein saudischer Geschäftsmann plant den Bau einer Brücke über die Meerenge zwischen der Arabischen Halbinsel und dem Horn von Afrika. Das Projekt mag utopisch erscheinen, doch Investoren aus dem Golf sind schon eifrig daran, ihre Geschäfte in Afrika auszubauen.

jbi. Djibouti, Ende Juli

Am 29. Juli ist in der kleinen ostafrikanischen Republik Djibouti das Projekt einer Brücke vorgestellt worden, welche die Meerenge von Bab al-Mandeb zwischen der Arabischen Halbinsel und dem Horn von Afrika überspannen soll. Initiator des Plans ist der in Dubai domizilierte Geschäftsmann Tarik bin Ladin, Spross einer Familie, die das grösste Bauunternehmen Saudiarabiens beherrscht, und Halbbruder des Kaida-Führers Usama bin Ladin. Neben dem Brückenschlag zwischen Asien und Afrika umfasst Tarik bin Ladins kühne Vision auch die Errichtung je einer «Stadt des Lichts» an den zwei Brückenköpfen in Jemen und Djibouti. Die beiden Städte sollen eine Freihandelszone bilden, in welcher Häfen, Flughäfen, Industrie, Dienstleistungsunternehmen, Hochschulen und kulturelle Institutionen die Entwicklung der ganzen Region – Djibouti und Jemen gehören zu den ärmsten Ländern der Welt – in Gang setzen sollen. Die Araber setzen über das Rote Meer: Saudischer Geschäftsmann plant Brücke über den Bab al-Mandeb >>> | 26. August 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Festnahmen nach möglichen Anschlags-Plänen gegen Obama
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Denver - Wegen mutmaßlicher Pläne für einen Anschlag auf den demokratischen Präsidentschaftsanwärter Barack Obama während des Parteitags in Denver sind nach Medienberichten vier Menschen festgenommen worden. Wie der lokale Fernsehsender CBS34 am Montag berichtete, sagte einer der Männer den Behörden, sie hätten Obama "von einem "geeigneten Punkt aus mit einem Gewehr erschießen" wollen.

Der Anschlag war angeblich für Donnerstag geplant, wenn Obama vor den Teilnehmern des Parteikonvents offiziell die Nominierung zum Präsidentschaftskandidaten annehmen soll. Festnahmen nach möglichen Anschlags-Plänen gegen Obama >>> | 26. August 2008

LE FIGARO: Un complot contre Obama 
déjoué à Denver ? : Selon une chaîne de télé américaine, un homme lourdement armé et deux autres personnes ont été arrêtés soupçonnés de vouloir s'en prendre au candidat démocrate à la Maison-Blanche. Le FBI enquête pour évaluer le sérieux de la menace >>> | 26.08.2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Plot to Kill Barack Obama: Three 'White Supremacists' Arrested: Three men with suspected links to white supremacist groups are in custody in Denver after being arrested with rifles and a telescopic sight amid fears of a plot to assassinate Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate >>> By Toby Harnden in Denver | August 26, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Democrats Divided by an Obama-Shaped Wedge: At the Democratic National Convention this week, it will become clear that the Democrats have a long way to go before they can speak of unity. The party is split into at least three factions >>> By Gabor Steingart | August 25, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Buchanan’s Viewpoint: Pushing Russia Into the Cold
TOWNHALL.COM: A year after taking power, in June 1934, Adolf Hitler made his first visit abroad -- to his idol Benito Mussolini in Venice.

Babbling on incessantly about "Mein Kampf "and the Negroid strain in Mediterranean peoples, the Fuhrer made a dismal impression.

"What a clown this Hitler is," Mussolini told an aide.

Two weeks later, Hitler executed the Roehm purge and murdered scores of old Stormtrooper comrades. In late July, Austrian Nazis, attempting a coup, assassinated Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, a friend of Mussolini whose wife and child were then his guests.

Il Duce ordered four divisions to the Brenner Pass and flew to Vienna to vent his rage and disgust with Hitler. He called a summit at Stresa with Britain and France to agree on military action should Hitler make any new move in violation of Versailles.
At the time, however, Il Duce was also plotting revenge on Abyssinia for a bloody border clash with Italian Somaliland.

Mussolini thought his Allies would understand if he invaded the Ogaden to add an African colony to his new Roman Empire, just as the British and French had so often done in previous decades.

Mussolini miscalculated. Morally outraged, Britain and France went before the League of Nations and had sanctions imposed on Italy that were too weak to defeat her but punitive enough to insult her.

Friendless, isolated and condemned as an aggressor by Europe, Italy and Mussolini had nowhere to turn now but Hitler's Germany.

Thus, over the fate of an Abyssinian slave empire, Britain drove her faithful World War I ally into the arms of a Nazi dictator Mussolini loathed and had wished to confront beside Britain. And Abyssinia was overrun.

Are we making the same mistake in the Caucasus?

Mikheil Saakashvili started this war with his barrage attack and occupation of South Ossetia. Russia's war of retribution was far less violent or excessive than the U.S. bombing of Serbia for 78 days over Kosovo, or our unprovoked war on Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which has brought death to scores of thousands, or Israel's 35 days of bombing of Lebanon for a border skirmish with Hezbollah.

Yet, declared John McCain of Russia, "In the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations." Even Dick Cheney must have guffawed. Pushing Russia Into the Cold >>> By Patrick J Buchanan | August 26, 2008

THE GUARDIAN:
Georgian President Urges US and EU to Boycott Russia’s Winter Olympics: Mikheil Saakashvili calls for package of sanctions to punish Moscow for invading Georgia >>> By Luke Harding in Tbilisi | August 26, 2008

NZZ Online:
Die EU will den Druck auf Russland erhöhen: Der Georgien-Gipfel soll innereuropäische Differenzen beilegen >>> | 26. August 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
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Russia Mocks West’s Displeasure over War in Georgia

THE INDEPENDENT: The Kremlin has poured scorn on Western attempts to punish Russia for its invasion of Georgia, saying it was more than happy to be estranged from the international community.

The Kremlin on Monday said it was more than happy to be locked out of international institutions as it poured scorn on Western attempts to punish Russia over its invasion of Georgia.

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, said he was not bothered if more than a decade of post Cold War rapprochement with Nato was halted altogether. "We are ready to accept any decisions up to halting relations altogether," he said. The president also issued a chilly warning to Moldova of a military response if it followed the Georgian example of trying to regain control of its own breakaway region of Transdniester, whose rebel leadership has long been backed by Russia.

The hard line approach was adopted by Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, who said he saw no merit in joining the World Trade Organization even though Russia has had an outstanding membership application since 1995. "We don't feel or see any advantages from membership, if they exist at all," he said.

While he did not formally abandon accession negotiations, Mr Putin announced that Russia was pulling out of commitments it had earlier signed that were seen as pre-requisites for membership. Russia Mocks West’s Displeasure over War in Georgia >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Gori and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | August 25, 2008

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One GREAT Lady!
Photo of the great Baroness Thatcher courtesy of El País
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
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Change What to What, Obama?
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama will lose the November election to John McCain unless he overhauls his message of change, outlines specific plans and reassures Americans that he is one of them, according to swing voters in Denver.

The results of a focus group held by Frank Luntz, the leading American pollster, on the eve of the Democratic convention should sound alarm bells for the Obama campaign after a month in which Mr McCain, the Republican, has drawn level in the polls.

"The way that he gets here to the Democratic nomination - 'change' - is not how he gets there, to the White House," said Mr Luntz. "If it's change, by itself, he will fail. Change what? Change how? Change why?" Mr Luntz is a Republican but his work on focus groups is respected on both sides of the aisle.

Some 21 carefully-selected undecided voters were gathered in a conference room in a downtown skyscraper. Observed by The Daily Telegraph and a small group of other media through a one-way mirror, they were grilled by Mr Luntz about their views of the candidates in a two-hour session.

Although 12 said they had voted for President George W. Bush in 2004, not a single person described themselves as a Republican - bad news for Mr McCain, who has to shake off his party label to claim victory.

But these undecideds were willing to separate their disdain for the Republican party from the individual candidates. The one-word descriptions of Mr Obama showed he has mountain to climb to overcome the doubts of these swing voters in the swing state of Colorado - a top Democratic target in November. Message of Change Will Doom Barack Obama, Swing Voters Warn >>> By Toby Harnden in Denver | August 25, 2008

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Backs Ahmadinejad for Another Term in Office
BBC: Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to prepare for a second term in office amid fierce criticism.

The ayatollah praised the president for "standing up" to the West and predicted he would be returned to office for four more years at the 2009 election.

Critics accuse Mr Ahmadinejad, a foreign policy hardliner, of failing to control inflation and unemployment.

Such public backing from the ayatollah for a president is rare, analysts say.

Mr Ahmadinejad, who won the 2005 presidential election, has caused controversy abroad by calling for the destruction of Israel and pressing ahead with uranium enrichment. Iranian Leader Backs Ahmadinejad >>> | August 24, 2008

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Finding the World’s Most Beatiful Nuns
Audrey Hepburn plays Sister Luke in The Nun’s Story (1959)
MAIL Online: An Italian priest wants nuns across the world to flaunt it in the name of beauty.

Reverend Antonio Rungi, of Mondragone, near Naples, has come up with a novel way of enticing young people back to the church.

He has organised a beauty contest open only to nuns, to give them more visibility within the Catholic church, and to fight the stereotype that they are old and dour.

It would run online at first, but Reverend Rungi is hopeful that it will one day take off in the real world alongside the all-singing and all-dancing Miss Italia competition.

He said it would give nuns from around the world a chance to showcase their work and image. 'Miss Sister 2008': Web Vote to Find World's Most Beautiful Nuns >>> | August 25, 2008

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Sixteen-Year-Old Qatari Boy Dies after Tragic Race Attack by Thugs in Hastings
Photo of Mohammed Al Majed courtesy of MAIL Online
MAIL Online: A murder probe is under way after a foreign student aged 16 died in hospital following a 'racial' attack.

The boy, who was visiting Britain from Qatar in the Middle East, was attacked by a mob outside a kebab shop in Hastings, East Sussex.

He suffered serious head injuries in the late-night attack on Friday and died last night at King's College Hospital in London.

Sussex Police said the fight happened outside the USA Fried Chicken and Kebab House near the seafront in Hastings on Friday night.

The youngster was rushed to hospital and later transferred to the King's College Hospital, London, where he died late on Sunday night. Wealthy Arab Student, 16, Dies after Race Attack by Gang of Thugs in Seaside Town >>> | August 25, 2008

SUSSEX EXPRESS:
Student murdered in race attack: Three men arrested and bailed >>> By Laura Button | August 25, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Student Is Beaten to Death Outside Kebab Shop in Hastings >>> By Lucy Bannerman | August 26, 2008

BBC:
Arab Warning after ‘Racist Death’: The uncle of a student who died after a suspected racially-motivated attack on the south coast has said Arabs should not send their children to England.

Mohammed Al-Majed, 16, suffered a serious head injury outside a takeaway in Hastings and died two days later.

Ghazi Abdullah al-Majed told the BBC his nephew had complained about hostility towards Arabs in the town.

But community leaders, who held discussions in Hastings on Thursday, said it was safe for foreign visitors.

Mr al-Majed said Mohammed was worried about his safety before the attack on 22 August.

"He said people were not treating him very well, he said 'they don't like Arabs'. >>> | August 28, 2008

Watch BBC video: The council is keen to repair the town's image >>>
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Court to Consider Divorce for 8-Year-Old Girl
NEWS.COM.AU: A SAUDI court will next month hear a plea for divorce from an eight-year-old girl married off by her father to a man in his fifties, the Arabic-language daily Al-Watan reported today.

It said the girl's mother had filed the divorce case with the court at Unayzah 220km north of Riyadh, and cited lawyer Abdullah Jtili as saying the father had arranged the marriage without telling the girl.

"She doesn't know yet that she has been married,'' added Jtili of the girl who is about to begin her fourth year at primary school.

Al-Watan said relatives of the girl had told a Saudi rights group of her plight and urged it to intervene to have the marriage annulled.

But the daily also reported that the husband had refused to renounce the marriage, saying that he had not done anything illegal.

Arranged marriages involving pre-adolescents are occasionally reported in the Arabian Peninsula, including in the ultra-conservative Saudi kingdom where the strict conservative Wahabi version of Sunni Islam holds sway and polygamy is common.

In Yemen in April, another girl aged eight was granted a divorce after her unemployed father forced her to marry a man of 28. [Source: Court to Consider Divorce for 8-Year-Old Girl]

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Australia)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback – Australia)

Moscow Ups the Ante in Poker Game with West
TIMESONLINE: For most of the week she had seemed to be presiding over yet another fiasco for American foreign policy, yet Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, looked surprisingly chirpy as she toasted Polish officials at the signing of a new defence deal in Warsaw on Thursday.

Her hosts provided a bottle of Georgian wine for a dinner with Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, and Rice leapt at the opportunity to express solidarity with the victims of Russian aggression in the Caucasus.

Despite widespread criticism of America’s failure to curb Moscow’s advance and its apparent lack of options for a punitive response, Washington appeared quietly confident that Russia’s short-term gains in Georgia would turn into a long-term diplomatic headache for Moscow, which the US may be able to turn to its advantage.

“I don’t think this is a new cold war,” Rice declared after signing an agreement to deploy part of America’s long-range missile shield on Polish soil. “It’s a difficult time but I think we shouldn’t overstate the depth of the difficulties.”

Her confidence was based in part on the continuing refusal of Russia’s former communist neighbours to be cowed by the Georgian conflict - Poland, Ukraine and Georgia have all shown readiness to continue cooperating with the West - and partly on the US State Department’s assessment that long-term Russian economic interests will force Moscow to negotiate eventually.

Yet several US analysts warned that Moscow still holds the upper hand in any future diplomatic showdown. There may be no return to cold war-era nuclear threats of what used to be known as MAD - mutually assured destruction - but East-West relations seem certain to stay in cold storage for a time.

“The events of the past two weeks have been a disaster for US foreign policy,” declared Daniel Benjamin, a foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “Russia’s invasion of its neighbour is a clear demonstration that the US-led effort to integrate postSoviet Russia into the West has failed.” Moscow Ups the Ante in Poker Game with West >>> By Tony Allen-Mills, New York | August 24, 2008

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the West, Mosco

Druck auf Moskau wächst
STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG ONLINE: Moskau/Tiflis/Washington/Berlin - Nach dem weitgehenden Rückzug des russischen Militärs aus dem Kerngebiet Georgiens ist ein internationaler Streit um Pufferzonen und Kontrollpunkte in der Krisenregion entbrannt. "Angesichts der angespannten Lage kommen wir nicht ohne eine Verstärkung der Friedenssoldaten aus", sagte Vize-Generalstabschef Anatoli Nogowizyn in Moskau. Die Bundesregierung verschärfte ihre Haltung gegenüber Moskau. Berlin äußerte am Samstag die Erwartung, dass Russland den Abzug jetzt "unverzüglich gemäß dem vom russischen Präsidenten Dmitri Medwedew mitunterzeichneten Sechs-Punkte-Plan vollendet und seine Truppen vereinbarungsgemäß auf die Linien vor Ausbruch der Feindseligkeiten zurückzieht".

Die USA forderten Russland zum sofortigen Abzug seiner Soldaten aus dem georgischen Kerngebiet auf. Georgiens Regionalminister Temuri Jakobaschwili nannte die Pufferzonen "Hirngespinste russischer Offiziere". Die in acht beziehungsweise 18 Kontrollposten um die abtrünnigen Gebiete Südossetien und Abchasien stationierten Soldaten sollen nach den Worten des Generalstabs in Moskau Sabotageakte verhindern und die Bevölkerung schützen. Das russische Parlament will zudem am Montag über eine mögliche Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit der Separatistengebiete debattieren. Druck auf Moskau wächst >>> dpa | 24. August 2008

STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG ONLINE:
Streit um Pufferzonen >>> dpa | 23. August 2008

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The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Nicolas Sarkozy beruft EU-Sondergipfel ein
WELT ONLINE: Der französische Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy plant wegen der Georgien-Krise für den 1. September einen Sondergipfel der Europäischen Union. Frankreich, das derzeit den EU-Vorsitz führt, kommt damit den Forderungen mehrerer Mitgliedsstaaten nach. Bundeskanzlerin Merkel hat ihre Teilnahme bereits angekündigt.

Das Gipfeltreffen soll in Brüssel stattfinden. Dabei werde es um die „Zukunft der Beziehungen“ zwischen der EU und Russland sowie um Hilfen für Georgien gehen, teilte der Elysée-Palast mit.

Der amtierende EU-Ratspräsident Nicolas Sarkozy zog bereits kurz nach dem Ausbruch des Kriegs zwischen Russland und Georgien Anfang August einen Sondergipfel in Erwägung. Sarkozy kritisierte den Rückzug der russischen Streitkräfte zuletzt als nicht ausreichend.

Auch Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) unterstützt das Vorhaben. Ein Regierungssprecher teilte in Berlin mit, Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) werde an dem Gipfel teilnehmen. Nicolas Sarkozy beruft EU-Sondergipfel ein >>> | 24. August 2008

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Taleban Winning War, Says Zardari
BBC: The Pakistani Taleban have "the upper hand" and should be put on the list of banned organisations in Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, has said.

He says the world and Pakistan are losing the war on terror.

"It is an insurgency", he said, "and an ideological war. It is our country and we will defend it.

"The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they (the Taleban) definitely have the upper hand.

"The issue, which is not just a bad case scenario as far as Pakistan is concerned or as Afghanistan is concerned but it is going to be spreading further. The whole world is going to be affected by it." Taleban Winning War, Says Zardari >>> By Owen Bennett-Jones, BBC News, Islamabad | August 24, 2008

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Margaret Thatcher Is Struggling with Dementia
Photo of Margaret Thatcher courtesy of Le Figaro
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Baroness Thatcher's daughter Carol has revealed details of her mother's struggle with dementia for the first time.

In her new book, Carol Thatcher tells of her pain at haveing to repeatedly break the "truly awful" news of her father Sir Denis' death to her mother until the information sank in.

In her book, A Swim-On Part in the Goldfish Bowl: A Memoir, she wrote how her mother's "blotting-paper brain" which had always absorbed information got confused between Bosnia and the Falklands during a conversation about the war in the former Yugoslavia.

She wrote: "I almost fell off my chair. Watching her struggle with her words and her memory, I couldn't believe it. She was in her 75th year but I had always thought of her as ageless, timeless and 100% cast-iron damage-proof.

"The contrast was all the more striking because, until that point, she'd always had a memory like a website."

In the book, serialised in a Sunday newspaper, Ms Thatcher added: "From the fateful day of our lunch, telltale signs that something wasn't quite right began to emerge.

"Whereas previously you would never have had to say anything to her twice, because she'd already filed it away in her formidable memory bank, Mum started asking the same questions over and over again, unaware she was doing so. Thatcher's Struggle with Dementia >>> | August 24, 2008

MAIL ON SUNDAY:
Carol Thatcher: I Always Thought of Mum as Being 100% Cast-Iron Damage-Proof >>> By Carol Thatcher | August 23, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Margaret Thatcher's Struggle with Dementia Revealed in Daughter's Memoir: Dementia is slowly claiming one of Britain’s sharpest political minds >>> By Francis Elliott, Deputy Political Editor | August 24, 2008

THE GUARDIAN:
Lady Thatcher's Daughter Writes of Dementia >>> By Allegra Stratton, political correspondent | August 25, 2008

THE INDEPENDENT:
Thatcher's Battle with Dementia, by Her Daughter >>> By Chris Green | August 25, 2008

MAIL Online:
Too Soon and Far Too Much Detail: Why I'm Saddened by Carol Thatcher's Tell-All Book on Her Mother's Dementia >>> By Amanda Platell | August 24, 2008

BERLINER ZEITUNG:
Margaret Thatcher kämpft mit Demenz >>> 24. August 2008

NZZ Online:
Margaret Thatcher leidet unter Altersdemenz: Tochter Carol beschreibt Erkrankung in ihren Memoiren >>> | 24. August 2008

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE:
Margaret Thatcher souffre de démence depuis sept ans, confie sa fille: L'ancien Premier ministre britannique Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) souffre de démence depuis sept ans, confie sa fille Carol dans des mémoires dont des extraits sont publiés dans la presse britannique lundi >>> Londres (AFP) | 25 Août 2008

LE FIGARO:
Carol Thatcher parle 
de la maladie de sa mère: Malade depuis sept ans, l'ancien premier ministre s'est retirée de la vie publique en 2002 sur les conseils de ses médecins. La fille de Margaret Thatcher raconte pour la première fois, dans un livre à paraître dévoilé par la presse britannique, que sa mère a perdu la mémoire et souffre de démence depuis sept ans. «J'ai toujours pensé à elle comme la Dame de fer 100 % inoxydable, sur laquelle l'âge et le temps n'ont pas de prise», écrit Carol Thatcher, qui retrace le déclin de l'ancien premier ministre, aujourd'hui âgée de 82 ans >>> 25. 08. 2008

EL PAÍS:
Margaret Thatcher sufre demencia, según su hija Carol: La ex primera ministra británica, de 82 años, pierde su prodigiosa memoria >>> Patricia Tubella, Londres | 25/08/2008

CORRIERA DELLA SERA:
«Mia madre Thatcher
ora dimentica tutto»: La malattia nel libro della figlia Carol. Confonde le guerre di Falklands e Jugoslavia. E bisogna ricordarle ogni volta che il marito è già morto nel 2003 >>> Guido Santevecchi |
25 agosto 2008

IL GIORNALE:
Il triste declino della Lady di Ferro >>> di Redazione | lunedì 25 agosto 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Carol Thatcher, Daughter of the Revolution: Never very close to her mother, she still embodies the Thatcherite legacy. Accusations of disloyalty cannot dent the nation's affection for the Iron Lady's girl, writes William Langley >>> By William Langley | August 30, 2008

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Documentary Explores Gay Muslims’ Lives in ‘Love’
PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS: The men and women who tell their stories, sometimes tearfully, in Parvez Sharma's documentary "A Jihad for Love" have one thing in common: They all continue to believe in the tenets of Islam, regardless of having to hide their personal lives or, worse, escape their homelands because their religion considers their way of life a sin sometimes punishable by death.

The film, which was screened during this year's Frameline festival, is often fascinating and provocative, although, as a film, it feels a bit long and somewhat repetitive.

The only mention of homosexuality in the Quran has to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. Other writings known as the Hadith, a kind of Apocrypha of pronouncements said to have come from Muhammad, are cited to enforce the idea that homosexuality is a sin. That said, the official and popular attitudes toward homosexuality vary from country to country in the Islamic world. Turkey, for example, is a largely Islamic country but has no laws outlawing sexual relations between people of the same sex. In Iran and Egypt, homosexuality is specifically outlawed and the punishment can be extreme.

Sharma's film begins with a look at Muhsin Hendricks, an Islamic scholar who fought his homosexual feelings as a young man, married in the hope of sublimating his true nature, and eventually concluded that he had to find a way to live with being both a believer in Islam and a gay man. He believes that since Allah created him as he is, and because scriptural references condemn homosexual rape and not homosexuality per se, he is living a religious life as a gay Muslim. Documentary Explores Gay Muslims' Lives in 'Love' >>> By David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle | August 23, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Conception de la liberté d'expression selon Al-Munajid, Théologien saoudien

Al-Munajid - Théologien saoudien - VOSTF
by bivouac-id

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché)
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié)

Immigrants Exploit Loophole to Gain British Citizenship in Church of England Marriages
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Illegal immigrants are exploiting a legal loophole to gain British citizenship by getting married in Church of England ceremonies.

Confidential guidelines have been issued by bishops to warn clergy of the scam, which has exploded since a Government crackdown on sham marriages was introduced in 2004.

Official figures show that the number of bogus weddings performed by Anglican priests has risen by as much as 400 per cent in some dioceses over the last four years.

Foreign nationals have turned to the Church because it is exempt from rules that require all foreign nationals from outside the European Union to obtain a Home Office certificate of approval to marry in a register office. Immigrants Exploit Loophole to Gain British Citizenship in Church of England Marriages >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | August 24, 2008

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"Ahmadinedschad ist größtes Geschenk für Israel"
WELT ONLINE: Der iranische Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad lässt kaum eine Gelegenheit aus, gegen Israel zu hetzen. Ein ehemaliger Chef des israelischen Geheimdienstes hat dies nun als "Geschenk" bezeichnet. Denn wegen der unverhohlenen Drohungen habe sich die Welt hinter die Israelis gestellt.

Ein ehemaliger Direktor des israelischen Geheimdienstes Mossad hat den iranischen Präsidenten Mahmud Ahmadinedschad als "größtes Geschenk für Israel“ bezeichnet. Ahmadinedschad habe es geschafft, die ganze Welt gegen den Iran zu vereinen, sagte Epfraim Halevi dem arabischen Fernsehsender Al-Hurra. "Ahmadinedschad ist größtes Geschenk für Israel" >>> | 20. August 2008

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Death of Patriotism: How National Pride Is 'Under Threat by a Global Super-Elite'
MAIL Online: Patriotism is back in fashion. With the Union flag flying high over Beijing after the golden success of our Olympic athletes, the British public has been given a rare opportunity to indulge in unbridled expressions of national pride.

Yet, in our ever more globalised world, instinctive patriotism is being diluted. The concept of nationhood has been undermined by mass immigration and the imposition of the dogma of multi-culturalism.

Our economy is increasingly tied up with the global financial system, dominated by multinational giants which see borders as irrelevant. Supra-national bodies, such as the UN and the EU, have a mounting influence over our political governance.

The idea of national interest is sliding towards the dustbin of history.

Only last month, in a rhetorical and extravagant speech to the Israeli parliament, Gordon Brown called on the nations of the world to ensure that our era becomes ‘the century of the global community’.

In one overblown passage, he pledged to ‘make a reality of the vision of a global society in which we create global civic institutions that turn words of friendship into bonds of human solidarity’.

Not to be outdone, David Cameron has joined this enthusiasm for earnest globalism. Death of Patriotism: How National Pride Is 'Under Threat by a Global Super-Elite' >>> By Leo McKinstry | August 23, 2008

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'We Should Have Trampled on Georgia', Say Russians
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A quick war is the best propaganda: The conflict in the Caucasus has further strengthened the Putin-Medvedev leadership duo, according to new polls. Many Russians are hoping the pair will continue leading the country back toward's super-power status and that they will pursue that aim more energetically.

"Alexander" is the first caller on the "Curve" morning show at Echo of Moscow, a radio station critical of the government. The young listener is the first to be given the opportunity to answer the host's question about the Caucasus conflict: "Did this war make Russia stronger?"

The connection isn't great and there's fuzz in the background as he declares: "The stronger person is always more respected, and Russia has become stronger." His country may be finding itself in an increasingly isolated position internationally, but you can still hear the pride in his voice. And this young Moscow resident is far from alone in his opinion. The strong state is enjoying tremendous popularity.

For many Russians, the economic crisis of the 1990s remains a painful memory. The economic upswing that happened under Vladimir Putin's terms as the Kremlin chief not only improved the country's material situation, but also helped promote a new sense of self-confidence. That has also been evident in the days following the war in the Caucasus. In direct contrast to the Western view, Russians have emphasized the fact that the Georgians started the offensive and the war.

Indeed, most Russians are backing their government. The latest poll taken by Moscow's renowned Levada Center delivered clear results: 70 percent of the Russians surveyed said they were "in full and complete agreement" with the statement that the Russian leadership had "done everything it could to prevent an escalation of the conflict and to prevent the bloodshed." Only 4 percent claimed that the government had stoked the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in order to promote its own geopolitical interests. 'We Should Have Trampled on Georgia' >>> By Carmen Eller in Moscow | August 22, 2008

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Three Adherents of the ROP Arrested over Internet Threats to Kill the Prime Miniter
THE TELEGRAPH: Three suspected terrorists have been arrested over internet threats to kill the Prime Minister.

Two men were arrested at Manchester airport last week as they prepared to leave the country and a third, the brother of one of the other men, was detained in Accrington, Lancashire where he worked as a security guard.

Counter-terrorism sources said the arrests related to a statement which appeared on an Arabic language website called al-ekhlaas.net, which often carries messages from senior members of al-Qaeda.

The message, written in English, appeared only briefly on January 24, and claimed to be from Shaykh Umar Rabie al-Khalaila, "The leader of al-Qaeda in Britain."

In it, he demanded the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and the release of prisoners from Belmarsh high security jail in south east London including the radical clerics Abu Hamza al-Masri and Abu Qatada.

Qatada was later released after an Appeal Court ruling and put under house arrest.

It is understood the men had been under surveillance by police and two were arrested as they prepared to leave the country for Finland. Gordon Brown Terror Threat: Three Arrested >>> By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent and Nigel Bunyan | August 23, 2008

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Slaying Church Attendance among Women, Study Claims
THE TELEGRAPH: The old-fashioned attitudes and hierarchies of churches are causing a steep decline in the number of female worshippers, according to an academic study.

The report claims more than 50,000 women a year have deserted their congregations over the past two decades because they feel the church is not relevant to their lives.

It says that instead young women are becoming attracted to the pagan religion Wicca, where females play a central role, which has grown in popularity after being featured positively in films, TV shows and books.

The study comes amid ongoing controversy over the role of women in all Christian denominations. Last month its governing body voted to allow women to become bishops for the first time, having admitted them to the priesthood in 1994, but traditionalist bishops have warned that hundreds of clergy and parishes will leave if the move goes ahead as planned.

The report's author, Dr Kristin Aune, a sociologist at the University of Derby, said: "In short, women are abandoning the church.

"Because of its focus on female empowerment, young women are attracted by Wicca, popularised by the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Slaying Church Attendance among Women, Study Claims >>> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | August 23, 2008

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Despite Pullout, Russia Envisions Long-Term Shift
THE NEW YORK TIMES: MOSCOW — As the Russian Army withdrew most of its forces from Georgia, it was becoming ever more clear on Friday that Moscow had no intention of restoring what once was — either on the ground or diplomatically.

The West wants a return to early August, before an obscure territorial dispute on the fringes of the old Soviet empire erupted into an international crisis. But Russia’s forces are digging in and seizing ribbons of Georgian land that abut two breakaway enclaves allied with Moscow, effectively extending its zone of influence.

At the same time, the Kremlin is nearing formal recognition of the independence of the enclaves, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, possibly as early as next week.

These moves indicate that despite the French-brokered cease-fire framework that Russia accepted, it is striving to maintain considerable economic and military pressure on Georgia, a close ally of the United States. The ultimate goal, it seems, is the ouster of its president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who is detested by the Russian leadership, and the installation of a government that it considers less hostile. Despite Pullout, Russia Envisions Long-Term Shift >>> By Clifford J Levy | August 22, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Georgia Rejects Russian Claims of Withdrawal: Russia's defence minister has said his forces have completed a promised withdrawal from the main body of Georgia into the enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia >>> | August 22, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Even Today, Fighting Might with Might Is Often the Only Solution >>> By John O'Sullivan | August 23, 2008


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Obama Names Joe Biden as His Running Mate
Photo of Joe Biden courtesy of MAIL Online
MAIL Online: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has named Joe Biden as his running mate, despite the veteran politician once admitting that Obama was 'not yet ready for the presidency'.

Mr Biden, 65, is known for being talkative and is prone to making statements which get him in to trouble.

Last year he said Mr Obama was "not yet ready" for the presidency, a remark which will now be seized upon by the Republican attack machine ahead of the general election on November 4.

Even before Mr Obama confirmed his selection this morning, McCain campaign spokesman Ben Porritt said: 'There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden.

'Biden has denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realising - that Barack Obama is not ready to be president.' Obama Names 'Gaffe-Prone' Joe Biden as His Running Mate in Presidential Elections >>> | August 23, 2008

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Moskau meldet Abschluss des Truppenabzugs aus Georgien
NZZ Online: Nach offiziellen Angaben aus Moskau haben die russischen Truppen ihren Rückzug aus dem georgischen Kernland abgeschlossen. Im Laufe des Freitags war die Abfahrt von grösseren Militärkonvois in Richtung Norden gemeldet worden. Moskau meldet Abschluss des Truppenabzugs aus Georgien: Militärkonvois in Richtung Norden abgefahren >>> | 22. August 2008

LEFIGARO:
Géorgie : les colonnes militaires russes se replient >>> lefigaro.fr, avec AFP | 22.08.2008

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Another Verdict of Death from the ‘Religion of Peace’
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: LAGOS - An Islamic body in Nigeria has issued a death sentence on a man who married 80 women against the maximum of four allowed by Islam, The Guardian reported yesterday.

Jamatu Nasril Islam said in a statement that Mohammadu Bello Masaba from the central Niger state stood condemned to death unless he divorced 76 of the women in four days.

"Unless Masaba repents within four days and take only four wives from the herd he remains condemned to death, according to sharia law," the statement said.

"Any Muslim who married more than the approved number of wives at a time either by mistake or out of ignorance is instructed to choose but only four and ask for Allah's forgiveness," Jamatu Nasril Islam said. [Source: Death Verdict for Man with 80 Wives] Agence France-Presse | August 23, 2008

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O’Reilly’s Homophobia Is Unbelievable! Is This Man a Fossil?

Media Matters for America: O’Reilly’s Homophobia >>>

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Die islamische Herausforderung
JUNGE FREIHEIT: Der Islam stellt eine der größten Herausforderungen für Deutschland und Europa dar. Bevölkerungs- und Kulturwissenschaftler sind sich einig: Werden die derzeit zu beobachtenden sozialen Faktoren sich nicht drastisch ändern, so wird in naher Zukunft Europa als ein „Eurabien“ zu einer kulturellen Einheit mit dem Nahen Osten verschmelzen. „Europa wird Teil des arabischen Westens sein, des Maghreb. Dafür sprechen Migration und Demographie“, schreibt der Orientalist Bernard Lewis. „Nach den aktuellen Trends wird Europa spätestens Ende des 21. Jahrhunderts muslimische Mehrheiten in der Bevölkerung haben.“ Und der Bevölkerungswissenschaftler Gunnar Heinsohn schätzt: „Spätestens in 50 Jahren wird Deutschland dann muslimisch sein.“ Eine dramatische Umschichtung der Bevölkerung, vor der selbst Apologeten des Multikulturalismus, wie der Sozialwissenschaftler Wilhelm Heitmeyer, warnen. Die JUNGE FREIHEIT dokumentiert an dieser Stelle Grundlagentexte und ausgewählte Artikel zum Thema. Lesen Sie mehr >>>

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Unglaublich! Schweizer Kirchenhistoriker fordert islamische Feiertage
Foto vom Kirchenhistoriker Markus Ries dank der Jungen Freiheit
JUNGE FREIHEIT: LUZERN. Der Schweizer Kirchenhistoriker Markus Ries hat sich dafür ausgesprochen, bestimmte katholische Feiertage durch islamische zu ersetzen.

In der Zeitung Surseer Woche sagte der Professor für Kirchengeschichte an der Universität Luzern, man könne nicht mehr allzu breit in der Bevölkerung verankerte katholische Feiertage wie beispielsweise Mariä Himmelfahrt streichen und dafür islamische Festtage einführen.

Eine baldige Umsetzung hält Ries jedoch für unwahrscheinlich

So könnten Moslems in der Schweiz ihre beiden höchsten Feiertage, das Ende des Ramadan und das islamische Opferfest, an arbeitsfreien Tagen begehen. Dem Schweizer Radio DRS sagte Ries, islamische Feiertage in der Schweiz seien zwar eine schöne Idee, er glaube aber nicht, daß sie momentan umsetzbar sei.

Allerdings werde der Druck auf die „kleinen Festtage“ mit Sicherheit zunehmen. Für die Ökumene bedeuteten islamische Feiertage jedenfalls einen Fortschritt. So könne jeder seine Religion praktizieren. [Quelle: Schweizer Kirchenhistoriker fordert islamische Feiertage] | 18. August 2008

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