Farage 'Really Unhappy' with the EU
BBC – Today: A British Eurosceptic MEP has unleashed a volley of insults against the President of the European Council.

Nigel Farage, who leads UK Independence Party (Ukip) MEPS in the European parliament, said Herman Van Rompuy had "the charisma of a damp rag".

Mr Farage told the Today programme that he was expressing his anger "dangerous people" who continued to expand the powers of the EU. Listen to audio here >>> | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Saudi Teacher on Trial for Funding Jakarta Hotel Bombs
BBC: A retired Saudi Arabian schoolteacher has been charged with providing the funds for the deadly attacks on two luxury hotels in Jakarta last July.

Al Khelaiw Ali Abdullah, 55, is accused of funnelling money through an internet cafe in West Java.

He is the fourth person to go on trial this month over the Jakarta bombings - along with the suspected driver, bag-man and helpers in the attacks.

The twin hotel suicide bombings killed seven people and injured 50 more.

The BBC's Indonesia correspondent Karishma Vaswani says that Mr Abdullah came to Indonesia from Saudi Arabia in November 2008. Denies charges >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Barack Obama Health Care Summit Descends into Bickering
THE TELEGRAPH: It did not take long for the bipartisan health care summit to degenerate into the kind of bickering and points-scoring that has created a crescendo of anger about the conduct of politics in Washington.

President Barack Obama preached that the White House health care summit should not be "political theatre where we're just playing to the camera" or about trading "respective talking points". Then he reminded his 2008 opponent John McCain: "We're not campaigning any more. The election is over."

The barely concealed message was: "I won and you lost, buddy." When Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, grumbled that Democrats had talked for 52 minutes and Republicans just 24, Mr Obama shot back: "I'm the President. I didn't count my time."

From the moment Mr Obama crossed Pennsylvania Avenue to Blair House (which is normally occupied by visiting diplomats) flanked by aides and Secret Service agents, it was clear the President meant business. He looked like an extra from Reservoir Dogs – only the shades were missing.

When the garrulous Vice President Joe Biden was a little tardy is getting to his seat, Mr Obama chided him: "Come on, Biden!" Reprising the message that the voters of Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts had rejected overwhelmingly, Mr Obama made the case that a trillion-dollar overhaul of the American health-care system was essential to rescue the ailing economy.

His opening remarks were a campaign speech in all but name. He had little new to say, evening admitting: "I'm telling you things all of you already know."

There were the customary cloying references to family. "I can certainly remember Malia coming into the kitchen one day and saying, 'I can't breathe, Daddy', and us having to rush her to the emergency room because she had asthma," Mr Obama said. >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Barack Obama's Healthcare Plea Falls on Deaf Ears in TV Debate
TIMES ONLINE: Thirteen months into his presidency, Barack Obama invited 40 congressional leaders to an unprecedented meeting today at which he challenged Republicans to forge consensus on an issue that threatens to bankrupt the American economy and derail his ambition of transforming American society.

His challenge on healthcare fell largely on deaf ears, but it brought moments of high drama including a bitter rebuke of Mr Obama’s governing style over the past year from his former opponent, Senator John McCain. Mr Obama responded: “We’re not campaigning, John. The election’s over.”

Six hours of televised debate left uncertain the fate of the most ambitious social legislation in a generation – the reform of a health insurance system that accounts for nearly a sixth of the US gross domestic product. It has become a proxy for an even broader battle between liberals who last year sensed an historic chance reinvent the federal government in favour of the poor, and conservatives determined to bury Mr Obama’s campaign promises of change and render him a one-term president.

The stakes for the President were even higher than for the uninsured. As one commentator from his home town of Chicago put it: “Obama needs a victory… Either that, or he faces irrelevancy and insurrection.” >>> Giles Whittell, Washington | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Homophobic and Anti-Semitic Preacher Invited to London University
PINK NEWS: A Muslim cleric who has called Jews “filth” and gay people “sick” has been invited to speak at a London university tonight (Thursday).

Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick will be speaking at the Strand campus of Kings College tonight on “Islamic solutions to environmental problems”, as part of the university’s green week.

Sheikh Quick was featured on a New Zealand television programme in 2003 where he called Jewish people “filth”, said gays were “not natural” and warned that Islam’s position on homosexuality was “death”.

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused him of “coming close” to advocating violence against gays and said university bosses were too “weak and cowardly” to prevent such clerics visiting campuses >>> Jessica Geen | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Niederlande: Den Koran verbieten!
ZEIT ONLINE: Die Niederlande stehen vor einer Neuwahl. Der Populist Geert Wilders hat gute Chancen

Gibt sich als Anwalt der kleinen Bürger und ist antiislamisch: Rechtspopulist Geert Wilders. Foto: Zeit Online
Diesen Niederländer halten viele für einen Fanatiker, einen bedenkenlosen Populisten und Hetzer. Er sei besessen von der Vorstellung, Europa sei bedroht durch eine gigantische Welle der Islamisierung, es nahe das Ende der westlichen Kultur. Ist so einer mit einer derart fixen Idee nicht selbst gefährlich für die liberale Demokratie?

Die Frage ist wichtig, denn Geert Wilders könnte vor einer neuen Stufe seiner Karriere stehen. In den Niederlanden ist die Regierung zerbrochen, am 9. Juni wird das Parlament neu gewählt. Wilders wird seit Monaten in den Meinungsumfragen hoch gehandelt. Anfang März, bei den landesweiten Kommunalwahlen, wird er seine Stärke wohlkalkuliert nur in zwei Gemeinden testen, in Den Haag und in einer modernen Satellitensiedlung in der Nähe Amsterdams. Wilders wird in jedem Fall zu den Gewinnern zählen.

Der 46-jährige Abgeordnete nennt den Koran vergleichbar mit Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf, weshalb er verboten gehöre. Der Islam sei »faschistisch und krank«, und die Kriminalität muslimischer Jugendlicher sei ein Produkt ihrer Religion und Kultur. Finanzpolitisch noch nicht ganz ausgegoren wirkt Wilders’ Forderung nach einer Kopftuchsteuer. >>> Von Werner A. Perger | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Kommentar:

Geert Wilders ist kein Rechtspopulist, und er ist auch nicht “besessen” von einer falschen Vorstellung von der Bedrohung von Islam. Eigentlich, ist es eine Tatsache, daß Europa vor einer "gigantischen Welle" der Islamisierung steht. Leider, haben andere Politiker den Mut nicht dazu, etwas dagegen zu tun. Geert Wilders hat den erforderlichen Mut, und deshalb gehört er an der Spitze der Politik in den Niederlanden. – © Mark

Gaddafi Declares Holy War (Jihad) On Switzerland! Ghadhafi ruft zum Jihad gegen die Schweiz: Grosse Rede im libyschen Fernsehen
NZZ ONLINE: Der libysche Staatschef Muammar al-Ghadhafi hat zum heiligen Krieg (Jihad) gegen die Schweiz aufgerufen. In einer Rede in Bengasi bezeichnete der libysche Revolutionsführer die Schweiz wegen des Minarett-Verbots als «ungläubig» und «abtrünnig».

Der libysche Staatschef Muammar al-Ghadhafi hat am Donnerstag zum heiligen Krieg (Jihad) mit allen Mitteln gegen die Schweiz aufgerufen. In einer Rede in Bengasi bezeichnete der libysche Revolutionsführer die Schweiz als «ungläubig» und vom Glauben «abgefallen»; er begründete seine Vorwürfe mit dem im November beschlossenen Minarett-Verbot. Er behauptete auch, in der Schweiz würden Moscheen zerstört. >>> (sda/afp/Reuters)/awy | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Gaddafi Calls for Jihad Against Swiss
HERALD SUN: LIBYAN leader Muammar Gaddafi has turned up the heat in his country's dispute with Switzerland, calling for jihad against it over a ban on the construction of minarets.

"It is against unbelieving and apostate Switzerland that jihad (holy war) ought to be proclaimed by all means," Mr Gaddafi said in a speech in the Mediterranean coastal city of Bengazi to mark the birthday of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed.

"Jihad against Switzerland, against Zionism, against foreign aggression is not terrorism," he said.

"Any Muslim around the world who has dealings with Switzerland is an infidel (and is) against Islam, against Mohammed, against God, against the Koran," the leader told a crowd of thousands in a speech broadcast live on television.

In a November 29 referendum, Swiss voters approved by a margin of 57.5 per cent a ban on the construction in their country of minarets, the towers that are a signature part of mosques. >>> From correspondents for Herald Sun in Bengazi, AFP | Friday, February 26, 2010

Minarets: Le colonel Kadhafi appelle au djihad contre la Suisse
LE TEMPS: Le numéro un libyen Mouammar Kadhafi a appelé jeudi au djihad (guerre sainte) contre la Suisse qu’il a qualifiée de «mécréante» et d’«apostate» suite à l’interdiction de la construction des minarets dans la confédération

«C’est contre la Suisse mécréante et apostate qui détruit les maisons d’Allah que le djihad doit être proclamé par tous les moyens», a déclaré le colonel Kadhafi dans un discours à Benghazi (est) à l’occasion de la fête du Mouloud qui commémore la naissance du Prophète Mahomet.

Pour le numéro un libyen, «le djihad contre la Suisse, contre le sionisme, contre l’agression étrangère (...) , n’est pas du terrorisme». >>> AFP | Jeudi 25 Février 2010

Gaddafi ruft zum "Heiligen Krieg" gegen Schweiz auf
KRONE.at: Der libysche Revolutionsführer Muammar Gaddafi hat die Muslime zum Heiligen Krieg gegen die Schweiz aufgerufen. Die Eidgenossenschaft sei ein ungläubiger Staat, in dem Moscheen zerstört würden, erklärte Gaddafi am Donnerstag in Benghazi. "Jeder Muslim in der Welt, der mit der Schweiz zusammenarbeitet, ist ein Abtrünniger und gegen den Propheten Mohammed, Gott und den Koran." >>> | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Gaddafi will Heiligen Krieg gegen die Schweiz
SUEDDEUTSCHE.de: Libyens Machthaber poltert wieder einmal gegen die Schweiz - und ruft diesmal zum Heiligen Krieg gegen das Land auf. Kurzmeldungen im Überblick.

Muammar Gaddafi rief während einer Rede vor Anhängern in Benghasi zum Heiligen Krieg gegen die Schweiz auf. Foto: Sueddeutsche.de
Noch Ende vergangenen Jahres hatte der selbst ernannte "König von Afrika" gefordert, die Schweiz abzuschaffen. Nun wettert der libysche Revolutionsführer Muammar Gaddafi wieder gegen das Alpenland - und ruft zum Heiligen Krieg auf.

Die Schweiz sei ein ungläubiger Staat, in dem Moscheen zerstört würden, erklärte Gaddafi in Benghasi. "Jeder Muslim in der Welt, der mit der Schweiz zusammenarbeitet, ist ein Abtrünniger und gegen (den Propheten) Mohammed, Gott und den Koran."

Gaddafi forderte außerdem die Muslime auf, Schweizer Produkte zu boykottieren und ihre See- und Flughäfen für die Schiffe und Flugzeuge der Eidgenossen zu sperren. "Diejenigen, die Gottes Moscheen zerstören, verdienen es, mit einem Dschihad angegriffen zu werden. Würde die Schweiz an unserer Grenze liegen, würden wir gegen sie kämpfen", wurde Gaddafi von der amtlichen Nachrichtenagentur Jana aus einer Rede vor Anhängern zitiert. >>> apn/Reuters | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Gaddafi Calls for Jihad Against Switzerland
THE GUARDIAN: Libyan leader labels Switzerland an infidel state, escalating vendetta against country whose police once arrested his son

Libya's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, ­yesterday called for a jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland, in an escalation of his vendetta against the country where police once arrested his son.

At a meeting in the city of Benghazi to mark the prophet Muhammad's birthday, Gaddafi described the country as an infidel state that was "destroying" mosques. Last year he urged the UN to abolish Switzerland and divide it between Germany, France and Italy.

"Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate – is against Muhammad, God and the Qur'an," Gaddafi said.

Swiss voters last November backed a referendum proposal banning the building of minarets. The proposal was put forward by the Swiss People's party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which claims minarets are a sign of Islamisation. The move was opposed by the government, which argued that it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

Gaddafi has nursed a grudge against Switzerland since his son Hannibal and daughter-in-law were arrested in Geneva in 2008 for allegedly beating two servants at a luxury hotel. The Gaddafis were released soon afterwards and the charges dropped. But the Libyan leader was so enraged by his son's two-day detention that he shut subsidiaries of Swiss firms in Libya, had two Swiss businessmen arrested, cancelled most flights between the two states and withdrew about $5bn (£3.2bn) from his Swiss bank accounts.

One of the Swiss businessmen has been freed, but the other was forced this week to leave the Swiss embassy in Tripoli, where he had sought refuge, and move to jail to serve a four-month term, in an apparent bid to appease the Libyan leader. >>> Mark Tran | Friday, February 26, 2010

Muammar Gaddafi Calls for Jihad on Swiss After Ban on Building Minarets
TIMES ONLINE: Muammar Gaddafi has appealed for jihad against Switzerland, long regarded as one of the most peaceful nations in the world.

The Libyan leader’s call for a holy war was, he said, a response to a Swiss referendum in November to ban the construction of minarets on mosques.

It is the low point in a relationship that has been deteriorating since 2008 when Colonel Gaddafi’s son Hannibal was briefly detained in Geneva after allegedly beating his servants.

“Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against (the Prophet) Muhammad, God and the Koran,” Colonel Gaddafi said at a rally broadcast on television.

He made the speech to mark the Prophet’s birthday, ensuring that many Arabs would take the call seriously.

It was not clear how he wanted Muslims to target Switzerland. “The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbours and prevent any Swiss ships docking,” he said, apparently unaware that Switzerland does not have a merchant navy, or coast. >>> Roger Boyes | Friday, February 26, 2010

A Group of Spanish Catholics Convert to Islam

La montée d'un islam fondamentaliste inquiète les autorités catalanes en Espagne
LE MONDE: La vieille ferme abandonnée à l'entrée de Valls, petite ville près de Tarragone, a-t-elle été le siège d'un "tribunal islamique" au printemps dernier ? Les six hommes mis sous les verrous en novembre 2009 pour avoir condamné à mort une jeune Marocaine accusée d'adultère en application de la charia, viennent d'être remis en liberté sous caution. La jeune femme, aujourd'hui retournée au Maroc, ne s'est pas présentée aux convocations du juge d'instruction. Et le récit qu'elle avait fait de son enlèvement, puis de son jugement "par douze hommes en turban", suscite de sérieux doutes.

Pourtant, les mossos (la police de la Generalitat de Catalogne) l'avaient prise au sérieux, enquêtant pendant des mois avant de lancer leur coup de filet dans les milieux musulmans ultraconservateurs, très implantés dans la région tarragonaise. "Peut-être qu'il ne s'est rien passé, mais le fait que cela ait pu paraître plausible témoigne d'une construction de la peur autour du salafisme", estime l'anthropologue José Moreiras, de l'université Rovira i Virgili de Tarragone.

La Catalogne s'inquiète de la montée du discours fondamentaliste au sein de la communauté musulmane, forte de 350 000 membres, dont 250 000 Marocains. Sur les 180 mosquées recensées, plus de cinquante seraient contrôlées par des associations liées au salafisme. "Cela ne nous fait pas peur, mais nous sommes en alerte car des personnes passent des messages de non-intégration et d'hostilité au pays d'accueil", admet Mohammed Chaib, député socialiste au Parlement catalan.

Ce musulman d'origine marocaine plaide pour une meilleure reconnaissance de la communauté musulmane qui doit encore, après trente ans de présence, se contenter de garages, de caves ou d'anciens bâtiments industriels comme lieux de culte. Aucune municipalité n'a accepté la construction d'une mosquée. "Il y a aussi une crise dans le modèle d'organisation de l'islam en Catalogne, ajoute José Moreiras. Ce vide d'organisation, de doctrine et d'autorité au sein de la communauté favorise le discours simple et structuré du salafisme." >>> Jean-Jacques Bozonnet, Envoyé special du Monde, Tarragone | Jeudi 25 Février 2010

Martin Kramer on Radicalization, 2010 Herzliya Conference


Martin Kramer on the Middle East >>>

Le chef de la police algérienne assassiné par un collègue
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ALGÉRIE | Ali Tounsi a été assassiné par balles jeudi par un de ses collaborateurs, a annoncé le ministère de l'Intérieur. Il a été abattu lors d'une réunion dans son bureau à Alger.

Durant une séance de travail au siège de la police, «un cadre de la police, apparemment pris d'une crise de démence, a utilsé son arme et blessé mortellement le colonel Ali Tounsi, après quoi il a retourné l'arme contre lui, se blessant gravement», a précisé un communiqué du ministère. >>> ATS/Reuters/AFP | Jeudi 25 Février 2010

Le Front national plagie l'affiche anti-minarets
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: FRANCE | Le Front national (FN) a repris le symbole des minarets en forme de missiles pour une campagne régionale en France. L'agence de communication suisse qui l'a conçue veut poursuivre le parti.

Intitulée "Non à l'islamisme", l'affiche émane du mouvement jeune du Front national (FNJ) de Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d'Azur. Crédits photo: Tribune de Genève
"C'est un vol! On va engager une action en justice contre ça. Nous allons lancer une procédure", indique Alexander Segert, directeur de l'agence Goal, dans une interview jeudi au quotidien "La Liberté", qui révèle l'affaire. "Notre agence va lutter avec tous les moyens contre ceux qui pillent nos idées. >>> ATS | Jeudi 25 Février 2010

L'Inde et le Pakistan tentent de renouer le dialogue
La secrétaire indienne aux Affaires étrangères, Nirupama Rao, a serré la main de son homologue pakistanais, Salman Bashir, jeudi à New Dehli. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Les deux frères ennemis essayent jeudi de remettre sur les rails leurs discussions bilatérales, interrompues après les attentats de Bombay, en novembre 2008. Mais le terrorisme et le dossier du Cachemire continuent de miner leurs relations.

Voilà plus d'un an que l'Inde et le Pakistan ne s'étaient pas officiellement assis à la même table. La faute aux attentats de Bombay de novembre 2008, qui avaient fait 166 morts et avaient été attribués par l'Inde au groupe islamiste pakistanais Lashkar-e-Taiba. Depuis, les relations indo-pakistanaises s'étaient réduites au strict minimum diplomatique. La rencontre, jeudi à New Delhi, entre la secrétaire indienne aux Affaires étrangères Nirupama Rao et son homologue pakistanais Salman Bashir avait donc valeur de symbole.

Dans les gestes, d'abord : les deux diplomates se sont serrés la main devant un ancien palais royal, Hyderabad House, dans le centre de la capitale fédérale. Dans les mots, ensuite : «J'accueille le secrétaire aux Affaires Etrangères du Pakistan, M. Salman Bashir, ce matin et j'attends les discussions avec impatience», a déclaré Nirupama Rao. Les deux hauts fonctionnaires se sont entretenus durant une vingtaine de minutes avant d'être rejoints par leurs délégations respectives. L'Inde veut endiguer le terrorisme >>> Jim Jarrassé | Jeudi 25 Février 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: India-Pakistan talks end in acrimony: India and Pakistan's first talks since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks ended in acrimony as each accused the other of harbouring terrorists and tolerating human rights abuses. >>> Dean Nelson in New Delhi | Thursday, February 25, 2010

MPs Blast 'Ridiculous' Pay in RBS Bonus Row
TIMES ONLINE: Politicians rounded today on Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the state-owned lender, over its decision to pay up to £1.7 billion in bonuses to bankers despite making a £3.6 billion loss during 2009.

The bank announced today that it would pay investments bankers from a £1.3 billion bonus pool while other staff would share in a £400 million reward.

George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, said that bankers’ pay had reached “ridiculous levels”, adding: “We have just got to look at the whole banking sector and try to bring this pay down.”

RBS’s loss for the 12 months to December 31 is less than the £5 billion expected and far below the £24.3 billion loss that RBS reported for 2008, a record for any British company.

But Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, said: “RBS rewarding individual bankers is like a football team paying their striker for scoring when they’ve just been relegated."

RBS is 84 per cent owned by the British taxpayer after receiving billions of pounds of rescue funds from the state during the recession to save it from collapse.

The UKFI, the body set up by the Government to manage the state’s investment in British banks, yesterday granted RBS permission to pay the bonuses. >>> Francesca Steele | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Armeeführung unter Terrorverdacht: Ideologische Schlacht um die Zukunft der Türkei
WELT ONLINE: Plante das Militär einen Putsch, oder sind die Vorwürfe gegen die verhafteten Generäle haltlos? Derzeit wird die gesamte türkische Armeeführung von 2004 unter Terrorverdacht verhört. Details der Verfahren werden gezielt über islamische Medien verbreitet, die der Regierung von Recip Tayyip Erdogan nahestehen.

Die Generäle und Admirale der türkischen Streitkräfte betrachten sich als Diener der Republik und der türkischen Armee, die ihrer eigenen seltsamen Ideologie zufolge mehr ist als eine gewöhnlich Armee: Sie ist die Hand, die das Land führt. Regierungen kommen, und sie gehen , wenn sie der Armee widersprechen. So war es immer – bis jetzt.
Neuerdings ist es wohl so, dass Generäle kommen und dann gehen, wenn sie der Regierung von Ministerpräsident Recip Tayyip Erdogan widersprechen. Die gesamte Führung der Streitkräfte aus den Jahren 2003 und 2004 wurde in dieser Woche festgenommen und verhört; viele von ihnen kamen gleich darauf in Untersuchungshaft.

Türkischen Staatsanwälten zufolge sind die Herren in Uniform Mitglieder einer bewaffneten terroristischen Vereinigung. Und der Verdacht ist so allgemein, die Zahl der Verhafteten so groß, dass es nur einen Namen für diese Terrorgruppe geben kann, wenn die Staatsanwälte denn Recht haben. Sie heißt „TSK“ – das ist das Kürzel der türkischen Armee. >>> Von Boris Kálnoky | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

DIE PRESSE: Erdogan will Armee unter seine Kontrolle bringen: Nach der Verhaftung von mutmaßlichen Putschoffizieren nützt der Premier die politische Gelegenheit. >>> | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Niederlande: Balkenende flirtet mit Islam-Kritiker Geert Wilders
WELT ONLINE: Nach dem Koalitionsbruch bereiten sich die Niederlande auf vorgezogene Neuwahlen vor. Schon jetzt zeichnet sich ab, dass die Partei des Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders den amtierenden Ministerpräsidenten Jan Peter Balkenende in eine weitere Amtszeit befördern könnte. Und der schließt eine Zusammenarbeit nicht aus.

Der Christdemokrat Jan Peter Balkenende könnte nach den vorgezogenen Neuwahlen in den Niederlanden mit dem Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders zusammenarbeiten. Bilder: Welt Online
Nach dem Bruch der christlich-sozialen Koalition in Den Haag rückt in den Niederlanden eine Regierung unter Beteiligung des islamfeindlichen Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders näher. Der amtierende Ministerpräsident Jan Peter Balkenende schließe ein Zusammengehen seiner Partei Christdemokratischer Appell (CDA) mit Wilders' Partei für die Freiheit (PVV) nicht aus, hieß es am Dienstag in Medienberichten.

Einen Aufruf der Sozialdemokraten an den CDA, auf keinen Fall mit Wilders zusammenzuarbeiten, wies Balkenende zurück. „Wir schließen niemanden von vornherein aus“, sagte er im Fernsehen. Nachdem am Wochenende die Regierungskoalition im Streit um den niederländischen Militäreinsatz in Afghanistan geplatzt war, haben sich inzwischen fast alle Parteien gegenüber Staatsoberhaupt Königin Beatrix für Neuwahlen ausgesprochen. In den Umfragen liegen CDA und PVV weit vorn.

Für den Fall von Koalitionsverhandlungen mit dem CDA signalisierte Wilders bereits ein Einlenken bei seinen umstrittensten Forderungen - darunter ein Einwanderungsverbot für Muslime und staatliche Maßnahmen gegen die „Islamisierung“ der Niederlande. „Ich verstehe, dass wir nicht in jeder Beziehung unseren Willen bekommen können“, sagte er der konservativen Zeitung „De Telegraaf“. >>> dpa/ks | Dienstag, 23. Februar 2010

Nordkorea droht mit Atom-Angriff
DIE PRESSE: Wegen eines militärischen Großmanövers der USA und Südkorea droht das nordkoreanische Regime mit nuklearer Abschreckung. Das Manöver ist laut USA "verteidigungsorientiert".

Vor dem jährlichen Großmanöver der US-Streitkräfte mit Südkorea hat Nordkorea den Ton gegenüber beiden Ländern verschärft und mit einem möglichen Angriff mit Atomwaffen gedroht. Ein nordkoreanischer Armeesprecher unterstellte am Donnerstag den USA und Südkorea, "Übungen für einen Atomkrieg" durchführen und einen Überraschungsangriff auf Nordkorea vorbereiten zu wollen. "Nukleare Abschreckung" >>> Ag. | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Iran und Syrien gemeinsam gegen USA
DIE PRESSE: Der iranische Staatschef Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ist zu Besuch in Syriens Hauptstadt Damaskus. Dabei trifft er den syrischen Präsidenten Bashar al-Assad und schließt Vereinbarungen gegen US-Interessen.

"Wir müssen (US-Außenministerin Hillary) Clinton wegen der schlechten Übersetzung und wegen unseren begrenzten Verstandes missverstanden haben. Deshalb unterzeichneten wir den Vertrag über die Visafreiheit", witzelte Assad. Es sei befremdlich, dass Clinton über Stabilität und Frieden im Nahen Osten rede und zwei Länder der Region auffordere, auf Distanz zueinander zu gehen. "Dieselben Ziele, dieselben Feinde" >>> Ag. | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Stay Out of Middle East Affairs, Ahmadinejad Tells Washington
Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) attend celebrations of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) birthday in Damascus on Thursday. Photo: Arab news
ARAB NEWS: DAMASCUS: The United States should pack up and leave the Middle East and stay out of regional affairs, Iran’s president said on Thursday during a visit to Damascus that follows a string of US efforts to break up Syria’s 30-year alliance with Tehran.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, reaffirmed their ties by canceling visa restrictions between the two countries and vowing cooperation.

“(The Americans) want to dominate the region but they feel Iran and Syria are preventing that,” Ahmadinejad said during a news conference with Assad.

“We tell them that instead of interfering in the region’s affairs, to pack their things and leave.”

The US has reached out to Syria in recent months by nominating the first US ambassador to Damascus since 2005 and sending top diplomats to meet with President Bashar Assad. Washington is hoping to draw Syria away from Iran and the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.

But with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by his side in Damascus, Assad said Thursday that America should not dictate relationships in the Middle East.

“I find it strange how they talk about Middle East stability and at the same time talk about dividing two countries,” Assad told reporters when asked about Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's call Wednesday for Syria to move away from Iran.

Assad took a swipe at Clinton for making such a suggestion, saying he and Ahmadinejad “misunderstood, maybe because of translation error or limited understanding.” In a show of unity, the two signed an agreement canceling travel visas between the their countries. >>> Agencies | Friday, February 26, 2010

Greek Rescue in Danger as Deputy Prime Minister Attacks 'Nazi' Germany
THE TELEGRAPH: Greece has greatly damaged its chances of an EU bail-out by lashing out at Germany over war-time atrocities and accusing Italy of cooking its books to hide public debt.

The escalating dispute came as a general strike in Greece spilled over into violent clashes between hooded youths and riot police in Athens. Chants of "burn the banks" are a foretaste of tensions once austerity measures bite in earnest later this year.

Public and private sector unions joined forces to bring the country to a standstill for 24 hours, halting flights, trains, and shipping, and shutting schools and hospitals.

Theodoros Pangalos, deputy prime minister, said Germany had no right to reproach Greece for anything after it devastated the country under the Nazi occupation, which left 300,000 dead. "They took away the gold that was in the Bank of Greece, and they never gave it back. They shouldn't complain so much about stealing and not being very specific about economic dealings," he told the BBC.

Twisting the knife further, he said the current crop of EU leaders were of "very poor quality" and had botched this month's crisis summit in Brussels. "The people who are managing the fortunes of Europe were not up to the task," he said.

One banker said the situation was surreal. "How can they call the Germans incompetent Nazis and still expect a bail-out?"

Mr Panagalos has gone even further than premier George Papandreou, who said Greece had become a "guinea pig" for squabbling eurocracts playing power games.

Athenian rhetoric has confirmed fears in North Europe that the ruling PASOK party is still in denial about the crisis and will not deliver on promises. The insults have caused bitterness in Germany, increasing the possibility that Europe's paymaster will lose patience and leave Greece to its fate after all. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, International Business Editor | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Related:

Greece Grinds to a Halt Amid Strikes (Video) / Scharfe Attacke aus Griechenland gegen Deutschland / In Krise wollen Griechen deutsches Geld wegen Nazi-Besatzung / La Grèce paralysée par la grève générale >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Spanish Priest Offered Sexual Services and Spent Church Funds on Pornography
THE TELEGRAPH: A Spanish priest has been sacked after it emerged he advertised himself as a male prostitute on the internet and spent church funds on telephone sex and internet pornography.

Samuel Martin Martin, 27, the priest of two small parishes in the central province of Toledo, posted images of himself posing in grey underpants and said he was available for sex sessions with women and couples for 120 euros an hour.

Calling himself Hector, the priest described himself in an online advertisement as: "Heterosexual man for women and couples. Real photos. Well hung (15cm) to give you pleasure and happiness."

The scandal has made headlines across Catholic Spain where newspapers reprinted the photo and text from the advertisement. "I am open to everything except sadism. Hotels and private addresses. 24 hours. You won't regret it, I will give you pleasure like never before," it said. >>> Fiona Govan in Madrid | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Rushdie: It's Time to Tell the Story of My Fatwa
THE INDEPENDENT: Author of 'The Satanic Verses' ready to describe his years under police protection

Salman Rushdie is to write a book about the decade he spent in hiding while living under a fatwa issued by the then-Supreme Leader of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Khomeini.

Rushdie, who is in the middle of a five-year stint as a lecturer at the Emory University in Atlanta, said: "It's my story, and at some point it needs to be told."

Rushdie was speaking at the opening of an exhibition of his manuscripts, letters and photographs that he donated to the university in 2006, and which have finally been catalogued and transferred into digital format.

"That point is getting closer, I think," added Rushdie. "When it was in cardboard boxes and dead computers, it would have been very, very difficult, but now it's all organised."

Rushdie, 62, was forced into hiding in 1989 when Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill the author, claiming that his book The Satanic Verses insulted Islam. >>> Tom Peck | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Such a ‘Special Relationship’! With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies?
TIMES ONLINE: Washington refused to endorse British claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands yesterday as the diplomatic row over oil drilling in the South Atlantic intensified in London, Buenos Aires and at the UN.

Despite Britain’s close alliance with the US, the Obama Administration is determined not to be drawn into the issue. It has also declined to back Britain’s claim that oil exploration near the islands is sanctioned by international law, saying that the dispute is strictly a bilateral issue. US refuses to endorse British sovereignty in Falklands oil dispute >>> Giles Whittell, Washington and James Bone, New York | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Et tu, Barack? America Betrays Britain in Her Hour of Need
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: It was a headline I never expected to read: “US refuses to endorse British sovereignty in Falklands oil dispute.” Washington has declined to back Britain in its dispute with Argentina over drilling rights in the waters surrounding the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands. President Obama’s position is one of strict neutrality, refusing to take sides. According to the State Department:

We are aware not only of the current situation but also of the history, but our position remains one of neutrality. The US recognises de facto UK administration of the islands but takes no position on the sovereignty claims of either party.

Has it come to this? Tony Blair sacrificed his political career and jeopardised Britain’s international standing by making common cause with America in the War on Terror. No matter how often he claims it was because he believed it was “the right thing to do”, we all know what was really going on in his head. He simply didn’t want to break ranks with the United States. The Atlantic alliance has been the cornerstone of British foreign policy since 1941, when Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt joined forces against the Axis powers. Dean Acheson may have declared that Britain had lost an empire and yet to find a role, but successive British Prime Ministers have know[n] what their role is and, by and large, it has been to stand shoulder to shoulder with America, presenting a united front in a series of global conflicts, from the Cold War to the Gulf.

It is not just cynical realpolitik. Our two nations have more in common with each other than they do with anyone else. We share a belief in liberal democracy, in freedom, and it is largely thanks to our willingness to commit ourselves to the defence of those ideals that the world has not been engulfed by fascism, communism or Islamofascism.

For this alliance to survive, both countries must recognise their obligations and, from time to time, that involves one of us setting aside more localised concerns for the sake of the cause. Tony Blair would have preferred it if President Bush had been prepared to wait for a second UN resolution before launching the invasion of Iraq, but he decided that Britain should follow America into battle nevertheless. He recognised that the preservation of the Atlantic alliance had to be prioritised above all else, both for our sake and the sake of the world. Read on and comment >>> Toby Young | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Turkish Court Charges 12 Officers in Coup Plot
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Struggle between secular Turkish military and Islamic-oriented government reaches new heights as senior officers jailed

The struggle between the secular Turkish military and the Islamic-oriented government reached new heights Wednesday as a court jailed 12 senior officers — including five admirals, an army general and six other officers.

The officers are charged with plotting several years ago to topple the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, news reports said Wednesday. More officers could be charged later this week.

Former chiefs of Air Force, Navy and Special Forces were also among about 50 officers detained by police in a sweep Monday.

Turkey, a predominantly Muslim but officially secular country, is witnessing an unprecedented showdown between the country's rising political Islamic movement and its fiercely secular founders, the military officers. >>> Selcan Hacaoglu, Ankara, The Associated Press | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Bosses at Scandal-hit Stafford Hospital Escape Scot-free
THE TELEGRAPH: The senior managers who presided over one of Britain’s worst hospital scandals, in which up to 1,200 patients died, have all escaped being disciplined, it has emerged.

Photo: The Telegraph
No one on the board at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust has faced censure and all of them were either paid off, walked into another job or allowed to remain in post. The man who ran the hospital trust received a large pay-off despite his part in the scandal.

Martin Yeates, the former chief executive, left the trust “by mutual agreement” with a pay-off of £400,000 and a pension worth £1.27 million, it has been alleged.

The lack of disciplinary action emerged after the publication of a damning report into the treatment of patients between 2005 and 2008.

An independent report commissioned by the Government found that patients were abused and neglected by hostile staff and were left in humiliating and undignified conditions. The impact on them was “unimaginable”, the report said.

Patients, most of whom were treated at the trust’s main hospital in Stafford, were “robbed of their dignity”, left in soiled bedclothes, unwashed and in states of undress in full view of others, it found.

Families of patients had to clean lavatories and public areas themselves, while food and drinks were left out of reach and, it was alleged, patients drank out of vases.

Attitudes of staff were at times “uncaring”. Managers were “in denial” about the problems and were concentrating on cutting costs and hitting targets to achieve foundation trust status, the report said.

There was said to be a culture of fear and bullying with staff concerned they would lose their jobs if targets were not hit. >>> Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Union Européenne: Herman van Rompuy insulté devant les eurodéputés à Bruxelles
LE POINT: Le chef de file des europhobes britanniques, Nigel Farage, a créé le scandale mercredi au Parlement européen en insultant le président de l'UE Herman van Rompuy à l'occasion de sa première apparition devant les eurodéputés.

"Je ne veux pas être impoli, mais vraiment, vous avez le charisme d'une serpillière humide et l'apparence d'un petit employé de banque", s'est écrié Nigel Farage, sous les huées de ses pairs, lors d'une session à Bruxelles. "Qui êtes-vous ? >>> AFP | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

Tirade Against ‘Damp Rag’ EU President Shocks MEPs
"You have all the charisma of a damp rag.” – Nigel Farage
BBC: A British Eurosceptic MEP has unleashed a volley of insults against the President of the European Council.

Nigel Farage, who leads UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEPS in the European parliament, said Herman van Rompuy had "the charisma of a damp rag".

He compared the former Belgian prime minister to a "low-grade bank clerk" and said he came from a "non-country".

The attack, which stunned the chamber, came as Mr Von Rompuy made his maiden appearance in parliament in Brussels.

"I don't want to be rude," Mr Farage began, before launching into a personal attack lasting several minutes.

"Who are you? I'd never heard of you, nobody in Europe had ever heard of you," Mr Farage thundered, as noisy disapproval at his intervention in the chamber rose.

'Competent and dangerous'

"Oh, I know democracy is not popular with you lot," he said, addressing the members of parliament as they voiced their surprise.

Mr Farage - known for his outspoken interventions - did, however, admit that he thought Mr Van Rompuy was "competent and capable", adding that this made him "dangerous".

"I have no doubt that your intention is to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of European nation states," he said.

Mr Farage's party, UKIP, campaigns for the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union. It has 13 representatives in the European parliament.

"You seem to have a loathing for the very concept of the existence of nation states," Mr Farage continued, adding: "Perhaps that's because you come from Belgium, which is pretty much a non-country." Read further (with video) >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Nigel Farage Harangues EU President Herman van Rompuy


Nigel Farage Reprimanded for Criticising New EU President & Foreign Minister


THE TELEGRAPH: Ukip's Nigel Farage faces reprimand after calling Herman Van Rompuy 'wet rag': Nigel Farage faces an official reprimand next week after he described Herman Van Rompuy as a "damp rag" during the European Union President's maiden appearance before MEPs. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Bringing Poison to the People! Prophet Muhammad: 'A Prophet Loved'

Maryland Can Recognize Out-of-State Gay Marriages
ADVOCATE.COM: Effective immediately, Maryland attorney general Douglas F. Gansler has announced, the state can recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. >>> Advocate.com Editors | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Would-be Miss California Says God Wants Gays Dead
I wonder what God thinks about women who flaunt their bodies? About immodest women? – © Mark
PINK NEWS: A contestant for the 2010 Miss California pageant has given her views on same-sex marriage, saying that the Bible is "pretty black and white" on what should happen to gays.

Miss Beverly Hills 2010 Lauren Ashley, who evidently hopes to follow in the footsteps of last year's Miss California Carrie Prejean, was speaking to Fox News.

Ms Ashley said: "The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, 'If man lies with mankind [sic] as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.' The Bible is pretty black and white. >>> Jessica Green | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Margot Käßmann, Landesbischöfin der größten evangelischen Kirche Deutschlands, auf der Pressekonferenz. Foto: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Nach Alkoholfahrt: Käßmann tritt von allen Ämtern zurück
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die EKD-Ratsvorsitzende, Margot Käßmann, tritt mit sofortiger Wirkung von allen ihren Ämtern zurück, bleibt aber Pastorin der Landeskirche. „Mein Herz sagt mir ganz klar: Ich kann nicht mit der notwendigen Autorität im Amt bleiben“, sagte sie am Nachmittag auf einer Pressekonferenz in Hannover. Die 51 Jahre alte Käßmann, seit 1999 Landesbischöfin der größten evangelischen Landeskirche und seit Oktober vorigen Jahres als Ratsvorsitzende Sprecherin der deutschen Protestanten, bezeichnete ihre Fahrt als erheblichen Fehler, aus dem sie nun die Konsequenzen ziehe.

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) hat den Rücktritt „mit Respekt und Bedauern aufgenommen“. Nach Angaben von Regierungssprecher Ulrich Wilhelm sagte Merkel: „Ich habe die Zusammenarbeit mit Bischöfin Käßmann sehr geschätzt.“ Die EKD-Synodenpräsidentin Katrin Göring-Eckardt und der stellvertretende EKD-Ratsvorsitzende, Nikolaus Schneider, erklärten: „Ihr Rücktritt ist ein schwerer Verlust für den deutschen Protestantismus. Die Gradlinigkeit und Klarheit in ihren theologischen, soziopolitischen und gesellschaftlichen Positionen werden der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland fehlen.“ >>> Faz.net | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

German Drink-driving Bishop Quits
BBC: The head of Germany's Protestant Church has resigned, four days after being caught drink-driving.

"My heart tells me quite clearly that I cannot stay," Bishop Margot Kaessmann was quoted as saying.

Arrested in Hanover at the weekend, she was charged with passing a red light while three times over the legal limit.

The 51-year-old became Germany's youngest bishop in 1999. She was appointed last year to lead the 25 million-strong Lutheran Church.

"Last Saturday, I made a big mistake," Bishop Kaessmann was quoted as telling reporters on Wednesday. 'Popstar of Protestantism' >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Verbunden / Related:

THE TELEGRAPH: Germany's Protestant Head Arrested for Drink Driving >>> Allan Hall in Berlin | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

L’Eglise veut des indemnités pour la destruction du Christ dans «2012»
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RIO DE JANEIRO | L’archidiocèse de Rio a demandé des dommages et intérêts à Columbia Pictures pour avoir utilisé sans son autorisation des images de la célèbre statue du Christ qui surplombe la ville dans le film catastrophe «2012 la fin du monde».

"Les négociations ont commencé en décembre, un mois après le lancement du film. L’archidiocèse avait refusé l’utilisation de ce symbole religieux lors de la pré-production du film mais Columbia Pictures n’a pas respecté l’interdiction", a déclaré l’avocate de l’archidiocèse Claudine Dutra.

La bande annonce et l’affiche du film "2012", du réalisateur allemand Roland Emmerich, montrent la statue du Christ aux bras ouverts en train d’être détruite par un raz de marée.

"Beaucoup de fidèles se sont dits choqués et offensés par les images de destruction de ce sanctuaire que l’archidiocèse veut préserver. Nous voulons que Columbia Pictures déclare publiquement qu’elle n’avait pas l’intention d’offenser" les fidèles, a ajouté l’avocate. >>> AFP | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

2012 Trailer

Liliane Bettencourt refuse toujours de se soumettre à une expertise médicale
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: HÉRITAGE | L'héritière et actionnaire principale de L'Oréal, Liliane Bettencourt, a de nouveau refusé de se soumettre à une expertise médicale dans l'affaire des dons qu'elle a consentis à l'artiste François-Marie Banier.

Selon ce dernier, Mme Bettencourt a adressé un courrier personnel en ce sens aux trois experts judiciaires chargés de l'examiner.

Liliane Bettencourt avait déjà refusé cette expertise après que le tribunal de Nanterre l'eut ordonnée le 11 décembre 2009 en missionnant trois experts, dont le docteur Philippe Azouvi.

Ce dernier avait relancé l'héritière de L'Oréal en lui précisant qu'il ne s'agissait pas d'une expertise psychiatrique mais neurologique, a-t-on indiqué de source proche du dossier.

"Liliane Bettencourt se demande pourquoi il faut trois éminents spécialistes pour une simple expertise dans le domaine de la médecine générale. Elle estime que le professeur Azouvi a déjà tranché sur pièces", a déclaré Me Georges Kiejmann. >>> AFP | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

When Palestinians Keep Israelis Safe
HAARETZ: The damage felt by the Mossad over the release of footage of the hit on Mahmoud al-Mabhouh is now likely to be suffered by the Shin Bet security service with next week's publication of Mosab Hassan Yousef's memoir.

"The Green Prince" was apparently among the highest ranking agents the security service operated among Hamas' military wing in the West Bank, the most murderous terror network ever known in the Palestinian territories.

In his book, and in his interview with Avi Issacharoff (to be published in full Friday), Yousef exposes the methods by which the Shin Bet almost entirely obliterated the network by which hundreds of Israelis were murdered in terrorist attacks between 2000 and 2005. >>> Amos Harel | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Google Italy Ruling 'Threat to Internet Freedom'
THE TELEGRAPH: Three Google executives were convicted on Wednesday of violating privacy laws by allowing disturbing footage of a disabled Italian boy being bullied to be posted on the internet.

The ruling was the first of its kind in history and was condemned by critics as "the biggest threat to internet freedom we have seen".

The trial centred on footage posted on Google Videos, of a teenager suffering from Down's syndrome and who was being bullied by four other boys, at a Turin school.

The footage was posted in September 2006 and became the most viewed where it remained for two months before finally being removed.

Prosecutors in Milan brought the case after being contacted by the charity Viva Down and argued that the boys privacy had been violated and that Google should have removed the footage quicker than it eventually did.

In the footage the boy was seen cowering as he was punched and kicked before one of the youths attacking him made a mocking call to the Viva Down charity.

The three executives found guilty by judge Oscar Magi were David Carl Drummond, former Google Italy and now senior vice president, George De Los Reyes, a retired financial executive and privacy director Peter Fleischer.

The three were found guilty of violating privacy laws and given six month suspended sentences, while they were cleared of defamation. A fourth executive Arvind Desikan, an executive with Google video Europe was cleared. >>> Nick Pisa in Rome | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

«Der Islam ist jetzt auch eine Schweizer Religion»
TAGES ANZEIGER: Für den Schweizer Islamwissenschaftler Tariq Ramadan existiert ein europäischer Islam. Das Zusammenleben funktioniere auf lokaler Ebene schon gut, national brauche es aber noch Zeit.

«Indem ich mich integriere, verändere ich die Kultur, in die ich mich integriere»: Tariq Ramadan. Bild: Tages Anzeiger
Weiter lesen >>> Von Luciano Ferrari und Benedikt Rüttimann | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

Islam : «En m’intégrant, je change la culture dans laquelle je m’intègre»
LE TEMPS: Dans une interview publiée sur le site internet du quotidien alémanique Tages Anzeiger, Tariq Ramadan s’exprime sur le vote anti-minarets et l’intégration des musulmans. Il se prononce contre la création d’un parti islamique démocratique en Suisse

Trois mois après le vote par lequel les Suisses ont refusé la construction de nouveaux minarets, l’intellectuel Tariq Ramadan dédramatise les conséquences de ce scrutin dans une longue interview publiée sur le site internet du Tages Anzeiger. Il s’exprime aussi sur les défis posés par la présence des musulmans en Suisse et en Europe, ainsi que par la construction d’une société pluriculturelle.

Après le vote du 29 novembre, certains avaient prophétisé qu’une tempête de protestations se lèverait dans le monde islamique. Or il ne s’est rien passé. Cela n’étonne pas Tariq Ramadan: «Tous les érudits musulmans du monde savent que les minarets ne sont pas prescrits par les Ecritures. Il s’agit d’une question architecturale». L’intellectuel suisse dénonce néanmoins l’attitude de l’UDC, qui a cherché à attiser le conflit, sans y parvenir. «Les musulmans ont réagi de manière réfléchie. Ils se nont pas tombés dans le piège de l’UDC.» >>> Patricia Briel | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

Zürcher Vortrag bringt Westerwelle in Erklärungsnot
TAGES ANZEIGER: Die früheren Nebeneinkünfte von Guido Westerwelle sorgen für Wirbel in Deutschland. Die SPD äussert den Verdacht, dass der heutige Aussenminister unter anderem von Banken «angefüttert» worden sei.

Referate sind für Spitzenpolitiker lukrativ. Guido Westerwelle zum Beispiel kassierte während Jahren mindestens 7000 Euro pro Auftritt als Redner. Nach offiziellen Angaben des deutschen Bundestags nahm der damalige Oppositionspolitiker in den Jahren 2005 bis 2009 Honorare in der Höhe von rund 250'000 Euro ein. Der genaue Betrag geht aus der Aufstellung des Parlaments nicht hervor.

Gemäss einem Bericht der Nachrichtenagentur ddp verlangt nun die SPD im Bundestag genaue Auskünfte über dessen «mindestens 36 üppig honorierte Vorträge» in der vergangenen Legislaturperiode. Westerwelle müsse nun zügig offenlegen, wie viel Honorar er für die Vorträge unter anderem bei Firmen der Finanzindustrie sowie der Hotel- und Versicherungsbranche bekommen habe. Es bestehe der Verdacht, dass Westerwelle unter anderem von Banken und Hotelketten «angefüttert» worden sei. Auch die Linke äusserte Käuflichkeitsvorwürfe. >>> Von Vincenzo Capodici | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

Einreisewelle aus dem Balkan schwappt in die Schweiz
TAGES ANZEIGER: Nach der Aufhebung der Visumspflicht kehren Zehntausende Mazedonier ihrer Heimat den Rücken, um der dortigen Armut zu entkommen. Bereits spüren erste Kantone die Auswirkungen der kleinen Völkerwanderung.

Seit Dezember letzten Jahres dürfen die Bürger Serbiens, Montenegros und Mazedoniens ohne Visum nach Westeuropa reisen. Wer über einen biometrischen Pass verfügt, kann sich ab dann bis zu 90 Tage im Ausland aufhalten - und das im gesamten Schengenraum, also auch in der Schweiz[.]

Diese Aufhebung der Visumspflicht hat nun vor allem in Mazedonien eine kleine Völkerwanderung ausgelöst. In nur sieben Wochen haben nach Angaben des Innenministeriums in Skopje fast 150'000 Personen die neue Reisefreiheit genutzt, wie der «Tages-Anzeiger» berichtet. Es dürfte sich dabei nicht nur um Touristen handeln: Laut Schätzungen dürften mehr als zwei Drittel der ausgereisten Mazedonier die Heimreise nicht angetreten haben. Hochburg der Auswanderungsbewegung ist der albanisch dominierte Westen Mazedoniens: Dort starten in einigen Dörfern täglich bis zu fünf Busse nach Westeuropa. Aber auch im südserbischen Presevo-Tal, ebenfalls ein mehrheitlich von Albanern bewohntes Gebiet, sind nach inoffiziellen Angaben bereits etwa 10'000 Personen ausgereist. >>> Von David Vonplon | Dienstag, 23. Februar 2010

Greece Grinds to Halt Amid Strikes


Scharfe Attacke aus Griechenland gegen Deutschland: Streit über EU-Finanzhilfen droht zu eskalieren
NZZ ONLINE: Im Streit über EU-Finanzhilfen für das hochverschuldete Griechenland hat Vize-Ministerpräsident Theodoros Pangalos die deutsche Regierung scharf angegriffen und dabei auf Verbrechen während der NS-Zeit verwiesen.

Griechenland und Deutschland liegen sich in den Haaren: Der griechische Vize-Ministerpräsident Theodoros Pangalos sagte der BBC laut einem Bericht des britischen Senders, Deutschland stehe Kritik an Griechenland nicht zu, weil die Nationalsozialisten die Wirtschaft Griechenlands ruiniert und überdies tausende Menschen ermordet hätten.

Pangalos sagte laut BBC weiter: «Sie haben das Gold aus der Bank von Griechenland und auch griechisches Geld weggeschafft, und es nie zurückgegeben.» Dieses Thema müsse in baldiger Zukunft behandelt werden. >>> ddp | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

In Krise wollen Griechen deutsches Geld wegen Nazi-Besatzung
TAGES ANZEIGER: Mit einem Generalstreik haben die Griechen gegen die drastischen Sparpläne der Regierung protestiert. Gleichzeitig überrascht der griechische Vize-Premier mit seltsamen Forderungen an Deutschland.

Im Streit über EU-Finanzhilfen für das hochverschuldete Griechenland hat Vize-Ministerpräsident Theodoros Pangalos am Mittwoch die deutsche Regierung scharf angegriffen. Griechenland sei nie für die Folgen der nationalsozialistischen Besatzung im Zweiten Weltkrieg entschädigt worden, erklärte Pangalos am Tag des Generalstreiks gemäss Meldungen von Nachrichtenagenturen. >>> vin | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

La Grèce paralysée par la grève générale
Mercredi à Athènes, les forces de l'ordre ont dû charger certains groupes de manifestants en marge de la manifestation contre le plan d'austérité du gouvernement. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Les syndicats se dressent contre le plan d'austérité imposé par l'UE.

Armés de banderoles, de haut-parleurs et de lunettes de soleil, les Grecs ont déclaré la guerre au plan d'austérité annoncé par le gouvernement socialiste. «Ce sont les riches qui doivent payer, et les spéculateurs», scandaient plus de 30 000 personnes dans les trois cortèges qui ont défilé mercredi à Athènes sous un soleil printanier.

L'appel à la grève générale avait été lancé par la Confédération générale des travailleurs et la Fédération des fonctionnaires. Le pays s'est retrouvé presque totalement paralysé : blocage des transports maritimes et aériens, écoles et administrations fermées, hôpitaux et tribunaux en service minimum. Des échauffourées ont éclaté entre la police et quelques centaines de jeunes, provoquant la dispersion des cortèges devant le Parlement sous des nuages de gaz lacrymogènes.

Malgré ces incidents, les syndicats parlent de «succès dans la mobilisation», pour une grève qui se veut «une mise en bouche» avant de prochains mouvements. «Il n'y a pas de justice sociale dans ce pays, s'insurge Makis Karkavela, un fonctionnaire gréviste. Nous ne laisserons pas Bruxelles nous imposer ces mesures.» Le plan d'austérité du gouvernement grec, validé par la Commission européenne en janvier, n'a qu'un seul objectif : réduire le déficit public au plus vite. Celui-ci atteint 12,7 % du PIB, un record en Europe, et doit être réduit de quatre points d'ici à la fin de l'année. Pour rassurer les marchés financiers et les partenaires européens, Bruxelles a mis la Grèce sous tutelle et exige les premiers résultats des réformes d'ici au 16 mars, date du prochain Conseil des ministres de l'Économie de l'UE. Tension avec Berlin >>> Alexia Kefalas , à Athènes | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

ITV Presenter Quits After Withdrawing Discrimination Allegations
THE TELEGRAPH: Presenter Lisa Aziz is leaving ITV for ''personal reasons'', it has been announced.

The news host has also withdrawn and apologised for a series of allegations she made against ITV colleagues.

Aziz was reported to have made claims of race, sex and age discrimination which were due to be heard at a forthcoming industrial tribunal. >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Sunni-Shiite Split and the Iranian Threat

The Battle Against the Islamization of Europe

For Pakistani Women, Dupattas Are More Than a Fashion Statement
LOS ANGELES TIMES: The long scarves that many wear with traditional shalwar kameez outfits are laden with religious and cultural significance. For some it's a sign of Islamic modesty, for others a cumbersome relic.

A Pakistani woman in Islamabad adjusts her dupatta. The scarf has served as protest symbol, political must-have and, for some, a burden imposed by Islamic fundamentalists. Photograph: Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Karachi, Pakistan - Seeking a competitive edge, fabric designer Vaneeza Ahmad spent hours on the phone to China but couldn't find anyone to make her new line of dupattas, the omnipresent scarves that Pakistani women drape over their arms, head, chest.

China may be the world's factory floor, but its scarf makers aren't equipped for something that can be more than 8 feet long. Ahmad fretted, until, after much wrangling, she found a solution.

"I've located a curtain maker who could do it," she said triumphantly. "They've got the only machines big enough to handle our dupattas."

Essence of femininity, grist for film and literature, political statement, cultural icon, albatross, these few ounces of cotton or silk fabric have woven their way across Pakistan's shoulders, history and fashion runways, morphing from protest symbol to political must-have to sometimes-burdensome accessory demanded by Islamic fundamentalists.

The South Asian dupatta, which lies somewhere between its religious cousins -- the shorter head scarf popular in Turkey and Indonesia and the take-no-prisoners niqab and abaya worn in Saudi Arabia -- is such a fixture of Pakistani culture that many women here say they feel naked without one.

And while it may grow longer or shorter, wider or narrower, plainer or more extravagant with fashion's whims, it's a long-standing fixture in this conservative Islamic country, with a role in bolstering izzat, or modesty and respect. Nearly all Pakistani women wear a dupatta, at least occasionally. >>> Mark Magnier | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Celebrity Klatsch: Paparazzi Force George Clooney to Sell Lake Como Villa

TIMES INLINE: The actor George Clooney is reported to be selling his villa on Lake Como because of harrassment by paparazzi, a move which highlights the growing row over the invasion of celebrities' private lives.

Potential buyers of the Villa Oleandra at Laglio on Lake Como, which Clooney bought in 2002 for a reported $10 million (£6.5 million), include the footballer David Beckham, who is currently playing for AC Milan, and the Russian vodka and banking tycoon Tariko Roustam.

Beckham and his wife Victoria are said to have "fallen in love" with the villa while staying with Clooney last Spring, with the football star later telling team mates it was "quiet and peaceful and not far from Milan". The villa complex includes a botanical garden, tennis courts and an annex.

Corriere della Sera said lawyers from Milan had approached the Swiss property company dealing with the sale on the Beckhams' behalf. However Mr Roustam had raised his offer to €30 million, vowing "The villa will be mine". >>> Richard Owen in Rome | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Fearing Obama Agenda, States Push to Loosen Gun Laws
THE NEW YORK TIMES: When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition.

And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past.

In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last week that allows people to carry concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, and the House of Delegates voted to repeal a 17-year-old ban on buying more than one handgun a month. The actions came less than three years after the shootings at Virginia Tech that claimed 33 lives and prompted a major national push for increased gun control.

Arizona and Wyoming lawmakers are considering nearly a half dozen pro-gun measures, including one that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit. And lawmakers in Montana and Tennessee passed measures last year — the first of their kind — to exempt their states from federal regulation of firearms and ammunition that are made, sold and used in state. Similar bills have been proposed in at least three other states.

In the meantime, gun control advocates say, Mr. Obama has failed to deliver on campaign promises to close a loophole that allows unlicensed dealers at gun shows to sell firearms without background checks; to revive the assault weapons ban; and to push states to release data about guns used in crimes.

He also signed bills last year allowing guns to be carried in national parks and in luggage on Amtrak trains. >>> Ian Urbina | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

2 Teens Shot at School in Colorado
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Littleton, Colo. - A teacher tackled a man armed with a high-powered rifle after two teenage students were shot at a suburban Denver middle school Tuesday.

The students, one male and one female, were wounded about 3:30 p.m. outside Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said.

Both victims were expected to survive.

Student Steven Seagraves said he was about 10 feet away when an adult approached students and asked them: "Do you guys go to this school?"

When the students said they did, he shot them, Seagraves said. >>> Associated Press | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Palestinians: Israeli Plan for Disputed Shrines Could Plunge Region into 'Religious War'
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: JERUSALEM — The Palestinian president warned Tuesday that the region could plunge into a "religious war" over Israel's plans to recognize a disputed West Bank shrine as one of its own national heritage sites.

Mahmoud Abbas spoke during a visit in Belgium, following an announcement by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Cave of Patriarchs in Hebron earlier this week. >>> Associated Press | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Related: RIA NOVOSTI: Senior Hamas Leader Calls for New Intifada >>> Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Generation Zero: Official Teaser

Maverick Hero Scott Brown Branded Turncoat for Backing Obama Jobs Bill
TIMES ONLINE: After months of political paralysis, Washington’s showdown between Democrats and Republicans has given way to an unexpected truce called by the very senator who was hailed by radical conservatives as their new hero barely a month ago.

In a dramatic demonstration of independence, Scott Brown, the new Republican senator for Massachusetts, defied party whips to support President Obama’s latest job creation initiative — and was swiftly condemned by activists of the libertarian Tea Party movement as a traitor, a sell-out and a coward.

Mr Brown wasted little time endearing himself to readers of glossy magazines at the start of his career, posing naked in Cosmopolitan as the “Sexiest Man in America” when he was 22. He has been as quick to set pulses racing since his arrival in Washington, promising to bury health reform as the Republicans’ 41st senator, then stunning his supporters with a “yes” vote on Monday night when Democrats expected solid Republican opposition. >>> Giles Whittell, Washington | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Scott Brown’s Big Gaff

Oil in Falklands
ARAB NEWS – Editorial: From a geographical point of view, it is absurd that the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic are British.

They are 8,000 miles from Britain but only 300 miles from the South American coast, far closer to Argentina and Chile. However from a political standpoint, the Falkland archipelago has been a British possession since 1833 and against the odds, in 1982 Margaret Thatcher’s government fought a war to oust Argentinean forces that had invaded the islands.

The argument has been that the inhabitants should have the right to determine their own nationality. And since the majority is British and for years survived on subventions from London, they chose then — and still choose — to remain under UK governance. Even as long ago as 1982 there was a well-grounded belief the islands contained substantial deposits of oil and gas. Despite the chauvinism of the Thatcher government, this may well have been what really motivated London to seize back control.

Now a serious exploration effort is beginning and the Argentineans who, despite their humiliating defeat have never renounced their claim to what the islands they call the Malvinas, are furious. Their assertion of sovereignty was yesterday backed by other Latin American states meeting in Mexico. Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez even offered Argentina military assistance to invade the islands again. It may indeed be calculated that with the British armed forces now heavily deployed in Afghanistan, this time the islands could be held. The last thing London would want, even if still capable of it, would be to mount another long-distance assault. >>> Editor | Tuesday, February 23, 2010