The EU should be stronger and more united. Great Britain should belong to the Union.
Die EU sollte stärker und geeinter sein. Großbritannien sollte der Union angehören.
L'UE devrait être plus forte et plus unie. La Grande-Bretagne devrait appartenir à l'Union.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
In Morocco, a Crackdown on Christian Aid Workers
TIME: March 8 is not a day that Chris Broadbent will soon forget. The preceding weekend, gendarmes entered the Village of Hope, a Christian-run orphanage in Morocco's Atlas Mountains where Broadbent, a New Zealand native, worked as a human resources manager, and began questioning children and staff. At first, he and the other foreign workers were assured that the interrogation was routine. But as it dragged on, the questions turned to subjects like 'How do you pray?' and the police began searching homes on the compound for children's Bibles. On Monday morning, after being held in a separate room from the orphanage's 33 children, Broadbent and his 15 colleagues were summarily deported from Morocco, accused of illegally proselytizing for their faith.
"Most of the couples were there as foster parents and had raised these children since infancy," Broadbent says. "When they were told that their parents had to leave, it was chaos — the kids were running after any adult they could find, and just holding on. It was the most devastating thing I've ever seen."
The Village of Hope deportations are part of what appears to be a widespread crackdown on Christian aid workers in Morocco. An estimated 40 foreigners — including Dutch, British, American and Korean citizens — have been deported this month, including Broadbent and his colleagues. Among them were an Egyptian Catholic priest in the northern city of Larache and a Korean-born Protestant pastor in Marrakesh who was arrested as he led services in his church. And this past week, authorities searched an orphanage founded by American missionaries in the town of Azrou called The Children's Haven. Salim Sefiane, a Moroccan who was raised at the orphanage and is still in touch with workers there, said the officials interrogated the orphanage staff and asked children as young as 8 years old to demonstrate how they pray. No action has been taken yet against the orphanage's workers, Sefiane said.
The large-scale deportations came as a surprise in a nation that is among the most liberal of Muslim countries. Although trying to convert Muslims to other faiths is illegal, Morocco tolerates the presence of other religions and is home to a number of churches and synagogues. "There are several things about this that are really striking," says Spanish journalist Ignacio Cembrero, who has written several books about the country. "There have been occasional deportations of people accused of proselytizing before, but never so many at once, and they've never expelled a Catholic before. And for the police to enter a church on Sunday, during services, to arrest people? Absolutely unprecedented." >>> Lisa Abend | Sunday, March 21, 2010
Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy to Bury the Hatchet
THE TELEGRAPH: He was the only Western leader who refused to join the scramble to ingratiate himself with Barack Obama.
Irritated by hysteria surrounding the newcomer, Nicolas Sarkozy spent the year after his election issuing veiled insults and patronising digs.
Elysée officials briefed behind the scenes that the US president was a "cold fish", telling Le Figaro that "relations were easier with Bush".
He went on to deride Mr Obama's calls for a nuclear weapons-free world as "naive" and bragged that while he had enacted a cascade of reforms, his US counterpart had placed "all his bets on one" by concentrating on health care. As he rode high in the polls, the French president even crowed that Mr Obama had "lost three elections" since taking office.
The insults were so regular that Mr Obama responded by turning down an invitation to the Elysée after the commemoration of the Normandy landings last June.
But after suffering wipeout in local elections this month and facing speculation that his marriage is on the rocks, Mr Sarkozy has suddenly found the tables have turned. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Monday, March 29, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Ricky Martin, the Latin pop star, has announced that he is gay.
"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin wrote in a blog posting at www.rickymartinmusic.com [Correction: Ricky Martin Music]
"This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids were born with," Martin wrote.
Martin, 38, became a father to twin sons via a surrogate in 2008 and at the time no details were given about the birth or the mother.
The Puerto Rican singer of hits such as "Livin' la Vida Loca," has long been the subject of speculation about his sexuality. In 2000, TV journalist Barbara Walters grilled him about whether he was gay, but he refused to disclose it.
In his posting on Monday, Martin said a few months ago he had decided to write a memoir and doing so brought him closer to what he called "an amazing turning point in my life". >>> | Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Ricky Martin Homosexuality Questions 'Inappropriate', Barbara Walters Admits
THE TELEGRAPH: Barbara Walters, the American television presenter, has expressed her regret over a controversial interview with Ricky Martin where she aggressively questioned him about his homosexuality.
Ricky Martin being interviewed by Barbara Walters during the controversial interview in 2000. Photograph: The Telegraph
Speaking just before the Latino Pop star confirmed he was homosexual, the 80 year-old broadcasting veteran admitted she had pursued “inappropriate” questions during their interview in 2000.
Walters, who has interviewed some of the world’s biggest names over an illustrious 29-year career, asked him whether he was a homosexual, which he refused to disclose.
She then asks Martin what Gloria Estefan meant when she once told him "enjoy your sexuality" as the star becomes more awkward.
Walters, who is known for getting stars to open up on camera, continues her questioning by asking him how exactly he is "enjoying it."
Martin’s only reply is: “I live la vida loca!”
“In 2000, I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was,” she told the Toronto Star earlier this month.
“A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now I feel it was an inappropriate question.”
That interview, broadcast on the American ABC Network, is seen by many to have ruined the 38 year-old’s career.
After the interview his career in America fell flat although he is still considered a superstar in Latin America. >>> | Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Coming Out Is Likely to Boost Ricky Martin's Career
THE TELEGRAPH: Ricky Martin's revelations about his sexuality are getting him tonnes of press and are likely to expand his already considerable gay fanbase.
TIMES ONLINE: Moscow began an official day of mourning this morning as another victim of yesterday's Metro bombings died from her wounds, taking the death toll to 39.
Flags few at half mast on government buildings and at the Kremlin, while the main television channels dropped entertainment programmes and advertising from their schedules.
Five people remain in critical condition in hospital after two suspected women suicide bombers detonated bombs packed with bolts and pieces of metal on two subway stations during the peak rush hour yesterday morning.
Commuters left flowers and lit candles in memory of the victims of the attacks at Lubyanka Metro station, where at least 23 people died, and the Park Kultury station, where a second explosion left at least 12 people dead.
The explosions have been blamed on suspected Islamic militants from the Northern Caucasus region, where several prominent separatist leaders have been killed recently by Russian security forces. The bombers may have been so-called Black Widows, Chechen women who have lost family members in the civil war. >>> Times Online | Tuesday, March 30, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The FBI has carried out a series of raids on Christian militia across America after they feared the groups were about to launch a bombing campaign in anticipation of Armageddon.
Nine members of a Christian militia group in the American Midwest were charged on Monday with plotting to kill a police officer and then blow up mourners at his funeral.
Members of the Hutaree, self-proclaimed "Christian warriors" who conduct paramilitary training in readiness for the arrival of the anti-Christ, were seized after a series of FBI raids in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
The nine – including a couple and their two sons – face charges that include attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, seditious conspiracy and teaching the use of explosives.
Prosecutors said the FBI moved in after learning that the group planned a violent reconnaissance mission some time in April.
Monitoring groups say that right-wing militia groups have enjoyed a dramatic resurgence amid growing anger at what they see as an oppressive federal government and fears of gun control.
The Michigan-based Hutaree view law enforcement agencies, including local police, as a "brotherhood" and an enemy, said prosecutors. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Monday, March 29, 2010
Merkels Besuch bei Erdogan: Lächeln ohne Lust
Erdogan, Merkel: Zu echten Konzessionen war keiner bereit. Bild: Spiegel Online
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Harmonie sieht anders aus. Kanzlerin Merkel hat den türkischen Premier Erdogan in Ankara getroffen - und am Ende galt es schon als Erfolg, dass die beiden ihren offenen Streit nicht eskalieren ließen. Vor den Kameras versuchten sie, die immensen Probleme wegzulächeln. Vergeblich.
Reisen bildet. Selbst die weltgewandte Kanzlerin hat das mal wieder erfahren.
"Ich habe jetzt verstanden, dass die 'privilegierte Partnerschaft' in der Türkei keine gute Konnotation hat", sagt Angela Merkel. Diese Alternative zur Vollmitgliedschaft in der Europäische Union wird zwar von CDU und CSU gemocht - aber nicht in dem Land, für das sie gedacht ist.
An der Seite des türkischen Premiers Recep Tayyip Erdogan bekräftigt Merkel daher am Montagnachmittag, die Bundesregierung stehe weiter zum "ergebnisoffenen Prozess" der Beitrittsverhandlungen. Sie lächelt freundlich, während sie das sagt. Es könnte eine Konzession an die türkischen Gastgeber sein. Doch die weiteren Aussagen der Kanzlerin sind weniger entgegenkommend.
Damit die Verhandlungen weiterlaufen könnten, müsse die Türkei erst mal verabredungsgemäß ihre Häfen für das verfeindete EU-Mitglied Zypern öffnen, fordert sie. Die weiteren Hürden, die die EU auf Betreiben der Beitrittsgegner aufbaut, benennt Merkel erst gar nicht. Denn bis auf weiteres verweigert die Union den Türken komplett die Verhandlungen über 7 der 35 Beitrittskapitel - egal wie regelkonform sie sich gegenüber den Zyprer zeigen.
Ein Lächeln hier, eine Freundlichkeit da, aber in der Sache gibt es derzeit zwischen Merkel und Erdogan wenig Übereinstimmung. Beiden Spitzenpolitikern war zwar anzumerken, dass sie nach dem Kampf der Worte der vergangenen Tage ein bisschen abrüsten wollten. Zu echten Zugeständnissen war aber keiner bereit.
Auch in Sachen Iran blieb Distanz zwischen den Gesprächspartnern. Merkel warb für Sanktionen: "Ich würde mich freuen, wenn Amerikaner und Europäer eines Tages über Sanktionen im Uno-Sicherheitsrat abstimmen könnten", sagte sie. Erdogan, dessen Land im Gegensatz zu Deutschland derzeit in dem Gremium sitzt, hielt dagegen: "Sanktionen sind keine richtige Lösung."
Erfolgreich war der gemeinsame Auftritt vor allem in einer Hinsicht - es gab keine weitere Eskalation der öffentlichen Attacken aus den vergangenen Tagen. Unverständnis für die "privilegierte Partnerschaft" >>> Von Ralf Beste und Daniel Steinvorth, Ankara | Montag, 29. März 2010
Turkey Knocks: Will EU Let It In?
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Turkey's desire to join the European Union has the virtue of being consistent. It was in 1987 that the country first applied to accede to the EU, and it has been knocking on the door ever since.
The fault lines that have become apparent, both within the euro zone and the broader EU grouping, have done nothing to quell Turkey's enthusiasm for joining the club. The chance to export some more of its jobless may be one of the attractions: Last year, the country's unemployment rate rose to 14%, up three percentage points on the previous year, against an EU average of 9.5%. Yet it isn't clear that the work would be there for Turks keen to take advantage of the freedom of movement that EU membership confers.
And there is a price to EU membership. Today the U.K.-based lobby group Open Europe releases figures showing that EU legislation puts a heavy burden on member states. It calculates that, since 1998, EU regulations have cost the U.K. £124 billion ($185 billion). The truth is probably not quite so stark. Many of the regulations would have been implemented by national governments whether or not the EU had imposed them. Compliance, however, is costly. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking the opportunity of Angela Merkel's visit to his country to try once more to push Turkey's case for full membership.
He is wasting his time. The German chancellor, having stood her ground so staunchly over bailing out Greece, isn't about to do a U-turn on this matter. She knows that, if her countryfolk were livid at the prospect of their cash being used to bail out profligate Greece, they would be positively incandescent were she to soften her stance on Turkey. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France would face a similar uprising of anger.
The reason isn't Turkey's long-running squabble over Cyprus, although its refusal to open its ports and airspace to EU member Cyprus provides useful tactical cover for those opposed to full EU membership for Turkey. Neither is it the need for Turkey to speed up its political reforms. It is Turkey's overwhelming embrace of Islam which is the real, but unspoken, issue. With a population of 72.5 million, Turkey would be second only to Germany in scale if it were to join the EU. Although the government of the country is secular, estimates put the proportion of the population which is Muslim at around 99%. Although religion is not the driving force it once was in large parts of Europe, there is a widespread belief that including an overwhelmingly Muslim country in the club would drastically change its character. >>> Patience Wheatcroft | Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Author Sarah Malini Perera Held ‘For Offending Buddhists’ In Sri Lanka
THE TELEGRAPH: An expatriate Sri Lankan woman who wrote two books about her conversion from Buddhism to Islam has been arrested while on holiday in Sri Lanka, apparently for causing offence to Buddhists.
Sarah Malini Perera, who was born in Sri Lanka but has lived in Bahrain since 1985 and converted to Islam in 1999, was arrested last week under the country’s strict emergency laws, according to the police.
They declined to give precise details of the 38-year-old writer’s offence, but suggested that her books were deemed to have caused offence to ethnic Sinhalese Buddhists, who account for about 70 per cent of Sri Lanka’s 20 million people.
News of her arrest came just a few days after protests by Buddhist nationalists prompted the Sri Lankan Government to refuse a visa to Akon, the Senegalese-American singer who had been due to perform in Colombo next month.
Buddhist activists stormed the concert’s media partner last Monday to protest over the video for Akon’s song Sexy Bitch, which showed bikini-clad women dancing by a pool in Ibiza with a Buddha statue in the background.
The two incidents have raised concerns about the growing influence of hardline Buddhist nationalists on Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition, which is widely expected to win parliamentary elections on April 8.
Sri Lanka’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but also says that the state “shall give Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the state to protect and foster” the religion. >>> Jeremy Page, South Asia Correspondent | Monday, March 29, 2010
Dubai Briton Faces Jail Over 'Middle Finger Salute'
THE TELEGRAPH: A British expatriate in Dubai is facing jail and deportation after being accused of making a single-finger gesture in an argument.
Simon Andrews, 56, has had his passport confiscated for almost eight months while waiting for his case to be heard.
He told Dubai Court of Misdemeanours he denies "flipping the finger" at Mahmoud Rasheed, an Iraqi aviation student, during an argument.
He will appear in court on Sunday for a full hearing of the case.
It is the latest in a string of prosecutions of expatriates and visitors in Dubai for breaching the emirate's public decency laws.
Making insulting gestures is regarded as unacceptable, and carries with it the possibility of a jail sentence of up to six months and deportation.
An Australian nurse working in a hospital in Dubai was last year jailed for a month and deported after serving 24 days after admitting raising his middle finger to a driver who he said was driving erratically while talking on his mobile phone.
The driver turned out to be an off-duty army officer who followed him home and reported him to police. >>> Richard Spencer in Dubai | Monday, March 29, 2010
Streuth, Sheila!
THE TELEGRAPH: The US government has voiced concerned over Australia's controversial plan to implement a countrywide internet filter.
Washington is worried about the impact of proposal, which would force internet service providers to block offensive material, including child pornography, bestiality and details on how to carry out criminal activity.
Opponents of the plan claim the scope of the material that could be filtered out is too wide and that the restrictions could be applied to media organisations reporting details of criminal activity.
As part of its assault on internet censorship by governments around the world, the US government has weighed in on the debate.
"Our main message of course is that we remain committed to advancing the free flow of information which we view as vital to economic prosperity and preserving open societies globally," Michael Tran, a US State Department spokesman, said.
"We don't discuss the details of specific diplomatic exchanges, but I can say that in the context of that ongoing relationship, we have raised our concerns on this matter with Australian officials," he said.
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: PÉDOPHILIE | Le turc qui avait fait 30 ans de prison pour avoir tenté de tuer jean-Paul II a réclamé la démission du pape lors d'une conférence de presse.
Mehmet Ali Agca. Photo : Tribune de Genève
Mehmet Ali Agca, le Turc qui avait tenté de tuer Jean Paul II, a appelé lundi à Istanbul le pape Benoît XVI à démissionner en raison des scandales de pédophilie qui éclaboussent l’Eglise catholique, lors de sa première conférence de presse depuis sa sortie de prison.
Brandissant un article de la presse turque relatant des appels dans le monde chrétien à des poursuites judiciaires contre le pontife, Agca s’est exclamé: "Je ne veux pas qu’il soit arrêté, je veux qu’il démissionne. Qu’à sa place, un cardinal italien ou sud-américain soit choisi." >>> AFP | Lundi 29 Mars 2010
Hindous et musulmans s'affrontent en Inde
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: BLE | Ces violentes émeutes ont fait plus de 75 blessés.
Ces affrontements entre communautés religieuses ont éclaté samedi à Hyderabad, capitale de l’Andhra Pradesh (sud de l’Inde), où environ 1.600 gendarmes et policiers ont été déployés, a précisé le commissaire de police de la ville, A.K. Khan.
Hyderabad, capitale indienne des technologies de l’information, où sont basées Google, Microsoft, IBM et d’innombrables centrales d’appel, compte huit millions d’habitants, dont près de 40% de musulmans. Les derniers affrontements de grande ampleur entre communautés religieuses dans la ville remontent à 1990, et avaient à l’époque fait 200 morts. La ville a été plutôt calme depuis.
La situation a dégénéré en deux temps, les musulmans n’ayant jamais retiré les drapeaux verts couleur de l’islam avec lesquels ils avaient pavoisé il y a un mois, à l’occasion de l’anniversaire de la naissance du prophète Mahomet. Des affrontements ont débuté samedi lorsque des hindous ont essayé de remplacer les drapeaux verts par des bannières safran, à l’occasion d’une fête de leur propre religion.
Depuis samedi, les violences continuent, des dizaines de véhicules ont été incendiés, une demi-douzaines de mosquées et temples endommagés, et plus de 75 personnes blessées, a précisé A.K. Khan. >>> AFP | Lundi 29 Mars 2010
Life or Death: Will Russia Resume Death Penalty?
RUSSIA TODAY: Russia’s moratorium on the death penalty expires early next year. While some want capital punishment outlawed completely, many still believe there are criminals who deserve it.
The arguments for and against the death penalty are well established. Most legal and criminal analysts insist capital punishment does little towards the problem of crime – what matters is the unavoidability of it.
Even though public support for the death penalty has fallen in Russia in recent years, several violent incidents in the past ten years keeps the issue very much in the limelight, making implementing a total ban a highly contentious issue. >>> | Published: Monday, October 05, 2009; Edited: Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Religious Slaughter: Halal, Kosher
Halal Industrial Park Proposed for South Wales
BBC: An industrial park for Islamic goods and produce, which could mean about 3,000 jobs, might open in south Wales.
News of the proposed £150m Super Halal Industrial Park (SHIP) was revealed at an Islamic finance summit in London.
Mahesh Jayanarayan, chairman of Halal Industries, said Wales was chosen as the project's site for its meat industries and affordable land prices.
The assembly government said they were "tenative proposals" and and it would work closely with the firm.
The firm, a private equity company, said it was raising funds for the venture, which could launch in three to five years.
Mr Jayanarayan told the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit that Europe has no Halal industrial parks, despite being home to millions of Muslims.
Halal is an Arabic term meaning "permissible" and while it is often associated with meat, it refers to anything that is permissible in the Islamic faith.
The industrial park could create up to 3,000 jobs and would make the UK a landmark Halal centre for the region, Mr Jayanarayan told the finance summit.
It would provide services like storage freezers, a product packing centre, and raw material storage for manufacturers for food production. Meat selection and processing as well as research and development would also be offered.
Mr Jayanarayan said: "If you look at some figures, the halal sector in the UK is worth between £2bn to £4bn, the majority of that is imported.
"You have 2.5 billion people on the planet eating halal food, directly or indirectly," he told the summit.
"This halal market is not going away, it is not some fad. >>> | Tuesday, February 16, 2010
SOUTH WALES EVENING POST: THE British National Party has been accused of putting their "narrow prejudice before the chance of good jobs" after vowing to oppose a major development earmarked for the region.
Carmarthenshire and Neath have been named as the preferred home for a proposed £150 million Super Halal Industrial Park, said to promise around 1,500 jobs.
But the BNP say they will fight the plans because the jobs would be given to Muslims.
Writing on our website, Kevin Edwards, BNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Aberavon, said: "If the people of Wales think this will provide employment for them then they must think again. If this is given the go ahead the vast majority of jobs created will have to be allocated to Muslims."
Mr Edwards, a Penygroes community councillor, added: "The Welsh Assembly has a shameful record of handing out grants to companies that have fled as soon as the money has gone.
"When this happens, as it inevitably will, 'the industrial estate' will wind up and there will be 5,000 more Muslims in the UK claiming benefits and living on our doorsteps.
"Only the British National Party will oppose this development."
Criticism of how halal meat is produced has also sparked debate.
Traditionally, halal meat is killed by hand without stunning the animal first, and then blessed by the person doing the job, although some Muslims say a mechanised form is also now acceptable.
Julie Richards, from Pontarddulais, said: "It is absolutely barbaric. Lambs are going to be strung up and bled to death. It is not humane." >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010
Voters’ Anger Over Immigration
THE SUN: A SHOCK new survey for The Sun has revealed how Britons feel badly let down by Labour's shambolic handling of immigration. More than two-thirds of the 1,500 adults quizzed by YouGov feel the surge in immigrants - 163,000 in 2008 alone - has had a negative impact on the UK. >>> Anila Baig | Monday, March 29, 2010
Medvedev Vows to Battle Terrorists ‘Without Compromise’
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev speaks during an emergency meeting in Moscow on Monday. Photograph: The Wall Street Journal
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Russia will continue to battle terrorists “without compromise,” President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday, hours after a pair of suicide attacks ripped through Moscow’s metro, killing at least 37 people.
“We will continue operations against terrorists, without compromise and to the end,” Mr. Medvedev said at an emergency government meeting.
Russia’s security services must not allow the suicide bombings that ripped through Moscow’s metro to “destabilize” the country and stoking ethnic hatred within society, Mr. Medvedev said. >>> Ira Iosebashvili | Monday, March 29, 2010
Russlands Führung erklärt den Tätern den Krieg: Putin kündigt «Gnadenlose Jagd» auf Hintermänner der Anschläge an
NZZ ONLINE: Nach den beiden Selbstmordanschlägen in Moskau hat der russische Präsident Medwedew einen unerbittlichen Kampf gegen Extremisten angekündigt. Ministerpräsident Putin sprach von einer gnadenlosen Jagd auf die Hintermänner der Tat.
Russland werde ohne zu Zögern den «Krieg gegen Terror» fortsetzen, erklärte der russische Präsident Medwedew am Montag nach den beiden schweren Anschlägen in der Moskauer U-Bahn. Die Sicherheitskräfte würden kompromisslos gegen Terroristen vorgehen. Die Menschenrechte müssten aber bei Polizeieinsätzen gewahrt bleiben, sagte der russische Präsident.
«Terroristen zerstören»
«Ein Verbrechen ist begangen worden, das schrecklich ist in seinen Konsequenzen und abscheulich in seiner Art», sagte Ministerpräsident Putin zu Beginn einer Videokonferenz mit ranghohen Vertretern der Sicherheitsbehörden. «Ich bin zuversichtlich, dass die Polizei- und Justizbehörden keine Anstrengung unterlassen werden, die Kriminellen zu finden und zu bestrafen. Die Terroristen werden zerstört werden.» >>> sda/Reuters/ddp | Montag, 29. März 2010
Putin Condemns Metro Attacks, Urgently Flies to Moscow
Editorial (June 2009): The Ban on Gays in the Military
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Supreme Court’s refusal this week to hear a challenge to the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military is not much of a legal setback. The court did not address the merits of the case, and another lawsuit still moving through the courts may be a better vehicle for challenging the benighted policy.
Even so, relying on a conservative court to make things right would be a gamble. Unfortunately, neither President Obama nor Congress shows much appetite for moving to end a ban that is not only unfair to gay men and lesbians but damaging to the military as well.
The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was hatched in 1993 as a compromise after President Bill Clinton failed in an attempt to overturn an existing ban on gay service members. The awkward compromise limited the military’s ability to ask service members about their sexual orientation (don’t ask) and allowed homosexuals to serve provided they kept quiet about their sexual orientation (don’t tell) and refrained from homosexual acts.
The ostensible rationale was that the known presence of gay men and lesbians would undermine morale and unit cohesion, but as it turned out, the policy caused its own kind of damage to military readiness. Thousands of service members have been discharged from duty at a time when the military is stretched by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The loss of highly skilled interpreters and intelligence analysts has been especially damaging. >>> | Tuesday, June 09, 2009
In the Barracks, Out of the Closet
Photograph: The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Obama has said he will abolish the 16-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military only if they do not disclose their sexual orientation. Nationwide, polls show that a majority of Americans support lifting the ban on openly gay members of the military. But support in the military’s ranks and among retired officers is mixed. While several prominent retired generals and admirals have urged a repeal, others have said that allowing openly gay people to join the service would hurt recruiting and retention.
How would lifting the ban affect the military ranks? And, as the first step, if the president acts to change the policy, should it be by executive order or should it be by act of Congress? >>> The Editors | Sunday, May 03, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: FBI agents have arrested seven people in a series of raids targeting a Christian militia group.
The raids took place in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio over the weekend and were reportedly carried out by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The suspects are expected to make an initial appearance in US District Court in Detroit later today.
A source close to the investigation in Washington, D.C. told the Detroit News that FBI agents were conducting activities in connection to Hutaree, a Christian militia group whose members describe themselves as Christian soldiers preparing for the arrival and battle with the anti-Christ. >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010
Animal Rights Campaigners Push for Ban on Wearing Fur in Israel
Orthodox Jews at a wedding. Photograph: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Israel could become the first country to ban the wearing of animal fur; a move campaigners hope will encourage other countries to follow suit.
However, ultra-Orthodox MPs are blocking the final steps in the process because many of their constituents traditionally wear sable hats known as shtreimels, which they argue are part of their cultural identity.
The international anti-fur campaign, backed by animal rights activists such as Brigitte Bardot and Sir Paul McCartney, has picked Israel as the perfect starting point because the fur trade is tiny — worth about $1 million a year — and because, under Jewish tradition, the undue suffering of animals is forbidden.
“The market here is not that big,” said Josh Rotbart, a legal representative for the Israeli organisation Let The Animals Live, which also runs an animal rescue centre in Lod, near Tel Aviv. “We are not talking about Canada or the US or China. It’s a small industry and it’s pretty easy to ban a small industry. It’s hot here. You don’t really need to wear fur.” >>> James Hider, Lod | Monday, March 29, 2010
Bliar’s Back!
MAIL ONLINE: Tony Blair will make a dramatic return to the centre stage of British politics to boost Labour's election hopes.
The former Prime Minister is due to give a speech tomorrow attacking Tory policies and highlighting New Labour's achievements.
It will be the first time Mr Blair has stepped out of the political shadows since standing down from No.10.
The speech, in his former constituency of Sedgefield, County Durham, is expected to dismiss claims that David Cameron is his natural successor and has modernised the Tories.
'Doctor Shock' Charged with Sexually Abusing Male Patient
THE GUARDIAN: Canadian police investigate dozens of allegations against psychiatrist nicknamed for use of electricity to 'cure' gay soldiers
A leading Canadian psychiatrist who kept accusations of gross human rights abuses in apartheid-era South Africa hidden has been charged in Calgary with sexually abusing a male patient and is being investigated over dozens of other allegations.
Dr Aubrey Levin, who in South Africa was known as Dr Shock for his use of electricity to "cure" gay military conscripts, was arrested after a patient secretly filmed the psychiatrist allegedly making sexual advances. Levin, who worked at the University of Calgary's medical school, has been suspended from practising and is free on bail of C$50,000 (£32,000) on charges of repeatedly indecently assaulting a 36-year-old man.
The police say they are investigating similar claims by nearly 30 other patients. The Alberta justice department is reviewing scores of criminal convictions in which Levin was a prosecution witness.
Levin has worked in Canada for 15 years since leaving South Africa, where he was chief psychiatrist in the apartheid-era military and became notorious for using electric shocks to "cure" gay white conscripts. He also held conscientious objectors against their will at a military hospital because they were "disturbed" and subjected them to powerful drug regimens.
South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission heard that Levin was guilty of "gross human rights abuses" including chemical castration of gay men. But after arriving in Canada in 1995 he managed to suppress public discussion of his past by threatening lawsuits against news organisations that attempted to explore it.
Following the arrest, other male patients have contacted the authorities. One, who was not identified, told CTV in Canada that he had gone to Levin for help with a gambling addiction and alleged he had been questioned about his sex life and subject to sexual advances. >>> Chris McGreal in Washington | Sunday, March 28, 2010
Streit vor Treffen in Ankara: Erdogan wirft Merkel Hass gegen die Türkei vor
WELT ONLINE: Vor dem Treffen zwischen Merkel und Erdogan ist die Stimmung zwischen beiden Ländern auf dem Nullpunkt. Der türkische Ministerpräsident wirft der Kanzlerin Hass gegen sein Land vor. Er habe nicht erwartet, dass Merkel den Vorschlag nach türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland so deutlich zurückweist.
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan ist tief enttäuscht von Kanzlerin Angela Merkel. Bild: Welt Online
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat im Streit um die von ihm geforderten türkischen Schulen in Deutschland nachgelegt.
Vor dem Besuch von Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) kritisierte er während einer Reise in Libyen die Ablehnung seines Vorschlags. „Warum dieser Hass gegen die Türkei? Ich verstehe es nicht“, sagte Erdogan demnach am Wochenende mitreisenden türkischen Journalisten. „Das hätte ich von der Bundeskanzlerin Merkel nicht erwartet. Ist die Türkei ein Prügelknabe?“
Die Kanzlerin ist zu Wochenbeginn zu einem politisch brisanten Besuch in der Türkei. In Ankara kommt sie mit Staatspräsident Abdullah Gül und Erdogan zusammen. Zu den Themen gehören die schleppenden Beitrittsverhandlungen zwischen der Europäischen Union (EU) und dem Nato-Partner Türkei, die Lage in der Region mit Blick auf den Iran und Israel sowie der schwierige Versöhnungsprozess der Türkei mit Armenien. Am Dienstag besucht Merkel Istanbul. Es ist ihre zweite Türkei-Reise als Kanzlerin. >>> dpa/AFP/fas | Montag, 29. März 2010
'It Is Not a Good Time for Turkey's EU Ambitions'
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Chancellor Angela Merkel is embarking on a difficult trip to Turkey on Monday amidst a spat with the Turkish prime minister over integration in Germany. However, the true focus of the talks is likely to be Ankara's EU ambitions and what to do about Iran's nuclear program.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel haven't exactly laid the groundwork for harmonious talks ahead of her visit to Turkey on Monday. Something of a spat has broken out between the two leaders, focusing on the integration of Turks living in Germany, just as Merkel was preparing to make her first visit to Turkey in four years.
When Erdogan spoke out in favor of Turkish high schools in Germany last week, Merkel's response was to call on Turks living in Germany to make a greater effort to integrate. In a video address over the weekend she said that while she wasn't asking Turkish immigrants to give up their own culture she would like to see them also participate in German society. "Of course, that means that the German language must be learned and that German laws must be obeyed."
Erdogan reacted to the cool reponse in Berlin by asking: "Why this hate against Turkey? I don't understand it." Speaking to Turkish journalists during a visit to Libya this weekend he said: "I wouldn't have expected this from Chancellor Merkel. Is Turkey a whipping boy?"
However, when Merkel meets Erdogan and Turkish President Abdullah Gül during her two-day trip, the talks are less likely to focus on languages in schools than on the pressing issues of Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union, as well as how to deal with Iran's nuclear program. >>> Siobhán Dowling | Monday, March 29, 2010
Merkel will auch Kanzlerin der Türken sein
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Regierungschefin betont vor Reise nach Ankara ihre Zuständigkeit für alle, die in Deutschland leben
BERLIN. Am Abend der Bundestagswahl hat Angela Merkel den programmatischen Satz gesagt, sie wolle Bundeskanzlerin aller Deutschen sein. Am Vorabend ihrer Reise in die Türkei hat sie ihn nun, je nach Sichtweise, präzisiert oder ausgeweitet. Wenn es um die Sorgen und Nöte türkischstämmiger Mitbürger gehe, "dann bin ich Bundeskanzlerin auch für sie", betonte sie in ihrer Videobotschaft am Wochenende. Merkel hat auf diese Weise einerseits ihre Hand demonstrativ zur türkischen Gemeinschaft in Deutschland ausgestreckt, zugleich aber ihrem türkischen Amtskollegen Tayyip Erdogan deutlich gemacht, wo die Grenzen seiner Einflussnahme sind.
Und noch etwas hat die Kanzlerin vor ihrer Reise nach Ankara und Istanbul klargestellt: Sie wolle nicht die Assimilation sondern die Integration der Türkischstämmigen, und dazu gehörten zwei Dinge: Das Erlernen der deutschen Sprache und die Befolgung der deutschen Gesetze. Beides klingt selbstverständlich, doch die Betonung durch die Kanzlerin gerade zu diesem Zeitpunkt kann nur als Mahnung an ihre Gastgeber verstanden werden, sich mehr dafür einzusetzen.
Erdogan wiederum machte seinem Ärger über die Reaktionen aus Deutschland auf seine Forderung nach türkischen Gymnasien Luft. "Das hätte ich von Merkel nie erwartet. Und das werde ich sie auch wissen lassen, " sagte Erdogan gestern während eines Besuches in Libyen vor türkischen Journalisten. Konfliktreiche Themen >>> Matthias Loke, Holger Schmale | Montag, 29. März 2010
Dozens Killed in Moscow Subway Explosions
A firefighter and Interior Ministry officers work near the entrance of the Lubyanka metro station in Moscow. Photograph: The Wall Street Journal
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: MOSCOW—Two bombs ripped through Moscow's subway system Monday, killing at least 34 people on their way to work. Officials said two female suicide bombers may have been responsible.
The first explosion occurred at about 7:52 a.m. local time (11:52 p.m. ET), killing at least 19 people at the Lyubyanka metro station, not far from the Kremlin, Moscow chief prosecutor Yuriy Syomin told reporters at the scene. About 11 were wounded.
"One could presume that the explosives were strapped to someone's body," Mr. Syomin said.
Half an hour later, some 15 people were killed by a blast at the Park Kultury station, on the same metro line, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov told reporters. "The blasts were caused by two suicide female terrorists," he said.
Both bombs exploded when the doors to the metro carriage were open, injuring passengers inside the train cars and on the platforms deep underground in the world's busiest subway system, according to officials.
A female suspect with dark hair and a black dress was seen on surveillance video, said Vladimir Markin, an investigator for the prosecutors office. >>> Richard Boudreaux, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and William Mauldin | Monday, March 29, 2010
—Ira Iosebashvili contributed to this article
Moscow Metro Blasts: Female Suicide Bombers Kill 35
THE TELEGRAPH: Two female suicide bombers known as “black widows” blew themselves up in Moscow’s busy metro during morning rush hour killing at least 35 people, according to the Russian authorities.
A further 40 people were reported badly wounded.
Though no group has so far claimed responsibility for the atrocity, security sources said early indications suggested that the suicide bombers were from the volatile North Caucasus region that includes Chechnya.
If that is right, it would be the first time since 2004 that Islamist extremists have struck the Moscow metro, raising the terrifying spectre of a new bombing campaign aimed at Russia’s biggest cities.
Prosecutors opened a criminal case immediately, saying they would be working on the basis that the explosions were the work of terrorists.
The bombers struck two separate metro stations in central Moscow – Lubyanka and Park Kultyry - in a carefully coordinated attack.
At least 22 people were reported dead at the Lubyanka metro station, which is situated close to the headquarters of the FSB security service, the successor agency to the KGB.
Witnesses said an explosion tore through one of the carriages as the train was coming into the station killing commuters onboard as well as people standing on the platform. Dozens were reported wounded.
One witness, a policeman, said the bomb went off as the train’s doors opened and people poured out. Officials said the suicide bombers were wearing belts around their bodies packed with explosives. There were unconfirmed reports that they had set off the bombs using their mobile phones.
A second explosion at the busy Park Kultyry metro station located close to Moscow’s famous Gorky Park followed about forty minutes later. >>> Andrew Osborn, in Moscow | Monday, March 29, 2010
LE FIGARO: Selon les autorités russes, deux femmes ont actionné des bombes dans deux stations différentes, tuant au moins 36 personnes.
Le métro était bondé, ce lundi matin, dans la capitale russe. Alors que les Moscovites se rendaient au travail, deux violentes explosions ont causé la mort de plusieurs dizaines de personnes. La première déflagration a eu lieu à 7h50 (5h50 en France) à la station Loubianka, au centre de la capitale russe et à quelques encablures du siège principal du Service fédéral de sécurité (FSB, ex-KGB). La violente explosion s'est déclenchée à proximité du second wagon du train et a tué au moins 24 personnes, à la fois sur le quai et dans la rame de métro, et plusieurs dizaines de blessés.
Environ 50 minutes plus tard, vers 8h40 (6h40 en France), une seconde explosion à la station Park Kultury a fait 12 morts et 15 blessés, selon les forces de l'ordre. >>> Par lefigaro.fr | Lundi 29 Mars 2010
Zwei Explosionen erschüttern Moskauer U-Bahn: Selbstmordattentäterinnen sprengen sich in die Luft – Dutzende von Toten
NZZ ONLINE: Terror in der Moskauer Metro: Mitten im Berufsverkehr haben sich am Montagmorgen Selbstmordattentäterinnen in zwei Zügen der Moskauer U-Bahn in die Luft gesprengt und mindestens 35 Menschen mit in den Tod gerissen. Mehr als 70 Fahrgäste wurden verletzt.
Wie der russische Inlandsgeheimdienst FSB mitteilte, zündeten die Frauen ihre Sprengsätze an den Stationen Lubjanka, wo auch die Geheimdienst-Zentrale liegt, und Park Kultury im Zentrum der russischen Hauptstadt. Hunderte Rettungskräfte waren im Einsatz.
Zuletzt hatten islamistische Terroristen aus der Konfliktregion im Nordkaukasus immer wieder damit gedroht, im ganzen Land Anschläge zu verüben. Nach Angaben von Ermittlern tragen die Anschläge auf die Metro die Handschrift der Islamisten.
Die Sprengstoffanschläge mit einer Wucht von 3 beziehungsweise 1,5 Kilogramm TNT erfolgten im Abstand von weniger als einer Stunde: der erste um 7.56 Uhr Ortszeit (5.56 Uhr MESZ), der zweite 44 Minuten später. Täter möglicherweise aus dem Nordkaukasus >>> (sda/reuters/ddp)/ii. | Montag, 29. März 2010
Nicolas Sarkozy's Father Releases Tell-all Book
THE TELEGRAPH: The father of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Pal Sarkozy, has said he will set the record of his life straight in a tell-all autobiography.
Pal Sarkozy unveils his book 'Tant De Vie'. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Sarkozy, a self-confessed bon vivant and womanizer, wrote "Tant de Vie" - which translates as "So Much Life" - after his son advised him against filing lawsuits against his disparagers and instead to "answer later ... about all these unjust accusations."
Mr Sarkozy, 81, said the book is above all a family affair, adding: "This wasn't for the world, it was for my family."
"I wanted to talk to my children," and a book was "the simplest thing," he said in the interview, given on the sidelines of France's annual Book Fair.
A Hungarian immigrant who arrived in France in 1948 penniless, Pal Sarkozy concedes that he hid his past and failed to pass on his heritage to his five children - four sons and a daughter from two of his four wives - because "I wanted them to become French."
The book gives a rare look into the life of a president's father - the first modern-day French president with both parents still living.
But Mr Sarkozy questioned whether his son, Nicolas, should even want to make a second run for re-election in 2012. >>> | Sunday, March 28, 2010
Pro-Socialist Anti-Israeli B*** S*** from The Independent! Rupert Cornwell: After This Week, We May All Owe Obama an Apology
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Out of America: Healthcare reform, standing up to Israel, and a nuclear treaty have transformed his presidency
What a week it has been. Congress passed the most far-reaching social legislation in four decades. The US and Russia agreed the most important arms control agreement since the end of the Cold War. And an American president, his patience exhausted with Israel's procrastination over what some still describe as "the Middle East peace process", dared send off a visiting Israeli prime minister with a flea in his ear. In short, it was the week that made Barack Obama*. >>> Rupert Cornwell | Sunday, March 28, 2010
Libya Claims Victory in Swiss Row After Visa Ban on Officials Lifted
THE GUARDIAN: Tripoli reciprocates by ending entry restrictions on members of Schengen nations
Gaddafi addressing the United Nations last year. He urged the body to abolish Switzerland and divide it between Germany, France and Italy. Photograph: The Guardian
Libya has claimed victory after Switzerland today dropped a visa ban on senior members of Muammar Gaddafi's regime as part of a long-running row between the two countries.
The foreign ministry in Tripoli said it was ending entry restrictions on members of Europe's Schengen passport-free zone after the Spanish EU presidency declared an end to the exclusion of 188 Libyan officials, including Gaddafi.
But Libya's foreign minister, Musa Kusa, said that the crisis was not over. "We demand international arbitration and we will accept any outcome, positive or negative," he said.
The visa spat ended after the Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, arrived for talks in the Libyan town of Sirte, where Gaddafi was hosting an Arab League summit. Italy's Silvio Berlusconi was one of the foreign guests and reportedly stopped to kiss the Libyan leader's hand.
It took weeks of intense diplomatic activity to end the row and ease pressure on economic ties between the EU and Libya, with Italy – increasingly dependent on Libyan energy supplies – pressing hard for a solution. The Swiss visa ban was legally binding on Italy and all 25 Schengen members, including 22 EU countries as well as Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. >>> Ian Black, Middle East editor | Sunday, March 28, 2010
El-Baradei, le sauveur de l'Egypte?
L’EXPRESS.fr: L'ancien patron de l'AIEA, lauréat du prix Nobel de la Paix, part en guerre contre le régime de Hosni Moubarak. Au nom de la démocratie.
On pourrait en faire un film, l'histoire d'une métamorphose d'un grand commis de l'Etat en opposant farouche. Celle d'un homme dont la prudence était, pour ses détracteurs, synonyme de faiblesse, transfiguré en "sauveur de la nation". Le scénario, en cours d'écriture, s'annonce plein de rebondissements. Le "happy end" n'est pas garanti. Mais quatre mois après avoir quitté la direction de l'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA), Mohamed El-Baradei vient de décrocher, à 67 ans, le rôle de sa vie. Peut-être le plus difficile.
Après avoir croisé le fer avec l'administration de George W. Bush au sujet des armes de destruction massives introuvables en Irak, ce diplomate de carrière s'est lancé dans un nouveau combat: instaurer "la démocratie et la justice sociale" en Egypte. Fort de son prestige international - qui lui vaut du respect dans son pays, à défaut d'une vraie popularité - Mohamed El-Baradei entend peser de tout son poids en faveur des réformes politiques. Sans trop savoir, semble-t-il, jusqu'où cette quête va le mener. Peut-être à la présidentielle de 2011, où il n'exclut pas d'être candidat si la constitution est modifiée. Celle-ci interdit de facto à des personnalités indépendantes de se présenter, sans l'aval du parti au pouvoir. >>> Par Tangi Salaün | Jeudi 25 Mars 2010
Pope Will 'Not Be Intimidated by Petty Gossip' Over Sex Abuse Scandals
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI began Holy Week on Sunday by suggesting in his Palm Sunday address that the Catholic Church would "not be intimidated" by the sex abuse scandals sweeping it.
Pope Benedict XVI Leads Palm Sunday At St. Peter's Square. Photobucket: The Telegraph
In a clear indication that the Vatican continues to insist the continual abuse revelations are part of a conspiracy the Pope said: "From God comes the courage not to be intimidated by petty gossip."
Although he did not directly mention the crisis that has seen claims of abuse from Ireland, Germany, Austria, Holland and Brazil the 82 year old Pontiff's message was evidently clear.
As he spoke, thousands of pilgrims who had gathered in a sunlit St Peter's Square clapped and shouted "Viva il Papa" (Long Live The Pope). The scandals seemingly not to have had an impact on their faith.
Last week the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said the abuse allegations were part of an "ignoble attempt to strike at Pope Benedict XVI and his closest collaborators at any cost".
The Pope's Palm Sunday address, marked the beginning of Holy Week, the Roman Catholic's Church's most solemn seven days and which culminates with Easter Sunday. >>> Nick Pisa in Rome | Sunday, March 28, 2010
Taliban Fighters Are 'Conditioned' to Die in Battle, Claims Former Insurgent
THE TELEGRAPH: A former insurgent in Afghanistan has told how he survived daily battles with British troops and why he decided to join the peace process in what is believed to be the first ever interview given by a member of the Helmand Taliban.
Taliban fighters hand over weapons to authorities, Shindand, Afghanistan. Photograph: The Telegraph
Every morning just before dawn, as the sun rose over the central Helmand plain, Abdul Mohammed would pray to Allah, clean his rifle and prepare to kill British soldiers.
For two years, Abdul, who is married with a young son, served as Taliban foot soldier in one of the most violent and battle-scared areas of southern Afghanistan.
"I expected to be killed in battle – but that didn't worry me," he said. "I never thought about death. If I was told go on a suicide attack, I would have done so. I was a committed Taliban fighter, being with the Taliban was my life.
"The British soldiers were my enemy, they would try and kill me, so I'd try to kill them."
But last month, after seeing hundreds of his friends and family killed in battle, Abdul turned his back on the insurgency and joined the peace process under the Nato-backed strategy of "reintegration".
In what is believed to be the first ever interview by a member of the Helmand Taliban, the former insurgent told The Sunday Telegraph, how he survived daily battles with British troops and why he decided to join the peace process.
Abdul agreed to the interview only after lengthy negotiations between the district governor, an "intermediary" and The Sunday Telegraph.
Until 2008, Abdul and his family enjoyed a simple existence: growing crops, tending his small herd of goats and living in hope that his young son, Babrak, might one day go to school and become an engineer.
But those dreams were shattered when, he says, a violent warlord seized control of his district and began robbing and killing members of his family and friends. >>> Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent in Nad e'Ali | Saturday, March 27, 2010
Hanoch Daum: The Right to Our Opinion
YNET NEWS: Latest crisis an opportunity to tell America we’re allowed to disagree
Let’s all take a deep breath. All of us. Now that the latest meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ended, we would do well to accept the not-so-bitter truth: At this time there are disagreements between the United States and Israel.
Two new governments on both sides do not see eye to eye on diplomatic realities and have different attitudes to Jerusalem. We could have caved in, or tried to blur the gaps, yet this would be a missed opportunity. It is better to reconcile ourselves to this diplomatic reality and recognize it. This is the situation, dear citizens: Israel thinks differently than America.
Instead of getting scared of this fragile situation, we need to speak out boldly: On the other side, there are quite a few people who fail to understand the limits of power.
It doesn’t matter what they tell you about what’s really happening between the White House and Israel, one thing is clear: The notion someone planted in Obama’s head, whereby Netanyahu will make statements that contradict his beliefs and his voters’ worldview, and that would shatter his coalition and split the Likud – this notion is foolish and unreasonable.
Indeed, this notion casts doubt on President Obama’s ability to conduct himself vis-à-vis Israel the way one should conduct himself vis-à-vis an ally. >>> Hanoch Daum | Sunday, March 28, 2010
Islam in Balkan / Islam in the Balkans / L'Islam dans les Balkans
Moyen-Orient : Nétanyahou accuse les Palestiniens de «durcir» le ton
CYBERPRESSE.ca: Le premier ministre israélien Benyamin Nétanyahou a accusé dimanche les Palestiniens de «durcir leurs positions» tout en se disant prêt à poursuivre les contacts avec les États-Unis pour favoriser une reprise du dialogue.
«Nous continuons de constater que les Palestiniens durcissent leurs positions. Ils ne montrent pas le moindre signe de modération», a déploré M. Nétanyahou au début de la séance hebdomadaire de son cabinet.
Lors de l'ouverture du sommet arabe samedi en Libye, le président palestinien Mahmoud Abbas a de nouveau exclu des négociations indirectes, dite de «proximité», avec Israël sans un arrêt de la colonisation israélienne. >>> AFP, Jerusalem | Dimanche 28 Mars 2010
Mideast: Arab League Urges Dialogue with Iran
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Summit leader addresses Ah[a]madinejad’s nuclear ambitions, cautions Israel against building more settlements
The head of the Arab League urged the 22-nation bloc to engage Iran directly over concerns about its growing influence in the region and its disputed nuclear program.
Amr Moussa also warned in his opening statement at a two-day Arab League summit in Sirte, Libya, that Israeli construction on land claimed by Palestinians could scuttle the Mideast peace process for good.
Mr. Moussa outlined his plan for closer ties with Iran, saying it would involve a forum for regional co-operation and conflict resolution that would include Iran and Turkey — both non-Arab nations.
But the proposal could undermine U.S. and Israeli efforts to isolate Tehran amid concerns that its nuclear program aims to develop atomic weapons. It also comes as the U.S. and other Western powers push for a fresh round of sanctions over Iran's nuclear defiance. Tehran insists its program is for peaceful purposes.
“I realize that some are worried about Iran, but that is precisely why we need the dialogue,” Mr. Moussa said.
The push to engage Tehran seems to be at least partly fuelled by Arab frustration over Washington's failure to get Israel to back down on plans for more Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for a future state.
It also suggests that Arab nations are increasingly less likely to align with the U.S. strategy on Iran if they feel they are getting nothing in return in Mideast peace efforts.
Arab countries have grown increasingly skeptical that U.S. President Barack Obama will be able to forge a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians to end a conflict that has fuelled anti-American sentiment in the region. >>> Khaled Al-Deeb | Saturday, March 27, 2010
Visa-Streit beendet: Gaddafi darf wieder in die EU einreisen
WELT am SONNTAG: Zwischen Libyen und der EU gibt es keine Visabeschränkungen mehr. Damit darf auch Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi wieder in den Schengen-Raum einreisen. Die Beschränkungen waren von beiden Seiten nach lang anhaltenden Streitigkeiten verhängt worden, in deren Mittelpunkt Libyen und die Schweiz standen.
Muammar al-Gaddafi wurde von einer Liste mit Personen gestrichen, denen die Einreise in den Schengen-Raum untersagt ist. Bild: Welt am Sonntag
Der Visa-Streit zwischen Libyen und der Europäischen Union ist beigelegt. Beide Seiten bekannt, dass die wechselseitigen Visa-Restriktionen aufgehoben seien. Für die EU kündigte die spanische Ratspräsidentschaft die Aufhebung des Einreiseverbots in den Schengen-Raum für einige ranghohe Libyer, darunter Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi, an.
Alle Namen von Libyern seien von der Schwarzen Liste gestrichen worden, teilte das spanische Außenministerium mit. „Wir bedauern den Ärger und die Unannehmlichkeiten, die libyschen Bürgern dadurch entstanden sind, außerordentlich. Wir hoffen, dass sich so etwas künftig nicht wiederholt“, hieß es in der Mitteilung.
Libyen hob im Gegenzug die Einreiseverbote für Bürger aus dem Schengen-Raum auf, wie das Außenministerium am Rande eines Treffens der Arabischen Liga im libyschen Syrte bekannt gab.
Ausgelöst hatte die Krise ein Streit zwischen der Schweiz und Libyen. Bern hatte Mitte der Woche jedoch dem Druck der EU nachgegeben, die in dem diplomatischen Streit vermittelte. >>> AFP/Reuters/cn | Sonntag, 28. März 2010
Gazastreifen: Israelischer Minister will Hamas "liquidieren"
WELT am SONNTAG: Eines Tages, da ist sich der israelische Finanzminister Juval Steinitz sicher, wird sein Land die Hamas-Regierung im Gazastreifen gewaltsam beseitigen müssen. Das Regime stelle unter anderem mit ihrem Raketenarsenal eine Bedrohung Israels dar und müsse daher „liquidiert" werden.
Juval Steinitz. Bild: Welt am Sonntag
Der israelische Finanzminister Juval Steinitz hat sich dafür ausgesprochen die Regierung der Hamas im Gazastreifen zu „liquidieren“. „Früher oder später werden wir das militaristische pro-iranische Regime der Hamas, das den Gazastreifen kontrolliert, liquidieren müssen“, sagte der Vertraute von Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu im Rundfunk.
Er lege keinen Zeitplan fest, aber es könne nicht geduldet werden, dass die Hamas im Gazastreifen militärisch stärker werde und sich ein Raketenarsenal zulege, das Israel bedrohe, fügte der Minister hinzu. Steinitz gehört Netanjahus rechtgerichteter Likud-Partei an. >>> AFP/cn | Sonntag, 28. März 2010
Vor ihrer Türkei-Reise: Merkel fordert Migranten zum Deutsch lernen auf
WELT am SONNTAG: Kurz vor ihrer Reise in die Türkei hat Kanzlerin Merkel deutliche Worte zum Thema Integration gefunden. Voraussetzung für Integration sei das Erlernen der deutschen Sprache und die Einhaltung deutscher Gesetze, sagte sie. Die Forderung nach türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland wies neben Merkel auch SPD-Chef Gabriel zurück. Er hat aber einen anderen Vorschlag.
Die Forderung des türkischen Ministerpräsidenten Recep Tayyip Erdogan nach türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland sorgt weiter für Diskussionsstoff. Nach Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) wies auch SPD-Chef Sigmar Gabriel den Vorstoß zurück, schlug aber zugleich mehr Türkisch-Unterricht an deutschen Schulen vor.
Merkel indes verwies darauf, dass die Voraussetzung für Integration das Erlernen der deutschen Sprache sei.
Gabriel sagte dem Deutschlandfunk am Samstag, er könne sich „im Ernst nicht vorstellen, dass wir türkische Gymnasien möglichst noch mit Regierungsauftrag aus der Türkei bei uns aufbauen“. „Aber ich habe überhaupt nichts dagegen, dass Türkisch als zweite oder dritte Fremdsprache mehr in Deutschland unterrichtet wird, als das zurzeit der Fall ist“, sagte der SPD-Chef.
Weil Deutschland immer engere Wirtschaftsbeziehungen zur Türkei habe, würden die Sprachkenntnisse wichtiger. „Da haben die jungen Leute, die türkische Eltern haben, richtig was zu bieten“, sagte Gabriel. >>> EPD/AFP/ab | Sonntag, 28. März 2010
Nevada : Les Tea Party contre la réforme de santé
20MINUTES.ch: Sarah Palin a appelé samedi des milliers de conservateurs réunis près de Las Vegas à sanctionner les démocrates.
L'ancienne gouverneure de l'Alaska s'est adressée à une foule de 7.000 personnes réunies par la mouvement d'opposition Tea Party à Searchlight, ancienne petite ville minière du désert du Nevada, où Harry Reid, l'un des artisans de la réforme de santé voulue par Barack Obama, a grandi et possède encore une maison.
Harry Reid «dilapide notre futur», a affirmé Mme Palin. «Quelqu'un doit lui dire, ce n'est pas un simple coup de dés». «Nous n'allons pas rester assis et nous taire», a-t-elle ajouté, assurant vouloir inciter les gens à la mobilisation et non à la violence.
États-Unis : Maman Bush hospitalisée pour des examen
20MINUTES.ch: Barbara Bush, épouse de l'ancien président des Etats-Unis George Bush, a été admise samedi dans un hôpital de Houston pour une série d'examens.
Les tests que l'épouse de George Bush senior doit subir sont consécutifs à des problèmes de santé, a annoncé la chaîne de télévision CBS, sans préciser la nature de ces troubles. >>> afp | Dimanche 28 Mars 2010
Christian Hoteliers in Row with Muslim Guest Forced to Sell Up
MAIL ONLINE: The two Christian hoteliers cleared last year of insulting a Muslim guest are being forced to sell up because their business has collapsed.
Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang are putting their nine-bedroom hotel up for auction in May because they can no longer pay the mortgage.
Despite donations sent to them by Christian supporters from around the world, they still have debts of well over £400,000.
They are also considering a civil action against the police who brought the prosecution.
Mrs Vogelenzang, 54, said last night it was 'devastating' that they could be left with nothing as the result of a case that should never have come to court.
'Where do we go from here?' she said. 'How do we start all over again?'
The couple saw their Liverpool business brought to its knees after an investigation into what was deemed a religiously aggravated hate crime against Ericka Tazi. The 60-year-old white British convert complained that the couple had called the prophet Mohammed a 'warlord' and told her that Muslim women were oppressed.
The case against them was thrown out after a judge at Liverpool magistrates' court said it flew in the face of their right to freedom of religious expression.
After the victory, the couple hoped they would be able to revive the Bounty House Hotel near Aintree racecourse, which they had built up over ten years.
