Monday, September 28, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: Guido Westerwelle, the German liberal leader who is poised to become the country's new foreign minister, has led his Free Democratic party to its best result in 60 years, triumphantly returning the party to power after 11 years in the political wilderness.
The 47-year old from Bonn will become Germany's first openly homosexual vice-chancellor and could win more than the normal three cabinet positions traditionally reserved for the junior partner in a coalition government.
The FDP leader is best known at home for his espousal of Thatcherite economic reforms. But it is his position on Afghanistan that will make him the welcome face of Germany's foreign policy among the country's allies.
While Germany's deployment to Afghanistan has become increasingly unpopular, Mr Westerwelle has emerged as the most powerful and articulate proponent of sustained involvement in the war.
The Free Democrats' support for nuclear energy means that the country is likely to reverse an isolationist decision to mothball the industry within the decade.
A permanent tan and close fitting suits tailored to a well-preserved physique belie the scars accumulated in eight years as leader of Germany's third political force. As he celebrated victory on Sunday night, he reminded supporters of challenges of holding government office.
He said: "We are pleased with this exceptional result but we know that above all else, this means responsibility."
The 47-year old from Bonn does not disguise that his flamboyance has frequently endangered the credibility of the FDP, an economically liberal force that represents the interests of the urban middle class.
Mr Westerwelle had his official coming-out when he attended Angela Merkel's 50th birthday party in 2004 with his partner, businessman Michael Mronz, and has said he would like to have a family. >>> Damien McElroy in Berlin | Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: German voters re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and have enabled her to form a coalition with her preferred partner, the Free Democrat Party, according to TV projections based on exit polls. The Social Democrats slumped to their worst result since World War II and will go into the opposition.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a second term in Sunday's federal election and will be able to form a government with the pro-business Free Democrat Party, ditching the center-left Social Democrats with whom she has ruled since 2005 in an uneasy coalition, reliable TV projections of the result showed.
The projections show she will have a comfortable center-right majority in the Bundestag lower house of parliament with an estimated 323 seats, 15 more than the absolute majority of 308 seats, according to a projection broadcast on ZDF television.
According to the ZDF projection, Merkel's conservatives won 33.8 percent, down 1.4 points from the 2005 result of 35.2 percent, while SPD support fell to a record low of 23.0 percent, down 11.2 points from 34.2 percent.
"I am happy that we have achieved a great thing, to get a stable majority in the new government made up of conservatives and the FDP," a beaming Merkel told supporters at the headquarters of her Christian Democrat Union party in Berlin.
"I want to be the chancellor of all Germans to enable our country to do better and come out of this crisis," she said, smiling coyly as supporters chanted "Angie, Angie!” >>> cro – with wire reports | Sunday, September 27, 2009
REUTERS: BERLIN - Guido Westerwelle is head of Germany's business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP), with whom Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to form a government after Sunday's election.
He is widely expected to become foreign minister. >>> Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Dominic Evans | Sunday, September 27, 2009
NZZ am SONNTAG: Um die Schweinegrippe zu bekämpfen, hat die ägyptische Regierung im Mai die Tötung aller Schweine befohlen. Eine Massnahme, die nichts nützt – und neue Probleme schafft.
«Die Regierung hat unsere Schweine getötet – nun soll sie den Abfall in Kairo selber wegräumen», meint Zaki Anwar trotzig. Er ist einer der zahlreichen privaten Abfallsammler in der Grossstadt am Nil und lebt mit seiner Familie in Manshiet Nasr, einem von Zuwanderern gebauten Quartier. Dort leben viele Menschen vom Geschäft mit dem Kehricht. Jedenfalls war es so bis im vergangenen Mai.
Damals ordnete der ägyptische Präsident Hosni Mubarak an, sämtliche Schweine am Nil zu keulen. Damit sollte der Schweinegrippe, wie auch in Ägypten die Erkrankung durch das H1N1-Virus genannt wird, Einhalt geboten werden. Rund 350 000 Schweine wurden getötet, denn niemand wagte es, Mubarak zu widersprechen oder ihn auf die Untauglichkeit der Massnahme hinzuweisen.
Dadurch geriet Kairos Entsorgungssystem aus dem Gleichgewicht. Während in Ägyptens Kleinstädten jeder allein für die Abfallbeseitigung sorgen muss, war sie in Kairo bis zum Mai ein einträgliches Geschäft. Kleinunternehmer, die sogenannten Zaballin, die mehrheitlich christliche Kopten sind, holten den Kehricht für eine Monatsgebühr von umgerechnet 1 Franken ab. Geschäft mit der Schweinemast >>> Kristina Bergmann, Kairo | Sonntag, 27. September 2009
THE SUNDAY TIMES: LORD Mandelson has disclosed that he is ready to accept a job under a future Conservative government.
In an interview with The Sunday Times magazine, the business secretary said he would be willing to put his “experience at the disposal of the country”, if Labour lost power. “As I grow older, I can imagine more ways of serving my country than simply being a party politician,” he said.
Asked whether he might use his experience in business and world trade under a future government, he said: “If I was asked to do something for my country using that asset base, of course, I would consider it.”
On the specific point of whether he would consider requests from a Conservative government, he said: “Of course, it wouldn’t be serving the government, it would be serving the country and I wouldn’t be doing it by becoming a member of that government.” Lord Mandelson: I would work for the Tories >>> Jonathan Oliver, Political Editor | Sunday, September 27, 2009
Perhaps I'm missing something here, but why on earth would America, which is bankrupt, give economic aid to an oil-rich country like Libya? Is the world going crazy? Have politicians taken leave of their senses? – © Mark
FOX NEWS: The State Department notified lawmakers earlier this month of its intent to disburse $2.5 million in economic aid to Libya, including $400,000 for Muammar al-Qaddafi's foundations.
GOP lawmakers are calling on the Obama administration to cancel $400,000 in economic aid to foundations run by Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi following his rambling diatribe at the United Nations this week and the hero's welcome he gave to the Lockerbie bomber last month.
The State Department notified lawmakers earlier this month of its intent to disburse $2.5 million in economic aid to Libya, including $400,000 for Qaddafi's foundations. Of the $400,000 half will go to a foundation run by the leader's son, Saif, and the other half to one run by his daughter, Aisha.
Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtien, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting the cancellation of the entire $2.5 million of economic aid.
Ros-Lehtien argued that Congress' goal of providing money to promote democracy and human rights in Libya has been undermined by the administration's decision to funnel the resources through the Qaddafi family.
"How could this assistance effectively promote democracy when entrusted to the dictator's family?" she wrote in the letter.
The White House deferred questions to the National Security Council, which could not be reached on Saturday. Neither could the State Department. >>> | Saturday, February 26, 2009
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE KADHAFI | Micheline Calmy-Rey a annoncé vouloir envoyer une délégation afin d'obtenir la libération des deux otages emprisonnés en Libye.
La Suisse n'a toujours pas réussi à reprendre contact avec ses deux ressortissants détenus en Libye. La conseillère fédérale Micheline Calmy-Rey va envoyer une délégation sur place avec la mission d'obtenir la libération de ces deux personnes.
Sans ces libérations, l'accord pour la normalisation des relations bilatérales ne peut pas être mis en oeuvre, a déclaré la cheffe du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE), en marge de l'Assemblée générale de l'ONU à New York.
Pour la Suisse, la justification donnée par le chef de l'Etat libyen n'est qu'un prétexte, selon la conseillère fédérale. Mouammar Kadhafi a indiqué que son pays souhaite empêcher une tentative de libération par la force des deux otages. >>> ATS | Samedi 26 Septembre 2009
WELT ONLINE: Angesichts der Drohungen von Al-Qaida und Taliban, im Umfeld der Bundestagswahl einen Anschlag zu verüben, geht die Polizei verstärkt gegen militante Islamisten vor, die auch für eine Koranschule im Jemen werben. Es wurden offenbar 19 Wohnungen mutmaßlicher Islamisten in fünf Bundesländern durchsucht.
Die Polizei hat einem Zeitungsbericht zufolge 19 Wohnungen „mutmaßlicher Islamisten“ in fünf Bundesländern durchsucht. Wie die „Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung“ unter Berufung auf Sicherheitskreise berichtete, zielte die Aktion vom Mittwoch auf eine Gruppe deutscher Konvertiten, die verdächtigt würden, „für ein islamistisches Zentrum im Jemen zu werben“. Bei dem Hauptverdächtigen handele es sich um den Deutschen Alexander F. aus dem südbayerischen Weilheim, der sich lange im Jemen aufgehalten habe.
Zusammen mit zwei deutschen Islamisten aus dem südbadischen Freiburg, die beide im Jemen leben, soll er laut „FAS“ Konvertiten und andere Muslime aus Deutschland für den Besuch der Koranschule Dar-ul-Hadith in Dammaj geworben haben. Die Betreiber der Schule im jemenitischen Bürgerkriegsgebiet unterhielten „enge Kontakte zu Al-Qaida“. Es werde vermutet, dass „militärische Ausbildungslager an die Schule angeschlossen“ seien.
In der Koranschule halten sich nach Angaben der von der „FAS“ zitierten Sicherheitskreise zahlreiche Konvertiten aus Europa und den Vereinigten Staaten auf. Darunter sollen zehn Muslime aus Deutschland sein, unter ihnen sechs Konvertiten. >>> | Samstag, 26. September 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
EVERYONE: Yesterday [Last Wednesday], Wednesday, September 23, the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Libyan Ali Abdussalam Treki, opened the 64th Assembly session of the UN by holding a press conference.During the course of the assembly some journalists asked him about his position regarding the "Declaration for the Universal Decriminalisation of Homosexuality" which was made official on December 19, 2008.
Ali Abdussalam Treki stated: “It is a very thorny argument. As a Muslim, I do not agree with it. I believe it is not acceptable for most of the world, and it is totally unacceptable for our tradition and religion”.
Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro and Dario Picciau, co-Presidents of EveryOne Group, the international human rights organisation, say: “Ali Abdussalam Treki made a very serious statement which cannot in any way be justified. Like every other Member of the General Assembly, the President has a duty to represent the principles and the aims of the United Nations, according to the Charter adopted on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco with its respect for Human Rights and
fundamental freedom for all the human beings (art. 1).
In fact, with such a declaration, the president of the General Assembly has legitimised the violence, the imprisonment and the death penalty for thousands of homosexual people all over the world. >>> | Friday, September 25, 2009
THE ATLANTIC: Yasser, a 26-year-old artist, was taking me on an impromptu tour of his hometown of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on a sweltering September afternoon. The air conditioner of his dusty Honda battled the heat, prayer beads dangled from the rearview mirror, and the smell of the cigarette he’d just smoked wafted toward me as he stopped to show me a barbershop that his friends frequent. Officially, men in Saudi Arabia aren’t allowed to wear their hair long or to display jewelry—such vanities are usually deemed to violate an Islamic instruction that the sexes must not be too similar in appearance. But Yasser wears a silver necklace, a silver bracelet, and a sparkly red stud in his left ear, and his hair is shaggy. Yasser is homosexual, or so we would describe him in the West, and the barbershop we visited caters to gay men. Business is brisk.
Leaving the barbershop, we drove onto Tahlia Street, a broad avenue framed by palm trees, then went past a succession of sleek malls and slowed in front of a glass-and-steel shopping center. Men congregated outside and in nearby cafés. Whereas most such establishments have a family section, two of this area’s cafés allow only men; not surprisingly, they are popular among men who prefer one another’s company. Yasser gestured to a parking lot across from the shopping center, explaining that after midnight it would be “full of men picking up men.” These days, he said, “you see gay people everywhere.”
Yasser turned onto a side street, then braked suddenly. “Oh shit, it’s a checkpoint,” he said, inclining his head toward some traffic cops in brown uniforms. “Do you have your ID?” he asked me. He wasn’t worried about the gay-themed nature of his tour—he didn’t want to be caught alone with a woman. I rummaged through my purse, realizing that I’d left my passport in the hotel for safekeeping. Yasser looked behind him to see if he could reverse the car, but had no choice except to proceed. To his relief, the cops nodded us through. “God, they freaked me out,” Yasser said. As he resumed his narration, I recalled something he had told me earlier. “It’s a lot easier to be gay than straight here,” he had said. “If you go out with a girl, people will start to ask her questions. But if I have a date upstairs and my family is downstairs, they won’t even come up.” >>> Nadya Labi* | May 2007
*Nadya Labi is a writer based in New York City.
REUTERS: DUBAI - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden demanded that European nations withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in a new audio tape aired on Friday, saying they were sacrificing men and money in an unjust U.S.-led war.
"We are not demanding anything unjust. It is just for you to end injustice and withdraw your soldiers (from Afghanistan)," he said in the tape, released on the Internet with a background picture of bin Laden and with German and English subtitles.
"One of the greatest injustices is to kill people unjustly, and this is exactly what your governments and soldiers are committing under the cover of the NATO alliance in Afghanistan," bin Laden said in the recording, entitled "A message to the people of Europe."
"An intelligent person does not waste his children and wealth for the sake of a gang in Washington," he said in the four-minute recording produced by al Qaeda's media arm As-Sahab. >>> Reporting by Firouz Sedarat; Editing by Louise Ireland | Friday, September 25, 2009
MIAMI HERALD: CAIRO -- Osama bin Laden demanded that European countries pull their troops out of Afghanistan in a new audiotape Friday, warning of "retaliation" against them for their alliance with the United States in the war.
The al-Qaida leader denounced NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan that have killed civilians and warned that European countries would be held accountable alongside the Americans unless they withdraw from the country.
"A wise person would not waste his sons and money for a gang of criminals in Washington ... In summary, we are not asking too much or an invalid demand, but it would be fair that you lift your oppression and withdraw your troops," bin Laden said, addressing the Europeans.
The audiotape, just under five minutes long, was posted Friday on Islamic militant Web sites. It comes after a series of al-Qaida videos this week that directly addressed Germany, and threatened attacks over Berlin's military mission in Afghanistan. Those videos featured a little-known German-Algerian militant and have raised concerns among German authorities ahead of parliamentary elections.Bin Laden's tape came as a voice-over on a video that had English and German subtitles translating his speech, along with a still photo of bin Laden in front of a map of Europe.
The al-Qaida leader predicted that American forces would soon pull out of Afghanistan, abandoning their NATO allies, and warned that al-Qaida would then retaliate against the Europeans. It was not clear whether his threat was aimed at European troops in Afghanistan or against European countries themselves. >>> Omar Sinan, Associated Press Writer | Friday, September 25, 2009
Video (Available in German): Bin-Laden-Botschaft: Neue Terror-Drohung an die Völker Europas >>>
WELT ONLINE: Erstmals meldet sich Osama bin Laden in deutscher Sprache. Zwei Tage vor der Bundestagswahl drängt der Al-Qaida-Chef in einer Video-Botschaft auf einen Abzug der europäischen Truppen aus Afghanistan und rechtfertigt die verheerenden Terroranschläge von Madrid und London.
Zwei Tage vor der Bundestagswahl wendet sich Al-Qaida-Chef Osama bin Laden mit einer auf Deutsch untertitelten Video-Botschaft zurück. In dem Film, der WELT ONLINE vorliegt, wird der deutsche Titel „Die Botschaft von Osama bin Laden an die Völker Europas“ eingeblendet. Bin Laden wird als Standbild gezeigt, während die auf Arabisch gesprochenen Worte in deutscher und englischer Sprache als Untertitel eingespielt werden. Es ist das erste Mal, dass sich der al-Qaida-Chef auf Deutsch an die Öffentlichkeit wendet. Ganz offensichtlich zielt die Botschaft auf die Bundestagswahl am Sonntag ab.
Das Propagandawerk stammt aus der As-Sahab-Medienabteilung. Es ist knapp fünf Minuten lang. Der Terrorchef, zu sehen nur als Standbild, unterbreitet darin seine Analyse des Verhältnisses der Europäer zu den Muslimen und legt seine Sicht der Zukunft der Nato in Afghanistan dar.
Europäische Regierungen und Soldaten würden ohne Grund, “unter dem Deckmantel der NATO in Afghanistan”, Frauen, Kinder und Alte töten. "Obwohl ihr Wissen darüber habt, dass sie in keiner Weise gegen Europa aggressiv waren, noch eine Beziehung zu den Ereignissen in Amerika haben”, heißt es weiter, “warum verletzt ihr also Werte, die ihr als heilig betrachtet wie Gerechtigkeit und Menschenrechte?" Es werde nicht mehr lange dauern, so der Al Qaida Chef, und der Krieg in Afghanistan sei vorbei. Dann werde “nicht mal eine Spur eines Amerikaners dort zu finden sein”. Die USA würden sich hinter den Atlantik zurückziehen. „Bleiben werden dann nur noch wir und ihr“, sagt er an die Adresse der Europäer gerichtet.
Georgien solle den Europäern ein Beispiel für jene Staaten sein, die sich auf Amerika als Nato-Partner verließen. Als die georgische Regierung um Unterstützung gebten habe, “kamen die amerikanischen Kriegssschiffe”. Sie hätten den Georgien allerdings nicht das Erhoffte geracht. Vielmehr seien die Amerikaner gekommen, "um anzubieten was sie nicht brauchten". >>> Von G. Lachmann und U. F. Flade | Freitag, 25. September 2009
Video anschauen: Al-Qaida-Video: Verdächtiger wegen Droh-Video verhaftet >>>
Video anschauen: Terrorismus: Al-Qaida wirbt um deutsche Muslime >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: Investigators have discovered a "Jihadi village" of white German al-Qaeda insurgents, including Muslim converts, in Pakistan's tribal areas close to the Afghan border.
The village, in Taliban-controlled Waziristan, is run by the notorious al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which plots raids on Nato forces in Afghanistan.
A recruitment video presents life in the village as a desirable lifestyle choice with schools, hospitals, pharmacies and day care centres, all at a safe distance from the front.
In the video, the presenter, "Abu Adam", the public face of the group in Germany, points his finger and asks: "Doesn't it appeal to you? We warmly invite you to join us!"
According to German foreign ministry officials a growing number of German families, many of North African descent, have taken up the offer and travelled to Waziristan where supporters say converts make up some of the insurgents' most dedicated fighters.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which has a foothold in several German cities, has capitalised on growing concern over the rising profile of German forces in Afghanistan. Their role has become increasingly controversial in Germany in recent weeks after dozens of civilians were killed in an air strike ordered by German officers. >>> Dean Nelson in New Delhi and Allan Hall in Berlin | Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
TIMES ONLINE – Leading Article: Iran’s repeated lies about its nuclear programme may finally be uniting world powers to threaten tough sanctions against a maverick regime
Foreign policy is full of dilemmas and nuances. It is important to have the subtlety to understand them. And this is certainly true of policy towards Iran. But there are some foreign policy judgments where clarity matters more than subtlety. Here is one. Iran is led by a man who denies the Holocaust and rants about the “global Jewish conspiracy”. He is sustained in office by an oppressive regime that treats its population with contempt. It would be very dangerous if such a government possessed nuclear weapons.
It is hard, therefore, to imagine a more significant or worrying admission than that of Tehran yesterday. One of the most threatening governments in the world is building a secret uranium-enrichment facility hidden inside a mountain near Qom. Until now it had concealed this second facility, declaring (after its discovery by intelligence sources) only its plant at Natanz.
Iran has admitted to what Gordon Brown has correctly described as “serial deception”. Iran has repeatedly claimed, indeed it still does, that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful. This was always an unpersuasive assertion. President Obama now says that the existence of the new plant is “not consistent” with that peacable aim. Iran will doubtless suggest that its admission of the new plant’s existence demonstrates Tehran’s transparency. But the regime only owned up to the facility because it knew that Mr Obama had been informed about it and was about to tell the world.
The irrefutable evidence of deception comes at a time when the international community’s policy on Iran was already moving. Russia may be ready to respond positively to American overtures — the most concrete being the rethinking of US ballistic missile defence plans. And this positive response may come in the form of a willingness to support sanctions against Iran. Russia has declared itself “seriously concerned” about the latest news, a further indication that its stance may be changing. President Medvedev of Russia has said that the second Iranian plant contravenes UN Security Council resolutions. >>> | Saturday, September 26, 2009
NEW YORK POST: Who wrote President Obama's speech for the start of the UN General As sembly yesterday -- Rodney King? You know, the guy whose videotaped run-in with cops sparked the 1992 LA riots, leading King to ask: "Can't we all just get along?"
Today that question is used derisively, to mock naive "solutions" for social ills. But it essentially sums up Obama's 38-minute UN plea, as Washington's former UN envoy John Bolton noted.
Except that Obama is supposed to be the wise leader of the Free World.
What a truly pathetic performance.
Not only because of the president's stunning cluelessness about the world's nature. But also because of his repeated insults to America. And his back-stabbing of Washington's top Mideast ally, Israel.
Obama, yet again, focused on the world's "distrust" of this nation, thanks to the "belief . . . that America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interest of others" -- presumably, under George W. Bush's presidency.
Not to fear, though; Obama's here: He's closing Gitmo, he said, banning torture, quitting Iraq, scrapping nukes . . .
What about protecting America?
Obama believes "deeply," he said, that "the interests of nations and peoples are shared." (Cue the Kumbaya singers.)
Indeed, he practically begged world leaders to take their "share of responsibility" in responding to global challenges.
Did no one brief him about who'd be at the event? Like lunatic Libyan murderer-in-chief Moammar Khadafy (who ranted for 95 minutes)? And Holocaust-denying, terror-sponsoring, nuke-building, election-stealing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
Obama can't truly believe these guys will do their "share" to make the world safe, however much he pleads.
And what's up with those gratuitous slams at Jerusalem? "America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements," Obama hissed. He insisted that "Israel respect the legitimate claims . . . of the Palestinians."
Memo to POTUS: Israel has always respected legitimate Palestinian claims.
Indeed, it is neither Israeli disrespect nor settlements that stand in the way of peace there -- but the Palestinian fantasy (fueled by folks like Ahmadinejad) of wiping the Jewish state off the map.
Obama can wish all he wants for everyone to "just get along."
But wishing won't make it happen.
He's got some serious learning to do. [Source: New York Post] | Thursday, September 24, 2009
L’EXPRESS: Changement de ton par rapport à son prédécesseur: à l'ONU, le président Barack Obama a affirmé que l'Amérique ne pouvait pas résoudre "seule tous les problèmes du monde". Qu'en pensent les antiaméricains? Pour Philippe Roger, directeur d'études à l'EHESS, l'effet Obama risque de ne pas durer. Explications.
Barack Obama ne veut plus être seul au sommet. C'est ce qui ressort du discours prononcé a l'Assemblée générale des Nations unies le mercredi 23 septembre: "Ceux qui ont l'habitude de réprimander l'Amérique pour son action solitaire dans le monde ne peuvent aujourd'hui rester de côté et attendre que l'Amérique résolve seule tous les problèmes du monde".
Devant plus de 120 chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement réunis à New York, le président américain a appelé à "ouvrir une nouvelle ère de coopération multilatérale (...). Il est désormais temps pour chacun d'entre nous de prendre sa part de responsabilité dans la réponse globale aux défis mondiaux".
Est-ce que quelqu'un escaladera la montagne avec lui? Qu'en disent les antiaméricains? L'analyse de Philippe Roger, directeur d'études à l'Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) et auteur du livre L'ennemi américain, Généalogie de l'antiaméricanisme français (Seuil, 2002). Est-ce que l'appel à la coopération lancé par Barack Obama a des chances d'être entendu? >>> Par Nathalie Kantt | Vendredi 25 Septembre 2009
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