Melanie Phillips: If Cameron Doesn’t Stop Blair Being Shoehorned as EU President, There’ll Be No Point in Him Becoming Britain’s Prime Minister
MAIL ONLINE: By the end of the Tory party conference, which starts today in Manchester, it would come as no surprise to find that Jerusalem had been replaced by the Czech national anthem.

It appears that David Cameron is sweating on the Czech Republic to help him escape from the biggest dilemma he faces.

Now that the Irish people have had their arms twisted to deliver the required 'yes' vote on the EU's constitutional Lisbon treaty, a deeply unwelcome ball has been bounced into Cameron's court.

He has promised that Britain would hold its own referendum on the treaty - but only if it has not been ratified by every other country, and thus is not in operation, by the time he comes to power.

Ireland's 'yes' vote increases the likelihood that it will be in operation by the next General Election. Only the Poles and Czechs now stand in its way.

The Poles are said to be likely to roll over soon; the Czech constitutional court is considering whether the treaty is consistent with Czech law.

If the Czechs say no, Cameron is off the hook. The big question, however, is whether Cameron will hold a referendum if the treaty has been ratified. He ducked it again yesterday.

The Irish vote has changed nothing, he protested. Well, nothing - and everything.

Yesterday, Tory Euro-federalists and Eurosceptics were trading blows about this even before the conference had properly started.

However, those who are calling for the referendum pledge to be honoured, even if the treaty is in force, fail to acknowledge that it would not be possible to renounce the treaty at that point because it would have turned into the constitution of Europe.

Notoriously, Cameron merely says that if the treaty has already been ratified the Tories 'will not let matters rest there'. What on earth does this mean?

If he is seriously suggesting that he would then try to repatriate certain powers to this country as he has pledged to do, he is being - to put it politely - disingenuous.

The EU constitution that the treaty brings into being cannot be undone or unpicked.

As Cameron desperately tried to shut this issue down yesterday, he was in danger of thus giving the impression that he did not grasp why Europe is indeed an issue of overriding importance.

If this constitution comes into force, the EU will be changed, unalterably and for ever, into a wholly new entity: a 27-nation superstate with no democratic legitimacy which will nevertheless rule our lives - and, in all probability, with Tony Blair as its President.

It would be beyond intolerable if, at the very moment that the British electorate finally voted out the government he led and consigned Blairism to the bin, the man who did so much damage to Britain as its Prime Minister should be shoehorned into a post which makes him the effective ruler of this country.

For if this constitution comes into effect, Britain and the other EU member states will no longer be self-governing nations.

Foreign policy, defence, social, economic and welfare policies, immigration, internal security - every national interest will be subordinated to this new anti-democratic entity.

As such, 'President' Blair would be committing the single most treacherous act of all towards his own country - taking away its own democratic power of self-government.

And as a zealot whose aim has always been to supersede the nation state by trans-national bodies which promise the arrival of the brotherhood of man, we can be sure that 'President' Blair would make full use of the despotic powers of the EU constitution to impose upon us all a frightening degree of uniformity and control.

So David Cameron would have defeated Labour only to find himself once again being ruled by Tony Blair. >>> Melanie Phillips | Monday, October 05, 2009

Britain Slips Out of Top 20 Best Countries to Live In
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain has slipped out of the top 20 most desirable countries in which to live, according to UN data, beaten by France, Australia and the United States.

Norway tops the study, which ranks countries on their education, wealth and life expectancy, using figures compiled by the United Nations Development Programme.

Britain, which was ranked 16th two years ago when the UN last conducted the research, has slipped five places to be ranked 21, only a few places ahead of Slovenia, Greece and Andorra in the Human Development Report 2009.

In 1990, Britain was the tenth best country to live in.

However, in the intervening years, Britain's wealth – as defined by gross domestic product per head – has slipped, while its educational ranking has failed to keep up with that of other countries. >>> Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor | Monday, October 05, 2009

France Telecom Executive Resigns after Employee Suicide Tally Rises to 24
THE GUARDIAN: Unions blame work-related stress for the deaths after many workers were forced to change jobs and relocate

The deputy chief executive of France Telecom has quit with immediate effect following the spate of suicides among its staff.

Louis-Pierre Wenes's departure comes less than a week after a France Telecom employee became the 24th since February 2008 to take his own life.

The telecoms firm announced this morning that Wenes had asked to be relieved of his duties, and that chief executive, Didier Lombard, accepted the request.

In recent weeks, France has been gripped by the series of suicides across the former state monopoly. Unions claimed workers are being driven to kill themselves by the pressure caused by a wide-ranging restructuring plan, under which many have been forced to change jobs and relocate. >>> Graeme Wearden | Monday, October 05, 2009

If Europe Does Get a President, It Definitely Won't Be Tony Blair
THE TELEGRAPH: Boris Johnson wagers – a fiver – that the former PM will not be granted his dream of ruling 500m people.

A spectre is haunting Europe, my friends. That spectre has a famously toothy grin and an eye of glistering sincerity and an almost diabolical gift of political self-reinvention. Barely two years after he stood down as prime minister, it seems that Tony Blair is about to thrust himself back into our lives. It turns out that he is not content merely to be in charge of brokering peace in the Middle East – which you would have thought was a full-time job for anyone. It isn't enough to potter around the world making speeches about climate change and Africa. He wants more, much more, than to consecrate his remaining days to the promotion of inter-faith dialogue and school sport.

With his colossal mortgages in Buckinghamshire and London's Connaught Square, you might have thought he needed to stick firmly on the after-dinner circuit. You might have thought that the Blair finances oblige him to keep making boss-eyed speeches to armies of tuxedoed Arizona neo-cons about the importance of the special relationship and beating up Saddam Hussein. Well, not any more, it seems. Blair has evidently piled up such a fortune that he is ready for one more big public job, and we now discover that his extinction as prime minister was only the prelude for his re-emergence – like some wizard in The Lord of the Rings – in a guise more powerful than we can possibly imagine.

He wants to be President of Europe. He wants to be the one-man incarnation of the wishes of 500 million people and 27 countries. He wants to be the answer to the decades old question originally posed by Henry Kissinger: "Who should the President of the United States ring if he wants to be put in urgent contact with Europe?" >>> Boris Johnson | Monday, October 05, 2009

Reminder: Disgusting, Rude, Hateful Comments Will Be Deleted
Whilst I do not always allow comments to my posts these days (due to constraints of time), I still receive comments on old posts which were always open for comments, and I still allow comments to some of my posts, especially my own essays.

I should therefore like to remind my guests that all comments are still very welcome, both on new and old posts. Please be aware, however, that disgusting, filthy, hateful comments will not be tolerated, and will be deleted forthwith.

This website is NOT a hate site. Hate-filled material does not, and will not, appear on this webite – ever. Should such a comment appear temporarily, it will be deleted at the earliest convenience. If hatred is what you are looking for, please click over: you have come to the wrong address. – Mark

Islamic Bonds Receive a Boost
Issuance Rises 82% as Confidence Grows in Global Markets
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: DUBAI -- Global issuance of sukuk, or Islamic bonds, rallied during the third quarter with the value of sukuk issued rising 82% in the latest sign that confidence is returning to capital markets.

Data from Zawya.com's Sukuk Monitor shows the value of Islamic bonds issued world-wide for the third quarter rose to $6.2 billion, from $3.4 billion for the same quarter of 2008.

Investors are putting more faith in the sukuk market, seen as a more stable platform to raise capital, as the financial crisis eases and global market conditions improve rapidly, bankers say.

Sentiment over the $3.5 billion sukuk due in December by Nakheel, a real-estate unit of government-owned Dubai World, has improved in recent weeks after Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's ruler and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, said the emirate can meet debt obligations, estimated at as much as $80 billion.

Both conventional and Islamic deals were successfully placed, as investors became more comfortable with the economic environment.

Total global sukuk issuance stood at $13.5 billion at the end of September, data from Zawya's Sukuk Monitor shows. That is close to the total global market for primary Islamic bonds in 2008, which raised $15.2 billion, according to Zawya.com.

Mukhtar Hussain, global chief executive officer of HSBC Amanah told Zawya Dow Jones in a recent interview that the volume of Islamic bonds issued globally this year could hit $15 billion as the financial crisis eases and global market conditions improve rapidly. >>> Mirna Sleiman | Monday, October 05, 2009

What Berlusconi's Obama 'Jokes' Say About Italy
TIME: It was the gaffe heard around the globe. Last November, just two days after Barack Obama's historic election victory, the world's collective jaw dropped when Silvio Berlusconi quipped that the next U.S. President was "young, handsome and even has a good tan." Though the Italian Prime Minister refused to apologize for the failed attempt at humor, Obama and his aides gave Berlusconi a pass. The incoming President was not going to be sidetracked by a diplomatic incident with a man already notorious as a loose cannon. Berlusconi kept his place that week on Obama's initial round of phone calls to world leaders, with the "tan" remark firmly off the agenda and both sides hailing strong relations between the key transatlantic allies.

Strangely, it is Berlusconi who has not let the incident rest. He called his critics "imbeciles," saying the remark was meant as a compliment. "We'd all like to be tanned like Naomi Campbell and Obama," he said two weeks after the original one-liner. He has made other references to it in the months since.

And then on Sunday, he dropped the abbronzato bomb again. Having returned from the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, he told supporters in Milan that he carried greetings from "someone tan, what's his name? Barack Obama!" Not satisfied, he continued, "You will not believe it, but the two of them went together to get some sun at the beach, because the wife is also tanned."

The conventional wisdom in Italy, in both press and political circles, seems to be that it's just Berlusconi being Berlusconi. The latest quip got only passing notice from Italy's center-left opposition, which is more focused on Berlusconi's ongoing sex scandal. Even the leading leftist daily, La Repubblica, referred to the remarks as the latest "Berlusconi Show." But that's telling in itself. ... >>> Jeff Israeli | Thursday, October 1, 2009

Václav Klaus, the second President of the Czech Republic. Photo: Google Images
EU's Push for President Post Faces Hurdle: After Ireland's Approval of Lisbon Treaty, European Leaders Begin Effort to Win Over Adamantly Opposed Czech President
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: DUBLIN -- Backed by Ireland's resounding approval of a treaty designed to strengthen the European Union and give it a full-time president, leaders of the bloc said they would start a drive to remove the last remaining hurdle to the so-called Lisbon Treaty -- the refusal of Czech President Vaclav Klaus to sign it.

Ireland's 67% to 33% vote for the treaty Friday was a huge turnaround, reversing Irish voters' veto last year. The change of heart appears to have been driven mainly by the dramatic collapse of Ireland's economy, which made voters less willing to risk weakening the bloc.

For EU leaders who have been struggling for nearly a decade to pass versions of the treaty, it was a huge relief. They hope the scale of the victory will help them to persuade Mr. Klaus, a committed euroskeptic who has refused to sign the Czech legislature's ratification of the treaty, to back down.

Swedish Prime Minster Fredrik Reinfeldt and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said over the weekend they would meet Wednesday with the Czech Republic's prime minister to add pressure on Mr. Klaus. Sweden, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, is also dispatching its European-affairs minister to Prague.

Mr. Barroso said he was also ready to accept names from the 27 EU countries of their representatives on the commission, the union's executive arm. Terms of the current commissioners end this month, and the process of replacing them had been delayed until the fate of the Lisbon Treaty became clear.

"We start already on Monday to start to push every head of state" to sign the treaty, said Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister and head of the European Parliament's liberal wing.

Ireland alone held a popular referendum on the treaty; the others ratified it through their parliaments. The process is now incomplete in two countries: Poland and the Czech Republic, which need their presidents' signatures.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski has said he would sign it as soon as Irish voters approved it, though his office gave no details on timing in a statement Sunday.

Mr. Klaus is another matter. The Czech president has never hidden his disdain for the EU, and he has a hero's status among treaty opponents across Europe. >>> Charles Forelle. Alistair MacDonald, Sean Carney and Malgorzata Halaba contributed to this article. | Monday, October 05, 2009

EU Ponders New President, Foreign Minister: After Ireland's Vote, Many See Top Post Going to Tony Blair
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: BRUSSELS -- The Irish answer to the Lisbon Treaty formally opens the gates to the politically charged business of choosing Europe's first-ever president and foreign minister of the assembly of the European Union's 27 member governments.

For weeks, pundits and politicians have been handicapping the field, with former British prime minister Tony Blair emerging as the man to beat, although his candidacy faces some high hurdles.

The Lisbon Treaty calls for the two new posts to be chosen by national leaders and confirmed by the European Parliament. Inevitably, their selection will be part of a continental horse-trading game involving other IOUs among nations, and plum positions in the European Commission, the EU's executive branch.

Mr. Blair could give Europe a famous face and a connection to elites everywhere. As a left-of-center politician from Northern Europe, he offers political and geographical balance to the EU commission president, José Manuel Barroso, a Portuguese conservative. Mr. Barroso, a consensus-builder who doesn't ruffle many feathers, was reappointed to a five-year term this summer.

France regards Mr. Blair as a candidate who has "all the credentials," said a spokesman for French President Nicolas Sarkozy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel endorses the notion of a powerful personality as president, says a person familiar with her thinking. However, Ms. Merkel is concerned that Mr. Blair might not be acceptable to the European Parliament, the person said.

Other factors could cripple Mr. Blair's candidacy, say government officials in several EU countries. Mr. Sarkozy and Ms. Merkel -- who have the greatest weight in the voting -- could decide they don't want the high-profile Briton overshadowing them. Mr. Blair is known in Brussels for propelling the Iraq war, which is still very unpopular in Europe. >>> John W. Miller. Quentin Fottrell and David Gauthier-Villars contributed to this article. | Monday, October 05, 2009

Nicolas Sarkozy Told David Cameron He Was 'Stupid' for Pulling Out of European Group
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: French President Nicolas Sarkozy angrily told David Cameron he was "stupid" for pulling the Conservatives out of the main centre-right grouping in the European Parliament.

Mr Sarkozy is said to have confronted Mr Cameron about the issue several times. Photo: The Telegraph
President Sarkozy and the Conservative Leader were involved in a series of heated exchanges after Mr Cameron left the European People's Party, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

Mr Sarkozy is said to have told Mr Cameron: "C'est fou, il se fait mal à la tête," meaning "It's stupid, you're giving yourself a headache."

Senior sources in Brussels revealed the exchanges which took place in the wake of Mr Cameron's pulling his Conservative MEPs out of the centre-right EPP grouping in June in order to fulfil a pledge made during his leadership campaign in 2005.

The decision went down badly with other mainstream European leaders including Angela Merkel of Germany, who threatened to withhold co-operation from the Conservatives.

Ms Merkel's Christian Democrat Union party recalled its London representative Thomas Stehling to Germany in protest at the move.

Mr Sarkozy is said to have confronted Mr Cameron about the issue several times. "They have had three or four conversations about it," said a senior diplomatic source. "On one occasion Sarkozy basically told Cameron he was stupid for doing it, that it was a decision that would come back to haunt him."

European leaders were not alone in expressing their amazement at the move. President Barack Obama is understood to have raised the issue when he met Mr Cameron last summer at the House of Commons during his visit to Britain. >>> Melissa Kite, Deputy Political Editor | Sunday, October 04, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: 'Dithering' Cameron urged to speak out on Europe as Tory referendum row overshadows start of conference >>> Tim Shipman | Sunday, October 04, 2009

THE GUARDIAN: David Cameron retreats on European referendum: Boris Johnson claims no rift over call for public vote / Decision may bring Blair presidency closer / Party will attempt to claw back UK powers >>> Nicholas Watt | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Los Angeles Episcopal Bishop Offers Apology to Hindus over Conversion Attempts
VIRTUE ONLINE: The ultra liberal Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles J. Jon Bruno offered a formal apology to Hindus for centuries-old acts of religious discrimination including attempts by Christians to convert them.



He then authorized a joint Hindu-Anglican service at St John's Cathedral in Los Angeles permitting Hindu devotees to receive the consecrated elements.



According to a statement read on his behalf by suffragan Bishop Chester Talton, he vowed not to proselytize non-Christians. "I believe that the world cannot afford for us to repeat the errors of our past, in which we sought to dominate rather than to serve, in this spirit, and in order to take another step in building trust between our two great religious traditions, I offer a sincere apology to the Hindu religious community," said the bishop's statement reported by the Los Angeles Times.



A Hare Krishna provided music along with the St John's cathedral choirs. When the Eucharist was celebrated Hindus were invited to receive the consecrated elements. Some Hindus who abstain from alcohol received only the host, the Los Angeles Times reported.



An icon was venerated at the Communion service. While a Hindu band sang a hymn the Anglican celebrant anointed the icon with sandalwood paste, draped a garland of flowers over the icon and lit a lamp, "as a sign of Christ, the light in the darkness." >>> David W. Virtue | Tuesday, September 29, 2009

États-Unis : Le grand complot de Glenn Beck
LE TEMPS: La vedette de la chaîne de télévision conservatrice Fox News est devenue la personnalité la plus médiatique et la plus controversée du pays. Sa cible de choix: le président Barack Obama et sa «haine profonde des Blancs»

Sur un tableau, Glenn Beck a placé des photos: celle de Barack Obama et de sa femme Michelle. Puis de l’une des proches collaboratrices du président, Valerie Jarrett. D’autres membres encore de l’administration Obama et des personnalités de la gauche américaine. Dans le diagramme figure aussi le révolutionnaire Che Guevara et le marteau et la faucille communistes. «Il faudrait s’intéresser à tout cela, explique l’animateur à ses 3 millions de téléspectateurs. Nous devons prendre de la distance. Regarder l’image dans son ensemble.»

Le communisme a fait son irruption à la Maison-Blanche. Le «racisme anti-Blanc» également. Voire le nazisme, avec l’armée de volontaires qui se réunissent derrière le président démocrate et qui ressemblent «aux SS d’Adolf Hitler». Mais Glenn Beck est là pour veiller. En quelques mois, l’homme est devenu la personnalité la plus médiatique et la plus controversée des Etats-Unis. L’une des plus écoutées aussi. La chaîne de télévision Fox News n’en finit pas de se frotter les mains d’avoir dégotté pareil phénomène qui, chaque jour, tisse la grande toile des dangers et des conspirations qui menacent le citoyen américain moyen. >>> Luis Lema | Samedi 03 Octobre 2009

THE GUARDIAN: Waitrose dumps Fox News in protest over remarks about Barack Obama >>> Sam Jones | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Union Européenne : Après le vote irlandais, le cauchemar tchèque
LE TEMPS: Les 3 millions d’électeurs irlandais qui se sont prononcés vendredi sur le Traité de Lisbonne n’auront pas le dernier mot. L’eurosceptique président tchèque restera l’ultime obstacle

«Après avoir été l’otage des 3 millions d’électeurs irlandais, l’Union européenne va se retrouver prisonnière d’un seul eurosceptique.» A Bruxelles vendredi, la colère commençait déjà à se déchaîner contre le très eurosceptique président tchèque.

Si le second référendum irlandais – dont les résultats n’étaient pas encore disponibles hier soir – accouche d’un oui au Traité de Lisbonne, l’entrée en vigueur de celui-ci dépendra en effet entièrement de Vaclav Klaus. Lequel s’abrite derrière une nouvelle plainte devant la Cour constitutionnelle (qui a déjà statué favorablement au printemps) déposée le 29 septembre par des sénateurs de son ex-Parti libéral pour refuser de signer le traité, pourtant voté par le parlement tchèque.

Vaclav Klaus avait officialisé son opposition au texte destiné à réformer les institutions communautaires lors de son discours le 19 février à Bruxelles devant le Parlement européen, affaiblissant ainsi son pays qui présidait alors l’UE. Le chef de l’Etat tchèque doit signer la loi de ratification des traités. Or aucun traité européen ne peut entrer en vigueur sans avoir été ratifié par tous les Etats membres.

Le feuilleton politique pourrait néanmoins, cette fois, tourner au vinaigre entre les Etats membres. Jusque-là, et compte tenu de l’échec du premier référendum irlandais du 12 juin 2008, la patience était de rigueur. Partisan de la première heure d’un nouveau vote en Irlande – seul pays de l’UE à consulter sa population – Nicolas Sarkozy avait lui-même d’emblée proposé de modifier le Traité de Lisbonne pour conserver le principe d’un commissaire européen par pays jusqu’en 2014, afin de rassurer les Irlandais. Puis d’autres garanties en matière d’avortement, de neutralité et de souveraineté fiscale avaient été concédées à Dublin. Appel au forcing >>> Richard Werly | Samedi 03 Octobre 2009

Türkei: „EU-Beitritt 2015 wäre zu spät“
DIE PRESSE: Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu übt scharfe Kritik an Zypern und will keine Sanktionen gegen den Iran. Davutoglu begründete dies mit dem Schaden, der der Türkei durch das Embargo gegen Saddam Husseins Irak entstanden ist.

Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu. Bild: Die Presse
BRÜSSEL. Der türkische Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu hat am Freitag die EU dazu aufgefordert, die Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Türkei zu beschleunigen. „Ich möchte als Politiker von den Visionen zur Realität kommen. Insofern ist nicht nur ein türkischer Beitritt im Jahr 2050, sondern bereits im Jahr 2015 zu spät“, erklärte Davutoglu bei einer Veranstaltung der Denkfabrik European Policy Centre in Brüssel.

Gleichzeitig kritisierte er die Regierung Südzyperns, weil sie in den Verhandlungen über die Wiedervereinigung mit dem türkischen, international als Staat nicht anerkannten Norden der Insel nur zögerliche Vorschläge für mehr Autonomie für die zypriotischen Türken mache. „Warum teilen die griechischen Zyprioten ihre politischen Rechte nicht mit den türkischen Zyprioten? Das ist die ethische Frage“, sagte der seit Mai amtierende Außenminister. >>> Vom Korrespondenten der Presse Oliver Grimm | Freitag, 02. Oktober 2009

L'UDC plébiscite l'initiative anti-minarets
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ASSEMBLÉE | Les arguments du conseiller national valaisan Oskar Freysinger qui a dénoncé l'avancement de l'islam dans le monde ont fait mouche.

Les arguments d'Oskar Freysinger contre les minarets ont fait mouche auprès d'un public déjà convaincu. Crédits photo : Tribune de Genève
Sans surprise, les délégués de l'UDC réunis samedi en assemblée à Genève ont massivement soutenu l'initiative anti-minarets. Les arguments du conseiller national valaisan Oskar Freysinger qui a dénoncé l'avancement de l'islam dans le monde ont fait mouche.

Le soutien à l'initiative soumise en votation le 29 novembre prochain a été votée par 288 voix contre 3 et 3 abstentions. "Au nom de la tolérance, il ne faut pas introduire l'intolérance en Suisse", a relevé le conseiller national ovationné par les délégués. La pensée musulmane ne voit pas le monde comme nous et elle échappe à tout contrôle démocratique, a ajouté le Valaisan.

Pour lui comme pour Heinz Gstrein, un universitaire autrichien invité à s'exprimer devant les délégués, les minarets n'ont pas leur place en Suisse. Il a démonté les arguments des adversaires de l'initiative qui craignent notamment des mesures de rétorsions des Etats musulman.

Les pétrodollars resteront en Suisse même si l'initiative passe, car les Etats musulmans connaissent très bien les avantages de ces placements en Suisse, selon M.Gstrein. Idem pour les exportations suisses. Elles sont si hautement spécialisées, qu'il est difficile de les remplacer, a assuré le professeur. >>> ATS | Samedi 03 Octobre 2009

Offensive Number Plates Withdrawn from Auction
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Gay rights campaigners today welcomed a move by the car licensing authority to withdraw offensive number plates from an auction.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) pulled the plates F4 GOT and D1 KES, which were due to be among 1,600 auctioned later this week.

The agency decided to remove the plates which bear resemblance to the derogatory terms faggot and dykes, on grounds of "the clear potential offence".

Each of the private plates had a reserve price of £900.

They were due to go under the hammer at an auction in Broadway, Worcestershire. >>> Liam Creedon, PA | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Pakistan: Propagandavideo zeigt deutsche Dschihad-Kolonie
WELT ONLINE: Ein neues Propagandavideo einer Dschihad-Organisation aus dem pakistanischen Grenzland zeigt in bislang unbekanntem Umfang die Anwesenheit deutscher Islamisten in den Terrorlagern. Sie rufen deutsche Muslime zum Dschihad auf und präsentieren eine deutschsprachige Kolonie radikaler Gotteskrieger.

Schauen Sie Welt TV Video hier an.
Erneut ist ein deutschsprachiges Terrorvideo aus der afghanisch-pakistanischen Grenzregion im Internet veröffentlicht worden. Zu sehen sind darin mehrere deutschsprachige Islamisten, Kämpfer der Islamischen Bewegung Usbekistans (IMU), darunter auch die schon bekannten Bonner Brüder Mounir und Yassin Chouka.

Zum ersten Mal tauchen auch bislang aus Propagandafilmen unbekannte Dschihadisten aus Deutschland auf. Sie nennen sich “Abu Askar” oder “Abu Safiyaa”, und werben für den Kampf gegen die Ungläubigen.

Gezeigt werden in dem fast einstündigen Propagandafilm hauptsächlich Kampfszenen im pakistanischen Grenzgebiet, das Alltagsleben in den Trainingslagern der IMU sowie eine längere Predigt von Yassin Chouka alias “Abu Ibrahim”. >>> Von Florian Flade | Samstag, 03. Oktober 2009

BAE Systems Ready to Admit Guilt over Corruption Allegations
THE TELEGRAPH: BAE Systems is ready to plead guilty and accept what is expected to be a record fine in order to bring a swift end to the Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) six-year investigation into allegations of corruption in Africa and eastern Europe.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that the company and its lawyers now want the opportunity to review the SFO's case and examine the evidence against it before trying to agree a deal.

Senior sources at the defence giant, Britain's biggest manufacturer, have held talks with the SFO to try to establish common ground on the facts of the case but these have ground to a halt, culminating in last week's statement from the SFO which said it was intending to seek the Attorney General's consent to prosecute the company.

BAE is hoping that the SFO will restart the talks with a view to it gaining a clearer understanding of the evidence against it and the provenance of the evidence. It wants to establish common ground between the two sides. If that process succeeds the company would be willing to plead guilty to certain charges and begin talks about a punishment. However, the company has trenchant views about what would be a proportionate and appropriate fine.

It is expected to refer to past financial penalties levied by the SFO when framing its negotiating position and believes a range of previous fines of £6.6m up to £19m is relevant. However, the SFO is understood to have indicated a fine of £200m to £300m would be suitable. >>> Amy Wilson and Rowena Mason | Saturday, October 03, 3009

Army Chief Warns of 'Terrifying Prospect' of Failure in Afghanistan
THE TELEGRAPH: The head of the British Army, General Sir David Richards, has issued a wake-up call to the public by warning of the "terrifying prospect" of a defeat in Afghanistan.

General Sir David Richards attends a conference on the UK armed forces in central London. Photo: The Telegraph
In an unprecedented intervention, the chief of the general staff described the conflict as "this generation's war" and added that failure by Nato would have an "intoxicating effect" on militant Islam.

In his first interview as the head of the Army, Sir David told The Sunday Telegraph that if Britain and Nato failed in Afghanistan the risks to the western world would be "enormous" and "unimaginable".

He said: "If al-Qaeda and the Taliban believe they have defeated us – what next? Would they stop at Afghanistan? Pakistan is clearly a tempting target not least because of the fact that it is a nuclear-weaponed state and that is a terrifying prospect. Even if only a few of those (nuclear) weapons fell into their hands, believe me they would use them. The recent airlines plot has reminded us that there are people out there who would happily blow all of us up."

The general's intervention comes at a crucial time, with the US General in charge of operations in Afghanistan calling for more troops to be sent to the country to fight the Taliban.

At home, the Government has come under increasing pressure for the way it has handled the war, with critics saying the armed forces have been under-resourced. >>> Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent | Saturday, October 03, 2009

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: General Sir David Richards: 'We can't afford to lose the war in Afghanistan' >>> Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Thirty 'High-risk' Terrorists to Be Released Early
THE SUNDAY TIMES: UP to 30 “high-risk” terrorists — including some of the most dangerous men in Britain — are due to be released from jail in the next year.

More are being freed in the wake of a ruling by Britain’s most senior judges that long sentences for terrorist crimes could “inflame” rather than deter extremism.

An analysis of appeal court cases shows that of the 26 terrorism cases it has heard, 25 have led to men with terrorism convictions having their sentences reduced.

Others are being released because they serve only part of their term. In response, Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, said the Tories were considering longer sentences for terrorists.

The leniency of the British appeal court to some convicted terrorists contrasts with America where they can be locked up for their whole lives.One man designated “high risk” and due to be freed soon is Andrew Rowe, a Muslim convert who was found guilty of having notes on how to fire mortar bombs.

Rowe was sentenced to 15 years in 2005. He is due to be freed next April after his sentence was reduced to 10 years. Others who have had their sentences cut include some of those who helped the failed suicide bombers of July 21, 2005 and two of those convicted of soliciting murder during the Danish cartoons protest. >>> David Leppard | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Tony Blair, the EU President No One Really Wants

THE SUNDAY TIMES: The reluctant vote in favour of further European integration by the Irish this weekend may usher Tony Blair into a new role as titular head of the European Union — despite most of Europe being reluctant to have him.

The former prime minister is the leading candidate to become the European Union president for a want of alternatives rather than any enthusiasm.

With the Irish having finally ratified the Lisbon treaty, all that remains is for the Czech and Polish presidents to sign it and authorise the creation of two new key posts in the EU hierarchy: the president of the European council of heads of state, popularly known as the EU president, and that of high representative for common foreign and security policy, in effect a foreign minister.

The Swedish prime minister, who holds the rotating presidency of the EU, indicated last week that he wanted the president and foreign minister to be appointed by the end of this month.

Blair owes his 6-4 odds for the job to the fact that the offices will probably be divvied up between the social democrat and conservative blocs among the EU heads of state. Although Blair appears to be disliked by all parties, especially by his supposed allies on the left, he may end up being elected because of the lack of another suitable candidate from the social democrat group.

Only two other possible social democratic candidates have emerged — Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister, and Felipe Gonzalez, a former prime minister of Spain — and neither has the international clout of Blair. The same is true of the potential conservative candidates Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, and Jan Peter Balkenende, his Dutch equivalent.

The president will be elected by all 27 EU leaders, but the attitude of France and Germany is crucial. French diplomats last week indicated that Blair remained the preferred choice of President Nicolas Sarkozy, putting the ball into the court of Angela Merkel, the newly re-elected German chancellor. Blair is disliked intensely by Berlin for his role in the Iraq war and his perceived failure to contribute to Britain’s European integration.

“The only thing he cared about during his premiership was the City and that mentality has led to the current global crisis,” said Michael Gahler, an MEP from Merkel’s Christian Democrat party. “He is good at making speeches but he does not deliver.”

However, the Germans consider the post of the president to be far less significant than that of the foreign minister, who will also be vice-president of the commission and, in effect, be able to shape a common foreign and security policy and have leverage over commissioners addressing other areas.

Although her party’s favourite is said to be Juncker, Merkel, like Sarkozy, will be concerned with keeping at least a relatively pro-EU British politician in the spotlight. >>> Bojan Pancevski in Brussels | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Humiliation for Gordon Brown over US Plan for G4 Elite Without Britain
MAIL ONLINE: Labour last night faced humiliation with the prospect of Britain missing out on a place in a new elite club of economic superpowers.

Reports in the United States claim President Barack Obama is keen to establish a top table of global economies which would leave Britain on the sidelines.

The proposal will put further pressure on Chancellor Alistair Darling and Prime Minister Gordon Brown as Britain also faces dismissal from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The so-called Group of Four (G4) would comprise the biggest global economies: America, Japan, China and the Eurozone countries.

It would have enormous clout over international economic affairs, an arena in which Britain has for many years punched above its weight.

Ironically, if the G4 were made up entirely of individual countries and not the Eurozone, the UK would gain admittance as its national economy is in fourth place internationally.

The proposal has yet to be finalised but international financial sources last night dismissed Britain’s hopes that the Eurozone place at the table could be broadened to comprise the whole European Union.

A key qualification for membership is the ability to deliver on monetary commitment and currency pledges. The Eurozone shares a currency but the EU does not.

Conservative MP Graham Brady, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, said: ‘This is especially embarrassing for a Prime Minister who presided over Britain’s economy since 1997 and used to pride himself on his economic mastery.’

The snub would mean the loss of Britain’s independent voice in high-level economic diplomacy for the first time since the economic summits of the mid- Seventies, held in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. >>> Dan Atkinson, Mail On Sunday Economics Editor | Saturday, October 03, 2009

L'Irlande dit 'oui' à l'Europe
leJDD.fr: Brian Cowen, Premier ministre irlandais, a officiellement déclaré samedi la victoire du "oui" lors du référendum de ratification du traité de Lisbonne. 67,13% des votants ont penché en faveur de l'Union européenne.

Recalé au premier tour, accepté au second. Le 'oui' au référendum sur le traité européen de Lisbonne l'a emporté en Irlande. Le Premier ministre irlandais, Brian Cowen, a officiellement annoncé que 67,13% de ses concitoyens avaient accepté le texte: "Aujourd'hui, le peuple irlandais a parlé d'une voix claire et forte. C'est un grand jour pour l'Irlande et c'est un grand jour pour l'Europe", a-t-il affirmé en début d'après-midi, accompagné de plusieurs ministres. En 2008, le 'non' irlandais avait jeté le doute sur l'avenir du traité censé adapter les institutions européennes à une Union élargie, qui doit être ratifié par les 27 États membres pour entrer en vigueur.

Le score officiel en faveur du traité s'est fixé à 67,13% des votants. C'est bien mieux que ce qu'avait annoncé Billy Timmins, directeur des élections pour le parti d'opposition Fine Gael, qui estimait la victoire des partisans du "oui" à 60%. Vendredi soir, un membre du Fianna Fail, le parti au pouvoir, évoquait "un vote favorable à environ 53%", selon des sondages officieux de sortie des urnes. Un encouragement pour la République tchèque et la Pologne >>> | Samedi 03 Octobre 2009

Israel Names Russians Helping Iran Build Nuclear Bomb
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has handed the Kremlin a list of Russian scientists believed by the Israelis to be helping Iran to develop a nuclear warhead. He is said to have delivered the list during a mysterious visit to Moscow.

Netanyahu flew to the Russian capital with Uzi Arad, his national security adviser, last month in a private jet.

His office claimed he was in Israel, visiting a secret military establishment at the time. It later emerged that he was holding talks with Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, and President Dmitry Medvedev.

“We have heard that Netanyahu came with a list and concrete evidence showing that Russians are helping the Iranians to develop a bomb,” said a source close to the Russian defence minister last week.

“That is why it was kept secret. The point is not to embarrass Moscow, rather to spur it into action.”

Israeli sources said it was a short, tense meeting at which Netanyahu named the Russian experts said to be assisting Iran in its nuclear programme. >>> Uzi Mahanimi Tel Aviv Mark Franchetti and Jon Swain | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Revealed to Have Jewish Past
THE TELEGRAPH: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's vitriolic attacks on the Jewish world hide an astonishing secret, evidence uncovered by The Daily Telegraph shows.

A photograph of the Iranian president holding up his identity card during elections in March 2008 clearly shows his family has Jewish roots.

A close-up of the document reveals he was previously known as Sabourjian – a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver.

The short note scrawled on the card suggests his family changed its name to Ahmadinejad when they converted to embrace Islam after his birth.

The Sabourjians traditionally hail from Aradan, Mr Ahmadinejad's birthplace, and the name derives from the Jewish for "weaver of the Sabour", the name for the Jewish Tallit shawl in Persia. The name is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior.

Experts last night suggested Mr Ahmadinejad's track record for hate-filled attacks on Jews could be an overcompensation to hide his past.

Ali Nourizadeh, of the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies, said: "This aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's background explains a lot about him.

"Every family that converts into a different religion takes a new identity by condemning their old faith.

"By making anti-Israeli statements he is trying to shed any suspicions about his Jewish connections. He feels vulnerable in a radical Shia society."

A London-based expert on Iranian Jewry said that "jian" ending to the name specifically showed the family had been practising Jews.

"He has changed his name for religious reasons, or at least his parents had," said the Iranian-born Jew living in London. "Sabourjian is well known Jewish name in Iran." >>> Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat | Saturday, October 03, 2009

Tories Warn of British Backlash to Blair ‘Presidency’
TIMES ONLINE: William Hague warns European leaders today to expect a backlash if they make Tony Blair the first president of Europe.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary told The Times: “There could be no worse way to sell the EU to the people of Britain.”

He dangled the prospect of a referendum in Britain to take back powers from Brussels, even if a “yes” vote in the Irish Republic leads to the rapid ratification of the Lisbon treaty. He also indicated that the Tories would use a Blair presidency to mobilise opposition in such a vote on Britain’s relationship with Europe.

Mr Hague was speaking as Conservatives gathered in Manchester for their party conference, and before the result of Ireland’s vote on the Lisbon treaty is declared today. Hours before polls closed at 10pm last night turnout was reported to be higher than last year, when Ireland voted “no”. The Government hopes that a good turnout will favour the “yes” side. >>> Rachel Sylvester, Alice Thomson and Francis Elliott | Saturday, October 03, 2009

Sign ePetition: Stop Blair ! : Petition against the nomination of Tony Blair as "President of the European Union" >>>

MAIL ONLINE: 'President Blair' awaits Irish 'yes' vote and a new life of EU luxury (including expenses MPs would die for and a salary as big as Obama's) >>> Ian Drury | Friday, October 02, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber Defends Internet Campaign
THE TELEGRAPH: The Lockerbie bomber has defied prosecutors and his American victims’ families by publishing more documents as part of his internet campaign to clear his name.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi said he did not want to further upset those “profoundly affected” by the atrocity, in which 270 people were killed.

But he argued that the furore surrounding his release showed it was in the “wider public interest” to publish the documents, which formed part of his second appeal against his conviction.

Megrahi, who is terminally ill, dropped the appeal only days before being freed from prison on compassionate grounds and his return to Libya, where he was given a hero’s welcome.

Two weeks ago he published an initial 300-page dossier of evidence, but relatives of his American victims said they were disgusted by his “lobbying” campaign and there was no new evidence in the information posted online.

Elish Angiolini, Scotland’s Lord Advocate, the most senior prosecutor, has accused Megrahi of attempting to “retry his case in the media” and said the only way he could clear his name is in a courtroom.

She pointed out the decision to drop the appeal “was taken voluntarily” and was not a precondition for Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, to free him.

Stung by the criticism, the bomber defended his actions as he published of the second tranche of documents on his website, www.megrahimystory.net. >>> Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor | Friday, October 02, 2009

Snub for Barack Obama as Rio Hosts 2016 Olympic Games
Rio's Copacabana beach erupted upon hearing the result. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: The International Olympic Committee handed President Obama a humiliating defeat today after his home town of Chicago made a shock early exit in the race to become host of the 2016 Olympics, with Rio de Janeiro declared the winner.

A massive beachside crowd erupted in Rio as Brazil’s victory was announced - ushering in a new world order in sport - but there was stunned silence among the throng gathered in Chicago’s Daley plaza.

They had expected their city to win after Mr Obama had flown in Air Force One to Copenhagen, where the vote took place, to make a personal, last-minute appeal to the IOC delegates, along with his wife Michelle and the television star Oprah Winfrey.

The disbelief in Chicago after the city was knocked out first with the least number of votes symbolized the shock felt across America at such a crushing defeat and the fact that the IOC had delivered such a public humiliation to Mr Obama.

A White House spokesman said that Mr Obama was “disappointed” at the decision, but insisted that he was not sorry to have gone to Copenhagen. >>> Ashling O’Connor in Copenhagen, Tim Reid in Washington and James Bone in Chicago | Friday, October 02, 2009

Rio de Janeiro Wins Right to Stage 2016 Olympic Games
THE TELEGRAPH: The International Olympic Committee struck a blow for the developing world and delivered a stunning rebuke to the United States and President Barack Obama on Friday, selecting Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 summer Games after a dramatic election that saw Chicago dumped out in the first round. >>> Paul Kelso in Copenhagen | Friday, October 02, 2009



Obama’s Olympic Failure Will Only Add to Doubts about His Presidency

TIMES ONLINE: There has been a growing narrative taking hold about Barack Obama’s presidency in recent weeks: that he is loved by many, but feared by none; that he is full of lofty vision, but is actually achieving nothing with his grandiloquence.

Chicago’s dismal showing today, after Mr Obama’s personal, impassioned last-minute pitch, is a stunning humiliation for this President. It cannot be emphasised enough how this will feed the perception that on the world stage he looks good — but carries no heft.

It was only the Olympic Games, the White House will argue — not a high-stakes diplomatic gamble with North Korea. It is always worthwhile when Mr Obama sells America to the rest of the world, David Axelrod, his chief political adviser, said today. But that argument will fall on deaf ears in the US. Americans want their presidents to be winners.

Mr Obama was greeted — as usual — like a rock star by the IOC delegates in Copenhagen — then humiliated by them. Perception is reality. A narrow defeat for Chicago would have been acceptable — but the sheer scale of the defeat was a bombshell, and is a major blow for Mr Obama at a time when questions are being asked about his style of governance. >>> Tim Reid in Washington | Friday, October 02, 2009

Bloomberg: Gay Marriage Is "No. 1 Priority"
ADVOCATE.COM: New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg reinforced his commitment to marriage equality legislation on Thursday, telling an audience of gay supporters that he had talked with state senate leaders earlier that day and told them that moving the bill is the “number one priority.” >>> Julie Bolcer | Friday, October 02, 2009

Sikh Policeman Wins £10,000 Award after Turban Row
THE GUARDIAN: Officer ordered to take off turban for riot training wins discrimination case

A Sikh policeman ordered to remove his turban to do riot training was awarded £10,000 compensation today by an employment tribunal.

PC Gurmeal Singh, who joined Greater Manchester police in 2004, had objected to removing his turban for the course on religious grounds.

After a three-week hearing in Manchester, he was awarded £3,500 for indirect racial and religious discrimination and £6,500 for harassment after suffering psychological damage, injury to feelings and personal injury.

In a meeting with a sergeant to discuss the riot training, he was told: "Can you not take that thing off … this is what you signed up for."

Singh, 31, was also asked whether he could modify his turban. He told the tribunal he feared he would be made to look like a comic character from Only Fools and Horses, where in one episode Del Boy Trotter tries to sell 200 "crash turbans" for fashion-conscious motorbike-riding Sikhs in Peckham – the motorcycle helmets had cloth wrapped around them.

Singh said he suffered panic attacks, stress and palpitations and was off sick over the issue during the long-running dispute. >>> Press Association | Friday, October 02, 2009

Gay Penguins Book Is Most Banned
BBC: Authors, artists and musicians are due to gather at a library in San Francisco to protest against the banning of books in schools and libraries in the US.

The event, part of the 27th annual Banned Books Week, has been organised by the American Library Association.

Since 2001 bans on 3,736 books and other materials have been requested.

In recent years, And Tango Makes Three - based on a true story and centring on gay penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo - has had the most ban requests.

The book's authors are Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell.

In a statement to the BBC on Friday, Mr Richardson said: "It's regrettable that some parents believe reading a true story about two male penguins hatching an egg will damage their children's moral development.

"They are entitled to express their beliefs, but not to inflict them on others."

Reasons given by organisations and individuals for their requests to get it removed from public shelves, include "anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group".

Other works featuring in the most-challenged books list for 2008 include Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. Parents' concern >>> | Thursday, October 01, 2009

Keywords
Please note that Blogger is acting strangely this afternoon. There must be server problems, since it is not possible to place keywords under the posts. As soon as Blogger’s problems have been resolved, the appropriate keywords will be placed under each one. – Mark

Fillon double le budget dédié à la vidéosurveillance
LE FIGARO: Le premier ministre a présenté vendredi un plan de prévention de la délinquance et d'aide aux victimes consistant en un renforcement de mesures existantes.

François Fillon, le premier ministre de la France. Photo : Google Images
C'est la conséquence de l'avertissement lancé par Nicolas Sarkozy fin mai, et répété en septembre, après l'annonce d'une baisse des résultats dans le cadre de la lutte contre la délinquance. François Fillon a présenté vendredi à l'issue d'un comité interministériel qu'il a tenu à Villeneuve-la-Garenne, dans les Hauts-de-Seine, un plan dit de prévention de la délinquance et d'aide aux victimes. Plan constitué principalement d'un renforcement de dispositifs déjà existants. François Fillon a d'ailleurs voulu se justifier sur ce sujet en expliquant : «La prévention de la délinquance, c'est une action de long terme (...) c'est une action qui ne se satisfait pas de coups d'éclat». >>> J.B. (lefigaro.fr) Avec AFP et AP | Vendredi 02 Octobre 2009

Grausamer Video-Beweis: Pakistans Militär misshandelt Verdächtige
Welt TV Video hier anschauen
Videoaufnahmen aus Pakistan enthüllen, mit welcher Brutalität das pakistanische Militär gegen mutmaßliche Komplizen der Taliban vorgeht. Obwohl die Verdächtigen abstreiten, Terrorhelfer zu sein, werden auch alte Männer ausgepeitscht, getreten und geschlagen.

Community Organizer College

Vatican Issues Lisbon Treaty Warning to Irish Voters
THE TELEGRAPH: The Vatican has made an unexpected last-minute intervention on the eve of Ireland's Lisbon Treaty referendum with a warning the European Union threatens the country's "identity, traditions and history".

As Irish voters go the polls for a second time on the treaty, "No" campaigners have seized on comments made by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, during the Pope's visit to the Czech Republic.

The comments followed unhappiness in the Vatican that the EU refused to recognise Europe's Christian heritage in the text of the Lisbon Treaty.

The EU has also upset Catholics in the past by ruling abortion provision should be treated as a "medical service" no different from any other treatment.

"Individual European countries have their own identity. The EU prescribes its laws or views to them and they do not have to fit with their traditions and history. Some countries are logically resisting this – for example, Ireland," said Cardinal Bertone.

"If Europe recognised homosexual couples as equal to marriage, for example, it would go against its own history. And it would be right to stand against it. The Church wants to encourage states in this."

Coir, a Catholic group that has claimed that religious faith and Ireland's anti-abortion laws are under threat from the EU, welcomed the comments.

"We are very pleased that Cardinal Bertone has come out and said explicitly that the EU is imposing secular values on Ireland," said spokesman Brian Hickey. "It is because the EU has a secular agenda that we are resisting the Lisbon Treaty.

Noel Treanor, the Bishop of Down and Connor, last week lined up with mainstream political parties to tell churchgoers that they could vote for the Lisbon Treaty "without reserve and in good conscience".

But Declan Ganley, the leader of Libertas, which is campaigning for a No vote, said Cardinal Bertone represented the Church's true position. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Galway | Thursday, October 01, 2009

Blair to Be Named EU President ‘Within Weeks’ if Irish Ratify Lisbon Treaty
MAIL ONLINE: Tony Blair is set to become EU President within weeks if Ireland votes 'Yes' in its referendum on the Lisbon Treaty tomorrow.

The former prime minister's candidacy for the new post will be rushed through as quickly as possible, according to government sources.

Mr Blair is among the favourites to become the first President of the European Union, a role that is chosen by the EU's 27 leaders and not by voters.

Such an appointment would restore him to the world stage as well as boost his long-term income.

Mr Blair has refused to rule himself in or out of the running, but did say that 'it is good to have fans' for a possible candidacy.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has given his full support to a Blair bid. When French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner was asked yesterday if Mr Blair was the only real candidate, he said: 'For the moment, indeed.'

The post of President cannot exist until the Lisbon Treaty is formally ratified by all member states and officials across Europe would scramble to move forward this weekend if Ireland votes 'Yes' on Friday. >>> | Thursday, October 01, 2009

Nile Gardiner: Barack Obama’s Top Five Embarrassing Speeches on the World Stage
THE TELEGRAPH: Last week’s débacle at the United Nations where Barack Obama delivered a speech so naïve that even Jimmy Carter would have blushed, has inspired this list of the five most embarrassing speeches by the president (so far) as a world leader. By embarrassing I mean embarrassing to the United States, speeches that have projected weakness rather than strength, policy statements that have forced millions of Americans to cringe in front of their television sets.

In compiling this list I have picked the five presidential addresses by President Obama that represent the antithesis of the kind of leadership that Ronald Reagan demonstrated in confronting the Soviet Empire and winning the Cold War. These are all speeches that show either staggering naïveté or have gone out of their way to apologize for American power or America’s past, humiliating the United States in the process. Here is my list, in descending order: >>> Nile Gardiner | Thursday, October 01, 2009

Homecoming
NEWSWEEK: With a surge in the number of American residents joining Al Qaeda, its menace to Homeland Security is now more acute than at any time since September 11.

In the eight years after September 11, and especially during the Bush administration's first term, Americans became all to [sic] accustomed to a diet of orange alerts, sensational terror arrests, and breathless press conferences announcing the thwarting of yet another serious plot. But months and years down the line, it often emerged that such plots may not have represented such grave threats after all: terrorism suspects were charged with less serious offenses or released altogether; plotters turned out to have little or no capacity to launch attacks; and, often, when juries did convict, it emerged that entire conspiracies were reliant on the helping hand of undercover law-enforcement agents.

But 10 days ago federal agents in Denver foiled an alleged plot on U.S. soil that, for the first time, appears to have posed a true and severe threat to the U.S. homeland. Najibullah Zazi, a permanent resident of Afghan nationality, pled not guilty Tuesday in his arraignment in Brooklyn to charges including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. He is believed to have trained to make bombs with Al Qaeda in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan and to have initiated plans—apparently without assistance from undercover agents—with others in the United States to perpetrate a terrorist attack in New York City. The FBI, in other words, has just thwarted the most serious plot, by far, on U.S. soil in the last eight years.

And this is just the beginning. The threat from Al Qaeda to the U.S. homeland is arguably more acute now than at any time since September 11. This is not because Al Qaeda has become a stronger foe. (On the contrary, Osama bin Laden's terrorist network has actually been weakened in the last two years by intensified U.S. missile strikes against its leadership in FATA and a sharp backlash among Muslims worldwide against its violent excesses.) It is because a growing number of Americans have gone to FATA, the global hub of Al Qaeda's terrorist operations, to join the jihad in Afghanistan—something which was very rare until recently—and Al Qaeda, opportunistically, has recruited them for attacks on their country. The number of American residents who had joined or trained with Al Qaeda …>>> Paul Cruickshank | Newsweek Web Exclusive | Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Schockierend! Shocking! Choquant! «Erschreckende» Resultate nach einer Umfrage in der Türkei
TAGES ANZEIGER: Viele Türken wollen keine Juden als Nachbarn, auch Christen sind oft unerwünscht. Dies zeigt eine Studie, die mit Unterstützung der EU durchgeführt wurde.

Vier von zehn Türken wollen keinen Juden als Nachbarn, jeder Dritte lehnt es ab, neben einem Christen zu wohnen: Zu diesen Ergebnissen kommt eine neue Umfrage, welche die jüdische Gemeinde mit Unterstützung der EU durchgeführt hatte. Die Resultate seien «erschreckend», sagte Vize-Regierungschef Bülent Arinc nach einem Bericht der Zeitung «Radikal» vom Donnerstag.

Mehr als jeder zweite Befragte lehnte in der Umfrage die Beschäftigung von Nicht-Muslimen in der Justiz, in der Armee, bei der Polizei, beim Geheimdienst und in den politischen Parteien ab. Über 40 Prozent sind zudem dagegen, dass Christen oder Juden in der Wissenschaft und im Gesundheitswesen vertreten sind. Zu 99 Prozent muslimisch >>> sam/sda | Donnerstag, 01. Oktober 2009

Ghadhafi fordert erneut Entschuldigung: Veröffentlichung des Polizeifotos von Hannibal als Demütigung gewertet
NZZ ONLINE: Nach Ansicht des libyschen Staatschefs Ghadhafi soll sich die Schweiz ein weiteres Mal entschuldigen. Streitpunkt ist dieses Mal das Polizeifoto von Ghadhafis Sohn Hannibal, das in verschiedenen Medien veröffentlicht worden war.

Laut Bundespräsident Hans-Rudolf Merz fordert der libysche Staatschef Muammar Ghadhafi eine Entschuldigung auch für die Veröffentlichung des Fotos in den Medien, das die Genfer Polizei von seinem Sohn Hannibal machte.

Eine weitere Demütigung

«Für ihn (Muammar Ghadhafi) war das der Beweis, dass die Schweiz die Libyer ein weiteres Mal demütigen wollte», sagte Merz in einem Interview, das heute Donnerstag in der Westschweizer Wochenzeitschrift «L'Hébdo» erschien. Er habe vor allem auch verlangt, dass die Verantwortlichen für die Herausgabe dieser Bilder bestraft würden. Die Fotos waren von der Genfer Tageszeitung «Tribune de Genève» veröffentlicht worden.

Merz hatte Ghadhafi vergangene Woche am Rande der Uno-Generalversammlung in New York getroffen. Merz bedauerte im übrigen weder seine Entschuldigung in Tripolis, die «nichts gekostet habe», noch seine Reise nach Libyen. Mit seiner Reise habe er zeigen wollen, dass sich die Schweiz für alle Bürger einsetze, die im Ausland in Schwierigkeiten seien. >>> sda/ap | Donnerstag, 01. Oktober 2009

Kadhafi demande de nouvelles excuses
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: PHOTOS | Selon Hans-Rudolf Merz, le dirigeant libyen a demandé de nouvelles excuses de la Suisse après la publication des photos d'identification de son fils prises par la police .

Khadafi. Crédits photo : Tribune de Genève
Le président de la Confédération Hans-Rudolf Merz révèle que le numéro un libyen a demandé de nouvelles excuses de la Suisse après la publication des photos d'identification de son fils prises par la police genevoise. Sur son voyage à Tripoli, le chef du DFF admet une erreur de communication. «Pour lui, c'était la preuve que la Suisse voulait une nouvelle fois humilier les Libyens», déclare dans un entretien à paraître jeudi dans «L'Hebdo» M. Merz, en référence à la réaction de Mouammar Khadafi aux photos de son fils.

Le leader libyen lui a demandé de nouvelles excuses et des sanctions contre les auteurs des fuites lors de leur rencontre la semaine dernière à New York. «Il y aura des sanctions si la justice peut faire la lumière sur cette affaire», lui a répondu le président de la Confédération. Le numéro un libyen lui a aussi fait part de «son amour pour la Suisse» et lui a donné des dattes et du thé, indique-t-il. >>> ATS | Mercredi 30 Septembre 2009

L’HÉBDO: De Kadhafi à Polanski... Gaffes à gogo >>> Par Chantal Tauxe | Jeudi 01 Octobre 2009

Niederlande: Frauen mit Burka sollen Arbeitslosengeld verlieren
WELT ONLINE: In den Niederlanden sollen mit der Burka verschleierte Frauen das Recht auf finanzielle Unterstützung bei Arbeitslosigkeit verlieren. Einen entsprechenden Vorschlag unterbreitete der Amsterdamer Bürgermeister. Wer wegen der Burka keine Arbeit fände, solle keine Anspruch auf Arbeitslosenhilfe haben, so Job Cohen.

Verschleierten niederländischen Frauen könnte das Recht auf Arbeitslosengeld aberkannt werden. Bild: Welt Online
Verschleierte Frauen könnten in den Niederlanden das Recht auf Arbeitslosengeld verlieren. Dieser Vorschlag des sozialdemokratischen Amsterdamer Bürgermeisters Job Cohen finde breite parlamentarische Unterstützung, berichteten niederländische Medien.

Cohen hatte erklärt, Frauen, die im Berufsleben nicht auf den als Burka bekannten muslimischen Ganzkörperschleier verzichten mögen und daher keinen Job fänden, sollten keinen Anspruch auf Arbeitslosenhilfe haben.

„Das ist eine gute Idee“, sagte die Abgeordnete Mirjam Sterk von der christdemokratischen Regierungspartei CDA der Zeitung „De Telegraaf“. „Wer wegen des Burka-Tragens arbeitslos bleibt, darf von uns nicht subventioniert werden.“ Eine entsprechende Bestimmung müsse in die Arbeits- und Sozialgesetzgebung aufgenommen werden. >>> dpa/sk | Dienstag, 29. September 2009

Die neuen Methoden der Al-Qaida: Ein Prinz und der Terrorist mit der Bombe im Bauch
WELT ONLINE: Abdullah Hassan al-Assiri ging durch Sicherheitsschleusen und wurde mit Metalldetektoren nach Waffen abgetastet. Doch der Sprengstoff in seinem Körper blieb unentdeckt. So gelangte der Terrorist in das Büro des Prinzen Mohammed Bin Nayef, wo die Bombe explodierte. Eine unglaubliche Geschichte.

Während in Deutschland die Sicherheitsmaßnahmen nach den jüngsten Terrordrohungen erhöht werden, wirft der Fall des letzten Selbstmordanschlages in Saudi-Arabien neue Fragen auf. Erstmals trug ein Attentäter seine Bombe nicht am Körper, sondern versteckte sie wie Rauschgiftschmuggler über 30 Stunden in seinem Darm. >>> Von Florian Flade | Mittwoch, 30. September 2009

If Fashion Is Anything to Go By, Western Civilization Is In Steep Decline!!


THE TELEGRAPH: Paris Fashion Week: grey is the new black at Gareth Pugh in Paris: Hilary Alexander reviews the Gareth Pugh spring/summer 2010 collection from Paris. >>> Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director at Paris Fashion Week | Thursday, October 01, 2009

Voters: Reds Blew It for Us Too
THE SUN: LABOUR voters let down by the Government told The Sun yesterday why they were turning their back on the Party.

Our website and text service was swamped by readers backing our decision to dump PM Gordon Brown and support David Cameron's Conservatives instead.

Those backing our stand include victims of crime, families of Our Boys serving on the front-line in Afghanistan and those left devastated after losing loved ones to NHS hospital superbugs like MRSA.

But mostly it was just the ordinary man and woman in the street saying they thought the Reds had blown it too - and after 12 long years of failure and disappointment, it was finally time for a change. >>> Alex Peake | Thursday, October 01, 2009

The Sun Has Finally Set on New Labour's Love Affair with the Media
THE TELEGRAPH: Like John Major before him, Gordon Brown is now a leader at war with those who report him, says Benedict Brogan

For most people, the details of which newspapers back which parties are about as interesting as the dusty weights and pulleys that keep the conference stage sets in place. What happens behind the theatre curtain is not meant to be noticed. The workings between press and politicians come under what Alastair Campbell used to deride as "processology", of negligible interest to voters perfectly capable of making their own judgments. But every now and then it is worth pulling aside the velvet brocade to understand why things are as they are.

If anything can be said about the Prime Minister's predicament at the end of what must be his last Labour conference as leader, it is that, like John Major before him, he is now a leader at war with those who report him. Not only is his message deeply flawed, but his best route to getting it heard is being closed off.

The Sun's decision to pull the plug on Gordon Brown, and on his big day to boot, is the latest spin in a downward spiral that was already well underway. The defection of the weathervane tabloid, although expected, has had a bigger effect in the Westminster village than it will have in the wider world. Although it compounded the already dire press reaction to the Prime Minister's speech, it also marked the final collapse of relations between New Labour and the media. >>> Benedict Brogan | Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Grande-Bretagne : Le «Sun» lâche le Labour
LE TEMPS: La prise de position du tabloïd souligne la puissance du magnat de la presse Rupert Murdoch

Même la pin-up quotidienne du Sun s’en trouve chamboulée. Au lieu de la traditionnelle page 3, elle s’est retrouvée mercredi renvoyée en page 7. Le tabloïd a en effet décidé d’utiliser le congrès du Parti travailliste pour très officiellement mettre fin à son soutien à Gordon Brown. «Après douze années au pouvoir, ce gouvernement s’est perdu. Maintenant, il a perdu le soutien du Sun aussi.» Sur cinq ­pages, plus un poster à détacher au centre, le tabloïd, qui tire quotidiennement à 3 millions d’exemplaires, détruit méthodiquement le bilan du premier ministre britannique. >>> Eric Albert | Jeudi 01 Octobre 2009

Fraud Watchdog Poised to Decide on BAE Bribery Prosecution
THE GUARDIAN: Arms giant given deadline to plead guilty in deal / Company firmly denies all allegations of wrongdoing

The Serious Fraud Office is expected imminently to announce whether it will take the politically momentous decision to seek to prosecute BAE over bribery allegations. The UK arms giant failed tonight to meet a deadline to settle the case or face the courts.

Sources close to the SFO said that the agency would decide what to do tomorrow or Friday. After months of fruitless negotiation, BAE had been given a deadline by the SFO to plead guilty in a negotiated plea deal which would at last draw a line under a six-year investigation into the company's behaviour.

Both sides were refusing to reveal their hand tonight in what appears to be a high-stakes poker game between Britain's biggest arms firm and the agency entrusted with eradicating foreign bribery. >>> David Leigh and Rob Evans | Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Serious Fraud Office Seeks BAE Bribery Prosecution
TIMES ONLINE: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today announced it will seek permission to prosecute BAE, Britain's biggest defence contractor, over bribery charges.

In a brief statement, marking the culmination of an investigation lasting almost six years, the SFO said that it will seek consent from Baroness Scotland, the Attorney General, to prosecute BAE for "offences relating to overseas corruption".

It said that it would prepare its papers to be submitted to the Attorney when the agency “believes it is ready to proceed”.

It gave no further details on the timing of a prosecution, which has to be agreed by the Baroness. >>> Miles Costello | Thursday, October 01, 2009

France and Germany Unite to Push Britain to EU Sidelines
TIMES ONLINE: France and Germany are planning a new treaty of friendship and an array of other joint schemes that could push Britain to the sidelines in Europe, according to sources close to President Sarkozy.

The plan to put Paris and Berlin back at the heart of the stalled European Union covers defence, immigration, a new industrial policy and a drive to loosen what the pair see as Britain’s grip on the European Commission.

The revamped Franco-German axis may include the permanent assignment of ministers in each other’s Cabinets. The initiative would exploit Britain’s situation, with Gordon Brown weakened and distracted by next year’s general election and the decision by the Conservatives to quit Europe’s main centre-right grouping, the European People’s Party.

Paris and Berlin, reverting to the old idea of a two-speed Europe, aim to push ahead with a separate headquarters for European defence and the promotion of industrial champions. Britain wants none of that. The scheme, already far advanced, will follow this week’s repeat referendum in the Irish Republic on the Lisbon treaty, whether the vote is “yes” or “no”.

A casualty of the deal, hammered out in secret and involving all main ministries since last spring, is likely to be Franco-German backing for Tony Blair as the first president of the EU, diplomats said. The post opens if the Lisbon treaty is ratified.
Among alternatives being considered are Felipe González, the former Socialist Prime Minister of Spain, and Jean-Claude Juncker, the long-serving Prime Minister of Luxembourg.

“Tony Blair is a man of the past and the United Kingdom is no longer any model,” said a French diplomat. >>> Charles Bremner in Paris | Thursday, October 01, 2009

In the New Merkel Goverment Deutschland Comes First; the UK Is an Also-ran
TIMES ONLINE – Analysis: For the past few days Berlin’s politicians, journalists and wonks have been puzzling over why Guido Westerwelle, the man tipped to become Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor to Angela Merkel, was so rude to a British reporter at an inaugural news conference. “This is Germany,” he snapped. “And so we speak German.”

A fellow member of the Free Democrats — new members of the German Government — attributed this brusque put-down to nerves. But something deeper is at work. The tone towards the British has become rougher; Britain has become marginal.

Germany’s Social Democrats have just been trounced; the Germans expect new Labour to go the same way. The talk today is of the Government embracing a German version of “progressive conservatism” that provides for a vigorous European Union led from the centre and not the fringes of the Continent.

Anyone who wants to share in the EU’s leadership has to play by the rules set by the French and the Germans. Officials in Germany say that this is an “inclusive” deal, by which they mean the following: the Lisbon treaty is the basis for the future of the EU. Oppose it and you are going to be left behind. >>> Roger Boyes | Thursday, October 01, 2009