Israel Partly to Blame for Growing Isolation in Region, Says US

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The United States has delivered an unusually blunt critique of Israel's foreign policy by claiming that Benjamin Netanyahu's government was partly responsible for its growing isolation in the region.

Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, suggested that Israel carried a portion of the blame for its deteriorating relationship with Turkey and Egypt, two vital allies whose ties with the Jewish state have become increasingly strained in recent weeks.

Speaking as he arrived in the Holy Land on Monday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Mr Panetta gave warning that Israel's dependence on its military dominance was not a sufficient safeguard given the dramatic shifts in the Middle East's political landscape in the wake of the Arab Spring.

"There's not much question in my mind that they maintain that (military) edge," he said. "But the question you have to ask is it enough to maintain a military edge if you're isolating yourself in the diplomatic arena.

"At this dramatic time in the Middle East, when there have been so many changes, it's not a good situation for Israel to become increasingly isolated. And that's what happening." » | Adrian Blomfield, Jerusalem | Monday, October 03, 2011

Secte ou pas secte? Plongée chez les salafistes de France
LE MONDE – BLOGS – STÉPHANIE LE BARS: Le chercheur Samir Amghar vient de publier Le salafisme d’aujourd’hui. Mouvements sectaires en Occident (Editions Michalon). Dans cet ouvrage, il présente une typologie des différents mouvements du salafisme, courant religieux défendant une lecture littéraliste et ultra-orthodoxe de l’islam. Parfois assimilé à un mouvement sectaire, le salafisme connait une croissance dans les pays européens depuis ces vingt dernières années. Samir Amghar revient ici sur la présence salafiste en France.

Qui sont les salafistes en France ?

On estime à 12 000 le nombre de personnes qui ont choisi ce type de pratique religieuse en France. Elles sont pour la plupart d’origine algérienne, mais, désormais, entre un tiers et un quart d’entre elles sont des converties. Pour une personne désirant se convertir à l’islam le salafisme constitue en effet la variante qui introduit la plus grande coupure avec le passé, d’autant que ce type de conversion est socialement valorisé dans les quartiers populaires.

Beaucoup de ceux qui choisissent le salafisme connaissent des situations de déclassement, un sentiment de relégation ou une rupture sociale ou familiale. On constate aussi que le salafisme prend peu dans les communautés turque ou comorienne qui ont conservé des modes de fonctionnement familiaux traditionnels. Mais qu’il se développe dans les milieux maliens ou guinéens. En outre une des forces du salafisme est qu’il peut s’installer dans un contexte qui ne lui est pas favorable, petite ville, village, car il fonctionne en réseau et autour d’un leader charismatique. Réagir à cet article de blog » | Stéphanie Le Bars | Vendredi 30 Septembre 2011

Islam will Sharia in Deutschland

David Starkey Cleared Over 'Racist' Newsnight Remarks
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Starkey, the historian, has been cleared by the broadcasting watchdog over comments he made on newsnight that led to complaints he had been racist.

Ofcom will take no action over the comments made about the August riots on BBC2's Newsnight.

The BBC came under pressure to apologise after Starkey claimed that "whites have become blacks."

He blamed black culture for starting the riots and said that culture had spread into other parts of society.

Ofcom received 103 complaints claiming the comments breached rules about race discrimination or racial offence.

But Ofcom decided that the programme had been balanced and the discussion well-handled by presenter Emily Maitlis. » | Monday, October 03, 2011

Regular Aspirin Users at Higher Risk of Sight Problems, Research Suggests
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: People who take a daily dose of aspirin are twice as likely to suffer blindness in later life, a study suggests.

Researchers who tested more than 4,000 elderly people across Europe found that those who took the drug every day were twice as likely to be diagnosed with late stage age related macular degeneration as those who did not.

While the study provided no evidence of a causal link between aspirin and the condition, experts are now examining whether a regular dose somehow exacerbates the disease.
Millions of Britons are thought to take a daily dose of aspirin in order to lower the risk of suffering heart disease and strokes.

Studies have also suggested that regular small doses can help cut the risk of suffering from certain types of cancer.

But this latest study will increase concern among those who claim the drug can also have a number of damaging side effects. Read on and comment » | Martin Evans | Monday, October 03, 2011

Syrie, les Frères musulmans aspirent à un État "démocratique"
LE POINT: La confrérie des Frères musulmans est favorable à l'instauration d'un État démocratique et moderne.

L'ancien chef des Frères musulmans de Syrie, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, a assuré dimanche soir que la confrérie aspirait à l'instauration d'un État "démocratique", et non pas islamique, en Syrie en cas de chute du régime du président Bachar el-Assad. Lors d'une conférence organisée par le centre Brookings de Doha, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni a affirmé que le "Conseil national syrien", dont la formation a été annoncée dimanche à Istanbul, représentait "80 % de l'opposition syrienne" et qu'il était "ouvert à ceux qui voudraient s'y joindre". Il a affirmé que les Frères musulmans, qui font partie de cette instance, "ne veulent pas imposer leurs vues à l'opposition ni au peuple syrien". » | Source AFP | Lundi 03 Octobre 2011

Warnung vor Salafismus: Wenn das eigene Kind nur noch für Allah lebt

WELT ONLINE: Der radikale Islam ist in Deutschland längst Jugendkultur. Eine Broschüre warnt Eltern und Pädagogen vor der Anziehungskraft fundamentalistischer Prediger.

Die "Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur", ein vom Bundesministerium für Familie gefördertes Projekt, hat eine Info-Broschüre vorgestellt, die über eine fundamentalistische Islam-Variante aufklären soll, die sich in Deutschland zunehmend zu einer Jugendkultur entwickelt – den Salafismus.

Laut Verfassungsschutz hat der Salafismus landesweit inzwischen mehrere tausend Anhänger – Tendenz steigend. Die Zahl der oft jugendlichen Konvertiten wächst stetig und so mehren sich auch die Fälle, in denen Familien zerbrechen, wenn der Sohn oder die Tochter zum ultraorthodoxen Islam konvertiert. Gipfel des Radikalisierungsprozesses kann die Ausreise in ein terroristisches Ausbildungslager in Pakistan sein.

Primäres Ziel der knapp 80-seitigen Broschüre "Ich lebe nur für Allah - Argumente und Anziehungskraft des Salafismus" soll sein, über den salafistischen Islam in Deutschland, Prediger und Gruppierungen aufzuklären, auch um mögliche Gefahren einer Radikalisierung erkennen zu können und präventiv dagegen arbeiten zu können. Wann wird aus Fundamentalismus gefährlicher Dschihadismus? » | Autor: Florian Flade | Montag 03. Oktober 2011
Weitere Informationen zu der Broschüre finden Sie auf der Website der Gesellschaft für Demokratische Kultur: Zentrum Demokratische Kultur »

Chrystia Freeland: Russia’s “Sultan” Putin
REUTERS.COM: The next Russian Revolution started this month. It will be another two or three or even four decades before the Russian people take to the streets to overthrow their dictator — and the timing will depend more on the price of oil than on anything else — but as of Sept. 24, revolution rather than evolution became Russia’s most likely path in the medium term.

That’s because President Dmitri A. Medvedev’s announcement last weekend that he would step aside next March to allow Vladimir V. Putin to return to the Kremlin was also an announcement that the ruling clique failed to institutionalize its grip over the country.

We have known since 1996 that Russia wasn’t a democracy. We now know that Russia isn’t a dictatorship controlled by one party, one priesthood, or one dynasty. It is a regime ruled by one man.

“The party doesn’t exist,” said one of Russia’s leading independent economists. “The politics is all about one person.”

“There is no such thing as Putinism without Putin,” Nikolas Gvosdev, a professor of national-security studies at the US Naval War College, wrote this week in The National Interest. “Putin must still remain personally involved and at the helm for his system to function.”

That new reality might seem to be a victory for Putin. But it is a flawed triumph. His resumption of absolute power is also an admission that he and his cronies have failed in the project they set themselves in 2008. And that failure leaves the future President Putin with an Achilles’ heel. » | Chrystia Freeland | Friday, September 30, 2011

With Gadhafi Gone, Jewish Residents Reclaim Long-shut Synagogue

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: David Gerbi is a 56-year-old psychoanalyst from Italy, but to Libyan rebels he was the “revolutionary Jew.” He returned to his homeland after 44 years in exile to help oust Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, and to take on what may be an even more challenging mission.

That job began Sunday, when he took a sledgehammer to a concrete wall. Behind it, the door to Tripoli’s crumbling main synagogue, unused since Col. Gadhafi expelled Libya’s small Jewish community early in his decades-long rule.

Mr. Gerbi knocked down the wall, said a prayer and cried.

“What Gadhafi tried to do is to eliminate the memory of us,” said Mr. Gerbi, whose family fled to Italy when he was 12. “I want to give a chance to the Jewish of Libya to come back.”

The Star of David is still visible inside and outside the peach-coloured Dar al-Bishi synagogue in Tripoli’s walled Old City. An empty ark remains where Torah scrolls were once kept. But graffiti is painted on the walls, and the floor and upper chambers are covered in plastic water bottles, clothes, mattresses, drug paraphernalia and pigeon carcasses.

He and a team of helpers carted in brooms, rakes and buckets to prepare to clean it out. » | Kim Gamel | Sunday, October 02, 2011

Cameron Strong on EU, Wobbly on Women

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: LONDON: The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has defended his country's membership of the European Union and his government's austerity drive, against critics in his own party.

Speaking to the BBC before the Conservative Party conference was due to start in Manchester yesterday, Mr Cameron also apologised for perceived sexist comments about women.

The Conservatives are concerned that female voters are deserting them in droves over what women see as family-unfriendly policies.

Mr Cameron rejected calls from his party's right wing for an immediate return of powers from the EU to Britain: ''I think our interest is to be in the Europe Union because we need [the] single market. We're a trading nation. It's vital for our economic future.''

He said he would not support a referendum on Britain leaving the EU. MPs will vote on whether to hold a referendum on the issue after a petition calling for a parliamentary debate garnered 100,000 signatures.

But Mr Cameron said: ''I don't want Britain to leave the European Union. What most people want in this country, I believe, is not actually to leave the European Union but to reform [it] and make sure the balance of powers between a country like Britain and Europe is better.'' » | Karen Kissane | Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Jewish Settlers Suspected of Mosque Blaze
THE INDEPENDENT: Jewish settlers or their supporters were suspected of setting a mosque in an Arab village in northern Israel on fire.

Graffiti on the walls pointed to settler involvement, said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

He said a carpet was burned and interior walls damaged at the mosque in Tuba-Zangria in the Galilee region. Israel Radio also reported that Korans were burned. » | AP | Monday, October 03, 2011

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Israel: Mosque Set Ablaze in Upper Galilee » | Edmund Sanders | Monday, October 03, 2011

Women Bishops Would Humanise Priesthood, Says Archbishop of Canterbury

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Women should be allowed to become bishops in the Church of England to “humanise” the priesthood, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.

Dr Rowan Williams warned the Church hierarchy to prepare for the “culture change” that would come with the “full inclusion” of women.

Removing the bar to women’s ordination as bishops would help reverse the “creeping bureaucratisation” and “box ticking” that too often undermines the work of the Church, Dr Williams suggested.

His comments came as reforms allowing women to become bishops came a step closer to passing into Church law.

The 44 individual dioceses have until mid-November to hold ballots among members of their local synods, or assemblies, on whether to support plan.

The reforms have already proven highly divisive, contributing to hundreds of worshippers and clerics, including five bishops, leaving the Church of England to become Roman Catholics this year. » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Monday, October 03, 2011

The Anglican Church is already an irrelevance; the Archbishop of Canterbury is in the process of making it more irrelevant still.

The Church has been feminized over the years; and the more feminized the Church has become, the more the pews have emptied.

If Jesus had wanted there to be female priests and bishops, he'd have ensured that at least one of his disciples was a woman. He didn't do this; so it is pretty clear to me that this was not his intention.

Some people will say at this juncture that there were no women disciples because society back then was different. That's true. But Jesus was a revolutionary; so if he had wanted women to go out and preach the Gospel, he'd have made sure that his message was clear that they should. There is no doubt in my mind that this will bring no benefit to the Church. In fact, it will weaken an already weak Church even more.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is a man with his own liberal agenda. It appears that his agenda is more important to him than the survival of the Church.

Christianity is already dying on its feet in this country. Rowan Williams is only helping it along to its final resting place.

The Anglican Church – my own Church – has held little attraction for me for a very long time. This measure to introduce female bishops will make the Church still less attractive to me.

A feminized Church will be a weak Church. And as for his wanting to "humanise" the Church... Hasn't the Church been 'human' enough throughout the centuries? What a load of tosh, bunkum, and poppycock! – © Mark

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Schäubles Forderung nach mehr Europa spaltet Union
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Berlin - Bundesfinanzminister Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) hat mit seinen Vorstellungen für eine stärkere europäische Integration den Widerspruch des Koalitionspartners CSU provoziert. CSU-Chef Horst Seehofer wandte sich strikt gegen weitere Kompetenzverlagerungen nach Brüssel.

Und Innenminister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU) warnte: «Wer aus der Schuldenkrise den Schluss zieht, dass der europäische Zentralismus jetzt noch verstärkt werden muss, macht sich auf den völlig falschen Weg.»

SPD und Grüne sprachen sich unterdessen für eine Art europäische Treuhand aus, die den Verkauf griechischen Staatsvermögens zu einem angemessenen Preis garantieren soll.

Schäuble hatte in einem Beitrag für die «Welt am Sonntag» geschrieben: «Die Antwort auf die Krise kann nur ein Mehr an Europa bedeuten. ... Ohne begrenzte, aber zielgerichtete weitere Schritte im Sinne einer Vertiefung der europäischen Institutionen werden wir auf Dauer unsere europäische Handlungsfähigkeit verlieren.» Am Ende dieses Prozesses werde die politische Union stehen. » | dpa | Sonntag 02 Oktober 2011

Demonstranten verlangen Camerons Rücktritt

TAGES ANZEIGER: Zehntausende Briten protestierten in Manchester gegen die britische Sparpolitik. Und Premierminister Cameron musste sich bei zwei Parlamentarierinnen für abschätzige Bemerkungen entschuldigen.

Die britischen Konservativen müssen eineinhalb Jahre nach der Regierungsübernahme ihre Sparpolitik gegen massive Kritik verteidigen. Zum Auftakt des Parteitags am Sonntag in Manchester protestierten 30'000 Menschen gegen das milliardenschwere Sparpaket der Regierungskoalition aus Konservativen und Liberaldemokraten.

Unter den Demonstranten waren zahlreiche Beschäftigte des öffentlichen Dienstes, etwa Beamte, Lehrer und Feuerwehrleute, aber auch Angestellte aus dem Privatsektor. Zu dem Protestmarsch hatte der Dachverband der Gewerkschaften (Trades Union Congress, TUC) aufgerufen.

«Cameron muss weg»

«Konservative, raus!» skandierten die Demonstranten, während sie am Veranstaltungsort des Parteitags vorbeizogen. Auf Transparenten standen Sprüche wie «Manchester, eine Stadt vereint gegen Einschnitte» und «Er muss weg», womit Cameron gemeint war.

Aussenminister William Hague schwor die Delegierten zum Auftakt der viertägigen Konferenz erneut auf Haushaltsdisziplin ein. «Die Konsequenz aus Kreditaufnahme und Schulden und kann nicht sein, dass man neue Kredite aufnimmt und neue Schulden macht», sagte Hague. «Das wäre nicht fair für die nächste Generation». » | miw/sda | Sonntag 02. Oktober 2011

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THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Thousands protest against Cameron's cuts: About 35,000 people have turned out in Manchester to demonstrate against government budget cuts as Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives opened their annual conference. » | AFP | Monday, October 03, 2011

Grande Bretagne: 35 000 personnes dénoncent les coupes budgétaires

CYBERPRESSE.CA: Environ 35 000 personnes ont défilé à Manchester dimanche, au premier jour du congrès du Parti conservateur britannique au pouvoir, organisé dans cette ville du nord-ouest de l'Angleterre, pour dénoncer les restrictions budgétaires, selon la police.

«Conservateurs pourris, dehors», ont crié les manifestants en passant devant le centre qui accueille la conférence nationale des Tories.

De nombreux fonctionnaires, dont des enseignants et des sapeurs-pompiers, mais aussi des employés du privé ont répondu à l'appel de la confédération des syndicats britanniques, le Trades Union Congress (TUC), qui a intitulé le défilé «L'alternative - emplois, croissance, justice».

«Je suis contre la politique du gouvernement de réduction du montant des retraites. Il y des milliers de personnes ici, mais connaissant les conservateurs, je doute qu'ils écoutent, a estimé Gerry Collier, 64 ans, employé dans une entreprise de vérification des alarmes incendie.

Les pancartes dans la foule affirmaient «Les coupes ne sont pas le remède», «Manchester, une ville unie contre les coupes» ou encore «Il doit partir», un message adressé au premier ministre conservateur David Cameron. » | Agence France-Presse | MANCHESTER | Dimanche 02 Octobre 2011

Une majorité de Français voient Nicolas Sarkozy perdre en 2012
REUTERS FRANCE: PARIS (Reuters) - Plus des deux tiers des Français prédisent que Nicolas Sarkozy perdra lors de l'élection présidentielle de 2012 en France s'il est candidat, selon un sondage Viavoice que publiera lundi Libération. » | Patrick Vignal, édité par Jean-Stéphane Brosse | Dimanche 02 Octobre 2011

Polizei nimmt mutmaßliche Islamisten fest
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Berlin - Die Polizei hat in Hessen und Nordrhein-Westfalen vier Männer festgenommen, die dem islamistischen Spektrum zugerechnet werden.

Nach Angaben der Kölner Polizei wurden drei Männer im Raum Bonn aufgegriffen worden, einer in Offenbach. Es habe Hinweise gegeben, dass sich die in Deutschland geborenen Männer im Alter zwischen 22 und 27 Jahren Schusswaffen beschafft hätten. … » | Reuters | Sonntag 02. Oktober 2011

Alberta's Conservative Party Chooses Redford as Leader

REUTERS CANADA: Alberta's ruling Conservative party has named Alison Redford, a former human rights lawyer, as the next premier of the province that is seeking to expand markets for its oil sands while fending off criticism from international environmental groups.

Redford won by a narrow margin in the early morning hours on Sunday. She beat out Gary Mar, a former health minister, and Doug Horner, who had been deputy premier.

Once sworn in, the 46-year-old former provincial justice minister will become the fifth Conservative premier in the party's four-decade dynasty in Alberta. She is due to call an election in the western province of 3.5 million people some time next year. » | Jeffrey Hodgson | Sunday, October 02, 2011

Familiar Sounds in Mideast Peace Calls
Oct. 2 - Israel welcomes efforts by international mediators to resume peace talks; with Palestinians calling for settlement halt before talks. Deborah Lutterbeck reports

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U.S. Economy Protests Spread
Oct.2 - Protests against mortgage foreclosures, unemployment and corporate bailouts spread beyond New York City. Paul Chapman reports.

Israël veut relancer les discussions
20 MINUTES ONLINE: Israël a accueilli «favorablement» la déclaration du Quartette pour relancer les négociations de paix. Il a appelé les Palestiniens à reprendre les discussions.

«Israël accueille favorablement l'appel du Quartette pour des négociations directes entre les parties sans pré-conditions, comme l'ont demandé à la fois le président Obama et le Premier ministre Benjamin Netanyahu», indique un communiqué du bureau de M. Netanyahu.

Cette réaction officielle d'Israël est la première à la proposition du Quartette sur le Proche-Orient (Etats-Unis, Union européenne, ONU et Russie) de reprendre les négociations de paix avec l'objectif d'aboutir à un accord final fin 2012.
«Bien qu'Israël ait des réserves qui seront soulevées au moment approprié, il appelle l'Autorité palestinienne à suivre son exemple et engager des négociations directes sans tarder», souligne le communiqué. » | ats | Dimanche 02 Octobre 2011

Chris Christie: Bully, Punk, or Populist Genius? Meet the GOP's Latest Hope

THE GUARDIAN: Chris McGreal in Trenton reports on the controversial record of the man many believe could challenge Barack Obama

Some of Chris Christie's political allies have a telling way of describing the man who has become the most talked-about candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, even though he's adamant he's not running.

They have in recent times called the New Jersey governor "a bully and a punk", "vindictive", "deranged" and "a rotten prick".

Then there are Christie's political enemies – and that's how many regard themselves, not merely as opponents. They describe the governor, who claims to be the leader who can reach across the ideological divide and break the partisan deadlock in Washington, as conducting a "rule of anger", of having "a remarkable inability to have a civil dialogue" and of using his powers as an "instrument of revenge and rebuke". He has also been derided as "the king of liars".

Christie burst into the race for the presidential nomination, even without declaring his intention to run, with a speech at the Reagan Library in California last week that electrified many conservatives who fear their party's existing crop of candidates – led by Rick Perry and Mitt Romney – are not cutting it. » | Chris McGreal in Trenton, New Jersey | Saturday, October 01, 2011

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Danish 'Red Bloc' Alliance Formed to Take Leftwing Coalition into Power
THE GUARDIAN: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who will become Denmark's first female PM, will announce her new ministers on Monday

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark's prime minister-elect, has announced a deal to form a three-party centre-left coalition following her election victory two weeks ago. Thorning-Schmidt, the leader of the Social Democrats, and daughter-in-law of Neil and Glenys Kinnock, said the Socialist People's party and the Social Liberals would join her "red bloc" alliance. » | Agencies | Sunday, October 3, 2011

The Clamor for Chris Christie
October 01, 2011: What does the New Jersey governor have that the current GOP field doesn't?

Angela Merkel Bets All On Greek Myths

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The euro crisis vote has turned Germany's European dream into a nightmare, writes Clemens Wergin of Die Welt.

When George Papandreou addressed an audience of businessmen in Berlin on the painful subject of the euro crisis last week, he must have been surprised by the warmth of his welcome: far friendlier than anything the increasingly isolated Greek prime minister is used to back home.

Even more remarkable, given that Greece and its ever-expanding need for a bail-out is the cause of so much angst in Germany, the applause he received was louder than that for the Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

But the reason goes directly to the heart of the problem Germany faces. None of the industrialists – representatives of great German manufacturing companies like Siemens, BMW and Volkswagen – who gathered a 1960s conference centre in the former communist east of Berlin to hear him speak, want the euro to fail. Most would rather gamble just a little bit more of Germany's hard-earned cash to help Greece get out of its mess. And all wanted to believe his message, that the tough reforms promised by Greece would not only be delivered, but would work.

"We're not asking for applause, but we are simply asking for respect of the facts," he said. "Is there any hope? Will we ultimately succeed? My answer is yes, we can!"

As it turned out, last week was a decisive one for Mrs Merkel. On Thursday, she saw off a rebellion in her own ruling coalition and got the plan for an expanded bail-out fund through the German parliament, the Bundestag, with enough votes not to have needed the strong support that also came from the opposition.

But the question for Germany is still unanswered. Are Germans right to continue, grudgingly, to help their southern European cousins out of the mess that their bad habits have got them into? Or are we simply pouring good money after bad? Continue reading and comment » | Clemens Wergin*, in Berlin | Sunday, October 02, 2011

*Clemens Wergin is Foreign Editor of Die Welt

David Cameron 'We Need to Be in European Union'
The British Prime Minister tells Andrew Marr on his BBC show that the United Kingdom needs to be a part of the European Union.

Related »

Top Al-Qaeda Associate Caught in Afghanistan
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nato and Afghan forces have captured the leader of the Afghan branch of the Haqqani network, dealing a severe blow to one of the country's most dangerous anti-Western insurgent groups.

The announcement marks the second major victory against militant figures in 24 hours, following the death of Anwar al-Awlaqi, the key al-Qaeda propagandist in Yemen.

The detention of Haji Mali Khan, the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani - the day-to-day leader of the group - comes amid intense American pressure on Afghanistan's neighbour Pakistan to act against the Haqqanis, who are closely associated with al-Qaeda and blamed for a string of high-profile attacks on Western targets.

Mali Khan was captured in Paktia, south-eastern Afghanistan close to the border with Pakistan, according to a statement issued by Isaf, the Nato-led force.

"Although he was heavily armed during the operation that led to his capture, Mali Khan submitted to the security force without incident or resistance," it said, describing his capture as a "significant milestone" in disrupting the group.

Officials said a large number of insurgents were also captured during the operation, including Mali Khan's deputy and bodyguard. » | Rob Crilly in Islamabad | Saturday, October 01, 2011

Conservative Party Conference 2011: Cameron Says UK Should Stay in the EU

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Prime Minister David Cameron today said he would not support a referendum on UK membership of the European Union.

It was revealed today that MPs are set to vote on a referendum within the next few months, after a petition with more than 100,000 signatures was submitted calling for the public to be given the chance to decide whether Britain should stay in the EU.

Speaking at the start of the Conservative Party in Manchester, Mr Cameron said he did not believe the UK should quit the EU.

And he played down the prospect of the Government repatriating powers from Brussels in the near future.

The Government's immediate priority on Europe is to get the crisis in the eurozone sorted out and revive the continent's economy, he said.

The Commons Backbench Business Committee is expected to set a date before Christmas for a one-day debate in the House of Commons on a referendum on EU membership. The vote will not be binding on the Government, but if MPs back a referendum, it will put massive pressure on Mr Cameron to put the issue to the country.

The committee's Labour chairman Natascha Engel told the Mail on Sunday: "Given the crisis in the eurozone, this issue has become more relevant than ever. There is a clear majority of backbench MPs who want to debate this and we have to respond to that.

"The EU today is completely different from the one the British people voted to join in 1975. It is time to examine the position again.

"For years it has suited successive governments to avoid debating whether Britain should leave the EU. The whole purpose of my committee is to make sure the big issues of the day are aired in Parliament. People in pubs and shops all over Britain are discussing our membership of the EU and it is time MPs openly debated it too."

But Mr Cameron told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "It's not our view that there should be an in/out referendum. I don't want Britain to leave the EU. I think it's the wrong answer for Britain. » | Matthew Holehouse | Sunday, October 02, 2011

President Obama Addresses the 15th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner
The Human Rights Campaign is proud to again welcome to its National Dinner President Obama, who last addressed the audience in 2009. The 15th Annual National Dinner drew over 3,000 people to the Washington Convention Center.

Read article here

Etats-Unis: les mariages homosexuels autorisés à l'armée
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Dix jours après l’abolition du tabou gay dans l’armée, les aumôniers militaires peuvent célébrer des mariages homosexuels dans les Etats américains qui reconnaissent ces unions.

Les aumôniers militaires peuvent désormais célébrer des mariages homosexuels dans les Etats américains qui reconnaissent les unions entre deux personnes du même sexe, a annoncé vendredi le Pentagone, dix jours après l’abolition du tabou gay dans l’armée.

L’Etat fédéral américain ne reconnaît pas le mariage entre personnes du même sexe, ce qui interdit aux conjoints de militaires homosexuels de bénéficier des mêmes droits et prestations que les conjoints hétérosexuels, comme de vivre sur une base militaire ou de bénéficier de la couverture maladie pour les familles de militaires.

Mais une directive du département de la Défense publiée vendredi prévoit «qu’un aumônier militaire peut participer ou officier à une cérémonie privée, sur ou en dehors d’une base militaire, tant que cette cérémonie n’est pas interdite par la loi locale ou de l’Etat». » | KEYSTONE | Samedi 01 Octobre 2011

Rising Atheism in America Puts 'Religious Right on the Defensive'
THE GUARDIAN: High profile of faith-based politicians such as Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry masks a steady growth in secularism

About 400 people are preparing to gather for a conference in Hartford, Connecticut, to promote the end of religion in the US and their vision of a secular future for the country.
Those travelling to the meeting will pass two huge roadside billboards displaying quotes from two of the country's most famous non-believers: Katharine Hepburn and Mark Twain. "Faith is believing what you know ain't so," reads the one featuring Twain. "I'm an atheist and that's it," says the one quoting Hepburn.

At the meeting, members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) will hear speakers celebrate successes they have had in removing religion from US public life and see awards being presented to noted secularist activists.

The US is increasingly portrayed as a hotbed of religious fervour. Yet in the homeland of ostentatiously religious politicians such as Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, agnostics and atheists are actually part of one of the fastest-growing demographics in the US: the godless. Far from being in thrall to its religious leaders, the US is in fact becoming a more secular country, some experts say. "It has never been better to be a free-thinker or an agnostic in America," says Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF.

The exact number of faithless is unclear. One study by the Pew Research Centre puts them at about 12% of the population, but another by the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture at Trinity College in Hartford puts that figure at around 20%.

Most experts agree that the number of secular Americans has probably doubled in the past three decades – growing especially fast among the young. It is thought to be the fastest-growing major "religious" demographic in the country. » | Paul Harris in New York | Saturday, October 01, 2011

William Hague Snubs Tory Right Over EU Membership Referendum Demands

THE GUARDIAN: Foreign secretary says 'our place is in the European Union' and describes coalition government as 'wonderfully refreshing'

William Hague has cast off his reputation as the darling of the Tory right by describing governing with the Liberal Democrats as "wonderfully refreshing". He also rules out a referendum on UK membership of the EU.

The comments by the foreign secretary, in an interview with the Observer, will dismay the many Conservative MPs who resent the Lib Dems' moderating influence on government policy, particularly on relations with Europe, and want their party to champion a more rightwing agenda.

As the Tories gather for their annual conference in Manchester, amid calls from rightwingers for David Cameron to give less ground to their coalition partners, Hague says this administration is working better than the last Tory government in which he served.

"When you sit with David Cameron and Nick Clegg and other senior colleagues examining an issue, it is a wonderfully refreshing, rational discussion, actually, in which you know your party identity is not the first consideration," he says. "The government has a more united spirit than the last government I served in at the end of 18 years of Conservative government."

Hague, formerly a hardline Eurosceptic, insists he has not changed his opinions on the EU, or come under the spell of the pro-EU Foreign Office culture. He still believes the EU has too much power and has never veered from his view that the euro would be a disaster.

But in a sign that life in government has had a profound influence, he also freely points out that in his time as foreign secretary he has seen evidence of the 27-nation bloc operating as a powerful, collective force for good in the world. As a result, he does not believe it would ever be in the UK's interest to think of leaving. Asked if the government might grant a referendum on UK membership of the EU, he says "no", arguing one would be called only to approve or reject further transfers of sovereignty: "Our place is in the European Union." » | Toby Helm and Andrew Rawnsley | Saturday, October 01, 2011

Coming closer to home, Turkey is "a rapidly growing player and one of the countries that I work with the most". If "you add up who I make the most phone calls to" the foreign minister of Turkey is up there with Hillary Clinton. Hague "very much" wants to see Turkey become a member of the European Union, an ambition strongly opposed by some other member states.

Many in his own party will have a cardiac infarction if that means large numbers of Turkish migrant workers arriving in Britain. Hague acknowledges "people have to be won over", but remains emphatic. "I wouldn't be put off by freedom of movement because I think it is a strategic neccesity and economically beneficial to bring Turkey into the EU. Turning away Turkey from the EU would be a great, long-term – a century-long – error by Europe." – Source: The Observer

Home Secretary: scrap the Human Rights Act

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Theresa May, the Home Secretary, risks an explosive rift inside the Coalition with an explicit call for the scrapping of the Human Rights Act.

Mrs May uses an interview with The Sunday Telegraph to warn that the Act is hampering the Home Office’s struggle to deport dangerous foreign criminals and terrorist suspects.

“I’d personally like to see the Human Rights Act go because I think we have had some problems with it,” she says.

The Home Secretary’s words will be cheered by many Conservative MPs as well as Tory ministers across Whitehall.

However, they are likely to be greeted with dismay by leading Liberal Democrats, some of whom have signalled the future of the Coalition would be under threat if any serious action was taken against the Act, which incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. Continue reading and comment » | Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor | Saturday, October 01, 2011

Occupy Wall Street: Big Banks Do Nothing But Big Bangs

Greece Is Slipping into the Abyss

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As the economic crisis worsens, the very fabric of society in Athens is being ripped apart as the Greeks lose their good humour and generosity.

Greek grannies are as ubiquitous and iconic as Greek cats. Dressed immaculately in widow’s black, and with their grey hair neatly styled, they are proud figures. They are treated with respect by even the most rebellious youths, and acknowledged by all as the head of the fiercely maternal family groups that bind Greek society together.

The old lady I saw on the street in Athens this week was typical, except in one shocking respect. She was begging. Beggars are normal here these days, but almost all are immigrants or drug users. This was different. The image of this proud woman sitting on a plastic crate outside the supermarket with her hands out has stayed in my mind. If a symbol is needed to illustrate the unravelling of Greek society, then this is it.

The Athens I knew 20 years ago has changed radically. I used to tell British friends that despite its chaos, it was a very civilised city. When I moved here, you didn’t have homeless people sleeping on the streets, there was little crime and the sick and needy were looked after. That civility is vanishing fast. With economic doom becoming ever more likely, it sometimes feels as if the fabric of society is being ripped asunder.

Muggings used to be a rarity; not any more. Walk down the main streets of central Athens at night and you will see people sleeping rough. The other day I had to deal with a young man who had passed out on my doorstep. He may have been drunk, but in these crisis-stricken days, it is just as likely that he was high on crack cocaine, now selling for 5 euros a hit. I wasn’t going to risk disturbing him – I had my children with me.

My area of central Athens is a relatively “bad” location, but there are much worse places. The neighbourhood of Psirri borders the popular tourist attractions. Ten years ago, Psirri was rejuvenated. Bars and cafes opened, old buildings were restored. A live jazz club opened that was an instant hit. The club is gone now, and most of the shops are closed. The area became so dangerous that people simply stopped going there. Now it’s riddled with drugs. People shoot up on the street and accost anyone foolish enough to stray through the area for money. And all of this takes place a short walk from the Acropolis. Read on and comment » | Christopher Humphrys | Saturday, October 01, 2011

Tunisie - Top départ d'une campagne électorale historique
LE POINT: Les Tunisiens sont appelés à élire le 23 octobre une assemblée constituante chargée de rédiger une nouvelle Constitution.

Le compte à rebours pour l'élection du 23 octobre en Tunisie a commencé samedi avec le lancement officiel de la campagne électorale, à laquelle participent des dizaines de partis et de formations, une première historique après des décennies de dictature et de parti unique. Premier pays du "printemps arabe", la Tunisie sera aussi la première à se rendre aux urnes pour élire une assemblée constituante neuf mois après la chute du régime de Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, chassé du pouvoir le 14 janvier par un soulèvement populaire.

"Rendez-vous avec l'histoire", "Dernière ligne droite", titraient samedi les quotidiens francophones pour saluer l'entrée officielle du pays en campagne, dans une atmosphère effervescente. À Tunis, dès le matin, des militants et sympathisants se sont attelés à coller des portraits des têtes de liste sur les panneaux muraux réservés à la campagne officielle, et de nombreux passants s'arrêtaient pour détailler les listes en lice. » | Source AFP | Samedi 01 Octobre 2011

Former British Soldier Converts to Islam
Former British Soldier Converts to Islam. Liverpudlian and former British soldier embraces Islam after serving 12 years in the Army.

I Was a Soldier of the Queen… Now I’m a Soldier of Allah
THE SUN: CHANTING fundamentalist bile, extremist Abu Jibreel was on the front line battling police officers during a mock "funeral" for Osama Bin Laden.

With his beard and flowing robes, the follower of hate preacher Anjem Choudary was happy to tell anyone who would listen that he wants to bring down democracy and see adulterers stoned and drinkers flogged.

It is only when Jibreel's head scarf shifts to reveal a St George Cross and the word "England" tattooed on the nape of his neck that he betrays another life lived.

The Sun can reveal that the 39-year-old Muslim convert was born Paul Steven Mellor in Cheshire.

And just a few short years ago he was serving Queen and country as a Lance Corporal in the elite Irish Guards regiment — rather than trying to establish an Islamic state in Britain where women would be forced to cover up and music would be banned.

The former Church of England Sunday school boy even claims he guarded the royal palaces and marched in the Trooping the Colour in red tunic and bearskin during his nine-year Army career.

Jibreel's respectable family have turned their backs on him.

The dad-of-three told The Sun: "I was a soldier of the Queen, now I'm a soldier of Allah. I was on sentry duty at Buckingham Palace, I did Trooping the Colour. Now I'm against democracy. The system stinks. Read on and comment » | Oliver Harvey, Chief Feature Writer | Saturday, October 01, 2011

Fury as Prayers Are Banned at Council Meetings

DAILY EXPRESS: CHRISTIANS reacted furiously last night after it emerged that council members have been banned from saying prayers at meetings.

Two councils in East Sussex have been warned that Christian prayers are “not part of their duties”.

Mayfield parish council was issued the “advice” by the Sussex Association of Local Councils after voting to include a prayer session in its meetings. Councillors were told it was not appropriate at a public meeting and should be taken off the agenda. The row prompted councillors from nearby Crowborough town council to get involved, claiming prayers have formed part of their meetings for as long as anyone could remember. Mayor Kay Moss said: “No one’s ever said there was a problem.

“The prayer predates me by a long way. There was a motion a few years ago to do away with it but we voted for the prayer to continue. I’ve never heard since that we were doing anything wrong.”

Alan Craig, leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance, said: “This demand is part of the secular¬isation of our society. Read on and comment » | Nathan Rao | Saturday, October 01, 2011

Michael Gove Proposes Teaching Foreign Languages from Age Five
THE GUARDIAN: Education secretary outlines plans ahead of Tory conference, including extension of school day and tougher truancy fines

The education secretary, Michael Gove, has proposed that every child aged five or over should be learning a foreign language, and promised to "pull every lever", including encouraging longer school days, to make it happen.

In a pre-Conservative conference interview, he says: "There is a slam-dunk case for extending foreign language teaching to children aged five.

"Just as some people have taken a perverse pride in not understanding mathematics, so we have taken a perverse pride in the fact that we do not speak foreign languages, and we just need to speak louder in English. It is literally the case that learning languages makes you smarter. The neural networks in the brain strengthen as a result of language learning." » | Patrick Wintour and Nicholas Watt | Friday, September 30, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Conservative conference: Gove spells out next step on his agenda for schools: Education secretary talks to the Guardian about his proposals for teaching modern languages and denies free schools are elitist » | Nicholas Watt and Patrick Wintour | Friday, September 30, 2011

Le Pakistan uni face à Washington

LE FIGARO: Les accusations américaines contre les services secrets provoquent un tollé.

Un vent d'unité tel que le pays n'en avait pas connu depuis longtemps souffle sur le Pakistan. Le crédit en revient, bien involontairement, aux États-Unis. Washington ne pouvait pas mieux faire pour rassembler la myriade de partis querelleurs et disparates qui polluent la scène politique pakistanaise, voire pour réconcilier l'establishment militaire et le pouvoir civil, que de lancer des accusations à l'encontre des services secrets de l'ISI aussi dures que celles proférées par l'amiral Mike Mullen. Le chef d'état-major américain a déclaré la semaine dernière que l'ISI utilisait le réseau d'insurgés afghans Haqqani pour mener une «guerre par procuration» contre les intérêts américains en Afghanistan. Soulevant un tollé général au Pakistan, où l'on redoute que les États-Unis ne décident de bombarder les Zones tribales. » | Par Marie-France Calle | Jeudi 29 Septembre 2011

Nétanyahou indispose à nouveau les États-Unis
LE FIGARO: Il se dit prêt à accepter le plan de paix du Quartette, mais autorise la construction de plus de mille nouveaux logements à Jérusalem-Est.

D'accord pour un nouveau plan censé aboutir à un accord de paix à la fin de l'an prochain, mais pas au prix de Jérusalem : tel est le message de Benyamin Nétanyahou. Histoire de bien mettre les points sur i, le ministère israélien de l'Intérieur vient de donner son feu vert à la construction de 1 100 logements à Gilo, un quartier israélien situé dans la partie arabe de Jérusalem. Dans le monde, cette décision a provoqué un tollé, y compris aux États-Unis, qui se sont déclarés «profondément déçus».

Mais Benyamin Nétanyahou est passé outre. «Gilo n'est pas une colonie, c'est un quartier situé au cœur de Jérusalem près du centre-ville», explique Mark Regev, son porte-parole. Actuellement plus de 200 000 Israéliens vivent dans une douzaine de nouveaux quartiers construits après la conquête de la partie orientale de la ville en 1967. Mais son annexion n'a jamais été reconnue par la communauté internationale. Les Palestiniens espèrent de leur côté que le lancement de ce projet fustigé de toutes parts va leur fournir des armes dans la bataille très serrée qu'ils mènent au Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU pour obtenir l'adhésion de leur État aux Nations unies. Selon eux, une majorité des membres (9 sur 15) de cette instance serait prête à les soutenir. » | Par Marc Henry | Vendredi 30 Septembre 2011

Auslöser war der «arabische Frühling»: Der Nationalrat debattierte über das Asylwesen
Dreieinhalb Wochen vor den Parlamentswahlen hat im Nationalrat die ausserordentliche Session zu Zuwanderung und Asylwesen begonnen. Nicht weniger als 80 Vorstösse wurden eingereicht und fast 30 Rednerinnen und Redner haben sich eingetragen.

«Für die Russen heisst Demokratie: Raubüberfall»

BASLER ZEITUNG: Die Rückkehr Wladimir Putins erniedrigt die russischen Staatsbürger, sagt der Philosoph Michail Ryklin. Er spricht im Interview über die erstickte Opposition und die tragische Geschichte seiner Frau.

Herr Ryklin, nun ist es offiziell: Wladimir Putin kehrt zurück. Was bedeutet das für Russland?

Nichts Gutes. Putin ist seit 12 Jahren ununterbrochen am Ruder. Acht Jahre als Präsident, vier Jahre als der Mann hinter Dmitri Medwedew. Jetzt stehen uns weitere 12 Jahre bevor. Für die russischen Staatsbürger ist das erniedrigend. Medwedew hat offen gesagt, der Ämtertausch sei schon vor langer Zeit entschieden worden. Dabei stehen die Wahlen ja erst an! Die reden, als ob alles entschieden wäre. Die Wahlen sind also eine Formalität. Das heisst, es gibt keine Wahlen mehr in Russland.

Hatten Sie Hoffnungen gesetzt in Medwedew?

Ja. So wie alle. Die ganze Welt hat Medwedew als milde Alternative zu Putin gesehen. Man wusste, er war Putins Mann. Aber er schien unabhängiger, liberaler zu werden. Jetzt ist die Seifenblase geplatzt. Wir glaubten, es herrsche Spannung zwischen Putin und Medwedew. Doch da herrscht nur Kumpanei. Es war ein Spielchen, mehr nicht. Ich glaube, die Russen sind sehr enttäuscht. » | Von David Hesse | Samstag 01. Oktober 2011

Übergangsrat dementiert Festnahme von Ghadhafi-Sprecher

BASLER ZEITUNG: Wieder eine verfrühte Erfolgsmeldung aus dem Lager der libyschen Rebellen: Mussa Ibrahim, der seinen Chef Ghadhafi vor den Kameras vertrat, ist entgegen einer früheren Meldung auf freiem Fuss.

Der libysche Übergangsrat hat heute Berichte über die Festnahme des Sprechers des flüchtigen früheren Machthabers Muammar al-Ghadhafidementiert. Zwar seien einige Familienmitglieder von Mussa Ibrahim aufgegriffen worden, nicht aber Ghadhafis Sprecher selbst. » | ami/sda | Samstag 01. Oktober 2011

Lien en relation avec l’article »

Immigrants Want Cross Removed from Swiss Flag
HUDSON NEW YORK: An immigrant group based in Bern has called for the emblematic white cross to be removed from the Swiss national flag because as a Christian symbol it "no longer corresponds to today's multicultural Switzerland."

Ivica Petrusic, the vice president of Second@s Plus, a lobbying group that represents mostly Muslim second-generation foreigners in Switzerland (who colloquially are known as secondos) says the group will launch a nationwide campaign in October to ask Swiss citizens to consider adopting a flag that is less offensive to Muslim immigrants.

In a September 18 interview with the Swiss newspaper Aargauer Zeitung, Petrusic said the cross has a Christian background and while the Christian roots of Switzerland should be respected, "it is necessary to separate church and state" because "Switzerland today has a great religious and cultural diversity. One has to ask if the State wants to continue building up a symbol in which many people no longer believe."

In the interview, Petrusic said Switzerland needs new symbols with which everyone, including non-Christians, can identify. As an alternative to the current Swiss flag (see image here), Petrusic proposed the former flag of the Helvetic Republic (see image here) which was officially introduced in 1799 and consisted of green, red and yellow colors. "Those colors are similar to the current flags of Bolivia and Ghana and would represent a more progressive and open-minded Switzerland," Petrusic said.

The proposal to change the Swiss flag has been met with outrage across the political spectrum and is sure to fuel anti-immigrant sentiments in Switzerland. » | Soeren Kern | Monday, September 26, 2011

HT: Marisol @ Jihad Watch »

ABNA: Swiss Muslims Speak Out to Defend Swiss Flag against Claims it Offends Immigrants » | Source: Islam Today | Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Palestinians Accuse US of 'Collective Punishment' after $200m in Aid Is Cut Off

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Palestinian Authority has claimed its people are victims of "collective punishment" after accusing the United States of blocking $200million in aid in response to President Mahmoud Abbas's application for UN statehood.

The freeze on funds, which has been unpublicised, was reportedly put in place in August, ahead of Mr Abbas's planned bid at the UN on September 20. The funds were said to have been allocated earlier in the financial year which ends today.

"It is another kind of collective punishment which is going to harm the needs of the public without making any positive contribution," Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib told The Independent.

He told the newspaper: "It is ironic to be punished for going to the United Nations".

The Obama administration is reportedly negotiating with Congressional leaders over unlocking the aid. The White House has reportedly also urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help keep aid flowing to the Palestinians. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Saturday, October 01, 2011

An excellent comment well worth reading by ‘Jehudah BenIsrael’ »

Christian Convert in Iran Faces Execution
Iran is coming under growing pressure to free a man sentenced to death for converting to Christianity.

Read the article here
Lien en relation avec l’article »

Tony Blair: A Liability in Britain and the Middle East?

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Disparaged by Palestinians and booed by Labour Party conference delegates, the former prime minister is losing his appeal.

It has been Tony Blair’s unhappiest week since he stepped down as prime minister more than four years ago. When Ed Miliband raised his name during his Labour Party conference speech on Tuesday, it was greeted by boos in the hall – while Miliband himself, at times, seemed to come close to disowning the legacy of the man who secured Labour three consecutive election victories.

And then came the bombshell, disclosed in Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph, that Mr Blair’s prized role as Middle East peace envoy is under severe threat because members of the Palestinian Authority are threatening to sever relations with him.

Such a move would be a crushing blow to the former prime minister. For Mr Blair has only been able to maintain a role as a statesman – and plentiful access to current world leaders – thanks to his job as representative for the Quartet on the Middle East, charged with securing peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

There were many who saw this work as essential to the salvation of Mr Blair’s reputation, so badly damaged by the Iraq invasion and its hideous aftermath. The immediate spur for the move to ditch Mr Blair comes from the belief of many senior Palestinians that he has sided openly with the Israelis over the bid by President Mahmoud Abbas for Palestinian statehood.

But discontent has been simmering for many months. Last July, producer James Brabazon and I spent two weeks in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza investigating Mr Blair’s performance as envoy for a Channel Four Dispatches programme, The Wonderful World of Tony Blair, which was screened this week. We spoke to scores of Palestinians, ranging from street shopkeepers to senior politicians and businessmen, many of whom had had personal dealings with Mr Blair. Most of those we spoke to were moderates, wholly committed to the cause of peace, and reconciled to the long-term existence of Israel. » | Peter Oborne | Additional reporting by Sasha Joelli Achilli | Friday, September 30, 2011

Banned Preacher Can Seek Damages Over Illegal Arrest

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A banned Islamic preacher who entered Britain illegally following a Home Office blunder is entitled to seek damages after being detained unlawfully, a judge has ruled.

Sheikh Raed Salah, a Palestinian activist, could receive thousands of pounds for being wrongfully imprisoned shortly after entering the country in June this year.

Mr Salah, 52, was able to walk through immigration at Heathrow Airport unchallenged despite being banned by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, days before.

His exclusion order had been sent to the wrong terminal at the airport allowing him to arrive unopposed. He was arrested three days later when the error was discovered.

Yesterday, the migration watchdog, Migration Watch UK, condemned the judge’s decision. Sir Andrew Green, its chairman, said: “It is quite extraordinary that someone who had no right to be in Britain in the first place should be able to claim damages for his arrest.” » | James Orr | Friday, September 30, 2011