Décès du roi Abdallah: "C'était un ardent... by LEXPRESS
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Junckers Armee ist eine Utopie
Eine EU-Armee wird es auf absehbare Zeit nicht geben. Das weiss auch Jean-Claude Juncker. Der Kommissionspräsident aus dem kleinen Luxemburg ist ein Mann der grossen Träume. Die braucht es manchmal, um einem alten Projekt neuen Schub zu verpassen. Die Idee einer europäischen Streitmacht taucht nicht zum ersten Mal auf, ist aber bisher immer wieder schnell in der Versenkung verschwunden.
Juncker sieht angesichts der neuen Bedrohung durch ein aggressives Russland neue Chancen für das Fernziel und frische Dringlichkeit, darauf hinzuarbeiten. Die Frage im Hintergrund lautet vereinfacht: Wie hält es Europa mit seiner Verteidigung?
Fast alle Regierungen sind sich einig, dass der Status quo höchst unbefriedigend ist. Die Europäer haben in den letzten Jahren ihre Verteidigungshaushalte zum Teil rigoros zusammengestrichen und sind deshalb für ihre Sicherheit mehr denn je auf ihre amerikanischen Verbündeten angewiesen. » | Stephan Israel, EU-Korrespondent | Brüssel | Montag, 09. März 2015
Netanyahu bremst amerikanisch-iranische Annäherung ab
Der israelische Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanyahu hat mit seiner Rede im US-Kongress die Widerstände gegen eine amerikanisch-iranische Annäherung offenbar verstärkt. Nach dreitägigen Gesprächen zwischen US-Aussenminister John Kerry und seinem iranischen Kollegen Mohammed Dschawad Sarif dämpften US-Diplomaten die Erwartungen, dass es bis Ende März das geplante Rahmenabkommen zum Teheraner Atomprogramm geben werde.
Ein ranghoher US-Diplomat sagte zum Stand der Gespräche, angestrebt werde nun nur noch eine «Verständigung, die mit einer Vielzahl von Details gefüllt sein muss». Es sei nun an Präsident Barack Obama, darüber zu befinden, ob die erzielten Fortschritte eine ausreichende Grundlage böten, ein endgültiges Abkommen bis Ende Juni zu erreichen, sagte der Diplomat. Die nächste amerikanisch-iranische Gesprächsrunde sei für den 15. März an einem noch nicht festgelegten Ort vereinbart worden. » | Mittwoch, 04. März 2015
Republikaner torpedieren Obamas Iran-Politik
Die Republikaner im US-Kongress torpedieren weiter Präsident Barack Obamas Atomdiplomatie mit dem Iran. In einem offenen Brief an die iranische Führung warnten 47 republikanische Senatoren, dass es ohne die Zustimmung des Parlaments kein langfristiges Abkommen geben werde. Das Weisse Haus reagierte empört und warf den Abgeordneten vor, sich unzulässig in die Aussenpolitik einzumischen. » | Dienstag, 10. März 2015
Inside Libya: How Battle for Oil Has Left Country Close to Collapse
Libya will "run out of money" in 18 months despite once being one of Africa's richest countries, officials have told The Telegraph as internecine fighting grinds its oil and gas industry to a halt.
Mashala Zwai, the oil minister for one of Libya's two rival governments, warned that the country was becoming "a second Somalia".
"This is a critical time in a critical situation," said Mr Zwai, speaking from the Tripoli offices of the National Oil Corporation, which manages Libya's energy sector. "By next year the state will not be able to pay Libyans' salaries."
Oil battlefields
With the government split into two rival authorities, Libya's oil installations are becoming battlefields where affiliated militias vie for power.
They are also the focus of attacks by Islamist extremists, including a local branch of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), who are thriving in the country's state of lawlessness. » | Ruth Sherlock, near Sidra, Libya, video by Sam Tarling | Monday, March 09, 2015
Obama Mocks Republican Letter to Iran over Nuclear Talks
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| Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, was the lead author of the letter to Iranian leaders |
He said the 47 senators made an "unusual coalition" with Iran's hard-line religious leaders.
The letter reminds Iran that any deal is just an executive agreement unless it gets congressional approval.
Talks on Iran's nuclear programme are at a critical stage, with an outline agreement due on 31 March. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, March 09, 2015
Monday, March 09, 2015
Japan Must Face Up to Its Shameful Second World War Past like Germany Did, Says Angela Merkel
Japan must face up to its actions during the Second World War if it is serious about building better relations with its neighbours, Angela Merkel warned on Monday.
The German chancellor is on a two-day official to Japan, but her comments are unlikely to be welcomed by Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, whose conservative views on Tokyo’s war crimes are under scrutiny.
“Germany was lucky to be accepted in the community of nations after the horrible experience that the world had to meet with Germany during the period of National Socialism (Nazism) and the Holocaust,” Mrs Merkel said in a public lecture hosted by the left-leaning Asahi newspaper.
“This was possible first because Germany did face its past squarely, but also because the Allied Powers who controlled Germany after the Second World War would attach great importance to Germany coming to grips with its past.”
“One of the great achievements of the time certainly was reconciliation between Germany and France ... The French have given just as valuable a contribution as the Germans have.” » | Julian Ryall in Tokyo | Monday, March 09, 2015
Greece's Defence Minister Threatens to Send Migrants Including Jihadists to Western Europe
Greece will unleash a “wave of millions of economic migrants” and jihadists on Europe unless the eurozone backs down on austerity demands, the country[‘s] defence and foreign ministers have threatened.
The threat comes as Greece struggles to convince the eurozone and International Monastery Fund to continue payments on a £172billion bailout of Greek finances.
Without the funding, Greece will go bust later this month forcing the recession-ravaged and highly[-]indebted country out of the EU’s single currency.
Greece’s borders with Turkey is the EU’s frontline against illegal immigration and European measures to stop extremists travelling to and from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) bases in Syria and Iraq.
Panos Kammenos, the Greek defence minister, warned that if the eurozone allowed Greece to go bust it would give EU travel papers to illegal immigrants crossing its borders or the 10,000 currently held in detention centres. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Monday, March 09, 2015
Saudi Man Faces Death for Ripping Up Koran, Renouncing Islam
The Saudi Gazette reported the unnamed man in his 20s posted a video online on the social networking site, Keek, where he ripped up a copy of the Koran, hit it with a shoe and cursed Allah and the Islamic Prophet Mohammad – all considered crimes in the Saudi Kingdom. Under Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi system of Islamic Sharia law, those convicted of crimes of apostasy receive the death penalty, often carried out by public beheading.
One of the United States’ key allies in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has received a criticism over lack of transparency in its legal proceedings and utilization of beheadings as the main method of execution. Last August, NBC reported that the Kingdom’s rate of executions had increased to one per day and, last month, a top Saudi official protested over comparisons between the county and ISIS. However, Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki, told NBC News that Saudi criminal punishments were legitimate because they are based on "a decision made by a court" as opposed to ISIS' "arbitrary" killings. " » | FoxNews.com | Monday, March 09, 2015
Using Sign Language, ISIS Appeals to the Deaf
The Islamic State released a new recruitment video over the weekend in an attempt to court a new group – the deaf. The video shows two militants from the organization's ranks – both deaf themselves – addressing the audience in sign language. (+ video) » | Roi Kais | Monday, March 09, 2015
'Jihadi John' Issues Apology - For 'Shaming His Parents'
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| "Jihadi John" a.k.a. Mohammed Emwazi is sorry - for upsetting his parents |
Mohammed Emwazi, the man revealed as ISIS executioner "Jihadi John", has reportedly written a letter to his family apologizing for "shaming" them - but not for his murderous acts.
According to the UK's Sunday Times, Emwazi sent a letter to his family - who, since he was outed as the face behind the black-clad jihadi killer have fled Britain back to Kuwait - in which he said he was sorry for the "problems and trouble the revelation of his identity has caused."
The letter reached his family via a third party from Syria, where Mohammed is based.
But notably he did not express any remorse whatsoever for the gruesome beheadings of a series of western and Japanese hostages, mainly aid-workers and journalists. » | Ari Soffer | Monday, March 09, 2015
The Time When Americans Drank All Day Long
The Puritans get a bad rap in America - especially when it comes to alcohol. They are generally blamed for putting the dampeners on any form of fun, and many people assume that it was the nation's puritanical roots coming to the surface when Prohibition was introduced in 1917.
But while they weren't exactly party animals, a new exhibition at the US National Archives reveals that the Puritans actually approved of drink.
"One of the things we understand now is that the initial ship that came over from England to Massachusetts Bay actually carried more beer than water," says Bruce Bustard, senior curator of Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History.
In fact Increase Mather, a prominent Puritan minister of the period, delivered a sermon in which he described alcohol as being "a good creature of God" - although the drunkard was "of the devil."
Early Americans even took a healthful dram for breakfast, whiskey was a typical lunchtime tipple, ale accompanied supper and the day ended with a nightcap. Continuous imbibing clearly built up a tolerance as most Americans in 1790 consumed an average 5.8 gallons of pure alcohol a year. » | Jane O’Brien | BBC News, Washington | Sunday, March 08, 2015
Sunday, March 08, 2015
La lutte pour le contrôle de l’or noir devient féroce
Quatre champs pétroliers ont été attaqués ces derniers jours. Sept étrangers auraient été kidnappés et huit gardes tués. La Libye, 12e producteur mondial de pétrole, devient peu à peu un enfer pour les compagnies pétrolières. L’insécurité se mêle à une forte baisse de production avec 531 000 barils par jour en février contre 1,7 million en 2010.
Bahi, Dahra et Ghani- dans le bassin de Syrte, ont été visés. Vendredi, huit gardes ont été tués dans une nouvelle offensive contre Ghani où travaille Petro-Canada. Sept étrangers, dont un Tchèque et un Australien, auraient été kidnappés. Aucune de ces actions n’a été revendiquée, mais le gouvernement de Tobrouk pointe du doigt l’Etat Islamique, bien implanté dans la région. Son rival basé à Tripoli accuse les kadhafistes. » | De Maryline Dumas, Tripoli | dimanche 08 mars 2015
Austria Defends New Law on Foreign Funding of Mosques
Austria’s foreign minister has rejected criticism of the country’s new law on Islam aimed at cutting off foreign influence and funding, arguing that the legislation should become a model for the rest of Europe.
In an interview with the Guardian, Sebastian Kurz, whose role in the Austrian government also includes the portfolio for social integration, took particular aim at the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, suggesting Erdogan’s opposition to the law was motivated by fear of losing political influence on Austrian Muslims.
“I‘m not surprised by the criticism from President Erdoğan. This was to be expected,” Kurz said. “In our opinion, imams should be role models for young Muslims and must show that it is possible to be a proud Austrian and a believing Muslim at the same time and so there will be no need for Turkish imams in the future.
“And this is maybe the point why Erdoğan is so critical about our Islam law. At the moment we have more than 60 imams from Turkey and in the future we will have our own Austrian imams,” Kurz said. “It will not be possible in the future to have imams employed by the Turkish government.” » | Julian Borger Diplomatic editor | Sunday, March 08, 2015
Präsidentenwahl in Frankreich: Premier Valls warnt vor Sieg der Rechtspopulisten
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| Frankreichs Premier Valls: "Ich habe Angst um mein Land" |
Paris - Frankreichs Premierminister Manuel Valls hat vor einem Siegeszug des rechtsextremen Front National (FN) gewarnt. Es sei nicht auszuschließen, dass der FN schon die kommende Präsidentschaftswahl im Jahr 2017 gewinnen könnte, sagte der Regierungschef im TV-Interview bei iTéle. » | vek/AFP | Sonntag, 08. März 2015
Blogger Lashing: Saudi Rejects Criticism of Badawi Case
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| Raif Badawi's punishment has drawn condemnation around the world |
In its first official statement on the case the foreign ministry said it rejected any interference in its internal affairs.
Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail last year.
He received the first 50 lashes in January prompting strong criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
The foreign ministry said it could not accept any impingement on the country's sovereignty, or on the impartiality of its judiciary system.
"The kingdom unequivocally rejects any aggression under the pretext of human rights," it added. » | Sunday, March 08, 2015
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Saudi-Arabien-Reise: Gabriel setzt sich für Blogger Badawi ein: Heikle Mission für den SPD-Chef: Bei seiner Saudi-Arabien-Reise kritisiert Sigmar Gabriel die harte Strafe für den Blogger Badawi - und irritiert mit der klaren Haltung die Scheichs. » | Von Gerald Traufetter, Riad | Sonntag, 08. März 2015
President Obama Pays Tribute at Selma, 50 Years On
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Extremism in Britain: Now the Crackdown Is Launched
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| Police escort an Islamist demonstrator marching to protest outside the US embassy in London |
The Government is planning a series of tough new measures to combat the growing threat from Islamist extremists.
A leaked draft of the Home Office’s new counter-extremism strategy, seen by The Telegraph, targets Sharia courts and calls for a ban on radicals working unsupervised with children over fears the young could be brainwashed.
Other measures include a requirement that staff at job centres identify vulnerable claimants who may become targets for radicalisation, after public outrage at people who hate Britain being able to live off the state.
There will also be an introduction of penalties in the benefits system to make people learn English to improve their integration into British society.
The rules on granting citizenship will also be tightened to ensure new residents embrace “British values”.
The crackdown is part of a new “get tough” strategy to deal with the perceived growing threat to the UK from Islamist extremists. » | Andrew Gilligan, Robert Mendick | Saturday, March 07, 2015
Egyptian TV Host Ahmed Moussa: The US, Turkey, and Qatar Constitute the Axis of Evil
ISIS Reportedly Demolishing Another Ancient Archaeological Site In Iraq
An official with the ministry of tourism and antiquities' archaeological division in Mosul told The Associated Press that multiple residents living near Hatra heard two large explosions Saturday morning, then reported seeing bulldozers begin demolishing the site. He spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal.
Saeed Mamuzini, a Kurdish official from Mosul, told the AP that the militants had begun carrying away artifacts from Hatra as early as Thursday and on Saturday, began to destroy the 2,000-year-old city. » | FoxNews.com | Saturday, March 07, 2015
DIE WELT: Terrormiliz zerstört weitere Kulturstätte im Irak: Die Ruinen der jahrtausendealten Stadt al-Hadra nahe Mossul sind der Terrorgruppe Islamischer Staat zum Opfer gefallen. Es ist bereits die zweite Zerstörungsaktion dieser Art binnen weniger Wochen. » | dpa/tan | Samstag, 07. März 2015
LE POINT: Les vestiges archéologiques de Hatra, nouvelle cible de l'organisation État islamique : Après des statues et des sculptures du musée de Mossoul, le groupe terroriste État islamique (EI) entreprend de raser cette cité vieille de 2 000 ans. » | 6Medias | samedi 07 mars 2015
Muslim Rights Activist Who Defended Jihadi John Refuses to Condemn Female Stoning
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| CAGE director Asim Qureshi refused to condemn the stoning of adulterous women |
Asim Qureshi, director of Muslim rights group CAGE, was asked about views advocated by an Islamic scholar he had described as a mentor.
These included positions of female genital mutilation, domestic violence and stoning women as punishment for adultery. When questioned repeatedly about these views on BBC's This Week programme by presenter Andrew Neil Mr Qureshi refused to condemn the opinions.
Others extreme positions he refused to condemn included horrifying claims that Jews are descended from pigs and that homosexuality is evil.
Asim Qureshi, director of Muslim rights group CAGE, was asked about views advocated by an Islamic scholar he had described as a mentor.
These included positions of female genital mutilation, domestic violence and stoning women as punishment for adultery.
When questioned repeatedly about these views on BBC's This Week programme by presenter Andrew Neil Mr Qureshi refused to condemn the opinions.
Others extreme positions he refused to condemn included horrifying claims that Jews are descended from pigs and that homosexuality is evil. » | Dion Dassanayake | Friday, March 06, 2015
Related »
Helmut Schmidt : "Oui, j'ai eu une maîtresse"
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| Helmut Schmidt et sa femme Loki (ici en 2006) formaient, pour les Allemands, le couple idéal. |
"Oui, confesse l'ancien chancelier Helmut Schmidt, j'ai eu une maîtresse à la fin des années 60." La nouvelle n'aurait fait sourciller personne en France, mais en Allemagne, elle a d'autant plus l'effet d'une bombe que Helmut et Loki Schmidt incarnaient le couple idéal. Deux êtres complices depuis leur plus tendre enfance pour le meilleur et pour le pire. Les Allemands ont encore en mémoire les larmes amères de leur ancien chancelier voûté sur son fauteuil roulant à l'enterrement, en 2010, de sa compagne de toujours. La mort de Hannelore Schmidt, baptisée affectueusement Loki, et très appréciée pour son franc-parler et son allure à la garçonne sans prétention, fut vécue comme un deuil national. En 2012, deux ans plus tard, le très vieux Helmut Schmidt présentait officiellement sa nouvelle amie. Son ancienne secrétaire, âgée de 81 ans, qui, après cette terrible épreuve, lui avait "sauvé la vie". » | De corresponante du Point à Berlin, Pascale Hugues | jeudi 05 mars 2015
Rückkehr zur Wehrpflicht: Litauen fühlt sich bedroht
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| Präsidentin Grybauskaite, hier in Brüssel, will in Litauen die Wehrpflicht wieder einführen. |
Die litauische Regierung hat einen Vorschlag des nationalen Verteidigungsrats gutgeheissen, die 2008 abgeschaffte allgemeine militärische Stellungspflicht vorübergehend wieder einzuführen. Mit der Sache wird sich deshalb in Kürze das Parlament auseinandersetzen. Vor Journalisten gab am Mittwoch die Präsidentin des Landes, Dalia Grybauskaite, Erklärungen zu dem Schritt ab. » | Rudolf Hermann, Stockholm | Freitag, 06. März 2015
After Calling Muslims 'Suspect,' Radio Host Is Gone
When a caller to his show said Smith was "a bigot." Smith replied, "you're a jackass."
He has not returned to WGMD's airwaves since.
Smith's 97 seconds of verbal sparring, which aired during the live "Mike and Jake in the Morning" show Feb. 20 on WGMD, led to his dismissal from the station that same day, Smith said in an interview, although word of that dismissal is just now leaking out.
During a segment of the morning show focusing on Islamic extremism, Smith said: "Muslims do not stand up for America – and they don't, they didn't stand up for America during 9/11, they didn't stand up for America during Ft. Hood, they've never stood out and said, 'This has to stop' – I haven't heard one Muslim in this country do that.
"As far as I'm concerned, not every Muslim is guilty, but every Muslim is suspect," he continued. » | James Fisher, The News Journal | Friday, March 06, 2015
Jake Smith's on-air conversation »
Iran Condemned for 'Unspeakably Cruel' Blinding of Prisoner
Iran has been condemned for "unspeakable cruelty" after a man was forcibly blinded in his left eye this week on the grounds of legal retribution for an acid attack he had carried out in 2009.
International rights group Amnesty International today condemned the "grotesque" punishment overseen by Iranian authorities on Tuesday under the principle of "qisas" – an eye for an eye – at a prison in Karaj, west of Tehran.
The man had been convicted of throwing acid in another man's face in 2009, leading to a 10-year prison sentence, an order to pay blood money to the victim and the act of retribution.
Medics gouged out his left eye after he was rendered unconscious in Rajai-Shahr prison, the Guardian reported.
"Punishing someone by deliberately blinding them is an unspeakably cruel and shocking act," said Raha Bahreini, Amnesty's Iran researcher, in a statement.
"This punishment exposes the utter barbarity of Iran's justice system and underlines the Iranian authorities' shocking disregard for basic humanity." » | Andrew Marszal, and agencies | Friday, March 06, 2015
Related »
The Know-nothing Cardinal Dolan! Cardinal Compares Islamic State to IRA: 'They Are Not Real Muslims, Just as IRA Claimed to Be Catholic'
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| Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York |
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, drew the parallel in an interview with CNN.
"Remember 30, 35, 40 years ago with the IRA in Ireland? The IRA claimed to be Catholic. And they were baptized; they had a Catholic identity. What they were doing was a perversion of everything the church stood for," he said.
"And to their immense credit the bishops of Ireland, every time the IRA blew up a car or a house or a barracks to the British Army, the Irish bishops would say 'they are not Catholic'.
"The analogy I think is somewhat accurate. These are not pure, these are not real Muslims." » | Claire Cromie | Thursday, March 05, 2015
Friday, March 06, 2015
France To Counter Extremism By Doubling Islamic Varsity Courses
Valls pointed out that the measure to improve home-grown French Islamic education is important so that it can improve a situation in which "Islamist extremism and the far right feed off each other."
The speech was delivered in the eastern city of Strasbourg. The anxiety levels follow the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in January as well as a rise in right-wing support for the anti-immigration National Front Party, led by Marine Le Pen. » | Revathi Siva Kumar | Friday, March 06, 2015
HT: Always on Watch »
Cage Director Asim Qureshi Refuses to Condemn Stoning of Adulterous Women
The director of the Muslim rights group Cage has repeatedly refused to condemn the stoning of adulterous women by Islamic extremists.
Appearing on the BBC’s This Week programme, Asim Qureshi was asked about a series of positions advocated by a Muslim scholar he has described as a mentor, including female genital mutilation, domestic violence and the stoning to death of women found guilty of cheating on their husbands.
Last month, Mr Qureshi was criticised for describing Mohammed Emwazi, the Islamic State executioner known as Jihadi John, as a “beautiful young man”.
Pressed by Andrew Neil, the show’s presenter, to condemn a series of extreme positions, including claims
that Jews are descended from pigs and homosexuality is evil. He repeatedly refused to engage, saying: “I’m not a theologian.” (+ video) » | Rosa Prince, Online Political Editor, Video source: BBC / This Week | Friday, March 06, 2015
Nimrud: Outcry as IS Bulldozers Attack Ancient Iraq Site
IS began demolishing the site, which was founded in the 13th Century BC, on Thursday, according to Iraqi officials.
The head of the UN's cultural agency condemned the "systematic" destruction in Iraq as a "war crime".
IS, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, says shrines and statues are "false idols" that have to be smashed.
"They are erasing our history," said Iraqi archaeologist Lamia al-Gailani. (+ BBC video) » | Friday, March 06, 2015
Islamic State Extremists Bulldoze Ancient Nimrud Site Near Mosul
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| Nimrud is a 13th century BC Assyrian archaeological site close to Mosul, which is controlled by ISIS militants. |
Islamic State (Isis) militants bulldozed the ancient Nimrud archaeological site near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday using heavy military vehicles, the government said.
A statement from Iraq’s ministry of tourism and antiquities did not elaborate on the extent of the damage, saying only that the group continued to “defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity” with this latest act.
Nimrud is a 13th century BC Assyrian archaeological site located on the Tigris River just south of Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, which was captured by Isis in June. The extremists, who control a third of Iraq and Syria, have attacked other archaeological and religious sites, claiming that they promote apostasy. » | Associated Press in Baghdad | Thursday, March 05, 2015
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Winston Churchill – Sinews of Peace (Iron Curtain Speech)
In one of the most famous orations of the Cold War period, former British Prime Minister condemns the Soviet Union's policies in Europe and declares,that "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an "Iron Curtain" has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow."
Churchill, who had been defeated for re-election as prime minister in 1945, was invited to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri where he gave this speech. President Harry S. Truman joined Churchill on the platform and listened intently to his speech. Churchill spoke of expansionistic policies of the Soviet Union and warned against "communist fifth columns" that were operating throughout western and southern Europe. Drawing parallels with the disastrous appeasement of Hitler prior to World War II, Churchill advised that in dealing with the Soviets there was "nothing which they admire so much as strength, and there is nothing for which they have less respect than for military weakness."
Eye for an Eye: Iran Blinds Acid Attacker
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| In 2011, Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman who was blinded in an acid attack, pardoned her assailant. |
In a literal application of the sharia law of an eye for an eye, an Iranian man convicted of blinding another man in an acid attack has been blinded in one eye, marking the first time Iran has carried out such a punishment.
The convicted acid attacker, who has not been identified, was rendered unconscious in Rajai-Shahr prison in the city of Karaj on Tuesday as medics gouged out his left eye, according to the state-owned Hamshahri newspaper.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, from Iran Human Rights (IHR), an independent NGO based in Norway, condemned the blinding as barbaric. “Medical staff who cooperate with the Iranian authorities in this act have broken the Hippocratic oath and cannot call themselves doctors,” he said.
The man had been found guilty of throwing acid in the face of his unnamed victim five years ago in the city of Qom, blinding and disfiguring him for life. He was subsequently sentenced to be blinded in both eyes, paying a fine and 10 years imprisonment.
Although the convict was sentenced to lose sight in both eyes on Tuesday, the victim – who, under Iranian law, has the final say in the punishment – decided at the last minute to postpone the blinding of his right eye for six months. The attacker will be able to plead with the plaintiff to spare him from being blinded fully. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, March 05, 2015
MARGARET THATCHER - 50th Anniversary of Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech | 1996, Fulton, MO
Iran Is 'Taking Over Iraq' and Obama Must Put Boots on the Ground against Isil, Warns Saudi Arabia
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| U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addresses reporters during a news conference with Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, in Riyadh |
Saudi Arabia became the second key American ally in the Middle East to demand President Barack Obama change tack towards Iran on Thursday, as it called for US-led coalition "boots on the ground" to fight Isil.
Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, told John Kerry, the US secretary of state, that he risked allowing Iran to "take over Iraq", echoing Israel's recent concerns over the White House's policy toward Tehran.
The United States and its coalition allies are attacking Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) positions from the air in both Syria and Iraq, but refusing to send troops. As a result, outside Kurdish areas the offensive in both countries is heavily influenced by Iran and its proxy Shia militias such as Hizbollah.
This has raised serious concerns in Saudi Arabia, Iran's Sunni rival for Middle East dominance.
The Iraqi government is currently attacking Isil positions in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown north of Baghdad. But most of its forces are under the command of government-aligned Shia militias, whose leaders are close to the Iranian regime, even though the population of Tikrit is largely Sunni.
Around 28,000 people have fled their homes in the face of the military operation, according to the UN.
"Tikrit is a prime example of what we are worried about," Prince Saud said. "Iran is taking over the country." » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor | Thursday, March 05, 2015
Un article lié à cette histoire »
EI : l'Arabie saoudite appelle la coalition à mener des opérations au sol
Le ministre saoudien des Affaires étrangères a estimé jeudi que la coalition internationale contre les djihadistes du groupe État islamique (EI) devrait "relever le défi au sol", lors d'une conférence de presse commune avec le secrétaire d'État américain John Kerry. Évoquant les actions de cette coalition, conduite par les États-Unis, en Syrie et en Irak, le prince Saoud Al-Fayçal a déclaré : "Le royaume saoudien souligne l'importance de favoriser les moyens militaires nécessaires pour relever ce défi au sol." Le ministre saoudien, dont le pays participe aux opérations de la coalition en Syrie, a déploré l'implication en Irak de l'Iran, son rival régional aux ambitions hégémoniques, selon Riyad. » | Source AFP | jeudi 05 mars 2015
New York City Public Schools to Have Muslim Holidays Off
Libya Chaos Deepens as Isil Strikes Threaten to Halt Oil Production and Government Bombs Tripoli Airport
Libya’s state run oil company says it may be forced to cease all production if security deteriorates further across the country, after suspected Islamic State militants attacked three oil fields, and the national army bombed an airport in the capital.
Four years after mass protests hastened the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, oil-rich Libya is divided between rival governments, each affiliated with a coalition of militias.
Oil facilities across the country have been targeted by a panoply of armed groups as they compete for territory and resources. Production currently stands at around 400,000 barrels per day, less than half the rate of 1.6 million it produced before Gaddafi’s overthrow.
In a statement on Wednesday night, the National Oil Corporation declared 11 of its oil fields non-operational, opting for a force majeure clause that exempts the state from contractual obligations.
It blamed the Islamist-dominated authorities in Tripoli for failing to protect the oil fields, and warned that it could be forced to shut down production nationwide. » | Louisa Loveluck, Cairo | Thursday, March 05, 2015
US Ambassador to South Korea Attacked with Razor During Lecture
The US ambassador to South Korea has been attacked by a man wielding a razor blade as he attended a lecture in Seoul.
In pictures broadcast by the country’s Yonhap news agency, Mark Lippert was seen holding his face as blood gushed from wounds to his head and left wrist.
Mr Lippert, 42, who was about to deliver a speech at a breakfast being held at Sejong Hall, was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. » | Telegraph reporter | Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
MARGARET THATCHER - Death of a Revolutionary - CH4
A Channel 4 documentary by Martin Durkin with contributions by Kenneth Baker, Cecil Parkinson, Neil Kinnock, Kelvin MacKenzie, Norman Tebbit, Bernard Ingham, Charles Powell, Nigel Lawson and David Cameron.
New York City Adds 2 Muslim Holy Days to Public School Calendar
The changes to the school calendar, which already recognizes several Jewish and Christian holidays, fulfills a pledge Mr. de Blasio made during his campaign and represents the increasing influence of the city’s diverse Muslim community. The change will take effect in the 2015-16 academic year. » | Marc Santora and Sharon Otterman | Wednesday, March 04, 2015
"Britain Is the Enemy of Islam"
GATESTONE INTITUTE: "Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace, but rather submission to the commands of Allah alone. Therefore Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression, as their speech and actions are determined by divine revelation and not based on people's desires." — Anjem Choudary, British Islamist.
"Britain is the enemy of Islam." — Mizanur Rahman, Muslim cleric at Palmers Green, north London.
"Brothers and sisters, we would not be here had it not been for the fact that the kafir [non-Muslims] had gone to our lands and killed our people and raped and pillaged our resources... Stop putting freedom on this pedestal." — Aysh Chaudhry, Muslim trainee lawyer at London-based law firm, Clifford Chance.
"The firm is committed to establishing an inclusive culture where people with diverse backgrounds and views work effectively together and feel confident to develop their potential." — Spokesperson for Clifford Chance law firm.
Oxford University Press warned its authors not to mention pigs or sausages in their books, to avoid causing offense to Muslims.
Tarek Kafala, the head of BBC Arabic, said that the term "terrorist" was too "loaded" to describe the actions of the men who killed 12 people in the attack on the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.
"We know that acts of extremism are not representative of Islam; but we need to show what is." — Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, in a letter to 1,000 imams across Britain, asking for their help in fighting extremism.
Following is a brief summary of some of the main stories involving Islam and Islam-related issues in Britain during January 2015, categorized into three broad themes: 1) Islamic extremism; 2) British multiculturalism; and 3) Muslim integration into British society. Read on and comment » | Soeren Kern | Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Franklin Graham Says Obama's 'Sympathy to Islam' Will Lead to Christian and Jewish Persecution in America
"There are Muslims that have access to him in the White House. Our foreign policy has a lot of influence now, from Muslims. We see the prime minister of Israel being snubbed by the president and by the White House and by the Democrats and it's because of the influence of Islam. They hate Israel and they hate Christians, and so the storm is coming, I believe," Graham told Gordon Robertson, host of CBN's "The 700 Club" interactive program.
Graham further pointed out that Obama had a Muslim father, and that as a child the president went to school in Indonesia, which has the largest Islamic population in the world.
"So, growing up his frame of reference and his influence as a young man was Islam. It wasn't Christianity, it was Islam," the evangelist said.
Graham has criticized Obama's foreign policy on a number of occasions, including the president's refusal to call terror group ISIS "Islamic."
"The truth is — their barbaric murderers openly said they killed them because they were 'people of the cross.' Why is the president seemingly continuing to protect Islam and refusing to open his eyes to the truth?" Graham asked when an initial statement by the White House in February failed to identify the 21 Copts beheaded by ISIS as Christians. » | Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post | Tuesday, March 03, 2015
Tuesday, March 03, 2015
Islamic State Is About Revenge Says Former Al-Qaeda Member Turned Spy
Asked what the differences are in the attraction by al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS), Aimen Dean explained that al-Qaeda was about defending the honour of Islam and expelling the US from the Middle East, but with IS it was about revenge.
"It is no longer about going to fight for a noble cause, it is about going to fight for revenge," he said.
Eight years ago Aimen Dean’s life as a spy ended when his cover was blown.
Nach Löschung von Accounts: Islamischer Staat bedroht Twitter-Gründer
Der Onlinedienst Twitter hat nach eigenen Angaben Drohungen erhalten, weil er Nutzerkonten mit Verbindungen zur Dschihadistenmiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) blockiert hat. "Unser Sicherheitsteam untersucht gemeinsam mit den Strafverfolgungsbehörden den Wahrheitsgehalt dieser Drohungen", teilte ein Sprecher des Unternehmens mit, ohne weitere Einzelheiten zu nennen. Im Internet war zuvor ein Bild aufgetaucht, das Twitter-Gründer Jack Dorsey im Visier eines Fadenkreuzes zeigt. In einer Botschaft auf Arabisch wird Dorsey mit Rache für die Sperrung von Nutzerkonten gedroht. » | kbl/AFP | Montag, 02. März 2015
Franklin Graham: New Obama Danger for Christians
Globally known evangelist Franklin Graham says President Obama is so sympathetic to those of the Muslim faith, he’s actually endangering Jews and Christians, opening the doors for them to be persecuted in the United States.
“We’re going to see persecution in this country because our president is very sympathetic to Islam, and the reason I say that … is because his father was a Muslim, gave him a Muslim name, Barack Hussein Obama,” Graham said in an interview on “The 700 Club” on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
“His mother married another Muslim man. They moved to Indonesia. He went to Indonesian schools. So, growing up, his frame of reference and his influence as a young man was Islam. It wasn’t Christianity; it was Islam.”
Graham’s remarks aren’t much of a surprise to those who listen to him frequently. He’s been an outspoken critic of Obama’s presidential policies and has decried what he’s characterized as a curious White House reach-out to Muslim groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood. » | Cheryl Chumley | Monday, March 02, 2015
Monday, March 02, 2015
Saudi Arabia Awards Preacher Who Says Muslims Can Have Sex with Slaves Top Prize and £130,000 for Services to Islam
The king of Saudi Arabia has handed his country's most-prestigious prize to a preacher who has previously said the Koran allows Muslims to have sex with female slaves.
Indian cleric Zakir Naik, who has also said 9/11 was an inside job, was handed the King Faisal International Prize for Services to Islam at a glittering ceremony in Riyadh.
A physician by training, the Mumbai-based 49-year-old has carved out a career as a charismatic television preacher, but his controversial views have led to him being banned from entering the UK.
Dr Naik was one of five winners presented a gold medal, a certificate hand written in Arabic calligraphy and an endowment of more than £130,000 by Saudi King Salman during a ceremony at a luxury hotel yesterday.
The president of the Islamic Research Foundation in India, Dr Naik was honoured for being one of the most renowned non-Arabic speaking promoters of Islam.
He founded the Peace TV channel, billed as the world's only channel specialising in comparative religion, which now reaches an estimated English-language audience exceeding 100million, according to his award citation.
'Islam is the only religion that can bring peace to the whole of humanity,' he said in a video biography aired at the ceremony. It was on a broadcast on Peace TV that Dr Naik suggested that Muslims men may rape their slaves. » | AFP and Damien Gayle for MailOnline | Monday, March 02, 2015
Netanyahu Arrives in US for Contested Congress Iran Speech
Mr Netanyahu says the deal would be inadequate to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.
He is due to give a speech in Congress on Tuesday which was not agreed in advance with the Obama administration, angering the White House.
The speech comes two weeks before Israeli elections, with his Likud party under pressure in domestic polls.
The US and other powers - the so-called P5+1 - are negotiating with Iran on its nuclear programme.
They want a framework agreement by the end of the month which addresses concerns that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology, something Tehran denies. (+ BBC video) » | Sunday, March 01, 2015
La femme sans voile qui dérange les hommes de pouvoir en Iran
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| La journaliste iranienne Masih Alinejad. |
Le sommet de Genève pour les droits de l’homme et la démocratie a décerné, mardi dernier, le Prix des droits des femmes à la journaliste iranienne Masih Alinejad. Son combat? Elle a créé une page Facebook invitant les femmes qui vivent en Iran à poster des photos d’elles sans leur hijab, le voile islamique obligatoire.
Composée de vingt organisations non gouvernementales, l’assemblée a récompensé la journaliste indépendante de 38 ans pour «avoir donné une voix à celles qui n’en avaient pas et éveillé la conscience de l’humanité pour soutenir la lutte des femmes iraniennes, les droits fondamentaux, la liberté et l’égalité». » De Lina Ziadi | De Tehran | dimanche 01 mars 2015
Family Fear Saudi Blogger Could Face Execution By Beheading
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| Raif Badawi received the first 50 of his lashes in January |
Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes after being convicted of insulting Islam, could face death by beheading, according to his family.
The case attracted worldwide condemnation when he was publicly flogged in January.
Now his family say they have been told he is to be tried for apostasy.
"Apostasy charge is punishable under Saudi law with the death penalty by beheading," they said in a message posted on Facebook.
"We also received confirmed information that the Supreme Court has referred Raif case to the same judge, who sentenced Raif with flogging and 10 years imprisonment. » | Rob Crilly, New York | Sunday, March 01, 2015
Britain Is Becoming A Friend Who Can't Be Trusted, Says Top US General
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| Gen Odierno said that British defence cuts are already jeopardising US-UK joint operations |
Ever since the Cold War ended more than two decades ago, America has never entertained any serious doubts about Britain’s ability to fulfil its commitment as a vital military ally when tackling threats to the Western alliance.
Until now. For the dramatic cuts to Britain’s defence budget implemented since the Coalition took power in 2010 have led to a number of senior US military officers and politicians openly questioning whether, when it comes to fighting the wars of the future, Britain has the capability to be an effective ally on the battlefield.
The Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have all suffered cutbacks to the extent that they are no longer able to undertake the kind of missions that Britain has historically supported.
Now, General Raymond Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the US army, who has fought alongside British forces in several conflicts, including the recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, has become the latest senior officer to express his concerns in public, telling The Daily Telegraph when I met him in Washington last week that he is “very concerned” about the impact the cuts are having. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Sunday, March 01, 2015
Sunday, March 01, 2015
UK’s First Anti-Islamization Rally Dwarfed by Counter-demo
Italy Anti-immigration Rally Draws Thousands in Rome
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| Mr Salvini described the government's immigration policies as "a disaster" |
League leader Matteo Salvini accused Mr Renzi of substituting the country's interests to those of the EU.
He also criticised the government's record in dealing with Romanian truck drivers, tax, banks and big business. » | Saturday, February 28, 2015
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