Twitter Revolution – Iran
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Anjem Choudary Peddles His Hate
MAIL Online: On a hot summer afternoon, a man with a microphone stands on a busy London street. He is a tubby figure and sports a black, bushy beard, flecked with grey. He is shrieking at passing shoppers, insisting they follow him - and save their souls.

Teams of young, tough-looking men - all clearly devoted to their leader - dart through the crowds, handing out leaflets and haranguing anyone who questions their message.

From the other side of the street, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a harmless, if colourful, example of citizens making full use of Britain's ancient tradition of free speech.

But there is nothing harmless about what is really going on here. For the man with the microphone is Anjem Choudary, branded the most dangerous man in Britain.

An extremist who believes his sole-calling is to wage holy war against Britain and her 'infidel' allies, he is trying - and succeeding - to prepare the ground for his global Islamic jihad.

Funded by the taxpayer - he claims benefits so that he has plenty of free time to spread his message - Choudary is openly staging these 'Islamic roadshows' across Britain. And their aim is to recruit young British men prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for his chilling cause.

Islamic law in Britain

Exhorting Britain's 1.8 million Muslims to follow his example, Choudary dreams of seeing the black crescent flag, which is the symbol of his organisation, flying over Downing Street, and a draconian form of sharia law imposed across the UK.

He wants alcohol banned, amputations for thieves, and adulterers to be stoned to death.

'People are living in anarchy,' he says. 'There is a rape every minute. Islam has the answer to everything. The Jihad fanatic peddling a message of hate to 11-year-old Londoners (funded by the taxpayer) >>> Andrew Malone | Friday, July 17, 2009

Two Iranian Christians May Face Execution for Apostasy
RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY: Two Iranian women jailed in Iran's notorious Evin prison for converting from Islam to Christianity may be executed for apostasy, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.

Amir Javadzadeh, a broadcaster for the London-based Christian radio station Channel of Affection, told Radio Farda that the two women could be put to death even though "they were not politically active at all." He said they "just wanted to serve people according to the Bible."

The two women, Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, and Maryam Rustampoor, 27, were arrested in March, although they "converted to Christianity about 10 years ago," Javadzadeh said. He added that they became Christians after "spending a lot of time studying the religion and helping others."

They were held in solitary confinement for three weeks in May and June.

Recent judicial revisions in Iran outlaw the death sentence for apostasy. But until the provisions are finalized, there is still a danger they will not be followed, Alexa Papadouris, director of the religious rights group Christianity Solidarity Worldwide, told BosNewsLife on July 14. [Source: RFE/RL]

China and Islam: This Could Get Ugly
THE TELEGRAPH: The internal ructions in Xinjiang, where Han Chinese and Muslim Uighurs have been at each others’ throats, have attracted the attention of the brave boys of Al-Qaeda. For their crimes against Muslims, the cavemen say, China can expect direct retaliation.

A few years ago this wouldn’t have mattered, as China could be pretty confident of keeping its local Muslims under control. No Abu Hamzas there – they wouldn’t last five minutes. But now there are groups of Chinese officials, specialists and workers all over Africa on the aid trail, and Al-Qaeda’s presence in the north of the continent is palpable.

Al-Qaeda, of course, are a bunch of obnoxious blowhards. But there are plenty of dangerous people who might have been given ideas by this new call to arms. And Chinese in Africa are a high-visibility target. This could get ugly. And the people for whom it will get ugliest are the poor old Uighurs of Xinjiang, who will get the blame simply for being the nearest Muslims the PRC can get its hands on. [Source: The Telegraph] Comment here >>> Time Collard | Friday, July 17, 2009

Brigitte Bardot Asks Bruni For Bull Support
SKY NEWS: Former actress turned animal rights campaigner Brigitte Bardot has asked France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, to convince her husband to ban bull-fighting.

The 1960s blonde bombshell asked Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy, in a letter, to get behind her campaign and sway President Nicolas Sarkozy on the issue.

She wrote "Could you convince your husband to ban bullfights, this atrocious spectacle of death, by telling him 'someone told me France must no longer allow the death of a tortured animal'?"

The letter thanked former supermodel Bruni-Sarkozy for taking a public stance against wearing fur.

Bruni-Sarkozy wrote to PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) last month assuring the organisation that she would never buy, wear or own fur.

"I can't tell you how important this stance is in the struggle I have pursued for so many years," Bardot wrote.

The 74-year-old retired from showbusiness 30 years ago and has concentrated all her attention on animal welfare. >>> | Friday, July 17, 2009

Rafsanjani Calls for Release of Jailed Protesters in Iran Amid Clashes in Tehran
TIMES ONLINE: Iranian police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse thousands of demonstrators outside Tehran University today as a former president who is backing the opposition movement led Friday prayers for the first time since the disputed election.

Hojatoleslam Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the influential head of the Assembly of Experts and key supporter of the opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, called for prisoners to be released as he preached inside the campus that Iran was in crisis.

Demonstrators gathered at the university, which has been a regular focus of the protests, despite a violent crackdown by the authorities, only to be met by a wall of officers who have made at least 15 arrests according to a witness.

The former president’s sermon, broadcast live on state radio, was at one stage interrupted by slogans chanted by Mousavi supporters.

“I will talk about a solution for today’s situation, so that a way can be found to go ahead in the future with the same greatness, unity and consensus which we had in the beginning,” he said.

“Our key issue is to return the trust which the people had and now to some extent is broken ... It is not necessary that in this situation people be jailed. Let them join their families. We should not allow enemies to rebuke and ridicule us because of detentions. We should tolerate each other."

The opposition is seeking to show that their movement remains vibrant even after the repression that followed Iran’s discredited June 12 presidential election. >>> Nico Hines | Friday, July 17, 2009

Muslim Convert Guilty of Plotting Suicide Attack
THE TELEGRAPH: A former public schoolboy who converted to Islam has been found guilty of planning a terrorist attack on a shopping centre in Bristol using a homemade suicide vest.

Andrew Ibrahim, 20, who changed his first name to Isa, had adopted the “extremist mindset” of Osama bin Laden after watching extremist preachers and viewing a series of suicide videos on the internet.

The A-level chemistry student and son of a hospital consultant had also taught himself to make HMTD, the same explosive used by the July 7 bombers, over the internet.

He was arrested by armed police as he walked to Bristol city centre on April 17 last year and when police raided his one-bedroom flat in the suburb of Westbury-on-Trym they found a family assortment sized biscuit box containing explosives, a “crude electrical circuit” to set it off and, hanging on the back of his bedroom door, a homemade suicide vest.

Winchester Crown Court heard that between December 2007 and April 2008, Ibrahim had become increasingly radical, growing a beard and wearing Islamic clothing while justifying September 11 and praising the hook-handed preacher Abu Hamza.

”He said he felt the country looked like the inside of a dirty toilet with a minefield outside, as described by Hamza in one of his lectures,” Mark Ellison QC, prosecuting, told the jury. >>> Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Friday, July 17, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Former Public Schoolboy Isa Ibrahim Convicted of Planning 'Carnage'

A former public schoolboy who converted to an extremist strand of Islam and built a viable suicide bomb vest was convicted today of planning “carnage” at a crowded shopping centre.

Andrew Ibrahim, 20, who changed his name to Isa in 2007 after his religious conversion, was arrested after members of the Muslim community in Bristol became concerned about his behaviour and contacted police.

Ibrahim, the son of a hospital consultant, was convicted making an explosive with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the UK in April 2008.

He was also found guilty of a charge of preparing terrorist acts by purchasing material to make an explosive, making that explosive, buying material to detonate the explosive, carrying out “reconnaissance” before the act and “making an improvised suicide vest in which to then detonate an explosive substance”.

Ibrahim was given an indeterminate sentence at Winchester Crown Court and told he should serve a minimum of 10 years.
Flanked by four prison officers, Ibrahim showed no emotion as the jury delivered its majority verdict.

His mother fled the court in tears as the sentence was passed. >>> Sean O’Neill | Friday, July 17, 2009

The Bomb Plotter with a Teddy Bear Collection
THE INDEPENDENT: With his dyed red hair, pierced eyebrows and avowed interest in hardcore dance music, Andrew "Andy" Ibrahim was the epitome of the modern teenager. On his MySpace page, he described his interests as singing in a band, "hanging out", watching chat shows and "lots of reality TV".

There was little reason to expect the bright but gawky young man from a well-heeled suburb of Bristol to stand out from his peers. His English mother, a university administrator, and his Egyptian-born father, Nassif, a consultant pathologist, had ensured their son and his elder brother, Peter, spent their childhood in a settled and privileged environment.

When not living in the £800,000 family home in the commuter village of Frenchay, Andrew was sent to a series of private schools including Downside, the select Catholic public school near Bath whose former pupils include Auberon Waugh, Rocco Forte and Barclays Bank chief executive John Varley.

But beneath the veneer of an expensive education and efforts to strike a pose as a follower of popular culture, there was a disturbed and isolated young man whose adolescent search for identity and slow slide into a drug addiction became twisted into alternative persona - that of a would-be suicide bomber intent on mass murder in a crowded shopping centre. >>> By Cahal Milmo | Friday, July 16, 2009

Something Profound Has Changed. Iranians Are Losing Their Fear and Mock the Official Line
THE INDEPENDENT: An air of normality has returned to Iran but it is misleading, writes Dadbeh Gudarzi in Tehran

A journey from east to west Tehran in the morning rush-hour traps you in a long line of cars reduced to a tortuous crawl. Yesterday, a middle-aged beggar woman roamed the traffic trying in vain to sell dish-cloths. We moved for a few seconds but then ground to a halt again, just like Iran's political paralysis. The driver of our shared taxi, in between grumbling about the traffic, lit up a cigarette and turned on the CD player. The words of the song could hardly have been more appropriate: "Once again I feel crying tonight".

On the surface, things may look as if they are back to normal after the crushing of the biggest protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution. On the way to my office, I check out the headlines at a newspaper kiosk and yes, it's business as usual: "The West miscalculated with unrest in Iran."

Some of us still go up to our roofs and balconies at 10pm every night and for about 10 minutes shout: Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! ("God is great".) It was the gesture that helped topple the Shah in 1979.

But fewer people are doing it now. And the night-time theatre can make you laugh almost to death. First you hear a chorus echoing: Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! from one roof. Then comes a cry from another: "Death to the dictator." Then a different voice from another building in the distance shouts: "Death to those who defy the leadership." Then yet another voice, presumably not an Ahmadinejad supporter roars back: "Death to your father." >>> Dadbeh Gudarzi* | Friday, July 17, 2009

*The author’s name has been changed.

Czarist America
FRONTPAGEMAG.COM: In an historic and possibly unconstitutional expansion of Executive authority, President Obama has named more than 30 “czars” with unprecedented and seemingly unlimited authority in a breadth of fields—ranging from U.S. border czar to Iran czar. All are responsible only to Obama. Now, the Messiah's appointment of czars has been labeled a blatant and unconstitutional power grab by an unusual source—the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, Robert Byrd, D-WV. 

In a February letter to Obama, Byrd wrote that the czars “as presidential assistants and advisors “are not accountable for their actions to Congress, to cabinet officers, or to virtually anyone but the president.” He wrote the czarist system violates the Constitutional system of checks-and-balances and the separation of powers, and is a clear attempt to evade Congressional oversight.

The Constitution states that government officers with significant authority—they’re called Principal Officers—once nominated by the president are then subject to judgment by the Senate as to their confirmation. Principal Officers include not only members of the president’s cabinet but also assistant secretaries and deputy undersecretaries of federal departments. Byrd is hardly an insignificant voice in his party. Byrd endorsed Obama over Hillary Clinton in the West Virginia primary last year.

Before that, Senator Byrd was the Left’s favorite Constitutional expert during the Iraq War, when he broached the possibility of impeaching George Bush over NSA wiretapping. But he is now largely ignored, as he was during most of the Clinton years.
The appointment of Kenneth Feinberg June 10 as the pay-czar illustrates the breadth of power vested in Obama’s czars. Feinberg will have the authority to review, reject and likely determine specific compensation of any company executive who has taken bail-out money from Obama’s giant piggy bank.

Not only will the top executives of these companies have to come to Feinberg with hat in hand for their salaries, so, too, will 100 high-ranking employees of Citigroup, Bank of America, American International Group (AIG), and other companies given large sums, such as General Motors. Obama has protested “I don’t want to run a car company,” but he is setting its pay policy through Feinberg. >>> Tait Trussell | Thursday, July 16, 2009

Hat tip: Always On Watch >>>

Gay Marriage Approval Sounds Death Knell for Anglican Unity
TIMES ONLINE: Bishops in the US dealt a death blow to hopes for unity in the worldwide Anglican Church when they approved in principle services for same-sex partnerships. The decision will finally split the Communion between Bible-based conservative evangelicals and liberal modernisers.

The bishops at the Episcopal General Convention voted by 104 to 30 to “collect and develop theological resources and liturgies” for blessing same-sex relationships, to be considered at the next convention in 2012.

The resolution notes the growing number of states that allow gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships, and gives bishops in those regions discretion to provide a “generous pastoral response” to couples in local parishes. It was passed on Wednesday, hours after the Episcopal Church voted on Tuesday to allow the consecration of gay bishops. The motion passed by 99 to 45 among the bishops and by 72 per cent to 28 per cent among church deputies, made up of clergy and laity.

The decisions on gay consecrations and same-sex blessings end the uneasy truce agreed after the consecration of the openly gay Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.

The General Convention in 2006 agreed a resolution that pledged the Episcopal Church to abide by two moratoriums on same-sex blessings and gay consecrations as requested by Dr Williams and the other 38 Primates. The resolutions now passed bring that truce to an end, and will be seen in the conservative-dominated evangelical churches of the “Global South” as an open declaration of war.

It ends years of tense and costly ecclesiastical polity, and finally nails the hopes of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who has sacrificed his own liberal principles on the altar of church unity, to no avail. Dozens of meetings of bishops, archbishops, canon lawyers, clergy and lay theologians in Britain, Ireland, Jamaica and elsewhere, pages of dense reports and hours of prayer have been rendered redundant by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the US in Anaheim, California.

Church leaders led by Dr Williams must now manage the disintegration of a 70-million strong Communion of 38 provinces that can no longer maintain the facade of unity. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Friday, July 17, 2009

The Norwegian Jihad
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The Harsher Face of Islam

Sharia Law: Nigeria
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BBC Pays Damages to Muslim Leader
BBC: The BBC has agreed to pay £45,000 in damages to the head of the Muslim Council of Britain over a libellous claim in the Question Time programme.

The claim was made by a panellist on the programme, who accused Muhammad Abdul Bari of implicitly condoning the kidnap and killing of British soldiers.

Mr Bari argued this was untrue, citing his public condemnation of the killing of British troops in Iraq in 2007.

The BBC accepted the argument and apologised unreservedly. >>> | Thursday, July 16, 2009

Kärnten ehrt Jörg Haider mit einem Museum
TAGES ANZEIGER: Das Leben des umstrittenen Rechtspolitikers wird in einer Ausstellung in Klagenfurt verewigt. Thema ist auch die nationalsozialistische Vergangenheit von Jörg Haiders Familie.

Der im vergangenen Jahr tödlich verunglückte Politiker Jörg Haider soll in Österreich ein eigenes Museum bekommen. Die Ausstellung in Klagenfurt im Bundesland Kärnten, in dem Haider Regierungschef war, soll zum Todestag am 11. Oktober eröffnet werden. >>> vin/sda | Donnerstag, 16. Juli 2009

Obama pone Andalucía y Córdoba como ejemplo de libertad religiosa / Obama Puts Cordova and Andalusia as an Example of Religious Freedom

Abdur Raheem Green: Growing a Beard

New Dark Age Alert! Pagan Police Allowed to Take Hallowe'en and Summer Solstice Off Work
THE TELEGRAPH: Pagan police officers in Britain have been given the right to take eight days off work a year to celebrate "religious holidays" including Hallowe'en and the summer solstice.

Photo of Stonehenge courtesy of ‘The Telegraph’
It follows the setting up of a Pagan Police Association to represent officers who worship nature and believe in many gods.

Pc Andy Pardy, a leading Pagan officer from Hertfordshire Police, met with Home Office officials this week to push for more recognition for pagan officers.

The neighbourhood beat manager, who has been an officer for the past seven years, is a heathen which means he worships Norse gods, including the hammer-wielding Thor, the one-eyed Odin and Freyr, the god of fertility.

Pc Pardy said : "Paganism is not the new age, tree hugging fad that some people think it is. It is not the clandestine, horrible, evil thing that people think it is. A lot of people think it is about dancing naked around a fire but the rituals are not like that.

"It involves chanting, music, meditation, reading passages and for pagans the practices are seen to have the same power as prayer does for Christians. Most pagans practice some kind of conservation work as well to give something back to the planet."

Hertfordshire Police allows Pc Pardy the eight pagan holidays off each year, including Hallowe'en, which signifies the Pagan new year, and the summer solstice in June.

The days are deducted from his annual leave but because of his religion the days off are set in stone.

Superintendent Simon Hawkins, of Hertfordshire Police, said: "While balancing operational needs, the force's religion and beliefs policy gives all staff the choice of re-allocating the traditional Christian bank-holiday festivals to suit their personal faith. >>> Nick Allen | Thursday, July 16, 2009

Ayman Al-Zawahiri appelle les Pakistanais au djihad
LE MONDE: Dans un enregistrement vidéo de 8 minutes et 49 secondes, le numéro deux d'Al-Qaida, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, met en garde les Pakistanais contre les interventions américaines dans les questions militaires et politiques de leur pays. Le leader islamiste d'origine égyptienne affirme que la "croisade" menée par les Américains vise à éradiquer le cœur de la lutte islamiste afin de démembrer le Pakistan et de le transformer en une série de "petites entités loyales et dépendantes des néo-croisés".

Dans cette vidéo intitulée "Mes frères et mes sœurs musulmans au Pakistan", postée mardi 14 juillet sur des forums djihadistes, il dit que les interventions américaines menacent l'avenir du Pakistan. "La manipulation par les croisés américains du destin du Pakistan a atteint un tel niveau que cela met gravement en danger le futur et l'existence même du Pakistan", déclare le numéro deux d'Al-Qaida dans la vidéo, obtenue par le centre américain de surveillance des sites islamistes, SITE. >>> LEMONDE.FR avec AFP et Reuters | Mercredi 15 Juillet 2009

CNN: Al Qaeda Message Urges Pakistanis to Back Militants

The people of Pakistan must back Islamic militants to counter the influence of the United States in their country or face punishment from God, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command, said in an audio message released early Wednesday.

"I believe that every honest and sincere Muslim in Pakistan should seriously contemplate ... Pakistan's present state and expected future, because the blatant American crusader interference in Pakistan's affairs ... has reached such an extent that it now poses a grave danger to Pakistan's future and very existence," al-Zawahiri said in the message, which was released on radical Islamist Web sites.

Zawahiri warned Muslims that they have a religious duty to support the jihad, or struggle.

"If we stand by passively without offering due support to the mujahedeen, we shall not only contribute to the destruction of Pakistan and Afghanistan, but we shall also deserve the painful punishment of almighty God," he said. >>> | Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Israeli Navy in Suez Canal Prepares for Potential Attack on Iran
TIMES ONLINE: Two Israeli missile class warships have sailed through the Suez Canal ten days after a submarine capable of launching a nuclear missile strike, in preparation for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The deployment into the Red Sea, confirmed by Israeli officials, was a clear signal that Israel was able to put its strike force within range of Iran at short notice. It came before long-range exercises by the Israeli air force in America later this month and the test of a missile defence shield at a US missile range in the Pacific Ocean.

Israel has strengthened ties with Arab nations who also fear a nuclear-armed Iran. In particular, relations with Egypt have grown increasingly strong this year over the “shared mutual distrust of Iran”, according to one Israeli diplomat. Israeli naval vessels would likely pass through the Suez Canal for an Iranian strike.

“This is preparation that should be taken seriously. Israel is investing time in preparing itself for the complexity of an attack on Iran. These manoeuvres are a message to Iran that Israel will follow up on its threats,” an Israeli defence official said.

It is believed that Israel’s missile-equipped submarines, and its fleet of advanced aircraft, could be used to strike at in excess of a dozen nuclear-related targets more than 800 miles from Israel.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, said that his Government explicitly allowed passage of Israeli vessels, and an Israeli admiral said that the drills were “run regularly with the full co-operation of the Egyptians.” >>> Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem | Thursday, July 16, 2009

VOA: Israel: Iran Will Be Destroyed if It Launches Nuclear Attack

Israel has warned Iran of catastrophic consequences if it attacks the Jewish state with weapons of mass destruction. 

Israel's national security advisor says Iran will be destroyed if it dares to launch a nuclear attack on the Jewish state. In an interview published Friday in the Hebrew daily Ha'aretz, Uzi Arad said Israel must have "tremendously powerful" weapons to deter or retaliate for a nuclear strike. That seemed to be a clear reference to Israel's reported nuclear arsenal, though it has never admitted to having nuclear weapons. Arad described a nuclear Iran as a "nightmare for Israel."

In a speech last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a nuclear Iran is not only a threat to Israel, but also to Western civilization. >>> Robert Berger | Friday, July 10, 2009

HAARETZ: Defense Official: Israel Readying for Attack on Iran

Israel's recent deployment of warships across the Red Sea should be seen as serious preparation for an attack on Iran, an Israeli defense official told the Times of London on Thursday.

"This is preparation that should be taken seriously. Israel is investing time in preparing itself for the complexity of an attack on Iran. These maneuvers are a message to Iran that Israel will follow up on its threats," the official was quoted as saying.

Earlier this week, two Israel Navy gunboats openly sailed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. The ships that passed through the Suez Canal on Tuesday were two Sa'ar 5 gunboats, the Hanit and the Eilat. This follows a similar incident in late June, when an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine passed through the canal, later returning the same way.

The move, apparently coordinated with Egypt, is seen as a warning message to Middle Eastern radicals, first and foremost Iran. >>> By Amos Harel, Anshel Pfeffer and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service | Thursday, July 16, 2009

Supreme Leader Khamenei Diminished in Iranians' Eyes
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei openly sided with President Ahmadinejad with the election results still in dispute, 'opposing him is no longer the same as opposing God,' one analyst says.

Reporting from Beirut -- For two decades he was considered to be above the petty political squabbles, a cautious elder contemplating questions of faith and Islam while guiding his nation into the future.

But Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose title of supreme leader makes him Iran's ultimate authority, has gotten his hands dirty. His decision in recent weeks to so stridently support the nation's controversial president after a disputed election has dramatically changed his image among his people, setting in motion an unpredictable series of events that could fundamentally change the Islamic Republic.

"Public respect for him has been significantly damaged," said one analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Opposing him is no longer the same as opposing God."

The venerated Khamenei has even become the target of public jokes and criticism.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "commits crimes, and the leader supports him," was a popular slogan during the riots of June 20, the day after Khamenei delivered a blistering Friday sermon in which he said that the election a week earlier had been won by Ahmadinejad.

At July 9 demonstrations, protesters mocked the ayatollah's son, Mojtaba, who many believe hopes to succeed his father. >>> Borzou Daragahi | Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Tony Blair: President of Europe?
Are we really going to be subjected to this? Having that man as the Prime Minister for twelve years – the banning prime minister – was bad enough, but the thought of his being Pres for a few years at the top of European politics is really too much to bear. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, reach for the ‘sick bag’ for me, please. – ©Mark

Petition: Stop Blair! >>>

A Right British Stitch-up!
MAIL Online: Tony Blair is Labour's choice to become President of Europe, a minister let slip last night.

The Europe minister Glenys Kinnock has revealed that Gordon Brown has formally chosen to endorse his predecessor for the lucrative new post.

In a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she said: 'The UK Government is supporting Tony Blair's candidature for President of the Council.'
The move has dismayed the Tories, who have accused Labour of a 'stitch-up'.

And Lady Kinnock's admission provoked consternation in Downing Street, which mow must face questions over the role played by Lord Mandelson in the decision. What a stitch-up! Government backs Blair as President of Europe - but did Lord Mandy twist PM's arm? >>> Tim Shipman | Thursday, July 16, 2009

Afrique – Somalie : les agents français aux mains d'islamistes
LePARISIEN.fr: Les deux Français enlevés mardi matin dans un hôtel de Mogadiscio (Somalie) sont détenus par des insurgés islamistes, selon un haut responsable des services de sécurité somaliens, qui précise qu'ils ont «changé de mains». Il n'a pas précisé laquelle des deux milices extrémistes - les shehab et le Hezb al-Islamiya - détenait les otages.

Dns [sic] un premier temps, le ministre somalien de la Défense avait assuré sur l'antenne de RFI que les deux agents de renseignement français avaient été victimes d'un rapt crapuleux. Une thèse soutenue par un journaliste indépendant, le grand reporter Grégoire Deniau, tout juste rentré de Somalie, qui expliquait que les enlèvements sont devenus un véritable business dans la capitale somalienne.

«Le gouvernement fédéral est quasi inexistant là-bas. Il contrôle seulement le port, l'aéroport et le palais présidentiel. Ailleurs, c'est le chaos, expliquait Grégoire Deniau mercredi matin, au micro de France Info. Les pro-islamistes d'un côté, les milices soutenues par l'Ethiopie de l'autre, y règnent en maître. Les quartiers de la ville passent d'ailleurs d'une main à l'autre en seulement deux minutes. Du coup, des gens, pour sauver leur peau, vendent des étrangers à ces groupes. Un marché qui devient très lucratif pour eux».

Les autorités somaliennes assurent qu'elles ont réussi à identifier les ravisseurs et à prendre contact avec eux. «On ne connaît pas leur nom, ni leur appartenance. Mais ce ne sont pas ni des Shabab, ni des islamistes radicaux. Ils sont en revanche connus pour participer régulièrement aux violences à Mogadiscio», précise le ministre de la Défense, Mohamed Abdi Gandi. >>> Mardi 14 Juillet 2009

Cisjordanie: L'Autorité palestinienne suspend la chaîne Al-Jazira
LE POINT: L'Autorité palestinienne a ordonné mercredi la fermeture temporaire du bureau de la chaîne satellitaire Al-Jazira à Ramallah, en Cisjordanie, pour diffusion de fausse nouvelle, a annoncé le ministère de l'Information palestinien.

Le ministère indique avoir pris cette décision à la suite de la diffusion d'"information mensongère" mardi par Al-Jazira, une chaîne basée au Qatar. Il précise que des poursuites judiciaires vont être engagées contre la chaîne d'information en arabe.

Dans son communiqué, il affirme qu'Al-Jazira "a consacré une part importante de ses programmes à dénigrer l'OLP (Organisation de libération de la Palestine) et l'Autorité palestinienne".

"Malgré nos appels répétés à ce qu'elle soit neutre dans sa couverture des questions palestiniennes et équilibrée en ce qui concerne la situation palestinienne interne, la chaîne a continué à (les) dénigrer", précise-t-il.

Al-Jazira s'est refusée à tout commentaire mais a indiqué dans un bandeau en bas d'écran que la décision était liée à la diffusion mardi d'une déclaration de Farouk Kaddoumi, chef du département politique de l'OLP.

Il y accusait le président palestinien Mahmoud Abbas et le dirigeant Mohammed Dahlane d'avoir comploté avec Israël pour tuer par empoisonnement le dirigeant historique palestinien Yasser Arafat.

Yasser Arafat est décédé le 11 novembre 2004 à l'âge de 75 ans dans un hôpital de la région parisienne. Le mystère entourant la maladie à l'origine de la mort d'Arafat demeure entier, plusieurs responsables palestiniens étant convaincus que leur chef a été empoisonné par Israël, ce que l'Etat hébreu dément. >>> AFP | Mercredi 15 Juillet 2009

Wie der Iran an die Atombombe kam
Das Mullah-Regime soll in nur sechs Monaten in der Lage sein, eine Atombombe zu testen. Das ergaben die Recherchen der stern-Journalisten Oliver Schröm, Uli Rauss und Johannes Gunst. Wieso deutsche Unternehmer dabei eine entscheidende Rolle spielten und was der BND weiß - ein Interview.

Iran und die Atombombe: Der Albtraum der Welt
STERN: Die Mullahs und die Atombombe - das ist der Albtraum der Welt. Und es war lange klar, dass es so kommen könnte. Wie gefährlich ein nuklear bewaffneter Iran wirklich ist, und was der Westen jetzt unternehmen sollte.

Am 12. September 2002 - ein Jahr nach den Anschlägen von New York und Washington und einen Tag nach dem Werben von US-Präsident George Bush vor der Uno für einen Krieg gegen Saddam Hussein - sorgte sich Deutschlands damaliger Außenminister Joschka Fischer auf dem Rückflug aus den USA nach Deutschland wegen des iranischen Atomprogramms. "Was auch immer im Irak passieren wird", sagte er damals an Bord seines Regierungs-Airbus, "um den Iran mache ich mir viel größere Sorgen."

Womöglich wird der Ex-Außenminister wieder mal Recht behalten. Denn ein Konflikt um die nuklearen Ambitionen des Iran hat viel mehr Zündstoff als ein Krieg gegen den Irak - so verheerend der schon war. Und das liegt am Iran ebenso wie an seinen Gegnern. Denn letztere haben einen gehörigen Anteil daran, dass es überhaupt so weit gekommen ist.

Weshalb bemüht sich der Iran so sehr um die Bombe? Einmal aus dem Selbstverständnis des Landes als einer uralten bedeutenden Kultur heraus. Weshalb - so lautet das Argument der Iraner - spricht man ihnen das Recht auf eine Bombe ab, wenn doch andere Länder der Region - Pakistan oder Israel zum Beispiel - Atomwaffen besitzen.



Iraner sind Schiiten, umgeben von einem Meer ihnen oft nicht wohl gesonnener Sunniten. Sie sind keine Araber. Sie wurden 1980 von einem arabischen Nachbarn, von Saddam Hussein, überfallen und in einen Krieg verwickelt, der etwa 500.000 von ihnen das Leben gekostet hat. Noch heute trifft man in den Wartezimmern iranischer Kliniken Hunderte Männer, die dem Giftgas des irakischen Diktators nur mit Mühe entkommen sind.

Darüber hinaus hat der Irak-Krieg 2003 gezeigt, dass ein Land ohne Massenvernichtungswaffen mit dem Sturz seines Regimes rechnen muss. Wer welche besitzt wie Nordkorea, ist davor anscheinend gefeit. Und da die US-Regierung von George W. Bush und die hinter ihr stehenden Republikaner nie einen Hehl daraus gemacht haben, dass sie die Mullahs loswerden wollen, haben die schon vor Jahren begonnen, den Preis dafür nach oben zu treiben. >>> Eine Analyse von Hans-Hermann Klare | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2009

Christopher Hitchens: Iran’s Clock Ticking Towards Nuclear Weaponry

The Persian Paradox: Understanding Iran and Iranians

Robert Baer: Iran’s Grip on America’s Future

Afghanistan, and a Lesson from History that Goes Unheeded
THE TELEGRAPH: Great leaders can see the bigger picture in times of conflict, says Irwin Stelzer

Reading Andrew Roberts's Masters and Commanders is a depressing experience. Not because of any flaws in this beautifully researched and wonderfully told tale of the Masters (Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill) and Commanders (General George Marshall and Field Marshall Sir Alan Brooke, both chiefs of staff) who forged the strategy that won the Second World War. You leave this book unread this summer at peril to your understanding not only of the war, but of the relevance of that history to the policy decisions confronting whatever government British voters decide to trust with their fate at the next general election.

The baseball player Yogi Berra once famously said: "I came to a fork in the road and I took it." Britain's policymakers do not have the luxury of such choice-avoidance: nuclear-armed Pakistan is threatened by Afghanistan-based Taliban jihadists, Russia is on a roll, Islamic fanatics are threatening to continue terror attacks on our countries, British and American citizens are being trained in Afghanistan for suicide missions, Iran's mullahs are close to acquiring nuclear weapons, and North Korea is becoming the nuclear-arms supplier of choice for groups that wish to do us harm. In short, the threats Britain and America face might not be as visible as those presented by Hitler, but are in the long-run as dangerous to the survival of the West, especially because many are posed by non-state actors who do not have a "return address" should we seek to respond to any attack.

President Obama is sufficiently impressed with the danger posed by the Taliban to face down many in his own party and order a troop surge – though that Bushite word never passes the Obama lips – in Afghanistan. If this anti-Iraq war disciple of "soft power" feels the need to put 20,000 more American troops in harm's way, there surely must be good reason for concern. >>> Irwin Stelzer | Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Return of Religion to Europe
THE JAPAN TIMES ONLINE: BUDAPEST — It's a well-worn contrast: the United States is religious, Europe is secular. Yet, in some respects, this cliched opposition has actually been reversed recently: Religion played virtually no role during the last American presidential election, while in a range of different European countries major controversies about religion have flared up, suggesting that questions of faith are back at the center of European politics.

Consider French President Nicolas Sarkozy. On numerous occasions, he has argued that his country needs to rethink its traditional strict separation of state and religion. In particular, according to the twice-divorced self-confessed "cultural Catholic," France should develop a "positive secularism." In contrast to a negative separation, which according to Sarkozy "excludes and denounces," a positive separation invites "dialogue" and recognizes the social benefits of religion.

In a much criticized speech in Rome at the end of 2007, Sarkozy acknowledged the Christian roots of France, "the eldest daughter of the Church"; he also praised Islam during a visit to Saudi Arabia. Now he wants state subsidies for faith-based organizations — a policy proposal that upsets his many secularist critics.

This new appeal to religion — after a long period when it was taken for granted that secularization would make religion less and less politically relevant — is not an exclusively French phenomenon. The Spanish People's Party tried hard to mobilize Catholics during the election campaign in March 2008. The church supported the PP against Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose advocacy of gay marriage, more relaxed divorce laws and the removal of compulsory religion classes from the national curriculum, upset many religious conservatives. Zapatero eventually felt it necessary to tell a Vatican envoy that Spanish bishops should stop meddling in the elections (which the prime minister won).

In Italy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi precipitated a constitutional crisis by trying to rush through emergency legislation to prevent a comatose patient from being taken off life support. This reminded many observers of what America's Republican Party tried to do to demonstrate its "pro-life commitments" during George W. Bush's presidency.

Finally, there is Britain, usually seen as perhaps the most secular country in Western Europe, and thus the least likely candidate to see the return of religion of any kind (outside its Muslim community). Under David Cameron's leadership, the newly invigorated Conservative Party is listening to a number of thinkers, dubbed "red Tories," who urge the party to turn its back on Thatcherism and embrace civil society, local community, the family and, not least, religion as a major force in fostering responsible social behavior. >>> Jan-Werner Mueller*, © 2009 Project Syndicate/Institute for Human Sciences | Sunday, July 5, 2009

*Jan-Werner Mueller is associate professor of politics at Princeton University and an Open Society fellow at Central European University, Budapest.

Anatomy of an Iranian Revolution Delayed
THE JAPAN TIMES ONLINE: YPSILANTI, Mich. — The ongoing conflict between Iran's rulers and the Iranian public is the result of a head-on collision between two contradictory forces. In recent years, public attitudes in Iran have become more liberal. At the same time, power has shifted from conservative pragmatism toward a much more militant fundamentalism. The call by the most important group of Iran's clerics for the election results to be thrown out is but the latest sign of the fight back of both the reformist and pragmatic conservative factions.

Thirty years after the Islamic revolution, Iranians are growing demonstrably less religious and more liberal. Two face-to-face surveys of more than 2,500 Iranian adults, conducted in 2000 and 2005, clearly show the trend. The percentage of those who "strongly agree" that democracy is the best form of government increased from 20 percent to 31 percent.

Similarly, on a number of questions concerning gender equality — including political leadership, equal access to higher education, and wifely obedience — the numbers continued a downward trend. Those who considered love as the basis for marriage increased from 49 percent to 69 percent, while those who depended on parental approval fell from 41 percent to 24 percent. In 2005, a much higher percentage than in 2000 defined themselves as "Iranian, above all" rather than "Muslim, above all."

This trend is not hard to understand. The imposition of a monolithic religious discourse on society has made liberal values attractive to Iranians. But, while this was reflected in reformist trends in the country's wider political life, a movement toward militant fundamentalism took shape within the regime's power structure. Reform-minded politicians were partly to blame for this change. Far from opposing absolutist power as an impediment to religious democracy, they tried to persuade the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the value of reform.

But Khamenei had no interest in reform, as he made plain in dismantling the reform movement. The presidency of Mohammad Khatami, an avowed reformer, who served eight years, beginning in 1997, convinced the supreme leader that his authority would be assured only if the presidency was held by a subservient fundamentalist such as the current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In this, Khamenei was following the lead of the late shah, who kept Amir Abbas Hoveyda, a loyal retainer, as prime minister from 1965 until the shah was overthrown in 1979.

The problem with the supreme leader's calculation, however, is that Ahmadinejad is a loose cannon. His populist rhetoric and religious fundamentalism have alienated a large section of conservative-pragmatist clerics and their supporters. >>> Mansoor Moaddel*, © 2009 Project Syndicate | Wednesday, July 15, 2009

*Mansoor Moaddel, a professor of sociology at Eastern Michigan University, has conducted numerous opinion surveys in the Middle East.

Eilmeldung: Verkehrsflugzeug in Iran abgestürzt: 150 Passagiere an Bord
NZZ Online: Ein iranisches Verkehrsflugzeug ist nach Angaben des staatlichen iranischen Fernsehens abgestürzt und hat vermutlich alle rund 150 Insassen in den Tod gerissen. Der Sender meldete am Mittwoch, dass mit keinen Überlebenden zu rechnen sei. >>> sda/Reuters/ap | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2009

REUTERS: Up to 168 Aboard Plane Killed in Iran Crash

TEHRAN - A Tupolev passenger aircraft crashed in northwestern Iran on Wednesday and 168 people on board were killed, Iranian media reported.

The Caspian Airlines aircraft was carrying 153 passengers and 15 crew, Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for Iran's aviation organization, told state television.

State television showed footage of debris from the plane and some body parts.

"It's been a major disaster with pieces of aircraft spread over an area of 200 square meters," a fire brigade official told Iranian state television.

"There was an explosion which left an indentation 10 meters deep in the ground. There was nothing we could do. We tried to put out the fire as best we could," he said.

Other television pictures showed a large crater gouged into farmland with mangled pieces of metal scattered around. Smoke rose from the site as police and bystanders gathered around.

The plane was traveling from Tehran to Yerevan in Armenia when it came down at 11:33 a.m. (0703 GMT) near the city of Qazvin, the official IRNA news agency said.

The plane crashed 16 minutes after take-off from the capital's Imam Khomeini International airport, it said. >>> Reporting by Zahra Hosseinian and Parisa Hafezi; Writing by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Louise Ireland, © Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved | Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Iran 'Executes Sunni Militants'
BBC: Iran has executed 13 members of a Sunni rebel group blamed for a spate of attacks in the south-east of the country, Iran's state news agency says.

They were members of Jundallah (God's Soldiers). The execution of the brother of their leader was postponed, the agency reported.

Tehran blames the group for a series of attacks including the bombing of a mosque in May which killed 25 people.

Amnesty International had appealed for a stay of execution.

It said that the convicts had not received a fair trial.

Ebrahim Hamidi, who heads the judiciary in south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, told the official Irna news agency on Tuesday that 13 of the group had been hanged inside a jail in the city of Zahedan.

"After last minute consultations, the executions were carried out in a prison," Mr Hamidi is quoted as saying.

Fars, a semi-official news agency, had earlier reported that the executions would be carried out in public.

Abdolhamid Rigi, the brother of the group's leader Abdolmalek Rigi, was not among those hanged on Tuesday but would be executed later this week, the report said. >>> | Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Moussavi plant eine iranische Reformpartei
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der iranische Oppositionsführer will auf breiter Front weiter gegen die Regierung von Mahmoud Ahmadinejad kämpfen: Er gründet nach Angaben eines Vertrauten eine neue Partei.

Mir-Hossein Moussavi plane die Gründung einer «politischen Front», der verschiedene reformorientierte Parteien angehören sollten, sagte Ali Reza Beheshti am Dienstag der Nachrichtenagentur AP.

Der nach amtlichem Ergebnis bei der Präsidentenwahl vom 12. Juni gegen Ahmadinejad unterlegene Moussavi hatte sich in letzter Zeit aus der Öffentlichkeit zurückgezogen. Er hat lediglich angekündigt, für das weitere Vorgehen gegen den Staatschef einen «rechtlichen Rahmen» zu schaffen. >>> oku/ap | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2009

Sarah Palin attackiert Barack Obama
TAGES ANZEIGER: Kaum ist sie als Gouverneurin von Alaska zurückgetreten, meldet sich Palin auf der nationalen Politbühne zurück: Mit scharfen Worten gegen die Klimaschutz-Pläne des Präsidenten.

Obamas Vorhaben sei eine «unglaubliche Gefahr» für die US- Wirtschaft, schrieb Palin in einem am Dienstag in der Tageszeitung «Washington Post» veröffentlichten Beitrag. Der Plan «untergrabe» den Wiederaufbau der Wirtschaft und füge ihr langfristig Schäden zu, schrieb Palin, die Anfang Juli überraschend den Rücktritt als Gouverneurin von Alaska angekündigt hatte.

«Wir müssen in eine neue Richtung vorstossen», schrieb die 45- Jährige und nannte unter anderem eine intensivere Erdölförderung und einen stärkeren Rückgriff auf heimische Energieressourcen. Wirtschaftswachstum und Energieunabhängigkeit seien möglich, «wenn wir verantwortungsvoll die Rohstoffe nutzen, die Gott uns im amerikanischen Boden geschenkt hat». >>> oku/sda | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2009

Inside the Hidden Kingdom: Saudi Arabia
Watch Journeyman Pictures video here >>>

Hidden behind the Niqab

Everywoman: The Veil
Part 1:


Part 2:

Iran sitzt auf seinem schwarzen Gold fest: Folge von veralteten Fördertechnologien und Sanktionen
NZZ Online: Benzin muss Iran für Milliarden Dollar teuer importieren, und die Rohölförderung nimmt jedes Jahr weiter ab, obwohl unter dem Land die drittgrössten Erdölreserven der Welt schlummern. Das Gleiche gilt für Erdgas, wo nur das Riesenreich Russland die iranischen Reserven in den Schatten stellt.

Iran verfügt über die drittgrössten Erdölreserven der Welt. Doch um aus Vorräten eine Ware zu machen, braucht es Fördertechnologien und Einrichtungen zur Weiterverarbeitung der Rohstoffe. Das ist Irans Achillesferse. Hier schmerzen die internationalen Sanktionen – und das Chaos infolge der umstrittenen Präsidentschaftswahl macht alles noch schlimmer.

Für die weitere Wirtschaftsentwicklung ist das pures Gift. «Wenn man die Zeit nach der Wahl betrachtet, mit der jetzt ziemlich sichtbaren tiefen Spaltung innerhalb der regierenden Elite, dann ist es schwierig, sich vorzustellen, wie sich Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinejad nach der Niederschlagung der Proteste auf die Seite der Gewinner schlagen will», sagt Samuel Ciszuk, Nahost-Energie-Spezialist beim Analystendienst IHS Global Insight in London. Statt die kränkelnde Wirtschaft zu sanieren, müsse sich die Regierung nun für mindestens den Rest des Jahres auf die innenpolitischen Spannungen konzentrieren.

Diese Verzögerung kann sich Iran jedoch kaum leisten. Die Sorge um die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung war schon vor der Präsidentenwahl vom 12.–Juni eines der wichtigsten Themen. Oppositionsführer Mir Hossein Moussavi, der sich von Ahmadinejad um den Sieg betrogen sieht, wies bereits im Wahlkampf warnend darauf hin, dass der Hardliner das Land mit seiner Günstlingswirtschaft an den «Rand des Abgrunds» manövriert habe. >>> ap | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2009

Khamenei Junior, le pouvoir dans l'ombre du guide iranien
Moment de détente entre amis. À l'époque, Mojtaba Khamenei, le second en partant de la gauche, était étudiant à Qom. En chemise jaune, Amir Farshad Ebrahimi, un ex-membre du Bassidj. Photo: Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le deuxième fils de Khamenei se serait imposé avec discrétion dans la hiérarchie complexe du régime à Téhéran. C'est lui qui aurait notamment facilité les fraudes électorales et dirigé la répression.

Ses apparitions publiques sont rares. Son visage, méconnu du grand public. Agissant discrètement dans l'ombre du pouvoir de son père, le puissant guide suprême iranien, Mojtaba Khamenei serait, en fait, un des principaux chefs d'orchestre de la répression qui sévit aujourd'hui à Téhéran.

C'est lui, selon de nombreux observateurs, qui aurait «ouvert la cage aux lions» en cédant le contrôle de Téhéran aux gardiens de la révolution et en lâchant les bassidjis dans les rues de la capitale iranienne, pour mâter les manifestants qui contestent la victoire d'Ahmadinejad à la présidentielle du 12 juin dernier. Un état de siège qui rappelle les premières années postrévolutionnaires, juste après la mise en place de la République islamique d'Iran, en 1979.

«De lui, on ne sait pas grand-chose, concède Mohsen Sazegara, un ancien membre des gardiens de la révolution, aujourd'hui exilé à Washington. Mais tout laisse à penser qu'il a joué un rôle majeur dans le “coup d'État” et la répression postélectorale. Le guide suprême est connu pour être un homme qui n'a pas le courage de prendre ce genre de décision. On le sait d'ailleurs dépressif. Il est donc fort possible que l'influence de son fils ait pesé dans la balance», dit-il.

Cadet d'une fratrie de six enfants, Mojtaba aurait aujourd'hui 40 ans, à peine. Il est marié à la fille de Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, ancien président conservateur du Parlement iranien. Après avoir fait des études théologiques au grand séminaire religieux de la ville sainte de Qom, il disposerait du titre de hodjatoleslam (rang intermédiaire dans le clergé chiite). «Mes sources, en Iran, me disent qu'il est de ceux qui ont soutenu Ahmadinejad lors de sa première élection, en 2005, et ont tenu à le garder au pouvoir. Une sorte de reprise en main radicale lui permettant, sur le long terme, de briguer le poste de guide religieux occupé par son père», confie Sazegara. >>> Delphine Minoui | Lundi 13 Juillet 2009

MEP Refuses to Sit Next to BNP Duo at Opening of European Parliament
TIMES ONLINE: The British National Party's two MEPs took their seats in the 736 member European Parliament this morning just one row behind David Cameron's new Conservative group.

Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, and his party colleague Andrew Brons were allocated seats 780 and 781 and immediately ran into controversy when Democratic Unionist Party MEP Diane Dodds refused to sit in seat 782 next to them.

After both took part in the election of a new parliamentary President, Mr Griffin showed his unerring ability to generate controversy by hitting back at Baroness Kinnock, the Europe Minister, for refusing to invite the pair to a reception for new MEPs tomorrow.

"I would not want to share a drink with Glenys Kinnock," said Mr Griffin, speaking to The Times outside the chamber.

"She is a political prostitute, simple as that. She and her husband started off their careers as anti-common market and now they are there not just with their noses in the trough, they are in the trough."

Mr Griffin further alleged that civil servants were being told to treat the BNP MEPs differently by denying them access to some information.

"We will test this by applying for information and see what comes back, and take it to court if necessary," he said.

Mr Brons said that they did not plan to boycott the European Parliament, where they sit on the right hand side of the chamber behind Polish members of the European Conservatives and Reformists.

The BNP failed to find enough like-minded MEPs from across Europe to form an official group, which would have brought extra funding and staff, but said they would work informally with neo-fascist parties including Jean-Marie Le Pen's Front National in France and Jobbik, the Hungarian nationalists with their own militia. >>> David Charter, Strasbourg | Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Video: Hanif Kureishi on Staging The Black Album
Dominic Cavendish catches up with author Hanif Kureishi whose 1995 novel The Black Album has been adapted for the stage and is about to be shown at The National Theatre.

Al-Qaeda Vows Revenge on China after Riots
TIMES ONLINE: Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network has taken up the cause of China’s Muslim Uighur minority with a pledge to attack Chinese workers in northwestern Africa in retaliation for mistreatment by Beijing of its largest Muslim minority.

Al-Qaeda's Algerian-based offshoot, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has issued the call for vengeance, according to the South China Morning Post, which quoted an intelligence report from the London-based risk analysis firm Stirling Assynt.

It would be the first time that bin Laden’s organisation has threatened China or its interests — underlying the risks Beijing faces as it expands its economic investments overseas.

The assessment by Sterling Assynt warned that the threat should be taken seriously and said: “Although AQIM appear to be the first arm of al-Qaeda to officially state they will target Chinese interests, others are likely to follow."

The unrest in China’s westernmost Xinjiang region last week in which 184 people died — most of them Han Chinese killed by Uighurs — has elicited sympathy in much of the Muslim world for the minority Uighurs who face tight controls on their religious practices and discrimination in the workplace.

The report said: “The general situation of China's Muslims has resonated amongst the global jihadist community. There is an increasing amount of chatter . . . among jihadists who claim they want to see action against China. Some of these individuals have been actively seeking information on China's interests in the Muslim world, which they could use for targeting purposes."

The report is based on information from people who have seen the instruction from AQIM, the agency said. >>> Jane Macartney in Beijing | Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Pakistan Refugees Return to Swat
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Thousands of people began returning to Pakistan's Swat Valley after nearly three months of fighting that drove the Taliban from the region and created the country's worst refugee crisis in six decades.

Pakistan earned praise at home and abroad for its offensive in Swat, which began in April after the collapse of a peace deal that handed the valley just 100 miles north of Islamabad, the capital, to militants.

Under the protection of soldiers and helicopter gunships, refugees started coming back Monday. How Pakistan manages the return of the nearly two million people who fled the fighting will go a long way to determining whether it can solidify the army's gains in the strategic valley as it moves to retake more-formidable Taliban strongholds in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

In a reminder that the threat facing Pakistan has spread beyond northwestern regions such as Swat and tribal areas, an explosion Monday in the country's east killed at least nine people.

The midmorning blast in a farming village near Mian Channu, in Punjab province, appeared to have been caused by explosives stored in the house of a teacher who had set up a small religious school, a police official said.

He couldn't say why explosives were in the house, but two senior Punjab police officials said there was evidence the building was used as a meeting place for Islamist militants, who in recent months have stepped up attacks in previously peaceful parts of eastern Pakistan.

Separately, 13 suspected al Qaeda militants, including four Kuwaiti and two Saudi nationals, were arrested near Quetta, capital of the southwestern province of Baluchistan, Reuters reported. Security forces also recovered explosive-fitted jackets used for suicide bombing, an official said.

In Swat, officials have carefully planned the refugees' return, many observers say. Pakistani and international aid officials say they have mapped out how the government would ensure the orderly -- and voluntary -- return of residents to the valley and surrounding areas, where police and local government are nearly nonexistent, schools and clinics are shuttered, and many houses were destroyed or damaged in the fighting. >>> ZAHID HUSSAIN in Sakha Kott, Pakistan, and MATTHEW ROSENBERG in New Delhi | Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The New Face of Plastic Surgery in Iraq
LOS ANGELES TIMES: After a chaotic period helping victims of violence, plastic surgeons now find themselves ministering to a public interested in nose jobs.

Reporting from Baghdad -- There was a time when Baghdad's reconstructive surgeons were rushed off their feet trying to repair the terrible disfigurements caused by war.

These days, they're just as likely to find themselves giving Botox injections or performing nose jobs, as Iraqis take advantage of the calmer conditions to enhance their looks.

"Definitely we are performing more plastic surgery than before, mainly because the security situation of the country has improved," said Rida Ali, a plastic surgeon who estimates that half her patients are seeking cosmetic surgery, compared with less than a quarter a few years ago.

They include men as well as women, and most of them want nose jobs, which cost $600 to $1,000 each. Among the women, breast surgery is also popular, Ali said, but not the augmentations common in the West.

"In Iraq we do more breast reduction than augmentation," she said. "Some of the breasts we reduce in size are huge . . . and they cause back pain."

The trend has been fueled largely by the arrival of satellite television, which since 2003 has beamed into Iraqi living rooms the glamorous Egyptian and Lebanese celebrities who are reputed to keep regular appointments with their cosmetic surgeons.

The results aren't always what the patient expected.

"Our patients get all their ideas from TV, then they come to us and request the operation," said Mahdi Hameed Abood, a senior surgeon at the Wasiti Center for Reconstructive Surgery. "It's good having television as a source of information, but what you see on TV is not always reality. There are special effects, lights. People believe what they see and come to us expecting results that may be unrealistic." >>> Caesar Ahmed | Sunday, July 12, 2009

Deux journalistes étrangers enlevés en Somalie
L’EXPRESS.fr: Des miliciens seraient impliqués dans l'enlèvement de ces journalistes mardi matin dans leur hôtel à Mogadiscio.

Deux journalistes étrangers ont été enlevés mardi matin dans leur hôtel à Mogadiscio par des hommes armés, a-t-on appris auprès de la police somalienne.

"Plus d'une dizaine de miliciens à bord d'un véhicule armé sont impliqués dans les enlèvements. Ils ont désarmé les gardes de sécurité de l'hôtel avant de se rendre directement dans les chambres des deux étrangers", a déclaré un policier somalien, Mohamed Ali.

"Nous devons encore confirmer leurs nationalités et ce qu'ils faisaient en Somalie", a-t-il ajouté. >>> Par LEXPRESS.fr avec AFP | Mardi 14 Juillet 2009

Frauen in Afghanistan: Lieber Burka tragen als ungebildet bleiben
WELT ONLINE: Trotz des Sturzes der Taliban gibt es für viele afghanische Frauen noch immer keine Gleichberechtigung. Fatima Gailani, Präsidentin des afghanischen Roten Halbmonds, erklärt auf WELT ONLINE, die Mentalität des ganzen Landes müsse sich ändern. Sie kritisiert auch die Regierung, ist aber gegen ein Burka-Verbot.

Fatima Gailani: Bild: WeltOnline
Fatima Gailani, 55, ist seit 2004 Präsidentin des afghanischen Roten Halbmonds, des islamischen Pendants des Roten Kreuzes. Als Tochter von Pir Sayed Gailani, eines einflussreichen Mudschaheddin-Kommandeurs, wuchs sie in einer privilegierten wie politischen Familie auf.

Nach dem Sturz der Taliban nahm die studierte Islamwissenschaftlerin im Jahr 2001 an der Konferenz zur Zukunft Afghanistans in Königswinter bei Bonn teil. Schon damals war die Verbesserung der Lebenssituation der Frauen in ihrem Heimatland ein wichtiges Thema für Gailani. In den letzten Jahren, sagt sie heute, hat sich die Lage eher wieder verschlechtert.

WELT ONLINE: Wie muss man sich das Leben afghanischer Frauen heutzutage vorstellen?

Fatima Gailani: Eine gewöhnliche Frau in Kabul arbeitet, falls sie eine Ausbildung hat, als Lehrerin oder Regierungsangestellte. Wenn sie nach Hause kommt, dann ist sie diejenige, die kocht und putzt, und der Anteil ihres Mannes an der Hausarbeit ist Null. Eine Frau ohne Ausbildung arbeitet als Haushaltshilfe, Wäscherin oder Putzfrau. Dann kommt sie müde nach Hause und macht den Haushalt. Und schließlich sind da die Frauen, die - gebildet oder nicht - nicht arbeiten dürfen, selbst wenn die finanzielle Situation sehr schlecht ist. Das ist der schlimmste Fall. >>> Von Christina Neuhaus | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2009