César Tort returns with Chapter 3 of The Return of Quetzalcoatl. Links to the Preface and Chapters 1 and 2 are at the bottom of this post.

Sentences between squared brackets do not appear in the original Spanish version of the manuscript.

The Return of Quetzalcoatl: Chapter 3
by César Tort

Periodization of Parental-filial Relations

In recent decades several historians without any link to the deMausean school have written about thirty books on histories of childhood. I will mention only a couple of those published in 2005: When Children Became People by Odd Magne Bakke and Growing Up: The History of Childhood in a Global Context by Peter Stearns. DeMause has iteratively complained that books of this sort are presented to history students as if childrearing in the past had been as benign as Western childrearing in our times. Stearns for example is author and editor of more than forty books, but he does not cite a single of the fifty or so psychohistorians. I have encountered this attitude only in some scholarly books by parapsychologists who ignore, en bloc, the texts of skeptical criticism of the paranormal hypothesis. In his book Stearns attempts to absolve the parents by claiming that, as some encyclopedias do, infanticide has had an economic motivation; when it is well documented that in some periods infanticide was more common in well-off families. In a similar vein, at the end of his book Stearns claims that modern childhood is more prone to mental disorders than in traditional cultures: the diametrically opposed to what the facts tell us, as we will see in the next chapters.

The main stages of Western childrearing according to deMause.
Only half of the graph is valid, as explained on page 509.

Psychogenesis is the process of the evolution of empathy, and, therefore, of childrearing forms in an innovative group of human beings. In a particular individual it is an evolution of the architecture of his or her mentality, including the cognition of how the world is perceived. Psychogenesis depends on the parents’ breaking away from the abusive memes in which they were educated: a phenomenon that deMause has occasionally observed in the historical migrations of people that left behind some of their childrearing methods. Referring to biological evolution, Julian Huxley said that evolution has been “an enormous number of blind alleys, with a very occasional path of progress”. With the exception of the most advanced culture, something similar can be said of the cultures of the world (cf., for example, how Islam has stayed for centuries in a psychogenic blind alley in its treatment of women and, consequently, of children).

The above graph does not represent biological evolution from worm to man, but psychogenic evolution: specifically, the seven psychoclasses identified in psychohistory.
– – – – – – – – –
Although only six modes appear in the graph, deMause divides the mode depicted as a horizontal bar in two periods, as shown below. Had the first period of the infanticidal stage appeared in the graph, it would have been an extremely long prolongation of the bar into the left because, in addition to Antiquity, it would have comprised the Neolithic and even the Paleolithic. For practical purposes, the graph starts approximately from the year 200 CE (Common Era) and, although it illustrates psychogenic modes in the West, it does not show Greece at its peak. For deMause, the farther it is rummaged into the past, the more abusive the parental-filial relations. Henceforth the graph is always ascendant (precisely his mistake, as we will see in the third section). With the exception of the helping mode of childrearing that barely started in some Western families of the twentieth century, the rest of the stages have been, from greater to lesser degree, abusive. In the next paragraphs I will rephrase diverse deMausean texts of how the seven psychoclasses evolved, and at the same time will include some ideas of my own.

Early infanticidal childrearing

Infanticidal, incestuous and abusive behavior has been observed among primates. For psychohistory there exists apparently only a slight evolutionary leap forward of childrearing from our primate forefathers to the family forms in the most primitive nomadic tribes. DeMause calls it early infanticidal childrearing. Most of this stage covers the period in which paleontologists and archeologists have found vestiges of ritual killings of very young humans and pre-humans: from the Paleolithic to the dawning of the Neolithic. In savage tribes this form has persisted till our times, like the headhunters of Mundurukú in Brazil or the aboriginals of some Oceania islands.

In Western societies of the twenty-first century a type of family persists that, it could be said, roughly equals this psychoclass: the families that schizophrenicize their children, or turn them into serial killers or violent criminals (see Alice Miller’s study on the child Hitler, or this biography on a criminologist who discovered what transforms an ordinary person into a violent criminal).

Late infanticidal childrearing

When the treatment of children became less brutal in a group of innovative parents, confidence among adult individuals grew to the degree that social links, solid enough to allow the creation of the first villages and city- states, could be established: a milestone in the ascent of man. But infanticide continued. All societies of the Ancient World invented sacrifices in which infants were killed in honor to the deities. However, after the Babylonian captivity some Hebrews abandoned the sacrificial practice. Other peoples, including the Greeks, abandoned the ritual sacrifice of children and introduced a less savage form of getting rid of them: unsheltered exposure. Since the psychological after-effects of a surviving sibling who grows up knowing that his parents ritually sacrificed a little sister is different from the abandonment of the newborn he never met — in addition to comparatively better child care in the Greek and Roman world — this evolutionary leap explains the explosion of arts and sciences in the classical world.

As can be appreciated in the graph, psychoclasses live together in our times. In the graph the most common forms of childrearing stand out, occupying most of the graph space. This is why the horizontal bar of infanticide, which segment can be seen in red on page 509, appears since the first centuries of our era and continues through the Middle Ages up to our age. [The page number refers to the printed manuscript; in Gates of Vienna it will appear in the fourth discursion.] Abundant testimonies exist of infanticide in the Middle Ages, and complaints were even heard from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The form of late infanticide by exposure continued in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in underdeveloped countries. Compared to the West, in the Third World many parents are stagnated in more archaic forms of childrearing. As already noted, paper notes are common about mothers who kill their newborns in India. More advanced psychogenic sectors within that nation and in other backward countries have started to emerge to abolish the custom.

Abandoning

Church authorities initiated a persistent struggle against infanticide (a struggle that continues in present times in the form of opposition to abortion: a subject that psychohistorians ignore). According to deMause’s analytic interpretation, Christians saw in their children their seriously injured inner self, and consequently the child still was the object of great fear. Instead of liberating the fear by exposing their babies, deMause’s theory goes, in the early Middle Ages some families started to practice oblation: abandoning their children to the monasteries. It was a less brutal form to elude the dangers of their projections. In the West children were not only abandoned in the monasteries; sending them to wet nurses or delivering them to adoptive parents or to other homes for years was a generalized practice in Europe’s middle and upper social classes.

Ambivalent

The beginnings of the twelfth century mark the end of child abandonment in monasteries. Nevertheless, the baby continues to be a creature full of adult projections and had to be castigated. The child is swaddled with long-spun bands until he or she looks like a log, completely immobilized and deprived from the use of its limbs: a torment if we think of the liberties that, with recent technology, can be observed on the free movements that unborn babies enjoy in the womb. Swaddling the infant was a common practice in former psychoclasses, who swaddled their offspring for periods of several months to one year. For deMause this practice was universal and it goes back to the second millennium BCE (Before Common Era).

However, by reducing even more infanticide and child abandonment, the members of the new and more advanced psychoclass, less dissociated than the medieval man, eventually produced the Reformation and the Renaissance.

Intrusive

At the beginning of the sixteenth century the level of psychic integration of a small group of innovative parents accomplished one more step forward in the unfolding of empathy, and the child appeared less dangerous. As the parental projections were further reduced, mothers started to un-swaddle the infant. In the intrusive mode, however, the frequency of the beatings continued. DeMause writes: “Of the seventy children prior to the eighteenth century whose lives I have found, all were beaten except one: Montaigne’s daughter.” Since human tendency is to attach to the perpetrator [cf. the first chapter] and to recreate in the next generation the educational memes, beaten children beat their offspring, as had been done in the ambivalent mode, too.

Nevertheless, since the intrusive mode was even more empathic and less abusive than the previous mode, the new psychoclass was responsible for the scientific and technological advances of the seventeenth century that eventually led to the Industrial Revolution.

Socializing

This is the psychoclass that less explanation requires: it is the form of childrearing in which most Westerners have been raised.

By the nineteenth century some parents did not believe it necessary to terrorize or batter their children. Instead, they resorted to psychological forms of manipulation. Socialized children were granted far more respect and liberty than any other child of the previous childrearing stages. Although the socialized child rarely calls into question the status quo, the socialized generation, and here we might also include the families of the most Westernized Eastern and Latin American nations, is emotionally more robust than our coetaneous from other psychoclasses.

Helping

DeMause is a radical liberal who believes that all wars are the work of dissociated minds. His psycho-reductionist vision of the world is a reaction as to how he was abused as a child (occasionally, in his diverse writings deMause confesses the abuses he suffered as a boy). In the above paragraph on late infanticide I took the liberty of talking of Greece and Rome in more luminous terms than the rather sinister vision in deMausean texts, which means that as early as this chapter I have started a slight revision of psychohistory. However, given the fact that what deMause understands for “helping mode” differs enormously of what I understand by it, and not only in the evaluation of war, in this paragraph I will abstain from summarizing deMause’s posture on the apex of psychogenic development, barely visible in the graph.

Even though deMause rejects homosexuality, he seems to support the feminist revolution in sexual matters. Conversely, I believe this entails the catastrophic demographic crisis for that psychoclass, as we will see in the third section, where I disclose my views of what the helping mode of childrearing ought to be. Suffice it to say in this chapter that the old platitude, “No hay que confundir la libertad con el libertinaje” (“Liberty should not be confused with licentiousness”), that I heard so many times as a teen and that by then I felt it antiquated, has surprisingly come to life again in the face of today’s demographic and migratory crisis in the West (once more, subjects for the third section).

It is important to reiterate that all of these family forms of childrearing coexist in the twenty-first century, and that the most primitive psychoclasses have coexisted with the most advanced ones. Apparently incomprehensible conduct, like the immolation of Islamic terrorists or the caste system in India, ultimately has its roots in differences in childrearing. Even in the most advanced countries there are families that belong to the most primitive psychoclass: which explains the existence from psychoses to serial killing. And in these advanced societies barbaric actions, analogous to trepanations in the Ancient World, are still perpetrated. We should never forget what I wrote in the second book about lobotomist Walter Freeman, who, traveling from state to state, performed thousands of leucotomies on children upon their parents’ request. (If I would be given a choice of either being sacrificed in the Tezcoco lake in Aztec times or being leucotomized in twentieth-century America, I would chose that fate of the ancient Nahua child.) Conversely, in backward countries there may exist some far less abusive families than the most regressive Western families. The notion of psychoclass, therefore, has to be understood in percentages: in the majorities of a given population, and proportions.

Nonetheless, there is by and large an obvious superiority in the West. It is the most advanced sector psychogenically. How was then that my mother treated me in a far more regressive way than the average mother of our social strata [the subject of my first book]? Precisely for the reason discussed above: the coexistence of all psychoclasses in the same nation. My mother not only tried to “socialize” the individualist I was through a medieval school, but behaved “ambivalently” and “intrusively” as well. There even was an “infanticidal” dose in her behavior taking into account that some children, whose parents forced psychiatric drugs on them, have died as a result of the licit drug. [I refer to the millions of sane children who are being medicated with Ritalin and other drugs for their dislike of traditional schooling — cf. my web page.] In my very particular case, as a result of my long mourn about what my parents inflicted upon me I do not suffer from psychiatric disorders. However, the majority of children that have had parents like my own did not run with the same luck.

The following table shows how a particular kind of childrearing is related to a specific mental disorder. My intention in copying the entire table, with deMause’s permission (slightly modified: the original table can be seen here ) is to show the bones of his model: bones onto which I will be adding the flesh in the following chapters.

The seven historical personalities

Childrearing		Personality		Ideal		Mother/God		Sacrifice
Tribal: Early infanticide		Schizoid		Shaman		Devours, seduces abandons child		To animal spirits (alter egos)
Antiquity: Late infanticide		Narcissist		King/hero		Punishes the child		To anthropomorphic alter gods
Christian world: Abandoning		Masochist		Martyr		Abandons the loving child		Self-torture
Middle Ages: Ambivalent		Borderline		Vassal		Dominates and beats the child		Subservient clinging
Renaissance: Intrusive		Depressive		Holy warrior		Disciplines the obedient child		Obeying
Modern: Socializing		Neurotic		Patriot		Manipulates the child		Incomplete separation
Post-Modern: Helping		Individuated		Activist		Trusts, loves child		No sacrifice of the real self

A more detailed exposition of the diverse childrearing modes appears in the articles of History of Childhood.* It is worth a reminder that the point of view of these more conventional historians is not always in agreement with the radical model of deMause.

*Notes:

1.		“The Evolution of Childhood” (Lloyd deMause)
2.		“Barbarism and Religion: Late Roman and Early Medieval Childhood” (Richard B. Lyman, Jr.)
3.		“Survivors and Surrogates: Children and Parents from the Ninth to the Thirteenth Centuries” (Mary Martin McLaughlin)
4.		“The Middle-Class Child in Urban Italy, Fourteenth to Early Sixteenth Century” (James Bruce Ross)
5.		“The Child as Beginning and End: Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century English Childhood” (M. J. Tucker)
6.		“Nature versus Nature: Patterns and Trends in Seventeenth-Century French Child-Rearing” (Elizabeth Wirth Marvick)
7.		“Child-Rearing in Seventeenth-Century England and America” (Joseph E. Illick)
8.		“A Period of Ambivalence: Eighteenth-Century American Childhood” (John F. Walzer)
9.		“‘That Enemy Is the Baby’: Childhood in Imperial Russia” (Patrick P. Dunn), and
10.		“Home as a Nest: Middle Class Childhood in Nineteenth-Century Europe” (Priscilla Robertson).

The Return of Quetzalcoatl

• Preface: A Taste of the Flavor of the Whole Book
• Chapter 1: A Class with Colin Ross
• Chapter 2: The History of Childhood and its Newton
• Chapter 3: Periodization of Parental-filial Relations

Forthcoming chapter:

• Julian Jaynes and the Bicameral Mind

©2008 César Tort

As a part of the exposure of the appalling torture methods used by U.S. intelligence against innocent terrorists, it has just been revealed that an American agent tortured the mastermind of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole by… wait for it… blowing cigar smoke in his face!

Can you imagine it? The horror!

In other news, Egypt has banned genetically modified food imports.

Thanks to A Greek Friend, C. Cantoni, CB, Insubria, JD, Steen, Zenster, and all the other tipsters who sent these in. Headlines and articles are below the fold.
– – – – – – – – –

	Financial Crisis
	Greece: Sharp Drop in Maritime Transport, Crisis Continues
	Retarding Recovery
	White House, Congress Projects Record Deficits
	USA
	College Kids Recruited to Join Obama’s ‘Army’
	Did Obama’s Grandmother Say He Was Born in Kenya?
	Files Prove Pentagon is Profiling Reporters
	Obamacare Sparks Warning to Seniors
	Second Hand Smoke Torture
	Specter Says He May Introduce Legislation to Ban Veterans’ Guide on End-of-Life Care
	State Prepares to Challenge U.S. Gun Laws
	The Opportunity of a Century
	Top Democrat Fund-Raiser for Obama, Hillary Arrested
	Europe and the EU
	Almost Half of Czechs Supports Ukraine’s EU Entry — Poll
	Corsica: Doctor Thrown Into Sea and Hounded Out of Harbour
	Italy: Laid- Off Workers Pick Grapes
	Ramadan: France; Halal Now Big Business, TV Ad
	Soccer: Lippi Slams Supporters Card
	Spain: Pro-Independence March Banned at Bilbao Festival
	UK: ‘Disturbed Man Tried to Open Qantas Plane Door on Flight From London’
	UK: Man Collapses With Ruptured Appendix… Three Weeks After NHS Doctors ‘Took it Out’
	Balkans
	Croatia: Ministry of Defence Spends €53,000 on Zippo Pocket Lighters
	Kosovo and Systematic Persecution by KLA
	Kosovo and Ongoing De-Christianization
	North Africa
	Algeria: Imports Plunge After New Regulations Kick Off
	Algeria: New Berber Edition of Koran Published
	Egypt Bans Genetically Modified Food Imports
	Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi ‘May Live for Many More Months’
	Tourism: Tunisia Not Low Cost Destination, Minister
	Tunisia: Survey,78% of Women Have Mobiles, 45% Use Computers
	Tunisia: Ancient Kairouan Inspires New Female Status
	Israel and the Palestinians
	Gaza: War of Words Between HRW and Israel
	Gaza: Abbas: Salaphites Sons of Hamas. Hamas Accuse Al-Qaeda
	Hamas Against Al Qaeda ‘Nihilism’, Gaza Not Iraq
	Israel to Install Solar Energy System at Ben Gurion Airport
	Netanyahu, Mitchell Fail to Reach Deal on Settlements
	Outposts Dismantled Within Weeks, Barak
	Palestinian Economy: US Press Divided on Israeli Role
	Palestinian Family: We Didn’t Say Organs Taken
	PNA: ‘Palestinian State by 2011’, Fayad Says
	Schools Open: Girls to Wear Islamic Clothing
	Tourism Up Post War, Pilgrims Back
	Middle East
	Agriculture: Saudi Arabia Remains Mideast’s Largest Market
	Child Bride Turned Over to 80-Year-Old Husband
	Saudi Arabia: Mecca Development Plan
	Tehran: Fourth “Mass Trial” Against Opponents of the Regime
	Turkey: Mosque Next to Brothel Vexes Antalya Residents
	Russia
	Russia-Medvedev-Peres Statement on Holocaust
	South Asia
	Bollywood Doing Well Despite Crisis With Spielberg on His Way From Hollywood
	Kyrgyz Police Prevents Faithful From Meeting in Private Home to Pray
	Sub-Saharan Africa
	French Agent Kidnapped in Somalia Escapes
	Immigration
	Dinghy Rescued Off the Coast of Lampedusa
	Intercepted Dinghy Received Maltese Assistance
	Italy: Boniver: 85% Enter Via North-West Border
	Italy ‘Won’t Veto Migrant Deal’
	‘War’ Of Filming Between Italy and Malta
	Culture Wars
	ACLU Fails in Demand to Jail Child’s Mother
	‘Gay’ Protections Expanded to Ex-’Gays’
	‘Islam is of the Devil’ Shirt Appears at Elementary School
	General
	Islamic Ramadan Begins Blood Keeps Flowing

Greece: Sharp Drop in Maritime Transport, Crisis Continues

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, AUGUST 19 — A sharp drop has been seen in the first six months of year in revenue from mercantile maritime transport, one of the major contributors to Greek GDP, according to the data published by the central bank. In the eyes of the press, the data show a sizeable drop in tourism and export, effect of a lasting crisis which makes for “a plunge in the key sectors of the economy”. According to the Bank of Greece, in the first half of the year revenues from transport, for the most part due to merchant marine, dropped by 28.4%. The crisis of the merchant marine, the first in the world, is added to that of tourism, another key contributor to GDP, the revenues from which dropped in June by 14.7%. However, tourists coming to the country dropped by 8.6%, not as sharp of a drop as expected. “Key sectors of the economy have suffered a steep decline” was the headline this morning on the conservative paper Kathimerini, revealing that it is partially a countertrend to some signs of improvement in the Euro Zone. The paper also stressed that according to the report from the central institute exports dropped by 21.8%. However, dropping even more were imports by almost 30%, making it possible to reduce current accounts to 14.7 billion euros compared with the 19.1 seem in the same period of 2008. At the same time, overdrafts tripled in the first seven months, having exceeded 2 billion euros with a possibility that they may be over 3 billion by the end of the year, according to an independent analysis. The data is worrisome and reflects on negative growth of GDP, after years of strong growth — which saw -0.2 for the first time in the second quarter. According to the International Monetary Fund, the decline might reach -1.7% by the end of the year to then improve to -0.4% in 2010.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

Retarding Recovery

One would have to go back to the 1930s or perhaps the 1970s to find an Administration as hostile to economic innovation and growth as this one is. Franklin Roosevelt clearly thought that the age of great industrial advancement was over and that it was Washington’s task to increasingly regulate business while bashing the “selfishness” of “economic royalists” who were running American enterprises. After all, they had caused the Great Depression, hadn’t they? The 1970s, especially during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, were also antagonistic to commercial risk-taking. Inflation ran rampant, and the capital gains tax was raised to a maximum of almost 50%.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

White House, Congress Projects Record Deficits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government faces exploding deficits and mounting debt over the next decade, White House and congressional budget officials projected Tuesday in competing but similar economic forecasts.

Both the White House Office of Management and Budget and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted the budget deficit this year would swell to nearly $1.6 trillion, a record, and far above the then-record 2008 budget deficit of $455 billion.

But while figures released by the White House foresee a cumulative $9 trillion deficit from 2010-2019, $2 trillion more than the administration estimated in May, congressional budget analysts put the 10-year figure at a lower $7.14 trillion.

One reason for the difference: The CBO projection is based on an assumption that all the tax cuts put into place in the administration of former President George W. Bush will expire on schedule by 2011 as dictated by current law. President Barack Obama’s budget baseline, however, hews to his proposal to keep the tax cuts in place for families earning less than $250,000 a year.

[…]

Obama himself may have drowned out the rising deficit news with the announcement Tuesday that he intends to nominate Ben Bernanke to a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

College Kids Recruited to Join Obama’s ‘Army’

Earn credit for pushing ‘change,’ working on president’s ‘agenda’

President Obama’s army of citizen volunteers is now actively recruiting college students in states across the country to “build support for President Obama’s agenda” — and earn college credit while advocating for “change.”

Obama for America, Obama’s 2008 political campaign, merged with the Democratic National Committee in January and is now known as Organizing for America, or OFA. The movement some call “Obama 2.0” is now recruiting students and offering to provide credits toward degree plans in exchange for their advocacy skills.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Did Obama’s Grandmother Say He Was Born in Kenya?

Listen to audio! Witnesses contend interpreter tried to change her answer to ‘Hawaii’

He said that while the people in the room with Sarah Obama “tried as much as they [could] to change the tone of the whole story … to me it seems someone is coaching her from the background and seemingly trying to guide her on what to say.”

The Kenyan government source agreed.

“I have listened to the tape,” he said. “The preacher asked whether Barack Obama was born in Mombasa, and the translator asked the same. When she said Mombasa, it was like a surprise, and those there thought she could not have meant to say Mombasa.”

The source said that at that point “they began insisting Hawaii was where Barack Obama was born.”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Files Prove Pentagon is Profiling Reporters

Contrary to the insistence of Pentagon officials this week that they are not rating the work of reporters covering U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Stars and Stripes has obtained documents that prove that reporters’ coverage is being graded as “positive,” “neutral” or “negative.”

Moreover, the documents — recent confidential profiles of the work of individual reporters prepared by a Pentagon contractor — indicate that the ratings are intended to help Pentagon image-makers manipulate the types of stories that reporters produce while they are embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

[…]

The new revelations of the Pentagon’s attempts to shape war coverage come as senior Defense Department officials are acknowledging increasing concern over recent opinion polls showing declining popular American support for the Afghan war.

“The purpose of this memo is to provide an assessment of [a reporter from a major U.S. newspaper] … in order to gauge the expected sentiment of his work while on an embed mission in Afghanistan,” reads the preamble to one of the reporter profiles prepared for the Pentagon by The Rendon Group, a controversial Washington-based public relations firm.

Stars and Stripes reported on Monday that the Pentagon was screening reporters embedding with U.S. forces to determine whether their past coverage had portrayed the military in a positive light. The story included denials by U.S. military officials that they were using the reporters’ profiles to determine whether to approve embed requests.

[Return to headlines]

Obamacare Sparks Warning to Seniors

‘AARP advocating’ for program that would restrict services

A Christian ministry is raising alarms about the wholehearted support the American Association of Retired Persons is offering Obamacare, the nationalized health care takeover being orchestrated by President Obama, a plan that critics have documented as likely to reduce health care significantly for the members of that very organization.

According to a new alert from the American Family Association, while the AARP claims it does not “officially” endorse Obama’s health industry takeover, it has launched a “huge and costly” television ad campaign in support of the effort.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Second Hand Smoke Torture

Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, according to the 9-11 commission report, was the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the U.S.S. Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors.

Nashiri was also the target of an “unauthorized” CIA interrogation technique (that had not been legally vetted by the Justice Department) that is described in a May 7, 2004, CIA inspector general’s report that was partially declassified by the Obama administration this week.

CIA officers blew smoke in Nashiri’s face, according to the report, and they used cigars.

The IG’s office described this smoke-blowing as one of several “unauthorized or undocumented techniques” it discovered had been used in isolated incidents by CIA employees interrogating high-level al-Qaida terrorists.

“An Agency (redacted phrase) interrogator admitted that, in December 2002, he and another (redacted phrase) smoked cigars and blew cigar smoke in al-Nashiri’s face during the interrogation,” said the IG report.

The IG, however, was unable to clearly establish that the smoke-blowing was intended to force Nashiri to cough up what he knew about al-Qaida’s plans.

“The interrogator claimed they did this to ‘cover the stench’ in the room and to help keep the interrogators alert late at night,” said the IG report. “This interrogator said he would not do this again based on ‘perceived criticism.’ Another agency interrogator admitted that he also smoked cigars during two sessions with al-Nashiri to mask the stench in the room. He claimed he did not deliberately force smoke into al-Nashiri’s face.” The interrogators learned their lesson: Don’t blow smoke at terrorists.

[Return to headlines]

Specter Says He May Introduce Legislation to Ban Veterans’ Guide on End-of-Life Care

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday he may introduce legislation to “prohibit” the use of a controversial end-of-life care guide used by the Veterans Administration that critics say sends a “hurry-up-and-die” message to injured troops.

The guide, called “Your Life, Your Choices,” was suspended under the Bush administration but has been revived by veterans officials in the Obama administration.

[…]

“This is a slippery slope,” he said Sunday. “When you look at the book it makes people feel like they’re a burden and they should do the decent thing and die.”

[…]

Towey said the questions posed by the guide embed the suggestion that veterans who are suffering may want to choose death.

One section titled, “What Makes Your Life Worth Living?,” offers a checklist of scenarios — the person filling out the form is asked to rate whether life would be worth living under each of them.

“I am a severe financial burden on my family,” reads one of them. “My situation causes severe emotional burden for my family,” reads another.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

State Prepares to Challenge U.S. Gun Laws

‘This is an issue where the federal government has no business’

Supporters of a first-of-a-kind law in Montana that declared weapons or ammunition made and kept in Montana were exempt from federal rules are preparing for a court challenge to the federal government’s insistence it will regulate those items.

The Montana Shooting Sports Association and the Second Amendment Foundation have formed a strategic alliance with plans to litigate over the Montana Firearms Freedom Act.

The bill was passed by the 2009 Montana Legislature and signed into law by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

WND reported this spring when Montana drew a line in the sand and challenged the federal government to follow the U.S. Constitution with the law that exempts from federal regulations any gun, gun accessory or ammunition made in the state and intended for use there.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

The Opportunity of a Century

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said one correct thing: Health care legislation is our “opportunity, not of a lifetime, but of the century.” Passage of the bill she supports would put us forever on the road to trillions of dollars in debt, bankruptcy and European mistakes; defeat of the bill will safeguard the unique American recipe for liberty and prosperity.

Pelosi and her friends would give more control to patients over their medical care if the liberals really wanted to improve quality and reduce cost. Instead, they are trying to push our nation in the opposite direction, taking away control from patients over access and choices for medical care.

We should eliminate the roadblocks that are built into current law to restrict our use of health savings accounts, or HSAs, and high-deductible insurance (such as $2,500). Pre-tax money put into HSAs by the individual and by the employer can be used for costs not covered and, if not spent, can be saved and grow as a savings account for the individual.

This puts the individual in charge of spending for health-care costs up to the deductible limit when insurance coverage kicks in. This assures that the first $2,500 will be spent more carefully and thereby promote competition and lower costs.

We should give individually purchased health insurance the same tax deduction that has been enjoyed for decades by employer-provided health insurance. This is a matter of fairness; where are the equal-protection litigators when we need them?

The Democrats are toying with going in the opposite direction: eliminating the tax deduction for employer-based plans. That translates into a big tax increase for the middle class.

[…]

The left has started a nasty attack against John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market Inc., because he wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal endorsing these common-sense reforms. He practices what he preaches — his company provides a popular HSA plan for its employees.

The left is incensed that Mackey not only supports practical reforms but also explained the folly of making health care a massive and costly entitlement that would create trillions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and empower government instead of people.

The left is venting its rage on Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere, and even trying to organize a Whole Foods boycott.

I prefer Whole Foods over Nancy Pelosi, so I’m going to double my shopping at Whole Foods and urge liberty-loving and cost-conscious Americans to do likewise. I’m a fan of Whole Foods’ healthy foods and vitamins, anyway.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Top Democrat Fund-Raiser for Obama, Hillary Arrested

‘Bundler’ for candidates including John Kerry charged with bank fraud

Hassan Nemazee, a multimillionaire Iranian-American investment banker and top Democratic Party fundraiser, was arrested today by federal law enforcement authorities in New York City and charged with engaging in criminal fraud for his role in arranging a $74 million dollar loan from Citibank, Bloomberg reported.

U.S. Attorney Prett Bharara in New York City and FBI investigators told Dow Jones Newswires the 59-year-old Namazee applied for the Citibank loans for Nemazee Capital Corp. by giving Citibank “numerous documents that purported to establish the existence of accounts in Nemazee’s name at various financial institutions containing many hundreds of millions of dollars.”

According to the criminal complaint released by Bharara, the accounts Nemazee submitted in the loan documentation were “fraudulent and forged” and “either never existed or had been closed years before Nemazee submitted the documents referencing those accounts.”

[…]

In his 2005 book “Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians,” WND senior staff reporter and columnist Jerome R. Corsi targeted Nemazee for his alleged history of pushing to normalize diplomatic relationships with the theocratic regime ruling Iran, despite Iran’s pursuit of a clandestine nuclear weapons program.

— Hat tip: JD

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Almost Half of Czechs Supports Ukraine’s EU Entry — Poll

Prague — Almost a half of Czechs want Ukraine to join the European Union, while about one-third of them are against it, according to a poll conducted by the RCA Research agency and released to CTK today.

In Ukraine, 61 percent of people support the country’s EU entry and some 20 percent are against it.

A total of 49.5 percent of Czechs agree with Ukraine’s accession to the EU and less than 33 percent oppose it.

The same share of Czechs and Ukrainians (18 percent) are undecided in this respect.

Ukraine’s entry to NATO enjoys lower support, shows the poll in which some 1000 Czechs and 1000 Ukrainians responded by phone.

Over a half of Ukrainians and 35 percent do Czechs disagree with Ukraine’s possible entry to NATO and one-quarter of Ukrainians and 37 percent of Czechs would welcome it.

The poll also asked about people’s view of the corruption level in public administration in their countries.

It shows that 27 percent of Czechs and 52 percent of Ukrainians have personally experienced corruption of civil servants.

The EU does not reckon with Ukraine’s accession in the foreseeable future.

The Czech Republic’s EU presidency (January-June 2009) launched the Eastern Partnership project in May that is to deepen relations between the EU and six post-Soviet countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

After Slovaks, Ukrainians make up the second strongest group of foreign workers in the Czech Republic. At the end of April, over 133,500 Ukrainian workers were registered in the country.

NGOs and media point out that the legal and illegal employment of Ukrainians in the Czech Republic is accompanied by mafia practices. The agencies mediating jobs for Ukrainians often extort their clients and collect a part of their wages.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Corsica: Doctor Thrown Into Sea and Hounded Out of Harbour

Italian doctor’s harbour hell at Calvi in Corsica: “My family and I manhandled by docking staff”. Police advice: Forget about it

MILAN — Following Michele Farina’s article on the bullet-riddled Italian motor yacht found partly under water in the bay of Calvi, Corsica, we received this letter from a reader, which we are happy to publish.

Sir,

I am writing to give you an account of what happened to me and my family on 2 August, while I was cruising in Corsica with my boat.

Let me describe my family for the sole purpose of dispelling any doubts about my credibility. My wife and I (aged 51 and 59 respectively) are doctors. My 26-year-old daughter E. is due to graduate next October in Political Science at Rome, my 24-year-old daughter M. will graduate in Medicine next October, again at Rome, and my son D., 21, is a student at the Polytechnic in Milan, where he is due to graduate in Mechanical Engineering in July 2010.

When we arrived at San Florent, having called at Bastia and Macinaggio, I received the shipping forecast for strong Maestrale gales on 3 August. Since we were to continue along the west coast, I resolved to reach Calvi before the arrival of the bad weather, which would have prevented us from sailing for two or three days.

As one who respects the sea, and out of prudence since I had my whole family on board, I made numerous telephone calls before setting off, speaking directly to the harbour master at Calvi to be certain of securing a mooring.

The harbour master gave me his assurances and told me to dock on arrival at the main quay, the mega-yacht docking facility, until the mooring allocated to my 12-metre vessel was free.

I would point out that I reached the harbour at 1 pm after a voyage of about five hours. At 5 pm, a member of the docking staff arrived in a dinghy to say that we had to leave because the owner of the mooring where I had temporarily docked my boat had arrived. I replied that I would move at once if he told me where I could dock. He then said there was no room anywhere and I would have to leave the harbour. I concluded that he was unaware of the booking I had made and asked to speak to the harbourmaster.

A few minutes later, five individuals from the harbour management company came along in uniform: red shirts bearing the name of the harbour and shorts. One claimed to be the harbour master. Out of politeness, I went onshore to greet him and ask for an explanation of the misunderstanding, confident that everything would be cleared up. All of a sudden, the individual who claimed to be the harbour master, but wasn’t, gave an order to the other four. I was pushed bodily on the gangway with such violence that I lost my balance and fell into the water between the stern of the boat and the quay. Luckily, I “only” suffered a thoracic contusion and a contused and lacerated wound to the abdomen. My son was aghast. On seeing me thrown into the water and injured, he attempted to come to my aid but another one of the five grabbed him by the neck and threw him into the water, too. Meanwhile, the five initiated a coordinated manoeuvre, which must have been well rehearsed and perhaps employed on other occasions, for each had his own task. Two on the quay untied the mooring lines and two more went round to the prow in a dinghy to untie the heavy anchor while the fifth directed operations from the quay.

Their dinghy towed us out of the harbour. My wife was in tears, worried for me because I was bleeding profusely and above all worried because my daughter E. was still on the quay. My wife was shouting at the men at least to let my daughter get back on board. I shouted to my son to call the police while the five laughed at me and told me I could call who I liked, but not in the harbour. My daughter E. kept her head. Even though she was being harassed by the individuals who pushed me into the sea, she managed to get to the police station. She told me later that she was shocked when the gendarmes advised her to get back onto our boat, under their escort, because it was dangerous to make a fuss or complain when this harbour master was on duty. That is what happened. A father’s prudence induced me to leave the multi-buoy mooring at Calvi, where I had moored in the meantime, and return to St Florent, where we arrived at three in the morning.

In the light of your article, and with goose bumps as I reflect on what could have happened to us, I thank the Lord that things went as they did. I invite you, without emphasis, to take account of what I have told you — if your inquiry continues. I personally would rule out the suggestion of the local police that the Elleduevidue was scuttled for insurance reasons, partly because it was leased (as far as I understand). In the present state of affairs, neither you nor I know what happened to the Elleduevidue. However, almost anything might have happened if there was a dispute — as it seems there was, for other, more financially substantial, reasons, given the violence with which they chose to settle our insignificant incident — and the reaction by the crew of the Elleduevidue was less temperate than mine. What is certain is that the police cannot confuse a drill hole with a bullet hole, nor is a scuttling for insurance reasons on behalf of a third party a likely hypothesis.

One last, painful consideration. While all this was unfolding on the crowded quay, practically in the centre of the village, two Italian boats we were in between failed to speak up in our defence. In fact, they busied themselves putting out additional fenders to protect their boats from collision with ours as the dinghy towed it out. You can also verify this if they logged in as they should the boats that were moored at the main quay at 2 pm on 2 August 2009.

Dott. Domenico Scali

English translation by Giles Watson

www.watson.it

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Laid- Off Workers Pick Grapes

Dozens join spumante force to make ends meet

(ANSA) — Brescia, August 26 — Workers laid off by Italian companies are joining the grape harvest to make ends meet.

Dozens have joined the spumante harvest in the northern Italian area of Franciacorta to supplement their redundancy cheques.

“Working in the hot sun for eight hours a day is a lot different from working in an office with air conditioning, but it’s a big help with the family budget,” office worker Marco Fortunato told ANSA Wednesday.

Fortunato, who has been on redundancy pay since January, and his companions are taking advantage of seasonal labor contracts called “vouchers” introduced last year to take the red tape out of hiring hands for the harvest. The vouchers were originally directed at Italian students and pensioners in response to an increasingly foreign workforce. Faced by the economic downturn, this year the government made workers on redundancy pay eligible for the seasonal contracts as well. Wine growers in Franciacorta estimated this summer that 3,000 grape pickers would be needed for the 2009 harvest, expected to yield around 21,300 tonnes of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero grapes used to make the sparkling white wine.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Ramadan: France; Halal Now Big Business, TV Ad

(by Luana De Micco) (ANSAmed) — PARIS, AUGUST 26 — The ad shows a young couple with north African features shopping at the supermarket, putting ‘halal’ certified lasagne and paella in their trolley. “Yes, we eat halal and it is really delicious” he says. In French it even rhymes. The first television ad for Muslim customers made an appearance on French TV in recent days, at the start of Ramadan in France. The potential audience is five million consumers (the country has the largest Muslim community in Europe), who observe the fast in ever greater numbers: 70% of France’s Muslims fast. What could become a new fashion in France was launched by the Ferico group, part of Panzani, which has been selling couscous under the Zakia brand name for more than a century. The campaign became immediately visible after being shown on some of the most popular TV channels in France starting on August 17, including Tf1 and M6, as well as digital terrestrial channels. The timing is not an accident either: there is evidence that Muslims consume more during the four weeks of Ramadan. Spaghetti bolognese, pizza, gratin, ravioli, minestrone, milk and fruit, all strictly halal (allowed), have become the goose that laid the golden egg for food companies suffering from the current crisis. 400 different products have sprung up in French supermarkets. The Solis agency which specialises in ethnic marketing, estimates a market of around 4 billion euros in 2009, with an annual growth of 15%. In France, 93% of north Africans and 55% of citizens from subsaharan Africa buy halal produce. A few weeks ago a hoarding appeared on the Champs-Elysees advertising halal salami and smoked ham from the Isla Delice brand. This is a novelty for one of the temples of shopping in Paris, while Muslim fast-food and butchers are a success in the Arab districts and the suburbs. France’s Muslims like the prime-time TV ad on Tf1 even more, as they finally feel like customers, like other people, explain Solis. “There are a lot of Arabs in this advert, and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a thing in France. Finally we count economically in this country” writes Mounafia on Bladi.net, an internet site for the French Arab community. In shops belonging to the Auchan chain ten times as much space has been given over to selling halal produce in recent days. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Soccer: Lippi Slams Supporters Card

‘Like profiling, ‘ Italy coach says

(ANSA) — Rome, August 26 — Italy coach Marcello Lippi on Wednesday criticised the introduction of special cards for travelling supporters in Italian soccer, saying it was like racial profiling.

“I don’t like the travelling supporters card, it’s something that puts people in a ghetto,” Lippi told the Web TV show Klauscondicio.

“It smacks of profiling,” he said.

“Whenever I think of the term ‘supporters card’ I think of all those fans having dinner Saturday night, dying to go to the game in Milan or Turin, who can’t because they haven’t got the card”.

Despite repeated criticism, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni is determined to make sure the anti-hooligan measure is introduced on schedule on January 1.

Responding to Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini, who called it a “fascist measure”, Maroni said last week: “I’m not going to budge from the December 31 deadline, I won’t be intimidated”.

The minister said he was ready to negotiate with the clubs in a bid to “help them out if they have problems” with the deadline.

“There won’t be any extensions (of the deadline), the card must be ready by December”.

Maroni told a news conference on August 15 that soccer fans who wanted to see their teams play away from home would need a special supporters card starting January 1.

Police hope the initiative will help prevent violence and track down hooligans.

The start of the 2008-2009 Serie A season was marred in September when travelling Napoli fans went on a rampage in Rome.

Italian Soccer Federation President Luigi Abete called for a crackdown on “thugs” after the day of violence left a train wrecked and thousands of euros of damage to stations in Naples and Rome.

Since tougher football violence laws were passed after the death of a policeman in February 2007, hooligans now face criminal charges that can lead to jail terms.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Spain: Pro-Independence March Banned at Bilbao Festival

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, AUGUST 13 — The legal offensive against the left-wing pro-independence movement that is believed to be associated with the ETA is intensifying. The Basque government, upon requests from various associations and the prosecutor’s office of the Audiencia Nacional to Judge Baltazar Garzon, has banned a demonstration scheduled for tomorrow at the Aste Nagusia festival in Bilbao called “On the path to independence. Social and political change”. The march, informed sources from the Basque government cited by the press, has been called for every year by the radical pro-independence left-wing in favour of Basque independence with anti-Spain sentiments. Yesterday the demonstration was officially presented by former Batasuna and HB Party advisors in the municipality of Bilbao in a press conference held together with family members of ETA prisoners. According to the prosecutor’s office, the demonstration could have resulted in condoning terrorism. The prosecutor’s office also ordered two bars in Navarra to be closed for the first time because their owners refused to remove pictures of ETA prisoners and members as well as posters and signs suggesting supporting terrorism. The closing of these businesses was ordered as a precautionary measure and was carried out immediately. On August 3 and 4, after a search of the two bars in Pamplona, the Guardia Civil ordered the material to be removed. The refusal of the owners resulted in charges against them of aggravated disobedience. The seizure was ordered due to “the continued offence and humiliation of victims of terrorism and maintaining a clear message of support to terrorist acts”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UK: ‘Disturbed Man Tried to Open Qantas Plane Door on Flight From London’

A ‘disturbed man’ on board a Qantas flight from London Heathrow tried to open an emergency exit door as the aircraft approached Sydney, other passengers claimed today.

Terrified travellers watched as the man is said to have lunged for the door in the middle of the economy seating area, before cabin crew were able to restrain him.

The airline, which confirmed there had been an unruly passenger, denied the man had reached the door, but a passenger on board the 747 jet claimed he grabbed the handle and tried to turn it. A passenger aboard a Quantas flight from London was held by Australian police after allegedly trying to open a plane door during descent into Sydney

The passenger, who was travelling on a Quantas flight from London, was held by police after allegedly trying to open a plane door during descent into Sydney

Neither the man’s identity nor his nationality have been revealed, but the QF2 flight from London Heathrow to Sydney, Australia, is usually heavily booked by British and Australian travellers.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Man Collapses With Ruptured Appendix… Three Weeks After NHS Doctors ‘Took it Out’

After weeks of excruciating pain, Mark Wattson was understandably relieved to have his appendix taken out.

Doctors told him the operation was a success and he was sent home.

But only a month later the 35-year-old collapsed in agony and had to be taken back to Great Western Hospital in Swindon by ambulance.

To his shock, surgeons from the same team told him that not only was his appendix still inside him, but it had ruptured — a potentially fatal complication.

In a second operation it was finally removed, leaving Mr Wattson fearing another organ might have been taken out during the first procedure.

The blunder has left Mr Wattson jobless, as bosses at the shop where he worked did not believe his story and sacked him.

[…]

Following the second operation his incision became infected and he was admitted to hospital for a third time for treatment.

He said: ‘I had a temporary job at a sports shop but when I took in two medical certificates saying I had my appendix out twice they didn’t believe me.

‘Now I’m helpless. I can’t go out and find a job, I can’t go to interviews, I can barely walk and am in constant pain. Before the first operation they told me I had to have my appendix removed and when I woke up afterwards they said it had been a complete success.

‘But then I keeled over in agony one month later and when they did some tests at the hospital we could see the appendix was still there on the scans.

‘As far as I was aware they took my appendix out and no one told me any different.

‘I have no idea what they did take out, but I want to find out what went wrong.’

[…]

Paul Gearing, deputy general manager for general surgery at Great Western Hospital NHS Trust, said: ‘We are unable to comment on individual cases.

‘However, we would like to apologise if Mr Wattson felt dissatisfied with the care he received at Great Western Hospital.’

— Hat tip: JD

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Croatia: Ministry of Defence Spends €53,000 on Zippo Pocket Lighters

The Croatian Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement to purchase more than 2,000 Zippo pocket lighters worth 386,059 kunas or 53,000 Euros.

The daily Jutarnji list has reported the deal was made on 10 July, ten days after Prime Minister Ivo Sanader resigned.

The agreement was signed with Zagreb firm “Satelit tbm,” the authorized Zippo distributor in Croatia. Many Croats find it very difficult to buy expensive Zippo pocket lighters at a time when the country is undergoing a financial crisis.

The Ministry of Defence claims it had planned to buy Zippo lighters for all Croatian soldiers who are participants in peace missions in 2008. The ministry said Zippo pocket lighters were part of soldiers’ equipment for missions in extreme conditions.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Kosovo and Systematic Persecution by KLA

By Lee Jay Walker

The former Yugoslavia was engulfed by many conflicts and ethnic and religious differences tore away at the very fabric of this nation. Like all wars, atrocities took place on all sides but the mass media in general focused on Serbian atrocities, while neglecting brutal crimes committed against the Serbian community. This certainly applies to the glossing over of war crimes done by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

However, more and more evidence is coming to light about brutal KLA death camps and killing people for organs. Therefore, will former KLA members be charged with war crimes and will the “real truth” be told about international collusion? If not, then where does this leave Kosovo?

Before focusing on this important issue I fear a major cover-up. After all, the American version of history is that Kosovo should be independent because Albanians suffered greatly, therefore, Serbia does not have a moral right to keep Kosovo under Serbia.

Yet, if it comes to light that the KLA killed mainly Serbians, and also fellow Albanians, Roma, and other minorities, then where does this leave the American, British, and the Albanian version of events?

Remember, we are not talking about massacres taking place by opposing armies; on the contrary, we are talking about the KLA killing civilians for organs and for other brutal reasons.

Also, since the ending of the conflict it is clear that countless numbers of Christian Orthodox Churches have been destroyed and non-Albanian culture is on the wane. Added to this, thousands of people have been killed by Albanian nationalists and innocent Serbians, Roma, and others, have “been killed in silence” because it doesn’t suit the interests of America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who supported the KLA.

The BBC, a very liberal British network, highlighted the brutal deeds of the KLA during the airing of “Crossing Continents” and “Newsnight” which was broadcasted on April 9, 2009. Paul Mitchell, BBC correspondent, states that this provides “another side to the conflict which the world was not supposed to see.”

If we take this further, it also undermines the claims of America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support the independence of Kosovo. After all, the findings show “a dirty covert war” and it raises further important questions, for example, how did the KLA develop overnight and where did they obtain their military hardware from?

However, I do not want to get bogged down by the justifications of either side in this article. Instead I want to focus on the disturbing findings of the BBC and others who hope to bring to light the past evils of the KLA.

Once more, before delving into this I wish to state that all sides in this conflict committed atrocities be they Albanian or Serbian. Also, the brutal civil wars which took place in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo, witnessed many massacres and like all wars, you have no pure side because war always leads to atrocities and often it is the civilian population which is victimized the most.

Therefore, this article is not intended to be anti any one single ethnic group and of course many Albanians in Kosovo were also victims. Each ethnic and religious group suffered pain, irrespective if Orthodox Christian or Muslim, or if Serbian or Albanian.

However, the mass media mainly gave a one sided point of view, and this point of view was anti-Serbian. Yet the findings by the BBC and others highlight a different story and one which continues to be mainly ignored. This applies to the brutal killings and torture of innocent Serbians by the KLA and others were also murdered by this terrorist organization.

Yes, I stress terrorist organization for one simple reason. Throughout all of the civil wars in the former Yugoslavia it was clear that many Muslims remained in Serbia, after all, the Muslim community in Serbia is part and parcel of this independent nation which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious.

However, did the KLA protect Serbian Orthodox Christians, Roma, and other minorities? The answer is clearly no. Instead the KLA used a reign of terror against all minorities and persecuted fellow Albanians who were deemed to be traitors. Therefore, the KLA was a terrorist organization and clearly this organization was involved in major criminality including the killing of innocents in order to sell organs.

In the article written by Paul Mitchell, a former KLA prisoner states “I’ve seen a lot, people beaten, stabbed, hit with steel pipes, left without eating for 5 or 6 days. People had bullet proof vests on and were shot to see if it was working, thrown into tombs, beaten up and killed.”

The former KLA prisoner continues by saying “What can you feel when you see those things?” he added. “It’s something that is stuck in my mind for the rest of my life. You cannot do those things to people, not even to animals.”

Another Albanian who is suffering the aftershocks of this brutal conflict also bravely speaks the truth. He highlights that he drove trucks with prisoners who were shackled and he stresses that the majority were Serbian civilians and not only this, he drove them from Kosovo to Albania. He continues by stating “I was sick. I was just waiting for it to end. It was hard. I thought we were fighting a war [of liberation] but this was something completely different.”

KLA sites of systematic torture and killings were based throughout Kosovo and also in parts of Albania. For example Kukes and Burrel in Albania were used by the KLA with regards to military training, obtaining weapons, and for other factors. This in itself raises the role of Albania and NATO nations which took part in the bombing of the former Yugoslavia.

However, getting back to Kukes and Burrel and systematic torture and killing of innocents, it becomes apparent that these sites witnessed many barbaric atrocities. The International Centre for the Red Cross obtained information about brutal murders in Burrel in 2000. This applies to being informed by KLA fighters who stated that Serbian civilians were killed in 1999 in Burrel and these killings had an economic motive because organs were removed and then sold abroad.

Of course, this information would be very troubling for both America and the United Kingdom, because both these nations had sold the war in the disguise of “good” versus “evil.” However, if the good side, the KLA, is involved in killing civilians for harvesting organs and then selling these organs on to other nations, then what does this make America and the United Kingdom?

Also, the hard sell by America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support independence, is that independence is justified on the grounds of Serbian atrocities. Yet if the KLA was found to be involved in killing civilians for organs then “the spin machine” collapses and “democracy” rings hollow.

The role of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is also criticized because of deeds which took place. UNMIK’s former head for Missing Persons and Forensics, Jose Pablo Baraybar, comments that “There were people that are certainly alive that were in Kukes, in that camp, as prisoners. Those people saw other people there, both Albanians and non-Albanians. There were members of the KLA leadership going through that camp. Many names were mentioned, and I would say that that is an established fact.”

More alarming, Baraybar openly admits that UNMIK was fully aware that the KLA had many detention centres and this in itself should have warranted a major investigation. Yet, claims Baraybar, “no proper investigation was ever carried out.”

Sian Jones, Amnesty International spokesperson was more scathing because Jones states that UNMIK “chose not to investigate.” Jones also adds that there were “lots of allegations, lots of victims but little true justice.”

Therefore, it is clear that important vested interests have a need to cover-up the real truth behind “this dirty war.” The United Nations, NATO, the role of Albania and major political leaders in nations like America and the United Kingdom, all come out of this in a terrible light. Also, it raises the issue of “war crime tribunals” and fairness and this terrible and tragic conflict questions the morality of major nations and institutions.

The issue of Kosovo remains because the majority of the international community does not recognize Kosovo to be an independent nation. If the truth really “came to light” and a full and major investigation took place, then clearly you would have many disturbing findings. However, world leaders from major nations do not have to worry about war crimes, and this is the problem, you still have a world of “real power” versus nations of “limited power” and we all know that the outcome is dependent on this sad reality.

The real tragedy of Kosovo, like all civil wars, is that innocents died on all sides. Yet it is clear that a major investigation is needed because killing innocents for organs is truly barbaric and you have enough evidence that this did take place. So will this disgraceful chapter come to light or will it be brushed under the carpet because of power politics?

If we judge past history then it would appear that it will be brushed under the carpet. However, when major powers want to ignore issues like this, it is truly sickening and the role of the mass media in general is also a loser because not enough was said or done at the time of this conflict. Once more the propaganda machine of “the rich and powerful won” and the real losers were the innocents on all sides.

However, one story was told, that of the persecution of the Albanians; but the other story, the persecution of Serbians, Roma, and other minorities remains untold. Yet the story of death camps and killing innocents for organs must be told and a true investigation is needed and this applies to everything and not just minor people who took part in this brutal war.

— Hat tip: CB

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Kosovo and Ongoing De-Christianization

By Lee Jay Walker

The ongoing de-Christianization of Kosovo continues and unlike the past frenzy of the anti-Serbian mass media in the West, we mainly have a deadly silence about the reality of Kosovo and the continuing Albanianization of this land. However, how is it “just” and “moral” to persecute minorities and to alienate them from mainstream society; and then to illegally recognize this land without the full consensus of the international community?

How ironic it is that the same United States of America and the United Kingdom, two nations who were in the forefront of covertly manipulating the mass media; remain mainly silent about the destruction of Orthodox Christian churches, Serbian architecture, and of course the past killings of Serbians and other minorities in Kosovo.

After all, according to America and the United Kingdom the initial conflict was about human rights, democracy, and liberty. However, what about the liberty and freedom of Orthodox Christian Serbs, Gypsies, and other minorities in Kosovo? Are these minorities free in modern day Kosovo and can they move around without the fear of discrimination, persecution or death?

Obviously, vast parts of Kosovo are out of bounds for the majority of minorities in Kosovo, therefore, the answer is no and many areas which were cleansed of Serbians and other minorities remain cleansed.

According to Minority Rights Group International (MRG) which is based in the United Kingdom, it is apparent that exclusion and discrimination is rife. Therefore, minorities face a bleak future and Serbians, Bosniaks, Roma, Croats, Turks, Gorani and Ashkali Egyptians are either being forced out because of alienation or because of limited economic opportunities.

The MRG is not alone in thinking that minorities have been badly betrayed because it is clear that Kosovo remains in limbo and minorities will continue to leave because of the ongoing situation.

Patriarch Pavle (His Holiness the Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Patriarch of Serbs) is highly respected and a man of reason. He stated the following many years ago (

“This humble publication is our cry and appeal to the Christian and civilized world. It is distressing to learn that in the year of the greatest Christian Jubilee, at the end of two millenniums of Christianity, Christian churches are still being destroyed, not in a war but in the time of peace guaranteed by the international community. We hope that these photos of the destroyed and desecrated Orthodox shrines will awaken the conscience of those who are able to stop the crimes and believe that they who already stood up against one evil will not remain just passive witnesses of another evil happening now in their presence.”

“We also make our appeal to all Kosovo Albanians, who reasonably see their future in their joint life with Serbs, to resist and prevent the acts of insanity.”

“In Kosovo and Metohija there will be no victory of humanity and justice while revenge and disorder prevail. No one has the moral right to celebrate the victory complacently, as long as one evil is being replaced with another and the freedom of one people is becoming the slavery of another.”

Patriarch Pavle stated this many years ago and sadly his words of wisdom have been ignored and instead America and the United Kingdom decided to create a new world order; this new world order was to carve up Serbia and to break international law. This breach of ignoring international law ultimately had greater repercussions because the Russian Federation would support Abkhazia and South Ossetia after conflict erupted in Georgia.

Therefore, a “new can of worms was opened” and the “Kosovo model” could inspire future mayhem because it is clear that international law was rendered to be unimportant.

Like I stressed in my last article about Kosovo (Kosovo and Systematic Persecution by KLA) it is clear that all sides committed atrocities, just like what happens in all wars. Pain can be felt on all sides and sadly many innocents were killed during the various civil wars which engulfed the former Yugoslavia.

However, the Serbian story war largely untold and the same can be said about the persecution of other minorities in Kosovo. Yet what is clear is that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was involved in running brutal death camps and this even applies to the killing of people for organs.

At the same time the KLA supported the ethnic cleansing of Serbians and other minorities, and the same applies to the destruction of Christian churches, monasteries, and other historical architecture which was a clear reminder of the roots of Kosovo.

Also, the hard sell by America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support independence, is that independence was justified on the grounds of Serbian atrocities. Yet if the KLA was found to be involved in killing civilians for organs then “the spin machine” collapses and “democracy” rings hollow.

Therefore, in one part of Europe we are a seeing the silent destruction of Serbian Orthodox Christianity and the ongoing persecution and alienation of minorities in Kosovo.

It would appear that the violation of international law is deemed to be a viable policy for both America and the United Kingdom. Therefore, important questions, for example the role of the KLA in killing innocents for organs, the rise of the KLA in such a short space of time and a host of other vital questions remain unanswered.

However, it is vital to counter this cover-up and blatant violation of international law because it is clear that murky covert acts have been implemented by higher powers. Also, the world is still divided about the future of Kosovo but why did some nations behave so hastily without the full facts, and without taking into consideration the ongoing persecution and alienation of minorities in Kosovo?

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=8691

— Hat tip: CB

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Algeria: Imports Plunge After New Regulations Kick Off

(ANSAmed) — ALGIERS, AUGUST 25 — Imports of food, vehicles and other consumer goods to Algeria plunged after the new regulations in the complementary financial law took effect. Last month the volume of food imports fell by 54.24% to 297 million dollars, against 679 million in July 2008. Imports of milk and dairy products, cereals, semolina and sugar decreased most: milk imports decreased from 130 million USD in July 2008 to 50 million in July 2009; imports of cereals and semolina decreased from 408 to 173 million and sugar from 46 to 20 million dollars. The decline is caused by the abolition of bank loans for the acquisition of cars and of consumer credit in general, and the introduction of document credit as only instrument for the import of any product. Few companies can afford to buy vehicles without a loan and car dealers are preparing for a collapse of car sales in the second half of 2009. The Algerian authorities want to make the country more self-sufficient and boost domestic production. Meanwhile consumers fear shortages in the coming months. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Algeria: New Berber Edition of Koran Published

(ANSAmed) — ALGIERS, AUGUST 20 — A complete version of the Koran in the Tamazigh (Berber) language has been published in Algeria on the initiative of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Algiers, said Algeria’s Ministry for Religious Affairs to ANSAmed, adding that this is “a re-issue of the first version in the Berber language produced by Algerian Hadj Mohamed in 2007 with the supervision of the Ministry” and previously published by the Zyriab publishing house. The first translation of the Koran into Berber was written in Arabic script by Ibn Toumert in the 12th century. A partial version by Kamel Nait Zerad was published in Europe in 1988, and a translation was made in Morocco in 2003 by Hocine Djouhadi. 13 chapters of the Koran in Berber were published in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Tamazigh is a Berber variation spoken by around 20% of the Algerian population, mainly in CAbilia. After a long and sometimes violent battle, Berber was recognised as a national language in Algeria in 2002, but not as an official one like Arabic. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt Bans Genetically Modified Food Imports

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 12 — Egyptian Agriculture Minister, Amin Abaza, stated that all food imported into Egypt will have to carry a label certifying that it is not a genetically modified product. The minister told the press that “it is necessary that any cultivation imported into Egypt is accompanied by a certification by the country of origin that it is not genetically modified”, and then confirmed that no agricultural product (wheat and soy in particular) will be allowed into the country unless it has been accurately inspected and certified. The measures adopted in Egypt are the result of recent events, precisely since the moment when a massive load of genetically modified wheat coming from Russia was seized because deemed unfit for human consumption. Egypt is one of the greatest importers of wheat, corn and soy oil, especially from Brazil, Argentina and the USA. A European exporter who requested anonymity commented to the press that “a policy which outlaws genetically modified products is economically dangerous for Egypt because it is very difficult to achieve guarantees that products coming from Brazil are not genetically modified, without mentioning those from the USA. There is also the risk that Egypt will have to cut imports dramatically”. MENA stated that international exporters were taken by surprise by the Egyptian measure, since most imported products are genetically modified. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi ‘May Live for Many More Months’

The Lockerbie bomber could live far longer than predicted by Scottish ministers when they decided to release him, a cancer expert has said.

Dr Richard Simpson said that medical reports show there is “significant doubt” that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi will die within the next three months.

The Labour MSP accused Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, of failing to conduct sufficient checks before deciding to release the terminally-ill bomber last week.

This attack was echoed by the Tories, who said that the most recent medical consensus was Megrahi would live eight months, too long to be eligible for compassionate release.

The row broke out as Gordon Brown finally ended his silence on the controversy, but refused to say whether he agreed with Mr MacAskill’s decision.

The Prime Minister stressed he had “no role” in the release and he was “angry and repulsed” at the hero’s welcome that greeted Megrahi on his return to Libya.

A storm of international condemnation has met Mr MacAskill’s ruling last week to release Megrahi, who is suffering from prostate cancer, on compassionate grounds.

Scottish Prison Service (SPS) guidelines suggest that inmates are only freed if they have less than three months to live.

However, Dr Simpson, who specialised in prostate disease research, said: “It is clear to me from the medical reports and the opinion of the specialists that Megrahi could live for many more months.

“Kenny MacAskill released him apparently on the advice of just one doctor whose status is not clear and who is not named.”

Dr Simpson, a former member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons’ prostate cancer working group, said the minister should have sought a second opinion from a specialist in palliative care.

A health assessment compiled by a SPS medical officer for Mr MacAskill, states that last autumn Megrahi was given between 18 months and two years to live.

However, a range of specialists concluded in June and July this year that his condition had deteriorated over the intervening 10 months and the lower end of this scale was more likely.

Megrahi’s life expectancy was no longer deemed to be “many months” but the report concluded: “Whether or not prognosis is more or less than three months, no specialist would be ‘willing to say’.”

However, his personal physician said his condition “declined significantly” between July 26 and August 3 and a life expectancy of three months was deemed a “reasonable estimate”.

Bill Aitken, Scottish Tory justice spokesman, said: “In June and July, there was a consensus on prognosis of eight months. Where is that consensus now?

“We only have the opinion of one anonymous individual — not the range of medical experts promised.”

The Scottish Executive admitted that Megrahi could live longer than three months, but insisted this prognosis was supported by a wide range of medical experts.

A spokesman said Mr MacAskill had based his decision on a report by the SPS director of health and care, who had access to all Megrahi’s medical records.

He said this contained a “clear” clinical assessment that the bomber’s life expectancy was three months or less.

Gordon Brown argued that, because Scottish judicial issues are devolved, his Government “could not interfere and had no control over the final outcome”.

But he added: “I was both angry and I was repulsed by the reception that a convicted bomber guilty of a huge terrorist crime received on his return to Libya.”

The Prime Minister had pleaded in a personal letter to Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, for restraint.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, he said he did not think the affair would harm relations with other countries in the fight against terrorism.

But William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “He still hasn’t said whether or not he was happy with the decision, a decision of huge public concern in this country, of immense international importance, which President Obama and so many other people in other countries have commented on.

“I think it is part of a continuing failure of leadership that he is unable to say that he will defend the decision or that he was not happy with it. And that is not what we expect from the Prime Minister of Britain.”

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Tourism: Tunisia Not Low Cost Destination, Minister

(ANSAmed) — TUNISIA, AUGUST 13 — Tunisia, contrary to what some tour operators propose, is not a ‘low cost’ destination, stressed the Minister of Tourism, Khelil Laajimi, during the presentation of the new tourism portal which will be on the internet from next year. Laajimi emphasised that his ministry, in addition to the numerous tour operators in the sector in Tunisia, have been busy improving the efficiency of hotels, adjusting quality and price for the services offered with increasing attention. This is also important for internal tourism, with the Tunisian Hotelier Federation committed to attracting arrivals in periods not limited to low season, as commonly occurs now. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tunisia: Survey,78% of Women Have Mobiles, 45% Use Computers

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 14 — Owning a mobile phone are 78% of Tunisian women, compared with 82% of their male counterparts, as reported in a study on “female interaction and information/communication technologies” conducted by the Communications Technologies Ministry. As concerns computers, the survey says that 45% of women use one (at home, at work or for their studies), while 39% of them use the internet. The study was carried out on 1,200 women of various ages, social classes and regional backgrounds. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tunisia: Ancient Kairouan Inspires New Female Status

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 12 — The marriage agreement that was used in the Tunisian city of Kairouan after the Islamic conquest lies at the basis of the principle of the Personal Status Code that is currently applied in Tunisia. Sarra Kanoun Jarraya, minister of Female, Family, Infancy, and Old People Affairs, pointed it out during a conference that took place in Kairouan on occasion of manifestations for Women’s Day on August 13. The minister stated that respect of female rights in conjugal relations, according to the marriage agreement drawn up centuries ago in Kairouan, was the proof of the attachment of Tunisian women, after the arrival of Islam, to their right to choose their marriage and their fate in a familiar context. The rights were recognised and repeated in the Personal Status Code following decisions taken by president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 1992. As was repeatedly pointed out, reforms introduced by the Code were also based on the ancient Kairouanese model, starting from the notion of the family as a socioeconomic cell which embodies the right of reciprocal assistance, solidarity and partnership between husband and wife. In effects the peculiarity and originality of the marriage agreement enforced in Kairouan (the fourth holy city of Islam) after the Islamic conquest resided in the fact that the bride could prohibit bigamy (today a crime in Tunisia) to her husband. The agreement also provided that the husband had the duty to supply his wife with all the comforts needed to keep the house in good order, starting from the hiring of a housemaid. Speaking of the current Code,, the minister emphasised its current validity and added that Tunisian women have now gone beyond the stage of reclaiming fundamental rights and are now hard at work to build the country’s future. She also said the first lady Leila Ben Ali, who presides the Arab Women’s Organisation, is committed to ensuring that the experience of Tunisian women is reflected across the entire Arab world, and to set up a common front where women can defend their rights and protect their roles. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Gaza: War of Words Between HRW and Israel

(ANSAmed) — TEL AVIV, AUGUST 14 — A war of words is being waged between Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Israeli government after the report released yesterday by the human rights organisation headquartered in New York, which has accused the Israeli army (Tzahal) of having killed citizens waving white flags during the military operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The report was rejected by a Tzahal spokesman, who called the Palestinian witness statements “unreliable”, while the press office of Israeli premier Benyamin Netanyahu said it was the product of an untrustworthy organisation which receives public financing — denied by HRW — from a country like Saudi Arabia, which has been harshly criticised as concerns human rights. In response, HRW official Iain Levine has today issued a statement in which he accused the Israeli government of waging “a war of propaganda” against human rights associations “instead of seriously investigating” the abuses reported. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Gaza: Abbas: Salaphites Sons of Hamas. Hamas Accuse Al-Qaeda

(ANSAmed) — RAMALLAH (WEST BANK) — Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), the moderate President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has described Saturday’s attack by Hamas radical militants on a group of even more hard-line separatists (Jund Ansar Allah), linked to Al Qaeda as “atrocious and inhuman”. The group, he said, was initially affiliated to Hamas. “The method used (an attack on a mosque in Rafah which led to the deaths of more than 20 people) was atrocious and inhuman” said Mahmoud Abbas outside a meeting of the PNA government in Ramallah. “I don’t know that group (Jund Ansar Allah), but I believe they came out of Hamas”, he added. Hamas rose to power in 2007 after a show of force against institutions loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, since when it has created a de facto entity in Gaza, separate from the West Bank, which is currently run by the PNA and the President’s Fatah party. Reconciliation talks mediated by Egypt have so far failed to heal this split. In recent days Mahmoud Abbas — despite the recent election of a Fatah administration which is more hard-line towards Hamas — announced his intention to proceed with talks in Cairo, but a Hamas spokesman today retorted that there would be no possibility of agreement as long as PNA security forces continue to strike at Islamic militants in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Khalid Amayreh, a Palestinian journalist and spokesman for Hamas, published today on the website Islamonline.net a harsh attack on Al Qaida’s “nihilism” and “fanaticism”, followed by an appeal against the Gaza Strip becoming “another Iraq”. He describes last Friday’s fighting in Rafah between Hamas militants and supporters of Jund Ansar Allah as “a distressing bloodbath”. But he credits Hamas with doing “the right thing” by quashing the rebellion. “It is vital to understand that stopping the Gaza Strip from turning into another Iraq or another Swat (the anarchic tribal area in northern Pakistan) is a task of utmost importance” writes Amayreh, who describes Al Qaeda and its supporters as “forces for fanaticism and nihilism” who condemn anyone who disagrees with their ideology as “kafir” (infidel) or “murtad” (apostate), and intent on spreading a cause in Gaza “which the (Palestinian) people do not want to embrace”, that of transforming the Strip into “a base for Osama bin Laden”. Amayreh admits that the “authorities” in Gaza (Hamas since 2007) have tolerated the nonbelligerent presence of “groups and splinter groups which orbit the Al Qaeda galaxy” for too long. And he says that they are responsible for the recent attacks on internet cafes and other ‘western symbols’ in Gaza, as well as violence on the local Christian community. But the iron fist was truly required when the head of Jund Ansar Allah (Abdel Latif Mussa, who died during the fighting on Friday) “declared war” on the “democratically-elected government” in Gaza in the name of Al Qaeda’s “fanciful political objectives”. (ANSAmed)

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Hamas Against Al Qaeda ‘Nihilism’, Gaza Not Iraq

(ANSAmed) — GAZA, AUGUST 17 — A harsh attack on Al Qaida’s “nihilism” and “fanaticism”, followed by an appeal against the Gaza Strip becoming “another Iraq”, written by Khalid Amayreh, a Palestinian journalist and spokesman for Hamas, the Islamic movement in power in Gaza, and published today on the website Islamonline.net. He describes last Friday’s fighting in Rafah between Hamas militants and supporters of Jund Ansar Allah, a small but even more radical Salafite faction, as “a distressing bloodbath” (over 20 people died). But he credits Hamas with doing “the right thing” by quashing the rebellion. “It is vital to understand that stopping the Gaza Strip from turning into another Iraq or another Swat (the anarchic tribal area in northern Pakistan) is a task of utmost importance” writes Amayreh, who describes Al Qaeda and its supporters as “forces for fanaticism and nihilism” who condemn anyone who disagrees with their ideology as “kafir” (infidel) or “murtad” (apostate), and intent on spreading a cause in Gaza “which the (Palestinian) people do not want to embrace”, that of transforming the Strip into “a base for Osama bin Laden”. Amayreh admits that the “authorities” in Gaza (Hamas since 2007) have tolerated the nonbelligerent presence of “groups and splinter groups which orbit the Al Qaeda galaxy” for too long. And he says that they are responsible for the recent attacks on internet cafes and other ‘western symbols’ in Gaza, as well as violence on the local Christian community. But the iron fist was truly required when the head of Jund Ansar Allah (Abdel Latif Mussa, who died during the fighting on Friday) “declared war” on the “democratically-elected government” in Gaza in the name of Al Qaeda’s “fanciful political objectives”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Israel to Install Solar Energy System at Ben Gurion Airport

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 25 — The Israel Airports Authority plans to install a 50-kilowatt solar energy system on a 500 square meters area at Ben Gurion airport of Tel Aviv, according to Globes online. The size of the project is limited to the amount of electricity that can be sold by private power producer to Israel Electric Corporation, that manages the electricity forniture of the airport. According to airports authority chairman, Eli Ovadia, the plan aims to turn Ben Gurion airport into an environmental leader.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Netanyahu, Mitchell Fail to Reach Deal on Settlements

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell failed to reach an agreement on the issue of West Bank settlements during a meeting Wednesday in London, according to spokespeople for the two men.

However, Netanyahu and Mitchell did make progress in their meeting, the spokespeople said in a joint message afterward, adding that the two agreed on the need to begin meaningful diplomatic negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with the aim of reaching a regional peace agreement.

The next round of talks was scheduled for the beginning of next week in Washington. Israel will be represented at those talks by the PM’s special envoy Yitzhak Molcho and Defense Ministry chief of staff Mike Herzog, who both participated in Wednesday’s meeting.

The two will meet with Mitchell to discuss again the U.S. demand that Israel implement a settlement freeze.

Prior to the meeting, Netanyahu said his government was making progress toward reopening talks with the Palestinians and hoped to be able to do so shortly.

“We are making headway. My government has taken steps both in words and deeds to move forward,” he said.

Netanyahu has pledged not to build any new settlements but wanted to enable what he called “natural growth” of existing enclaves.

The prime minister, whose comments during a photo opportunity were relayed to reporters by his spokesman, expressed hope the two sides would “shortly be able to resume normal talks.”

“The goal is a wider peace, which is our common goal,” he said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials said Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas is open to a meeting with Netanyahu at the United Nations next month.

The meeting would be the first between the two leaders since Netanyahu took office in March.

Abbas has refused to reopen peace talks until Netanyahu halts all construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Israeli leader rejects this demand.

The Palestinian officials said Abbas is not dropping his conditions. They say the meeting would be a chance to talk, but would not amount to negotiations.

The Palestinian officials spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal meeting hasn’t been set.

Earlier, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gabriela Shalev told reporters that a meeting between Netanyahu, Abbas and U.S. President Obama at the UN was being planned, but declined to elaborate.

Meanwhile, the British Guardian reported that President Barack Obama is close to breaking the stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians by getting Israel to agree to a partial settlement freeze in exchange for a tougher U.S. stand against Iran’s nuclear program.

The report, which cites U.S., European, Israeli and Palestinian officials, said that Obama will be ready to announce the resumption of long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians by the end of September.

“The message is: Iran is an existential threat to Israel; settlements are not,” the Guardian quoted one official close to the negotiations as saying.

In exchange for Israel agreeing to a partial and temporary settlement freeze, the U.S., Britain and France would push the United Nations Security Council to expand sanctions on Iran to include its oil and gas industry, the report said.

Israel is also seeking normalization with Arab states, which would include the right for El Al to fly within Arab states’ airspace, the establishment of trade offices and embassies and an end to the ban on travelers with Israeli stamps in their passports.

A poll released Wednesday in Israel showed freezing settlements would be an unpopular move. Almost two-thirds of those questioned told pollsters they opposed a freeze, even in return for moves by Arab countries toward

normalization of ties with Israel. Thirty-nine percent said they would support a freeze in return for Arab gestures.

Conducted by the Maagar Mohot polling company, the survey questioned 506

Jewish Israelis and had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Details of the negotiations are expected to be outlined Wednesday during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting in London with George Mitchell, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East.

“It has been pretty hard going but we are getting there,” the Guardian quoted another official as saying. “We are closer to a deal with the Israelis than many think. The Arabs are more difficult to pin down.”

The report said Obama plans to announce the breakthrough either at the meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York in the week of September 23 or at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh on September 24-25.

Obama plans to make his announcement together with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and sources said he hopes a final peace deal can be negotiated within two years.

Israel and the United States on Tuesday said they are closing the gaps over the contentious issue of West Bank settlement construction, senior American officials told Haaretz.

The Obama administration has demanded that Israel halt all construction in settlements in the West Bank, which the Palestinians claim for a future state.

Netanyahu has resisted calls for a total freeze on construction, arguing that the Bush administration had acquiesced to continued Israeli settlement activity in large blocs that are likely to be annexed by Israel in any future agreement with the Palestinians.

He reiterated during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street in London, that Israel will not limit construction in East Jerusalem.

“What we’re seeking to achieve with the United States in the talks we’ve

conducted, and will conduct tomorrow and will conduct after tomorrow, is to find a bridging formula that will enable us to at once launch a process but enable those residents to continue living normal lives,” Netanyahu said.

After his talks with Mitchell, Netanyahu is scheduled to fly to Berlin for talks on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

— Hat tip: Zenster

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Outposts Dismantled Within Weeks, Barak

(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 25 — Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak said today that the dismantling of unauthorised Jewish settlements in the West Bank would be carried out within weeks, not months. Israel had already committed to dismantling 23 of these outposts with the previous administration led by President George W. Bush. During a visit to settlements in the northern West Bank, Labour MP Daniel Ben Simon said that his party would raise the issue of the dismantling of the outposts if it is not completed by the beginning of winter. The Israeli police force has created a special unit, according to daily paper Haaretz, to manage preparations for the large-scale dismantling, as they are expecting violent resistance on the part of the Jewish settlers. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Palestinian Economy: US Press Divided on Israeli Role

(ANSAmed) — ROME — What kind of role does Israel play in the Palestinian economy, does it block or encourage development? This is the issue at the centre of a debate in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, with the two arguments being put forward in recent days. The latest interview today was with Sam Bahour, an American businessman of Palestinian origins who lives on the West Bank: the Wall Street Journal’s website carries an article by him called “Israel still strangles the Palestinian Economy”. It is his response to the Israeli ambassador in the USA Michael Oren, who described in the same newspaper the “West Bank, a success story”, and the New York Times editorial by Thomas Friedman, in which he speaks of “signs of recovery in Palestine”. “The selective economic data they provide ignore the reality: Occupied Palestinian territory is not a sovereign country where traditional economic measures apply” writes Bahour. Michael Oren cites the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who say that “The West Bank economy is flourishing” with a growth “of 18% in the Stock Exchange, and 94% in tourism to Bethlehem — which has created 6,000 new jobs — and growth in trade with Israel of 82%. The ambassador announced “splendid forecasts”: “an economic growth rate of 7%, falling unemployment, a flourishing tourism industry, a surge in daily incomes of 24%”. And this situation is possible, according to Oren, thanks to the initiatives and tax policies of the Palestinian leaders, but also thanks to Israel, who have lifted the blockade at the checkpoints, allowing Arab-Israelis to travel for business to Palestine, and thanks to the steps forward taken in security matters. A few days earlier, Thomas Friedman addressed these last two points in the pages of the New York Times. According to the leader writer the key action in this development was the conscription of four new battalions from the Palestinian national security forces. Sam Bahour, who recalls in his article that he took part in the opening of the first shopping centre in the West Bank and in the creation of the first Palestinian telecommunications operator, chooses data from the World Bank which suggest that “Israel’s repressive practices will not permit the Palestinian economy to develop meaningfully. “In many ways, writes Bahour, the World Bank’s figures show the Israeli “stranglehold”: restrictions on the supply of water, the free movement of people, security and commerce. Jordan, he writes, is the commercial alternative, although it is “severely limited.” “The Palestinian economy has the potential for dramatic growth, even in the midst of the current global recession. This can only be achieved by the private sector through export oriented growth. The new [Israeli] restrictions undermine this goal,” says David Craig, the World Bank representative cited by Bahour. “I do not want to discredit the progress that has been made” concludes Bahour, “but seen in context, they are nothing but window-dressing”. As for the other Palestinian territory, Ambassador Oren criticises the difficult situation, highlighting for example that, rather than “putting political initiatives into action that could reduce unemployment, which is close to 40%, the radical Hamas government has imposed strict controls based on sharia law”. On the same theme, Friedman concluded that “Hamas and Gaza can join us later. Let’s not wait for them. When it is built (one Palestinian State around the West Bank), they will join us”.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Palestinian Family: We Didn’t Say Organs Taken

The family and relatives of Bilal Ahmed Ghanem, the Palestinian at the center of the organ-theft story in the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet, said on Monday that they didn’t know if the accusations were true or not.

The family lives in the tiny village of Imatin in the northern West Bank. Ghanem, 19, was killed by IDF soldiers during the first intifada on May 13, 1992.

He was a Fatah activist who was wanted by the IDF for his involvement in violence.

His mother, Sadeeka, said he was shot by an IDF sniper as he walked out of his home. “The bullets hit him directly in the heart,” she said.

Ghanem’s younger brother, Jalal, said he could not confirm the allegations made by the Swedish newspaper that his brother’s organs had been stolen.

“I don’t know if this is true,” he said. “We don’t have any evidence to support this.”

Jalal said his brother was evacuated by the IDF in a helicopter and delivered to the family only a few days later.

The mother denied that she had told any foreign journalist that her son’s organs had been stolen.

However, she said that now she does not rule out the possibility that Israel was harvesting organs of Palestinians.

Jalal and two cousins who claimed that they saw the body said the young man’s teeth were missing. They also said they saw stitches that ran from the chest down to the bottom of the stomach.

“Obviously, they performed some kind of an autopsy on the body,” the brother said. “When the army handed us the body, we were ordered to bury him quickly and in the middle of the night.”

Jalal said that he and other villagers recall that a Swedish photographer was in the village during the funeral and that he managed to take a number of pictures of the body before the funeral. “That was the only time we saw this photographer,” he recounted.

Ibrahim Ghanem, a relative of Bilal, said that the family never told the Swedish photographer that Israel had stolen organs from the dead man’s body.

“Maybe the journalist reached that conclusion on the basis of the stitches he saw on the body,” he said. “But as far as the family is concerned, we don’t know if organs were removed from the body because we never performed our own autopsy. All we know is that Bilal’s teeth were missing.”

Jalal and other members of the family said that “rumors” about Israel killing Palestinians to steal their organs have been circulating for a long time.

“I can’t tell you if these rumors are true or not,” the brother said.

“But in light of the investigative report in the Swedish newspaper, we are demanding an international commission of inquiry into the case.”

— Hat tip: Steen

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PNA: ‘Palestinian State by 2011’, Fayad Says

(ANSAmed) — RAMALLAH, AUGUST 25 — An action plan for the creation of an independent Palestinian state by 2011 was outlined today in Ramallah by Palestinian National Authority Salam Fayad. “The creation of a state within the next two years is a duty, as well as a feasible objective,” said Fayad. In an interview with the British daily Times, Fayad said that the 16 years after the Oslo Accords have proved fruitless, and that is why Palestinians have now decided to take their future into their own hands without waiting any longer. “We decided to be active, to speed up the end of the Israeli occupation by working hard to build, and bring into being our state as a reality which cannot be ignored,” said Fayad. “This is our agenda, which we will follow with determination.” His government’s objective, he added, is to step up security forces, public services and the economy. “However, we are running out of time,” he warned. “(Israeli) settlement activities continue, as well as the construction of the wall which confiscates Palestinian territory, and Arab houses are being demolished in East Jerusalem.” The Palestinian Authority’s plan to move towards a Palestinian state, presented by Fayad today, is outlined in a 65-page document. The Palestinian premier — who is an economist — said that to re-launch the economy of the West Bank an airport needs to be built in the Jordan Valley. Fayad also holds it necessary to connect the West Bank with neighbouring Arab countries by way of new railway lines. To impede Israeli settlements not only foreign diplomatic pressure will be necessary but also activity by “anti-settlement committees” and “anti-wall” ones, which in his opinion should involve wide-ranging segments of Palestinian society. In an initial comment, Israeli state-owned radio said that to carry out his plans Fayad would have to find a modus vivendi with Hamas leaders in Gaza, the Fatah leadership in the West Bank and Israeli authorities. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Schools Open: Girls to Wear Islamic Clothing

(ANSAmed) — GAZA, AUGUST 24 — Schools are opening again, after the summer holidays, and many girls in Gaza are surprised to discover that they will not be admitted to class if wearing “western” clothing. Female students wearing jeans will be asked to return home and wear a light blue ‘jilbab’ (tunic) and a white or light blue ‘hijab’ (headscarf). According to what ANSA was told by a source within the Ministry of Education, this measure was not set up by the Hamas executive but was implemented following the initiative of some high-school headmasters. According to the source, female students that wish to keep on wearing western clothes will be able to do so. In particular, the source said, the rights of the Christian minority in Gaza will be guaranteed. Yesterday, a Christian girl not wearing the ‘hijab’ was not allowed to enter her school. But, according to the ANSA source, she will be able to file a complaint against the headmaster of her high-school. Over the last few months, there have been numerous complaints in Gaza according to which Hamas is slowly forcing residents in the Strip to adopt an Islamic code of conduct, particularly in public areas. Furthermore, it has been reported that a ‘vice squad’ has been established to patrol beaches and defend “public morality”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tourism Up Post War, Pilgrims Back

(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 18 — According to the Israeli Ministry for Tourism, Israel is seeing signs of recovery in its tourism industry, which had suffered particularly badly from the collapse in the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Land due to the combined effects of the war in the Gaza Strip (December 2008 — January 2009) and the global financial crisis. The ministry reveals that in July, 252 000 tourists visited Israel, only 4% less than in 2008, and an the increase (+17%) on the same time in 2007. In total, from the start of 2009, there have been 1.4 million visitors, with an 18% drop on last year which has gradually been cancelled out in the last few months. Stas Misezhnikov, Minister for Tourism, spoke of a change in the overall trend, while admitting that reaching the ambitious objective fixed by his office (of 5 million tourists by 2015, in a country of less than 7.5 million inhabitants) will mean that huge increases in hotel facilities are necessary, as is facilitating investment. The recovery of tourism in recent months is based largely on a renewed increase in pilgrimages, partly brought on by Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Holy Land in May. Amongst the visitors travelling from Christian countries, there has also been an increase in the number of Italian tourists, who are some of the most frequent visitors to Israel and the surrounding areas in the whole of Western Europe. Tourists from the East of Europe are visiting the area in the greatest numbers however, particularly Russians. Misezhnikov has not been a stranger to controversy in recent days, arguing with Eli Yishai, a representative of the orthodox Jewish right-wing and member of the Ministry of the Interior, about restrictions imposed on foreign visitors’ access to Palestinian territory, such as the West Bank, where Bethlehem is located. The Minister for Tourism claims that these restrictions, as well as bands of hostile political activists, risk discouraging huge numbers of pilgrims. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Agriculture: Saudi Arabia Remains Mideast’s Largest Market

(ANSAmed) — DUBAI, AUGUST 12 — Saudi Arabia remains the Middle East’s largest market for agricultural products and technologies, posting a steady eight per cent average annual growth, Gulf news online reports. Saudi Arabia imported more than 25.5 billion riyals (Dh24.8 billion) worth of agricultural products in 2008, an impressive increase of 42 per cent over the previous year. This year, agricultural projects are expected to account for 23 per cent of the country’s expected 181 billion-riyal (Dh177 billion) private sector investments. “The Saudi Government has been investing heavily in irrigation projects to develop its arable land, with the aim of addressing both a rapidly growing population and burgeoning demand for food and food-related products. There is an urgent need for advanced irrigation equipment, water management technologies and services, and related products such as high-yield seeds in order to satisfy the country’s increasing agricultural requirements. These are thus very advantageous times for local and international firms to boost their presence and investments within Saudi Arabia’s agricultural sector,” said Khalid Daou, Project Manager of Saudi Agriculture at Riyadh Exhibitions Company. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Child Bride Turned Over to 80-Year-Old Husband

AL-LAITH: A 10-year-old bride was returned last Sunday to her 80-year-old husband by her father who discovered her at the home of her aunt with whom she has been hiding for around 10 days.

A local newspaper said the husband, who denies he is 80 in spite of claims by the girl’s family, accused the aunt of meddling in his affairs. “My marriage is not against Shariah. It included the elements of acceptance and response by the father of the bride,” he said.

He added that he had been engaged to his wife’s elder sister and that this broke off as she wanted to continue with her education. “In light of this, her father offered his younger daughter. I was allowed to have a look at her according to Shariah and found her acceptable,” he said.

Maatouq Al-Abdullah, a member of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), said there is no system in place regulating the marriage of young girls, something that he said results in adverse psychological, health and social effects.

“Such marriages are considered a gross violation of charters on the rights of children, which the Kingdom has signed and which set the age of adulthood at 18,” he added.

— Hat tip: A Greek Friend

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Saudi Arabia: Mecca Development Plan

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 18 — The Saudi Arabian government has announced a development plan for the city of Mecca, according to reports today by Arab News newspaper. “The development of Mecca must be exceptional and must make the city one of the most beautiful in the world,” said Saudi Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the governor of the city, during a meeting yesterday with UN representatives involved in the development of the cities sacred to Islam like Mecca, Medina, and Mina. The Prince demonstrated the city development plan to UN officials, which was realised thanks to the aid of a Canadian consulting firm, which involved transport, roads, and services for pilgrims. “The development plan aims to protect our cultural identity,” underlined Al-Faisal. According to the press, the strategy of the governor is to give priority to citizens through education, work, developing assistance for pilgrims, and increasing the water supply. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tehran: Fourth “Mass Trial” Against Opponents of the Regime

On trial several members of Iran’s main reformist party and associates of former President Khatami, charged with having organized and fomented anti-government riots. Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, suspected of murder and torture, appointed Attorney General of the Republic.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) — Activists and reformers were in the dock today in Tehran, in the fourth mass trial brought by the Iranian regime against the protagonists of anti-government riots. The accusation is of having orchestrated the protests that bloodied the country’s presidential elections on 12 June, won by the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The non-violent demonstrations, protesting election fraud, were violently suppressed by hooligans from the bassij and Pasdaran at the service of Ahmadinejad.

Several defendants are members of Mosharekat, the main reformist party in the country. On its website, the movement accuses the Tribunal of the Iranian revolution of staging yet another “show trial” and denounces an increasingly “threatening” national leadership. They are charged with having “organized and fomented the protests and riots” in recent weeks, during which dozens of people died.

On trial are, among others, Mostafa Tajzadeh, former deputy interior minister, Mohsen Aminzadeh, a former deputy foreign minister, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, a former government spokesman. Saaed Hajjarian, former deputy minister of intelligence, who became the main architect of the reform movement in Iran, also appeared before the court.

Many senior officials charged with crimes held office between 1997 and 2005, under President Khatami. In the last election he supported the moderate leader Mir Hossein Moussavi. Recently, a high official of the Revolutionary Guards accused him of having orchestrated, with Moussavi and Khatami — almost the entire “reformist” leadership — a “velvet revolution” to overthrow the regime.

International analysts have labelled the trial an attempt to eradicate domestic moderate opposition. In recent weeks more than 140 people have appeared before the judges, at the other three “mass trials” that so far have not led to any sentence.

Human rights activists have condemned the arrests of hundreds of people including journalists, activists and lawyers, many of whom remain in detention and are victims of abuse, torture and sexual violence. The regime is also charged with having killed opponents locked up in jail.

Yesterday, in conclusion, Sadeq Larijani, brother of the parliament speaker and head of the neo-Iranian judiciary appointed Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, former minister of intelligence of the Ahmadinejad administration, Attorney General of the Republic. Sources of internal resistance accuse him of mass executions, assassinations and torture of opponents.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Turkey: Mosque Next to Brothel Vexes Antalya Residents

The construction of a mosque next to a brothel in the southern city of Antalya has raised concerns among some residents about provocative actions being taken against the brothel, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

The brothel was built almost 40 years ago in the Kepez district, which was on the outskirts of Antalya at that time. The growth of the city has brought the district, and the brothel, into its center.

Neighborhood residents disturbed by the situation have raised objections, none of which have had any impact thus far. Yasar Karahan, the owner of an adjacent plot of land, donated the property on the condition that a mosque would be built there, stirring up ongoing debate.

District headman Binali Güney expressed his concerns about a brothel being located in the middle of a busy part of the city that is home to 130,000 people, including many families with children. He has requested that the brothel be moved outside the city.

Güney also noted that the brothel is located in the direction of Mecca, so that people have to face that way while praying. “What a shame!” he said.

The headman added that since the mosque opened, tension in the area has been escalating. He has asked for extra police forces to protect the neighborhood.

The brothel management has taken some precautions of its own by covering the building’s exterior with two-meter-high iron folding screens.

A mufti, or Islamic official, has recently been appointed to the newly built three-story mosque.

‘Any provocation may lead to serious events’

Hasan Hüseyin Tanriöver, the chairman of the Mosque Construction and Support Foundation, said in a written statement that the organization has serious concerns about a potential attack directed at the brothel, particularly during Ramadan.

“The problem is not between our foundation and the brothel, but between the residents and the neighborhood unit,” Tanriöver said. “However, the headman of the district does not have the authority to move the brothel away from here, so we expect the authorities to take the necessary precautions before any negative behavior occurs in the district.”

Noting that social pressure is growing rapidly in the area, Tanriöver said there had been some cases in which people threw stones at the brothel.

“These were simple events, but no one can guarantee that more serious ones will not occur in the near future in the case of any provocation,” he added, noting that the foundation had applied to the Antalya Governorship and the police forces for help in preventing more such events and saying that the organization cannot be held responsible if any do occur.

Neighborhood residents also have strong opinions about having a brothel in close proximity to their homes.

Ali Beyhan, a 42-year-old craftsman, said he was uncomfortable with it because he has children who have to walk near the brothel to go to school.

“Can you imagine the effect of anything they may see there on the psychological state of my children?” he asked.

A shop owner who did not want to reveal his name had a different view. “The brothel has been standing in this district for almost 40 years. It is not so easy to move it to some other part of the city,” he said. “The authorities should also consider the rights of people who want to visit the brothel.”

The women who work in the brothel also spend money at the nearby shops, he added.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Russia-Medvedev-Peres Statement on Holocaust

(ANSAmed) — MOSCOW, AUGUST 18 — Kremlin leader Dmitri Medvedev and Israeli president Shimon Peres have issued a joint statement at the end of their meeting in Soci which firmly condemns any attempts to deny the Holocaust and underlines the decisive role of the USSR in the defeat of Nazism. The story is reported by the agency Itar-Tass. In marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, the two leaders expressed their “profound indignation at any attempts to negate the great contribution made by the Russian people and other peoples of the Soviet Union to the victory over Nazi Germany as well as in the face of any attempt to deny the Holocaust of European Jewery’. The declaration comes at a time at which Moscow is launching a campaign, with a bill in parliament, against any attempts to rewrite the history of the Second World War by former Soviet states. But such declarations are also aimed at the Israeli public, following the Holocaust denial on the part of Iran’s president, a close economic and political partner of Moscow. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Bollywood Doing Well Despite Crisis With Spielberg on His Way From Hollywood

India’s movie industry is still growing. This year the trend should remain positive and projections see 11.5 per cent growth over the next five years. Steven Spielberg signs a deal with India’s Reliance ADA Group for US$ 825 million. The first made-in-Bollywood movie should hit the big screen next year.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) — India’s film and entertainment industry is doing well this year despite the worldwide economic crisis. In fact, it expects to increase its revenues over last year. Market trends indicate constant growth, this according to data reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

India’s movie industry, which is largely based in Mumbai, hit 107 billion rupees last year (about US$ 2 billion) and should reach 118 billion (more than US$ 2.3 billion) this year. It is expected to grow a further 11.5 per cent over the next five years. In 2013 Bollywood and India’s regional movie production centres should generate 185 billion rupees (US$ 3.7 billion) in revenues.

Indian TV production should follow the same trend, growing by 11.45 per cent in the next five years, from 244 billion rupees last year (US$ 4.8 billion) to 420 billion rupees in 2013 (over US$ 8.3 billion).

Bollywood, a portmanteau word created by blending Bombay (Mumbai) and Hollywood, exports a thousand movies and 40,000 TV hours, primarily to developing countries but also in Europe and more broadly the West.

The success of India’s entertainment industry is not limited to major hits like Slumdog millionaire, paradoxically a British movie by Danny Boyle which won eight Academy Awards, and which put India back on the movie map. Bollywood’s success has deeper roots and the industry is an economic force to be reckoned with. The numbers tell in fact a different story, especially if we look at India’s movie stars. According to estimates that appeared in the Indian press, top actors like Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan.can earn up to 12 and 4 million dollars respectively in movies alone.

Mumbai’s movie industry goes further back than Hollywood and is giving Los Angeles studios a run for their money. Increasingly the latter are joining forces with Bollywood to produce and distribute movies. In fact California landed on India’s shores long ago.

Recently Steven Spielberg signed a deal with the Reliance ADA Group, a major Indian company with interests in entertainment, worth US$ 825 million, to produce six movies a year in new studies in Mumbai with Walt Disney distributing them outside of India.

The first production is expected next year.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Kyrgyz Police Prevents Faithful From Meeting in Private Home to Pray

Many Protestant groups but also others are denied on technicalities the necessary permit to engage in activities. Protestant groups complain about systematic discrimination.

Bishkek (AsiaNews/F18) — Kyrgyz authorities are preventing believers from unauthorised groups to meet, even if only to pray. The Forum 18 news agency has reported that many Protestant groups are being denied the right to register on legal technicalities. Kyrgyzstan’s new Religion Law, which came into effect in January 2009, imposes in effect great hurdles for groups that seek official recognition without which the faithful cannot even meet to pray and celebrate Mass.

Application for recognition requires at least a membership of 200 people willing to sign up. But religious groups complain that it is very difficult to get that many signatures if they are not allowed to organise any activities or advertise their faith to recruit new members. Intimidations against the faithful are not helpful, either.

The Protestant Church of Jesus Christ was able for instance to register in Bishkek, but for the authorities that does not apply to Talas. For this reason they banned the group from meeting in a rented cinema in that city. When the members of the congregation began meeting in a private apartment, the owner was summoned and interrogated repeatedly.

In Talas the Church failed to get 200 members to sign up because many faithful are reticent to do so, afraid that they might be subject to controls and retaliation.

In Kochkor district (Naryn) Prosecutor T. Kasymbekov issued a warning against Bakhyt Mukashev, the pastor at El-Shaddai Protestant Church, to stop meeting for worship in his private home.

The clergyman, who has been repeatedly summoned and interrogated with his wife, has argued that his church is a branch of the El-Shaddai Church registered in Bishkek. But he too was told that such a registration does not apply to other places.

All religious groups are affected by the repression. In Bishkek Hare Krishna are systematically persecuted. Their demand for registration has been rejected and they cannot advertise, and so they have bee prevented from getting the 200 members necessary for registration.

Islamic groups are also affected by persecution. In Bishkek the Ahmadiya community has been registered as a “foreign mission” even though most members are Kyrgyz.

This means that anything the Ahmadiya do requires special permits, as if they were foreign missionaries. Without authorisation they cannot be involved in any religious activity.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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French Agent Kidnapped in Somalia Escapes

A French security agent kidnapped by insurgents in Somalia last month said Wednesday that he escaped while his captors slept. He said he then walked five hours through one of the most dangerous cities in the world to safety at the country’s presidential palace.

Marc Aubriere was seized along with another agent on July 14. He denies reports that he killed any of his captors during his escape.

Aubriere told The Associated Press before boarding a plane to leave Mogadishu that “the militants who were holding me treated me well, they were giving me nice food.”

He says, “I was not harmed. There is no one I have killed or injured while I was escaping.”

— Hat tip: A Greek Friend

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Dinghy Rescued Off the Coast of Lampedusa

(ANSAmed) — LAMPEDUSA (AGRIGENTO) — A rubber dinghy carrying about 50 migrants was brought in at dawn today by an Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza, GDF) patrol boat about 10 miles south of Lampedusa. The sea craft was reportedly “escorted” to Italian territorial waters by a Maltese military unit. All 57 migrants, including four women, have already been transferred to the “Lippi” motor patrol vessel of the Italian Financial Police (GDF) and the patrol boat CP40 of the Italian Coastguard. One of them has been taken to Lampedusa on doctor’s advice, the health condition of the rest is reasonable. The two ships are now headed for Porto Empedocle, where the non-EU citizens will be put ashore. Today’s operation is similar to the rescue five days ago of five Eritreans off the coast of Lampedusa. In that case the Maltese authorities also spotted the rubber dinghy, which was then ‘escorted’ outside Italian waters by the Italian Navy patrol boat P51. The Italian rescue operations have been filmed by the Maltese, and the Italian Finance Police has made images of the Maltese unit. Those survivors, including a woman in very bad condition, said that had left on July 28 from Libya with 73 other immigrants who had died during the crossing. The five Eritreans also said that a Maltese patrol boat had given them fuel but refused to help them reach land. The latter has been denied by Maltese authorities, who say that the migrants, in good health conditions, had instead asked to continue towards Lampedusa. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Intercepted Dinghy Received Maltese Assistance

(ANSAmed) — LAMPEDUSA (AGRIGENTO), AUGUST 25 — Some lifejackets used by the Maltese Navy have been found in the rubber dinghy that was intercepted this morning by an Italian patrol boat. The dinghy had 57 migrants on board, most of them Eritreans. The Maltese Navy has confirmed that it has given the lifejackets to the migrants together with some supplies, and that the migrants wanted to continue on their way to Lampedusa. Maltese life jackets were also found last Thursday when the Italian Financial Police intercepted a dinghy with five Eritreans on board. The Maltese patrol boat from which the jackets were supplied also gave fuel to the migrants. The public prosecutor’s office of Agrigento, which is investigating the most recent tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea in which 73 reportedly died, confirmed the news. Regarding the dinghy intercepted today, the Maltese Navy has confirmed helping the 57 migrants on board, giving them supplies and lifejackets. The Maltese Armed Forces said that the immigrants “insisted that they wanted to continue on their way to Lampedusa”. “The rescue coordination centre of Malta” the reconstruction by the Navy reads “was informed about the presence of the dinghy by a fishing boat yesterday at 6.40 pm. A patrol boat reached the dinghy at 8.40 pm. At 3.50 am today the rescue coordination centre of Malta informed the command centre in Rome through a fax. Around 6.35 a patrol boat of the Italian Finance Police intercepted the dinghy around 14 miles off Lampedusa; the Maltese patrol boat has followed the operation.” (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Boniver: 85% Enter Via North-West Border

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 25 — “There is misinformation on immigration.It is a sterile political debate. 85% of immigrants enter through the north-western border. Only 15% of migrants arrive by sea”, said President of the Parliamentary Commission on Schengen Control, Margherita Boniver, on Cnr-Media. “Unfortunately, that part of the Mediterranean has become a real cemetery in the last few years. But most illegal immigrants arrive on foot or are already in our country with tourist visas. That is the real emergency. All the other considerations are pointless political arguments”. Boniver says that the European Union is moving “too slowly, but Carl Bildt, current EU president, has already said yes to Frattini’s requests for a widespread distribution of the burden of accepting requests for political asylum”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy ‘Won’t Veto Migrant Deal’

Frattini optimistic on burden- sharing accord

(ANSA) — Rome, August 26 — Italy won’t use its veto powers if any European partners shrink from a burden-sharing package on immigration, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Wednesday.

Saying that he expected a plan to respond to Italy’s calls to be put to EU leaders “in September or October,” Frattini stressed that Italy would seek “mediation rather than clashes”.

“The veto bomb will not be dropped unless it is necessary,” Frattini told a Web TV show.

The foreign minister said all 27 EU members must take up the burden today largely shouldered by Italy, Malta and Spain.

He said a “problem of public opinion” and not financial issues were behind the EU members’ hitherto reluctance to do so.

The money involved to spread the impact was “peanuts,” Frattini told KlausCondicio show.

Frattini voiced appreciation that the EU’s duty president, Swedish Premier Carl Bildt, had promised that spreading the load would come up for discussion by EU ministers at the end of October.

“The EU is starting to realise that the problem is not just Italy’s, Malta’s or Spain’s but concerns all the 27,” Frattini told Klauscondicio.

Bildt’s pledge was “encouraging,” he said, adding that “between September and October I think we will take decisions in a direction that Italy has called for”. In reply to strictures from Frattini, the European Commission said Monday it was already doing a lot on the issue.

European Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot has recently visited Italy, Greece and the Canary Islands and is set to travel to Turkey and Libya, it said.

Barrot, who recently discussed the topic with Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, has stressed that ways must be found to “better share the burden at a European level”.

It is a question of setting up political, financial and diplomatic instruments to “stop tragedies such as the one we saw last week,” the EC said, referring to the deaths of 73 Eritrean refugees whose five surviving companions arrived in Sicily Thursday.

Italy has long been pushing for greater EU help with immigration and Frattini on Sunday accused the EU of not backing up talk with action.

At an EU summit in June leaders agreed to consider an emergency plan on immigration in the southern Mediterranean.

At the time, Frattini said he expected the plan to be drafted “in a matter of months”, reiterating that Italy expects cost-sharing as well as joint EU patrols.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has said other EU countries should take on a share of Mediterranean immigrants while EU border agency Frontex should be given a larger role to carry out repatriation flights and “deal with the holding and identification of illegal immigrants via a European structure”.

Last month Commissioner Barrot voiced the hope that a system could eventually be put in place whereby asylum requests are made from the country of origin.

Bildt, in Italy Sunday for a meeting of a Catholic political movement, said the end-of-October meeting would discuss a plan being put together by the EC.

Earlier on Sunday, Frattini said he expected a “proportional criterion” from the EU to share the burden of the thousands of migrants who cross the Mediterranean each year.

ERITREAN TRAGEDY SPURS DEBATE.

Italy has seen a sharp drop in arrivals since introducing a new ‘push-back’ policy in May in which migrants rescued in international waters are taken to Libya, their main stepping-off point for Europe.

The policy has come in for fresh criticism since the deaths of the 73 Eritreans who were at sea for three weeks after taking on fuel from a Maltese vessel.

On Wednesday Frattini stressed that the question of burden-sharing “is not about repatriation but about the asylum-seekers we must necessarily take in because they are fleeing wars or similar problems”.

“Migratory impact is strongly felt in all EU countries, so there is a reluctance and governments are resisting, understandably. But one cannot resist beyond the spirit of European solidarity”.

“I hope that the new climate of greater understanding may help the traditionally more reluctant countries to change their position”. Frattini on Sunday said Sicily was “paying too high a price just for being the gateway to Europe”.

The situation might be helped, he said, if Malta agreed to reduce its search-and-rescue area which currently spans 250 square kilometres or about the surface area of Italy.

“That is perhaps a little big for a small nation,” he said, adding that the result of ten-year-long negotiations on the issue would be “indispensable for the whole international community”.

In the past, Italy and Malta have sometimes disagreed over migrant rescues but the push-back policy to Libya appears to have largely defused the issue.

Maroni has noted that the EU has had nothing to object about the policy and he has stressed that any asylum requests are being dealt with in Libya.

The UN’s refugee body UNHCR has complained that Libya has not signed an international refugee treaty, does not recognise the UNHCR and it does not allow its representatives to visit all the migrant holding centres in the country.

The five Eritreans who survived the three-week ordeal have been formally charged with illegal immigration, but Frattini has expressed confidence that they will be granted asylum.

“We’ll look at each case on its merits,” he said Sunday, “but the overwhelming majority of those who come from Eritrea have obtained asylum”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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‘War’ Of Filming Between Italy and Malta

(ANSAmed) — LAMPEDUSA (AGRIGENTO), AUGUST 25 — The diplomatic arm-wrestling between Italy and Malta over the responsibility for rescuing boats carrying immigrants has turned into a “war”, being waged through film recordings and photographic evidence. The intervention this morning by a Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) patrol boat, which rescued a dinghy carrying 57 migrants off the coast of Lampedusa was filmed by a Maltese motorboat which had “escorted” the dinghy up to the limits of its territorial waters. When the Italian forces realised that the whole operation was being filmed, they decided to “document” the presence of their Maltese counterparts by capturing the boat with the Maltese flag on film as well. The row between Italy and Malta has been reignited in recent days by the accounts of five Eritrean refugees who were saved last Thursday by another Guardia di Finanza patrolboat, after 73 of their companions died during the crossing. The immigrants reported that a Maltese motorboat failed to help them, supplying them only with a few lifejackets and enough fuel to continue their journey to Lampedusa. Their story is denied by the Valletta authorities, who said that the five Eritreans, who arrived on Lampedusa in pitiful condition “were fine, they were clean shaven and had their hair combed”. The public prosecutor for Agrigento, who is investigating the tragedy, announced an international rogatory against Malta for failure to rescue. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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ACLU Fails in Demand to Jail Child’s Mother

Mom refused to deliver 6-year-old for unsupervised visit with lesbian

An effort by the American Civil Liberties Union to have a judge jail the mother of a 6-year-old child for not delivering her daughter to another state for unsupervised visitation with a lesbian has been foiled.

Officials with Liberty Counsel today appeared in court in Winchester, Va., to defend Lisa Miller from a complaint from the ACLU on behalf of Janet Jenkins.

The ACLU had wanted Miller jailed after she refused to deliver her daughter, Isabella, to Vermont for an unsupervised visit with Jenkins, a lesbian who has stated she believes it is not good for a child to be raised in a Christian atmosphere.

The ACLU also asked for a court order for Miller to pay for its attorneys.

But no jail time was ordered and the court rejected the ACLU’s request for money, Liberty Counsel confirmed. Further, the court decided that future issues in the case would be handled in Bedford County, Va., where Miller and her daughter live, not Vermont.

[…]

Miller previously had refused to comply with Vermont’s orders for visitations, claiming Isabella reported being compelled to bathe naked with Jenkins while visiting and came home speaking of suicide.

— Hat tip: JD

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‘Gay’ Protections Expanded to Ex-’Gays’

Court rules former homosexuals part of ‘protected’ class

A court decision that is being described as precedent-setting because it applies standard non-discrimination protections now provided to homosexuals to those individuals who have left the lifestyle is being publicized by an activist group involved in the dispute.

According to officials with Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays, the ruling from Judge Maurice Ross in Superior Court of the District of Columbia decided the protections available to homosexuals under the D.C. Office of Human Rights and the laws it oversees also apply to former homosexuals.

The decision was released in June, but not publicly publicized until now in order to let the open door for an appeal on the part of homosexual interests to pass, according to Regine Griggs, executive director of PFOX.

[…]

“All sexual orientation laws and programs nationwide should now provide true diversity and equality by including former homosexuals,” Greg Quinlan, a director of PFOX, added. “I have experienced more personal assaults as a former homosexual than I ever did as a gay man.”

— Hat tip: JD

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‘Islam is of the Devil’ Shirt Appears at Elementary School

A student at Talbot Elementary School wore a shirt bearing the message “Islam is of the devil” on the first day of school and was sent home for violation of the school district’s dress code.

Asked about a report of the dress code violation, School District spokeswoman Jackie Johnson confirmed that a student did wear a shirt with the anti-Islam message and was sent to the school office until a parent could come. Johnson said the student’s parent had the option of bringing another shirt for the child to change into or taking the child home and opted to take the child home.

— Hat tip: JD

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Islamic Ramadan Begins Blood Keeps Flowing

By Lee Jay Walker

The period of Ramadan is meant to be a holy period for Muslims and this applies to fasting and other things. However, in reality Ramadan is just another month for Islamists and daily killings take place. Therefore, why do Islamists keep on terrorizing during the so-called holy period of Ramadan?

After all, shortly before the run-up to Ramadan in 2009 you have the usual Islamic carnage of terrorism, sectarian violence, and so forth. This applies to many people being killed in Sunni-Shia related issues in Yemen; inter Sunni Muslim fighting in Somalia; inter Sunni Muslim deaths in Pakistan; and the daily carnage in Afghanistan and Iraq continues.

Yet after only a few days of the new Ramadan period in 2009 it is abundantly clear that Islamists are bent on killing both fellow Muslims and non-Muslims.

In my article titled “USA appeases Islam under President Obama” I rebuke Obama openly for manipulating reality. The current ongoing violence is yet another example of the bloodthirsty nature of radical Islam and I would argue, of Islam itself, but I will come back to this later.

I stated in my article about Obama that “In the world of Obama he states that the rituals of Ramadan “remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” Therefore, what “justice” and “tolerance” is Obama talking about?”

If we look at events before Ramadan and during Ramadan, then it is abundantly clear that even during the holy month of Islam that the blood keeps on flowing.

Therefore, why so much violence during Ramadan? Or is the question pointless given the nature of Islam itself when we focus on the Hadiths and the Koran?

Before focusing on both these two questions, it is important to state that I am talking about the tenets of Islam and not ordinary Muslims. After all, much of the current Sunni Islamic violence is aimed at fellow Muslims and I would argue that Muslims are the first victims of Islam because they are regulated by laws which infringe on their civil liberty.

Remember, if a Zoroastrian converts to Christianity in Iran or the other way around, then the individual is free to do so or at the very least they will not suffer for leaving their past religion. However, if a Muslim converts to Christianity or Buddhism in Iran then they face either death or prison.

Therefore, complete mind control is being used against Muslims in order to maintain their allegiance to the Islamic faith. After all, apostates in Saudi Arabia and Somalia face death, and honour killings, persecution or alienation of former Muslims is taking place throughout the world.

Of course, in all other areas of Islam it is clear that non-Muslims are at a major disadvantage or they face complete annihilation, just like Buddhists and Hindus who were annihilated in Afghanistan in past history.

This applies to the very nature of Islam itself because Islamic Sharia law discriminates against all non-Muslims. For can any Muslim person state where Islamic Sharia law allows Muslims to freely leave Islam or where non-Muslims have equality in Islamic Sharia law?

Even today, in 2009, you have 7 Islamic nations which support the death penalty for leaving the Islamic faith and of course these nations are based on Islamic Sharia law and enforcing dhimmitude on all non-Muslims. Therefore, is this hatred a natural dimension to the worldview of Islamic radicalism or should I say radical Islamic fascism?

Remember, in nations like Saudi Arabia, the sizeable non-Muslim migrant population isn’t allowed to build one single Buddhist temple, Christian church or Hindu temple. Therefore, we are not seeing mutual respect or justice, like Obama states, in the land of Mecca and Medina. On the contrary, we are seeing regulated hatred towards non-Muslims via Islamic Sharia law and complete mind control of Muslims because they face death if they desire to leave Islam in Saudi Arabia.

Therefore, where does all this hatred come from? Alas, it is clear to many where this inspired hatred comes from but of course this does not mean that the majority of Muslims are violent, of course not; Muslims are mere individuals just like atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and so forth.

However, Muslims have strict guidelines to follow and if a Muslim is to follow the guidelines of the Hadiths, the Koran, and Islamic Sharia law completely; then the outcome is obvious to Islamists because this means the implementation of laws which infringe on the rights of non-Muslims and limits the freedom of moderate Muslims.

If we return to Ramadan and why Islamists continue to kill during this so-called holy period then I would state that it is because of the nature of Islam itself.

Mohammed stated to (Koran 9:29) “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.”

Of course apologists or liberals will gloss over this statement and countless others; however, for Islamists or normal Muslim religious leaders in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and many other nations, they firmly believe that it is their duty to Islamize the nation state and then to spread Islamization and to install a new Islamic caliphate where the nation state is unimportant.

Despite this, in history it is clear that Islam was never united because divisions soon engulfed Islam and early Muslim rulers were often killed by Muslims. However, from the very outset of Islam it was clear that violence was part and parcel of the Muslim faith because Mohammed ordered attacks against Jews and Pagans.

It is clear that Mohammed did not support the concepts of either the Buddha or Jesus. After all, the Buddha and Jesus were not interested about military power or state sanctioned control and they never ordered the killings of others or inflicted violence towards others.

Mohammed, however, states the following:

“O Prophet! Make war against the unbelievers [all non-Muslims] and the hypocrites and be merciless against them. Their home is hell, an evil refuge indeed.” (Koran, 9:73)

“When you meet the unbelievers in jihad [holy war], chop off their heads. And when you have brought them low, bind your prisoners rigorously. Then set them free or take ransom from them until the war is ended.” (Koran, 47:4)

“The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be to be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet and genitals cut off, or to be expelled out of the land. Such will be their humiliation in the world, and in the next world they will face an awful horror.” (Koran, 5:33-34)

“When we decide to destroy a population, we send a definite order to them who have the good things in life and yet sin. So that Allah’s word is proven true against them, then we destroy them utterly.” (Koran, 17:16-17)

“In order that Allah may separate the pure from the impure, put all the impure ones [all non-Muslims] one on top of another in a heap and cast them into hell. They will have been the ones to have lost.” (Koran, 8:37)

“How many were the populations we utterly destroyed because of their sins, setting up in their place other peoples.” (Koran, 21:11)

“Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them.” (Koran, 8:12)

Qur’an-(5:51): “O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. “

Qur’an-(9:5): “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, And seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent (accept Islam) and establish regular prayers and practices regular charity then open the way for them; for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”

These statements by Mohammed also show how he changed because when he was weak he spoke about compassion, however, once he obtained power his true message changed and in many ways, this is the danger of the stealth jihad which is implemented via propaganda.

However, it is vital to remember that Islamists, be they clerics in Saudi Arabia who are inciting violence towards all apostates and non-Muslims; or if an Islamist like Osama Bin Laden; they are abiding by the Koran, the Hadiths, and Islamic Sharia law.

Apologists and liberals will point out that other holy books have negative passages or passages which incite hatred; and this is partly true, however, it is clear that all religions reform themselves and in the 21st century the message of hatred is still strong in Islam.

More worrying, is that Islam is not a mere religion, it is a way of life and which supports the supremacy of Muslims over non-Muslims. Islam is a fusion of faith, indoctrination, a legal system based on discrimination towards non-Muslims, authoritarianism, and the theory of dhimmitude; and Islam is a religion which rewards Muslims for fighting against non-Muslims.

Even during Ramadan it is clear that war is sanctioned and Mohammed himself prepared Muslims for war during this so-called holy month; therefore, the current massacres and killings are an ongoing tradition in Islam with roots in Mohammed and his teachings and deeds.

Maulana Noor Muhammad, a spokesman for the Islamic organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam which is based in Pakistan, stated Muhammad often undertook battles during Ramadan.

He continued that “In such pious times, participate in jihad and continue the support to the mujahideen.” “Nowadays, infidel forces want to destroy Islam and the Koranic orders. The fight [against the infidels] is not the responsibility of Taliban and Arab mujahedeen alone; rather it is the responsibility of the entire Ummah [Muslim world].’’

Given this, the ongoing persecution of all non-Muslims is still being implemented in the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia, and this hatred is also being enforced in many other mainly Islamic nations.

Today, just like the 7th century, Islam is still killing apostates or persecuting them. Today, just like in the 7th century, Muslims are still waging wars against non-Muslims in countless numbers of nations. Today, just like the 7th century, Muslim fanatics are still killing fellow Muslims who are deemed to be not Muslim enough.

The apologists will keep on making excuses; however, it is clear that in many parts of the Islamic dominated world, that hatred still dictates. Therefore, in 2009, just like in the 7th century, non-Muslims still suffer enormous persecution and some Islamists are still dreaming of spreading Islam by the sword or by propaganda.

Anyone who doubts this threat should focus on Saudi Arabia because in the land of Mecca and Medina they still support killing apostates, persecuting all non-Muslims, persecuting Shia Muslims, and exporting this hatred to many nations.

— Hat tip: CB

[Return to headlines]

As many of my posts do, this started with a simple story. In this case, it was about political vandalism. But I began considering the background and one thing led to another and then another. So this essay kind of grew, like Topsy. A post that ought to have taken a quick few minutes wound up being a much longer journey with lots of side-trips. Humor me, and just pretend you’re taking a puppy for a walk.

To complicate things, the carpenter came by halfway through my essay to show me the results of a brown recluse spider bite he got out near our shed the other day. Mark is on some heavy-duty antibiotics and will be recuperating for awhile. Even though he assures me he’ll recover, there’s nothing like looking at one of those things to cramp your writing style, not to mention ki-boshing your motivation.

By sheer determination, I finished this thing. If it doesn’t make sense entirely, I won’t be surprised. However, I request that you refrain from pointing this out.

Thank you.

Alinsky was a relatively tame radical: from what I remember of his book (long lost by now), and his speech in Wellesley (where Hillary was a student and I a lowly townie). Alinsky said he believed in making the comfortable uneasy enough to be able to see the wisdom in changing their ways.

I never read or heard him advocate violent means to an end, though some may argue the point about his “Assault by Bean Digestion” against Kodak in Rochester, New York. Since he eschewed violent or illegal means, he had to be creative. And one of his absolutes was that he did not go into a community until he was invited by those who were dissatisfied with their own attempts to appeal to the pols who ran things. In Rochester, “the pols who ran things” were all puppets of Eastman Kodak, for that was the Big Cheese in town.

One of the principal reasons our Fearless-if-Feckless Leader is not a real Alinsky disciple is that he and his followers trample on Alinsky’s core beliefs all the time.

Rochester wasn’t one of Alinsky’s more successful efforts, but it sure was funny. I remember laughing out loud when I read his description of one venue: the attack on East Kodak in one of its prime lairs, the Rochester Symphony Orchestra.

What, you think the oppressed showed up with baseball bats and smashed all the musical instruments? Feh. Alinsky was far more subtle than that. What he did was instruct his organizers and the unhappy residents to buy tickets for the Symphony. Before attending each performance, the infiltrators were to eat large amounts of reconstituted dried beans. Lots and lots of beans, a larger amount that their digestive tracts would be able to digest without copious amounts of gases erupting into the cavernous enclosure of the Symphony Hall.

In other words, make the enemy uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. But do so silently and without raising a finger, Instead, have the city fathers looking at one another accusingly.

Did it work? No, not immediately. But Alinsky was a gradualist.

Did Alinsky build bridges between the factions of the poor fighting for a seat at the table? I’m not sure. He often focused on the group which invited him. In Rochester’s blacks vs. Eastman Kodak, he worked mostly with F.I.G.H.T. (Freedom-Integration-God-Honor-Today – how’s that for an anachronistic name?).

You can read part of the story here [pdf]. This is a good account for several reasons: it shows the blindness of the white community, which was justly proud of its civic commitments to the city and its almost total ignorance of the large post-Second World War influx of uneducated Southern blacks which the city failed to educate or to integrate. Housing was strictly segregated and whatever was set aside for blacks was of inferior quality and more expensive. The city as a whole had a single-digit unemployment rate while the black population struggled with a 14% level of joblessness.

But most of white Rochester didn’t notice. Blacks were a numerical minority. They were stuck safely away in their ghettoes with substandard housing and education.

It took a long time for Eastman Kodak to get the message, but they did. Finally. And Alinsky had a hand in that.

Today, though, like many New York cities, Rochester is caught in the economic slide. Jobs have decreased by more than twenty-five percent since 2007; given the flight from New York by businesses due to the state’s confiscatory tax rate, things will only get worse. Eastman Kodak has grown with the times, however. Ebony magazine listed E.K. as one of the top forty “diversity” employers, and E.K. has moved into the global arena, with plants in places as far-flung as Israel.

You will hear a lot of talk about Obama’s link to Alinsky. That’s all it is: talk.
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The Industrial Areas Foundation in Chicago is Mr. Alinsky’s heir. And while it is true that our Obama studied with them briefly before leaving for law school, there isn’t much mutual respect between the two.

There was a fork in the road and Obama took the wrong turn. Instead of aligning himself with the non-socialist Industrial Areas Foundation, Obama decided that the Woods Fund, where his pal, unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers was already on the Board of Directors, would serve as a better platform from which to launch his political ambitions than the more conservative IAF, which Alinsky founded and which his philosophical heirs still run.

Here’s some background on Alinsky’s political philosophy, just in case you hear his name invoked by the skulduggerous ACORNS:

The IAF’s Edward Chambers [said] that scarcely any act in ACORN’s three-ring circus of urban radicalism would have met with the approval of Alinsky… “They take other people’s money instead of raising it from the people they’re organizing,” said Chambers. “They take federal money, money from foundations, and it corrupts them.” The IAF insists that any organization that wants to affiliate with IAF–and benefit from IAF’s training–come up with its own money, money voluntarily donated by people who believe in the group’s causes so fervently that they are willing to dip into their own pockets to pay for it. “We work a lot with churches, with unions,” said Chambers. “They hire their own organizers, and they hold them accountable. And we never endorse political candidates.”

Indeed Alinsky himself was a far more complex and idiosyncratic figure than either his disciples or his ideological opponents (who assume that his last book, Rules for Radicals, published in 1971, was all about turning yourself into another Abbie Hoffman) typically admit. Alinsky, a self-styled radical who studied at the University of Chicago and began his professional career as a union organizer, was widely accused of being a Communist, but was in fact vehemently anti-Communist. Later on, during the 1960s, he was as much a foe of Lyndon Johnson’s big-spending War on Poverty as he was of conservatives. He also detested the 1960s New Left for its antinomian cultural hedonism and its insistence on smashing the “system,” as they termed it. Alinsky believed genuine radicals ought to work within for change. “Alinsky believed that the liberal welfare state led to dependency, and that people should stand up for themselves and have the confidence to assert their own interests,” said Peter Skerry, a political scientist at Boston College.

[…]

Because the IAF insists that its affiliates rely on grassroots contributions, not outside grants, its projects tend to be strictly local and relatively small-bore, centered around liberal Protestant and Catholic churches and their members. One of the most successful has been the Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS), a consortium of churches, founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1974. COPS, the brainchild of the IAF-trained Ernesto Cortes Jr., is credited with giving political clout to San Antonio’s Mexican-Americans, who had lived in the city for decades but who had enjoyed little power under the city’s Anglo majority. Another successful IAF project is the Nehemiah Houses, which over the past 20 years has built nearly 4,000 moderate-income homes on once-desolate parcels of city-owned land in New York City. Nehemiah requires its buyers to demonstrate their commitment to home-ownership via modest but not negligible down payments, and so its projects have generally escaped the foreclosure blight that easier borrowing has brought to other low-income neighborhoods in recent years.

Some IAF undertakings, such as a successful 1994 effort to have the city of Baltimore hire only contractors who paid their employees a higher-than-minimum “living wage”–a cause later picked up by ACORN in other cities–aren’t likely to appeal to free-market conservatives who believe that the net effect of such measures is to increase unemployment by eliminating low-wage entry level jobs. Still, the IAF’s organizational emphasis on personal responsibility and commitment cannot help but resonate. “Alinsky never tried to organize the really poor; he never tried to organize welfare mothers, who are pretty hard to organize, as you might imagine; he always focused on people who had a little but wanted more,” said Skerry, whose 1993 Mexican Americans, the Ambivalent Minority told the story of Cortes and COPS.

Hardly Obama’s style. No wonder he was pulled into the orbit of the Woods Fund.

It is the Woods Fund that gave ACORN its big push. As everyone knows by now, ACORN is being investigated in any number of states for its financial “improprieties” and charges of massive voter fraud. These investigations have been public knowledge for a long time. The Weekly Standard outlined some of the details in a follow-up to a New York Times story last year (from the same essay that had background on Alinsky):

ACORN has a contract with Project Vote to conduct voter-registration drives using ACORN employees, who initially claimed to have signed up 1.3 million new voters at a cost of $16 million, then lowered that figure to around 450,000 (according to an October 23 New York Times story) after eliminating fraudulent registrations, duplicates, and incomplete forms. The internal report, by Washington lawyer Elizabeth Kingsley, pointed out that until very recently, Project Vote’s executive director, Zach Pollett, was also ACORN’s political director. (Pollett resigned from Project Vote in July but continues to work for the charity as a consultant via another ACORN affiliate.) Furthermore, the report noted, Project Vote has had only one independent director (who served only briefly) throughout its entire tax-exempt history. The rest of the board has consisted entirely of ACORN staffers plus two dues-paying ACORN members. Some of them told Strom they had no idea they were on the Project Vote board, which, like the boards of many ACORN affiliates, met seldom, if ever, and failed to keep minutes.

The potential for abuse in an interlocking arrangement governed top-down from New Orleans is as obvious as a thicket of “Change” signs at an Obama rally. ACORN’s using Project Vote to trawl for voters for ACORN-backed candidates–such as, um, Barack Obama–would be a clear violation of the IRS’s ban on partisan activity by a charity, as Kingsley noted in her report. Strom pointed out that ACORN is already facing demands for back taxes from the IRS and “various state tax authorities.”

Which brings us to today’s report on the vandalization of Democrat Headquarters in Colorado. The culprits smashed in eleven windows, desecrating posters of The One.

You can imagine the outcry:

Early Tuesday, Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Waak said the damage to her building in Denver’s art district was a consequence of “an effort on the other side to stir up hate.”

Of course it was. Those Tea Party members and those infamously rowdy Republicans just wanted to make trouble…

[Ms. Waak] tempered her statement after Schwenkler’s political history was revealed.

Can you say “backtrack so fast you couldn’t see her contrails?” Here’s what Ms. Waak-o really meant:

“What I’ve been saying is there is a lot of rhetoric out there from both sides of the spectrum,” Waak said. “That’s what’s been disturbing to me. People are saying a lot of things not appropriate for civil discourse.”

So what was the perp’s “political history”? He’s a Democrat who likes to break windows and the law in the greater cause of justice for all, while being paid by the Dems:

One of two people suspected of shattering 11 windows Tuesday morning at the state Democratic Party headquarters has an arrest record and a history of helping a Democratic political candidate, public records show.

Police said that about 2:20 a.m., 24-year-old Maurice Schwenkler, now in custody, and an at-large accomplice took a hammer to the picture windows displaying posters touting President Barack Obama and his health care reform efforts.

But this is not his first offense. He was in trouble in Minnesota during the 2008 Republican National Convention. Back then he was charged with unlawful assembly and went to jail. In fact, this guy gets paid for being a Democrat activist:

Schwenkler received $500 in November 2008 to walk door-to-door in support of Democrat Mollie Cullom, who lost her race to Republican state Rep. David Balmer of Centennial.

[…]

Schwenkler was one of dozens of paid canvassers bankrolled by the Colorado Citizens’ Coalition, a political 527 committee.

Schwenkler has worked for Democratic causes. (per Denver Police Department) funded by labor groups and well-known, wealthy liberal donors.

In those disclosures, Schwenkler’s address is listed as Derailer Bicycle Cooperative, a free community bicycle collective that operates just around the corner from the Democratic headquarters. Multiple volunteers at the collective declined to discuss Schwenkler, though they said he was affiliated with the group.

Balmer said he suspects the vandalism might have been aimed at making the GOP look bad.

“This sounds like the type of Democratic tactic from the left fringe trying to make Republicans look mean-spirited,” Balmer said. “In this case, it blew up in their face. He was caught red-handed.”

Schwenkler allegedly tried to conceal his identity while committing the crime by wearing a shirt over his face, a hooded sweat shirt and latex gloves, according to police descriptions.

Here’s the best part of the story of this loser:

When a Denver police officer on patrol spotted two people smashing windows, the suspects fled on bicycles.

As long as those ACORN operatives are busy busting things, we’re safe. When the house of cards that Obi Wan built out of czars and tax-cheats comes a-tumbling down, they may need those oaken bicycles to get out of town. By then, the energy companies will have switched to “green” alternatives and there won’t be enough environmentally correct cars to carry all the miscreants to safety.

Unless, of course, they have their own gasoline supply somewhere? Nah…this group has too much integrity for such plutocracy. After all, what would Al Gore say? [Not what would he do, we already know that. But what would he say??]

The noted blogger Fjordman is filing this report via Gates of Vienna.
For a complete Fjordman blogography, see The Fjordman Files. There is also a multi-index listing here.

Part 1 in “A History of Beer” is available at the Brussels Journal.

According to authors J. P. Mallory and D. Q. Adams, the Proto-Indo-European lexicon which has been carefully reconstructed by scholars through generations of comparative linguistics contains words which indicate a diet that included meat, broth, salt, dairy products and the consumption of alcoholic beverages such as beer, mead and possibly wine:

The consumption of milk by adults also has genetic implications in that many people become lactose intolerant after childhood, i.e. become ill when they consume milk. This situation is particularly prevalent in the Mediterranean while lactose tolerance increases as one moves northwards. The ability to consume milk has been seen as a selective advantage among northern Europeans in that it helps replace the necessary quantities of vitamin D which is reduced in regions of poor sunlight. The processing of milk into butter or cheese reduces the ill effects of lactose intolerance. The different alcoholic beverages also merit brief discussion. The word for ‘mead’ (*médhu) is well attested phonologically….There is archaeological evidence for mead from the third millennium BC but it may be considerably older. Beer (*helut) is earliest attested, about the mid fourth millennium BC (Iran and Egypt), but it too may be older. The proliferation of drinking cups that is seen in central and eastern Europe about 3500 BC has been associated with the spread of alcoholic beverages and, possibly, special drinking cults.

The sign * indicates that this word is not directly attested in any written source, but it is likely that this word, or something similar to it, once existed. Through centuries of hard work, European and Western linguists have backtracked from attested Indo-European languages such as Greek, Latin and Sanskrit and carefully reconstructed a suggested vocabulary and grammar for the original Proto-Indo-European language, the hypothetical ancestral language of the entire Indo-European linguistic family which includes modern English, French, Spanish, German and Russian. Although we obviously cannot say with certainty that all of these suggested words are correct, we know, for instance, that those speaking PIE must have been familiar with wheeled vehicles since later IE languages contain similar words for this and these languages have not borrowed this vocabulary from each other. According to archaeological evidence, the first wheeled vehicles were introduced not much before 3500 BC and spread rapidly after this. Based on this as well as other reconstructed words, it is likely that Proto-Indo-European was a living language by this time, and that it spread and gradually broke apart into what would become different IE branches before and just after 3000 BC.

For those speaking Proto-Indo-European, honey (*medhu) was important as the source of mead, which was also called *medhu. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from honey and water, sometimes with added ingredients or spices. It was historically consumed in southern Europe but particularly in the northern regions where grapevines do not grow easily. Honey collection is a very ancient activity dating far back into prehistoric times. In early civilizations honey, created by honey bees as a food source, was used to sweeten cakes and various dishes, in the production of alcoholic beverages and even for embalming the dead. It was appreciated as one of few natural sweeteners and could be stored for years, an unusual and valuable property before the invention of modern refrigeration and food preservation techniques.

The presence of honey in a fermented beverage does not automatically make it mead. Honey can also be used to add flavor to wine or beer. It is likely that many early alcoholic beverages were of a “mixed” nature, and it may not have been until the first millennium BC that “pure” drinks such as mead and beer began to appear. The supply of honey available to the peoples of Bronze Age Europe was not likely to have been on a scale that would have permitted massive production of mead. It is more realistic, therefore, to assume that mead was reserved for special occasions, and that beer made from grain was the day-to-day drink.

The Minoan civilization which flourished on the island of Crete from about 2000 BC had an advanced economy fueled by trade with Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. Evidence from 1600 BC suggests that the Minoan production of wine had by then been underway for some time. The emerging Mycenaean culture on mainland Greece, whose members spoke an early version of Greek, was probably familiar with wine at this point and soon dominated Crete. After the collapse of Minoan civilization, winemaking was common throughout Greece and the Aegean. As Rodney Castleden states in his book Minoans, Life in Bronze Age Crete:

Bees were important in the Minoan economy, as the honey they produced was the main source of sugar….The bee was used as a decorative motif. The famous gold pendant found at Mallia seems to show a pair of bees kissing. It has been proposed that it may be a pair of wasps fighting instead, on the grounds that the insects look more like wasps or hornets; on the other hand the Egyptians, with whom the Minoans shared many conventions, tended to portray bees in this way, so it is a difficult image to interpret. Archive tablets at Knossos record offerings of honey to the goddess Eleuthia, so it seems likely that some of the large storage jars at Knossos were used to store honey. One of the many legends surrounding the Knossos Labyrinth is the story of Glaukos, a son of King Minos who, while exploring the labyrinth’s cellars, fell into a huge jar of honey and drowned….Honey does make a very pleasant additive to alcoholic drinks, especially mulled wine, and we may assume that at least some of the distinctively flavoured Cretan honey stored at Knossos would have been stirred into wine for consumption in the sanctuaries.

Mead was widely drunk in the Baltic Sea region, in Finland, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, the Ukraine, parts of Central Europe and in Wales more than in England. It continued to be a popular drink in these northern regions for a long time, but consumption gradually declined as beer drinking spread. In Russia mead was widely consumed long after its decline in popularity in the West. It is quite possible to buy bottles of freshly made mead from commercial producers today, but the drink has by now very much become a product for those with special interests compared to the great importance it once enjoyed.
– – – – – – – – –
With the beginning of the colonial period in Western Europe, sugar cultivation was spread to the New World, starting with the Portuguese and the Spanish and continuing with the Dutch, the British and the French. Masses of cheap sugar, often grown by African slaves as plantation workers in the Caribbean islands and the West Indies, were imported to Europe. As prices declined, sugar became increasingly common also among the poor and was used for jams and candy as well as added to the new tropical drinks, tea, coffee and cacao. The availability of imported sugar gradually reduced the traditional importance of honey as a natural sweetener, although many European countries still remain major producers of honey.

In the book Indo-Aryan Controversy, edited by Edwin Bryant, scholars Asko Parpola and Christian Carpelan from the University of Helsinki, Finland, have joined the debate regarding where the original homeland, or Urheimat, of the Proto-Indo-European language was. A number of Indian nationalists, eager to preserve the “purity” of Sanskrit, argue that this was in India and that there was no invasion of India from the northwest of people speaking an Indo-Aryan language. They do have one negative argument in their favor: the written language of the Indus Valley Civilization from the third millennium BC has not yet been deciphered as of 2009. However, most Western scholars assume this to be a Dravidian language from the second-most important linguistic family on the Indian subcontinent after Indo-European. Moreover, there are those who argue that even the Dravidian linguistic family was not native to India but was introduced from the northwest at an earlier date, perhaps related to the spread of agriculture from Mesopotamia. Besides, a PIE cradle in India is not consistent with what we do know about the early spread of Indo-European languages, nor with the fact that the reconstructed vocabulary of PIE contains words for plants and animals which usually belong in a cooler, northern climate, not elephants or animals from a warmer region such as India.

Parpola and Carpelan support the most commonly suggested theory, which I happen to share, that Proto-Indo-European was spoken in the fourth millennium BC by peoples living north of the Black Sea in what is today the Ukraine and southern Russia. This is consistent with what we currently know from a combination of archaeological, linguistic and possibly genetic evidence. They demonstrate, convincingly in my view, that the ancestors of the smaller Uralic language family, which includes modern Finnish and Hungarian, very early exchanged a significant number of words with peoples speaking PIE. This strongly indicates that both Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Uralic were initially spoken somewhere in Eastern Europe.

If we assume that the earliest expansion of PIE was at least aided by the introduction of the first wheeled vehicles, which were known in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region in the centuries prior to 3000 BC, this would explain why the Indo-European language known as Proto-Greek is believed to have entered Greece from the north in the generations before 2000 BC. The ancestors of the Romans probably entered the Italian Peninsula from the north somewhat later, and during the creation of the Roman Empire there were still many speakers of pre-Indo-European languages in the Iberian Peninsula in the far southwestern corner of the continent. This makes sense if we postulate that the IE language family was born in northeastern Europe and gradually spread eastward and westward from there. Indeed, the only language from Stone Age Europe which survived the Indo-European expansion, the Basque language, is found in northern Spain. We know that the speakers of Proto-Indo-European were familiar with mead or some related fermented beverage containing honey. As Asko Parpola and Christian Carpelan point out, mead was widely consumed in northeastern Europe well into historical times:

Old Russian historical records tell that by AD 1000 or earlier, the aristocracy and monasteries owned many and often large bee woods (with 100-500 tree cavities, but only some 10-20 occupied at a time). These were looked after by a special class of peasants called bortnik, who could also own bee trees (usually between 100 and 200), but had to pay the landlord a rent. Cut ownership marks were put on the trees, sometimes on the back wall of the cavity. Large amounts of honey and beeswax were produced in Russia, and the honey was both eaten and used for making mead. The aristocracy needed mead for its parties in large quantities. At a seven-day feast held in AD 996 to celebrate the Russian victory over the Turks, 300 large wooden tubs or about 5000 liters of mead was drunk. Bee-keeping declined in the late seventeenth century as Tsar Peter the Great imposed a tax on bee-keeping income and founded a sugar industry. This reduced the demand for honey, and vodka and wine were produced instead of mead, which until then had been the usual alcoholic drink in Russia.

Later, Catherine the Great abolished all taxes on bee-keeping, and in 1800 there were some 50 million beehives in the Russian Empire. Although gradually replaced by beer, mead has deep roots among the Germanic peoples of northwestern Europe, too. In Norse mythology, the “mead of poetry” was an intoxicating beverage that made anyone who drank it a poet or a scholar. Valhalla or Valhöll (“hall of the slain”) was a gigantic hall where warriors who had died in combat, the einherjar (lone-fighters), got beer and mead served by female valkyries and enjoyed an eternity of fighting and revival. The chief god Odin himself enjoyed wine, which in the northern regions always had to be imported and therefore was presumably both rare and expensive. John Lindow writes in his book Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs:

Thus there appears to be endless mead at Valhöll, and it is at the source of all waters. In the Gylfaginning section of his Edda, Snorri Sturluson used these and other sources to create a vivid picture of Valhöll. At the very onset of the piece, he reads a skaldic stanza in such a way as to suggest that Valhöll was thatched with shields of gold. Later he says that the valkyries are to serve there, that the einherjar feast each day on the flesh of the boar Sæhrímnir and drink the mead provided endlessly by the goat Heidrún each night after doing battle during the day. The tenth-century poems Eiríksmál and Hákonarmál have scenes set in Valhöll, where Odin and the others await the arrival of the human kings Eirík Bloodax and Hákon the Good. Valhöll was therefore an important mythological conception as far back as our written records go.

According to I. Hornsey, “Welsh ale, or cwrw, appears to have been the preferred beer of much of western Britain, second only to mead in popularity, and it retained its unique characteristics until at least the 18th century. The relative importance and value of mead and ale in Wales, during the Anglo-Saxon period, can be gauged by some of the laws according to Hywel Dda which, for a tribute, specifies that a farmer should render ‘one vat of mead, nine fistbreadths in diagonal length‘. If this was unavailable then ‘two vats of bragot (spiced ale)‘ were to be paid and, failing this, ‘four vats of common ale‘ would be acceptable. This clearly values mead at twice the price of bragot and quadruple the price of ale. Hywel Dda (died 949 or 950), was ‘king of all Wales — except the southeast‘; a sort of Welsh version of Alfred the Great.”

The drink was there before any Germanic-speakers had arrived in the islands. The Greek explorer and geographer Pytheas called the drink the local residents made curmi. Just before 300 BC, Pytheas stopped at the Phoenician city of Cádiz in present-day Spain and traveled along the Atlantic coast until he reached Britain. He accurately estimated its size and the distance from north Britain to the Greek city of Massalia (Marseilles) at 1,690 km; the actual distance is 1,800 km. He also visited some northern areas and told of Thule, the northernmost inhabited land, which may have been Norway or possibly Iceland.

The Germanic-speaking Angles and Saxons who migrated across the North Sea to Britain during the Early Middle Ages certainly brewed ale, and Saint Patrick was said to have had a brewer in his household in Ireland in the fifth century AD. Wine was the common drink among all social classes in southern Europe. It was imported to the northern regions, but since it was expensive it was seldom consumed by the lower classes.

Brewing did not stop with the collapse of Roman authority. It continued among the Germanic peoples. When Iceland became fully settled, Icelanders were known to import malt for ale brewing as well as mead from the mainland. Monasteries were the only institutions in this period with the necessary resources to allow large-scale brewing. By the ninth century AD, and possibly earlier, northern Europeans had mastered brewing on a large scale. Most beer was nevertheless still made at home, typically by women as part of the regular household chores of preparing food. The beer made in the monasteries was probably initially similar to home-brewed beer, but the scale of production was very different. Monks introduced a new form of organization which served as a model for later developments.

The rule of St. Benedict, promoted by the Carolingians, called on monks to live within their own community and be self-sufficient; it also required them to offer hospitality to travelers. Both expectations forced houses of monks to produce beer for their daily diets. They could have kept to milk and water, as was the case at the abbey of Lindisfarne, England, but the monks there as elsewhere shifted to beer and wine when given the opportunity.

During the Early Middle Ages, many Irish monks worked in Continental Europe. One of them was Gallus or Saint Gall, who accompanied the Irish monk Columban on his travels. Saint Gall remained with a few companions in present-day Switzerland in the early 600s. Monasteries later sprang up at the place which became a center of learning. Charles Martel appointed Saint Othmar as custodian of St Gall’s relics. The Abbey of Saint Gall today harbors an extremely rich medieval library.

The Plan of Saint Gall is a unique document from the early 800s. It depicts a Benedictine monastic compound including churches, workshops and a brewery, which makes it the world’s oldest preserved brewery drawings. The Plan of Saint Gall offered a model for Carolingian administrators to follow in spreading monasticism. The best breweries produced beer for noblemen and royal officials, others for the brothers in the monastery and finally simple breweries produced beer for pilgrims and the poor. The Plan was idealized, but it did reflect reality to some extent. Charlemagne himself kept a brewer at his court, and large monasteries were typical of the Carolingian Empire. Author Richard W. Unger explains:

“Monastic brewing was not limited to the borders of the Carolingian Empire. Through the early Middle Ages it spread widely in the British Isles, to many parts of Germany, and to Scandinavia. The English abbot Aelfric in a tenth-century work has a novice answer the question of what he would drink with the following response: beer if I have it and otherwise water. At the abbey of Bec in northern France at night monks were to have water or beer if they were thirsty. There, as at other monasteries, it was a matter of choice between the two. At the monastery of Selje near Bergen in Norway, which dates from just after 1100, a brewery was built next to the kitchen with a connecting doorway. It was not the only monastery with such an arrangement. At Vadstena in Sweden around 1380 the bishop ordered that the bakery be attached to the old brewery, so the pattern represented on the St. Gall Plan was used in Scandinavia as well. Making beer in a nunnery was also apparently a common practice and even abbesses were known to make small or weak beer.”

The English writer Michael Jackson (1942-2007) was widely considered one of the world’s leading experts on beer by the time he died. No, I am not referring to the pop star with the strange gloves and the questionable love for children but the Jackson known as the “beer hunter.” In prehistoric times, the cultivation of cereal grains spread from the Fertile Crescent into southeastern Europe. One of the paths of brewing led north and west through Armenia, southern Russia and the Ukraine to Slovakia, Bohemia and Bavaria in southern Germany, with its capital city of Munich (München in German). The last two in particular were to become famous brewing regions. As Michael Jackson states:

Both have plentiful supplies of good water from snowy mountain ranges, and each has the soil and climate to grow excellent barley and hops. All they needed to achieve greatness was a more scientific approach to brewing. For that we have to thank St. Benedict (480-547 A.D.). Inspired by Jesus’ time in the wilderness, St. Benedict fathered modern monasticism. His rules said that monks must support themselves. The early abbeys, in Italy, farmed, grew grapes and made wine for their tables. When the movement spread north across the Alps, the cooler climate favored barley and beer. As the church and the monasteries were the early seats of study and learning, so were they the birthplaces of brewing science. Munich, the Bavarian capital, is known in German as Munchen, which means ‘monks.’ Among today’s Munich breweries, the names Augustiner, Franziskaner and Paulaner bear witness to monastic origins. Just to the north of the city, the former Benedictine monastery of Weihenstephan (‘Sacred Stephen’) accommodates what is claimed to be the world’s oldest brewery, said to date from 1040, and the most famous university faculty of brewing. Half a dozen or so breweries in Bavaria are still owned by religious orders.

European monasteries also maintained viticulture. In addition to making wine necessary to celebrate the mass they produced large quantities to support the maintenance of the monastic movement itself. Among the ancient Greeks, Plato had praised the moderate use of wine as beneficial but was critical of drunkenness. Hippocrates identified numerous medicinal properties of wine, and it came to be seen as a necessary element of life for the Hebrews. Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are consistent in their condemnation of drunkenness, but Jews and Christians can use modest amounts of wine in their religious ceremonies, in sharp contrast to Muslims. The Christian Church saw wine as a gift from God and advocated its moderate use while rejecting abuse of it as a sin.

Modern Westerners usually live in houses with easy access to chlorinated tap water, which may not always taste nice but can usually be drunk safely. In the past, access to clean water was far from obvious. In this situation, drinking beverages containing modest amounts of alcohol could sometimes be safer and healthier than drinking potentially polluted water. Because of its alcoholic content, wine is also an excellent medium or vehicle for dispensing various medical agents. Patrick E. McGovern writes in his book Ancient Wine:

“Wine was the prime medicinal agent of the ancient, medieval, and early modern worlds, up to the nineteenth century. Then, other curative compounds, which were isolated and purified by chemical methods or synthesized, began to displace it. It was the most common ingredient in ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Syrian medicines, which was readily administered by drinking or external application. Most important, people who drank alcoholic beverages, as opposed to straight water, in antiquity were more likely to live longer and reproduce more. As Paul advised Timothy (I:5.23): ‘No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.’ Ancient armies were ‘inoculated’ against disease by mixing wine with the uncertain water supplies that they came upon in their journeys. In addition to the alcohol, the polyphenolic aromatic compounds in wine have antiseptic properties. These antioxidants, including resveratrol, cyanidin, and quercetin, are stronger even than the chemically related phenol or carbolic acid, the antiseptic that the English surgeon Joseph Lister introduced in the late nineteenth century.”

Although many wines and beers contained a rather low concentration of alcohol, there is not doubt that medieval Europeans must have drunk considerable quantities of alcohol. In the sixteenth century, alcohol beverage consumption reached 100 liters per person per year in Valladolid, then the capital of the Kingdom of Spain, and Polish peasants could consume up to three liters of beer per day. Modern consumers of beer fall far behind by comparison. In 1995 the Belgians, among the most avid beer drinkers in the modern world, consumed on average 102 liters per person per year, less than half the amount of urban populations in the late Middle Ages or the Renaissance. Richard W. Unger elaborates:

“Alcohol in general, and beer in particular, ‘was the ubiquitous social lubricant; every occasion called for a drink’ in medieval and Renaissance Europe. Drinking was a social activity looked on by people of the day with neither suspicion nor awe. The society did not know about alcoholism. The concept simply did not exist. People thought alcohol therapeutic and a normal part of life, that is except for the very poor. Excessive drinking did exist and was frowned on, but moralists complained about overeating in the same sentences that they complained about too much alcohol. It was a society in which food was far from plentiful, so drink, especially beer, was perceived as an integral part of the diet, a source of nutrition and good health, rather than as a drug taken for recreation. Beer often had a low alcohol content and was taken at meals which consisted of sizeable proportions of carbohydrates that would have slowed absorption of alcohol and also mitigated its effects.”

Humulus lupulus, the hop plant, was used very early in Finland and the Baltic region. Dozens of different plants or plant-derived products have been employed for flavoring and preserving beer over the millennia. Gruit or grut was a mixture of herbs widely used in Europe before the coming of hops. Its actual composition was subject to local variations from Poland to Scotland, but bog myrtle (Myrica gale), marsh rosemary (Ledum palustre) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium) were almost invariably a part of the mixture. The Romans raised hops in vegetable gardens, yet no-one said hops could be valuable in making beer. We have no knowledge of this being done before the Middle Ages. The use of hops gave beer greater durability and was arguably the single most important development in medieval brewing.

Hops were first used for flavoring and preserving beer at least from the middle of eight century, and were commonly cultivated in some regions by the ninth century. At this point, tenants had to pay dues in hops at certain French monasteries such as St. Remi and St. Germain. Indications of a growing trade in hops have been found during excavations at York in England. At Hedeby, the principal port of Viking Age Scandinavia in the western Baltic, archaeologists have found traces of hops dating from tenth century. Hungary at this time had gained a reputation for raising hops. Hops were grown in monastic gardens in Germany in the eleventh century, in England in the twelfth and in Austria by about the same time. The growing of hops is documented from a monastery in Turku in southwestern Finland by the thirteenth century but was probably practiced earlier in this region. After 1200, brewers in Bremen, Hamburg and other northern German towns made hopped beer for export.

Scandinavia had been gradually Christianized during the Viking Age from the ninth to eleventh centuries, starting with Denmark and continuing with Norway and Sweden. In spite of, or perhaps because of, their late adoption of Christianity, all of the Nordic countries were to adopt a prominent Christian cross in their national flags. The peoples further east in the Baltic region stubbornly clung to their pagan religion. This prompted crusades from recently-converted Scandinavians and German bishops to pacify the region. One such campaign took place in Tallin, Estonia. Norman Davies tells the story in his book Europe: A History:

“On 15 June 1219, the Danish expedition to Estonia faced disaster. The native Estonians had just submitted to King Valdemar the Victorious, who was preparing to baptize them. But they rushed the Danish camp at nightfall, killed the bishop, and drove the crusaders towards the sea. According to legend, the fate of the battle only turned when the heavens let fall a red banner with a white cross, and a voice was heard urging the Danes to rally round it. Valdemar triumphed; the city of Tallin or ‘Danish Castle’ was founded; and Denmark adopted the Dannebrog or ‘red flag’ as the national flag. Since then, every independent nation has adopted a flag of its own. Many, like the Dannebrog, bear a cross — the red cross of St George in England, the diagonal blue cross of St Andrew for Scotland, Sweden’s yellow cross on a blue ground. Switzerland adopted Denmark’s colours, but a different cross. The Union Jack of the United Kingdom, which combines the crosses of SS George, Andrew, and Patrick, was first flown after the Irish Union on 1 January 1801… Following the example of the Netherlands (1652), most modern republics have adopted simple tricolours or bicolours.”

The Dannebrog (“Danish cloth”) is the oldest state flag in the world still in use. From Denmark, the concept of having a national flag spread throughout Europe and eventually the entire world. The city of Riga in Latvia was created in the thirteenth century. The centuries of influence of German culture is still evident in Riga’s Art Nouveau or Jugendstil architecture. The forced Christianization of the Baltic region ended with Lithuania in the late 1300s, the last pagan nation in Europe. By this time, Judaism was the only other allowed and (barely) tolerated religion on the European Continent, apart from the regions under Muslim rule in the far south. The process of turning Europe into an almost entirely Christian continent took a thousand years from Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, and even then a few pockets of paganism could be found here and there in remote areas.

Along with knights and lords followed German influences in the Baltic region and eventually in Central and Eastern Europe. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, tens of thousands of German settlers poured into Silesia, Bohemia, Poland, Hungary and Transylvania. According to A History of Western Society, Seventh Edition, “With urbanization came Germanization. Duke Boleslaw’s charter for his new city of Cracow in Poland stated that ‘the city of Cracow was converted to German law and the site of the market, the houses and the courtyards was changed by the duke’s officials.’ Boleslaw specifically excluded Polish peasants from becoming burgesses, because he feared the depopulation of his estates. New immigrants were German in descent, name, language, and law. Towns such as Cracow and Riga engaged in long-distance trade and gradually grew into large urban centers.”

The more durable hopped beer allowed brewers to reach a wider market, which created a need for more commercial investments and credit connections with buyers. The size of breweries grew along. Men and mostly women still made ale at home, but for the first time in Europe there was the possibility of making a living producing the drink. By the seventeenth century brewing was a male-dominated craft, although women could still be found in the beer trade as sellers. The High Middle Ages in Europe was characterized by the growth of towns and a commercial revolution. A distribution system for beer in taverns was being established as well. In Poland, even law courts operated on occasion in taverns, which by the thirteenth century had become a common part of life in northern Europe.

Northern Italian cities, Venice in particular, dominated European trade with the East and with Oriental goods, aided by a geographic location which provided easy access to the Adriatic Sea and Eastern Mediterranean ports as well as overland routes to the regions north of the Alps. Beginning in the late twelfth century, the opening of new silver mines in Germany, Bohemia, France, Italy and England led to the minting and circulation of vast quantities of silver coins, which paralleled a large increase in the quantity of international trade. Demand rose for sugar, pepper, cloves and other Asian spices, for fine wines from the Rhineland, Burgundy and Bordeaux, luxury woolens from Flanders and Tuscany, furs from Russia and Ireland, silk from Constantinople or even from China. Lombard and Tuscan merchants exchanged these goods at the town markets and regional fairs of France, Flanders and England.

Long-distance trade was risky and could only be practiced by professionals, who often shared the risks in order to minimize them. Business procedures changed radically and commercial accounting became more complex as new firms had to deal with shareholders, manufacturers, customers, branch offices and employees. In developments in banking, sales on credit and the use of Indian numerals in accounting, Italian merchants led the way. The commercial revolution of the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance generated a great deal of wealth and laid the basis for the development of capitalism.

Lübeck is today renowned for its excellent marzipan, but in medieval times the city was the “capital” of the Hanseatic League, a mercantile association of northern European towns. Lübeck was founded in 1143, but the protection treaty signed with Hamburg marks the League’s real beginnings. From the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries it controlled trade from Novgorod in northwestern Russia via Reval (Tallinn), Hamburg and the Baltic Sea to England and the North Sea. It connected with Italian merchants and with ports in France, Portugal and Spain, thus linking the trading networks of northern Europe with those of southern Europe. The ships of the League’s cities carried furs, copper, fish, grain, timber, wine and other products. At cities such as Bruges and London, Hanseatic merchants established foreign trading centers called “factories.” Merchants from the towns of the Hanseatic League used various forms of pressure to dominate the northern European markets, often successfully in the port city of Bergen amidst the scenic fjords of western Norway, but less so after the sixteenth century as the Hansa grew weaker and other state structures grew stronger.

There were different reasons why a specific town or city came to lie where it did. Often it was strategic location from a military or commercial point of view. Towns could also grow out of older fortifications or from great cathedrals or monasteries, as traders would settle nearby. Some Italian seaport cities such as Venice, Pisa and Genoa had been centers of commerce in ancient times, and for Italy, trade with Constantinople and the East, while diminished, had never stopped entirely in post-Roman times. Paris, together with northern Italian cities such as Milan, Venice and Florence, led non-Byzantine Europe in urban population. Completely new towns were founded, too, for instance Berlin and Munich. London, Paris, Vienna, Cologne and many other modern European cities began as Roman colonies or military camps. Where towns grew on the land of a Roman settlement, a rectangular shape with major streets laid out in a cross can usually be found at the historical heart of the city. Paul Hohenberg and Lynn Lees elaborate in their book The Making of Urban Europe, 1000-1994:

“Dutch towns oriented around a canal often grew by the addition of parallel streets and waterways, also producing a grid pattern that followed the design of the engineers. Most frequently, however, less purposefully constructed cities had irregular or radial designs reflecting their slower, more organic development. A round wall enclosed the maximum area for a given length — and expense — of perimeter, which accounts for the fact that there were planned circular towns as well. Unusual sites dictated unusual forms. Venice grew to cover a set of islands in a lagoon; Blois developed a trapezoidal shape at a crossing of the Loire river as it grew around a promontory on which a castle and an abbey were sited. Other towns were located along a river and developed asymmetrically on both banks. Truly irregular plans with mazelike streets haphazard in length and width are rare in most of Europe, occurring primarily along the southern periphery in areas influenced by Muslim civilization. The Moorish towns of southern Spain and Balkan towns built during the period of Ottoman rule are the most extreme European cases of irregular building patterns.”

The textile industry in the Low Countries brought into being a populous cluster of cities, among them Bruges, Ghent, Ypres and Brussels. Situated next to the English Channel, Flanders had easy access to English wool and developed a close economic relationship with England. “Wool was the cornerstone of the English medieval economy.” Flanders for while imported beer from Holland; shiploads of it made their way from Gouda, Delft and Haarlem via Mechelen to Leuven in the fifteenth century before local brewers learned to imitate the hopped beer from the north. By 1500, Flemings were definitely beer drinkers.

Between 1568 and 1578, a civil war raged in the Low Countries between Catholics and Protestants with powerful Spanish interference. The northern provinces united under the leadership of Prince William of Orange (1533-1584). In 1578 Philip II (1527-1598), under whose rule Spain was the most powerful country in Europe, if not the world, sent his nephew to crush the revolt once and for all. The cities of the south gradually fell: Bruges, Ghent, and finally the financial capital of northern Europe, Antwerp. Calvinism was forbidden in these territories, which became the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) and remained Catholic; the northern provinces led by Holland declared their independence and remained Protestant. Several times the Dutch broke the dikes and flooded the countryside to halt hostile troops. The United Provinces were supported by Queen Elizabeth I of England. The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English in 1588 ended the Spanish attempts to impose religious unity on Western Europe by force.

In the sixteenth century, Dutch and Flemish immigrants to England provided expertise on how to brew hopped beer. In the countryside in northern Europe and in England in particular, ale without hops remained popular for some time, but its popularity declined. By the year 1600, London was the greatest center of beer production in Europe. Richard W. Unger writes:

“Hamburg might be the largest producer in north Germany in the sixteenth century but Wismar and Lübeck often made more than 50 percent of the amount of beer that came from Hamburg and Gdansk in Poland could even produce more. Dutch towns matched or exceeded Hamburg output in the first half of the sixteenth century, but, with the exception of Haarlem, they lagged well behind after the revolt against Spanish rule. Big towns in the southern Netherlands, the new urban centers like Antwerp and Brussels, were producing much more beer than Hamburg by the early seventeenth century, and Flemish towns, like Ghent and Bruges, enjoyed significant recovery in output in the years after the Dutch Revolt. Despite expansion in many continental towns, no place in northern Europe could compare in the production of beer by the late sixteenth century to the burgeoning and prosperous English capital city.”

The cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh were the centers of Scottish brewing. Hopped beer also expanded in the Danube Valley in the later Middle Ages, but its expansion was less extensive in Eastern Europe than in the markets of Western Europe. Other drinks, even mead, continued in day-to-day use in the Russian Empire for centuries. King Gustav Vasa (1496-1560), who arguably shaped modern Sweden more than any other person, set up a royal brewery at the university town of Uppsala about 1540 to make beer in the Hamburg style. There was a brewery within the Stockholm Castle at an even earlier date. In Denmark, Copenhagen got a royal brewery to supply the court, the navy, the overseas trading companies and to a limited degree the public, but it was not until 1616 that the extremely active Christian IV (1577-1648), king of Denmark, Norway and Iceland, set up the establishment.

The beer border moved south during the Renaissance. In Paris the scale of production was quite large, but the French capital was the largest city in that part of Continental Europe. By the Late Middle Ages viticulture was practiced throughout most of Europe except the far north. The wines produced in the Rhine and Moselle valleys were often better than those produced further east and so were traded, but transportation raised the cost. Wines still had a problem with deterioration and often had to be consumed when they were very young. From 1590 to 1620 in Nuremberg a liter of wine cost as much as 6.1 liters of beer and at Vienna 4.5 liters of beer. In Hamburg or Cracow, wine was even more expensive. In northeastern Europe beer enjoyed a significant price advantage over wine, and hopped beer was more durable. At Strasbourg in the same period wine cost only 1.2 times as much as an equivalent quantity of beer, so beer had trouble penetrating into southern France and beyond. Richard W. Unger explains in his book Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance:

“The years from around 1450 to the early seventeenth century were a golden age for brewing. Though levels of output as well as the number and size of breweries varied — from Flanders to the Celtic Sea to northern Scandinavia to Estonia and Poland to Austria to the upper reaches of the Rhine River — brewing expanded in those years. It grew as population increased. In some places in northern Europe, it grew faster then the population. It enjoyed unprecedented economic success. Beer invaded new parts of Europe, claiming or reclaiming territory where wine was the preferred drink. The higher quality of hopped beer compared to its predecessors, the greater efficiency of producers over time, and improved distribution all combined to make beer an increasingly popular drink. With acclimatization of the process of making hopped beer came signs of brewers gaining full mastery of the new technology. Figures for production and for export suggest that such mastery was achieved around 1300 in north Germany, around 1390 in Holland, around 1470 in the southern Netherlands, and after 1500 in England.”

Though beer could be made from literally any grain, the usual components were oats, wheat, rye and barley. The strong connection between barley and beer was a product of the closing years of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. In 1487 Duke Albert IV of Bavaria issued a regulation for the making of beer in Munich, saying that only barley, water, yeast and hops could be used. That Reinheitsgebot, first stated in Munich brewing regulations of 1447-1453, was repeated in 1516 and from that date applied to all of Bavaria. Unger again:

“The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot more or less drove all grains but barley out of the brewing process in the duchy, something accomplished at Nuremberg by law in 1290 and 1305. The Nuremberg restriction seems to have been unique not only because of the early commitment to barley, but also because it remained in effect no matter the relative prices of different grains. In the 1530s, brewers in Upper Austria used a combination of malts made from wheat, barely, and oats, but a government regulation of 1560 required that henceforth they could use only barley. Their counterparts in Bohemia, an exporter of malt to Austria and Bavaria, used barley and wheat….Despite the general drift toward barley as the principal grain in brewing, there were some prohibitions on its use in beer in the sixteenth and early seventeenth century, largely in southern and southeast Germany. Breslau, for example, said brewers could no longer use barley in 1573 and again in 1622. Such restrictions were typically short term and based on the price and availability of grain rather than on the type or character of the beer being produced. By 1650 such restrictions were rare.”

In 1602 the duke of Bavaria opened his own Hofbrauhaus in Munich. However, the great Oktoberfest, the sixteen-day festival held each fall in Munich, first occurred in 1810.

Well, the forces of (Muslim) women’s liberation have fought hard for their inalienable right to wear the burqa, and now the larger culture is reaping the fruits of their success.

Actually, this is an example of gender equity: men have the same right to wear a burqa that women do!

And while they’re in it, they have the right to conceal weapons, threaten people, and scoop up cash, jewelry, and other goods until their jizyah needs are satisfied. According to The Daily Mail:

Burqa-clad man armed with gun and axe steals £150,000 designer watches

Police are searching for a burqa-clad man who helped steal designer watches worth £150,000 in an armed robbery yesterday.

The man and two accomplices, armed with a handgun and an axe, burst into Michael Jones Jewellers on the High Street in Banbury, Oxfordshire, at about 2.20pm.

They threatened four members of staff, a man and three women, with their weapons before making off with Rolex, Cartier and Breitling watches.

A man was waiting outside for the three suspects in a black Audi, which was later found abandoned.

Staff at the shop told police the offenders, including the one wearing the burkha, were all male.

The other two were wearing dark clothing and had their faces covered. All are thought to be Asian.

The incident is the latest in a spate of ‘burqa robberies’ where thieves conceal their identity with the full-body garment typically worn by Muslim women.

Detective Inspector Steve Duffy, leading the investigation, said: ‘Thankfully, nobody was injured during the robbery but obviously the staff have been left very shaken by what has happened.

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‘The getaway car was found abandoned shortly before 2.45pm in Western Crescent in the Hightown Road area of Banbury,’ Detective Inspector Duffy said.

‘I appeal to anyone who was in Banbury town centre today and has any information, however insignificant you think it may be, to contact police immediately.’

Last month, a man dressed in a black burqa entered First Choice Travel in Broadwalk, Dunstable, and threatened two female workers with a knife before stealing cash and escaping through the back door.

In a similar robbery this month, a man, again dressed in a black burqa entered Thomson travel shop in George Street, Luton, and threatened female staff with a knife and taking a large amount of cash.

Police have since released CCTV footage of both incidents, which could be linked. However there are differences in the height and build of the burqa-clad thieves

Hat tip: SN.

An intriguing fake kidnapping occurred in Toronto over the weekend. A devout young Muslim reported that he was being followed, and then his empty vehicle was found, and his family reported him kidnapped. But the police were dubious — there was no real evidence of a kidnapping — and they later found the young man in the vicinity of a mosque in a nearby Ontario community. It seems the fellow had a spot of legal trouble, and may have been looking for a way out of his difficulties…

In other news, part of the “stimulus” money has been used to fund a study of the sex drive of methamphetamine-using rats.

Thanks to Barry Rubin, C. Cantoni, Diana West, Fausta, Gaia, Insubria, JCPA, JD, KGS, Paul Green, Sean O’Brian, Steen, TB, Tuan Jim, TV, Vlad Tepes, Zenster, and all the other tipsters who sent these in. Headlines and articles are below the fold.
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	Calling Corporations Evil Doesn’t Exonerate Democrat Leaders
	New U.K. Tax Sends Hedge Funds Fleeing
	Rhode Island to Shut Down Government Periodically
	Sex-Study ‘Stimulus’
	USA
	A Nation Deceived
	Does Government-Run Health Care Work? Ask Vets
	Emergent Church Movement Now Thanking Allah
	New Seattle Charity Aims to Help Military Sexual-Trauma Victims
	Obama: Boys From Brazil Better Than U.S.
	Obama Now Interrogator in Chief?
	‘Profanity-Laced Screaming Match’ At White House
	Republicans Have Obama Playing Defense
	Stakelbeck: Video Report With Exclusive Details on Carolina Jihadist
	The Great Escape From Responsibility
	The Government Takes Taxpayers for a Ride
	Time for the Elderly to Check Out?
	US Army Spends $117m on Soldiers’ Psychological Resilience
	Yale: Betraying Nathan Hale, Embracing the Muslim Brotherhood
	Canada
	Toronto: Daylight Kidnapping Stumps Police
	Toronto: No Kidnapping, ‘Abducted’ Man Charged With Mischief
	Europe and the EU
	Denmark: Minister: Copenhagen Has Failed
	EU: Car Safety System May Become Mandatory
	Explosion in Plastics Plant in Slovakia
	Germany: Brandenburg Bans Motorcycle Gang
	Germany Not Likely to Achieve Co2 Reduction Targets
	Greenland: Lomborg: No Need to Toe Climate Line
	Italian National Anthem: Berlusconi, “ Difficult to Replace”
	Italy: Tax Evasion Reaches €5.1 Bln in Early 2009
	Italy: Police Seize €500 Mln Euros in Mafia Assets
	Italy: Soccer: Muslims Slam Mourinho Ramadan Remark
	Netherlands to Lower Child Support Abroad
	Netherlands: Integration Courses Not Reaching Target Group
	Netherlands: Six-Fold Murderer Regularly Out of Jail on Leave
	Overseas Student Surge Hits 110,000: And All But a Tenth Decide They’ll Stay in Britain
	Spain: Lay Military Honours in Armed Forces Regulations
	Spain: Inquiry Into Barajas Black Out, One Year After Tragedy
	Spain: First Lawsuit for Homophobia by Company
	Swedish Tabloid Reported for Racial Agitation
	Switzerland: Geneva Still Fuming Over Libyan Apology
	True Finns Politician Faces Defamation Charges
	UK Author Apologizes for Qur’an Offense
	UK: ‘Secret Agenda to Score Adoptions’
	UK: British, Libyan Leaders Spoke of Bomber’s Release Weeks Ago
	UK: By Jingo, We’re Short of Ships, Men and Money
	UK: CCTV Cameras: If They Do Not Stop Crime or Catch Criminals, What Are They For?
	UK: Error Leaves Children Unprotected Under 1984 Video Recordings Act
	UK: Foreign GPs Who Commute to Britain: £100-an-Hour Poles and Lithuanians Fly in for Shifts Our Doctors Won’t Do
	UK: Police ‘Steal’ Valuables From Cars in a Lesson for Drivers
	UK: Shortage of NHS Midwives is Barrier to Safety of Mothers and Babies
	UK: Two Thirds of Jails Are Overcrowded
	UK’s Payments to EU Jump by 60 Per Cent
	When the Blood Starts Flowing, Where Will the Wilders Voters be?
	Balkans
	Kosovo: Seven Injured in Ethnic Clashes
	North Africa
	Call for Libya to Pay IRA Victims
	Fate of Swiss Expatriates in Libya Was Ominous for Al-Megrahi Case
	Libya: Italian Villages Discussed Today in Tripoli
	Lockerbie: Libyan Press Baffled by the West’s Reaction
	‘Obama’ Dates Best-Sellers in Egypt for Ramadan
	Sicilian Fishing Boat Impounded by Tunisian Patrol Boat
	Israel and the Palestinians
	Israel Removes Outpost in Lebanon-Disputed Terrain
	Israeli Firm Reports Success for Swine Flu Vaccine
	Jonathan Spyer: Al-Qaida-Style Islamism Comes to Gaza
	Lieberman Attacks Haaretz, Bends the Truth
	Lieberman Damns Norway’s Honouring Pro-Nazi Author
	Palestinian Police ‘Directing Traffic in Israel’s Capital’
	Middle East
	Archaeology: Turkey: Ancient People Also Complained About Taxes
	Auto: New Ford Transit to be Produced Only in Turkey
	Death of a Libel Tourist
	New Developments in Iran’s Missile Capabilities: Implications Beyond the Middle East
	Palestinian Intellectual on the Arab World’s Double Standard
	Saudi’s Turki to US: Forget Oil Independence
	Top Iran Reform Figures on Trial
	Russia
	Op-Ed Hints Mossad Snatched Russian Ship
	Trade: Russia Removes Barriers to Turkish Exporters
	Caucasus
	Chechen Rebels Order Separatist Leader Death — Website
	South Asia
	How to Lose a War
	India: CRPF Note Warns of N-E Division Plot
	Indonesia: Police Question Saudi Suspect Over Jakarta Attacks
	Punjab: Christian Victims of the Massacres in Gojra Reported by Police
	Thailand: Car Bomb Wounds 42 in Thai South: Army
	UK ‘Rejects’ Malaya Deaths Appeal
	Far East
	Beijing Vows Rain Will Not Fall on Its Parade
	North Korea: Reporters’ Arrest Raised Risk for Aid Groups: Activists
	Australia — Pacific
	Fiji Water: So Cool, So Fresh, So Bad for the Environment?
	Lawyer Lashes DOCS Workers
	Sub-Saharan Africa
	Lubna Hussein: ‘I’M Not Afraid of Being Flogged. It Doesn’t Hurt. But it is Insulting’
	Magistrate Peter Reardon Sent Terror Case Hate Mail
	Latin America
	Mexican Politicians Seek the Lost Island of Bermeja
	Textbook Sparks Furore in Mexico
	U.S. Limits Visas in Honduras, Stepping Up Pressure
	Immigration
	Deal With Libya Works Well, Frattini Says
	EU to Table New Immigration Rules in September
	Italian Coastguard Rescues 57 Would-be Immigrants
	Italy: Illegals Held for Up to 6 Months, Protests
	More Iraqi Refugees to Arrive Soon in Hannover
	Culture Wars
	Healthcare Struggle is About Freedom
	General
	‘Christians’ Celebrating Ramadan?

Calling Corporations Evil Doesn’t Exonerate Democrat Leaders

In the latest example of liberal democrats targeting “evil” corporations, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) had this to say about insurance companies:

“…Of course, they’ve been immoral all along. They are the villains in this. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening, and the public has to know. They have had a good thing going for a long time at the expense of the American people and the health of our country.”

While Pelosi bashes these “immoral villains,” she fails to mention that her political action committee and her personal campaign have — since 2008 — accepted over $200,000 in donations from the “immoral villains” who represent the insurance industry. Democrat House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md) doubled-down on Pelosi by raking in more than $400,000 from that industry over the last two cycles.

It’s almost as if Pelosi and Hoyer were acting “Un-American.”

That type of hypocrisy would be akin to the same Democrat “leadership” vilifying the CEOs of the car companies for using their own corporate jets to fly into Washington for hearings on the bailout and then months later, ordering a fleet of corporate jets for their own pampered use. Luckily for all of us, that type of blatant sanctimonious behavior is still only the stuff of fiction.

While the Democrat leadership quotes from a partisan thesaurus, I would like to cite several (of countless) examples of immoral behavior which might resonate more clearly and realistically with the millions of employees (and constituents) from those Democrat-defined evil corporations. Such as:

Bulletpoint:Trial lawyers who reap billions in settlements from the health industry while exponentially raising the costs of health care for all of us.

Bulletpoint:Teachers unions, which continually put their self-preservation before the needs of America’s children.

Bulletpoint:Unions such as the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which helped to bankrupt the auto industry and the state of California, respectively, with the SEIU warranting special attention for dispatching violent thugs at town hall meetings.

Oh, but wait a minute. As trial lawyers, teachers unions, and the UAW and the SEIU contribute almost exclusively to the Democrats, there is no way their immoral, villainous tactics can be “evil” as defined by Pelosi, Obama, and Reid.

They should spare us the sanctimony. Americans are more and more anxious to hit the elected-official “reset” button.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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New U.K. Tax Sends Hedge Funds Fleeing

A stream of hedge-fund managers and other financial-services professionals are quitting the U.K., following plans to raise top personal tax rates to 51%.

Lawyers estimate hedge funds managing close to $15 billion have moved to Switzerland in the past year, with more possibly to come. David Butler, founder of professional-services firm Kinetic Partners, said his company had advised 23 hedge funds on leaving the U.K. in the 15 months to April. An additional 15 are close to quitting the U.K., he said.

“In the past, managers would say they’d move some operations or dip their toe in the water,” Mr. Butler said. “Now that’s changed.”

Hedge fund Amplitude Capital took its $735 million in assets under management to Switzerland at the start of this year. In May, Odey Asset Management threatened to move.

All the hedge funds that have left the U.K. for Switzerland are concerned about tighter European Union regulations, as well as a new top rate of income tax announced by the U.K. government.

Starting next April, individuals in the U.K. who earn more than £150,000, or about $247,000, a year will pay tax at 51%, including national insurance. They will also be taxed heavily on pension payments.

Private-equity manager Guy Hands, founder of Terra Firma, decided to quit London for Guernsey. “He has no intention of returning in the foreseeable future,” a spokesman for Mr. Hands said.

Jon Moulton, founder of private-equity firm Alchemy Partners, said he had no plans to leave his home in Kent, but confirmed that he owned a house in Guernsey and introduced Mr. Hands to his house. Mr. Moulton said he “may very well one day retreat to an environment of lower taxes, no [members of European Parliament] and where the most powerful posts in government are filled by election.”

Richard Jordan, a partner at law firm Thomas Eggar, said: “I would say that 40% of my work involves advising people on ways to leave the country. We have reached a tipping point, in terms of hostility to the U.K. tax system.”

One of his clients has just received a dividend of £2.5 million from his business. “He said to me, I’m going to be start being charged £1.3 million on a payment like that. It’s time I thought about leaving,” Mr. Jordan said.

Recent research by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers suggested that married bankers earning £250,000 a year in the U.K. would retain less of their income after 51% tax than their counterparts in Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore and Dubai.

Matthew Feargrieve, London-based partner at offshore law firm Mourant du Feu & Jeune said the combination of higher taxes and prospective EU rule tightening was potent. The Swiss cantons of Zug and Zurich plan U.K. shows designed to lure businesses from London.

Swiss cantons are prepared to agree to ultralow tax rates with people bringing business to the country. Even without discounts, Zug’s tax charge is just 14%.

Fiona Sheffield, a partner in the hedge-funds tax practice at accounting firm Ernst & Young, said in June: “We have had most of the 250 hedge-fund managers we provide services for talking about the pros and cons of leaving the U.K. for Switzerland.”

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Rhode Island to Shut Down Government Periodically

Rhode Island will shut down its state government for 12 days and hopes to trim millions of dollars in funding for local governments under a plan Gov. Don Carcieri outlined Monday to balance a budget hammered by surging unemployment and plummeting tax revenue…

The shutdown will force 81 percent of the roughly 13,550-member state work force, excluding its college system, to stay home a dozen days without pay before the start of the new fiscal year in July.

The closures come as the worst recession in decades has eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections and pushed unemployment to 12.7 percent, the second-highest jobless rate in the nation behind Michigan.

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Sex-Study ‘Stimulus’

by Geoff Earle

The stimulus package is living up to its provocative name by funding a bacchanalia of behavioral sex research, a Post analysis reveals.

The next fiscal year is set to be one of the friskiest ever in the nation’s science labs, as researchers probe the ins and outs of sex patterns among humans and even some of our four-legged friends.

Among the most titillating grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health are studies that would:

• Examine “barriers to correct condom use” at Indiana University, at a cost of $221,000.
• Study “hookups” among adolescents at Syracuse University. Study’s cost: $219,000.
• Evaluate “drug use as a sex enhancer” in an analysis of “high-risk community sex networks” at the University of Illinois, Chicago. That study will cost $123,000.
• Study how methamphetamine, thought to produce an “insatiable need” for sex among users, “enhances the motivation for female rat sexual behavior.” Some $28,000 has been awarded for the University of Maryland at Baltimore study.

[Return to headlines]

A Nation Deceived

Now comes AKA’s myspace.com page declaring that he is 52 years old. For those who are mathematically challenged, that means his birth would have occurred sometime in 1957, not 1961. It seems that his actual age is a matter of some speculation among his own supporters.

Why is his actual birth year relevant?

If Obama was born in Hawaii, and we don’t know that he was until we see the actual document issued at the time of his birth; if he was born in 1957; he was born when Hawaii was still a territory of the United States; which, like his dual citizenship, would make him ineligible to the office he holds.

[…]

On page 26 of AKA’s book, Dreams from My Father, (Three Rivers Press; New York, NY; 1995, 2004), he writes,

“I discovered this article, folded away among my birth certificate and old vaccination forms, when I was in high school.”

Re-read that sentence very carefully … “my birth certificate … when I was in high school.”

If this is not but more of the fabrications of AKA, he is not speaking of the laser-printed Certification of Live Birth that he and worshippers have been passing around as his birth certificate; that his White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, falsely claims is his “birth certificate.” Rather, AKA is speaking of that document issued at the time of his birth; whenever that was.

Now, pray tell, if AKA has his original birth certificate, issued at the time of his birth, why would he go to the Department of Health, Hawaii, and request a Certification of Live Birth of the laser-printed variety issued after 2001?

— Hat tip: JD

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Does Government-Run Health Care Work? Ask Vets

Anybody who still thinks it’s a good idea to give the federal government total control over health care should consider the case of Philip E. Cushman, a Portland, Ore., resident and decorated ex-Marine whose back was broken when a fellow serviceman accidentally dropped a sandbag on top of him when their unit was under attack in Vietnam.

For the past two decades, Cushman has been unsuccessfully trying to get the Veterans’ Administration to hand over some $100,000 it owes him for his service-related disability.

Finally, in an Aug. 12 landmark decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Cushman’s statutorily mandated, non-discretionary, service-related disability benefits are protected property under the U.S. Constitution. The court also found that the VA illegally altered Cushman’s medical records to avoid having to pay his claim.

Gordon Erspamer, a Walnut Creek, Calif., attorney whose law firm represented Cushman pro bono, told me that somebody at the VA added language implying that the septuagenarian — who has endured four back operations and has a steel rod implanted in his spine — could work, provided he was “not doing heavy bending or lifting.” The VA then gave the Social Security Administration the altered document, so Cushman was denied Social Security disability benefits as well. “It was a double whammy,” Erspamer said.

Two years ago, Social Security backed down when Cushman’s lawyers proved that the VA document had a forged entry. But not the VA. “The VA refused to readjudicate his claim, even though the only record suggesting he could work was that entry. The VA fights everything,” Erspamer explained. “It’s a very bewildering, adversarial system.

Unfortunately, Cushman is not the only disabled vet who’s been getting the bum’s rush from the government. The number of backlogged cases at the VA is expected to hit the one million mark this year for the first time ever. Cushman’s attorneys also discovered that, while it takes the VA just 4.6 hours on average to decide a compensation claim, it takes the agency five years to actually settle the claim. And even after stalling for five years, the VA’s cumulative error rate is 90 percent!

“Three thousand veterans die every year while their appeals are pending,” Erspamer said. And as death extinguishes their disability claims, their families get nothing.

Meanwhile, the same bureaucrats at the VA who are stiffing disabled veterans raked in $24 million in bonuses over a two-year period, according to a blistering report released Friday by the VA’s own inspector general. The IG report blasted the federal agency for nepotism, improperly authorized payments to employees’ families and friends, and “inappropriate personal relationships” between high-level VA officials.

Even though the federal appeals court agreed with him, all Cushman won was the right to a new hearing before the Board of Veterans Appeals — without the tainted evidence. There’s still no guarantee the board will rule in his favor. “He’ll probably die before it’s done,” Erspamer said.

Other vets have told me the same thing. The VA’s integrated single-payer system, which the Wall Street Journal describes as a “liberal Shangri-la,” sounds great on paper. But if you’re a disabled vet like Cushman, getting the VA to do its job often becomes a never-ending nightmare.

And if the federal government treats its own military veterans — who were disabled fighting for their country — in such a shoddy and disrespectful fashion, do you really think it’ll do any better when you get sick?

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

[Return to headlines]

Emergent Church Movement Now Thanking Allah

‘Islamic Antichrist’ author attacks church commitment to Ramadan

Leaders of the “emergent church” movement within evangelical Christianity are “observing” the Muslim month of Ramadan, writes the author of the bestselling new book, “The Islamic Antichrist,” which contends that the Beast of Revelation is most likely to emerge from within the Muslim world.

“This year, a group of “Emergent Christians,” led by one of the United States’ most influential pastors, Brian Mclaren have announced they will actually be ‘observing’ the Muslim holy month, along with a Muslim ‘partner,’“ writes Joel Richardson in a WND commentary today. “Ramadan is the month that Muslims thank Allah, their god, for revealing the Quran to Muhammad, their prophet. On Mclaren’s personal blog, he recently announced his intentions: ‘We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.’“

Richardson questions whether such an “observance” is actually tantamount to an endorsement of Islam.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

New Seattle Charity Aims to Help Military Sexual-Trauma Victims

“This is not a ‘woman’ problem,” said Mountjoy-Pepka. A little more than half of military sexual-trauma victims are men, mostly because they make up a majority of veterans, according to the VA.

“If you’re a male in the military and you’re a macho guy and you’re raped, your shame is compounded and multiplied,” she said.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Obama: Boys From Brazil Better Than U.S.

President blocks oil drilling at home, funds exploration abroad

A controversy developed when it was revealed the Obama administration is willing to spend billions of dollars to fund offshore drilling in Brazil while blocking U.S. development of oil and natural gas resources by continuing environmental objections to opening U.S. offshore drilling, Jerome Corsi’s Red Alert reports.

Underlying the controversy was the disclosure that Obama-supporter and billionaire hedge-fund manager George Soros bought a $811 million stake in Petroleo Brasileiro SA in the second quarter, making the Brazilian state-controlled oil company his investment fund’s largest holding.

The sparks began flying when former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote on her Facebook page: “So why is it that during these tough times, when we have great needs at home, the Obama White House is prepared to send more than two billion of your hard-earned tax dollars to Brazil so that the nation’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, can drill off shore and create jobs developing its own resources?”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Obama Now Interrogator in Chief?

Approves creation of special White House unit for questioning terrorism suspects

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has moved more forcefully than ever to abandon Bush administration interrogation policies, approving creation of a special White House unit for questioning terrorism suspects, as Attorney General Eric Holder weighs a Justice Department recommendation to reopen and pursue prisoner abuse cases.

A senior administration official told The Associated Press Monday that Obama has approved establishment of the new unit, to be known as the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, which will be overseen by the National Security Council. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the program has not yet been officially announced.

— Hat tip: JD

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‘Profanity-Laced Screaming Match’ At White House

Report: Panetta furious over Justice plan to open criminal probe of CIA interrogations

A “profanity-laced screaming match” at the White House involving CIA Director Leon Panetta, and the expected release today of another damning internal investigation, has administration officials worrying about the direction of its newly-appoint intelligence team, current and former senior intelligence officials tell ABC News.com.

Amid reports that Panetta had threatened to quit just seven months after taking over at the spy agency, other insiders tell ABCNews.com that senior White House staff members are already discussing a possible shake-up of top national security officials.

“You can expect a larger than normal turnover in the next year,” a senior adviser to Obama on intelligence matters told ABCNews.com.

Since 9/11, the CIA has had five directors or acting directors.

— Hat tip: JD

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Republicans Have Obama Playing Defense

The GOP strategy of principled opposition is winning over independents.

Republicans are discovering just how effective an opposition party can be in Washington. Their strategy is simply to aggressively and relentlessly oppose the liberal agenda of the president and the Democratic Congress. As a result, Barack Obama’s agenda is in jeopardy, and the president is disconcerted, less popular and on the defensive.

Republican opposition isn’t the only reason for this. Mr. Obama did himself no favors by pushing policies far more liberal than voters wanted. But the decision by Republicans to be combative rather than accommodating has played an indispensable role.

What the GOP has done best has been to make and win arguments. This is the key to successful opposition. Seeking compromise, being conciliatory, pretending bipartisanship exists when it doesn’t all play into the hands of the majority. These tactics are a ticket to permanent minority status. By making the case against Mr. Obama’s policies, Republicans have given themselves a chance to again win favor with voters.

— Hat tip: JD

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Stakelbeck: Video Report With Exclusive Details on Carolina Jihadist

My CBN report featuring exclusive new details about the alleged ringleader of an Islamic terrorist cell outside Raleigh, North Carolina aired today.

You can watch it at the link above.

I interviewed neighbors and co-workers of the cell’s accused ringleader, Daniel Boyd, and also spoke to Raleigh-area Muslims.

In the process, I was able to uncover important new details about Boyd that have yet to be reported elsewhere.

[Return to headlines]

The Great Escape From Responsibility

Many of the issues of our times are hard to understand without understanding the vision of the world that they are part of. Whether the particular issue is education, economics or medical care, the preferred explanation tends to be an external explanation — that is, something outside the control of the individuals directly involved.

Education is usually discussed in terms of the money spent on it, the teaching methods used, class sizes or the way the whole system is organized. Students are discussed largely as passive recipients of good or bad education.

But education is not something that can be given to anybody. It is something that students either acquire or fail to acquire. Personal responsibility may be ignored or downplayed in this “non-judgmental” age, but it remains a major factor, nevertheless.

After many students go through a dozen years in the public schools, at a total cost of $100,000 or more per student — and emerge semi-literate and with little understanding of the society in which they live, much less the larger world and its history — most discussions of what is wrong leave out the fact that many such students may have chosen to use school as a place to fool around, act up, organize gangs or even peddle drugs.

The great escape of our times is escape from personal responsibility for the consequences of one’s own behavior. Differences in infant mortality rates provoke pious editorials on a need for more prenatal care to be provided by the government for those unable to afford it. In other words, the explanation is automatically assumed to be external to the mothers involved, and the solution is assumed to be something that “we” can do for “them.”

— Hat tip: JD

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The Government Takes Taxpayers for a Ride

The CARS program, universally known as “Cash-for Clunkers,” ended last night at 8 p.m. We hope its death is permanent this time. If you were one of the lucky few who cashed in on CARS, congratulations. Its quick demise is still good news for you if you are living in today’s American economy. It may be one of the worst government programs ever invented, given that it was designed to un-stimulate the United States economy. As The Washington Examiner’s Chris Stirewalt wryly observed: “Who knew that free money would be so popular?”

To destroy a perfectly good and functioning car is an act of economic sabotage. No rational person does so voluntarily. But CARS subsidized the destruction of such cars with $3 billion in taxpayers’ money, hoping to improve the environment, and create a short-term burst of activity for automotive dealers. The environmental gain has been modest, to put it kindly. Although the Department of Transportation has been miserly in distributing complete information about the program, Edmunds.com compiled statistics directly from dealers in early August, before Congress threw in an extra $2 billion.

Edmunds’ estimates, based on sales to that point, were far less sanguine than those contemporaneously offered by DOT. They suggest that CARS participants upgraded their fuel efficiency by 51 percent — from an average 16.1 mpg for traded clunkers to an average of 24.3 mpg for their new cars. The final numbers are not in as we write, but CARS is expected to subsidize perhaps 750,000 new purchases, and destroy the same number of clunkers. This means that overall cars improved the fuel efficiency of America’s collective 251-million-car fleet of vehicles by — at most — 0.023 percent.

In other words, if Americans were getting an average of 20 miles to the gallon before CARS, they are getting 20.0046 mpg after it.

The real gain in efficiency due to CARS is definitely smaller than that. Many CARS purchasers would have bought new vehicles anyway without the program. The benefit to the environment diminishes even further when you factor in the amount of energy that went into producing all of the new cars that have been purchased. And so a negligible gain in fuel efficiency came at a cost of $3 billion to taxpayers, plus the program’s cost to the economy. Edmunds estimated the average value of traded clunkers at $1,475, which suggests that $1.l billion worth of capital was destroyed. It isn’t much, but at a time when jobs are in scarce supply and investors are running for cover, should taxpayers be forced to pay to take value out of the economy?

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Time for the Elderly to Check Out?

Many years ago I ran into this TV program I believed to be for children. I remember watching this young dinosaur pushing his elderly grandma in a wheel chair. It seems the old grandma’s time had come for her to check in at the tar pit and apparently it was his duty to dump her. I never watched it again and I only saw it for a short segment. I never forgot that scenario but it came to my mind when I read about the portion of Obama’s health plan including “end of life” voluntary death counseling and Obama himself recommending maybe grandma should take a pain pill rather than have expensive surgery. Or did Obama see the movie on Family T.V. that I saw in 2001 about how the Eskimo elderly when they get to old to be productive, the whole family escorts them to an iceberg where they float out to sea and have “death with dignity?” He is happy to set sail before he starts embarrassing himself. The old man says as he floats off, “If there is a change in policy in the next couple of weeks, be sure to track me down.”

British psychologist John Rawlings Rees, head of the Tavistock Institute in the 1930s and 40s once bragged he could create a psychological environment that forced people to let go of even firmly entrenched beliefs using “controlled stress” experiments. [1] The “doctors” Hitler used for Eugenics were brought to the U.S. by universities to perfect their methods and marketing schemes. In November 2002 Oregon’s then Governor John Kitzhaber declared a Human Rights day acknowledging and apologizing to the 2,600 Oregonians who were sterilized by the state between 1917 — 1981. The German people were like we are today — Constitutional illiterates unfamiliar with the laws and our God-given rights. Hitler could only dream of TV marketing, spy websites and national DNA databases kick started by the feds revealing facts that make some individuals less useful to society.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

US Army Spends $117m on Soldiers’ Psychological Resilience

A scheme to build the emotional resilience of American soldiers has been established as rates of suicide and depression rise.

— Hat tip: JD

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Yale: Betraying Nathan Hale, Embracing the Muslim Brotherhood

by Diana West

When Nathan Hale, Yale Class of 1773, was caught in New York gathering intelligence on the British, he was hanged as a rebel spy. His very famous last words are said to have been: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” He was 21 years old. Notably, his statue by Bela Lyon Pratt, which stands on Yale’s Old Campus, was a gift of Yale alumni 141 years after Hale’s death — testament to the reverence sucessive generations of Americans at Yale felt for him.

In a description of the statue of Nathan Hale, there is this suddenly pertinent fact about this 1914 gift from Yale alumni…

— Hat tip: Diana West

[Return to headlines]

Toronto: Daylight Kidnapping Stumps Police

There is still no sign of University of Toronto student Furqan Muhammad-Haroon, after he was reported abducted in the city’s east end on Saturday afternoon.

The 22-year-old was kidnapped while driving his green Mazda MPV van near Midland Avenue and Ellesmere Road at about 3:30 p.m., police said.

His parents flew to Toronto from Dubai and begged for his safe return at a news conference on Monday.

“Please come forward if you know anything about my boy, my son,” said Haroon Muhammad, who was accompanied by his wife at the news conference. “Please help us. We want him back.”

It is alleged that three men, one with a gun, forced Muhammad-Haroon’s car off the road. Police are treating the case as an abduction.

Muhammad-Haroon, an electrical engineering student, had withdrawn $2,000 and called a friend on his cellphone to say that he thought he was being followed. That was the last time anyone heard from him. Police found the vehicle a short while later.

“At this point, we have nothing further. We still have no idea … where the victim is,” Toronto police spokeswoman Const. Wendy Drummond said.

It’s not the first time a member of the Muslim organization Islamic Foundation of Toronto has gone missing, CBC News has learned. Last November, 22-year-old Abu-Ubaida Atieque, also an engineering student at the University of Toronto, went missing near Neilson Road and Ellesmere Road. His fate remains unknown.

Police haven’t said whether the two cases are linked. But Imam Yusuf Badat said he’s concerned by the disappearances.

“The community is in a state of shock and at the same time saddened at the disappearance of these two youngsters,” he said.

Police will now go through Muhammad-Haroon’s activities in the last day or two and try “to ascertain where he was, who he was with, and then speak with those people,” Drummond said. “The investigation unfolds from there.”

Muhammad-Haroon was on his way to the airport to take a trip overseas.

There was no information about a ransom demand or why Muhammad-Haroon was targeted by the three men.

— Hat tip: Vlad Tepes

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Toronto: No Kidnapping, ‘Abducted’ Man Charged With Mischief

In a Saturday afternoon phone call with a friend, Furqan Muhammad-Haroon told a harrowing tale.

The 22-year-old Scarborough engineering student, speaking from behind the wheel of his Mazda van, said he was being tailed by three men, one of whom had a gun.

His van was found soon after. Its keys were inside, while Mr. Muhammad-Haroon was not. Also missing was the thousands of dollars in cash he’d withdrawn in preparation for a trip to the United Arab Emirates that evening.

Police began an investigation into what was initially described as an abduction, but the case took puzzling turns early on.

Mr. Muhammad-Haroon had recently been charged with stealing a green plastic recycling bin stuffed with hard drives and other computer equipment from the office of his former employer, IBM Canada.

Teary-eyed family held a press conference on Monday, appealing for information in the abduction of their son, who had no criminal record.

Still, police remained tight-lipped. They had nothing to support the claim of abduction, and were said to be growing doubtful about the incident.

Tuesday evening, Toronto police announced that Mr. Muhammad-Haroon had been found safe in St. Catharines, Ont.

A police source said the devout Muslim was located near a mosque, although Ezeldin Ebadalla, past president of the local Masjid Al-Noor Mosque, said he had not heard of Mr. Muhammad-Haroon.

Police now say the abduction was a hoax, and have charged Mr. Muhammad-Haroon with mischief.

“Ah, that changes things,” Shahzad Siddiqui, a lawyer who had been speaking on behalf of the family, said last night when told of the charge. Mr. Siddiqui was asked earlier in the day whether the theft charge and disappearance were related. “We don’t know if it’s unrelated or not,” he said.

Mr. Muhammad-Haroon is to appear in a Scarborough court Wednesday on his mischief charge, and in Newmarket next month on the theft charge.

His uncharacteristic disappearance had stirred alarm among relatives and friends, who described him as a model student.

“If there is some hoax or some kind of extenuating circumstance, it would be very difficult for the family to accept that,” friend Firaaz Azeez said earlier in the day. Told last night of Mr. Muhammad-Haroon’s discovery, Mr. Azeez was relieved.

“That’s incredible news. … I’m elated and happy he’s safe,” he said. “In terms of how we got here, obviously there’s a lot to be said in the next few days.”

— Hat tip: Vlad Tepes

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Denmark: Minister: Copenhagen Has Failed

The Justice Minister is criticising Copenhagen for bad youth policies after the weekend’s unrest.

After a weekend of unrest in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Justice Minister Brian Mikkelsen has criticised Copenhagen Council for failing to address youth issues.

The criticism comes following Saturday night’s unrest, during which small groups of youths attacked police officers in Nørrebro.

“It’s the Council’s job to carry out crime prevention work, something that I feel has seriously failed in Copenhagen. When someone tries to take over a street — as they did on Saturday night — there’s only one way forward: a harsh policy — the zero tolerance method,” says Mikkelsen.

Projects fail While Mikkelsen supports the police decision to act firmly, he says that Copenhagen Council efforts in Nørrebro do not seem to have helped.

“Copenhagen Council has a lot of projects. There are a lot of well-meaning people, but no results. What may be lacking is a firmer hand that gets hold of these young people and makes sure that they go to their schools and jobs,” Mikkelsen says.

Embarrassing Copenhagen’s Mayor for Social Affairs Mikkel Warming (Unity) says Mikkelsen’s statement is embarrassing and an attempt to shirk his responsibility.

“Isn’t it almost embarrassing to shirk responsibility in this fashion? The Conservatives have had the Justice Ministry and been in government for eight years. The result is that we have shootings in the streets. That is not something we had eight years ago. And not just in Copenhagen — but across the country. Also in Vollsmose — but there’s also a Conservative mayor there,” says Warming.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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EU: Car Safety System May Become Mandatory

Failure of voluntary approach prompts European Commission to consider forcing EU states and car companies to introduce system.

The European Commission today warned that it is considering introducing legislation to ensure that a new in-car safety system is put in place across the EU, because national governments are taking too long to implement the system voluntarily.

The Commission said that, unless “significant progress” by the end of the year, it would consider regulating to oblige member states to carry out the technical work needed to introduce the eCall system, which would automatically contact emergency services when a car has an accident.

The EU’s executive also said it was also considering legislating to make the technology a standard, rather than an optional, feature in new cars.

“If the eCall roll out does not accelerate, the Commission stands ready to set out clear rules obliging governments, industry and emergency services to respond,” said Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for information society and media.

The Commission had wanted national governments to complete the necessary technical work so that the system could be rolled out by the end of this year. However, eCall is currently not operational anywhere in the EU.

That is in part because countries that support the system want the system to be introduced in a harmonised fashion across the Union. The majority of EU member states have signed a memorandum in support of rolling out the technology. However, six countries — Denmark, France, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and the UK — have refused to do so, citing cost concerns.

National governments need to upgrade call centres used by their emergency services before eCall can function.

European car manufacturers have pledged to offer the eCall technology as an optional feature in new cars, once other technical work is completed.

Reding cited concern for lives as a reason for pressing member states to act, saying that “Europeans should not have to wait any longer for a system that could save lives just because their governments fail to act”.

The Commission believes the system, which would, for example, automatically supply information on the location and direction of the car and a description of the vehicle, could save 2,500 lives a year when fully deployed across the EU. It also believes it would reduce the number of severe injuries suffered by 10-15%.

There were more than 1.2 million accidents on Europe’s roads in 2008, causing 39,000 deaths and more than 1.7 million injuries.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Explosion in Plastics Plant in Slovakia

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Officials say an explosion in the office of a plant manufacturing plastic doors and windows left five people injured including two with serious injuries.

A spokesman for firefighters from the town of Nitra says they have ruled out a gas explosion as the cause of the accident Tuesday at the Euromont plant in nearby Topolcany, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) northeast of Bratislava.

The spokesman, Viliam Pansky, says firefighters suspect an explosive booby trap may have been placed inside the office building.

No further details were immediately available.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Germany: Brandenburg Bans Motorcycle Gang

The eastern German state of Brandenburg has outlawed a biker gang active in various criminal dealings. Interior minister Joerg Schoenbohm says the federal government should consider a national ban of such groups.

The interior ministry of Brandenburg in eastern Germany banned the small motorcycle gang “Chicanos MC Barnim” on Monday. According to a press statement by the ministry, the move was part of a “forceful zero tolerance strategy” against rocker crime.

“This ban is a clear signal that we will counter this rocker trouble with all means legally at our disposal,” said interior minister Joerg Schoenbohm. “The formation and expansion of criminal associations will not be tolerated.”

Schoenbohm said the rocker scene would be well advised to take this “sign of our resolve” very seriously.

Weapons instead of motorcycles

The gang, based in Eberswalde near Berlin, was founded in February 2009 and has 14 members. Police officials in Frankfurt/Oder searched members’ apartments and the club house. Extensive documents and objects were seized, the ministry said. Authorities have also banned the organization’s website.

Local media report that hardly any of the members even had a motorcycle. But the police did find an array of weapons: Samurai swords, cudgels, brass knuckles and pistols. These were used to exert influence in the bouncer and drug scene in the region.

Motorcycle gangs have been rivaling each other across Germany for a number of years. But police authorities said the degree of violence in Berlin and Brandenburg has escalated in the past few months. Rocker gangs are competing for greater influence and more money in drug traffic and prostitution, as well as in the bouncer scene.

“The criminal activities of rocker gangs include offences which tend to occur behind closed doors, such as money laundering, blackmail, forging, arson or violation of narcotics and weapons laws,” Schoenbohm said.

There has been a series of attacks and shootings in Brandenburg and Berlin in the past few weeks as a result of gang wars between the Bandidos and their arch rivals, the Hells Angels. Earlier this month, a gang member in Berlin who had switched from the Hells Angels to join the Bandidos was murdered.

A national ban?

The ministry said it hoped to use the findings from this case to take action against rocker gangs together with other states and the federal government.

Schoenbohm has called for a national ban of gangs such as the Hells Angels or the Bandidos. However, the federal interior minister can only implement such a ban if the states concerned file a common petition. Schoenbohm said he and his counterpart in Berlin, Ehrhart Koerting, had agreed on a collective course of action in the matter.

“If we have the opportunity for success together, then we will do so,” he said.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Germany Not Likely to Achieve Co2 Reduction Targets

Germany may be a world leader in the production of renewable energies, but a study commissioned by Greenpeace predicts the country won’t make its ambitious 2020 target of a 40 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Germany will not meet its government’s targets to slash carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, a new study states. The report, by Aachen-based engineering and consulting firm EUtech, commissioned by the environmental group Greenpeace, says that Germany will not reach the 40 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions the government has set as its official target. In fact, the study predicts that the decline will be less than 30 percent.

The study says that in implementing the German government’s 2007 climate-protection package, many measures were excluded or watered down thanks to the efforts of lobby groups. Neither an environmentally focused car-tax reform nor far-reaching mandatory renovations on older homes were implemented. A strict prohibition on certain types of electric heating was not put in place either. Additionally, the dismal effort at building offshore wind farms also weighed against the country’s ability to meet the goal, according to EUtech’s calculations.

With total emissions of carbon dioxide in the power industry rising unexpectedly to 385 million metric tons, experts are calling for a radical restructuring of energy production. This would include better usage of renewable energies, the dismantling of gas-fired power plants and the use of combined heat-and-power cogeneration plants, where excess heat produced by a thermal power plant is captured and used, thereby increasing the plant’s efficiency by a potential 30 percent. And it’s not just the environment that would benefit — such measures would also mean savings for consumers by 2020, the study notes.

‘A CO2-Free Germany by 2050’?

The incoming head of Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Jochen Flasbarth, is calling for the next government to improve climate protection laws. The aim of reducing carbon-dioxide emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 could serve as a global model, Flasbarth told SPIEGEL. He said the steps already taken by the government would only “suffice for a reduction of 35 percent.”

One must assume, he added, that some of the measures currently being undertaken would prove ineffective and that a buffer would be needed in order to achieve the final goal. “New climate legislation should include a further 10 percent reduction in CO2,” Flasbarth said, adding that the ultimate goal should be a “CO2-free Germany by 2050.”

Flasbarth is focusing his attention on transportation measures. He said anyone who rejects the idea of a general speed limit on autobahns (indeed, you can still drive at any speed on parts of some German motorways) needs to come up with other ways of reducing CO2. “Our cars are heavy and gas guzzling because they are designed not to go out of control at speeds of 180 kilometers per hour,” noted the UBA chief-to-be. Flasbarth will take the helm of the Environment Agency on Sept. 1.

“We need a plan (to replace these cars) with more efficient, lighter cars,” he said. Flasbarth also argued that Germany’s federal roadways plan should be modified to take climate change into consideration and to give priority to public transportation. “We need to abandon some of our highway construction projects,” he said.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Greenland: Lomborg: No Need to Toe Climate Line

Greenland should continue to place development over efforts to prevent climate change, according to the Sceptical Environmentalist

Greenland should stand firm on its demand that development should come before greenhouse gas reductions, even if it goes against official Danish policy, according to climate expert Bjørn Lomborg.

Greenland’s climate dilemma differs in reality no different from the rest of the world, according to Lomborg, who gained the nickname ‘the Sceptical Environmentalist’ after publishing a book of the same name in 2001.

‘This is a classic dilemma. People would like to come up with the solutions, but they don’t want to pay. This isn’t something specific to Greenland,’ said Lomborg speaking in Nuuk on Thursday.

Greenland’s government has indicated that it wants to be included in a new climate protocol, but the country would also like to be able to exploit its oil and mineral wealth and develop other industries that have a high level of greenhouse gas emissions.

‘You are honest about it than many other nations, if you have these concerns,’ Lomborg said. ‘For many countries have only to sign an agreement, then they just avoid doing anything,’ Lomborg said.

Political promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions were not the answer to the world’s climate problems, according to Lomborg. He argued that there was better value for money if countries spent money on research and development of non-CO2 emitting energy sources.

Greenland could be an example to other countries when it comes to stand firm on the demand that countries be permitted to develop, according to Lomborg

‘Greenland could benefit by standing up and saying that it is just expressing what everyone else wants to but isn’t or won’t during negotiations. We cannot agree to it because it costs us a lot now and it makes infinitely little good,’ Lomborg said.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Italian National Anthem: Berlusconi, “ Difficult to Replace”

(AGI) — Rome, 18 Aug. — “The national anthem written by Mameli accompanied the birth of our nation and its consolidation.

Replacing it would be a very complicated matter,” said Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi in an interview with Alfonso Signorini published in the current issue of the weekly magazine Chi, on newsstands tomorrow. Berlusconi therefore has taken a stand on the issue of the national anthem brought to the fore by Umberto Bossi. “But we must also try to understand Umberto Bossi opinions. I feel a brotherly affection for the man, his opinions are a sort of trying to please his people and his party. Mameli’s anthem is connected with moments of joy, excitement, celebration of the national spirit. Replacing it would be no easy task. Undoubtedly ‘Va Pensiero’ is a very beautiful aria, one of the indisputable masterpieces of Giuseppe Verdi, but it refers to the Jewish populace who were imprisoned in Babylon.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Tax Evasion Reaches €5.1 Bln in Early 2009

Rome, 18 August (AKI) — Italians evaded taxes totalling more than 5.1 billion euros in the first half of 2009, according to figures released by the country’s tax authority on Tuesday. Of the total, an estimated 3.3 billion euros was unpaid between January and June and one third of that amount was illegally stashed in offshore tax havens.

Italians dodged a further 1.8 billion euros in taxes through scams involving fake companies and invoices, the authority said.

Tax dodgers hid 1.1 billion euros in offshore accounts, while they invested 1.6 billion euros in foreign-owned firms operating in Italy.

The tax authority seized 396 million euros of securities and cash during checks on the movement of capital, in collaboration with the Italian customs authority.

Over 600 million euros of unpaid taxes were traced to individuals who have claimed to reside in foreign tax havens.

The tax authority is probing “several hundred thousand” such Italians. They include sports personalities, actors and singers.

“We have reported 3,557 suspects, 17 percent more than over the same period last year,” the tax authority said.

The tax authority is poised to probe the offshore accounts of up to 170,000 wealthy Italians suspected of illegally hoarding billions of euros abroad, much of it in neighbouring Switzerland but also in Leichenstein, the authority’s head, Attilio Befera, said last week.

Hundreds of thousands of beach resorts, restaurants, bars, nightspots and sports clubs are also under investigation after spot checks signalled massive suspected tax evasion.

In the popular Adriatic coastal town and disco capital of Rimini, just 34 of 50 local bathing resorts declared annual earnings of 10,000 euros or more.

Italy’s tax authority in June opened an inquiry into allegations that members of late Fiat chairman and industrialist Gianni Agnelli’s family have illegally hidden between one and two billion euros of assets in Switzerland.

The Italian parliament in late June approved tighter rules on assets held in tax havens and stiffer penalties for undeclared assets held in offshore accounts.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Police Seize €500 Mln Euros in Mafia Assets

Rome, 19 August (AKI) — Italian tax police seized nearly half a billion euros worth of assets generated by organised crime activities and money laundering in the first half of 2009. According to figures released by police on Wednesday, tax authorities seized more than 475 million euros worth of assets, as well as 431 kilogrammes of illicit drugs.

The tax police also arrested 141 people, while another 533 others are under investigation.

“The results were achieved as a result of co-ordinated and persistent action and analysis of criminal activities and economic and financial activities, carried out in collaboration by several departments and a number of national and international institutions,” the tax police said in a statement.

“Using the latest advanced computer applications they are able to have at their disposal a geographical map of criminal organisations, to identify areas of influence of mafia groups in the region.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Soccer: Muslims Slam Mourinho Ramadan Remark

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 25 — Italian Muslims today chided Inter Milan coach José Mourinho for suggesting midfielder Sulley Muntari suffered against Bari Saturday because he was dehydrated from observing Ramadan. “I think Mourinho should talk a bit less,” said Mohamed Nour Dachan, head of one of Italy’s main Muslim associations, UCOII. “There’s no reason why a player who is religiously observant should perform less,” said the UCOII chief, who claimed the faith of Christian, Jewish or Muslim players would boost their performances by making them more “tranquil”. Muntari was substituted after 30 minutes through Italian champion Inter’s lacklustre 1-1 home draw with newly promoted Bari. In a postmatch interview Mourinho hinted that the Ghanaian might have been suffering unduly from the heat because of a Ramadan ban on daylight drinking. The month-long religious fast, which has just started, requires Muslims to fast from dawn to dusk. Mourinho explained: “Muntari had some problems related to Ramadan — perhaps with this heat it’s not good for him to be doing this (fasting)”. Much of Italy is currently experiencing temperatures of 30-35 degrees. Dawn is around 6.30am and sundown not until 8pm, meaning a Muslim has to fast for more than 13 hours. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Netherlands to Lower Child Support Abroad

Youth and family minister Rouvoet wants to lower child support for families living outside the European Union. The move will mostly affect Dutch nationals whose children live in Morocco and Turkey. The Dutch cabinet will deliberate on Friday about the proposal by minister André Rouvoet, who belongs to the orthodox Christian party ChristenUnie.

Earlier this year a majority in the Dutch parliament already approved a motion to lower child support outside the European Union. It was reasoned that child support is unreasonably high compared to the cost of living in some countries.

All parents who are in the Dutch social security system are entitled to child support. If the children live outside the home, because they are handicapped or go to school abroad, the child support is usually doubled.

Five parties in the Dutch parliament said earlier this year that they want to end what they called “the export of child support”. Together they are just short of a majority in parliament. Cutting child support abroad is difficult however because international treaties would have to be changed.

According to Christian Democrat member of parliament Mirjam Sterk, minister Rouvoet’s proposal is a step in the right direction. Sterk wants to do away with child support abroad altogether. She pointed to the many Polish fathers who work in the Netherlands and receive Dutch child support for their children back in Poland, where the cost of life is much lower. “We don’t see how this is reasonable,” Sterk said.

Other parties point to cases of fraud involving child support. The anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) called child support fraud by Moroccans and Turks “a scandal of the first order”.

In 2008 the Netherlands paid 14.8 million euros in child support for 14,458 Dutch children living abroad. Many of them live in Morocco (5,375) or Turkey (2,497). Out of 239 cases that were investigated in Morocco and Turkey last year 84 were judged fraudulent. In most cases parents lied about their children attending school in the country of origin.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Netherlands: Integration Courses Not Reaching Target Group

Not enough newcomers to the Netherlands are attending the obligatory social integration course, Integration Minister Eberhard van der Laan has said in a statement to the media.

The minister wants 50,000 people to embark on the courses this year, but current trends point to a number of no more than 35,000. Mr Van der Laan says this is a worrying development. He is planning to call local authorities to account next month for the way they implement the integration courses.

Everyone who is under an obligation to attend the course should receive an invitation soon, and people willing to take the course voluntarily should be targeted directly, Minister Van der Laan said. The integration course system was set up to prevent newcomers from remaining isolated from Dutch society and help them become familiar with rules and customs in the country.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Netherlands: Six-Fold Murderer Regularly Out of Jail on Leave

A murder convict serving a life sentence has repeatedly been allowed out of jail on supervised leave, the Justice Ministry has confirmed.

The man was sentenced for the shooting and killing in 1983 of six people in a Delft café, including a 12-year-old girl.

The rule states that life prisoners not be allowed out of prison on leave. The current case, however, is different because the man had been transferred to a psychiatric clinic. Convicts who are ordered to serve their term in such a clinic are entitled to regular supervised leave.

Two years ago the Justice Ministry stripped the man of this right, but he successfully appealed. He has since started a family.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Overseas Student Surge Hits 110,000: And All But a Tenth Decide They’ll Stay in Britain

An explosion in the number of non-EU students allowed to stay in the UK is adding 100,000 to the population every year, figures show.

It is by far the biggest factor in the boom in net migration from outside the European Union — the only immigration route over which the Government has any control.

The number of foreign students granted permission to stay for a year or more has trebled to 110,000 a year since Labour came to power.

But annually only 10,000 go home — a ratio of 11 arrivals for every departure.

This suggests that many are not leaving once they have finished their courses.

The figures will also fuel suspicion that ministers have granted huge numbers of visas to fund the controversial expansion of higher education.

Foreign students pay up to £20,000 in tuition fees — compared to £3,000 for those from the UK.

Despite turning away a record number of UK students last year and thousands struggling to win a place through clearing after last week’s A-level results, universities are still recruiting heavily for overseas candidates.

There is no bar on the number of international students they can take, but they face financial penalties if they exceed strict Government quotas for UK students.

Opponents warned yesterday that many foreign students may have attended ‘bogus colleges’.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: ‘It looks as if the student visa system is an open door for people who really want to come and live in Britain.

‘We want to encourage legitimate students to our universities, but it really is time the system was tightened up so it can’t be abused any more.’

Fewer 7-year-olds master basic maths… and boys are still way behind girls across the board

Previously it was thought that the number of work permits handed out to foreign nationals had the biggest effect on the growth of the population, which stands at 61million.

But the figures from the Office for National Statistics show that, in 2007, 18,000 more non-EU workers left Britain than arrived.

Instead, population increase was down to a net influx of 41,000 given visas to get married or join a family member already living here, and the 100,000 net increase in those granted a visa for ‘formal study’.

If the same number of students left as arrived each year, the non-EU population would be increasing by 29,000, compared to the current level of 129,000.

Non-EU nationals are the only group over which ministers have control, because migrants from within Europe have the right of free movement.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas admitted in March that student visas were the Achilles heel of the immigration system.

Tony Millns, of teaching association English UK, recently told MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee that there could be ‘tens of thousands’ of bogus students claiming to be at non-existent colleges, often based in a single room above a shop.

The committee’s Labour chairman, Keith Vaz, accused ministers of an ‘unacceptable and unbelievable’ failure to act despite knowing about the problem of bogus colleges for more than a decade.

The MPs also said that such colleges can hoodwink the Home Office because they are almost always informed of inspections in advance. This gives them time to assemble classrooms full of ‘students’ and ‘lecturers.’

Last year UK universities accepted 30,240 students from outside the EU, up from 28,225 in 2007.

Twenty per cent came from China, 8.9 per cent from France, 5.5 per cent from India and 4.3 per cent from Pakistan.

Deputy chief executive of the UK Border Agency, Jonathan Sedgwick, said: ‘The tough new student tier of the Points Based System ensures that only genuine foreign students can travel to the UK.

‘No institution can bring students into the country unless we are satisfied they are genuine — this includes approval by an accredited body, and assessment of their premises, courses and teaching staff.

‘We will look to remove any foreign students who are not genuinely in the UK to study.’

— Hat tip: Steen

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Spain: Lay Military Honours in Armed Forces Regulations

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, AUGUST 20 — The minister of defence will change regulations for military honours in the laic sense to adapt them to the Constitution of 1978, which ratified the non-sectarianism of the Spanish state. According to what was reported in today’s edition of El Pais, quoting ministerial sources, the draft of the regulation which integrates the previous reform of 1984, will convert participation in religious-castrensian rites to a voluntary basis. In particular, the third added disposition provides for that “when commissions, escorts or guards are designated to participate in celebrations of a religious character with the tradition of castrensian participation, the right of freedom of religion will be respected and, as a consequence, participation in these ceremonies will be voluntary”. The only ceremonies that will have mandatory participation will be those of funerals for members of the armed forces killed in active service. Even if, for the first time, the regulations will allow for funerals to include a Catholic mass “as well as the service from another religion”, adhered to by the defunct. This is because the Spanish armed forces have begun to register a significant number of Muslim soldiers, especially in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, the Spanish enclaves in Morocco. The reform also introduces a tribute of military funerary honours to ex-presidents of the government and “other especially relevant people” and to civilians “with special ties to the armed forces”. The new measures do not provide for changes in the ceremony for military honours. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Spain: Inquiry Into Barajas Black Out, One Year After Tragedy

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, AUGUST 17 — The Infrastructures Ministry has ordered an investigation into the black out that took place on Saturday evening which left Terminal 4 at the Barajas airport in Madrid in darkness for an hour, without setting off the backup electrical system, causing serious inconvenience. The black out which, according to sources from the AENA airport management company quoted today by the press, was caused by a power surge in one of the electrical local plants, paralysed all services including the electric underground train that links T4 with satellite terminals for over an hour. The air traffic control tower was not however affected as it was the only area where the auxiliary system kicked in. Several flights were delayed and several hundreds of passengers left without their luggage, because baggage carousels were not working. The incident took place on the eve of the anniversary of the tragedy of the MD-82 Spanair flight which crashed into the runway on August 20 last year killing 154 passengers. The accident investigation commission has publicly recommended to all international civil aviation organisations that the TOWS, the alarm system for inadequate configuration for takeoff, be used as the main system by aeroplanes instead of being auxiliary. If this had been the case, according to the report, the alarm would have prevented the Spanair from taking off a year ago. In February, the investigation commission approved a recommendation to obligate the Boeing Company to include specific instructions on how to identify the origin and solution of failure consistent with heating in RAT sensor in the maintenance manual.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Spain: First Lawsuit for Homophobia by Company

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, AUGUST 17 — Division 33 of the Barcelona High Court has granted permission for a complaint to proceed against a company accused of homophobic and discriminatory behaviour towards two gay employees, the first of its kind in Spain. The defendants, according to legal sources cited by the Efe press agency, are two managers at the Austrian logistics and transport multinational, Gartner KG, who are accused by two gay employees of subjecting them to harrassment and unjust treatment, as well as violating their privacy, after calling the two workers “sick” and needing to be sacked, in an email from the company’s head office. In recognising the crime, the judge, Silvia Lopez Mejia, accepted the complaint presented by the Catalan legal firm which is representing the two employees in the case against the two managers and the company. “To say that a work colleague is homosexual is not slander, to call him sick and call for his dismissal is” said the magistrate in the order to proceed. One of the two defendants denied the “discriminatory treatment” of the former workers. “If I were homophobic I would not have stayed in Barcelona for ten years” said the manager to Efe, adding that he had many gay friends and could prove, as the company would, that “the accusations are inappropriate” and that the two workers deserved to be sacked from Gartner KG over “their unprofessional attitude”. This is the first lawsuit for homophobic slander in Spain, as Antonio Poveda, the president of the State Federation for Lesbians, Gay men, transexuals and bisexuals noted. “Even if it can’t be seen” in society and in the workplace, “discrimination exists” against homosexuals.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Swedish Tabloid Reported for Racial Agitation

Swedish tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet has been reported to the Chancellor of Justice (JK) after publishing an article forwarding claims about the alleged organ harvesting of dead Palestinians by Israeli defence forces.

“Is that true? I am perplexed,” Åsa Linderborg, Aftonbladet’s culture editor, said after being informed by the The Local of the report on Tuesday.

“I think it is a shame that whenever solidarity is shown for the Palestinians and criticism is directed again Israel, someone cries anti-Semitism.”

“One has to have the right to ask questions,” Linderborg replied when asked if she or the newspaper regretted publishing the article.

Nils Funcke, one of Sweden’s leading experts on legislation pertaining to freedom of speech, said he expected the Chancellor of Justice to reject the case.

“The article can hardly be construed as racial agitation. There is no ethnic group targeted; the article focuses on the Israeli army, and Israel is not made up solely of Jews,” Funcke told The Local.

Even had the article concentrated on a single ethnic group, Funcke did not believe it would be considered “agitation” under the law.

“It was more a description of events and certainly did not agitate against a particular group.”

Funcke add that charges set forth by Israeli politicians to the effect that Aftonbladet’s article followed in a long tradition of “blood libels” against Jews would not hold up under legal scrutiny.

The Chancellor of Justice is a government official charged with representing the Swedish government in various legal matters as the government’s ombudsman.

The Chancellor, currently Göran Lambertz, is appointed by the government and is the only prosecutor with the power to take legal action in cases concerning freedom of speech and the press.

The charge of racial agitation (hets mot folkgrupp) is defined in Swedish law as a crime involving the public dissemination of statements which threaten or express contempt for one or more identified ethnic groups.

In a written request submitted on August 23rd, the Chancellor is asked to consider whether the Aftonbladet article, which puts forward claims accusing the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) of involvement in the illegal human organ trade, constitutes racial agitation.

“We will examine the case. We are able to reject fairly quickly most reports we get concerning newspaper articles. I don’t really know how it’s going to go in this case but it will be looked into. Whether it will be sent out for consultation or decided on immediately I don’t know as I am on holiday right now,” Lambertz told news agency TT.

The article, penned by Swedish photographer Donald Boström, has sparked outrage in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and scores of ministers and commentators calling it a “blood libel” smacking of anti-Semitic accusations against Jews.

The article is in three parts and Boström links previous allegations of organ harvesting made by individual Palestinians to a New York-based crime suspect, Rabbi Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, recently accused of attempting to facilitate the sale of a kidney from a donor in Israel.

In a further twist to the saga, the Palestinian families on which Boström based his claims appeared to distance themselves from the allegations in an article in the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

The newspaper cites Ibrahim Ghanem, a relative of Bilal Ahmed Ghanem, the young Palestinian at the centre of the Aftonbladet story, who says that the family never told Boström that Israel had stolen his organs.

“Maybe the journalist reached that conclusion on the basis of the stitches he saw on the body,” Ghanem told the newspaper.

“But as far as the family is concerned, we don’t know if organs were removed from the body because we never performed our own autopsy. All we know is that Bilal’s teeth were missing.”

Åsa Linderborg told The Local on Tuesday that Donald Boström is responsible for his own sources but added that staff from Aftonbladet had met the family concerned over the weekend and, she claims, had gained confirmation of the allegations.

In response to pressure from the Israeli government to condemn the newspaper Sweden’s prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, and foreign minister Carl Bildt, have emphasized that it is not the government’s role to comment on the content of newspapers.

Reinfeldt underlined in a statement on Monday that to act would be in contravention of the Swedish constitution.

He also rejected the suggestion that the row could undermine his country’s work in the Middle East peace process as the current holders of the EU presidency.

“Political ambitions always risk being used as an excuse to break off contacts or efforts, but I have no reason to believe that (is what is happening) at this point in time and I hope it won’t go down that route,” he said.

— Hat tip: TB

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Switzerland: Geneva Still Fuming Over Libyan Apology

Passions are still running high in Geneva over President Hans-Rudolf Merz’s apology to Libya for the “unjustified” 2008 arrest of one of Moammar Gaddafi’s sons. swissinfo.ch went to find out what people in Geneva feel about the agreement to end a year-long standoff that has frozen Swiss-Libyan business ties and left two Swiss businessmen marooned in Tripoli.

“Humiliation”, “scandal” and “shocking” are some of the more common words and phrases still being heard on the streets of Geneva just three days after the Swiss president’s visit to Libya.

“I think it’s scandalous; Merz should never have done that, especially as he went of his own initiative,” said Line Rennwald, a political science student at Geneva University.

Postman Ernesto Codorello also felt the Swiss president should never have apologised to the Libyans.

“We should have brought criminal proceedings against the Libyan authorities for detaining the two Swiss, who did nothing. The Libyans are the criminals and they should be the ones to apologise.”

“I don’t think he did something very good for Swiss citizens,” said student Lucien Salmon. “Switzerland is going to find itself increasingly isolated.”

Relations between the countries have been strained since July 2008 when Hannibal Gaddafi and his pregnant wife were arrested in Geneva, charged with assaulting two domestic employees.

The couple were freed after two days in custody on bail of SFr500,000 ($470,000) and the charges were later dropped, when the employees withdrew their complaint and were compensation.

However, Libya responded by suspending oil deliveries to Switzerland, withdrawing assets worth an estimated $5 billion (SFr5.3 billion) from Swiss banks, ending bilateral cooperation programmes and placing restrictions on Swiss companies.

On August 20 the Swiss finance ministry said the two countries would set up an independent arbitration panel to look into the circumstances surrounding the arrest, and that Switzerland was “prepared to apologise for the unjustified and unnecessary arrest of Hannibal Gaddafi and his family by the Geneva police”.

“Merz doesn’t speak very good French and got it mixed up,” said an elderly lady in the Parc des Bastions. “He gave them our apologies, while regrets were sufficient.”

Up in arms The media and politicians have criticized Merz for returning without the businessmen, and with only a verbal pledge that they would be allowed out by September 1. On that day Libya will be marking the 40th anniversary of Gaddafi’s coming to power, and is expecting to grant amnesties to a number of prisoners.

In a poll in the Tribune de Genève newspaper, 80 per cent of the 4,000 respondents said Merz was wrong to apologise to Libya.

Geneva’s regional government — which is responsible for policing under Switzerland’s decentralized system — has rebuffed the federal president’s deal with Libya and stands by the canton’s police force and “independent” judiciary.

On Monday cantonal president David Hiler said the regional government was “up in arms” and “shocked by the improvised nature of the agreement reached with Libya”.

Hiler said Switzerland did not have to combine apologies with independent arbitration, which does not conform with Swiss law.

He added he was pleased to see that cabinet members, lawyers, the media and the general public shared their concerns.

“Merz shouldn’t have interfered in Geneva cantonal affairs,” said banker Eddy Baumann. “And he took an initiative which was not his right as he didn’t ask cabinet colleagues. Just because you are president doesn’t give you all the rights.”

Surprise Lawyer Christian Ferrazino, the former mayor of Geneva, also said he was surprised by Merz’s way of working.

“He violated government collegiality. It’s surprising that a president can act in such an non-collective manner when you know that the foreign ministry has been working on this for a year,” he said.

Signing an agreement indicating that the canton had acted in an unjustified manner was already recognizing its guilt before the court’s verdict, the lawyer said.

“Not only is Merz not a very good negotiator, but he’s apparently a very bad lawyer. It’s worrying as he is in a position to take decisions on behalf of our country,” said Ferranzino.

Despite the general tone of disapproval, a number of people felt Switzerland had been left with no other solution but to apologise.

“Basically Merz had no choice. Although it hurts to kneel before a dictatorial country like Libya, we didn’t have much choice as there were two hostages,” said Geneva banker A.B. (name withheld).

“Switzerland is not a superpower. If it were part of the European Union it could’ve done something with the pressure of its allies, but we want to be alone so we have to adopt a strategy of apologising,” said Geneva University student Alexandre Ferrara.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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True Finns Politician Faces Defamation Charges

Controversial Helsinki politician Jussi Halla-aho went on trial on Tuesday, accused of incitement of hatred against an ethnic group and defamation of religion.

In March, Deputy Prosecutor General Jorma Kalske charged the city councilman over allegedly racist, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim comments made on his blog in June 2008. Halla-aho, who was elected to the Helsinki City Council as an independent candidate on the ticket of the right-wing populist True Finns party, denies breaking any laws.

On Tuesday morning, Halla-aho appeared without a lawyer at Helsinki District Court, where he pled innocent to the charges.

Kalske is seeking a suspended prison sentence or fines.

Halla-aho had planned to run for European Parliament, but party chair Timo Soini successfully ran in his place after the charges were laid.

Halla-aho holds a doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of Helsinki.

— Hat tip: KGS

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UK Author Apologizes for Qur’an Offense

CAIRO — Famed British novelist Sebastian Faulks apologized on Monday, August 24, for any offence he has caused Muslims with his remarks about the Noble Qur’an, insisting he was misquoted.

“I unreservedly apologize to anyone who does feel offended by comments offered in another context,” Faulks told The Guardian.

“[I offer] a simple but unqualified apology to my Muslim friends and readers for anything that has come out sounding crude or intolerant.”

This came a day after his interview with the Sunday Times stirred controversy after he reportedly described the Qur’an as a “depressing book”.

“It’s just the rantings of a schizophrenic,” Faulks said in the interview.

“It’s very one-dimensional, and people talk about the beauty of the Arabic and so on, but the English translation I read was, from a literary point of view, very disappointing.”

Faulks, who said he read the Qur’an to help him write his latest novel which will be published next month, also claimed the Qur’an has “no ethical dimension” like the New Testament and “no new plan for life.”

But speaking to The Guardian Monday, the famed novelist insists that his answers during the Sunday Times interview were “overstated” and taken out of context “to make a silly season scandal.”

“If such an overstatement is taken out of its heavily nuanced context, then pulled out of the printed article and highlighted, it can have a badly distorting effect.”

He said that after reading the Qur’an and several histories of Islam as part of his research, he “ended with a high regard for Islam, which seems to me more spiritually demanding than Judaism or Christianity.”

Storm

The apology came amid angry reactions from leaders of Britain’s more than to two million Muslims.

“This is a book which Muslims believe in,” Dr. Ghaysuddin Siddiqui, director of the Muslim Institute, an organization is committed to Muslims’ engagement in political, academic and public-relations arenas, told the UK Express.

He said that while Faulks is “entitled to his views” he should have taken into consideration that Qur’an is the holy book for more than 1.5 billion people.

Ajmal Masroor, an imam and spokesman for the Islamic Society of Britain, regretted increasing anti-Islam offenses by leading intellectuals in Britain.

“Attacks on Islam are nothing new.”

Just last year, Ian McEwan, one of Britain’s few leading contemporary writers, launched a scathing attack on what he described as Islamism.

He made his bitter attack in defense of fellow novelist Martin Amis, who made a similar criticism late last year.

Masroor warned that said statements ran the risk of stirring religious hatred against Muslims.

“People don’t seem to understand the consequences of saying things like this could be quite severe,” he said.

“History tells us it can encourage hatred.”

— Hat tip: TB

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UK: ‘Secret Agenda to Score Adoptions’

The revealing of the names of those responsible for the killing of Baby P reminded us yet again of the failure of Haringey social workers to avert the child’s death. What a shocking contrast this provides to the behaviour of East Sussex social workers in the case I reported a month ago, which led to their seizure and putting out for adoption of a girl, now seven years old, from a respectable middle-class home, to the anguish of both her parents and the little girl herself.

The chief reason offered by the social workers for abducting the girl two years ago was that her home had been left in an appalling mess after a raid by RSPCA officials and 18 policemen. They ransacked the premises looking for non-existent guns, and released into the house a pack of dogs kept in kennels outside by her father, a professional dog-breeder. The parents were arrested for protesting at what was happening (the mother suffering a miscarriage while in police custody) and the social workers were summoned to remove their daughter.

Everything about this case is bizarre, not least the apparent complicity of social workers, lawyers and the courts in determining that the child should not be returned to her parents, as she wishes, but rather, after two years in foster care, sent for adoption.

I have now been able to read through many papers relating to the case, including the judgments resulting from the 74 hearings in which the parents attempted to get their daughter back. What stands out is the startling contrast between the two totally different versions of the case given by the social workers and the courts on one hand and, on the other, that presented by the parents themselves and by many who knew them. The latter include their GP, who recently wrote that he had never “encountered such a case of appalling injustice”.

The most impressive document was a report by an independent social worker, based on many interviews with those involved, including the child herself and the chief social worker in charge of her. In measured terms, this made mincemeat of the council’s case. Nothing about it is more suspicious than the contrast between descriptions of the “clean and tidy” home reported by those who knew the family well and the mess allegedly found by the policemen who burst into it mob-handed on the day in question.

The report found an equally glaring contrast between the social workers’ insistence that the child was quite happy to have been removed from her parents, and the abundant evidence, observed at first-hand, that the little girl had an extremely good relationship with her parents and wants nothing more than to be reunited with them. The courts seem to have totally ignored this report, whose author last month expressed astonishment that the child had not been returned home.

What has also come to light is a remarkable judgment by Lord Justice Thorpe and Lord Justice Wall in the Appeal Court last year, in another case which also involved the apparently ruthless determination of East Sussex social workers to send a child for adoption. The judges were fiercely critical. The social workers’ conduct, said Lord Justice Thorpe, could only reinforce the suspicions of those who believe “councils have a secret agenda to establish a high score of children they have placed for adoption”.

Lord Justice Wall described East Sussex’s conduct as “disgraceful — not a word I use lightly” and also as “about the worst I have ever encountered in a career now spanning nearly 40 years”. “The social workers in question,” he said, appeared “not only to have been inadequately managed, they do not appear to have been properly trained”. As for the barrister who represented East Sussex (and who also appeared in most of the hearings in the “dog-breeder” case), Lord Justice Wall said “her attitude came across, to me at least, as — in effect — so what?” She had demonstrated, he said, “profound misunderstanding” of the council’s legal position vis à vis adoption. He ordered his comments to be circulated to family courts and adoption agencies across the land.

Though the circumstances are different, anyone reading the documents could not fail to be struck by how many of the judges’ comments are relevant to the case I reported. The same council’s social workers have again pushed for a child to be adopted in a way which prompts the family’s GP to say “the destruction of this once happy family is, in my opinion, evil”. And that barrister who was involved in both cases is now — a family court judge…

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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UK: British, Libyan Leaders Spoke of Bomber’s Release Weeks Ago

Suspicions that the release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber had more to do with politics than with compassion grew Sunday with the disclosure that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi discussed the release in a face-to-face meeting six weeks earlier.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in L’Aquila, Italy, in early July. At that meeting, Mr. Brown said, “I stressed that, should the Scottish executive decide that Megrahi can return to Libya, this should be a purely private family occasion” and not a public celebration.

The disclosure that Abdel Baset al-Megrahi’s release was in the works long before Thursday’s decision by a Scottish court to set him free belied repeated claims by Mr. Brown’s government over the weekend that there was no behind-the-scenes deal between the two governments.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: By Jingo, We’re Short of Ships, Men and Money

Now that Bernard Gray’s report on defence procurement has been leaked to The Sunday Times, I suppose that it will be published. That will certainly be embarrassing for Bob Ainsworth, the Secretary of State for Defence, and for Gordon Brown. Those parts of the report that were reported were absolutely damning, yet every word of Mr Gray’s criticism seems to be completely justified.

Mr Gray is an experienced businessman, and has been a special adviser to Labour defence ministers; he knows what he’s talking about; his report was originally commissioned by John Hutton, who resigned as Defence Secretary only in June.

It is, therefore, a report by a well-informed insider, competent to make defence judgments.

The Prime Minister, and the current Defence Secretary, hoped to stop the report being published; that, if anything, gives further weight to its criticisms. The Ministry of Defence has a glib explanation for preferring secrecy: “This report is currently in draft format and we are working hard with him on the issues he has identified.” However, even that apology confirms that the MoD itself regards Bernard Gray as a significant authority.

Mr Gray has made a dry comment on this attempt to avoid publication. “The vested interests will not welcome these changes and may seek to undermine them.” He might well have added that vested ministers may seek to protect their own skins.

When one reads the essence of the report, it contains a devastating critique of the management of defence planning and procurement, extending over several ministers and the 11-year period since the last defence review was published in 1998.

In that year, soon after Labour had come to power, people still expected there to be a peace dividend that would follow the end of the Cold War and the break-up of the Soviet Union. They did not expect British troops to be involved in two major wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, with rising casualties. It is the job of defence planners to prepare for unforeseen events; the plans of 1998 have indeed been overtaken, but not replaced by any strategic response to what has actually occurred.

Mr Gray observes that the MoD has “a substantially overheated equipment programme, with too many types of equipment being ordered for too large a range of tasks at too high a specification”. He states that present projects are over budget by £35 billion and will arrive five years later than expected. He asks: “How can it be that it takes 20 years to buy a ship, or aircraft, or tank? Why does it always seem to cost at least twice what was thought? Even worse, at the end of the wait, why does it never quite seem to do what it is supposed to?”

I do not doubt that Mr Gray is speaking the truth, however inconvenient that may be for the Labour Government. There seem to be three collisions in the core debate over defence planning. The first is the collision between the wars started in the Blair-Brown regime and Mr Brown’s refusal as Chancellor to spend money on fighting them. That has already cost solders’ lives in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Soldiers have been killed because their equipment is inadequate or out-of-date. In particular, our Forces have had to rely on too few helicopters and on inadequately protected armoured vehicles, including the Snatch Land Rovers. That was true of the soldiers exposed in moving to and from the Basra Palace three years ago, and it is still true of soldiers patrolling in Helmand province now. Many good soldiers have been killed or injured because Mr Blair as Prime Minister sent them to war, then Mr Brown as Chancellor refused the cash to buy the best equipment.

The second collision is also financial. The Opposition accepts that defence will need more money, but, as Liam Fox, the Shadow Defence Secretary, has observed: “Labour has created a defence black hole which is not only impacting on current operations in Afghanistan but threatens to provide an ongoing defence crisis for years to come.”

This is jingoism in reverse: “We don’t want to fight but by jingo, if we do, we’re short of ships, and short of men, and short of money too.” An incoming opposition may well cope with the immediate funding crisis, or with the longer-term procurement costs; it will be very hard to cope with both at once.

The third collision is the traditional issue of inter-Service rivalry. We are at present fighting a tough infantry war of mobile patrolling against insurgents. In this war, more and better helicopters and armoured vehicles are the key to rapid response and reduction in casualties. Yet the MoD seems more concerned to find huge funds for two aircraft carriers and a replacement for Trident. This would give priority for expenditure on weapons systems we are unlikely to use rather than the weapon systems we are actually using in combat in Afghanistan.

In 1838 the great Duke of Wellington opposed intervention in Afghanistan that was to lead to the first Afghan War and the appalling catastrophe of the 1842 retreat from Kabul. He warned that: “When the military successes end the political difficulties will begin.” More often than not Britain’s historic losses in Afghanistan have occurred when we were trying to withdraw, not when we were trying to intervene.

There does not seem to be any exit plan for Afghanistan, except that we may stay for 20-40 years. There can, therefore, be no strategic plan based on the Afghan commitment, since there is no coherent strategy for staying or leaving in the Afghan theatre of war. This is not a Government that knows what it wants to do in defence matters. Bob Ainsworth has no idea; Gordon Brown is in a fog of indecision.

This is less than fair to Britain’s brave soldiers and their families. It is also incompetent. We have had to wait far too long for the Government to get a grip on the strategy and supply of the Afghan War.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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UK: CCTV Cameras: If They Do Not Stop Crime or Catch Criminals, What Are They For?

Yet there is plenty of evidence that people are not safer because of the presence of CCTV: studies have argued convincingly that money is better invested in improved street lighting and more uniformed police patrols. If the efficacy of cameras as a crime prevention tool is at least questionable, they must, surely, be useful in helping to apprehend crooks? It turns out that they do not fulfil even that basic function. Det Chief Inspector Mike Neville of Scotland Yard says that in London just one crime is solved a year by every 1,000 CCTV cameras. CCTV played a role in capturing just eight out of 269 suspected robbers across London in one month, many of whom might have thought twice about committing a crime had there been a policeman about.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Error Leaves Children Unprotected Under 1984 Video Recordings Act

People selling adult videos, including pornography, to children are to escape prosecution after the discovery of a Whitehall blunder that means that the 1984 law regulating the video industry was never enacted.

The disclosure that for 25 years the Act governing the classification and sale of videos, video games and now DVDs was never brought into force is a big embarrassment to both Conservative and Labour governments.

It also leaves the industry in disarray with the classification system designed to protect the under-18s from violent and explicit material no longer officially in operation.

Lavinia Carey, director-general of the British Video Association, which represents 90 per cent of the industry, said: “What a ludicrous situation to find ourselves in after all this time.”

olice and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs are to be told to stop bringing any prosecutions until the Government brings in emergency legislation to re-enact the 1984 Video Recordings Act. Until then people will be able to sell videos, including violent and pornographic ones, to under-18s without fear of prosecution.

The video industry was stunned by the Government’s admission that the Act was not properly enacted 25 years ago. Officials in the Home Office had failed to notify the European Commission of the existence of the Act as they were required to do so under an EU directive.

The mistake was not spotted on two subsequent occasions, in 1993 and 1994. It was finally discovered during plans to update the law and introduce a new video-game classification system.

Barbara Follett, Minister for Culture and Tourism, said last night: “Unfortunately, the discovery of this omission means that, a quarter of a century later, the Video Recordings Act is no longer enforceable against individuals in United Kingdom courts.” In a letter to representatives of the video industry, Ms Follett said: “As the then British Government did not notify the European Commission of the VRA’s classification and labelling requirements, they cannot now be enforced against individuals in UK courts.”

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said that it had received legal advice that people who had previously been prosecuted and convicted would be unable to overturn their convictions or seek compensation.

The Act was passed when Leon Brittan was Conservative Home Secretary and then amended under Michael Howard’s period at the Home Office. A Home Office spokesman said that it was likely the error had occurred because the European Directive was new at the time the Act was passed.

“The important thing is that we close this loophole as quickly as possible,” a spokeswoman said. No one should see this as a green light to act unlawfully. We will continue to prosecute breaches vigorously once this technical loophole is closed,” a spokeswoman said.

The British Video Association said that it is urging members to continue submitting work to the British Board of Film Classification and to continue labelling them under the system.

The Association represents 90 per cent of the industry with an annual turnover of over £2 billion and selling 250 million videos a year.

Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Culture Secretary, said: “Much of the problem would have been avoided if they had sorted out the classification of video games earlier, as we and many others in the industry have been urging them to do.”

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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UK: Foreign GPs Who Commute to Britain: £100-an-Hour Poles and Lithuanians Fly in for Shifts Our Doctors Won’t Do

The huge extent to which the NHS needs foreign doctors to treat patients out of hours is revealed today.

A third of primary care trusts are flying in GPs from as far away as Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland because of a shortage of doctors in Britain willing to work in the evenings and at weekends.

The stand-ins earn up to £100 an hour, and one trust paid Polish and German doctors a total of £267,000 in a year, a Daily Mail investigation has found.

It raises fresh concerns that British patients are being treated by exhausted doctors without a perfect command of English.

Yesterday the Royal College of GPs and the General Medical Council called for a ‘radical review’ of out-of-hours care so that the NHS no longer has to rely on help from abroad.

The figures come months after an investigation was launched into the conduct of a German doctor after two patients died on his first shift in Britain.

Daniel Ubani had just three hours sleep after travelling from Germany before he went on duty in Cambridgeshire.

One third of GPs would not take swine flu vaccine over safety fears

The Nigerian-born doctor injected 70-year-old kidney patient David Gray with ten

times the maximum recommended dose of morphine, and an 86-year-old woman died of a heart attack after Ubani failed to send her to hospital.

The NHS is having to rely on doctors from overseas because a lucrative new contract for British GPs has resulted in more than 90 per cent opting out of responsibility for their patients in the evenings and at weekends.

Despite doing less, their pay has soared by 50 per cent to an average of almost £108,000.

Responsibility for out-of-hours cover has now passed to primary care trusts.

The rules state that foreign doctors need to have basic GP training, but recent experience is not always necessary.

Their qualifications are checked by the General Medical Council and the local PCT, but no checks are in place to ensure that they are not exhausted after working long hours in their home country.

Our investigation revealed that more than a third of the 152 primary care trusts (PCTs) in England have flown in foreign GPs in the last year. Of the 146 trusts who responded, 51 have used overseas GPs in the last 12 months.

The figure has trebled since 2008 when just one in ten primary care trusts were flying in GPs from abroad. However, it is impossible to know the exact number of GPs travelling to the UK as many primary care trusts do not keep a record of their nationality.

Halton and St Helens PCT spent the most on foreign GPs for the second year running. Between 2008-9, it paid nine Polish and two German doctors a total of £267,000 for shifts in the UK.

South Staffordshire PCT spent £13,585 on three foreign GPs who provided more than 205 hours of cover between 2008-9 on an hourly rate of £66.10, and Medway PCT spent £12,000 on foreign cover.

Many of the trusts employ the same European locums regularly. East of England Ambulance Trust, which covers Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex, employs two Italian and three German GPs for five shifts a month on average, while Leicestershire and Rutland PCT regularly employs three EU doctors.

Campaigners fear the use of foreign doctors is putting patients’ lives at risk.

Michael Summers of the Patients’ Association said: ‘The problem is that these PCTs send the work to agencies saying we need this number of doctors, we don’t really care where you get them, and they get any old Tom, Dick or Harry to do the job for £1,000 a weekend.

‘Patients’ lives are likely to be put at risk if we do not establish the level of expertise and medical training of these doctors arriving from all over the world.’

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: ‘The Government completely botched reform of the GP contract and failed to develop an adequate out-of-hours care system.

‘Relying on doctors being flown in for a weekend shift is not a sustainable way to cover up ministers’ mistakes.’

Calling for a ‘radical review’ of out-of-hours care, Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘I am particularly worried about the use of doctors from Europe flying in to provide out-of-hours care and then flying back to their home countries to provide services there.

‘It’s not good for patients here or in their home countries.

‘Doctors from Europe who come to the UK to work in out of hours services must prove they are of the same quality as our home-grown doctors. We are not convinced there are appropriate checks in place to ensure they are.’

Finlay Scott, chief executive of the General Medical Council, which regulates doctors, said the current system ‘does not guarantee the level of patient safety that we want’.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: ‘The NHS has always used professionals trained abroad because until recently we did not train enough for our own needs.

‘Now the need to use overseas doctors is declining.’

— Hat tip: Gaia

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UK: Police ‘Steal’ Valuables From Cars in a Lesson for Drivers

Police are removing valuables from unlocked cars to shock motorists into being more careful. Officers in London are taking everything from handbags to satnavs, and leaving a note telling drivers their property is at a local police station. The scheme is being tried out in Richmond, south west London, which has a disproportionately high level of thefts from cars — up 40 per cent in a year.

Police from the area’s Safer Neighbourhood teams are being told to look out for cars with open windows or doors. If they find valuables on display they will try to find the owner nearby, but if they cannot they will take the goods to Twickenham police station.

Drivers who leave their car unlocked but with nothing on display will get a letter telling them to be more careful. The project has the backing of Richmond council, which agreed to it after a surge in thefts to between April and July, a fifth of which were from unlocked cars. David Williams, the council’s cabinet member for community safety, said: ‘We have the lowest level of crime per head of any borough.

‘However, one problem we have got is too many thefts from motor vehicles. The main reason for this is sheer thoughtlessness and carelessness by car owners.’ He said most people who had their things taken from their cars by police were ‘relieved’ and found it helpful. Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, was cautious about the project.

‘Not everyone will react well to having to go to the police station to retrieve their property.

‘However, if they are stupid enough to leave items in an unlocked car then a gentle reminder is perhaps what they need,’ he said.

Last month, it was revealed that Police and Community Officers — known as Blunkett Bobbies — in Hove, East Sussex, were wandering uninvited into properties during a burglary crackdown.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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UK: Shortage of NHS Midwives is Barrier to Safety of Mothers and Babies

A lack of maternity staff and poor communication within the NHS are significant barriers to improving the safety of care for mothers and babies, an independent report suggests today.

The Government has promised choice in where and how all women in Britain give birth, and one-to-one care from a named midwife by the end of this year.

Despite the best efforts of doctors and midwives, pledges to improve care for mothers and newborn babies could be threatened by a shortage of staff and poor NHS management, the report by the King’s Fund, the health think-tank, suggests.

Problems recruiting and keeping doctors and midwives were the biggest concern among frontline NHS staff who gathered at four regional events held in London and the North of England, according to the report.

Participants from London pointed out that 25 per cent of births in Britain take place within the boundaries of the M25 and the number is rising.

They added that often midwives in the capital, who have a full-time job at one trust, work shifts at a second, leading to concerns that many staff are exhausted.

The report quoted one midwife in London as saying: “There is a relentless need for beds day and night.” Another added: “We have a workforce who do an awful lot of overtime and it is uncontrolled.”

Teams from Yorkshire and the Humber and the North East argued that safety was compromised by staff shortages, a problem that was made worse by the introduction of the European working time directive, which limits doctors to a 48-hour working week from this month.

In one unit in Wigan, 17 out of 112 midwives had taken maternity leave at the same time and in other areas trusts were forced to use agency staff to address shortfalls, or had difficulty replacing experienced staff when they retired or left.

The number of births in Britain has increased by 16 per cent since 2001, meaning that the NHS cannot offer women a choice of a home birth or promise continuity of care from midwives in many areas, medical leaders said.

The report added that according to local trusts the solution was to make better use of existing resources, stronger leadership and more effective teamworking.

The Royal College of Midwives said that 5,000 extra midwives are needed but the Government has promised only 3,400 extra full-time posts by 2012.

Frances Day-Stirk, the director of learning at the college, said that she was not surprised by the findings in the report.

“There is no doubt that midwifery numbers need to increase, because the stress of working ever harder to provide good quality services has a major impact on retaining midwives and bringing new ones into the profession,” she said.

“The problems in the system are apparent and it is encouraging to see solutions emerging from the report.”

Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, said: “Careful resource allocation is important and, as the King’s Fund report demonstrates, in a time of financial difficulty, many trusts are looking at innovative ways to ensure that money is well spent.

“You can pour money into the system, however, what is fundamental is not what you buy but how you go about planning your services when funds are tight.”

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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UK: Two Thirds of Jails Are Overcrowded

Two thirds of jails in England and Wales are overcrowded as the prison service struggles to deal with a record number of offenders behind bars.

The numbers of lifers and foreign national inmates are at unprecedented levels, more offenders are being jailed for longer and a record number of former prisoners are being recalled after breaking the terms of their release.

As a result, 20 jails are holding more than 1,000 inmates and some have hundreds more inmates than they were built to hold. Almost a quarter of prisoners are being held two to a cell designed for one person.

Overall, there are 8,865 more inmates in the 135 jails in England and Wales than the system is designed to hold.

Figures published today show that Shrewsbury jail is the most overcrowded prison in England and Wales, followed by Swansea and Dorchester in Dorset.

Shrewsbury is at 179 per cent of its normal capacity, holding 316 inmates when the official level providing “decent” standards is 177. Wandsworth is the biggest prison, with more than 1,600 inmates in a jail with spaces for 1,107.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said that pressure on public spending meant that ministers could no longer be complacent about overcrowding in jails.

She said that investment in prevention, treatment for addicts and mental health care would pay dividends. “After ten years of lurching from crisis to crisis it must be time for a co-ordindated effort across government departments and authoritative leadership,” Ms Lyon said.

Last month nine prisons were so full they reached their absolute capacity — beyond which they are unsafe.

At the start of this month the prison population hit a record, passing the 84,000 mark for the first time, and the numbers have continued to increase. Last Friday there were 84,139 inmates in jails across the country, even though around 2,500 are released every month to ease overcrowding.

The latest annual figures show that in 2008 the jail population rose by 3,500 or 4 per cent, with the biggest increase being among those serving life and indefinite sentences for public protection.

The number of foreign nationals in prison increased by 4 per cent to 11,500 and the number of offenders recalled to jail rose by 1 per cent to 11,840.

The Ministry of Justice said that the courts were jailing more offenders and imposing longer sentences.

The Government has embarked on what is claimed to be the biggest prison building programme in Western Europe. Eight new prisons holding more than 5,400 inmates are planned plus five holding 1,500 each.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “We will always provide enough prison places for serious and persistent offenders.”

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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UK’s Payments to EU Jump by 60 Per Cent

Britain’s payments to the European Union will soar by almost 60 per cent next year, according to figures “buried” in government documents.

The Treasury statistics show that the UK’s net contribution to the EU will increase from £4.1 billion this year to £6.4 billion in 2010/11.

The revelation will fuel the political debate over whether Britain benefits from being in the EU, after more than a quarter of UK voters in this year’s European elections backed parties which want to take Britain out of the EU.

— Hat tip: JD

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When the Blood Starts Flowing, Where Will the Wilders Voters be?

Do the many supporters of anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders fully realise the dangers of a divided society? When people feel rejected, they will start to display hostile behaviour.

By Ian Buruma

The usual percentage of people voting for extreme-right parties in Western European countries — whether out of protest or out of conviction — is around 15 percent. Twenty percent is considered high. In the Netherlands opinion polls suggest that 40 percent of Dutch people agrees with the ideas of Geert Wilders. Agreeing with him doesn’t necessarily mean that they will vote for him, but it is a serious phenomenon.

It seems too simple to say that Wilders’ popularity is based solely on the behaviour of Moroccan youth, as some have suggested. This doesn’t explain, for instance, why radical populists get high scores in other European countries. It may be that the British, Swiss, Danes and Austrians have their own versions of the loitering Moroccan youth in the Netherlands, but it is striking how many people who say they are afraid of non-Western immigrants seem to live in villages that hardly have any…

— Hat tip: Steen

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Kosovo: Seven Injured in Ethnic Clashes

Mitrovica, 25 August (AKI) — Seven people were injured on Tuesday in clashes between local Serbs and Albanians in the divided northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica.

Groups of Serbs and Albanians threw stones at each other at a construction site in the predominantly Serbian Brdjani neighbourhood in northern Mitrovica, where some 100 Serbs reportedly gathered to protest the rebuilding of Albanian houses, officials told local media.

International police used teargas to break up the conflict and the situation in Brdjani was reported to be calm but tense after the clashes.

Bajram Redzepi, mayor of southern Mitrovica, called on the European Union’s EULEX law-enforcing mission to provide a safe environment to enable Albanians to return to Brdjani.

Several people including a French soldier were injured in conflict there over the same issue in February.

The 2,500-strong EULEX police, customs and judicial mission was deployed in Kosovo last December to replace the United Nations administration (UNMIK).

Mitrovica has been a divided city for the past ten years, with the southern part controlled by Albanians and the north by Serbs.

Serbs oppose the return of Albanians to Brdjani unless their co-nationals are allowed to return to their homes in southern Mitrovica.

Kosovo declared independence last year with the support of western powers, but Belgrade is continuing its diplomatic battle to retain the control of the province.

Most of the remaining 100,000 Serbs lives in Kosovo’s northern area, which is under Serb administration.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Call for Libya to Pay IRA Victims

Relatives of IRA terrorist victims have renewed their calls for compensation from Libya following the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

During the Troubles, Libya supplied guns and explosives to the IRA, and the families want the country to face up to its responsibilities.

They are calling on the Libyan leader to demonstrate the same compassion shown to Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi.

The terminally-ill bomber was released from a Scottish prison last week.

‘Diplomacy hindered’

Families of victims killed by Libyan weapons believe their hand has been strengthened by Megrahi’s release, which has caused a political and diplomatic row on both sides of the Atlantic.

He was freed by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds and returned home to Libya, where he was given a hero’s welcome.

Lawyer Jason McCue, who represents the victims’ families, said the scenes had taken Libya “back in diplomatic years” and argued the country needed to demonstrate it could maintain good relations with international trading partners.

“There is no simpler and easier way to do that than to compensate those victims of IRA bombs that utilised donated Libyan Semtex [plastic explosive],” he said.

Colin Parry, whose 12-year-old son, Tim, was killed in the IRA attack in Warrington in 1993, agreed that Libya should now publicly recognise the pain it had caused so many in the UK.

He has called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support the families in their quest.

‘Same compassion’

Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson, who is hoping to travel to Libya with some of the relatives in the autumn, said the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi should show the same compassion as the Scottish government.

Libya was once a sponsor of worldwide terrorism, including support for the IRA, but the country and its leader have come in from the cold.

In 2003, it took responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which claimed 270 lives, mostly American. It also abandoned efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Five years later, Col Gaddafi reached a final compensation agreement with the US over Lockerbie and other bombings.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Fate of Swiss Expatriates in Libya Was Ominous for Al-Megrahi Case

British and other Western expatriates living in Libya were warned in April that they faced serious repercussions if the Lockerbie bomber died in his Scottish prison.

“Word went out that there could be reprisals . . . . We were told not to go into the centre of Tripoli,” said one of the thousands of Westerners who are helping to develop Libya’s oil and gas fields. “Everybody went ‘eek!’. It’s so unpredictable here. You don’t know what’s going to happen. It could be something or it could be nothing.”

The expats were not told what the reprisals might be were Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi to die in Scotland, but the tale of a Swiss citizen called Max Goeldi may be instructive. Mr Goeldi has spent much of the past year holed up in Switzerland’s largely deserted embassy, unable to leave Libya and too frightened to set foot on the streets of Tripoli.

A visit yesterday by The Times to the high-walled embassy in a quiet residential street in the Libyan capital was interrupted at the door when two unsmiling men in a white car pulled up and asked our translator what we were doing. He fled. The men drove off when the embassy’s sole diplomat opened the gate, but the latter politely refused requests to see Mr Goeldi.

Mr Goeldi’s story — and that of the Swiss in Libya in general — demonstrates what the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi can do if angered by countries that covet its oil, gas and lucrative development contracts.

In July 2008 Swiss police arrested Colonel Gaddafi’s son Hannibal and pregnant daughter-in-law in a Geneva hotel suite after receiving reports that they had abused their two servants. Hannibal Gaddafi, 33, and his wife, Aline, spent two nights in custody and left Switzerland after being released on bail.

The Gaddafi family were furious and reprisals were swift. Two days later Mr Goeldi, a director of the Swiss engineering company ABB, was arrested at his Tripoli home, as was Rachid Hamdani, another Swiss citizen. Both were imprisoned for alleged breaches of immigration rules. They were released ten days later but banned from leaving Libya. The Swiss media described them as hostages and Mr Goeldi sought refuge in the Swiss Embassy. In the past year Libya has imposed trade sanctions, stopped Swiss flights to Tripoli, withdrawn more than $5 billion from Swiss banks and cut the crude oil exports that provide half of Switzerland’s oil.

The new Swiss Ambassador was denied a visa. Sources said that Mr Goeldi was left almost alone in the embassy, with ABB employees bringing him food. The diplomat who spoke to The Times apparently returned only recently to Tripoli, but he refused to say anything.

Last September Hannibal Gaddafi’s servants withdrew their complaint after agreeing a financial settlement but Swiss diplomatic efforts to placate Libya bore no fruit. In April Hannibal Gaddafi, his wife and the Libyan state filed a civil lawsuit against the Geneva authorities in a Geneva court.

Last Thursday, as al-Megrahi was returning from Scotland, President Merz of Switzerland flew to Tripoli and delivered an “official and public apology for the unjustified and unnecessary arrests”. He promised to have Hannibal Gaddafi’s arrest investigated by an arbitration panel. Libya promised to restore normal relations. Mr Goeldi and Mr Hamdani should soon be on their way home.

Libyan newspapers proclaimed a double triumph — and the humiliated Swiss Government was, as with Scotland’s, excoriated at home. “In this crisis Switzerland loses more than honour. The country has slowly taken stock of its powerlessness,” said the Swiss newspaper Le Temps.

Expats who have been finding it difficult to get their visas renewed hope that, with al-Megrahi’s release, the wheels of bureaucracy will turn more easily.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Libya: Italian Villages Discussed Today in Tripoli

(ANSAmed) — TRIPOLI, AUGUST 25 — The architecture of the rural centres built in Libya in the colonial era, between 1934 and 1940, will be the topic of the conference which will be held tonight in Tripoli at the Italian cultural institute. Vittoria Capresi, writer of a book on Italian architecture in Libya, will tell her story to an audience of Libyans and Italians. The villages, all built following a precise plan that always included a church, are often in a state of decay. The Libyan communities in fact have in many cases “disfigured” these vestiges of a much-hated period: the period of Italian domination. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Lockerbie: Libyan Press Baffled by the West’s Reaction

(ANSAmed) — TRIPOLI, AUGUST 24 — Libya’s press, first and foremost the government Jana press agency, is dumbfounded by international dismay at the welcome given by the country’s leader Muammar Gaddafi to Al Megrahi and his family upon his return to Libya. The only person to have been found guilty in connection with the Lockerbie bombing, Al Megrahi, returned to his country of birth on Thursday to be greeted by a hero’s welcome at Tripoli’s Maitiga Airport. In the opinion of the Libyan public, Al Meghrai is in fact innocent and the victim of a miscarriage of justice, as he has himself often claimed. The Jana press agency quotes France’s AFP as the first to have stressed the enthusiasm with which the man was welcomed by the country’s leader and to have published his message of thanks to the Scots government, “which saw itself able to take the decision to release Megrahi”. The news was soon picked up by Al Jazeera, which highlighted the phrase in which the Libyan leader praised the “courage” shown by the Scots in taking their decision. Soon after, it was the BBC that pointed out the Colonel’s choice of words, alongside Reuters, CNN, Al Hura, the Novostni News Agency, the Middle East News Agency and Lebanon’s al Jadid Television Channel, all of which focussed on the colonel’s words concerning “Scotland’s bravery” and “the triumphal welcome given to the Bulgarian nurses accused of injecting hundreds of babies with the HIV virus while working in Libya”. One of Libya’s most popular papers, Al Shames, opened once again this morning with the banner title ‘Foreign Press Highlights Gaddafi’s Thanks to Great Britain”. The story continues on page three, which is entirely given over to reporting the treatment given the story by the various foreign papers. Apart from Al Shames, other dailies are no longer running the Al Megrahi story, but are dedicating their front pages to the arrival at the port of Tripoli of the oil tanker Iermuk, which was purchased from South Korea in 2008 by the head of National Maritime Transport, Hannibal Gheddafi, son of the Leader. Along side the Iermuk, which features in many huge photo spreads, the coming days should see the arrivals of the “Al Intessar” (Victory), the second oil tanker purchased by the leader’s son in recent months, to mark the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Al Fatah revolution. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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‘Obama’ Dates Best-Sellers in Egypt for Ramadan

(IsraelNN.com) Egyptian fruit sellers, in keeping with the custom to name dates during the month of Ramadan, have named their best dates U.S. President Barack Obama, in light of his popularity in the Muslim country.

“We love Obama and so we named our best dates for him,” fruit seller Atif Hashim told the Associated Press in Cairo, where President Obama delivered his address to the Muslim world in June.

Other high quality dates were the “Abutrika” variety named after a local soccer star and the “Columbo” dates named for a 1970s American TV series popular in Egypt. The best dates sell for around $5 a kilogram.

In Egypt, naming the best date for the U.S. president is a departure from previous years, when the worst dates were usually named for George W. Bush. This year, Hashim named his poor dates for Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

During the month of Ramadan, which began Saturday, Muslims traditionally fast during the day. Many have a tradition to break the fast with dates and milk. Egypt produces 1.1 million tons of dates a year, the most of any country.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Sicilian Fishing Boat Impounded by Tunisian Patrol Boat

(ANSAmed) — MAZARA DEL VALLO (TRAPANI), AUGUST 25 — A fishing boat of the fleet of Mazara del Vallo (Trapani), the ‘Chiaraluna’, with seven crew members on board (three Italians and four Tunisians), was seized this morning by a Tunisian military patrol boat in the south of the Strait of Sicily. The boat, the Italian embassy in Tunis confirmed, is now in the port of Sfax. In March this year the ‘Chiaraluna’ was confiscated by the Libyan authorities around 40 miles north of the African coast, with six Tunisians and four Italians on board. The mayor of Mazara, Nicola Cristaldi, spoke of a possible mistake of the skipper. “According to the first information I have received” he said “ the skipper of our fishing boat has made a mistake, entering that area due to malfunctioning instruments. I trust that the good relations between Italy and Tunisia will lead to a happy end to this affair.” (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Israel Removes Outpost in Lebanon-Disputed Terrain

(ANSAmed) — BEIRUT, AUGUST 17 — Over the night the Israeli army removed an observation post on the hills of Kfar Shuba, occupied by Israel but to which Lebanon claims territorial rights, as reported by the Lebanese agency NNA. The agency said that an Israeli army unit had also lifted the cement barriers put up over the past few weeks as a protective measure for the outpost, set up in July. A month ago, dozens of Lebanese had protested against the Israeli post, removing part of the barbed wire around it. The hills of Kfar Shuba are a small piece of land along the border with Syria which the Israeli state has occupied since 1967, along with the Syrian Golan Heights and the Shebaa Farms. The Lebanese side of the Kfar Shuba hills and the Shebaa Farms are in the eastern section of the area under the UN mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL). A week ago, the Israeli army reinforced the barbed wire on the tops of the Kfar Shuba hills, perhaps in view of today’s dismantling of the observation post, located further downhill on the Lebanese side. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Israeli Firm Reports Success for Swine Flu Vaccine

The Israeli biotech firm BiondVax reports it has successfully tested a swine flu vaccine. The results are based on work with rats, and the company warns there is no evidence yet as to whether it will work on people. Nevertheless, investors raced to buy the stock on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange before trading was suspended Tuesday.

BiondVax said the tests, conducted on five rats, were based on a sample of a dead strain of the swine flu taken from human beings.

The biotech firm is based in Rehovot, in the Weizmann Science Park. Its offices said they have been swamped with phone calls from individuals, institutions and media, and its president Dr. Ron Babekoff was not available for comment.

The company’s website states that its core operations are a multi-season intranasal flu vaccine using an innovative scientific approach, with the aim of activating the human immune system “in a long-lasting and effective manner against known and future strains of the influenza virus.”

Shares of BiondVax soared more than 1,200 percent this year, sharing a stock market boom among Israeli biotech firms.

The D-Pharm company, which develops drugs to treat brain disorders, began trading shares this month and they immediately jumped 60 percent. Its most advanced product is for patients who have suffered an acute stroke.

The Rehovot-based Bio View firm has gained 500 percent this year. It is developing a non-invasive diagnostic test for the early detection of lung cancer.

Shares of Biotech company BioCancell Therapeutics Ltd., which is developing drugs against cancer, have also risen 500 percent. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently granted its drug “orphan drug status,” meaning that the product is protected from competition for seven years.

Bio Light Israel, which has received approval for laser-based therapy for treating glaucoma, has seen its shares go up 1,000 percent since the beginning of the year.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Jonathan Spyer: Al-Qaida-Style Islamism Comes to Gaza

Quiet has now returned to the Gaza Strip after the weekend violence which claimed the lives of 28 people. The last of the funerals of the Jund Ansar Allah fighters killed in the suppression of the organization by Hamas authorities has taken place. This episode demonstrated the tight hold which Hamas maintains on the Gaza Strip.

The weekend’s events also highlight an important but little discussed phenomenon taking place in the Strip, and to a lesser extent in the West Bank — namely, the growth of al-Qaida-style Salafi Islamism among a segment of the Palestinian population. Jund Ansar Allah did not emerge suddenly, or in a vacuum, and its defeat does not mark the final word on this matter.

Who are the Salafis? Salafiyya is an extreme trend within Sunni Islam…

— Hat tip: Barry Rubin

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Lieberman Attacks Haaretz, Bends the Truth

(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 24 — Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has accused the country’s daily paper Haaretz of “falsifying facts” in its opposition to his policies. According to military radio, the leader of Israel Beitenu (radical right-wing) has today sent a letter of protest to the newspaper’s editors. Lieberman maintains that a story published by Haaretz according to which Israel had considered cancelling the imminent visit by Sweden’s foreign minister Carl Bildt in a gesture of protest at the publication by that country’s Aftonbladet daily of an article damaging the name of the Israeli armed forces. According to Lieberman, Haaretz has been systematically publishing stories aimed at “discrediting him”. There has been an immediate reaction from Haaretz: it confirms that the foreign minister has over recent days weighed up the idea of whether or not to cancel Bildt’s visit. Meanwhile a mocking caricature of Lieberman has appeared in today’s edition of Haaretz. It shows the minister (together with his deputy Dany Ayalon) busily perusing a map of Sweden and Norway. Lieberman asks: “Shouldn’t there be a dam somewhere around here?”. The cartoonist is alluding to a proposal made by Lieberman some years ago to threaten to bomb Egypt’s Aswan Dam to dissuade that country from launching attacks from Sinai. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Lieberman Damns Norway’s Honouring Pro-Nazi Author

(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 24 — Having started a row with the Swedish government for its refusal to condemn the publication of an article considered damaging to the reputation of the Israeli army, Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has now showered bitter criticisms on Norway. The new controversy has blown up around Oslo’s decision to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of writer Knut Hamsun (Hunger), Nobel Prize winner for literature who was also an active supporter of the pro-Nazi Vidkun Quisling regime. Lieberman also censured the fact that during the ‘Durban-2’ conference against racism, which took place in Geneva last April, the Norwegian representative “was one of the few not to walk out of the auditorium when Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinejad spoke”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Palestinian Police ‘Directing Traffic in Israel’s Capital’

Move would mark major escalation of Arab activities in Jerusalem

Palestinian Authority security forces directed traffic several times this month in the eastern sections of Jerusalem, according to multiple witnesses speaking to WND.

The moves, if verified, would mark a major escalation in PA activities in Jerusalem.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas three times this month quietly visited Beir Hanina, a largely Arab town in eastern Jerusalem. Each time, his convoy passed through French Hill, a northeastern Jerusalem community that is largely Jewish.

— Hat tip: JD

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Archaeology: Turkey: Ancient People Also Complained About Taxes

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, AUGUST 11 — Inscriptions revealing complaints about high taxes from 1,700 years ago have been found during the excavation of the ancient city of Rhodiapolis in Antalya’s Kumluca district, daily Today’s Zaman reports. “In addition to many historical artifacts, we uncovered some relics concerning the social life of the people during the excavation”, Nevzat Cevik, head of the archaeology department in Akdeniz University, said, adding that “ we found a tablet written by a messenger describing that the people was complaining of high taxes; the tablet was sent to the emperor to request a discount”. “When we consider that people wanted sales tax and income tax rates to be lowered, we can infer that toward the A.D. third century the people of Rhodiapolis could not pay their taxes”, the scientist said. Noting that the people of Rhodiapolis wanted Roman Emperor Septimius Severus to lower taxes, Kizgut declared that “The emperor gave the green light and promised the messenger that taxes would be lowered. Upon his return to Rhodiapolis, the messenger informed the leader with great joy and in his honor, an inscribed stele was erected in the agora”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Auto: New Ford Transit to be Produced Only in Turkey

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, AUGUST 25 — Ford Otosan’s factory in Kocaeli’s Gebze district, an industrial region near Istanbul, will be the only facility in the world to produce the new Ford Transit, daily Hurriyet reports. “A completely revamped Ford Transit vehicle will be revealed to consumers by 2012”, Nuri Otay, deputy chief executive officer of the unit, said. “The company will spend an estimated 1 million euros on the investment”, Otay noted, adding that “Ford Otosan expects global demand for Transit vans to reach 750,000 units by 2015”. As the factory steps up Ford Transit production, it will stop producing the Connect which will be picked up within the next two to three years by Romania and the United States. The Turkish unit of Ford Motor Company is not the only carmaker that has decided to shift gears. Korean automotive company Hyundai has also decided to move the production line of its i20 model to Turkey, citing high demand from Turkish customers during the past seven months despite the global turmoil. The move will require an investment of $75 million. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Death of a Libel Tourist

By Rachel Ehrenfeld & Millard Burr

Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz died in Jeddah last Saturday. The 60-year-old former owner of the Saudi National Commercial Bank and banker for the Royal family also owned a charity, the Muwafaq (blessed relief) Foundation that funded al-Qaeda and Hamas, to name but a few. He should be remembered not only because of his involvement with the shady Bank for Commerce and Credit International (BCCI) aka “banks for crooks and criminals” and the illegal purchase of the First American Bank in Washington, DC, in the early 1990s, but mostly because inadvertently he led Americans to better protect their free speech rights.

Using British libel laws that allow foreigners to sue other foreigners in British courts, a practice known as libel tourism, Mahfouz became a serial suer. The gay and drug addicted Saudi , sometimes together with his sons, sued more than 40 writers and publishers — mostly Americans — because he did not like their criticism. Singlehandedly, on behalf of his royal masters Mahfouz made libel tourism a multimillion-dollar industry for the British Bar, and London the “Libel Capital” of the world.

Many will miss him. In Riyadh, the billionaire will be missed by the ruling members of the royal family who once used his National Commercial Bank as their own piggy bank, and often used him and his family members as fronts for their business and to fund their favorite organizations and terrorist groups. Likewise, those shady characters who run the Saudi-funded Muslim World League, the International Islamic Relief Agency, and the Rabita Trust of Pakistan will miss him.

Georgetown alum (1968) Prince Turki bin Faisal, former Saudi ambassador to the U.K. and the U.S. and director of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Department from 1977 until ten days before 9/11, and overseer of Saudi financial aid to the jihad in Afghanistan, will have lost an old friend.

— Hat tip: Paul Green

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New Developments in Iran’s Missile Capabilities: Implications Beyond the Middle East

by Uzi Rubin

• Iran is vigorously pursuing several missile and space programs at an almost feverish pace with impressive achievements. The Iranians have upgraded their ballistic missiles to become satellite launchers. To orbit a satellite is a very complicated project. There are missile stages, and a careful guidance and control system to insert the satellite into a stable, desired trajectory. They took the Shahab, extended it a bit, added more propellant, and now they have the Safir space launch vehicle. Moreover, the Iranians built a two-stage satellite launcher, instead of the usual three stage rockets for space-lift vehicles. This is incomparable to anything we know — an impressive engineering achievement.
• In spite of the Missile Technology Control Regime and in the face of sanctions, Iran has succeeded in acquiring the needed infrastructure and to raise a cadre of proficient scientists and engineers backed by academic and research institutes. Iranian missile technology is moving ahead of the level developed by the North Koreans.
• The solid-propellant Sejil missile signifies a breakthrough. This missile already poses a threat to a number of European Union countries. Based on its demonstrated achievements in solid propulsion and staging, Iran will face no significant hurdle in upscaling the Sejil into a compact, survivable intermediate-range ballistic missile. A range of 3,600 km. will be sufficient to put most of the EU under threat.
• Contrary to an initial report by U.S. and Russian scientists for the EastWest Institute, with the Sejil, Iran has demonstrated its proficiency in using solid-fuel rockets that have much shorter preparation times than do older liquid-fuel missiles. The West must already prepare for the period in the not-too-distant future when Iran deploys nuclear warheads on its missile forces, which can be dispersed in mountainous regions of Iran and will not be easy to find…

— Hat tip: JCPA

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Palestinian Intellectual on the Arab World’s Double Standard

In a recent article titled “Why Do We Condemn Only the [Israeli] Occupation?” Palestinian intellectual Ahmad Abu Matar, who resides in Sweden, criticized the hypocrisy and double standard which, in his opinion, prevail in the Arab and Islamic world. Abu Matar argued that the reaction to crimes in the Arab and Muslim world often depends on the identity of the criminal: Misdeeds perpetrated by a foreign force, such as Israel, tend to be harshly condemned, while those perpetrated by Arabs and Muslims against their fellow Arabs and Muslims are generally greeted with indifference, and in some cases even condoned.

Following are excerpts from the article: [1]

“The Arab Mentality is Flawed and Inconsistent When It Comes to Judging Actions and Deeds”

“The Arab mentality is flawed and inconsistent when it comes to judging actions and deeds. Logical and objective [judgment] requires that identical deeds be judged identically, regardless of who is responsible for them. A good deed merits praise, whatever the identity, religion or nationality of the one responsible, whereas a bad deed deserves condemnation, whatever the identity, religion or nationality of the one responsible.

“But the Arabs and Muslims, in their mentality and practices, ignore or violate this maxim, despite the Islamic teaching that ‘he who remains silent in the face of [a distortion of] the truth is a dumb devil’…

“Following are some of the main issues in which [this problem is evident]…

— Hat tip: TV

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Saudi’s Turki to US: Forget Oil Independence

by Diana West

Turki al-Faisal is extremely upset with talk, just talk, of US oil independence, even from the vassal-in-chief. Today, in Foreign Policy, the Saudi inveighs against such “demagoguery.”

It’s an amusing read, actually, and quite revealing of the depth of fear even the lip-serviced prospect of American Independence from Saudi Arabia inspires in the desert chieftains.

He writes…

— Hat tip: Diana West

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Top Iran Reform Figures on Trial

The trial has begun in Iran of a number of senior opposition figures following June’s disputed presidential election.

The defendants, who include former ministers in the 1997-2005 Khatami government, are accused of conspiring with foreign powers to organise unrest.

Two leading economists are also on trial, Saeed Leylaz and Kian Tajbaksh.

It is the fourth such trial since the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a conservative, sparked pro-reform street protests.

BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne — who was expelled after the elections — says the trial looks like a public denunciation of President Mohammed Khatami’s time in power, with the government trying to frighten the opposition into silence.

Hardliners are currently also pressing for the arrest of the two leading opposition candidates in the election, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.

The court proceedings are open only to Iranian news agencies and have been denounced as “show trials” by opposition leaders.

The 20 people in the dock on Tuesday included former Deputy Interior Minister Mostafa Tajzadeh, former Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzadeh and former government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, reports said.

The leading reformist Saeed Hajjarian, a former city councillor and a close aide to former president, Mr Khatami, was also in court.

A statement was read out for him by another defendant, apparently for health reasons, saying sorry for “major mistakes” he had made in his analysis of the election.

“I apologise to the great Iranian nation… and resign from the Islamic Iran Participation Front (the main opposition party, also known as Mosharekat) and announce my complete adherence to the constitution and… to the supreme leader,” he was quoted saying.

Opposition groups alleged widespread vote-rigging in the June election, which Mr Ahmadinejad won by a landslide.

Post-election protests saw the largest mass demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 revolution, which brought to power the current Islamic system of government.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Op-Ed Hints Mossad Snatched Russian Ship

Russian and Ukrainian media spreading rumors over their analysis of disappearance and subsequent finding of cargo ship, which was allegedly carrying sawdust, despite reports that it was transporting missiles to Iran

— Hat tip: JD

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Trade: Russia Removes Barriers to Turkish Exporters

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, AUGUST 19 — Russia has cancelled a regulation against Turkish exporters, a move to restore trade between the two countries, a Turkish minister was quoted as saying by Anatolia news agency. “Russian authorities annulled the regulation on full inspection of Turkish goods at customs gates”, Turkish State Minister, Hayati Yazici, said. Russia adopted strict procedures against Turkish exporters in August 2008. Exports to Russia fell by 58% this year due to global economic crisis and Russia’s customs practices. The problem was solved at Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey early this month. Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, met Putin on 6 August and the two countries inked a deal to lift restrictions on trade. Yazici said Turkey and Russia would continue previous practices on trade. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Chechen Rebels Order Separatist Leader Death — Website

MOSCOW, Aug 25 (Reuters) — Chechen rebels called on Tuesday for prominent separatist leader Akhmed Zakayev to be killed, saying he had abandoned Islam by recognising the legitimacy of the restive region’s Kremlin-backed government.

Zakayev, who lives in London, represents the moderate wing of the separatist movement and has clashed with radical Islamist insurgents in Russia’s southern republic of Chechnya.

Islamist rebel website www.kavkazcenter.com said Zakayav had recognised the authority of Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of the region.

“Public remarks show that he (Zakayev) has fallen away from Islam,” the website said, adding that Doku Umarov, Chechnya’s most wanted separatist leader, was behind the order.

“The court has ruled that the killing of this apostate is a duty for Muslims.” It did not say what court had issued the ruling.

Zakayev, 50, fought Russia as a senior rebel commander in two wars with Moscow in 1994-2000. After Russia regained control of the province, he fled to Europe and acted as an official rebel envoy until 2007.

Russia has tried to extradite Zakayev for 13 alleged crimes including kidnapping and murder, but a British court rejected the request in 2003, causing a diplomatic row.

Kadyrov said last month that he would welcome Zakayev’s return and possibly offer him a job in the regional culture ministry. But there were no indications Russia was ready to drop charges against him.

Kadyrov faces strong criticism from human rights bodies after kidnappings and killings of human rights and charity activists in Chechnya. He denies any link to the killings.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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How to Lose a War

Earlier this summer, The New York Times reported, Barack Obama gathered a group of historians for dinner at the White House. The president expressed concern that Afghanistan could hijack his presidency just as Vietnam overtook the stewardship of Lyndon B. Johnson. LBJ pursued a grand domestic agenda — civil rights and the Great Society — yet failure in Vietnam defined his presidency.

Military analyst Harry G. Summers identified two reasons why the US abandoned the fight in Vietnam: 1. There was no society-wide commitment to victory. American leaders had not psychologically mobilized the home front behind the war, refusing to ask Congress for a declaration of war; 2. The US failed to go after North Vietnam for most of the war, focusing instead on its Viet Cong proxies.

These fundamental errors are being repeated in the struggle against Islamist extremism.

People in Europe and America do not grasp why their troops are fighting in Afghanistan. On Iran, Western leaders have not only avoided a head-on confrontation with the mullahs, but are even seeking to appease their Hizbullah and Hamas proxies.

In fairness, Obama has tried to explain that Afghanistan is not a war of choice, but of necessity. “Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al-Qaida would plot to kill more Americans.”

In fact, the situation in Afghanistan is muddled. The surviving Arab terrorists responsible for 9/11 — including Ayman Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden — have found refuge inside Pakistan. The Taliban are actually a loose confederation of religious fanatics (whose leader, Mullah Omar, also survives), Pashtun xenophobes, drug lords and tribal chiefs. The war is being waged on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border, and Pakistan has its own Taliban. In this context, Afghan election results — due today — are unlikely to herald a new dawn.

The war is not going well. So America has revised its strategy. The focus is not on killing the enemy, but on avoiding civilian casualties while creating conditions necessary for society-building. Unfortunately, there are insufficient troops on the ground to accomplish this goal. Most of the country is too unsafe for aid agency personnel to operate.

Washington has invested $30 billion in Afghanistan since 9/11 and now has 57,000 military personnel on the ground. Britain has committed to 9,000. In theory, there are 42 nations in the anti-Taliban coalition, but whereas the US has suffered 796 combat deaths and Britain 206, the combined loses of Germany, France and Spain amount to 87. No wonder support for the war in Britain is stagnating at 46 percent, while fully 65% of Americans expect the US will eventually have to withdraw without achieving its goals.

BRITAIN’S unconscionable release on humanitarian grounds of terminally ill Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the only person convicted in the December 21, 1988, Lockerbie bombing, could pave the way for billions of dollars in oil contracts between Tripoli and London. But what message does the Brown government’s decision to play footsie with Muammar Gaddafi — while hiding behind the Scottish justice secretary — send to Britons already feeling cynical about staying the course in Afghanistan?

This sordid episode, moreover, does nothing to illuminate who really blew Pan Am flight 103 out of the sky.

In 2000, a man named Ahmad Behbahani, claiming to be a defecting Iranian intelligence operative, told CBS’s 60 Minutes that Iran was behind Lockerbie; and that the motive for the attack was retaliation for the accidental downing in July 1988 of Iran Air flight 655 by the USS Vincennes, killing all 290 passengers. Behbahani spoke of an operation involving the Syrian-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and a group of Libyans trained and funded by Iran.

If patience is running thin on Afghanistan, and there is no stomach to stop Iran, the reasons are obvious. From Lockerbie to Afghanistan, Western decision-makers have compartmentalized Islamist violence — rather than defined it as a strategic menace to the Western values of tolerance and liberty.

The lesson of Vietnam is that wars become unwinnable when leaders fail to identify their true enemies, leaving their societies unmobilized, confused and lacking in motivation.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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India: CRPF Note Warns of N-E Division Plot

Separate homeland plan for Muslims, Centre told

A confidential report sent by a security agency to the Centre says insurgent groups supported by Bangladesh were working on a long-term plan to create a separate homeland for Muslims in the North-Eastern region.

Intelligence reports have already pointed out that such groups are already coming up with posters and banners demanding homeland in areas dominated by the Muslims, mostly from suspected Bangladeshis.

After effecting a significant change in the demographic profile of a number of districts in the North-East by facilitating illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis, the insurgent outfits in the region are now working on a long-term agenda for creating an exclusive homeland for Muslims.

A confidential report from a key para-military force fighting insurgency in the North-East to the Union Home Ministry has classified insurgency in the region into three categories — ethnic/extortionist, terrorist and secessionist groups.

The secessionists, according to the CRPF report, essentially comprise Islamic fundamental groups who also provide logistics support to the ethnic and terrorist groups in order to strengthen its influence in the region. “The insurgency situation in the North-East is dominated by what can be termed sub-national aspirations of groups within existing territorial divisions,” states the report, adding that the rest of the insurgent groups have ethnic aspirations.

Concerns about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the North-East were raised by many Chief Ministers at the CMs’ conference on security, which was recently held in Delhi. Expressing fears over the increasing influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into his State, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said. “The decadal population growth rate between 1991 and 2001 as recorded in the 2001 census was 64.41 per cent — the highest in the country. Further, it is striking that the number of masjids and madrasas has increased from 27 to 28 in 2007 and 2008 in the State.”

Rio added, “During the same period (1991-2001), several areas in Dimapur and Wokha districts bordering Assam recorded exceptionally high rates of population growth. It is a fact that the silent and unchecked influx of illegal migrants in the district has played a crucial role in this abnormal growth and is slowly resulting in a change in the demographic profile of the inhabitants in certain parts of the State.”

Rio further said that such demographic changes required urgent attention as they would add to the tensions already prevailing in a volatile insurgency situation. The Nagaland CM also expressed apprehension over the involvement of Muslims in the NSCN (IM) for extortion and the community’s involvement with HuJI and other terror groups.

“There is strong possibility of Islamic extremists establishing ‘sleeper cells’ in Nagaland by taking advantage of their contacts inside the State. Another possible scenario is that these Islamic extremist elements may either develop differences with the NSCN (IM) and form a rogue terrorist group or set up a new organisation with links to other Muslim extremist groups to further their own agenda,” the Nagaland CM had told the conference chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Similar apprehensions were also raised by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Arunachal Pradesh CM Dorjee Khandu, Tripura CM Manik Sarkar and Meghalaya CM DD Lapang.

As per the report by the Central Reserve Police Force, the number of insurgent groups in the North-East has surpassed the total number of such outfits at the national level and Islamists have infiltrated most of the groups.

With 43 active outfits in the small State of Manipur, it has exceeded the figures of active insurgent outfits reported for secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

While Assam has 38 active insurgent groups, Tripura has 32 similar organisations.

While both Meghalaya and Mizoram have six outfits each, Nagaland has four and Arunachal Pradesh has one insurgent group. In Manipur, Assam and Tripura, the terrorist groups have outnumbered the districts, highlights the report.

Inputs with the Centre also suggest that the groups have serious differences in terms of ideological positions, but there are various levels of operational understanding between them. The two main Naga outfits coordinate among various outfits in the region. The NSCN (K) has a functional understanding with ULFA and UNLF and the NSCN (IM) has similar arrangement with the PLA, ULFA and operational understanding with National Democratic Front of Bodoland and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation and NLFT. Most of these arrangements are for logistics such as training, movement, arms procurement and not direct operational intervention.

Despite the overall decline in insurgent activities, the spatial spread has not revealed any significant change. Active insurgent outfits — like the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Isaac-Muivah and Khaplang factions of Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and National Liberation Front of Tripura — represent the maximum levels of violent insurgent activities.

The year 2008 witnessed more violent incidents and deaths than the preceding year. According to the data available, 480 civilians and 742 insurgents were killed in 1,646 violent incidents in the North-East. Fifty-three security force personnel were killed in action and more than 1,000 arms were recovered from various terror groups.

In 2007, the region witnessed 1,490 violent incidents, in which 498 civilians and 503 insurgents were killed. During the period, 79 security personnel were also killed.

However, the number of bomb blasts decreased to 45 from a significant 83 explosions in 2007…

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Indonesia: Police Question Saudi Suspect Over Jakarta Attacks

Jakarta, 25 August (AKI/Jakarta Post) — After a week of questioning, Indonesian police have named a Saudi man suspected of financing the July bomb attacks that ripped through the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in the country’s capital, Jakarta. The suspect, Ali Muhammad bin Abdullah alias Al Khalil “Ali”, was arrested in Kuningan, West Java, on 13 August.

Police on Monday also reaffirmed their belief that most of the funding for previous terror attacks came from the Middle East.

They also said they were hunting for several men of Middle Eastern origin who had allegedly played similar roles to Ali.

“We have arrested a Saudi citizen by the name of Al Khalil Ali and will question him [further] over the funding related to the recent bombings,” national police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri told a media conference.

However, Bambang refused to elaborate further on the funding process or details of Ali’s role in the recent bombings.

“The answers to those questions will be given immediately along with a new most wanted list,” he said.

Iwan Herdiansyah, an Indonesian national, was recently arrested on similar charges.

However, he was released because police could not find any proof of his involvement in any terrorist activity.

A source close to the police claimed Ali was an international courier who had channelled funding from foreign donors mainly in Arab countries.

“In an early questioning session Ali admitted he was tasked to prepare [funds] for the arrival of a well-known radical Arab cleric. Since then police were keen to find out what else he knew,” Bambang said.

Besides questioning Ali, he said police were pursuing several other people of Middle Eastern origin who had fled after learning of Ali’s arrest.

Excluding Ali, police have named nine suspects to date in the investigations of the July bombings, five of whom are now dead.

These include one of Asia’s most wanted criminals, terror suspect Noordin M. Top.

Noordin, allegedly linked to the Islamist terror network Jemaah Islamiyah, was believed to have masterminded the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings, the 2003 JW Marriott bombing in Jakarta, and the 2004 Australian embassy bombing, as well as the latest JW Marriott — Ritz-Carlton attacks.

Noordin’s wife Arina Rahma, her mother Astuti and two of Arina’s children were still under police protection, police said.

Police confiscated around 500 kilogrammes of bomb materials and a car from a rented house in the Nusaphala housing complex in Bekasi.

According to police, the bombs were made specifically for an attack on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s private residence in Cikeas, West Java.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Punjab: Christian Victims of the Massacres in Gojra Reported by Police

Police claim they were involved in the violence, in which eight Christians were burned alive. Survivors accuse the police of inaction. Activist for human rights: the counter-charge motivated by police “revenge”, they want to cover the real culprits. An Anglican bishop among the suspects.

Faisalabad (AsiaNews) — From persecuted victims to under suspects. That is the fate of a group of Christians from Gojra, Punjab, attacked on August 3 by a mob of thousands of angry Muslims. Fundamentalists burned houses and burnt alive eight people and now police officers accused of failing to assist, have denounced the victims of the violence.

In the aftermath of the massacre, the Christians accused the police of not intervening to stop the assailants. In the days that preceded the attack, the police had received reports of possible violence by Islamic extremists, but did not take any action to avert the tragedy.

In response, officers in Gojra have in turn reported 29 Christians and 100 unidentified persons, for alleged “involvement” in the violence.

Among the Christian personalities targeted by police are also the Anglican Bishop John Samuel of the Church of Pakistan of Faisalabad and Finyas Paul Randhawa, a representative of the city council.

Outraged, human rights activists have called the decision by the police a “revenge” attack against the victims of violence. “We condemn outright this move by police” dennounces Atif Jamil, director of a local NGO. “It is a revenge move by agents and district administration against the Christian victims of the accidents in Gojra”.

The activist adds that these accusations are “baseless”, made with the sole purpose of “covering the responsibilities of the police and undermining the case against the culprits.” He stresses that “the involvement in the case of Bishop John Samuel, a Christian religious leader, is wrong because none of our religious leaders were involved in the violence.”

Atif Jamil further denounces the “ambiguous” behaviour of the government, which on one hand “started the process of reconstruction in Gojra” but in the other “threatens” the local Christian community, who still bears the “scars” of the violence they suffered.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Thailand: Car Bomb Wounds 42 in Thai South: Army

NARATHIWAT, Thailand — A powerful car bomb ripped through a restaurant packed with government officials in Thailand’s troubled Muslim-majority south Tuesday, wounding at least 42 people, the army said.

The blast was one of the most serious for months in the kingdom’s insurgency-plagued provinces bordering Malaysia where a bloody separatist rebellion has been raging for more than five years.

The 50-kilogramme (110-pound) device was hidden inside a stolen Toyota pick-up truck and exploded during the busy lunch hour in the centre of Narathiwat, the main town in the province of the same name, officials said.

“It’s very horrible. We had intelligence that militants would mount a large-scale attack,” Lieutenant General Pichet Wisaichorn, the southern region army commander, told reporters.

He said that seven of the 42 people injured in the blast were in a critical condition. Most of the wounded were Buddhist government officials, who are often targeted by the Islamist militants in the region.

Police and rescue workers were rushing the wounded to hospital and the local government chief was among those injured, a policeman said on condition of anonymity.

The timing of the attack just after the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan was “very interesting”, said Sunai Phasuk, an analyst for Human Rights Watch in Thailand.

“We are in the holy month of Ramadan and the bomb went off clearly to harm the non-Muslim population,” he told AFP.

“It shows the insurgents are avoiding causing collateral damage to their fellow Muslims, because they would come after the end of fasting.”

He said this Ramadan was “marked with violence from day one”. Over the weekend, eight people, including two soldiers and three security volunteers, were killed by suspected insurgents.

“It seems they use Ramadan to symbolise the cleansing of non-Malay Muslims,” Sunai added.

More than 3,700 people have been killed and thousands more injured since the insurgency erupted in 2004, led by shadowy insurgents who have never publicly stated their goals.

The south has seen a recent upsurge in attacks, many of which involve shootings of Buddhists and Muslims alike. There have also been gruesome killings such as crucifixions and beheadings.

Gunmen stormed a mosque in Narathiwat province in June, killing 11 people as they held evening prayers. The army blamed separatist militants but villagers said security forces were responsible.

While there were no immediate reports of deaths in Tuesday’s attack, it was the biggest bomb attack in the south since twin blasts killed one person and wounded 70 in Narathiwat in November.

Thailand’s four southernmost provinces made up an autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate until the region was annexed by predominantly Buddhist Thailand in 1902, sparking decades of tension.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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UK ‘Rejects’ Malaya Deaths Appeal

The UK government has rejected appeals for a public enquiry into the killings by UK soldiers in its colony of Malaya, lawyers for a witness told the BBC.

The killing of 24 unarmed men occurred in a village 61 years ago.

Lawyers acting for the last surviving adult witness to the attack in Batang Kali had lodged an appeal with the UK’s foreign office and defence ministry.

Britain was fighting an insurrection in its then-colony of Malaya, part of what is now Malaysia.

After months of deliberation, the appeal has been turned down, the witnesses’s lawyers said.

The 24 male villagers were killed in December 1948 by members of a battalion of the Scots Guards after they raided a village looking for communist insurgents.

There has never been an independent investigation into the events — villagers claimed the men were innocent and wrongly targeted.

An army enquiry in the immediate aftermath of the deaths reportedly cleared the soldiers of any wrongdoing.

This is the latest effort to force the British government to set up a public enquiry. There were campaigns in 1970 and the mid-1990s.

The Batang Kali killings came at the beginning of a 12-year war between Malayan and British forces and a communist insurgency.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Beijing Vows Rain Will Not Fall on Its Parade

Beijing has declared its weather-fighting forces will ensure no rain falls on October’s National Day parade, which will mark the 60th year of Communist Party rule.

Zhang Qiang, the deputy head of the city’s “Weather Modification” office, told state media that anti-rain rockets would be ready for the celebration. President Hu Jintao will oversee an enormous military parade on Tiananmen Square.

“From weather records for the National Day in Beijing in the past three decades, we see a 30 per cent chance of rainfall, mostly drizzle,” said Guo Hu, head of the Beijing meteorological bureau.

Before the Olympic Games last year, Beijing fired 1,104 anti-rain rockets from 21 sites around the capital to ward off an approaching rain belt. The rockets “seed” clouds with chemicals such as silver iodide in order to disperse them.

Whether or not the rockets work is still a matter of debate. Mr Zhang said the rockets could disperse some clouds but not prevent a large storm.

[Comments from JD: If it does rain, then the people will be told “It is not raining. The weather is fine.”]

— Hat tip: JD

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North Korea: Reporters’ Arrest Raised Risk for Aid Groups: Activists

SEOUL, Aug 25, 2009 (AFP) — The arrest of two US TV journalists who crossed illegally from China into North Korea heightened the risks for groups which help refugees from the North, an activist said Tuesday.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee were reporting on the plight of North Korean women who had fled or were trafficked across the border into northeast China.

They were arrested by North Korean border guards on March 17 and sentenced to 12 years in a labour camp, but were pardoned after former president Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang early this month.

However, their trip had lasting repercussions, according to Tim Peters and another activist.

Peters, a Seoul-based missionary whose Catacombs network assists North Korean refugees in China, said the arrests had triggered “unwanted attention” towards other aid workers in the region.

He told AFP any reporting trip which focused attention on the North’s rights record was useful, but questioned the way the assignment was conducted.

Ling and Lee have admitted briefly crossing the Tumen River border into North Korea, according to Ling’s sister Lisa.

Peters said the plight of North Korean women trafficked into northeast China, and of the children they bear, had already been well documented and filmed.

“I can’t imagine what could possibly be the benefit of such a risky border crossing,” he told AFP.

Acknowledging he may not be aware of all the facts, Peters also questioned why the reporting team had not left documents and video footage in a safe place before making the crossing.

He said the arrests had attracted greater Chinese scrutiny of aid networks helping refugees and had heightened the risks of such operations.

“When the risks go up, that has the effect of discouraging people who potentially would get involved.”

China has an agreement with North Korea to deport refugees, a practice criticised by rights groups who say they can face harsh punishment on their return to North Korea.

Before their arrest the journalists from California-based Current TV had filmed footage including scenes at orphanages in northeast China.

When they were seized their cameraman Mitch Koss escaped back into China but was detained by security officials there before being deported.

Another activist who acted as a guide to the reporters told AFP he believed the confiscation of Koss’s film and of other material led Chinese authorities to him.

South Korean pastor Lee Chan-Woo, 71, said police on March 19 raided his home in China, confiscating computer files and documents before arresting him.

Lee said the documents contained information on other South Koreans who had sheltered refugees and had assisted North Korean children whose mothers had been deported to the North.

“While being grilled, I learned the video footage (of the US TV crew) had been confiscated,” Lee said.

The confiscation of TV footage and still photos must have given Chinese authorities a clue about his identity, he said.

The pastor, who works for South Korea’s Durihana mission, said Chinese police traced and shut down five secret homes for 25 North Korean children and launched a hunt for other South Korean activists.

He said new homes were found for the children but he himself was fined and deported.

Paul Song, Laura Ling’s brother-in-law, told the Wall Street Journal he could not comment on what information may have been seized from the reporting team.

He said Ling and Lee would be running an editorial this week on the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention. “I would urge people to withhold any judgments until they hear all the facts.”

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Fiji Water: So Cool, So Fresh, So Bad for the Environment?

The story of Fiji Water, as detailed in a startling investigative piece in Mother Jones magazine this month, seems familiar. Leafing through the story, I found myself trying to remember where I’d read this tale before; like an old melody at the back of my brain, it hovered, just beyond memory.

Suddenly it came to me: it’s Dole, it’s United Fruit, it’s West Indies Sugar Corporation, it’s the old, old story. A company located in a lush, tropical location with a totalitarian government that welcomes foreign interests with deep pockets. It doesn’t tax them, gives them access to the country’s most precious natural resources, and stands by with heavy artillery in hand, protecting them while they strip the country.

Meanwhile, the country’s citizens struggle with terrible poverty, hunger and squalid conditions. The only part of the story that Fiji Water has not yet repeated is the inevitable depletion of the resource — in this case, a 17-mile-long aquifer to which Fiji Water has “near-exclusive access” — and the subsequent abandonment of the country.

What makes this story so difficult to swallow is how eagerly the U.S. seems to have embraced Fiji’s co-owners Stewart and Lynda Resnick. On this side of the Pacific, the pair cheerfully line the pockets of any political figure in sight (they supported both McCain and Obama in the past election) while selling Fiji’s best, cleanest water at a huge profit. On the other side of the ocean, the people of Fiji suffer under terrible water conditions that have led to outbreaks of typhoid and parasitic infections.

It appears that America adores the Resnicks: Lynda brags that she knows “everyone in the world, every mogul, every movie star.” These relationships have proven handy, as the Resnicks have reaped $1.5 million a year in water subsidies for their almond, pistachio and pomegranate crops in the U.S.

These agricultural water subsidies must be viewed in context: the stress from travelling to pollinate the almond “monoculture” crops like the ones the Resnicks grow, along with the pesticides they sell, are considered to be some of the major reasons that bees are succumbing to colony collapse disorder. And the Resnicks control an enormous amount of California water infrastructure that was built by public funds. They have a 48 percent interest in the Kern Water Bank, which was meant to collect water from aqueducts and the Kern River and to redistribute this water in times of drought.

FrequentlySometimesNeverVoteThe Resnicks and their Paramount Farms and Paramount Citrus could use the water to irrigate their fields (which are already subsidized by the government), or they could sell it to municipalities. According to critics, the Resnicks are “trying to ‘game’ the water market the way Enron gamed the energy market.”

So the Resnicks are not known for their even-handedness with politicians or water, and their practices in the U.S. are not the greenest of all possible greens. In fact, they could share responsibility for many of our environmental woes. They could have a hand in California’s future water shortages, during which they could profit gloriously. All the while, they are loudly and proudly marketing Fiji Water as the most environmentally friendly bottled water company in the world.

This, of course, is not saying much. Bottled water is notorious for its position in top five lists of “what not to do” for the planet. One day, future civilizations will look back on this decade and wonder in disbelief why it was that we pumped water out of one part of the planet, encased it in plastic, then encased it again for shipping, and spent many many non-renewable resources to bring it to another part of the planet where clean water was already plentiful. It’s patently ridiculous.

The story is disturbing because of the truths it tells us about ourselves and our society. It’s not just the water thing. It’s the marketing. Lynda Resnick has been repeatedly described as a marketing genius for her ability to transform Fiji Water into a must-have accessory for environmentally-conscious celebrities and politicians, despite its heavy use of plastic and questionable commitment to environmentally sustainable practices. And oh, we are drinking the marketing at far greater rates than we are drinking the water. Our celebrities both enormous (Obama, Paris, and their ilk) and minor (the geekarati at the SXSW festival) can’t live without it. So neither can we. Whatever celebrities sell us? YUM. Damn the consequences.

It’s troubling, at the end of the story, that the company is not, as Anna Lenzer writes in her follow-up to the story (after Fiji Water spokesman Rob Six defended his company) doing anything about the military junta now controlling Fiji. “A UN official . . . in a recent commentary . . . singled out Fiji Water as the one company with enough leverage to force the junta to budge.”

The commentary, by the way, was titled “Why Obama should stop drinking Fiji water.”

— Hat tip: Zenster

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Lawyer Lashes DOCS Workers

A WALGETT lawyer has described NSW Department of Community Services caseworkers and solicitors seeking to have children removed from their Aboriginal parents as “rottweilers in a chook pen”.

DOCS has been accused of unfairly targeting Aboriginal families, with about 40 children taken from their parents in the past 18 months, eliciting fears from the northern NSW Aboriginal community about a new wave of stolen generations.

Parents claim they are not abusing or neglecting their children and the lifestyle choices of some to live in makeshift corrugated-iron camps are no reason to take them away.

Solicitor Wal Browne yesterday stopped short of saying the removals represented a new stolen generation, but said DOCS needed more thorough investigations before disrupting families. “It’s like letting a rottweiler into the chook pen — no one seems to pull it back,” he said. “There doesn’t seem to be any proper review of cases as they go on.”

Mr Browne said he did not doubt that some children needed to be removed for their safety, but many cases were based on little more than “hearsay”.

He criticised legislation allowing evidence to be given anonymously, and said solicitors appearing for DOCS were often “ill equipped”.

“The rules of evidence don’t apply in DOCS matters, so what you get is an affidavit saying ‘DOCS has received a report that x-y-z’ and you can’t test how strong that is and you can’t cross-examine the people because you don’t even know who the people are because it is anonymous reporting.

“What seems to be particularly inappropriate here is that some of the evidence doesn’t even come in affidavit form; it just comes as verbal evidence at the last moment.”

He said DOCS needed more in-house solicitors, who generally had a more “global” view and knew how to act “professionally and dispassionately”.

A spokeswoman for DOCS said: “The way that matters are conducted before the Children’s Court is at the discretion of the Children’s Court magistrate.

“If there are concerns, the Children’s Court magistrate would raise this with Community Services.”

Deputy Ombudsman for NSW Steven Kinmond, who is investigating some of the families’ cases, was also reluctant to refer to the removals as a stolen generation, saying with more than $1 billion spent to boost the child protection system it was “inevitable” that more Aboriginal children would be placed in care.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Lubna Hussein: ‘I’M Not Afraid of Being Flogged. It Doesn’t Hurt. But it is Insulting’

Lubna Hussein could receive 40 lashes if found guilty on Tuesday of being indecently dressed — by wearing trousers. In her first major interview, she tells James Copnall in Khartoum why she is determined to fight on, whatever danger she faces

Sitting in the restaurant where her ordeal began, Lubna Hussein looks at the offending item of clothing that caused all the trouble and laughs softly. “In Sudan, women who wear trousers must be flogged!” she says, her eyes widening at the thought. The former journalist faces up to 40 lashes and an unlimited fine if she is convicted of breaching Article 152 of Sudanese criminal law, which prohibits dressing indecently in public.

What exactly constitutes “indecent” is not clear. Last month Lubna was among a crowd listening to an Egyptian singer in a restaurant in a swish area of Khartoum when policemen surged in. They ordered Lubna and other women to stand up to check what they were wearing, and arrested all those who had trousers on. Lubna, who was wearing loose green slacks and a floral headscarf, was taken to the police station.

“There were 13 of us, and the only thing we had in common was that we were wearing trousers,” Lubna says. “Ten of the 13 women said they were guilty, and they got 10 lashes and a fine of 250 Sudanese pounds (about £65). One girl was only 13 or 14. She was so scared she urinated on herself.”

Lubna asked for a lawyer, so her case was delayed. Despite the risks, she is determined that her trial should go ahead. Before her initial hearing last Wednesday, she had 500 invitation cards printed, and sent out emails with the subject line: “Sudanese journalist Lubna invites you again to her flogging tomorrow.”

The court was flooded with women’s rights activists, politicians, diplomats and journalists, as well as well-wishers. During the hearing, Lubna announced that she would resign from her job as a public information officer with the United Nations, which would have provided her with immunity, to fight the case. The judge agreed, and adjourned the trial until Tuesday.

Lubna says she has no fear of the punishment she might face. “Afraid of what? No, I am not afraid, really,” she insists. “I think that flogging does not hurt, but it is an insult. Not for me, but for women, for human beings, and also for the government of Sudan. How can you tell the world that the government flogs the people? How can you do that?”

She is determined to face prosecution in order to change the law…

— Hat tip: TV

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Magistrate Peter Reardon Sent Terror Case Hate Mail

A MELBOURNE magistrate prevailing over the cases of five men accused of planning a terrorist attack on the Holsworthy army base has received hate mail from a purported Sydney Muslim cleric, labelling him and the courts an oppressor of Islam.

Peter Reardon yesterday read in open court parts of the letter sent to him by a person calling himself Sheik Haron and revealed he had also received emails from people quoting the Koran.

The hate mail came after Mr Reardon expressed frustration when two of the accused men refused to stand up for him during a court hearing earlier this month, saying their religion prohibited them standing for anyone but God.

Supporters of three of the men who are applying for bail at the Melbourne Magistrates Court have also not stood on request, although the accused have. Mr Reardon yesterday declared anyone in the public gallery who did not stand would be removed from court.

“In my view, the Muslim religion is being used as a guise to help make a political demonstration,” he said.

“There is no problem for Muslim people to stand up for a non-Muslim … It’s intended to make a political statement against the government, and by extension, the court system.

“In future, members of the public will be expected to stand upon my entry and leaving the court. They will be requested to leave the court immediately if they refuse to do so.”

Mr Reardon said he had received several emails since the filing hearings and a letter sent from a “Sheik Haron”, postmarked at the southwestern Sydney suburb of Liverpool on August 4.

He said the same letter was also sent to the Chief Magistrate, Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull, ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. It has been reported that members of the Australian Muslim community do not believe Sheik Haron is a real cleric and they are concerned he is stirring up anti-Islamic sentiment. His website talks of joining the jihad against Islam oppression.

Mr Reardon said the letter commented on his own conduct and stated that the Australian government oppressed other nations and that no Muslim should “stand for the oppressors”.

Counsel for Nayef El Sayed, who had refused to stand for the magistrate at earlier hearings, said his client had taken advice from a cleric at Preston Mosque and was now able to stand.

“At no time was he wanting to make a political statement,” lawyer Julian McMahon said of Mr Sayed, who faces one charge of conspiring to plan a terrorist attack.

The bail hearings earlier heard that the AFP was concerned that one of the accused men, Saney Edow Aweys, would commit criminal offences if granted bail.

“A common theme throughout the investigation is hatred of Australia and anyone who doesn’t follow Islam,” federal agent David Kinton told the court. He said Mr Aweys — who is charged with conspiring to prepare for a terrorist act, preparing to go to engage in conflict in Somalia and helping another man travel to Somalia to fight — had a “willingness” to be violent against non-Muslims.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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Mexican Politicians Seek the Lost Island of Bermeja

The Mexican Congress has discussed various issues within the past few years. One of those issues is the whereabouts of the lost island of Bermeja. Mexican lawmakers have been seeking this island, but nobody can find it.

So why does this make a difference? It has to do with oil. The U.S. and Mexico are negotiating a new agreement on oil drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico. If Bermeja Island actually exists, that would push Mexico’s territorial waters out further, giving the country more of the western “Doughnut Hole,” a part of the Gulf believed to contain great oil reserves.

The problem for Mexico is the island has not been located.

— Hat tip: JD

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Textbook Sparks Furore in Mexico

A row has erupted in Mexico after the government distributed a history textbook to primary schools which makes no mention of the Spanish conquest.

The chronology of the text neatly avoids the issue by ending before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s.

Some opposition figures have seized on what they see as a calculated omission.

The arrival of the conquistadors resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of indigenous people and the colonisation of Mexico.

On Monday, as 25 million children started the new school term, the government has found itself in the middle of a controversy it apparently did not see coming, says the BBC’s Stephen Gibbs in Mexico City.

The new history textbook, published and distributed free by the education ministry, omits what historians agree was one of the most important eras in the country’s history — the arrival of the Spanish led by Hernan Cortes in 1519 that led ultimately to colonisation until Mexico gained independence in 1821.

Some opposition politicians have accused the conservative government of President Felipe Calderon of deliberately discouraging a critical analysis of the conquest.

The government is even accused of being closer to the Spanish conquerors than to Mexico’s indigenous population.

The textbook was “an attack on the nation’s identity”, said the president of the culture committee of the chamber of deputies, Alfonso Suarez del Real, from the opposition PRD party.

But the country’s assistant education secretary, Fernando Gonzalez, said criticism was not warranted.

The Spanish conquest should and would be studied in depth by secondary school pupils, he said.

Mr Gonzalez added that the school history textbooks were “continually being improved”.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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U.S. Limits Visas in Honduras, Stepping Up Pressure

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The United States said on Tuesday it will temporarily stop issuing many visas in Honduras, raising pressure on the government that took power in a June 28 coup to step down.

The State Department, which has repeatedly condemned the military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya, said that from Wednesday it would only provide visa services to potential immigrants and emergency cases at its embassy in Tegucigalpa.

The Obama administration has urged Honduran authorities to accept proposals put forward by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whose efforts to end the crisis have stalled over the de facto government’s refusal to allow Zelaya to return to power.

The San Jose accord brokered last month by the Nobel Peace Prize winner would have allowed Zelaya to return to office until elections are held by the end of November.

However, it would have required him to give up plans to hold a referendum on changing the constitution to extend presidential term limits, the issue that brought Zelaya into conflict with the country’s Supreme Court, Congress and army.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the visa decision was intended to reinforce an Organization of American States’ delegation that landed in Honduras on Monday to try to persuade the de facto government to accept the San Jose accord.

“In support of this mission and as a consequence of the de facto regime’s reluctance to sign the San Jose accord, the U.S. Department of State is conducting a full review of our visa policy in Honduras,” Kelly said in a written statement.

“As part of that review, we are suspending non-emergency, non-immigrant visa services in the consular section of our embassy in Honduras, effective August 26,” Kelly added. “We firmly believe a negotiated solution is the appropriate way forward and the San Jose Accord is the best solution.”…

— Hat tip: Fausta

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Deal With Libya Works Well, Frattini Says

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 25 — “The agreement with Libya is working very well,” Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told ‘Radio Anch’iò regarding the government’s strategy against illegal arrivals on the Italian coasts. The patrol boats that Italy has given to Tripoli, the minister continued, “are patrolling that stretch of sea” and the Libyans “use them and have used them these months. In the past three months only a few hundred people” came on land “in Lampedusa, against last year’s 10-12 thousand.” (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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EU to Table New Immigration Rules in September

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS — Brussels is finalising fresh proposals on European Union immigration policy, including a potentially controversial system of re-distributing refugees and asylum seekers among the 27 member states to lighten the workload of the bloc’s border countries.

Both the re-location policy, which could see the transfer of people who land on the shores of Mediterranean countries to other EU states, and asylum policy reform, which could set quotas on the number of refugees for member states, are to be presented in September, Swedish immigration minister Tobias Billstroem has said, according to Agence France Presse.

The application of the proposed policies would be voluntary, the Swedish minister added.

Sweden, currently chairing the EU, is planning to organise a first discussion on immigration reform among foreign ministers by the end of October.

“This would only be a first step, as such a big problem cannot be solved in a single meeting,” Sweden’s foreign minister, Carl Bildt, said on Sunday (23 August) on the sidelines of a conference at the Italian seaside town of Rimini, according to Reuters.

Italy is one of the Mediterranean countries pressing hard for more help from other member states over immigration flows, along with fellow southern states Malta, Greece and Spain.

Franco Frattini, Italian foreign minister and the ex-EU commissioner responsible for immigration, complained at the Rimini event: “The EU has made many statements …but has not yet said just what should happen when a group of migrants reaches the borders of Europe.”

“All we Europeans, all 27 countries, must bear responsibility for these people,” Mr Frattini said.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 67,000 people crossed the Mediterranean last year to try to irregularly enter Europe, and some of them have died at sea.

The most recent tragedy happened late last week. Italian authorities on Thursday (20 August) found a boat carrying five Eritrean migrants who said 73 others had died during the crossing.

Last October, EU leaders formally backed the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum, a set of political commitments in five areas — regular and irregular immigration, border controls, asylum policies and co-operation with countries of origin and of transit.

The European Commission is by 2012 expected to table its proposal on “a single asylum procedure comprising common guarantees …and a uniform status for refugees and the beneficiaries of subsidiary protection,” the pact states.

Greek refugee centre closed

At the same time that the EU presidency announced its plans, another European immigrant camp was criticised by refugee advocates for human rights abuses.

The UN High Commission for Refugees on Monday (24 August) called for the immediate closure of an immigrant reception centre on the north-eastern Greek island of Lesbos, accodring to Deutsche Presse Agentur.

The UN agency accused the centre of not meeting with European or Greek human rights standards, following the inspection of the over-populated camp.

Similar problems occurred in a camp in Pagani, where the reception centre does not have running water and only one toilet for every 100 people while many immigrants are forced to sleep on the ground and are only granted an hour’s outdoor recreation time every day.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Italian Coastguard Rescues 57 Would-be Immigrants

Rome — An Italian coastguard vessel on Tuesday took on board 57 would-be immigrants who were found floating in a rubber dinghy some 10 nautical miles south of the Mediterranean islet of Lampedusa. One of the rescued was immediately taken to Lampedusa to be treated for dehydration, the ANSA news agency said, citing officials.

The rest of the group, including four women, were expected to arrive in Porto Empedocle, Sicily later in the day.

The operation came just a few days after an incident in which dozens of migrants are believed to have died at sea. The incident has triggered a political row in Italy over policies implemented against illegal immigratrion by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government.

There are also concerns about cooperation between the Italian government and Libya on the matter.

Also on Tuesday, Interior Minister Franco Frattini, in a state radio interview, reiterated a call for the European Union to “do more,” to counter illegal immigration. He also defended the Italian government’s policies, including plans for Berlusconi to visit Libya on August 30.

Frattini has repeatedly said that Mediterranean EU members should not be left alone to bear the burden of illegal arrivals from the shores of North Africa. He has defended Italy’s controversial agreement with Libya aimed at deporting migrants found in international waters.

Last week five Eritreans who were rescued by an Italian coastguard patrol claimed that some 73 of their fellow travellers died at sea in the 20 days since their rubber dinghy left Libya.

The sighting of at least eight bodies floating in Libyan waters by patrols of the EU border agency appeared to give some credibility to the Eritreans’ claims.

However, Maltese officials said that when one of their patrol boats intercepted the five Eritreans earlier in the week, they were found in good health and turned down a rescue offer, saying they wanted to reach Italy.

Italy and Malta have reported a drastic reduction in the number of would-be immigrants landing on their shores from Africa following the coming into effect earlier this year of the Rome-Tripoli pact.

Under the agreement, Libya has committed to stepping up patrols along its shoreline, which is often used by the mostly African migrants as a springboard to reach Europe.

Italy also began deporting to Libya would-be immigrants intercepted in international waters.

United Nations officials, rights activists and the Vatican have criticized the Italian-Libyan accord, saying it violates the rights of political refugees trying to seek asylum.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Italy: Illegals Held for Up to 6 Months, Protests

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 14 — A safety law that went into effect on August 8, which calls for an extension to the amount of time illegal immigrants can be held from two to six months, is fuelling a series of protests in immigration identification and deportation centres (CIE). Protests have occurred in the CIEs in Milan, Turin, Gradisca, and Lamezia Terme. An extension to six months is now allowed if the country to which the immigrant is to be repatriated does not cooperate or if there are delays in obtaining the necessary documents from the immigrant’s country of origin. A new development with severe effects not only for illegal immigrants (only a few of which normally are able to be identified due to little collaboration from their countries of origin and are often released with an order to leave the country within five days), but also for the CIEs, which are perpetually overcrowded and now risk severe repercussions due to the inevitable consequences of the implementation of the new crime of illegal immigration. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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More Iraqi Refugees to Arrive Soon in Hannover

Another 144 Iraqi refugees are on their way to Germany on Tuesday as part of a European Union’s plan to welcome some 10,000 asylum seekers from the country.

The flight, coming from Syria where many refugees have gathered, will be the eighth such transport organised by the International Organisation for Migration to arrive in Hannover.

The asylum seekers are mainly from Iraq’s threatened Christian religious minority, many of them single mothers and ailing refugees who have stayed in Syria and Jordan after fleeing Iraq.

The UN Refugee Agency has already brought 1,003 Iraqis to Germany, where they will receive three-year residency permits. The country has agreed to take on a total of 2,500 such refugees, the first of whom arrived in March.

Iraq was torn by insurgency and sectarian strife after US-led forces invaded in March 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein. About two million Iraqi refugees currently live in Jordan and Syria.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Healthcare Struggle is About Freedom

President Obama took his case for what he now calls “health insurance reform” to the faith community. He made his pitch in a phone call, also broadcast over the Internet, to clergy who called in and logged on from around the nation. In his remarks, the President ticked off points of contention that dissenters have with his proposals — “government takeover of healthcare…government funding of abortion…death panels” — and dismissed these concerns as “fabrications.” In one swipe, Mr. Obama reduced his opposition to liars. And why, according to the President, are dissenters supposedly making all this stuff up? Because, he told his audience, they want to “discourage people from meeting…a core ethical and moral obligation…that we look out for one another…that I am my brother’s keeper…” So those whose fight for individual freedom are immoral and our moral champions are those who want to extend the heavy hand of government. Forgive me if sermons about morality are a little hard to swallow from a man who supports partial birth abortion, who just announced his intent to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. And who really wants to obstruct moral behavior? About 100,000 Americans participate in private, voluntary Christian communities that take care of their own healthcare independently of government and insurance companies. They are called health sharing ministries. These communities assess members “shares”, based on family size, which are paid monthly, in addition to annual dues. Those in the community who need care submit their claims to a central office, which sends members monthly bulletins informing them whose care their monthly payment will be covering. No government. No insurance companies. It’s health care with a true human face, operating in freedom, where those paying know who they are paying for and for what. In addition to sending funds to cover costs, they send notes and pray for the sick person whose costs they are covering. You wouldn’t think that communities that embody the very essence of personal responsibility and Christian love would need lobbyists for their protection. But they do. If Barack Obama has his way, they’ll be out of business. Part of the thousand page health care bill mandates that individuals buy insurance and that companies provide it, or pay a fine. These government mandates to buy and provide insurance would make health sharing ministries, where communities of individuals pool their personal funds to take care of each other, unviable. These ministries share pooled funds of around $80 million dollars annually to take care of each other, driven only by guidelines of biblical principles to “Bear one another’s burden, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s crazy that Christian Americans have to lobby to be free in their own country. Health sharing ministries is one particularly beautiful example of how faithful Americans take care of themselves when allowed to be free. But there are many others. In thousands of homeless shelters around the country, charitable Americans provide complete health care for the homeless. There are 5000 crisis pregnancy centers, financed privately by charitable Americans that provide free care for pregnant women. Many creative ideas have been put forth on how American health care delivery can be dramatically improved if markets are allowed to work. John Mackey, chairman of Whole Foods, listed eight in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed. In another Wall Street Journal column, a University of Chicago Business School professor explained how forward purchases of insurance could deal with the problem of pre-existing conditions. But, Barack Obama and congressional Democrats have slammed the door on all this. They only want to hear about more government. Not less. The problem isn’t that dissenting Americans are immoral. It’s that Democrat leadership has a problem with individual freedom.

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

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‘Christians’ Celebrating Ramadan?

As the Islamic observance of Ramadan begins this year, an increasing number of Christians will also be entering into 30 days of prayer and fasting. Across the world, a growing number of Christians have been joining the movement led by the 30-Days Prayer Network, which calls Christians to pray and fast for Muslims during the month of Ramadan. The focus of their prayers is the increase of the ongoing revival among Muslims converting to Christianity. In recent years, a historically unprecedented number of Muslims have come to Christ, many through divine dreams and visions. The 30-days website describes the genesis of this movement:

The origin of this international prayer network came about as a group of Christian leaders were praying during a meeting in the Middle East in April 1992. God put a burden on the hearts of these men and women to call as many Christians as possible to pray for the Muslim world.

But a smaller left-wing Christian sect, often referred to as “the emerging church,” is now also taking a very different approach. This year, a group of emergent Christians led by one of the United States most influential pastors, Brian McLaren, has announced that it will actually be “observing” the Muslim holy month, along with a Muslim “partner.” Ramadan is the month that Muslims thank Allah, their god, for revealing the Quran to Muhammad, their prophet. On McLaren’s personal blog, he recently announced his intentions: “We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.” But does such an interreligious observance go beyond mere “neighborliness” and cross the line of religious compromise and syncretism? Does observing the religious holy month of Ramadan create the impression of an endorsement of Islam?

— Hat tip: JD

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Our Danish correspondent Kepiblanc has translated an article from today’s Berlingske Tidende about an incident in Helsingør (known to Shakespeare readers as Elsinore). Kepiblanc notes:

There’s little doubt this family is Muslim, but they might be gypsies (there are many in Elsinore). However, according to other sources this model family uses knives to underscore arguments, which makes it 99% sure that they’re true adherents of the Religion of Peace(tm).

And his translation:

Housing Authority evacuates battered unit

One single family terrorizes an entire housing area in Elsinore, Denmark. The management now urges the neighbors to resettle elsewhere, until the family in question can be thrown out.

by Nicholas Rytgaard

Broken windows, punctured tires, and death threats have become everyday events in the Belvedere Road area in Elsinore, where for a long time one family has harassed the residents of the tenement’s twenty-three other apartments.

It culminated last night when police had to rush out with dogs to deal with a fight in the area. A young immigrant boy spat on a woman who, according to police sent a “an offense” back. Shortly thereafter, several people arrived and fights developed among twenty to thirty people.

Now the management has had enough of all the fuss.

“It is an absurd and ludicrous situation. If society cannot remove the family in question, we must move the others,” says Steffen Boel Joergensen, manager of the Lejerbo estate in North Zealand and Copenhagen.

He has now offered the twenty-three families a new place to live, until the harassing family is out of the apartment buildings.

– – – – – – – – –

“I spoke with one resident who asked me if they could get another place to live. Accordingly we offered them another flat immediately,” says Steffen Joergensen.

Lengthy processing

The management informed the family that it has been denounced, but to begin with they have six weeks to object, and if they do so, it ends up in a housing court action which can go on for years.

Steffen Boel Joergensen cannot wait that long.

“It is grotesque that twenty-three families’ lives will be disrupted just in order to obey those procedures. It should be possible in such extreme cases to throw people out with an hour’s notice,” says the manager.

He is ready to take the case to the special enforcement court in order to get the family out as soon as possible.

As a housing manager, he has no major problems with the extra costs of rehousing the other families. He has a more general concern.

“It is bad enough that these people have lost their confidence in protection of civilization. The protection has been abolished at Belvedere Road. Here the law of the jungle prevails,” he says.

For a complete listing of previous enrichment news, see The Cultural Enrichment Archives.

Hat tip: TB.

While Obama hunkers down on posh Martha’s Vineyard, whining about the press coverage of his vacation, here’s an interesting factoid: did you know that sixty-eight percent of Americans are satisfied with their health care coverage?

That’s a figure you won’t hear from the political class, the MSM, or the usual idjits who pontificate on social issues they don’t understand and fail to perform the necessary research that would bring them up to speed.

The MSM loves to invent crises, and the political class loves to pretend to solve them. They both love to pontificate.

On the other hand, it is probably a fact of life that has sunk in to even the hardest Congressional head by now: most people do not trust the junk pages of House Resolution 3200. By page 580, you’re asking yourself if these people are on drugs, of if perhaps they should be taking something, like maybe a large dose of reality.
– – – – – – – – –
The ones brave enough to hold town hall meetings have heard what people think of ObamaCare – and what they think of these patsies for considering the legislation their “leaders” are trying to foist off on them. Wiser Congressmen have decided to take a pass on visiting their home districts during the recess. Who wants to be yelled at for a month by the people who voted for them? Does that endanger their chances for re-election next year? Sure. But who wants to run for public office in the middle of a depression…wait, I take that back. It may be the only job they can get by then.

Better tough it out, your Honorables, or you’ll have to return to lobbying or find a sinecure in some industry whose protective legislation you passed. Come to think of it, there are so many earmarks in the Stimulus attack you already passed that there are hundreds of little cubbies to hide in and draw a salary. Nothing like the grandiose benefits of being a Congressman, but hey, people won’t be yelling at you.

Buyer’s regret is rampant right now, at least in the lower forty-eight states. There is likely to be a groundswell of “throw the bums out” come 2010. Republicans are fortunate to be in a minority because they will not be the main focus of this frontal assault on politicians. Our Clueless Fearless Leader ought to thank the good Lord he’s not running until 2012. By then, if his health care scare tactics make it past the huge hordes of angry people, maybe he’ll have ummm…eliminated any of the problem old people who won’t ever vote for him again. The man is just plain callous…we had a clue when he didn’t show up for his own Grandma’s funeral.

Then there are his henchmen, our legislators, who are mostly drawn from the lawyer class. This is a generalization; there are a few doctors and businessmen, but they tend to vote along conservative lines. The lawyer class, of whom our Fearless-if-Woefully Misguided Leader is one, don’t understand real life. You have only to look at the outcomes of Obama’s vaunted efforts at community organization to realize that the man is other-worldly.

These Congressional imperialists couldn’t explain basic economics to you any more than they could expound on Buddhist theology. Nonetheless, they’re prepared to spend countless hours making stuff up and putting it in humungous legislative packets that they dare you to read. They have to pass these excrements, but they sure aren’t going to actually look inside the, say, 1,017 pages of H.R. 3200. Instead, they have another plan: attack the voters and bully them into shutting up. Peter Weiner observes, in his essay, “Political Organizing in the Age of Obama”:

As a political strategy, it is highly unusual. Support for President Obama’s health-care plan is dropping precipitously, undone by stubborn facts and a growing realization among many Americans of the damaging effects ObamaCare would exact on their lives. As Democratic members of Congress return to their districts and host town-hall meetings, they are, in many circumstances, being met by concerned, agitated, and sometimes raucous or disruptive voters. Opposition is rising by the week.

Faced with all this, Obama and the Democratic National Committee have embraced a novel approach: attack the voters. These voters are, a new DNC ad tells us repeatedly, a “mob,” an “angry mob,” engaging in “mob activity.” Much of the anger, insists the president’ s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, is “manufactured.” There are hints of a conspiracy. And President Obama, in remarks yesterday, gripes and complains about “griping and complaining” by the American public. (This from a man who, during the campaign, in counseling his supporters on what to do with his opponents, asked them to “get in their face” and celebrated properly channeled “anger” on the part of the American people.)

Public officials shouldn’t be shouted down; reasoned, measured debate is certainly preferable to yelling. At the same time, there is a certain hypocrisy in all this as well. During the Bush era, liberals believed dissent – including loud, boisterous speaking “truth to power” – was the highest form of patriotism. “Not any more,” in the immortal words of Peter Sellers’s character Inspector Clouseau…

Oh, my. The worm has turned and the Left is furious that its own tactics are being used to defeat its cockamamie distributionist philosophy.

But the Democrats are planning like mad, trying to build a work-around the FAIL ObamaCare bill. What they’ve come up with to combat the grass-roots, leaderless Tea Party rebellion is a script from Central Headquarters:

The Democratic National Committee and its grassroots arm, Organizing for America, are helping to organize the effort along with the Health Care for America Now, a group pushing to create government-run insurance plan.

“In these last few weeks of recess we want to demonstrate the energy, passion and commitment that the American people have to health insurance reform so that when members return after Labor Day they know that they can turn their attention to getting this done because they have the backing of the American people,” said DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse.

Supporters have their work cut out for them. Many lawmakers were thunderstruck over the August recess by the anger and outrage expressed by their constituents in town hall meetings across the country. And in poll after poll, support for reform has eroded throughout the month.

For those of you who aren’t aware of “Organizing for America” it is merely an extension of Obama’s campaign cadres. Our Fearless-if-Inept Leader knows how to campaign. He has yet to prove he knows how to govern as an executive but he sure can pout with aplomb. That’s because he’s cool and you’re not.

The fact that OfA isn’t on board with this scheme doesn’t matter to the Democrat National Committee. The paid marchers have their orders and march they will. Anything for their Fearless Etc. What they don’t realize is how lame they’re going to look. I’d say that they’ll learn from this experience, but this group is driven by dogma so I doubt that any form of empirical input will change their point of view.

Do check out Rasmussen’s Reports. They’re more accurate than most polls because they limit their respondents to people who actually vote. Imagine! They don’t take into account all the Obama obeisance that emanates from people who couldn’t find their way to the polling booth. Right now, Obama is in double-digit disapproval for the fourth day running. The confidence rating for P. O. is minus 11 and dropping…not like a stone, but rather like a feather blown by fate and following the inexorable laws of gravity.

A prediction: look for scare-tactic headlines to distract you from the nefarious conduct of this administration and from the scandals of the 111th session of Congress. Anything to keep you from looking at the man behind the curtain, Dorothy.

Not only does the Turkish Education Ministry design and fund Islamic education courses for Turkish students in schools abroad, but it begins such education earlier than in Turkey itself.

That means that ethnic Turkish children in Austria and Germany — not just immigrants, but Turks of the nth generation — begin their Islamic instruction in their first year of school. If they were living in Turkey, they wouldn’t begin until the fourth year.

According to Hürriyet:

Students Abroad Receive Religion Classes From Grade One

The Education Ministry has included textbooks on religion classes starting from grade one of primary school for Turkish students abroad, even though such instruction for their counterparts in Turkey only starts in the fourth grade.

The Education Ministry included religion textbooks with the others it supplies free-of-charge to Turkish students abroad as part of the “Our near ones, far away” project.

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The religion textbooks contain only information and items about Islam and include a section explaining the appropriate religious terms to use in various daily activities. They also provide examples of prayers children should say before going to bed.

The subject of religion lessons — and whether such classes should be obligatory to attend — has been on the public agenda for quite some time now. Alevi leaders have objected to their children having to attend classes where only Sunni Islam is taught.

The option of including sections on Alevi practices in religion textbooks has also been discussed. Last year, the Council of State ruled that compulsory religion classes were illegal in their current format after two Alevi residents of Istanbul filed a complaint.

Alevis are a distinct community within Islam and are considered to be more liberal. Alevis are mostly based in Turkey and Syria.

What would have been the outcome of the Cold War if we had allowed Soviet Communists to fund and design courses on Marxist economic theory and the class struggle for our smallest school children?

Welcome to the future, Comrade.

Hat tip: C. Cantoni.

Two parallel memes continue to unfold in the news: the condemnations of the release of the Lockerbie bomber, and the condemnations of the “blood libel” article that appeared in a Swedish newspaper.

The former travesty was motivated by a desire to obtain good oil deals. The latter was a result of… what? Why did a Swedish newspaper see fit to print such an absurd and disgusting article? And why does the Swedish government refuse to condemn it to the same extent it condemned the Danish Motoons?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Thanks to A Greek Friend, Andy Bostom, Barry Rubin, C. Cantoni, CB, CSP, heroyalwhyness, Insubria, JD, Sean O’Brian, TB, Tuan Jim, and all the other tipsters who sent these in. Headlines and articles are below the fold.
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	Financial Crisis
	The FDIC is Broke
	USA
	Andrew Bostom: Killing Rifqa
	Congressman Eyes Lawsuit Over President’s Eligibility
	Death Threats Against Bush at Protests Ignored for Years
	Fed-Up Marine Has Guns Blazing to Oust Democrats
	Frank Gaffney: Stay of Execution
	‘Mad Pride’ Activists Say They’re Unique, Not Sick
	Millions Face Shrinking Social Security Payments
	No Ignoring Protests
	Obama’s Brick Wall: The American People
	Obama Adviser: Let’s Engage Terrorists
	Obama Participated in Socialist Party
	Psychiatry Goes Back to the Future
	Travel Writer Suggests Skipping Arizona Due to Its Gun Carry Laws
	United States: ‘Too Big to Fail’?
	USA Appeases Islam Under President Obama
	Europe and the EU
	Deportations Under EU Warrants Likely to Treble
	In Sweden, Silence is Golden — Just Ask FM Carl Bildt
	Ireland: Protest at Commission’s Role in Debate
	Ireland: Yes to Lisbon Groups Will Outspend No Side
	Lockerbie Bomber: Libya Broke Promise Over Hero’s Welcome, Says Scottish Justice Minister
	Sweden: ‘Aftonbladet’ Editor Admits: No Evidence
	Sweden: Reinfeldt Rejects Israeli Calls to Condemn Paper
	UK: 1,000 Cameras ‘Solve One Crime’
	UK: Author Sebastian Faulks Risks Muslim Fury by Describing the Koran as the ‘Depressing Rantings of a Schizophrenic’
	UK: Legal Action Over BNP Membership
	Balkans
	Kosovo: Eulex Defends Police Accord With Serbia
	Kosovo: Eulex Commander, Deal With Serbia Not in Kosovo’s Name
	North Africa
	Egyptian Police Detain Family of Abducted Christian Girl
	Italy-Tunisia: Berlusconi Visits Friend Ben Ali’ in Tunis
	Lockerbie: Gheddafi Defiant, Berlusconi in Tripoli 30th
	Ramadan: Korean LG Launches New ‘Islamic Phone’ In Tunisia
	Tunisia: Moral Decline? Return of Polygamy Proposed
	Tunisia: Battered Men Given Shelter in Tunis
	Israel and the Palestinians
	Barry Rubin: a Short Guide to Israel-Palestinian Negotiating Positions
	Gaza ‘Islamization’ Continues as Schoolgirls Told to Cover Up
	Haaretz: Shin Bet Protects PNA Leaders
	Interview With Israeli Intelligence Chief Dan Meridor: ‘We All See the Clock Ticking’
	Israel: ‘Swedish Officials May be Unwelcome’
	New Guard Protects Galilee Farms From Pilferers
	Palestinian Authority Frees 200 Hamas Militants for Ramadan
	Settlements: Netanyahu Denies Construction Freeze
	Sweden: Stockholm’s Rabbi: Large Muslim Population Intimidates Local Jews
	U.S. Partner Paid Salary to Al-Qaida Ally
	UN: US Gives $1.2 Million to Palestinian Refugees
	Middle East
	Drop in Pilgrim Numbers to Challenge Saudi Tourism
	Drugs: Saudi Arabia, Seizures and 113 Arrests
	Qatar: Bahrain Eyed Stake in Virgin Galactic
	Ramadan During Hard Times, Prices Rises Feared
	Ramadan: Kuwait Sets Up Tent Safety Checks After Incident
	Saudi Arabia: Models Desert Show for Fear of Families
	Terrorism: Saudi Arabia, 44 Al Qaida ‘Masterminds’ Arrested
	Yemen: Govt: 100 Shia Rebels Killed in Northern Conflict
	Yemeni Troops ‘Kill 100 Rebels’
	Russia
	Dam Tragedy Shows Russia Lags Behind
	New Anti-Cheating Exam Leads to Cheating
	South Asia
	Afghanistan: Italian Soldiers Hit Roadside Bomb
	India Maoists Blow Up Rail Track
	Journalist Shot Dead in Pakistan
	Malaysia: Caning of Women Suspended as Act of “Mercy” For Ramadan
	Sub-Saharan Africa
	Fury at Plan to Power EU Homes From Congo Dam
	Immigration
	Anchor Babies: The Irish Got it Right
	Bildt’s First Moves on October Good, Frattini
	Eritreans in Libya, Ramadan Helps Flight
	EU Commission: We Are Very Active
	Italy Hails Migrant Pledge
	UK: Gangs Import Children for Benefit Fraud
	Culture Wars
	Dismanteling Our Christian Heritage
	Social Utility: How Much Are Grandpa and Grandma Worth?
	General
	Interview With Epidemiologist Tom Jefferson
	Worldwide Battle Rages for Control of the Internet

The FDIC is Broke

The two hallmarks of the Great Depression were unemployment and bank failures. While the same economists who denied there was a recession for the first nine months of the economic contraction are now insisting that it is over and the recovery has begun, I am extremely dubious. Since the crisis became apparent, I believed that 2009 would be the equivalent of 1930, that being the year that everyone expected recovery to be waiting around the corner. But while there are some statistical green shoots, there are also numerous signs that the perceived recovery is illusory, and in fact, the economic situation is more dire now than it was 79 years ago.

In the first year of the Great Depression, unemployment reached 8.7 percent. The present unemployment rate is 9.4 percent. As I have shown previously in this column, bank failures in 2008 and 2009 are also worse than they were in 1930 and 1931 when measured in terms of bank deposits rather than the number of banks. Since that July column was published five weeks ago, 28 more banks have failed and driven the percentage of failed bank deposits up to one percent, which is more than I’d projected for all of 2009. At the current rate, bank failures over the last two years will equal 4.65 percent of total bank deposits, which is more than twice the two percent of failed deposits in 1930 and 1931.

Despite these widespread banking collapses, the American public has remained relatively quiescent, mostly because they believe their deposits are safely insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The problem is that the FDIC has now run out of money; the losses caused by the 81 bank failures this year has completely exhausted the Deposit Insurance Fund. At the beginning of 2008, the DIF had a balance of $52.8 billion. At the end of the year, during which 25 banks failed and caused $17.9 billion in FDIC-estimated losses, the fund was down to $17.3 billion.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Andrew Bostom: Killing Rifqa

Rifqa Bary faces death for her apostasy from Islam, while the media ignores the solid religious and institutional grounding for the practice. Today. In America.

Magdi Allam, is an intrepid Egyptian-born writer and vociferous critic of jihadism who was publicly converted to Christianity from Islam by Pope Benedict XVI during an Easter eve service in St Peter’s Basilica broadcast worldwide, Saturday March 22, 2008. Writing at the time of his public apostasy, Allam highlighted the West’s weakness and flaccidity, foremost, its stifling multiculturalism.

Allam decried the multicultural ethos for blandly asserting the “equality” of cultural and religious mores, even abjuring rational criticism of Islamic religious bigotry — such as authoritative Islam’s living, consensus jurisprudence that those who apostasize from Islam must be killed — lest the tender sensibilities of Muslims be offended. He noted how in his adopted homeland of Italy, every Muslim can go to a mosque, but in the Muslim world there is ongoing and long-standing discrimination against religious minorities — notably Christians — entirely ignored by Western multiculturalists, of all ilks. Allam observed, moreover, the perverse phenomenon that in Western countries,

“When a Westerner decides to convert to Islam, that’s fine, but when a Muslim converts to Christianity, it is suddenly the end of the world. Everyone condemns him, as though he has done something of which he should be ashamed.”

And Allam concluded with this appropriately stern warning…

— Hat tip: Andy Bostom

[Return to headlines]

Congressman Eyes Lawsuit Over President’s Eligibility

Republican finds birth certificate sizzling topic at Arizona town hall

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Arizona, told a townhall meeting in Kingman yesterday he is considering a lawsuit to establish Barack Obama’s eligibility for the presidency.

Franks said there is conflicting evidence on the question of Obama’s status as a “natural born citizen.”

His allusion to the possibility of a lawsuit forcing release of Obama’s original, long-form birth certificate is as far as any member of Congress has gone on this issue.

The eligibility issue was one of the hottest topics at the town hall meeting that included concerns about national defense, stimulus spending, health-care bills and the “cash-for-clunkers” program.

Franks said it would take 34,000 years to pay off the indebtedness incurred by the Obama administration.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Death Threats Against Bush at Protests Ignored for Years

On Wednesday, August 12, a man holding a sign that said “Death to Obama” at a town hall meeting in Maryland was detained and turned over to the Secret Service for questioning, which is pursuing an investigation into charging him with threatening the president.

As well they should. I fully and absolutely agree with the Secret Service pursuing this case, since anyone who threatens the president is breaking the law and should be prosecuted. It doesn’t matter that Obama was not at the meeting nor that the man was unarmed: the threat all on its own is a federal crime, according to the United States Code.

I support the arrest and prosecution of any person who threatens Obama or any president of the United States.

Bush was threatened frequently — but no arrests

But the story of this arrest got me to thinking: Why was no one ever arrested for threatening President Bush at protests, when they displayed signs in public that called for his death?

Many readers may naively think, “The answer is obvious: no protester was ever arrested for threatening Bush at a protest because no one ever threatened him at a protest. Who would be that stupid? I certainly never heard of any such threats.”

Alas, if only it were that simple. Because the bald fact is that people threatened Bush at protests all the time by displaying menacing signs and messages — exactly as the anti-Obama protester just did in Maryland. Yet for reasons that are not entirely clear, none of those Bush-threateners at protests was ever arrested, questioned, or investigated (at least as far as I could tell).

Don’t believe me? Then keep reading. Because this essay exists for one reason only: To prove beyond any doubt that explicit and implicit threats to Bush’s life were commonly displayed at public protests throughout his term as president. Below this introduction you will find dozens of examples of such threats — unaltered photographs from a wide variety of sources, along with links verifying their authenticity…

— Hat tip: Tuan Jim

[Return to headlines]

Fed-Up Marine Has Guns Blazing to Oust Democrats

Regarding his “tough guy” theme, Kelly said, “People are sick of politicians from all parties. They’re lying to them. People want someone to fight for them in Washington and that’s the message I want to convey.”

After being honorably discharged in 2004 and taken off inactive reserve last year, Kelly now works in the private sector as a project manager for a construction company that handles commercial water and sewer projects.

While he says he always loved politics, he never had a desire to be a politician.

But that all changed with the election of Barack Obama — whom Kelly calls a “radical president” — and the signing of the stimulus bill “monstrosity.”

“They’re spending us off the cliff!” he exclaimed. “They’re destroying this nation, and while I’m still breathing, I will not let it happen. It’s time to be ‘in your face.’“

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Frank Gaffney: Stay of Execution

The image of a man convicted of killing 270 Americans and other innocent civilians receiving a hero’s welcome last week at an airport in Libya was at once appalling and infuriating. Unless something permanent is done in the near future, however, the culture that promotes such behavior may soon be exulting over the “honor killing” of a young woman in America.

The young woman in question is Rifqa Bary, a seventeen-year-old from a family of Sri Lankan expatriates who are part of a Muslim community near Columbus, Ohio that is dominated by the Noor Islamic Cultural Center. This mosque is renowned for its adherence to the brutally intolerant and repressive theo-political-religious program authoritative Islam calls Shariah. In fact, counter-terrorism expert Patrick Poole has described the Noor Center as “the premier source of Islamic extremism” in Central Ohio…

— Hat tip: CSP

[Return to headlines]

‘Mad Pride’ Activists Say They’re Unique, Not Sick

For Some, Psychiatric Conditions Are ‘Mad Gifts’ to Be Cherished, Not Medicated

Imagine if Vincent Van Gogh — an artist who was famously afflicted with mental health issues — had been forcibly injected with an antipsychotic drug like Thorazine. Or if Leonardo Da Vinci’s genius had been affected by antidepressants such as Wellbutrin.

That’s what San Francisco-based music artist Madigan Shive wondered.

“I think often that if DaVinci were alive during our time, would we just dope him up? What would we do?” she asked.

It’s a question being asked by a growing grass roots movement about 8,000 members strong — many of whom are rejecting pharmaceutical solutions for psychiatric conditions and fighting the stigmatization and shame of mental illness.

You’ve heard of Black Pride and Gay Pride. Now make room for Mad Pride.

Watch “Primetime Outsiders” this TUESDAY at 10 pm ET.

Mad pride supporters — many dealing with serious mental disorders — are now boldly coming out of the closet. Actor Joe Pantoliano of “The Sopranos” fame views his depression as a gift.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

[Return to headlines]

Millions Face Shrinking Social Security Payments

Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise. The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won’t be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. That hasn’t happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

No Ignoring Protests

President Obama will return from his island idyll to a political landscape completely remade. He still will be greeted by swooning crowds and enthusiastic cheers. But his signature domestic policy is weakened, the result of a resurgent Republican Party that only months ago was on life support.

The irony here is that the Republicans played little role in their recovery, and are instead the innocent and passive beneficiaries of a grassroots (and radio-inspired) insurgency that, if they examine it carefully, may yet bite them as fiercely as it has bitten the president and his congressional allies.

But the conservative backlash against Republicans who supported big-government bailouts of the financial-services, insurance and automobile industries may not be evident for another eight or nine months, when primary challenges to GOP lawmakers may provoke political bloodshed. The damage to the Democrats will be evident before school starts.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Obama’s Brick Wall: The American People

Since assuming office, Obama has been on a mission to fundamentally alter the social compact between the government and a once powerfully sovereign people.

The litany of his shocks to the system is too voluminous to detail in full, but just consider his calculated takeover of GM, his fraudulently marketed trillion-dollar spending schemes, his cap-and-trade boondoggle, his unilateral declaration of an end to the war on terror, his policy to Mirandize terrorists on the battlefield, his cavorting with terrorist dictators, his soft betrayal of Israel, his ceaseless foreign-soil apologies for America, and his crusade to subsume the health care industry.

These are not tweaks to a glorious constitutional republic, but a frantic effort to undo this republic brick by brick. And the American people have finally gotten wise to what’s going on and are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Obama Adviser: Let’s Engage Terrorists

Approach suggests split between White House, State Department

The self-proclaimed principal adviser to President Obama on counter-terrorism is proposing engagement with Hezbollah, which the U.S. officially regards as a terrorist organization, according to a report from Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

John O. Brennan, a former Central Intelligence Agency station chief in the Middle East and State Department official, said that such engagement, in effect, will be part of strengthening U.S. national security and “safeguarding the American people from violent extremism and terrorist attacks.”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Obama Participated in Socialist Party

Activist recalls president’s time with radical Chicago political group

President Obama participated in a controversial 1990s political party with a socialist agenda, recalls a major member of the organization known as the New Party.

WND previously reported on newspaper evidence showing Obama was a member of the New Party, which sought to elect members to public office with the aim of moving the Democratic Party far leftward to ultimately form a new political party with a socialist agenda.

Now a former top member of the New Party recounted in a WND e-mail interview Obama’s participation with his organization.

“A subcommittee met with (Obama) to interview him to see if his stand on the living wage and similar reforms was the same as ours,” recalled Marxist activist Carl Davidson.

“We determined that our views on these overlapped, and we could endorse his campaign in the Democratic Party,” Davidson said.

[…]

Asked by WND whether he thinks Obama has socialist leanings, Davidson stated, “The truth is that Obama was and is a liberal Democrat and an Alinskyist community organizer — which if you know much about Alinsky, is just militant liberalism.”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Psychiatry Goes Back to the Future

First to receive what is essentially psychological training will be “active-duty soldiers, reservists and members of the National Guard,” then it will be “made available to family members and to civilian employees.” The term “made available” implies that something is voluntary, but when government uses it, the word “mandatory” soon follows.

Ah, how quickly people forget the lessons of the past!

First off, this would not be “the first [training] of its kind in the military.”

In 1943, psychiatrist and British military officer, John Rawlings Rees, head of England’s famous Tavistock Clinic, an outgrowth of the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology, provided such “training” to American and British soldiers, ostensibly to prepare them for combat and capture or interrogation. What he wanted to ascertain, however, was whether, under conditions of induced or controlled stress, groups of normal individuals could be made to behave erratically. In particular, he wanted to find out whether they would “let go” of firmly held beliefs under pressure, including peer pressure, in order to conform to a predetermined set of “popular” beliefs. Like political organizer and activist Saul Alinsky later on, Rees believed that one of man’s worst fears was ridicule and ostracism, so his experiments centered on what we now know as “encounter”-style strategies — high-stress, spirit-breaking, psychological “conditioning.”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Travel Writer Suggests Skipping Arizona Due to Its Gun Carry Laws

This week, the travel writer Arthur Frommer found himself in the middle of an unusually heated debate on his blog at Frommers.com after he published a post headlined “Do Guns at Political Events Disturb You? Then Consider Skipping Arizona for Now.”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

United States: ‘Too Big to Fail’?

History is full of nations and empires that were “too big to fail.” The Roman Empire is gone; the Holy Roman Empire is gone; the Byzantine Empire is gone. The great British Empire on which “the sun never set” is now a tiny Island in near bankruptcy.

But don’t worry: The United States is “too big to fail.”

The United States no longer has a real manufacturing base, and almost 90 percent of the economy is based on consumption, mostly of imported goods. But don’t worry, our leaders say that the American consumer society is so big it can’t fail. The leadership believes that the Chinese and the Saudi royals will continue to loan us money to consume because our nation and our economy are just “too big to fail.” Congress and the president believe that the leaders of rich nations understand they must bail out America from time to time, sort of the way American taxpayers had to bail out AIG, GM, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Citibank and others.

Denial is not a river in Egypt. Denial is the state in which the American people and the American leadership live. The trillions of dollars the Bush and Obama administrations have spent to “stimulate” the economy have to be paid back from the future income of taxpayers. Translation: Our children and grandchildren are yoked to a huge debt they cannot possibly repay. Far from being too big to fail, the United States has become too big to survive.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

USA Appeases Islam Under President Obama

By Lee Jay Walker, Tokyo Correspondent

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is set to begin and already President Obama of America is in “manipulation mode” in order to draw America closer to the so-called Muslim world. However, it is clear that Obama’s words are based on Islamic propaganda, however, like so often, coming from the words of a non-Muslim liberal.

Therefore, is it good to have a world leader who speaks on the behalf of another religion and at the same time, repackages it out of all proportion?

In the world of Obama he states that the rituals of Ramadan “remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” Therefore, what “justice” and “tolerance” is Obama talking about?

After all, Mohammed himself did not believe in the dignity of all human beings, on the contrary, Jews and Pagans were killed and enslaved, and within a short time all faiths would be banned from the lands of Mecca and Medina. The multi-religious nature of Arabia would be shattered and destroyed by both Mohammed and the early Muslim leaders who would then eradicate Christianity from Arabia.

If Muslims want to follow Mohammed and to uphold traditions like the superiority of Muslims in Islamic Sharia codified law; then this is on their conscience. However, unlike Islamic Sharia law which deems non-Muslims to be inferior, or indeed subhuman if you do not belong to the people of the book; modern Western law believes in the equality of law for all citizens, irrespective of race, religion, or gender.

In recent weeks we have seen the usual Islamic tolerance of non-Muslims by radical Sunni Islamists. This applies to burning Christians alive in Pakistan, beheading Christian converts from Islam in Somalia, killing innocent Shia Muslims in Iraq, killing Buddhists in Southern Thailand, beheading Christian pastors in Nigeria, persecuting Coptic Christians in Egypt, and so forth.

Instead of the world confronting this menace, we have so many Western leaders in appeasement mode and even moderate Muslims are overwhelmingly silent on the reality of Islam and any nation which is ruled by Islamic Sharia law. Given this, what “tolerance” and “dignity” of all human beings is based on the Koran and the Hadiths. Also, when did Islamic Sharia law believe in the “dignity” of all human beings and eqaulity?

Of course Obama understands the reality of what Islamic Sharia law means and sometimes it is much better to say nothing, rather than trying to fool people by making grand statements based on myths.

After all, the testimony of Christians and Jews in Islamic Sharia law is half that of a Muslim. Therefore, it is clear that Christians and Jews are deemed to be inferior in Islamic Sharia law and for other faiths, like Buddhists or Hindus, then their testimony is even less or according to some radical Islamists, all Buddhists and Hindus should be killed and not even the traces of Buddhist or Hindu monuments must be allowed (this happened in Afghanistan).

Obama is not alone in supporting institutions which clash with his own thinking, after all Obama claims to support the equality of homosexuals, religious freedom, democracy, gender equality, and so forth. The former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, embraced Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi, this Muslim cleric, like many others, supports the execution of homosexuals and he justifies terrorism according to an article which was published in the New York Times.

However, in modern day Saudi Arabia homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment or death. The Sunni Islamic Taliban in Afghanistan also kill homosexuals and of course this is sanctioned in Islamic Sharia law and by Islamic clerics. Recently, it was also reported that Muslims are killing homosexuals in modern day Iraq and homosexuals reside in fear in many mainly Muslim parts of the world, for example Palestinian controlled areas, Iran, Somalia, and a host of other nations.

Meanwhile in 2009 in the modern era we have several faiths that face annihilation or the imposition of jizya tax in order to survive under their Islamic masters. Therefore, the Baha’is reside in fear in Iran because of massive persecution; the Shabaks, Christians, Yazidis, and Mandaeans face death and persecution on a daily basis in Iraq; Buddhists in Southern Thailand are being beheaded and killed; Sikhs have been forced to pay jizya in Pakistan and recently Christians were burnt alive in this nation; the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim community also suffers massive inequality and persecution in Pakistan and they are not allowed to visit Saudi Arabia; and Hindus also fear radical Sunni Islamists in both Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Like I stated in a past article about the Mandaeans in Iraq, it is worth repeating because the Islam of Obama is very different to the reality of Islam and what is happening in the modern world.

Therefore, in 2007 the BBC covered a story about the Mandaeans via the headline “Iraq’s Mandaeans face extinction” which was written by Angus Crawford. During the article Angus Crawford states that “The Mandaeans are pacifists, followers of Adam, Noah and John the Baptist.” He highlights that by 2007 more than 80% had already fled their homeland because of the fear of death and daily persecution.

The article also highlights the plight of a 9 year old boy called Selwan. However, for this 9 year old boy he witnessed the hatred of radical Islam because he was forced to jump into a burning bonfire. The consequences of this, yes, the persecution of such a young boy, is around 20% burns and this only happened to him because he is a Mandaean.

The same article also highlights the forced conversion to Islam of Luay who is too petrified to give his full name. For Luay, a Mandaean, he was forced to convert to Islam and “forcibly circumcised.” Also, like Angus Crawford mentions, because “he was forcibly converted. That means in the eyes of those same extremists, if he now declares himself Mandaean he is (an) apostate.” Therefore, if he re-converts back to the Mandaean faith he may be killed by radical Islamists.

Given this, just where does President Obama think that these people want to reside after fleeing persecution? Does Obama think that all these minorities want to flee to Sharia Islamic law nations, like Saudi Arabia or do they want to flee to the West? Of course he knows the answer and he fully knows that in modern day Saudi Arabia that all converts from Islam face the death penalty.

Also, Ahmadiyya Muslims are forbidden from entering Saudi Arabia and the minority Shia Muslim community suffers enormous persecution. Meanwhile Muslim females can not even drive a car in Saudi Arabia and when a young girl’s school was burning they were left to die because the fire brigade was too worried about mixing with the opposite sex.

Mohammed also married a child when he was an old man and the child was only 6 years old and like Sahih Bukhari (respected Islamic scholar) states “Aisha: that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old.” Therefore, because of this many young girls are married to old men in modern day Saudi Arabia and other Islamic Sharia law based nations and one must add is this the “dignity” that Obama is talking about?

Also, Mohammed stated that (Koran 9:29) “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.”

Mohammed also stated (Koran 5:38) “As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands. It is the reward of their own deeds, an exemplary punishment from Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” Therefore, radical Sunni Islamists in Somalia are enacting this because of the Koran and the same applies to killing apostates because this is also sanctioned in Islam.

Therefore, why is Obama making false statements and why is he ignoring reality? Remember, the same Obama who talks about the dignity of humanity visited the lands of Mecca and Medina. Of course, during his visit to Saudi Arabia he would not have seen one Christian church or Buddhist temple, and if he wanted to read his Christian Bible openly, then under Saudi law he would have faced prison.

The Saudi Arabia he visited is a land which continues to support the killing of apostates from Islam and which denies equality to any other faith, and even persecutes minority Muslim sects. The same Saudi Arabia supports the persecution of all religions and homosexuals; and Islamic clerics in this nation are open about their clear understanding of Islam.

Therefore, why does Obama close his eyes when it pleases him and why does he make false statements which can be ridiculed or openly contradicted at the drop of a hat? If the Dalai Lama, a Buddhist leader, wanted to visit and openly preach in Saudi Arabia he would be killed; therefore, where is the justice and equality in Islamic Sharia law and the Koran for non-Muslims?

— Hat tip: CB

[Return to headlines]

Deportations Under EU Warrants Likely to Treble

Fair Trials International keeps an ever-growing dossier of cases where the deportation system seems to make a mockery of all our traditional ideas of justice, says Christopher Booker.

Last week the Home Office confirmed that, under a new agreement, the number of people facing automatic extradition each year from Britain to other EU countries under the European Arrest Warrant is likely to treble, from 500 to as many as 1,700. Meanwhile, Fair Trials International keeps an ever-growing dossier of cases — such as those of Andrew Symeou and Deborah Dark — where this system seems to make a mockery of all our traditional ideas of justice.

Five years ago Garry Mann (above), a Kent fireman, went to Portugal for the 2004 UEFA football championships. While he was sitting in a bar with friends, a small riot took place in a street nearby. The police rounded up and arrested various people seemingly at random, Mr Mann among them. Less than 24 hours later, Mr Mann faced a perfunctory trial, with no proper defence or translation facilities, and was given a two-year prison sentence. But shortly afterwards, he was released, on condition that he did not return to Portugal for a year.

Back in England, the Metropolitan Police applied for a worldwide football banning order against him. When Mr Mann appealed, a British court refused to uphold the order on the grounds that he had clearly not had a fair trial in Portugal. He was astonished, therefore, to be arrested again, earlier this year, on a European Arrest Warrant ordering his deportation to Portugal to serve out his two-year sentence. Last Tuesday, Westminster magistrates meekly upheld the order.

What makes this system doubly offensive is the craven servitude to which it reduces British courts, which are required automatically to comply with it. Yet this is what Tony Blair signed up to in 2001 in the name of Europe’s ever more glorious integration. As Jago Russell of Fair Trials International put it last week, a threefold increase in the number of European arrest Warrants threatens merely to lead to “three times as many cases of injustice”.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

[Return to headlines]

In Sweden, Silence is Golden — Just Ask FM Carl Bildt

Silence is golden according to Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, the government official who insists his country’s ambassador to Israel must refrain from expressing an opinion on virulent anti-Semitic accusations in the Swedish left-wing tabloid Aftonbladet. Accusations intended as a blood-libel against all Jews and Israelis everywhere.

The article’s author Donald Boström freely admits that he has no evidence of any of his allegations but says it is up to Jews and Israelis to prove themselves innocent. An interesting if not entirely original twist — Jews are guilty until they prove themselves innocent. The basic tenets of democracy do not appear to be familiar to either Boström or Aftonbladet…

— Hat tip: TB

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Ireland: Protest at Commission’s Role in Debate

THE EUROPEAN Commission has been accused of acting ultra vires and of “behaving like a political party by engaging directly in the Irish referendum campaign”.

An anti-Lisbon group, the National Platform EU Research and Information Centre, issued a response yesterday to a statement from the commission on Friday in which it set out its view of a number of issues pertinent to the Lisbon debate.

These relate to trade agreements, Ireland’s voting weight in the council, Turkish EU membership and bureaucracy in the Common Agricultural Policy.

Director of the National Platform Anthony Coughlan said a move by the commission to counter a claim by Farmers for a No Vote that the treaty would affect inheritance rights here was “the Brussels commission behaving as a political party and engaging directly in the Irish referendum campaign”.

“The commission is using the EU taxpayers’ money, partly financed by Irish taxpayers, through the medium of its website to help support the Yes campaign.

“The Commission is acting ultra vires here. It has absolutely no legal function in relation to the ratification of new European treaties. It only acquires functions in relation to these treaties once they have been ratified and become part of the European law.”

Separately, Munster MEP Brian Crowley also responded to the claims by the Farmers for a No Vote that inheritance rights would be affected by the treaty.

This was a “baseless allegation”, he said “The bottom line is that the EU institutions only have the powers to bring forward new laws in policy areas given to it under the EU treaties. This principle is known as the doctrine of conferral.

“Irish inheritance laws are governed by the Succession Act 1965, by amending legislation and by subsequent Irish case law.”

The Fine Gael Lisbon campaign director Billy Timmins yesterday said his party’s focus would be on the economic dividends of EU membership. “The EU is the economic handrail we need now more than ever,” he said.

Another group, Voteno.ie, said it was vital voters be clear on the fact the referendum was not one on EU membership or influence, but on a specific treaty.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Ireland: Yes to Lisbon Groups Will Outspend No Side

Supporters of the Lisbon treaty are set to out-spend the No side by 10 to 1 in the referendum campaign. An estimate of the budgets for the Yes side indicates it will spend at least €2.4m, compared with the No campaigners’ €270,000.

The spending by the Yes groups does not include the budget for We Belong, a civic group, whose supporters include the businessman Bill Cullen, which refuses to say how much it will spend.

Fine Gael will be one of the biggest spenders on the Yes side, with an estimated budget of €700,000. Billy Timmins, the party’s director of elections, said this amount includes €350,000-€400,000 from party headquarters, and €300,000 of spending at constituency level.

“The vast majority of that will go on billboards, canvassing materials and posters,” he said. “The cost of advertising is huge, but we are determined to run a concerted and vigorous campaign.”

Intel, an American multinational and one of the country’s biggest private-sector employers, joined the Yes side last week and promised to spend “hundreds of thousands” of euros. Sources suggest the amount will be about €300,000.

Ibec, the employers’ group, has set aside €150,000 for its Yes campaign.

A spokesman for Ireland for Europe, a civic group, said: “We have spent €120,000 so far. We’re hoping to spend significantly more and fundraising is ongoing.” Its patrons include Seamus Heaney, Edge of U2 and Paul McGuinness, the group’s manager; Harry Crosbie, the owner of the O2 and Peter Sutherland, the BP chairman.

Labour plans to spend €100,000. Fianna Fail refused to release details of its campaign budget. Last year it spent more than €700,000.

The withdrawal of the Libertas founder Declan Ganley from the No side has left the treaty’s opponents in a poor financial situation. Libertas spent up to €1.1m on its last No campaign.

Sinn Fein and Coir, a lobby group, will be the biggest spenders on the No side. A spokesman for Sinn Fein said its budget had not yet been fixed, but last year it spent €100,000.

Coir said it hopes to spend at least €100,000. Scott Schittl, a co-ordinator for the group, said: “Whatever it is, it won’t even compare to the resources the Yes side have.”

Joe Higgins, the Socialist MEP, said: “We’re talking about tens of thousands, but I wouldn’t say we’ll get to €40,000, to be honest.”

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Lockerbie Bomber: Libya Broke Promise Over Hero’s Welcome, Says Scottish Justice Minister

Kenny MacAskill, Scotland’s justice secretary, accused Libya of breaking a promise not to give a hero’s welcome to the freed Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi.

He told an emergency session of the Scottish Parliament: “It is a matter of great regret that Mr Megrahi was received in such an inappropriate manner.

“It showed no compassion or sensitivity to the families of the 270 victims of Lockerbie.”

He went on: “Assurances had been given by the Libyan Government that any return would be dealt with in a low-key and sensitive fashion.”

Mr MacAskill was speaking at a special session of the Scottish Parliament, recalled from its summer recess to allow MSPs to question him on his decision to free terminally-ill Megrahi.

The Justice Secretary defended his actions in freeing Megrahi on compassionate early release grounds, while turning down a request for him to be transferred to jail in Libya.

Earlier, Gordon Brown faced fresh criticism for commenting on England’s Ashes cricket victory, but remaining silent about what he thinks about the release of Abdulbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, said the Prime Minister’s continued refusal to comment on last week’s controversial release of Britain’s biggest mass murderer “absurd and damaging”.

Downing Street maintained that the matter of Megrahi’s freedom was one for the Scottish administration, despite condemnation of the release by Barack Obama and the director of the FBI.

A spokesman for Downing Street, in response to repeated questions about the Prime Minister’s silence, repeatedly stated: “It was and it remains a decision for the Scottish Justice Secretary.”

However, Mr Brown has been more forthcoming about England’s Ashes victory — inviting criticism that he is happy to comment on frivolous matters, but not the release of a man who killed 270.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister would be writing to the victorious England team.

A spokesman added: “Of course the Prime Minister was delighted by the win.”

When asked why Mr Brown was not commenting on the Megrahi decision by the SNP-led Scottish parliament, despite routinely attacking its policies, the spokesman said the release was “a uniquely sensitive and difficult decision”.

He did admit that Mr Brown agreed with comments by David Miliband and Alistair Darling last week about the nature of Megrahi’s homecoming in Tripoli where he was greeted as a hero.

A spokesman said: “He found the scenes at Tripoli airport thoroughly distasteful and fully supports what the Foreign Secretary and Alistair Darling have said, and will continue to work with the Libyans to ensure that those things are not repeated.”

Asked whether the release gave succour to terrorists, he said: “I don’t think it does. This was a decision taken by the Scottish Justice Secretary in accordance with the laws of Scotland. I don’t see that anyone can argue that this gives succour.”

Mr Clegg said: “Although the decision to release Megrahi was a Scottish one for which Gordon Brown was not personally responsible the fallout puts the UK at the centre of an international storm.

“In these circumstances, it is absurd and damaging that the British Prime Minister simply remains silent in the hope that someone else will take the flak.”

The Prime Minister, who was in Scotland when Megrahi was released last week, was also urged to clarify whether he used the opportunity to talk with members of the Scottish administration over the matter.

Opposition spokesmen have accused Mr Brown of a “complete failure of leadership” as he maintained his refusal to speak about the early release from prison of the only man convicted of Britain’s worst terrorist atrocity.

The Prime Minister refused to make any statement despite disclosures that he had more detailed discussions with Colonel Gaddafi about the issue than previously known, and that a Foreign Office minister seemingly endorsed the decision three weeks ago.

Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats demanded that Mr Brown, who is still in Scotland on his summer break, disclose whether he met Scottish ministers over the release.

Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said his refusal to do so “adds disgrace to the shame of the initial decision.”

He said: “We know what David Cameron thinks about it, we know what the former and current first ministers of Scotland think, we know what everyone thinks except Gordon Brown.

“When the going gets tough, Gordon Brown disappears, it’s the story of his political career, it’s anything but leadership.”

Patrick Mercer, chairman of the Commons counter-terrorism subcommittee, said there was a risk of “long term damage to our intelligence relationship” with the US. He said unless Mr Brown made his stance clear, “there is a real danger of payback time from the U.S. on several fronts”.

As the transatlantic row over the issue intensified, Labour figures continued to heap blame on to the devolved Scottish administration — despite Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, having thanked his “friend.”

In a statement that was along similar lines to the one he made when announcing the decision last week, Mr MacAskill told the Scottish Parliament said: “It was my responsibility to decide upon these two applications.

“They were my decisions and my decisions alone.”

But Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray told Parliament: “The Cabinet Secretary has mishandled this whole affair from start to finish.

“Between the scenes of triumph in Tripoli and the pain and anger at home and abroad, is there anything Mr MacAskill now regrets about his decision and the way it was reached?”

The Tories called the decision “flawed.”

In his 20-minute statement to MSPs, Mr MacAskill set out in detail his rationale on deciding Megrahi’s fate.

The convicted Libyan, serving life for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, is said to be terminally ill with prostate cancer.

Mr MacAskill said he had already published “key material” on the applications for compassionate early release and for a prisoner transfer.

“I will now look to publish other relevant material,” he told MSPs.

“Some of this can only be done with the permission of others, which we are seeking.”

He said Megrahi’s decision to withdraw his second appeal against conviction was “a matter for him and the courts”.

“My decisions were predicated on the fact that he was properly investigated, a lawful conviction passed and a life sentence imposed,” he said.

— Hat tip: TB

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Sweden: ‘Aftonbladet’ Editor Admits: No Evidence

The Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet, which caused a media stir in recent days with an article claiming IDF soldiers were harvesting organs from Palestinians, published an editorial on Monday denying Israeli claims.

“I’m not a Nazi,” Aftonbladet editor Jan Helin wrote. “I’m not anti-Semitic.”

Instead, he described himself as “a responsible editor who gave the green light to an article because it raises a few questions.” He did note, however, that the paper had no evidence that such horrific practices were being carried out.

On Sunday, Aftonbladet published a follow-up article, defending the offending report written by freelance journalist Donald Bostrom. The second article maintained that the organ-harvesting matter “should be investigated, either to stop the relentless Palestinian rumors, or, if the rumors prove to be true, stop the trade in body parts.”

The article also called Swedish Ambassador in Israel Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier’s condemnation of the article a “disgrace.”

Helin’s editorial came amid an avalanche of Israeli condemnations of Stockholm’s refusal to condemn the article. However, though Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz on Sunday intimated that Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt may not be welcome in Israel for a meeting planned for early next month, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said there were no plans whatsoever to scuttle the visit.

Meanwhile, in an article published Friday, Arab media site Menassat interviewed Donald Bostrom, the Swedish journalist who wrote the original Aftonbladet story. Bostrom emphasized that there was “no conclusive evidence” that organ hartvesting was a systematic IDF practice, but rather a “collection of allegations and suspicious circumstances.”

“The point is that we know there is organ trafficking in Israel. And we also know that there are families claiming that their children’s organs have been harvested. These two facts together point to the need for further investigation,” Bostrom was quoted as saying.

— Hat tip: TB

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Sweden: Reinfeldt Rejects Israeli Calls to Condemn Paper

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt rejected demands from Israel on Monday to condemn claims put forward in an article in a Swedish tabloid about alleged organ harvesting from the bodies of dead Palestinians.

The high circulation Aftonbladet daily made the allegations in a story last week,

sparking public outrage in Israel and prompting senior figures in the government to demand that Sweden distance itself from the report.

But Reinfeldt said it was not for the government to comment on the content of every newspaper, stressing that a free press is an integral part of Swedish democracy.

“It’s important for me to say that you cannot turn to the Swedish government and ask it to violate the Swedish constitution,” he was quoted as saying by the TT news agency.

Reinfeldt also rejected the suggestion that the row could undermine his country’s work in the Middle East peace process as the current holders of the EU presidency.

“Political ambitions always risk being used as an excuse to break off contacts or efforts, but I have no reason to believe that (is what is happening) at this point in time and I hope it won’t go down that route,” he said.

A spokeswoman for the Swedish prime minister later confirmed the comments.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt is expected to visit Israel in two weeks time and Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor has said that the incident “will cast a worrying shadow over meetings if it is not resolved”.

Bildt himself was however keen to downplay talk of a diplomatic row when questioned by reporters on Friday.

“We have a very strong state relationship between Israel and our government. We are both open and democratic societies,” Bildt said.

Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier, the Swedish ambassador to Israel, had initially expressed outrage at the article, but Stockholm distanced itself from her remarks several days later, drawing a stinging response from the Israelis.

— Hat tip: TB

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UK: 1,000 Cameras ‘Solve One Crime’

Only one crime was solved by each 1,000 CCTV cameras in London last year, a report into the city’s surveillance network has claimed.

The internal police report found the million-plus cameras in London rarely help catch criminals.

In one month CCTV helped capture just eight out of 269 suspected robbers.

David Davis MP, the former shadow home secretary, said: “It should provoke a long overdue rethink on where the crime prevention budget is being spent.”

He added: “CCTV leads to massive expense and minimum effectiveness.

“It creates a huge intrusion on privacy, yet provides little or no improvement in security.

“The Metropolitan Police has been extraordinarily slow to act to deal with the ineffectiveness of CCTV.”

Nationwide, the government has spent £500m on CCTV cameras.

But Det Sup Michael Michael McNally, who commissioned the report, conceded more needed to be done to make the most of the investment.

He said: “CCTV, we recognise, is a really important part of investigation and prevention of crime, so how we retrieve that from the individual CCTV pods is really quite important.

“There are some concerns, and that’s why we have a number of projects on-going at the moment.”

Among those projects is a pilot scheme by the Met to improve the way CCTV images are used.

A spokesman for the Met said: “We estimate more than 70% of murder investigations have been solved with the help of CCTV retrievals and most serious crime investigations have a CCTV investigation strategy.”

Officers from 11 boroughs have formed a new unit which collects and labels footage centrally before distributing them across the force and media.

It has led to more than 1,000 identifications out of 5,260 images processed so far.

A Home Office spokeswoman said CCTVs “help communities feel safer”.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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UK: Author Sebastian Faulks Risks Muslim Fury by Describing the Koran as the ‘Depressing Rantings of a Schizophrenic’

Best-selling novelist Sebastian Faulks has risked incurring the wrath of Muslims by dismissing the Koran as just ‘the depressive rantings of a schizophrenic’ with ‘no ethical dimension’.

The author of Birdsong and Engleby also claimed that, compared to the Bible, the Islamic holy scripture is ‘barren’.

Faulks, who turned to the Koran while researching his latest novel, said: ‘It’s a depressing book. It really is. It’s just the rantings of a schizophrenic. It’s very one-dimensional, and people talk about the beauty of the Arabic and so on, but the English translation I read was, from a literary point of view, very disappointing.

‘There is also the barrenness of the message,’ he told The Sunday Times. ‘I mean, there are some bits about diet, you know, the equivalent of the Old Testament, which is also crazy.

‘But the great thing about the Old Testament is that it does have these incredible stories. Of the 100 greatest stories ever told, 99 are probably in the Old Testament and the other is in Homer.

‘With the Koran there are no stories. And it has no ethical dimension like the New Testament, no new plan for life. It says ‘the Jews and the Christians were along the right tracks, but actually, they were wrong and I’m right, and if you don’t believe me, tough — you’ll burn for ever’. That’s basically the message of the book.’

Faulks read the Koran to help him write A Week in December, which will be published next month.

The novel, which is set in present-day London, has a cast of characters including the wife of Britain’s youngest MP, a female Tube train driver, a hedge fund manager and a Glasgow-born Islamic terrorist recruit.

Ajmal Masroor, an imam and spokesman for the Islamic Society of Britain said Faulk’s statements ran the risk of stirring religious hatred against Muslims.

‘Attacks on Islam are nothing new, but the danger is this will have a ‘drip, drip’ effect.

‘People don’t seem to understand the consequences of saying things like this could be quite severe. History tells us it can encourage hatred.’

In 1989, a fatwa was issued for the author Salman Rushdie, after the publication of his book The Satanic Verses the previous year. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of Iran at the time, said the book was ‘blasphemous against Islam, and called for Rushdie to be executed.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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UK: Legal Action Over BNP Membership

The UK’s equalities watchdog has begun legal action against the British National Party over concerns about ethnic restrictions on its membership.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission said limiting membership to those of an “ethnic origin” described as “indigenous Caucasian” was illegal.

It has issued proceedings against BNP leader Nick Griffin and two officials.

The party called this a “pathetic attempt” by the commission to divert attention from its own problems.

But equality minister Harriet Harman said: “No party should be allowed to have an apartheid constitution in 21st Century Britain. I welcome the action.”

The commission has issued county court proceedings against the BNP after voicing concerns in June.

‘Not willing’

In a statement it said: “The BNP’s membership criteria appear to restrict membership to those within what the BNP regards as particular ‘ethnic groups’ and those whose skin colour is white. This exclusion is contrary to the Race Relations Act.

“The commission believes the BNP’s constitution and membership criteria are discriminatory and, further, that the continued publication of them on the BNP website is unlawful.

“It has therefore issued county court proceedings against party leader Nick Griffin and two other officials.”

John Wadham, director of legal affairs at the commission, said: “The BNP has said that it is not willing to amend its membership criteria which we believe are discriminatory and unlawful.

“The commission has a statutory duty to use our regulatory powers to enforce compliance with the law, so we have today issued county court proceedings against the BNP.

“However, the party still has an opportunity to resolve this quickly by giving the undertaking on its membership criteria that the commission requires.”

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Kosovo: Eulex Defends Police Accord With Serbia

(ANSAmed) — PRISTINA, AUGUST 18 — EULEX, the EU civilian mission in Kosovo, has defended the validity of its collaboration accord with Serbian police expected to be signed over the coming days. “If a murder occurs in Kosovo and the suspected assassin flees to Serbia, the two parties involved must be able to share information. This is what we want to happen. All of the information will also be provided to Kosovo police,” said EULEX in a statement released today in Pristina. Yesterday the president and government of Kosovo expressed opposition to the accord, saying that it was up to Kosovo’s government and official institutions to finalise accords and regulate relations with other countries. Showing support for the accord today was, instead, Serbian Minister for Internal Affairs Ivica Dacic, who said that the document is important for peace, stability and security not only in Kosovo but also in the rest of Serbia (Belgrade does not recognise Kosovo as an independent country). “Organised crime, smuggling, illegal crossing of borders, and human trafficking are all regional issues which do not stop at the border, and in order to struggle against them with any success it is necessary to share information,” added EULEX, stressing that similar agreements between police forces already exist with Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania. In the statement EULEX also noted that the EU mission in Kosovo has executive power, as declared in the February 2008 mission acceptance letter sent by Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Kosovo: Eulex Commander, Deal With Serbia Not in Kosovo’s Name

(ANSAmed) — PRISTINA, AUGUST 19 — The Head Commander of the EU civil mission in Kosovo (EULEX) Yves de Kermabon stressed that the expected collaboration agreement with Serbia on the fight against organised crime will not be signed in any way in the name of Kosovo’s government, but only in the name of the EULEX mission. “EULEX has not signed, and cannot sign any agreement in Kosovo’s name. As a technical mission active to establish the rule of law, EULEX can sign agreements only under the name EULEX and on topics regarding the rule of law, as agreed upon by the EU,” said Kermabon in a statement to the media today in Pristina. The EULEX Head Commander spoke after growing controversy has been mounting on the expected signing of an agreement between the European civil mission and Serbia’s Interior Minister. The authorities in Pristina said that they are against the agreement, stating that only the legitimate government in Kosovo can have relations and sign agreements with other states. In Kermabon’s opinion, there has been a misunderstanding, and the authorities in Pristina incorrectly interpreted the agreement that will be signed in Belgrade. The EULEX head commander asked to meet tomorrow with Kosovo’s President Fatmir Sejdiu and Premier Hashim Thaci. “Organised crime and human trafficking, as well as drug and weapons trafficking can be fought efficiently only if there is regional cooperation and an efficient exchange of data and information,” observed Kermabon, who pointed out that they have already signed similar EULEX agreements with Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egyptian Police Detain Family of Abducted Christian Girl

By Mary Abdelmassih

(AINA) — On August 21, 2009 the family of 14-year-old missing Coptic girl Nagafa Mahrous went to Al-Marg police station to identify their daughter but was detained by the police “on orders from the State Security.”

Nagafa, whose family reported her missing on on 6/14/2009, arrived at the police station dressed in a Burqa and told her parents she has converted to Islam and is now married. She was accompanied by 33-year old plumber Ramadan Ibrahim, whom she said was her husband. She had gone to the police to establish the fact that she was married and filed a complaint against her family demanding an official pledge from them for non-harassment.

Nagafa used the identity of her 19-year-old sister, Awatef, who went missing 15 years ago. Using her sister’s data she had a national identity card issued with the name of Awatef and was therefore able to change her religion and get married. “Of course she has not thought of that alone, she is still a child,” said Nabil Ghobrial, Coptic activist and attorney of the Mahrous family, in an audio interview with Wagih Yacoub of the Middle East Christian Association (MECA).

According to Ghobrial, the Al-Marg Police Captain, Walid Abdel-Aziz, refused to issue a police report at first, under the pretext that the family has to prove that Nagafa is a minor, and then refused to give them the police report number.

Ghobrial accused Nagafa Mahrous and Ramadam Ibrahim of falsification of official documents, Ramadan with abduction and rape of a minor (which Captain Abdel Aziz refused to document in the report) and the Islamic marriage clerk (ma’azoun) with issuing a marriage certificate to a minor.

When the abducted girl’s family came to leave the police station, Captain Walid Abdel-Aziz detained them “on orders from the State Security.”

“The abducted girl’s mother, her 13-year-old brother Hany and her grandfather were detained, which is a flagrant violation of the Mahrous family’s civil rights,” Ghobrial said. All concerned would be presented to the Public Prosecution on the following day.

All parties were presented to the prosecution on 22nd August. Commenting on the session, Attorney Ghobrial said that all those held in custody were released without any charges, including the 14-year-old Nagafa and her so-called Muslim husband Ramadan Ibrahim. “Although the Prosecutor admitted that the official document were falsified no charges were brought against any one.” he told Yacoub of MECA. “It was also found out that the Islamic marriage clerk knew that the minor girl was still Christian, he documented that she was Muslim with the name of Mariam.” He also added that the police pressured the family to pledge not to harass their 14-year-old daughter.

“I am informing the President of the Republic and the Interior Minister that a family comes to the police station reporting the abduction of their minor daughter and they get detained unlawfully ‘on orders from the State Security,’“ said Ghorbrial. “Besides, how can a child be detained? Where are the laws protecting the rights of the child?”

Ghorbrial criticized Al-Azhar for converting a 14-year-old girl in the absence of the Advice and Guidance Committee, as specified by the Registry Office. A law regulating the Advice and Guidance committees was passed in 1863 by Isma’il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, according to which a Copt only converts to Islam after attending sittings with these committees, which were attended by a priest, to ensure a sincere desire on his part to convert without being subjected to any pressure.

With the advent of the 1952 Revolution, this law was abolished, to be replaced by various laws in the same vain, until 1997 when The Interior Ministry agreed with Alazhar that the Fatwa Council would send the documents of those wishing to convert to Islam to the State Security. Matters went on as usual, giving the right to the concerned families to be present, which in many cases led to the would-be converts revising their decision and remaining Christian. In 2004 the Ministry of Interior unilaterally stopped the use of the Advice and Guidance Committees without acquiring a ministerial decree canceling the law regulating the procedures for conversion into Islam.

It is widely believed that the Interior Ministry cancelled the Advice and Guidance Committees as a result of the exposure of its complicity in forced Islamization of Coptic minor girls (AINA 7-18-2009, 7-30-2009, 8-11-2009).

Ghobrial said “There is nothing in the law which gives powers to the Fatwa Council.”

According to the renowned Coptic political analyst Magdy Khalil, not one case of minor abduction and rape was ever presented by the Ministry of the Interior to the judiciary, making it an accomplice in these terrible crimes.

“In many cases of forced Islamization Coptic minor girls, the State Security conspires to facilitate the criminal act, misleads the bereaved families of the victims and turns them from victim to accused,” he said.

Ghobrial believes there is a strong Islamic cell operating in the Al-Marg district of Cairo north, which is working on the Islamization of Christian minors and falsifying their papers.

“My collegues and I have been working for quite some time on the Coptic issue and there are many cases of girls being abducted and who go missing in Al Marg,” he said. “We found out that the State Security participates in the abduction of Coptic minor girls. They are then kept away until they reach the age of 18 years, after which the police closes the case file relevant to that girl and she becomes a de facto Muslim.”

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Italy-Tunisia: Berlusconi Visits Friend Ben Ali’ in Tunis

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 18 — A meeting between old friends, not a state visit. Silvio Berlusconi will today fly to Tunis to spend a few hours with the president of the Tunisian Republic, Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. It is not the first time that Berlusconi has interrupted his holidays to visit Ben Alì: in fact it’s almost become a habit. In 2007 when he was in opposition, he visited Tunis to spend the day with Ben Alì in August, leaving his Sardinian home, Villa La Certosa, for several hours. Berlusconi and Ben Alì have been friends for some time. In the five-year period when the former was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, there were four meetings between the two men: May 14, 2001 in Tunis to talk about cooperation and the fight against terrorism; December 6, 2003 again in Tunis on the occasion of the summit between the heads of state and government of European and Maghreb countries. The third meeting on November 22, 2005 in Tunis was a bilateral meeting on economic issues. On May 11, 2004, Berlusconi hosted the Tunisian leader in Rome, in the institutional residency of Villa Pamphili, to talk about Iraq and the process of Maghrebi integration. Ben Alì was a great friend of Bettino Craxi, even before the former socialist leader took up residency in Hammamet. This time however the visit is “private” as the Italian cabinet office has underlined. The proof is in the fact that the diplomatic office has not been activated. It is possible that Tarak Ben Hammar, an internationally well-known financier and friend of both men, will take part as happened in 2007. According to the few rumours circulating, the meeting is set to take place at Ben Ali”s summer residence. Berlusconi is expected to return to Italy this evening.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Lockerbie: Gheddafi Defiant, Berlusconi in Tripoli 30th

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 24 — The scheduled visit by Italy’s prime minister to Libya on August 30 is “most opportune” and will go ahead. Any rumours of second thoughts on the part of Silvio Berlusconi were thoroughly quashed yesterday by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, and his visit to Tripoli, scheduled for the end of this month to celebrate the first anniversary of the signing of the Cooperation and Friendship Treaty alongside Muammar Gaddafi. There is no change of plan, then, despite the international controversy following the hero’s reception laid on by the Libyan leader for the return to Tripoli of Abdelbaset al Megrahi, the Libyan terrorist found guilty of the Lockerbie massacre and then released by the Scots authorities on humanitarian grounds. The Colonel himself showed no signs of contrition yesterday. Gaddafi, indeed, made it known through press agency Jana, that the West still has “a policy of double measures resulting from its arrogance and disdain it has for other nations and their public opinion”. It is a policy “that generates the terrorism which they now suffer (referring to those countries protesting over al Megrahi’s reception). Terrorism is a phenomenon with a double cause and it finds its justification in these policies”. These stone-hard words were justified by Gaddafi by recollections of the case of the Bulgarian nurses who were found guilty in Libya of having inoculated 400 babies with the HIV virus before being handed over to Bulgaria and welcomed in their home country as well as at the European Parliament with “a standing ovation, as if they were heros”. But Italo-Libyan relations are now so close and full that any change of plan would be difficult. An indirect confirmation of this came directly from the lips of the head of Italy’s Foreign Ministry, who explained that there are “at least three reasons” for going to Tripoli on August 30: “First of all because Gaddafi is the Chair of the African Union; in the second place, we have shown both Libya and the rest of the world that we have made a break with our colonial past. No other country has done so and we deserve praise for this. In the third place because we now have a consolidated relationship with Libya which goes beyond economic ties, but it is a rapport of Mediterranean collaboration” the Foreign Minister concluded. From the Prime Minister’s office comes the news that this visit will last only a few hours, coming in the middle of Ramadan, and that the Italian premier should share a supper with Gaddafi. He will also lay the foundation stone for the majestic coastal motorway the Libyan leader is so keen on and which has become the symbol of mending the scar of Italian colonialism in the then Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Ramadan: Korean LG Launches New ‘Islamic Phone’ In Tunisia

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 21 — It will certainly have a solid religious base, but also with its release on the market for Ramadan, the Islamic Phone is also a commercial move. The Islamic Phone, an idea born in Tunisia, is being manufactured by Korean electronics group LG. The local press reports that the product will be officially presented in Tunisia. LG GD335 is the name of the new GSM. It is equipped with a series of applications intended to “encourage daily religious practices”. The mobile phone offers the Koran, with music and text images and translations into various languages as well as ‘ahadith’ (oral tradition relating to the words and deeds of the Prophet), announcements for prayer, and calls to prayer (adhân). With the aid of an electronic compass it can also point worshipers in the direction of Mecca (Qibla) and more. The idea of a phone equipped with ‘Islam-related’ functions, developed in just a few months, obtained the approval of the Superior Islamic Council, which verified the various texts and provided religious authorisation and certifications, for example regarding the verses of the Koran. LG, after presenting the phone in Tunisia, will market the phone in other countries. The new phone, which will cost 270 dinars in Tunisia (about 140 euros) has all the normal functions of a GSM. Owners of another LG phone model can download the new Islamic applications. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tunisia: Moral Decline? Return of Polygamy Proposed

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 18 — “An increase in the number of unmarried women and in a state of moral degeneration and excessive freedom favouring extra-marital relations,” makes it necessary to “authorise polygamy”, which is “permitted by Islam” and on which the prophet Mohammed “provided us a good example”. An unexpected proposal was launched by Dalanda Sahbi, who attended a conference in Tunis for Women’s Day organised by the pro-government Social Liberal Party. The focus of the encounter was progress achieved by Tunisian women after the adoption of laws that since 1957 have banned polygamy, which became a crime punishable with up to 6 years in prison. It should be stated that, reports the Magharebia.com website, “Sabhi’s idea was not well-accepted by those at the conference,” but some were in support of it. One of the supporters was Samira Laouati, a married woman according to whom the regulations adopted by former President Habib Bourguiba go against the will of Tunisian women. And she believes that the current law encourages moral decline and divorce. In Tunisia last year a record number of 9,127 divorces were recorded compared to 16,000 marriages. Among the main causes of divorce is domestic violence, followed by cultural and social differences. Among the least frequent causes are sterility, handicaps, loss of virginity before marriage, deceit, lack of trust, and jealousy. Abolishing the law that prohibits polygamy, in Laouati’s opinion, would contribute to “fighting against growing trends of arrogant women with too much freedom, who don’t respect marriage or any other rules”. Polygamy would put them “on the right path”. Mokhtar Tlili, a journalist present at the event, made an interesting observation, pointing out that in the context of a more emphasised religious sentiment in Tunisia, the issue of polygamy seems like it could make a comeback. “Women, as usual,” he said, “are transformed into a tool of conflict, which apparently has a religious aspect, but in reality is political.” Finally a question was posed by a single women, Ahlam Bouchaouel: “has polygamy in the countries of the Gulf region put an end to moral corruption or people being single?”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tunisia: Battered Men Given Shelter in Tunis

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 18 — Domestic violence is not only directed against wives, but many times also husbands suffer from it, as born witness to by the fact that in Kran (Tunis) there is a shelter called “Le Refuge”, with ten men who have been victims of violence. The shelter provides not only a roof to sleep under and food, but also psychological assistance. Also being set up is the “Association Tunisienne des Hommes Battus”. According to its promoters, it will bring solidarity and help to male victims of marital violence. Today’s Le Quotidien reports on the issue, providing recent data which say that 10% of men fall victim to physical violence and that 30% suffer severe verbal aggression. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Barry Rubin: a Short Guide to Israel-Palestinian Negotiating Positions

This is a quick, brief guide to the negotiating positions of Israel’s government and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Israeli Negotiating Position

Two-State Solution: Israel accepts a two-state solution—including an independent Palestinian state—only under conditions it believes would lead to real and lasting peace.

It is a myth that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only recently accepted this goal or did so only under U.S. pressure. In fact, he agreed to this as an outcome of negotiations in 1996.

Israel has put forward five conditions…

— Hat tip: Barry Rubin

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Gaza ‘Islamization’ Continues as Schoolgirls Told to Cover Up

(IsraelNN.com) Gaza took another step towards strict Islamic law this week with the imposition of new dress codes on schoolgirls. Girls and young women returning to school on Sunday were told that they must wear jilbab, traditional Islamic sleeved robes, and cover their hair, or they would not be allowed to return to class.

Posters hung in Gaza City schools announced that all girls would be required to wear navy blue jilbab, a white headscarf, and white or black shoes. Dozens of students reported being sent home after appearing in school in jeans.

In addition, public high school classes have been separated, with boys and girls learning in different buildings.

According to some Gaza residents, the new rules are being enforced on members the region’s small Christian minority as well, despite the fact that Christians are generally considered exempt from following Islamic law. However, the laws have not been enforced within private Christian schools.

Hamas officials denied Monday that they were connected to the new school dress codes. The decision to enforce strict standards of dress was made at the local level, by individual principals, Hamas claimed.

Most girls and their families were in favor of the new dress codes, they added.

Reports of a new school dress code caused anger in Judea and Samaria, where Palestinian Authority loyalists accused Hamas of violating the PA charter, which forbids the enforcement of a public dress code.

Earlier this month, a Gaza judge ordered that all female lawyers cover their hair in court. The decision caused a wave of protest from lawyers and human rights groups in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. Hamas distanced itself from that decision as well, saying the matter was a private issue for the courts to deal with.

Several weeks ago, Hamas was accused of enforcing an informal dress code on women living in Gaza, and of allowing local militias to enforce strict standards of modest dress and behavior.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Haaretz: Shin Bet Protects PNA Leaders

(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, 20 AUG — The Palestinian National Authority President Abu Mazen (Mahmud Abbas) and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad are protected by guards from Shin Bet, the Israeli domestic secret service, when they have to cross the West Bank’s area “C” where security is entirely an Israeli responsibility, the dovish newspaper Haaretz reports today. The security measures were agreed with the PNA so as to prevent assassination attempts against the two leaders by Palestinian or Israeli extremists, the newspaper added.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Interview With Israeli Intelligence Chief Dan Meridor: ‘We All See the Clock Ticking’

In an interview with SPIEGEL, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor, 62, speaks about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Berlin, the chances for a new peace process in the Middle East and why the world can’t let Iran get its hands on nuclear weapons.

[…]

SPIEGEL: John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN, recently claimed that Israel will attack Iran’s nuclear sites by the end of the year. Although the well-informed Israeli newspaper Haaretz did not give an exact timetable for such an attack, it did report that Netanyahu has made the decision to bomb Iran. Is this true?

Meridor: I don’t think the prime minister has made up his mind in the way it has been described. But I don’t want to get into details …

SPIEGEL: …which is a pity. And that’s because you — as the minister of intelligence and atomic energy and a member of Netanyahu’s inner circle — should know.

Meridor: Let me say this much: I think Iran shouldn’t be allowed to become a nuclear power. This is not only an issue for Israel but for the whole world. It would be a victory for the extremists over the moderates in the Arab world. This worries the moderate Arab countries more than anything else. It would change the equilibrium in the Middle East; it would mean the end of the (Nuclear) Non-Proliferation Treaty; it would be a serious threat for us. One shouldn’t forget that Iranian President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad has repeatedly spoken about the illegitimacy of Israel and its destruction. But we should concentrate now on harsher sanctions against Teheran, with America leading the way. And we are counting on the Europeans to follow with serious actions. This includes Germany, which is one of Iran’s very important trading partners.

SPIEGEL: But what if the sanctions fail to divert Iran from its present course? Will Israel attack alone? Or only with the consent of the US?

Meridor: I don’t want to go into this. But we all see the clock ticking — and Netanyahu knows what he’s doing.

SPIEGEL: At the moment, he is much more popular in Israel than he is abroad. Are you worried that Netanyahu might get a somewhat cool reception in Berlin?

Meridor: No. Germany is one of Israel’s best friends. And, all in all, I am quite optimistic that things in the Middle East will develop in a positive way. There’s something in the air.

SPIEGEL: Really? Could Marwan Barghouti, the intifada leader who is currently serving five life sentences for murder in an Israeli jail, be released and become a respected Palestinian leader and partner for peace? Many think that he has become a moderate, and the Fatah Party’s congress held in early August voted him into its Central Committee with the third-best results of any candidate.

Meridor: I’ve heard similar ideas.

SPIEGEL: Many people think that both the Palestinians and the Israelis have made peace with the status quo and are not prepared for any more painful compromises. Are they right?

Meridor: For us, the status quo is a bad option. We need to change it — and take risks. But we must take into account the lessons we’ve learned from the past.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Israel: ‘Swedish Officials May be Unwelcome’

Israeli officials were active on all fronts Sunday in denouncing an article in a Swedish newspaper that accused IDF soldiers of harvesting the organs of Palestinians, and the Swedish government’s reluctance to condemn the claims.

Ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting expressed outrage at the article and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz went so far as to say that those who refuse to condemn such libel “may not be welcome in the state of Israel.”

While Steinitz did not specify his meaning, his comments were possibly a reference to Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who is set to visit Israel in early September but has rejected calls to condemn the story.

“We have a crisis until the Swedish government responds differently,” Steinitz said.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, “We demand and expect a formal condemnation by the Swedish government, and not an apology for the claims.” He was responding to Sweden’s indignation at what it perceives as a request to limit freedom of speech.

Netanyahu noted that during the term of Ehud Olmert as prime minister, an Israeli TV show offended Christians, “and Olmert condemned this, without harming freedom of speech.”

The prime minister said that Israel has always known how to deal with blood libels and “we expect the Swedish government to deal with it as well.”

Joining in the chorus, Interior Minister Eli Yishai said that he would act to prevent reporters for the paper from receiving work permits in Israel, and Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog said that Israel should take legal steps against the paper in order to combat the claims.

Later in the day Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the government’s position would not have been as sharp had Sweden not reprimanded its own envoy for condemning the inflammatory article. The foreign minister said there was a degree of hypocrisy in the Swedish position — claiming they don’t interfere in freedom of the press — when in 2006 the Swedish foreign minister sent a letter to a Yemenite leader apologizing for offensive caricatures of the prophet Mohammed.

In related news, two visiting journalists for the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet which ran the story arrived at the Government Press Office (GPO) in Jerusalem Sunday to request press accreditation, Israel Radio reported. GPO Director Danny Seaman told the radio station that he had instructed his employees to take as much time as is needed and allowed by regulations — up to three months — to review the request.

Seaman said that the two journalists, a reporter and a cameraman, had responded angrily and even “rudely” to the news that the review process may take time. Seaman asked his employees to explain to the two that the process may take some time due to checks that must be made, including — he said jokingly — blood tests to check the reporters’ blood types and eligibility for organ transplant.

On a more serious note, Seaman said that Aftonbladet’s conduct would be taken into account in considering the new requests. He added that reporter Donald Bostrom, who wrote the offending article, had entered the West Bank under false pretense years ago, claiming to be writing for the paper but actually using the material for a book.

Ambassador to Sweden Benny Dagan lashed out at a Swedish reporter Sunday who asked him whether Israel should investigate the claims.

“You know what, I have a suggestion for you,” Dagan retorted. “Why won’t you investigate why the Mossad and the Jews were behind the bombing of the twin towers? Why won’t we investigate why Jews are spreading AIDS in the Arab countries? Why won’t we investigate why Jews killed [Christian children to bake Matzot on Pessah]?”

Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported Sunday that Bostrom’s 2001 book Inshallah, which deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reportedly included the allegations of organ harvesting, was financed — among other bodies — by the Swedish Foreign Ministry. There has been no response to the claim so far.

The Jewish community in Sweden, meanwhile, was critical of Israel’s role in the media storm. Community leader Lena Posner-Korosi told Army Radio on Sunday that the Israeli reaction and media outrage had provided the claims with much more exposure than they would have had otherwise, and blown the story out of proportion.

The article in question implied links between Palestinian claims that IDF soldiers killed Palestinians and harvested their organs, and the recent arrest in New Jersey of an American Jew suspected of illicit organ trafficking.

Israel has demanded that the Swedish government distance itself from the claims, which officials have called a new blood libel against the Jews. But both the Swedish prime minister and the foreign minister have refused to do so, saying that freedom of the press must be respected at all costs.

— Hat tip: TB

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New Guard Protects Galilee Farms From Pilferers

Tired of police ineptitude and concerned about the receding Jewish character of the region, a group of farmers and volunteers from the Galilee have formed an organization called the New Guard (Hashomer Hahadash).

The group held its first public conference last Thursday, under the slogan, “Who will save my home?” and called for a reevaluation of Israel’s national priorities.

Modeled after the original guardsmen, led by Alexander Zaid, who protected the Jewish communities of the region in pre-state Israel at the beginning of the 20th century, the group’s volunteers are primarily dedicated to upholding Jewish farming and pasture rights in response to nightly violations by local Beduin herdsmen.

Roughly 200 people attended the event that took place at Kiryat Amal, next to the statue of Alexander Zaid. Surrounded by bales of hay and standing on a farm wagon, speeches were given by Kadima MK Israel Hasson, retired general Ram Shmueli and Nazareth Illit Mayor Shimon Gabso.

Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon was supposed to attend, but canceled at the last minute after being summoned for a dressing down by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu following statements he had made earlier in the week…

— Hat tip: A Greek Friend

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Palestinian Authority Frees 200 Hamas Militants for Ramadan

Gesture of distension from the government of Abu Mazen, despite ongoing confrontation between Al-Fatah and the rival Islamist group. Meanwhile, Egypt continues mediation work towards a new round of talks between the two Palestinian sides, scheduled for September.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) — At the beginning of Ramadan, the Palestinian Authority has decided to release 200 Hamas militants held in West Bank prisons, in a sign of rapprochement towards the Islamist formation. The release of prisoners in the Muslim month of fasting is a habitual gesture, but the constant exchange accusations between Fatah and Hamas had led observers to believe that the tradition would not be observed this year.

The two formations are in open conflict since 2007 when Hamas attacked Fatah winning the Gaza Strip by force. Small and large scale controversies have further disrupted the already fragile relations between the two movements. The most recent was during the Al-Fatah Congress, in early August, when Hamas banned 400 delegates from leaving the Gaza Strip to take part in the meeting.

Despite the obstruction of the Islamic Resistance Movement, the government headed by Abu Mazen, one of the historic leaders of Fatah, has decided to release 200 militants from the rival party. “So far we have already released 90 inmates — said a government official — and we hope to complete the release [of the rest] within the next two days.”

The PA’s gesture of detente gives a little breathing space to Egypt’s mediation work . Cairo has long sought to reach an agreement between the two movements. Al-Fatah and Hamas were to meet August 25 in Cairo for a new round of dialogue, however, it was postponed by a month because of irreconcilable differences between the two factions. Egyptian mediators will use the month of Ramadan, from 21 August to 19 September, to try to resolve outstanding quarrels and bring the leaders of two groups negotiating table.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Settlements: Netanyahu Denies Construction Freeze

(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 18 — The office of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu today denied media reports regarding a decision taken to freeze all Jewish construction projects in West Bank settlements. “No decision has been taken by the premier, or the ministries of defence and construction regarding the issue of freezing building projects in West Bank settlements,” the premier’s office confirmed. The press release was a response to news reported in the local press according to which Israel had quietly ceased to approve new construction projects in the settlements, while officially continuing its opposition to the United States’ demand for a complete stop to all new Israeli construction projects in the West Bank and Eastern Jerusalem, including those already underway. Construction Minister Ariel Atias, interviewed on state radio, did however say that “since the government came into office, five months ago, no calls for tender for new buildings have been issued in Judea or Samaria (West Bank).” “The fact that these constructions are on hold,” he said, “Is, I think, an attempt by us to arrive at an agreement with the US administration and at a peace deal.” The Israeli pacifist movement, Peace Now, which is against the settlements, has confirmed that no new calls for tender have been issued by the authorities in the West Bank, but claim that the building of over a thousand apartments, which was already underway, is continuing however. Moreover, according to Peace Now, government calls for tender comprise just 40% of Israeli construction in the West Bank. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Sweden: Stockholm’s Rabbi: Large Muslim Population Intimidates Local Jews

The strong Muslim presence in Stockholm makes the Jewish community there apprehensive about taking a public stand against the recent article in the Aftonbladet tabloid reporting Palestinian claims that IDF soldiers stole body organs from Palestinians, Rabbi Isak Nachman, the spiritual leader of two Orthodox synagogues in the Swedish capital, said on Sunday.

“We want to combat this type of thing, but some Jews here are afraid — there are between 400,000 and 500,000 Muslims out of a population of about nine million,” said Nachman, a member of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe.

“There is definitely anxiety and tension, especially at times when Israel is involved in a military operation, like Cast Lead,” he said.

Nachman added, however, that there was not a threatening feeling on the streets of Stockholm as a result of the article in Aftonbladet. “I walk around with a kippa and the Chabad rabbi here wears his hat. Muslims don’t live in the large Jewish neighborhoods.”

Most anti-Semitic statements were being made by local bloggers, he said. The latest subject being discussed by these bloggers was the alleged Jewish connection of Sweden’s ambassador to Israel, Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier.

Bonnier, who called the Aftonbladet article “shocking and appalling,” was sharply criticized by Sweden’s Green Movement and by the country’s main opposition party. The Swedish government also distanced itself from her statement.

Now, said Nachman, Bonnier’s marriage to a man who apparently has Jewish roots is being singled out for censure.

“This is a very troubling development,” he said.

Stockholm’s rabbi said that he was particularly disappointed with Sweden’s intelligentsia. “There are plenty of educated people who know about the history of blood libels and have remained quiet,” he said, adding that this non-action was in line with Sweden’s neutral stance during World War II.

Nachman echoed criticism voiced last week by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Nevertheless, Nachman said that the Jewish community still had not decided whether it would demonstrate against the article and against the Sweden government’s unwillingness to condemn the accusations voiced in it.

— Hat tip: TB

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U.S. Partner Paid Salary to Al-Qaida Ally

American funds supported leader of group accused of killing Christians

JERUSALEM — The American-funded Palestinian Authority provided financial support and, in at least one case, an official salary to al-Qaida allies in the Gaza Strip, according to information obtained by WND.

U.S. policy considers the PA to be moderate. America arms, trains and funds PA militias and provides hundreds of millions of dollars per year in financial support to the Palestinian group. President Obama, furthermore, backs the creation of a PA-led Palestinian state.

But WND has learned that Abdel-Latif Moussa, leader of a Palestinian Islamist splinter group allied with al-Qaida, has been on the official PA payroll for at least the last year.

— Hat tip: JD

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UN: US Gives $1.2 Million to Palestinian Refugees

The UN relief agency said that the United States has allocated $1.2 million in financial aid to Palestinian refugees coming from Iraq to Syria.

According to the UN Relief and Work Agency — or UNRWA — $957,000 will be paid in cash to refugees and the rest would go for rebuilding a social development center in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.

UNRWA said in a statement Monday that the center caters to 135,700 Palestinian refugees.

Palestinians in Iraq became a target for persecution after Saddam Hussein’s regime fell in 2003. Hundreds were forced to flee to Syria.

Syria is home to some 1.2 million Iraqi refugees and says their influx has strained its education, health and housing systems. The government has called for international assistance.

— Hat tip: A Greek Friend

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Drop in Pilgrim Numbers to Challenge Saudi Tourism

(ANSAmed) — RIYADH, AUGUST 11 — The number of pilgrims to Mecca is expected to drop this year because of swine flu fears, leaving Saudi airlines and hotels bracing for a sharp fall in revenues, The National online reports. The kingdom’s airlines are expecting a 25 per cent decrease in travel for Umrah, a pilgrimage that can be taken at any time of the year, and the Haj. Health officials from the UAE and other Arab countries have agreed to ban vulnerable groups from undertaking the Haj and Umrah because of the H1N1 virus. Saudi Arabia’s health ministry has advised people to postpone their pilgrimages if they suffer from health problems, while Iran and Tunisia have banned pilgrims from travelling to Mecca for Umrah. And Haj visas are being issued to pilgrims only between the ages of 12 and 65. “Timing could not be worse,” said Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, a senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. “It’s a very interesting case of tourism crisis management for destination marketing authorities. “There will be losses for hotels as well as other travel services and retail. Currently, international Umrah travel is down.” Travel from several countries to Saudi Arabia is expected to slow dramatically. Airlines are already expected to lose US$9 billion (Dh33.05bn) worldwide from the global economic downturn, and some feel swine flu could even further depress demand. “Swine flu is a bigger threat than the economy,” said Adel Ali, the chief executive of the Sharjah-based budget airline Air Arabia in an interview on Sunday. “A lot of people are not travelling because of [it].” Others say they have not felt any effects yet. Walter Prenzler, the chief executive of nas air, a budget airline in Riyadh that does not cater for Umrah, said the carrier had been insulated from the global epidemic and was not seeing any fall in demand. “We are alerted, of course, and are in close contact with the health ministry,” Prenzler said. The number of people infected with the H1N1 virus in the Middle East reached 1,111 as of last month, according to the World Health Organisation. Caroline Bremner, the global travel and tourism manager at Euromonitor International, said: “The increasing number of infected people in the Middle East with the virus A [H1N1] is undeniably going to influence the inflow of pilgrimages visiting Saudi Arabia during the holy month of Ramadan.” Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is heavily dependent on pilgrims, with Haj and Umrah pilgrims making up more than 50 per cent of the total visitors to the kingdom. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Drugs: Saudi Arabia, Seizures and 113 Arrests

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 13 — Over the past two months Saudi police have seized over three tonnes of hashish and three million tabs of methamphetamine. Police also seized 10.6 kg of pure heroin. According to Interior Ministry sources quoted by Arab media, in the anti-drug operations 113 were arrested, including 57 Saudis. A large part of the hashish was found on boats involved in smuggling in the Gulf or overland across the border with Yemen. The methamphetamine, called captagon in the region and used widely especially among students and manual workers, was hidden in vehicles or imported products. The death penalty is foreseen in Saudi Arabia for the crimes of drug selling and trafficking. The government, which last year stepped up its anti-drug activities, over the past few days announced that it will bring in measures to help drug addicts and their families. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Qatar: Bahrain Eyed Stake in Virgin Galactic

(ANSAmed) — DUBAI, AUGUST 13 — Both the Qatari and Bahraini governments were interested in buying a stake in Richard Branson’s space tourism company Virgin Galactic, industry sources have revealede. A Saudi Arabian party and another private group from Abu Dhabi were also in talks with Branson, Arabian Business has learnt. “There was a very competitive process going, where, at one point, there were four different groups bidding to be his [Branson’s] partner,” said one well-placed industry source. Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic said: “We had discussions with lots of people, but we are not commenting on who we had discussions with.” Last month Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments bought a 32 percent stake in Virgin Galactic for $280m, valuing the company at $900m. Aabar also said it would provide an additional $100m for the development of a satellite launching vehicle. But news that Qatar and Bahrain threw their hat into the ring for a stake in the space travel group shows how keen the Gulf region is to invest in space technology. In addition to its one third equity stake, the deal gives Aabar exclusive regional rights to operate Virgin Galactic space flights. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Ramadan During Hard Times, Prices Rises Feared

(by Laura De Santi) (ANSAmed) — ALGIERS, AUGUST 18 — The whole of the Moslem world is aquiver with preparations for the holy month of Ramadan, due to start between August 21 and 22, and which this year will be under the sign of the global economic downturn, with many households being forced to cut back on spending during festivities, even if none of them are planning to go without altogether. And the threatening spread of the swine flu virus A/H1N1 has limited the Omra, or small pilgrimage traditionally carried out during the closing days of Ramadan, with bans already in place in Iran, Iraq and Tunisia. From Qatar to Morocco, across the Middle East, Algeria and Tunisia, governments are struggling to ensure a month of festivities for one and all despite shrinking levels of purchasing power due to an economic slump that has spared nobody. So charitable campaigns have been launched by the Red Crescent to help stricken consumers with imports of meat and vegetables, attempting to apply the brakes to the usual hikes in the prices of foodstuffs which often double over this festive period. For although Ramadan is a period during which Moslems fast from dawn to sunset, night time is a time for partying and making up for the privations endured during a hot and tiring day and perhaps indulging in one or two culinary delights not normally available during the rest of the year. “Do not raid the shops. There aren’t going to be any shortages. All types of food, vegetables and meat are available in plentiful supply”, promises Algeria’s ministry of agriculture and similar appeals have been launched — in vain — across the area. But the race to get stocks in has already begun, with consumers keen to beat the price rises. “Over the past two weeks prices of everything have already risen”, says Amina Khalti as she quite literally battles to buy potatoes at a discount in Algiers’ Bab El Oued market. “I’ve already stocked up on everything I can, but there’s nothing I can do about finding meat, fruit or vegetables”, the girl adds. She has two children and earns 15 thousand dinars a month (around 150 euros). “I’ll find a way to manage and I’m sure theré be a little less meat than usual in the chorba (a typical soup of the Maghreb area, ed.)!”. Despite announcements of the importation to Algeria of an extra 40 thousand tonnes of frozen red meat over the past month, with the minimum professional wage of 12 thousand dinars (120 euros) and the price of beef and lamb having risen from 600 to 900 dinars per kilo (9 euros). There have been similar rises in the price of chicken, from 250 to 350 dinars, as with vegetables, sugar and cereals. And while in Algiers they fall back on their ability to make do, in Jordan a consumers’ association, the CPS, has launched a campaign to boycott purchases of meat, which is now at a price of 15 euros per kilo, trying to put pressure on cutting prices, while in Qatar the authorities have issued a list of controlled prices for certain foodstuffs. But as tradition requires during the sacred month of fasting — one of the five pillars of Islam alongside the profession of the faith, prayer, Zakat (giving alms) and the pilgrimage to Mecca — all of these countries will see “acts of solidarity”. Around 600 Rahma restaurants (Rahma is the Arab word for solidarity) will be giving out free meals across Algeria while around two million ‘baskets’ will be given to poor families (last year’s total was 1.5 million). These contain semolina, oil, flour and sugar to the value of 5 thousand dinars (50 euros). The starting date for Ramadan is a matter of controversy this year too, as it is tied to the appearance of the new moon, coinciding with the first day of the ninth month of the Moslem calendar, which is based on the phases of the moon. It was on this day that the Archangel Gabriel, during the “night of destiny”, revealed the opening verses of the Koran to the Prophet Mohammed. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Ramadan: Kuwait Sets Up Tent Safety Checks After Incident

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 18 — The headquarters of Kuwaiti fire fighters has issued a circular to all of its stations throughout the country ordering that Ramadan tents be checked for compliance with safety regulations. The intensification of inspections, according to Arabian Business, is an effect of a case of arson in a wedding reception tent in which 43 died. Fire fighters say that the tent caught fire because it had not been made of material in line with safety regulations, and that there had only been one emergency exit. Therefore, in every tent it will be “absolutely necessary” to check the safety of electrical equipment, and fire extinguishers and emergency exits will be compulsory, as stated by Brigade General Yousif Al Ansari, vice director of Human Resources Development. Inspections and certifications on the safety of tents for the Islamic holy month will also be seen in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The city council’s planning department has brought in new rules as concerns gathering places, which can only be set up on the approval of the city council. The tents will have to be at least 4 metres from each other and air conditioners have to be 1.5 metres from the tents, each with its own automatic safety circuit breaker. Light bulbs will have to be at least 40 centimetres from the canvas and all objects have to be sprayed with a fireproof liquid. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Saudi Arabia: Models Desert Show for Fear of Families

(ANSAmed) — ROME, 20 AUG. — A group of 15 Arab women who agreed to take part in a rare fashion show presenting new models of abaya, the long black robe traditionally worn in the Arab world, pulled out of participating just hours before they were due to parade their bodies on the catwalk. The drama happened in the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah where the models dropped out over anxiety at the reaction of their families, Arabian Business magazine reported. The organiser, Amal Anqawi, explained that cameras would have been forbidden, that the shows would be for women only and that the norms and social traditions of the Saudi reign would be respected. The incident, Arabian Business writes, demonstrates the “abyss” between reformers and conservatives in Saudi society. The first such fashion show in the Kingdom was held at Jeddah in April at the end of a competition between stylists. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Terrorism: Saudi Arabia, 44 Al Qaida ‘Masterminds’ Arrested

(ANSAmed) — BEIRUT, AUGUST 20 — Saudi security forces have arrested 44 alleged Al Qaida “masterminds” including university graduates, telecommunication technicians and Doctors of Philosophy as part of a year long crackdown on the terrorist organisation, the panArab newspaper Asharq al Awsat reported. All but one of the arrested people were citizens of the Saudi kingdom except for one, the newspaper said, adding that the presumed terrorists “made up a connecting ring between Al Qaida leaders abroad and attackers, suicide or otherwise, operating on the ground.” Six serious terrorist attacks by different Islamic groups authorities linked to Osama bin Laden’s group have rocked the traditional American ally of Saudi Arabia since 2003. The sweep codenamed “operation uproot the roots” brought to light profiles of the alleged Al Qaida masterminds with many of them holding diplomas of university study including Ph. Ds, while others are computer and telecommunication technicians as well as having been trained in using different types of firearms as well as explosives.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Yemen: Govt: 100 Shia Rebels Killed in Northern Conflict

(ANSAmed) — SANAA, AUGUST 24 — Yemeni governmental forces announced yesterday the killing of 100 Shia rebels, including two leaders, in the fighting underway in the northern part of the country. “We have found the bodies of 100 rebels along the roads of Haraf Sufyian,” said the statement, in which it was specified that the bodies “seem to belong to militants who were trying to flee Sufyan City, theatre of harsh battles over the past few hours.” The government offensive resumed Friday after the rebels rejected the latest proposal for a ceasefire made by President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The army has provided planes, tanks and artillery to “deal with the sedition in a decisive manner”. The Sanaa government has put the blame on Iran, which is thought to be financing the rebels and supplying them with weapons produced in Iran. The militants instead accuse Saudi Arabia of supporting the government offensive. Since the resumption of fighting a few months ago, over 100,000 people — especially children — have fled from the war zones, as UNICEF announced a few days ago. The Zaidi insurrection is led by Abdul Malik Al Houti, who took the command after his brother Hussein (head of the movement) was killed by the army in September 2004. The group of “young believers” does not recognise the legitimacy of the government under Saleh, who took power from a Zaidi government through a military coup in 1978. The Zaidi (a branch of the Shia religion) are a minority in Yemen, a country with a Sunni majority, though in the Saada zone it is the majority. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Yemeni Troops ‘Kill 100 Rebels’

Yemeni troops carrying out an offensive against Shia rebels in the north of the country claim to have killed more than 100 fighters, including two leaders.

The operation, involving air strikes, artillery and tanks, began two weeks ago, aimed at crushing the rebels and recapturing the town of Harf Sufyan.

The rebels deny their leaders, Mohsen Saleh Gawd and Salah Jorman, have been killed and say civilians have died.

There has been no independent confirmation of the numbers killed.

A government statement said: “The bodies of more than 100 rebels have been recovered from the roadside outside the town of Harf Sufyan.

“It seems that the bodies were those of rebels trying to flee the town during a mopping-up operation over the past two days.”

The statement added that security forces had succeeded in “totally purging the town of rebel elements in the past two days, forcing the rebels to surrender or flee”.

The rebels, from the Zaidi Shia sect, want the restoration of Shia rule in the north of Yemen, which is mainly Sunni.

Yemen’s president has accused the rebels of trying to overthrow the government.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Dam Tragedy Shows Russia Lags Behind

ULAN UDE, Russia (AFP) — The tragedy at a Russian power plant shows Russia lags far behind in technology, its president said Monday, in a rare high-level acknowledgement of the country’s post-Soviet weaknesses.

President Dmitry Medvedev said the deadly catastrophe last week at Russia’s biggest hydroelectric power plant showed that ageing infrastructure which was once the pride of the Soviet Union was in urgent need of modernization.

“It is clear that a technological catastrophe of unprecedented scale and consequences has taken place,” a stern-faced Medvedev told a meeting with officials in Ulan Ude, the capital of the Siberian region of Buryatia.

Investigators have said that a technical fault caused the August 17 flooding tragedy at the Sayano-Shushenskaya dam, which killed at least 69 people with six more still missing and presumed dead.

“The only truth here is this. Our country is technologically very far behind,” said Medvedev.

“We really are very far behind and if we don’t overcome this challenge then all those threats that everyone is talking about will truly become a reality.”

Russia’s leaders are usually at pains to trumpet the country’s technological prowess and Medvedev’s comments marked a rare acknowledgement of the difficulties that have followed the Soviet collapse.

Work on the dam — an awesome monolith spanning the Yenisei River — began in the 1960s and it had been hailed as a triumph of Soviet engineering.

But the facility has now been completely shut down since the disaster and officials have admitted it will take three years to complete repairs.

Medvedev pinpointed a lack of expertise as a major problem, after many of Russia’s best minds left for the West in the latter part of the 20th century.

“The protective stock that had been created in Soviet times has been depleted. We should openly admit this. The question of qualified personnel is at the forefront.”

He said Russia’s infrastructure required urgent attention and in many cases “this infrastructure is inefficient and in need of immediate modernization”.

Medvedev said private and state-owned enterprises had to work together and “then we’ll have the result that everyone’s counting on, that is, to create a modern country”.

But Medvedev also adopted tough rhetoric reminiscent of his mentor Vladimir Putin as he lashed out at Russia’s enemies for predicting “apocalyptic” scenarios for the country after the tragedy.

“Those who don’t like Russia within its existing borders and don’t like its role in the world started rubbing their hands,” he said.

He said that in some quarters the disaster was being seen as the “Chernobyl of the 21st century”, referring to the 1986 nuclear disaster that severely embarrassed the Soviet Union.

Despite the problems, such notions of a Russian collapse were “nonsense”, Medvedev said.

On Friday a radical Islamist group, Riyadus Salikhiin, claimed that it had triggered the disaster by detonating an anti-tank grenade in the plant’s turbine hall as part of a campaign of “economic war” against Russia.

But the investigative committee of Russian prosecutors on Monday said this had been refuted as a possible cause: “It has been established that the accident was of a technical nature,” it said.

“The concrete causes of the accident will be determined in the course of the investigation. The investigation has fully examined the theory of a terrorist attack and refuted it.”

However the authorities have still not given a conclusive explanation of what happened, saying several theories remain under consideration.

— Hat tip: heroyalwhyness

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New Anti-Cheating Exam Leads to Cheating

Even as university hopefuls sat down this summer for the Single State Exam, designed to fight corruption and cheating in education, a number of them had managed to buy the exam’s questions and answers in advance.

A high school graduate from the Siberian city of Omsk bought questions for the Single State Exam for 1,800 rubles ($55), splitting the cost with several friends.

“Me and my five buddies chipped in 300 rubles apiece,” Vasily boasted on an Internet forum for high school graduates, Forum.postupim.ru, where he is registered as vaso26.

Vasily also posted scanned questions for the mathematics section of the exam together with his own answers, marked in pen beside the printed questions.

This summer, the Single State Exam, known as EGE under its Russian acronym, replaced oral and written exams for the first time nationwide. The exam, comprised of a series of multiple-choice questions, welds high school final exams and university entrance exams together into a single test.

The Single State Exam can make it more difficult to get a secondary education diploma on the first try because a graduate who fails sections of the exam is barred from retaking the exam the same year, a right they had before the Single State Exam was introduced.

President Dmitry Medvedev said earlier this month that a presidential commission would be created to “analyze the pluses and minuses” of the Single State Exam, which had been tested in several regions over the previous eight years.

“The results of the Single State Exam are dubious,” Medvedev said at a meeting with the leaders of State Duma factions on Aug. 10, RIA-Novosti reported. “In my mind, there are some positive points and some negative ones.”

Many educators fear that the new exam is damaging the quality of secondary education, and 3,000 sent a letter of protest to Medvedev late last week.

“Pursuing the Single State Exam … is producing graduates whose heads are devoid of any real knowledge,” said the letter, which is posted on a web site for educators, Zavuch.info.

Written requests for comment to the Kremlin, the government and the Education and Science Ministry went unanswered Friday and Monday.

While the government has touted the exam as a way to fight corruption and level the field for university hopefuls, the exam appears to be nourishing corruption among educators, creating a new business opportunity for crooks and leading to cheating among high school graduates.

Corruption in the university entry process has accounted for a major part of all crime in the field of education this year, a senior Interior Ministry official, Alexei Shishko, said last week.

The total number of crimes detected in the field of education has grown by 38 percent, or by some 2,200 crimes, Shishko said at a news conference last Tuesday, according to a transcript obtained by The Moscow Times.

The head of the Federal Inspection Service for Education and Science, Lyubov Glebova, acknowledged at a news conference in late June that “there have been reports about officials using their positions to secure high results for the Single State Exam.” She did not elaborate.

She also said students cheated while taking the exam, using their cell phones to go online and search for answers.

A student and high school teacher interviewed for this article expressed mixed feelings about the new exam.

“The main plus of the Single State Exam is that a student has one exam instead of two,” Svetlana Zhyoltova, a history teacher at School No. 18 in the town of Nizhny Tagil in the Sverdlovsk region, said by telephone.

Yelena Alexandrova, who will start her first year as a journalism student at Moscow State University this fall, said she liked having “the whole summer free” because she did not have to prepare for entrance exams.

Zhyoltova also said the Single State Exam had allowed more Nizhny Tagil students to enter universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg this year because their parents did not have to pay for them to travel to those cities and stay there for entrance exams.

At the same time, Zhyoltova said, teachers had lacked sufficient time to prepare students for the exam, and students were forced to hire tutors, which not all could afford.

Alexandrova complained that the exam provided ambiguous answers to some questions. “I was irritated by the fact that questions were formulated in a biased way,” she said.

Zhyoltova said passing the exam involved a certain degree of luck because students who were nervous might have accidentally marked a wrong answer — a mistake that she said would not happen with the former oral and written exams, which required detailed answers.

Another drawback to the new exam is that it has led to a surge in prospective students that universities could not cope with, news reports said. Some university admission committees did not have time to process all the applications even though they worked overtime.

Nationalist sentiments have also surfaced with the introduction of the exam, with speculation swirling that students from the North Caucasus faked good marks on their Russian-language skills section of the exam to gain entry into prestigious universities but arrived on campus this month barely able to speak Russian.

State education officials have denied the rumors.

In a recent example of corruption among educators, authorities in Tatarstan detained the deputy head of the Tatar State University of Humanities and Education on suspicion of extorting a bribe of 90,000 rubles ($2,850) from a prospective student, Shishko said.

In another example, also in Tatarstan, the director of a local center where the new exam was being administered provided answers to students for 5,000 rubles, another senior Interior Ministry official, Yury Shalakov, said earlier this year.

The director and his aide admitted students who paid the bribe into the basement of the center several hours before the exam, sealed the basement door and slipped the answers under the door, Shalakov said.

In another scheme, web sites are offering questions and answers for sale, although buyers have no way to check their authenticity. A search request on Yandex for “buy SSE 2009 questions” returned 356,000 links to web sites.

— Hat tip: heroyalwhyness

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Afghanistan: Italian Soldiers Hit Roadside Bomb

Kabul, 24 August (AKI) — An Italian military vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the western Afghan province of Farah late Sunday but no-one was injured in the attack. Major Marco Amoriello, spokesman for the Italian contingent in neighbouring Herat province, said that the bomb exploded while Italian soldiers were on patrol with the Afghan military.

The Italian soldiers included paratroopers of the 187th regiment Folgore and members of the Italian armed forces 1st regiment.

Amoriello said that the armoured transportation vehicle “showed, like in many other occasions, that it is an efficient military vehicle in the field”.

Italy is the lead nation in NATO’s so-called Regional Command West area, located in western Afghanistan, extending from the city of Herat, where the main Italian detachment is based, to the southern city of Farah.

Italy has 3,250 troops in Afghanistan, the sixth largest deployment after the United States, Britain, Canada and Germany.

It recently deployed 500 troops ahead of the Afghan election held 20 August.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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India Maoists Blow Up Rail Track

Suspected Maoist rebels have blown up a rail track and bombed a mobile phone tower in India’s Jharkhand state.

About 20 rebels blew up the track between Kumundi and Hehegarha stations in Latehar district. Train services were disrupted after the incident.

In Palamu district, nearly 50 rebels blew up a mobile tower with explosives.

The rebels have called a two-day strike from Monday in five states, including Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal.

Senior Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao told the BBC the shutdown was called to protest against the arrest of two senior activists last week.

He said the two were held on 19 August while travelling from Ranchi, Jharkhand’s capital, to Patna, capital of neighbouring Bihar state.

A senior police officer in Ranchi denied the arrests had been made.

The BBC’s Salman Ravi in Ranchi says the strike has affected road traffic with buses, trucks, cars and taxis remaining off the road in Jharkhand.

More than 6,000 people have died during the Maoists’ 20-year fight for a communist state in parts of India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist insurgency as the “single biggest threat” to India’s security.

The rebels operate in 182 districts in India, mainly in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless workers.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Journalist Shot Dead in Pakistan

Unidentified gunmen have shot dead an Afghan journalist in north-west Pakistan, officials say.

Janullah Hashimzada, 40, was the bureau chief in Peshawar for Afghanistan’s Shamshad television channel.

He was returning from Afghanistan when his bus was ambushed near Jamrud, the main town in Khyber tribal district.

No one has admitted carrying out the attack. The area is a stronghold of the Taliban. Mr Hashimzada was an outspoken critic of the militants.

“The attackers in a Toyota Corolla car intercepted the bus and made it stop and then they went inside and shot him dead,” Reuters news agency quoted Rehan Khattak, a government official in Jamrud, as saying.

One passenger was wounded, he said.

Mr Hashimzada was a well-known face on Shamshad TV.

He also worked as a freelance, supplying video footage to international media organisations around the world, including the BBC.

The Shamshad channel is popular in insurgency-hit provinces in Afghanistan and also broadcasts to Pakistan, including some parts of the tribal areas which border Afghanistan.

At least three other journalists have been killed in north-west Pakistan this year.

Media freedom groups say the region, which is beset with Islamist militancy and tribal violence, is one of the world’s most dangerous for journalists.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Malaysia: Caning of Women Suspended as Act of “Mercy” For Ramadan

The woman had been sentenced to six lashes for having drunk beer in a nightclub. The sentence will be carried out at the end of the holy month of fasting and prayer. Malaysian majority and opposition keep silent on the matter so as not to lose the support of fundamentalist wing.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) — Malaysian authorities have suspended the flogging of 32 year-old part-time model Shukarno Kartika Sari Dewi, indicted for violating Islamic law that prohibits alcohol. The suspension was decided as an act of “mercy” by judges, reluctant to impose the sentence during the holy month of Ramadan which began over the weekend.

In December 2007 the mother of two children, drank a beer in a public place in the eastern state of Pahang. Arrested by police officers, she was indicted for breaking the rules of Shariah. Islamic law provides a penalty of three years imprisonment and flogging for Muslims caught consuming alcohol, however in most cases the accused is usually charged an administrative fine.

“The sentence has not been lifted” Sahfri Mohamad Abdul Aziz, State Parliamentarian for Religious Affairs told Associated Press. He explains that the office of the Attorney General has postponed the sentence to the end of the Muslimholy month of fasting and prayer, out of “mercy” toward the woman.

Last July the Islamic courts sentenced Kartika to one week in prison and six lashes. The authorities added that the stick used to beat the woman will be lighter than that used for men, because the goal is to educate rather than punish. The woman did not opposed the decision and had requested that she be punished “in public”.

The ruling against Kartka has received wide coverage in international media and has generated feelings of unanimous condemnation. The ruling majority and opposition parties in Malaysia have instead remained silent on the matter. The support of the Islamic movement Pas is essential to those wanting to govern: a formal statement would have provoked the reaction of the fundamentalist wing of the country and compromised future election alliances.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Fury at Plan to Power EU Homes From Congo Dam

Plans to link Europe to what would be the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam project in the volatile Democratic Republic of Congo have sparked fierce controversy.

The Grand Inga dam, which has received initial support from the World Bank, would cost $80bn (£48bn). At 40,000MW, it has more than twice the generation capacity of the giant Three Gorges dam in China and would be equivalent to the entire generation capacity of South Africa.

Grand Inga will involve transmission cables linking South Africa and countries in west Africa including Nigeria. A cable would also run through the Sahara to Egypt.

But controversially, it is understood that part of the feasibility study for the Grand Inga project would see the scheme extended to supply power to southern Europe, at a time when less than 30% of Africans have access to electricity — a figure that can fall to less than 10% in many countries.

Extending the scheme to Europe is part of a recent trend that includes the ambitious €400bn (£345bn) Desertec plan to take solar power from the Sahara to southern Europe. And last month Nigeria, Niger and Algeria, with the backing of the European Union, signed a $12bn agreement to transport Nigerian gas through a pipeline to Europe.

“Under the guise of bringing power to poor Africans, development banks are looking to put tens of billions of public money into a flight of fantasy that would only benefit huge Western multinationals and quite possibly feed African energy into European households,” said Anders Lustgarten of the Bretton Woods Project, which scrutinises the World Bank and IMF.

The scheme on the Congo river won support from World Bank president Robert Zoellick on a tour of the facility two weeks ago. Its progress is being keenly watched by a host of international power companies and infrastructure banks.

World Bank officials concede there is concern that a project that has the potential to bring electricity to 500 million African homes might have some of its power diverted to Europe. But the Grand Inga project may hinge on the capacity to export energy to richer markets to ensure it receives financing from banks. “We need creditworthy anchor customers to subscribe so investment can go ahead,” said Vijay Iyer, sector manager of the Africa energy group at the World Bank.

Grand Inga would be the final part of a three-phase project, the first of which is under way. That involves refurbishing a hydroelectric plant dating to 1972 that has fallen into disrepair due to the instability caused by Congo’s civil war. The first phase will involve restoring power supply to South Africa and a host of neighbouring countries.

The second 4,300MW phase is to power the Katanga mining region of the DRC, with a substantial amount of electricity distributed via cable to other African nations. FTSE 100 mining giant BHP Billiton is in negotiations about funding a feasibility study with the DRC government.

The more ambitious Grand Inga phase requires a new dam and a reservoir. The African Development Bank and the World Bank are working up plans for the scheme along with the World Energy Council. Plans will take five years to finalise, with construction taking another 10 years at least after that.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Anchor Babies: The Irish Got it Right

A member of Fianna Fail, Ireland’s Republican Party, appearing on television stating that “60% of all female asylum-seekers over the age of 16 arrive here pregnant.”

Ireland is experiencing the same abuse of their immigration laws as the U.S. The difference is they choose to do something about it. In January 2003 the Irish Supreme Court ruled in a landmark decision by a 5-2 verdict that immigrant parents of an Irish born child could be deported. This was the first reversal of Ireland’s liberal policy of granting residency and possibly citizenship to anyone who had a baby on the island, including illegal aliens. Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney was encouraged by the courts decision, saying, “It will prevent others from coming to Ireland to abuse our asylum process on the basis that they are pregnant.”

It was common practice for non EU member nationals, mostly from Nigeria, to come to Ireland claiming political asylum. Many came pregnant. AP writer Shawn Pogatchnik writes, “While asylum applications frequently take years to complete, until now the birth of a child has resolved matters conclusively—with Irish citizenship for the infant and residency rights for the mother, usually followed by arrivals of more relatives.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Bildt’s First Moves on October Good, Frattini

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 24 — During a meeting in of EU foreign ministers in Rimini yesterday, Italy’s Franco Frattini expressed his appreciation for the committment publicly made by the current European Union president, Carl Bildt, to commit the Council of Ministers to begin examining by October the issue of sharing between EU member states the burden and responsibility for irregular migrant flows requiring political assistance. The news comes in a note issued by Italy’s Foreign Ministry. The country’s foreign minister stressed how this would be “a first, but an important turning-point” on the part of the EU, with a view to jointly managing a common European problem, as had been hoped for by Italy and repeatedly urged by Frattini. Also at yesterday’s Rimini meeting, there was an exchange of crosstalk between Rome and Brussels on the sensitive immigration dossier. Europe talks but doesn’t act, the Italian foreign minister, Franco Frattini, attacked. We are talking about it but it will take time, replied the holder of the EU’s revolving presidency, Carl Bildt. Up to now, only weak words have come from Brussels on this issue, Frattini continued, and countries like Italy and Malta have been left alone to cope with “a problem which in fact affects the whole of Europe”. Frattini invoked a “proportional criteria for distributing the migratory flows across all of the EU’s 27 countries”. The EU cannot continue to close its eyes and take it for granted that the thousands of desperate people who reach our Mediterranean shores, coming mainly from the African side, will find accomodation and sustenance in the first country in which they land. Sicily is paying far too high a price just for being the doorway to Europe. Bildt’s reply was swift in coming, but it was perhaps not the “reasonable” one that Frattini was hoping for: it would be necessary to wait until the beginning of October to have an initial reply from the European Union, as the current president of the 27 nations told ANSA yesterday. This would be a “first step”, even though, Bildt admitted,”a problem of these dimensions is not to be solved at one meeting alone”. While awaiting light to be shed on what occured during this latest harvest of death in the Strait of Sicily, Frattini does not see too many obstacles to the prospect of granting political asylum to the five Eritreans concerned. “Each case will be looked at on its merits”, he said. But sure, it has been granted to the overwhelming majority of those coming from Eritrea. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Eritreans in Libya, Ramadan Helps Flight

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 21 — Each Friday, in Tripoli’s Dahara church, a clandestine mass is celebrated for the community of Eritreans living under cover in Libya. Emanuel P., who interprets for Father Daniele, who celebrates the mass, and is one of the few to speak English, is not in the least surprised by the news of the death at sea of 73 of his co-nationals over recent days, and the reports of the 5 survivors who are being cared for on Italy’s isle of Lampedusa. “This is a good season for embarking,” some Eritrean youths told ANSA, “because during Ramadan the security forces drop their guard a little. Not even news of this umpteenth tragedy blunts their readiness to run such a risk. A return to their homeland would mean facing a life behind bars or execution. The alternative, Emanuel explains, is “to remain in Eritrea and serve in the armed forces for at least ten years without pay”, without any chance of starting a family or looking after your family of origin. For this reason, following two years in prison in Misurata in a cell measuring 4 metres square in which he was kept 24 hours a day, Emanuel, having been released on August 14, attempted to leave the country via the Janzur coast, an area bordering Tripoli, but without success. His failed journey was organised by the so-called ‘brokers’, in this case of Libyan and Eritrean nationalities. For the price of 1,300 dollars they had kept him, alongside another 46 compatriots, in a shed not far from the beach for four days, waiting for “the weather and the police force” to be favourable, Emanuel said. But in this case the repulsion by Libyan motor launches came a score of metres from the coas. Now Emanuel wants to try again, although — like many other Eriteans in Libya — he has a document in his pocket issued by the UNHCR which recognises his status as an asylum seeker. This, however, as the other Eritreans avow, is a document that the Libyan police do not recognise. If they find it on you they will merely confiscate it or tear it to shreds in front of you. But the last word has yet to be spoken, as far as Emanuel is concerned. His 1,300 dollars are worth a further attempt, even though, as he himself admits, “of the many boats that have left Libya, only three have arrived in Europe with Eritreans on board: one in Sicily, in July, with around 120 compatriots on board, one in Lampedusa, with at least 350 Eritreans and one in Malta. “There are ever more Africans and many Eritraens,”- said the Bishop of Tripoli, Msg. Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli — “who arrive here each morning seeking help and comfort”. The Bishop also warned: Rome should not unload this problem onto Libya. Nearly a year on from the Italo-Libyan Frienship Treaty “the flow of migrants has more than doubled”, Msg. Martinelli points out, and Tripoli, despite the commitments it has made, “is not alone capable of managing a phenomenon which calls for greater involvement by Europe and by Italy”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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EU Commission: We Are Very Active

(ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, 24 AGO — The EU and the European Commission are doing much in the area of immigration, said an EU spokesperson in reply to question over the position taken by Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, who denounced the absence of Europe in tackling the problem of irregular migrants. The spokesperson stressed how the Commission is working with EU member states and neighbouring countries and that its Deputy President, Jacques Barrot, has over the past months visited Lampedusa, Malta, the Canary Isles and Greece and is about to pay visits to Turkey and Libya. The question, the spokesperson noted, is one of setting up finance-political and diplomatic instruments “to put an end to the kind of tragedies we saw last week”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy Hails Migrant Pledge

‘Already doing a lot, ‘ says EC

(ANSA) — Rome, August 24 — Italy on Monday welcomed a European Union pledge on sharing the burden of immigration in the Mediterranean.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini voiced appreciation that the EU’s duty president, Swedish Premier Carl Bildt, promised that spreading the load would come up for discussion by EU ministers at the end of October.

This could be “a first but important turning point,” said the foreign ministry in Rome.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, the European Commission said it was already doing a lot on the issue.

European Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot has recently visited Italy, Greece and the Canary Islands and is set to travel to Turkey and Libya, spokesman Dennis Abbott said.

Barrot, who recently discussed the topic with Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, has stressed that ways must be found to “better share the burden at a European level,” Abbott said.

It is a question of setting up political, financial and diplomatic instruments to “stop tragedies such as the one we saw last week,” he said, referring to the reported deaths of 73 Eritrean refugees whose five surviving companions arrived in Sicily Thursday.

Abbott stressed the importance of acting on the conclusions of a June EU summit which “clearly” stated that “firmness, solidarity and shared responsibility are essential in a global approach” towards immigration.

Italy has long been pushing for greater EU help with immigration and Frattini on Sunday accused the EU of not backing up talk with action.

At the EU summit in June leaders agreed to consider an emergency plan on immigration in the southern Mediterranean.

At the time, Frattini said he expected the plan to be drafted “in a matter of months”, reiterating that Italy expects cost-sharing as well as joint EU patrols.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has said other EU countries should take on a share of immigrants while EU border agency Frontex should be given a larger role to carry out repatriation flights and “deal with the holding and identification of illegal immigrants via a European structure”.

Last month Commissioner Barrot voiced the hope that a system could eventually be put in place whereby asylum requests are made from the country of origin. Bildt, in Italy Sunday for a meeting of a Catholic political movement, said the end-of-October meeting would discuss a plan being put together by the EC.

Earlier on Sunday, Frattini said he expected a “proportional criterion” from the EU to share the burden of the thousands of migrants who cross the Mediterranean each year.

Italy has seen a sharp drop in arrivals since introducing a new ‘push-back’ policy in May in which migrants rescued in international waters are taken to Libya, their main stepping-off point for Europe.

The policy, which has been criticised by the United Nations, aid groups and the Catholic Church, came under renewed scrutiny last week after the five Eritreans arrived in Sicily and said they had seen 73 companions die from hunger or thirst over three weeks.

Observers have raised concern that the push-back policy might be discouraging sea captains from offering aid at sea.

Sicilian prosecutors completed a preliminary report into the incident on Monday and said they were weighing the conduct of a Maltese navy vessel which reportedly gave the boat fuel to complete its voyage.

The prosecutors said the Maltese, who said the boat was in Libyan waters and its occupants well when they found it, could potentially be prosecuted under international sea law.

Frattini on Sunday said Sicily was “paying too high a price just for being the gateway to Europe”.

The situation might be helped, he said, if Malta agreed to reduce its search-and-rescue area which currently spans 250 square kilometres or about the surface area of Italy.

“That is perhaps a little big for a small nation,” he said, adding that the result of ten-year-long negotiations on the issue would be “indispensable for the whole international community”.

In the past, Italy and Malta have sometimes disagreed over migrant rescues but the push-back policy to Libya appears to have largely defused the issue.

Agrigento Chief Prosecutor Renato Di Natale on Monday said the probe would not address claims that the push-backs might be illegal because they do not discriminate between nationalities and therefore allegedly deprive asylum seekers of their rights.

“That is a purely political issue,” he said.

In the past, Maroni has noted that the EU has had nothing to object about the policy and he has stressed that any asylum requests are being dealt with in Libya.

The UN’s refugee body UNHCR has complained that Libya has does not recognise the agency and it does not allow its representatives to visit all the migrant holding centres in the country.

Two of the five Eritreans who arrived on Thursday have yet to be questioned because of their poor health.

Frattini has expressed confidence the five will be granted asylum.

“We’ll look at each case on its merits,” he said Sunday, “but the overwhelming majority of those who come from Eritrea have obtained asylum”.

Pending the results of their claims, the five have been placed under investigation for entering Italy illegally.

Should their claims be upheld the probe would be shelved.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UK: Gangs Import Children for Benefit Fraud

Foreign criminals are trafficking children as young as three months old into Britain and using them to defraud the benefits system of millions of pounds, a Sunday Times investigation has found.

Children are taken from their families, brought to Britain and used for fraudulent benefit claims involving forged immigration documents and employment records.

In many cases the children are trafficked with the complicity of their parents. They are trained in street crime and placed with unrelated adults to enable fake benefit claims to be paid into accounts controlled by the trafficker.

In a police operation earlier this month in northeast London, four suspected child victims of trafficking from Romania were placed in foster care.

Officers found evidence of suspected benefit crime in excess of £100,000, including one backdated payment to a family for £24,000. In another case using trafficked children, one gang is believed to have forged documents for at least 500 claims worth £4.5m.

It is the first detailed evidence of systematic child trafficking being used to defraud the British benefits system. The money is believed to have paid for the foreign criminals’ mansions and luxury cars in their home towns.

Tandarei, a small town in eastern Romania, is one of the bases of the suspected traffickers. About 100 imposing new homes conservatively valued at £20m have been built over the past five years. British police believe they have been partly funded by benefit fraud.

Operation Golf, the Metropolitan police operation targeting the Romanian gang, has found evidence of a trafficking ring linked to Tandarei.

Unemployed Romanians arriving in the UK are not typically entitled to benefits, but the gangs forge documents providing false work histories and obtain National Insurance numbers. The children are used to claim additional housing benefit, tax credits and child benefit. They can also be presented to council officials or benefit investigators conducting checks.

The claims supplement revenue from other criminal activities such as cashpoint fraud, pickpocketing and shoplifting.

Anthony Steen MP, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on trafficking of women and children, said: “This is an appalling scandal of desperately poor people being trafficked here to siphon off money from the benefits system. The current checks are totally inadequate and there needs to be an EU-wide response. HM Revenue & Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) need to get a grip.”

HM Revenue & Customs and the DWP said they conducted thorough checks on fraud.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Dismanteling Our Christian Heritage

Andrew Jackson wrote his wife Rachel: “I trust that the God of Isaac and of Jacob will protect you and give you health in my absence…” Jackson apparently knew that there were some people that worshipped foreign gods, and wanted to make the point he worshipped the God of the Holy Bible. In referring to God, our early politicians used other descriptive terms, such as: “The unerring hand of Providence” — “All-merciful Creator” — “Supreme Author of All Good” — “Supreme Ruler of the Universe”.

Apparently President Barack Obama has not studied American History, because he recently said while in Turkey: “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” “We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.” Whether Obama understands the early writings of those great men who founded this nation, or not, perhaps he is correct, because America has become a “post” Christian nation. Once was — not now! Liberalism and political correctness have successfully dismantled our Christian heritage. Our moral and spiritual foundation is practically gone. America no longer acknowledges the one true God of the Bible, the God of Isaac and Jacob.

— Hat tip: JD

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Social Utility: How Much Are Grandpa and Grandma Worth?

In a previous essay, I discussed a concept that is always on the mind of the socialist planner and that is “social utility”. To fully understand this concept one has to understand the socialist philosophy, if it can indeed be called a philosophy — in general, philosophies are analytical. In their world view, which is basically a gnostic one, the world is occupied by two basic forms of human life — those who are wise and chosen and those who make up the common rabble — the masses.

[…]

The Hastings Center, as some will remember, was involved in much controversy many years ago as the group promoting the idea of negative euthanasia to establish more equity in health care distribution. They were not as openly radical as the Hemlock Society, which felt it their duty to eliminate those considered unfit for life and for promoting the idea of having panels of experts decide to decide who shall live and who shall die in nursing homes.

One of the fellows of the Hastings Center is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, President Obama’s health care czar and a source of constant input on health care “reform”. His scholarly paper is included in a package of articles expressing the Hastings Centers position on health care reform and life in general.

[…]

From a series of statements by Doctor Emanuel it is apparent that he, and many others in positions of power, conclude that the elderly have lived their lives and it is time for them to move on, especially if they are costing the state money. This is not a new theme among the elitists of society, as we went through this with Social Security as well.

One must then ask-Who are the elderly and why do they deserve to live? This question poised by the socialists, assumes that one must give a justification to the federal government for existing in this society. This is the social utility argument. If you serve no useful purpose in the society, as far as some social usefulness, then you have no social utility and are no longer welcome. This is not really that far away from the German National Socialist Party’s thinking, which referred to those with no social utility as “useless eaters” and the disabled, chronically ill and incurables as “life unworthy of life”.

— Hat tip: JD

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Interview With Epidemiologist Tom Jefferson

‘A Whole Industry Is Waiting For A Pandemic’

The world has been gripped with fears of swine flu in recent weeks. In an interview with SPIEGEL, epidemiologist Tom Jefferson speaks about dangerous fear-mongering, misguided, money-driven research and why we should all be washing our hands a lot more often.

[…]

Jefferson : It’s true that influenza viruses are unpredictable, so it does call for a certain degree of caution. But one of the extraordinary features of this influenza — and the whole influenza saga — is that there are some people who make predictions year after year, and they get worse and worse. None of them so far have come about, and these people are still there making these predictions. For example, what happened with the bird flu, which was supposed to kill us all? Nothing. But that doesn’t stop these people from always making their predictions. Sometimes you get the feeling that there is a whole industry almost waiting for a pandemic to occur.

SPIEGEL: Who do you mean? The World Health Organization (WHO)?

Jefferson: The WHO and public health officials, virologists and the pharmaceutical companies. They’ve built this machine around the impending pandemic. And there’s a lot of money involved, and influence, and careers, and entire institutions! And all it took was one of these influenza viruses to mutate to start the machine grinding.

[…]

SPIEGEL: Do you think the WHO declared a pandemic prematurely?

Jefferson: Don’t you think there’s something noteworthy about the fact that the WHO has changed its definition of pandemic? The old definition was a new virus, which went around quickly, for which you didn’t have immunity, and which created a high morbidity and mortality rate. Now the last two have been dropped, and that’s how swine flu has been categorized as a pandemic.

— Hat tip: JD

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Worldwide Battle Rages for Control of the Internet

WHEN thousands of protestors took to the streets in Iran following this year’s disputed presidential election, Twitter messages sent by activists let the world know about the brutal policing that followed. A few months earlier, campaigners in Moldova used Facebook to organise protests against the country’s communist government, and elsewhere too the internet is playing an increasing role in political dissent.

Now governments are trying to regain control. By reinforcing their efforts to monitor activity online, they hope to deprive dissenters of information and the ability to communicate.

The latest evidence of these clampdowns comes in a report on the Middle East and north Africa by the OpenNet Initiative (ONI), a collaboration of researchers based in the UK and North America. Among the restrictions it reports are clampdowns on Facebook in Syria and the use of hidden cameras in Saudi Arabia’s internet cafes.

Most of these actions are aimed at stifling political debate. “Political filtering is the common denominator,” says Helmi Noman of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society in Boston, who compiled the report. “It’s the main target.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Our Swedish correspondent CB has translated an article by the Svenska Dagbladet editorialist Gudmundson. First, the translator’s introduction:

In this article, on his own blog, Per Gudmundson (one of the editorialists from Svenska Dagbladet, the major Swedish conservative newspaper) gives us a glimpse into the twisted world of Shi’a Islamists in Sweden. He’s probably right in his assessment that the actual number of Shi’a Islamists is far lower than their own inflated count. Still, as the words of Ehsan Majnun show, they can one day become quite dangerous, when the numbers of Muslims increase.

And, as Muslims all over the world demonstrate day after day, most Muslims stay mum in front of their co-religionists’ violence and brutal jihad against minorities, women, and non-Muslims, and will not be of any help to us if a serious change of heart does not occur.

Gudmundson is most likely attempting irony at the end, and partly it’s validated as a means to show the barbarism of Ehsan’s reasoning. But, problematically, it clouds the more sinister underpinning: that Ehsan acts according to the sunna of Islam. He knows he has to censure Vilks; the Koran and sunna demand it; but to punish Vilks in a fitting manner (death for blasphemy) will at the moment negatively impact the Muslims.

But if the Muslims get the upper hand in Sweden, will his approach be the same or different?

There is no reason to believe that Islamists in Sweden, who laud the fascist regime in Iran and support terror organizations, would act any differently towards Swedes and other non-Muslims than how the people they praise would treat us. Every Swede should remember that when the public media give soft-spoken people like Mohammed Omar a platform. The true face of his Islam is on the streets of Islamabad, in the sands of Darfur and among the members of Hamas who kill their opponents in Gaza.

Concerning Muslim violence in coming days in Sweden: today I was traveling between Tensta and Rinkeby by bus and there were a couple of Muslim youths talking quite loudly about what will happen to homosexuals and apostates in the future Sweden. They exclaimed that they would either be hanged or thrown off a high building or a cliff, and they seemed to prefer hanging… Apostates they just wanted to kill in a gruesome way.

One could probably say that part of the loud boasting about a future Muslim paradise in Sweden was just that, loud boasting. But one could wonder about what is being taught in those kids’ homes and in mosques, and what internet sites are they visiting, and who are their role models…?

I’ve been working and active in many of Stockholm’s immigrant areas over the years, but this was the first time I heard something like this so openly in a public space. So, as Gudmundson says in his article, even the “intellectual” works of Islamists have a tendency to give birth to ideas like this.

And now for CB’s translation of Gudmundson:

Young Shi’a anti-democrats step forward
Sunday, August 16th, 2009

Protests against the so-called election in Iran have resulted in an interesting consequence in Sweden. Young Shi’a Muslims who are loyal to the Islamic republic’s leadership have become visible.

A small cluster of websites, with such names as RadikalMuslim.se, NoorIslam.net or “Ehsans blogg — sinnlig, andlig och digital revolution” [i.e. Ehsan’s blog — sensuous, spiritual and digital revolution], defends the Islamic dictatorship more or less openly. What’s going on is perhaps best expressed by the name of the news site e-jihad.

Or, in e-jihad’s own words:

We live in a time where there’s an intensive war going on, not through bombs and missiles but through information and propaganda. In this battle the elite are those who have media in their hand and they have the power to influence the masses in a certain direction. It was with this in the back of our minds that e-jihad.se was started.

As far as can be seen, the young bloggers don’t advocate terrorism or martyrdom operations — rather the other way around. But the consequences of the anti-democratic view — that the rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran is legitimate — has consequences in that direction.

An interview on e-jihad illustrates the dilemma. Mohammad al-Tijani al-Samawi is a scholarly Shi’a imam, loyal to the theocratic dictatorship, who recently visited Sweden to propagate his ideological poison. He says to e-jihad that terror movements Hamas and Hizbullah, who are Iran’s extended arms, are blessings:

– – – – – – – – –

Much has happened since the victory of the Islamic revolution. Imam Khomeini awakened the Muslims, both Sunni and Shi’a. He awakened the Muslims and taught them how they should rise in a struggle to deliver their message. Thanks to this, and all praise is to God, a resistance has been established today that didn’t exist before imam Khomeini’s time. Thus is Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah a blessing from imam Khomeini; Hizbullah is a blessing from imam Khomeini. This is reality; had it not been for the Islamic Revolution, Hizbullah would not exist today. Nor would Lebanon have been liberated.

The same goes for Hamas, who in turn are a blessing from Hizbullah. As you see, both of these groups are blessings from the Islamic Revolution. The Revolution awakened the masses.

Iranians in exile are notoriously divided, and there is hardly any reason to believe that these Islamist anti-democrats enjoy any major support among their compatriots in the Swedish exile. The closely related association DVV (the awaited’s friends — who obviously await the Twelfth Imam’s return) have a Facebook group. There are 96 members found today, among many abroad. The most renowned in the group is the Islamist Mohammed Omar. The administrators, who also are found behind the above-mentioned blogs, are Hossein Fartousi and Ehsan Majnun.

By the way, the latter have coincidentally met the artist Lars Vilks [the Modoggie guy].

The alternatives I had in mind were: To kill him, to maul him, not to do anything at all or to approach and talk to him. I excluded the first two alternatives, since I reasoned that if I were to do something like that, the pressure and persecution of Muslims would escalate considerably and I would be responsible for that. Besides, the West has mostly seen violence, threats and aggressiveness from Muslims and I didn’t want to strengthen that image.

Not to do anything was also out of the question, since it’s my obligation as a Muslim to stand up for truth and justice.

So, the only option left was to approach him and talk.

The reasoning about whether it is profitable or not for the Muslim group to kill Vilks doesn’t score any democratic points, even if it is gratifying that they chose communication over violence. As long as it’s profitable.

Our Flemish correspondent VH has compiled a report from several sources on the controversy (and death threats) caused by the recent decision to prohibit headscarves in the last two remaining public schools in Antwerp that allowed them:

Ban on headscarves

The ban on headscarves at the Koninklijk [Royal] Atheneum in Antwerp and the Athenaeum in Antwerp-Hoboken led to massive protests by the Muslim community beginning during the summer holidays. These were the last two secondary schools in Antwerp that permitted the wearing of headscarves. In the new school year, which begins September 1, there will be none. Three hundred pupils threatened to leave the school in protest, although they will not find a single school in Antwerp which allows headscarves. Only one school for technical (TSO) and one for special needs-education (BSO) remain.

This decision caused a great deal of fuss. A hundred Muslims (two thirds of whom are not pupils of the school) protested in the court area of the Royal Atheneum in Antwerp. The Imam Nordin Taouil, called for a school strike and even threatened a school revolt of Muslims throughout Flanders.

(Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for subtitling this video using VH’s translation.)

“The aggressive manner in which the radical Muslims responded, convinced me that the headscarf ban was the right decision,” said Karin Heremans, director of the Royal Athenaeum of Antwerp, where all political and religious symbols — including the headscarf — are now banned.

How the Imam, with whom she just had a constructive conversation, could turn 180 degrees in a second like that she still does not understand. “But we stick to our position,” she declares. “We wanted to avoid all this fuss by communicating it only after the exams.” She sighs.

The director mentions (in the Flemish newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen) that there was an increasing radicalization noticeable within the school walls. Several girls were being put under pressure to wear a headscarf. “The presence of these radical Muslims during the protests confirmed my suspicion that this effect had been slumbering for a while and even enormously increasing. The politicians should most urgently consider how to deal with this group. These radical Muslims systematically, under the guise of religious freedom, reject all democratic principles. They reject any compromise. They have the right to profess their faith, but not to impose it on others,” Karin Heremans said, who herself in the meanwhile was threatened by certain Muslims: “Those men told me that I should be whipped and must be hanged”…

Separate dressing room for Muslim girls

– – – – – – – – –

Despite the clear language of Director Karin Heremans, and her courage in introducing the headscarf ban in her school, there still are some remarkable things to note. The Atheneum Antwerp will arrange a special dressing room for Muslim girls, where they can take off their headscarves when they arrive and put them on before they leave. On the one hand, a ban on headscarves in the light of equal treatment, but on the other hand, a separate dressing room for Muslim girls.

Separate Sports-headscarf for Muslim girls

“It would be nice for the girls if they don’t have to change on the street in front of the school,” says director Karin Heremans. “That is why we came up with that dressing room with a mirror in the school. The idea originated with the teachers and the supervisors during discussions about the headscarf ban. If Muslim girls have to go outside school for sporting, we will offer them sports-headscarves.” (maybe like this, by the Dutch dhimmi designer Cindy van den Bremen)

Meanwhile the Royal Atheneum school principle Karin Heremans says she does not know what all the fuss is about, as the ban on the headscarf has long been in place in all other schools. She believes that many pupils attended these remaining schools for the sole reason that they still permitted the headscarf. “The pupils systematically refused to attend other schools, even after they were advised to attend classes at another school as a result of a pedagogical reorientation, simply because they were not allowed to wear a headscarf there. Students are harassing other students so that they do not dare to do anything else but cover their heads, is that what the Imam meant by ‘harmony’? Because it is indisputable that this kind of harassment is common practice. It implicitly happens. This past school year we unsuccessfully tried to deal with it through an interim measure.” (source: Kafir Harby)

To the newspaper De Morgen Karin Heremans said that she received many positive reactions, out on the street, by phone or mail. “There are even mothers of Muslim girls who came to my office to tell me that they welcome the ban. It’s a pity that the responses of the more progressive Muslims are not more open.”

“I am convinced that banning headscarves in schools is a good thing,” Dirk Verhofstadt said, who wrote the book The Third Wave of Feminism in which he interviewed six Muslim women. “Each of the women told me that she did not voluntarily wear the headscarf, but because her parents, relatives or community simply imposed it.” According to Verhofstadt the growing radicalism of many orthodox Muslim men is caused by their fear of women’s emancipation. Among Muslim women a great empowerment wave is currently underway. “They fear they will lose their power and control over mothers, sisters, and daughters, and therefore Muslim men proclaim their supposed superiority with their ‘sacred’ texts in their hands.”

The day after Director Karin Heremans announced the arrangements for a dressing room and sports-headscarves in the newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen (Aug.18), the imam and chairman of the Muslim Board, Nordin Taouil, who at beginning of the summer called for a revolt, said [Aug.19]: “those threats against the Director Karin Heremans [calling for her to be whipped and hanged] are unacceptable. These men must be punished.”

Imam Nordin Taouil

In a recent extensive report on radical mosques in Antwerp by the Flemish Committee of Ex-Muslims, published on the website of Filip Dewinter [English language article here], the imam Nordin Taouil is mentioned as an advocate of armed jihad against Westerners and Jews. “His aggressive thought and actions have led to 90% of young people in the Moskee El Mouslimin in the Antwerp feeling compelled to give their lives for the armed struggle. Nordin Taouil is also the person you should contact if you wish to pursue physical education abroad [especially Pakistan and Algeria — in both cases Al Qaeda camps: About 50% of them will be sent to Afghanistan, Kashmir, Iraq or Chechnya to fight in the interests of the jihad. The remaining 50% return to Belgium, according to the report]. Hence the Moroccan intelligence service’s infiltration in this mosque. Terrorists of the ‘Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain’ find a safe shelter in this mosque. Many are wanted in Morocco for committing or preparing terrorist attacks.”

Nordin Taouil, who only two years ago was on invited by the Sp.a [Socialists] list to be a candidate for the municipal council of Antwerp in the elections to catch the Muslim vote for the Socialists, is now filing a defamation and libel complaint against Filip Dewinter and Vlaams Belang, for publishing the report by the Ex-Muslim Council.

So far only three girls have declared that they will go to another school.

Hat tip: Tuan Jim.

The gallery in Jutland which is exhibiting Kurt Westergaard’s famous “Turban Bomb” cartoon was vandalized over the weekend. Our Danish correspondent TB has translated a report on the incident from Midtjyllands Avis:

Gallery owners’ Mohammed drawing triggers ‘swinish’ vandalism

It was this reproduction of the Mohammed drawing which triggered the vandalism against the window of Gallery Farvegården.

SILKEBORG: During the weekend Gallery Farvegården on Vestergade had its window smeared with filth directly in front of an exhibit of a reproduction of the famous drawing of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban.

“I had not imagined that such thing could happen. I thought we had gotten past all that,” says gallery owner Claus Møller Jensen, who has had many reactions since the drawing was put up during the middle of last week, especially about that particular picture.

– – – – – – – – –

“People have stopped me in the street and asked me why I did it, and some have told me that they were angry about it,” says Claus Møller Jensen, who has been contacted by several interested buyers.

For him there was no political motive to hang the picture in such a prominent place in the window.

“It is a drawing made by one of our finest newspaper cartoonists and it is a picture known by three billion people. It is possible that they do not know that it was made by Kurt Westergaard, but it is known by more people than the Mona Lisa in the Louvre,” says Claus Møller Jensen, who has contacted the police about the vandalism but says he has not made any official report.

It seems that everyone wants to curry favor with Libya these days. The Swiss government has just apologized to Libya for last year’s arrest of Hannibal Gaddafi (the son of Muammar Gaddafi) for abusing the domestic help. Switzerland is unwilling to let the mistreatment of servants interfere with important oil deals, and the government’s humble apology has greased the skids for normal relations and new oil contracts.

In other news, in a gesture of ecumenical goodwill, synagogues in Northern Virginia are allowing Muslims to gather for Islamic prayers during Ramadan.

“Many see that observing Ramadan prayers in Jewish synagogue helps strength [sic] bonds between Muslims and Jews in the US.”

Uh-huh. OK. If you say so…

Thanks to A Greek Friend, Barry Rubin, C. Cantoni, Fjordman, Gaia, Insubria, JD, Paul Green, Sean O’Brian, TB, and all the other tipsters who sent these in. Headlines and articles are below the fold.
– – – – – – – – –

	Financial Crisis
	Gulf Country Growth Under 1%, EU Experts
	Hyperinflation in the USA?
	U.S. Debt as a Percentage of GDP Means No Growth for 50 Years
	USA
	Congressman Herger Calls Obama Plan ‘Threat to Democracy’
	Developing World’s Parasites, Disease Hit U.S.
	Hacker Attack Disables Michael Savage Website
	Inflation and the Fall of the Roman Empire
	Next Step in H1N1 Scare: Microchip Implants
	Ramadan in Virginia Synagogues
	Suicides Skyrocket Among Young Men and Women in the Military
	White House Reveals Identity of Firm That Sent Unsolicited E-Mails on Health Reform
	Europe and the EU
	Art: Greece: Saudi Female Artists Exhibit Works in Athens
	Cyprus: Common Action With Greece on Missing Persons Issue
	Italy: Istat Confirms Zero Inflation in July
	Libya Continues to Dominate Swiss Concerns
	Quangos Blackball … Oops, Sorry … Veto ‘Racist’ Everyday Phrases
	Sweden Democrats Gain in New Voter Poll
	Sweden: Transgender Belly Dancer Helps Launch Arab Gay Initiative
	Switzerland Apologises to Libya
	The Mythical European Umma
	Three Palestinian Refugees in Italy on Hunger Strike
	UK: Dear Muammar… Happy Ramadan
	UK: Equality Czar to Investigate Discrimination Against Nudists
	UK: EU Membership to Cost Households an Extra £257 Next Year
	UK: Family Told by NHS: Alzheimer’s is Not a ‘Health Condition’
	UK: Lockerbie Bomber’s Release Linked to Trade Deal, Claims Gaddafi’s Son
	UK: Mother Dies After Doctors Refuse to Save Her Life With Transplant Using Daughter’s Kidneys
	UK: Police Charge ‘Suicide’ Man Who Delayed the Trains for Four Hours
	North Africa
	Algeria: Bouteflika, Hand Extended to Fundamentalists
	Egypt ‘Hezbollah Cell’ On Trial
	Italy-Libya: Berlusconi in Tripoli for Friendship Day
	Jordan to Improve Nuclear Safety Standards
	Libya-Switzerland: Gaddafi’s Son’s Arrest, Possible Apology
	Morocco: Govt Crackdown on Beggars, 7,000 Arrests Since 2007
	Nuclear: Mubarak Rejects US Defence Umbrella in Gulf Region
	Israel and the Palestinians
	Fatah: Many Fresh Faces in Revolutionary Council
	Hamas Claims Abbas Foiled Schalit Deal
	Israel Jewish State? Not Our Business, PNA Premier
	Israel Presses Sweden for ‘Condemnation’
	Israeli Lecturer Endorses International Boycott of State
	Justice Minister ‘We Were Sodom, Now We Are Gomorrah’
	Mahmoud Abbas: Attack by Hamas Inhuman
	Palestinians Turn Jewish Skullcaps Into Business
	Middle East
	Energy: Saudi Arabia, Project for First Nuclear Reactor
	Freed Egypt Sailors Cheered Home
	French 007 Tells of Great Escape From Dubai Wearing a Wetsuit Under a Burka
	Hezbollah Readies for War as UN Can Only Observe
	Iraq Broadcasts Truck Bomber Video Confessions
	Iraq: Jordanian Citizenship for Tariq Aziz’s Son, Press
	Mubarak’s and Arab States’ Peace Plan: Israel Gives Everything, Arab States Think About it
	Oman: Qatar Offer Normalisation; Israel Sceptical
	Professor Richard Dawkins Wants to Convert Islamic World to Evolution
	Tourism: Northern Cyprus, Culture and Uncrowded Nature
	Turkey-Libya to Sign FTA in September, Minister Says
	UAE Chosen as One of the Best Sites for FDI
	South Asia
	Afghan Challenger Alleges Fraud
	Democracy? We’re Just Wasting Brave Lives on a Country We’ll Never Free
	Malaysia: Beer-Drinking Model Planning Mecca Pilgrimage
	Malaysia: ‘If You’Re Going to Cane Me, Then Do it in Public’
	Australia — Pacific
	Melbourne Cops Under Siege
	Sub-Saharan Africa
	Mali Protest Against Women’s Law
	‘Several Dead’ In Somali Clashes
	Immigration
	Israel: Ministers Clash Over Immigration, Inhuman Policies
	Italy: Fall in Demand for Foreign Labour, -46% in 2009
	Just 31/2 Years for DWI Killer
	Obama Island’s Brazilian ‘Engine’
	Tunisia: Emigration Office, Control of Illegals Successful
	Culture Wars
	Lutherans Accept Clergy in ‘Lifelong’ Same-Sex Relationships
	US Lutheran Split Over Gay Clergy

Gulf Country Growth Under 1%, EU Experts

(by Chiara Spegni) (ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, AUGUST 14 — The economic growth of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar will remain for this year under 1% due to the repercussions of the economic crisis. It is a sudden stop after the increase of almost 6% registered in the 2006-2008 period. It is the estimate from experts of the EU Commission in recent analysis, according to which the real economy of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries will be hit the hardest due to smaller turnover from oil exports. A large number of countries in the region, according to the EU, will see two-digit deficits in 2009. In the opinion of the experts from the European Commission, the country that risks falling into recession the most is Kuwait, being strongly dependent on oil and having a scarcely diversified economy and which has slower growth than the other countries. Moreover, it suffers from political instability. The primary risk for the UAE on the other hand is the risk of the real estate bubble bursting. Dubai in particular, but also Abu Dhabi, are cities that are exposed to global trends. In Saudi Arabia the reduction of oil production has weighed on the economy, while the risk for Oman is that the tourism sector collapses. For this reason it will probably have to cut expenditure, damaging its economy at the same time. Bahrain also seems very vulnerable to the international crisis in that it is developing as a financial hub and possesses the largest banking sector out of all the countries in the GCC. Other prospects for Qatar, which according to the EU experts is in the best position to face the situation in that it is the largest exporter in the world of liquefied natural gas, as well as fast trade and residential investments. The population in 2008 grew by 8% due to the high level of immigration and thanks to long term contracts for the supply of gas the economy should continue with robust growth in the coming years. In general, how strong the economic slowdown is will depend on the political measures adopted. In the EU analysis, it is forecast that the countries to show GDP growth in 2009 will be Qatar (8.5% compared to 13.4% in 2008), Bahrain (2.4% compared to 5.6% in 2008) and Oman (1.9% compared to 6.4% in 2008). GDP in real terms will register negative on the on the hand for Kuwait (-1.8% compared to +8.5% in 2008), the UAE (-1.6% compared to +7.4% in 2008) and Saudi Arabia (-0.2% compared to +4.2% in 2008). All countries will be faced with a fiscal deficit, except for Qatar (+9.2% GDP). The worst will be Saudi Arabia with -8.7% GDP), then Bahrain (-7.4% GDP), Kuwait (-5.6% GDP), the UAE (-5.4% GDP), Oman (-2.3% GDP). According to the EU experts, fiscal expansion and lighter monetary policy could stimulate economic activity to eventually avoid a depression. Compared to other countries in the world in fact, those of the Gulf have the resources to adopt the necessary measures. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Hyperinflation in the USA?

While the blame for this financial crisis can be spread fairly wide, the largest share of the blame must fall on the votrepreneurs (politicians) and the political system that produced them. After all, it was they who encouraged the growth of sub-prime lending so that they can win votes. That was how this mess got started. We need to reform the system in such a manner that the personal interests of the political class coincides with the nation as a whole. Unfortunately, the current system makes it worthwhile for the votrepreneurs to behave irresponsibly and betray the very people they were elected to serve.

What can be done about it? The key is to empower the taxpayers whose money is used to bribe voters so that votrepreneurs can win office. Paying taxes is the chief contribution an average citizen makes to his country. Those who pay more taxes must have more say as to how that money is to be spent. That is why America’s Founding Fathers restricted the vote to those who paid taxes. They understood the linkage between taxation and representation. That was why their complaint was, “Taxation without Representation is tyranny.” Today, all too often we have Representation without Taxation and it is also tyranny.Those who pay little or no taxes have more power to decide how to spend taxpayers’ money than those who paid most of the taxes. The result is to make everyone poorer. In my earlier article, Lessons from the Ancients, I have proposed some solutions that can empower the taxpayers without sacrificing the one-man-one-vote system. Its time for reform or America will go the way of hyper-inflation and economic decline leading to the collapse of democracy itself.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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U.S. Debt as a Percentage of GDP Means No Growth for 50 Years

Apparently, a bazooka wasn’t enough. Last summer, that is what then Secy. of the Treasury Henry Paulson asked for when he made his case for sweeping financial powers. Instead, Congress gave him a nuke, and apparently that wasn’t enough either. Making the jump from completely absurd to the absolutely ridiculous, Timothy Geithner became the latest in a long line of Treasury Chiefs to run to Congress to ask for an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling.

The fact that he is asking for the increase should not be a surprise to anyone given the massive deficits already racked up over the past 18 months. What would be laughable if it weren’t so serious, however, were the comments made in his request letter to Congress.

“It is critically important that Congress act before the limit is reached so that citizens and investors here and around the world can remain confident that the United States will always meet its obligations,”

How exactly does digging your hole even deeper inspire confidence? How does borrowing nearly 50 cents of every dollar you spend inspire confidence? How can anyone with two bits of common sense to rub together take this as anything less than an overt devaluation of the Dollar?

Yet his request was taken in a ‘business as usual’ manner by the media. Of course, this could be due to the fact that in our age of borrow and spend, these requests are becoming more and more commonplace. Perhaps this is one of the reasons people are so annoyed these days?

— Hat tip: JD

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Congressman Herger Calls Obama Plan ‘Threat to Democracy’

Republican Congressman Wally Herger held a health care town hall meeting Aug. 18 at Simpson University in Redding, where a partisan crowd of over 2,000 people loudly cheered Herger’s position that a public option was “unacceptable.” Although Herger called several times for the audience to “respect each other’s opinions,” those opposed to president Obama’s health care were greeted with cheers while the few in favor were interrupted with catcalls. Herger did not hold back on his opinion of the health care plan and the administration’s appointment of “czars” to head various departments and task forces. “Our democracy has never been threatened as much as it is today,” Herger said to a loud standing ovation.

— Hat tip: JD

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Developing World’s Parasites, Disease Hit U.S.

Researchers Say Infections Spread by Bug Bites, Larvae Are Flourishing Along Border and in Other Pockets of Poverty

Parasitic infections and other diseases usually associated with the developing world are cropping up with alarming frequency among U.S. poor, especially in states along the U.S.-Mexico border, the rural South and in Appalachia, according to researchers.

Government and private researchers are just beginning to assess the toll of the infections, which are a significant cause of heart disease, seizures and congenital birth defects among black and Hispanic populations.

One obstacle is that the diseases, long thought to be an overseas problem, are only briefly discussed in most U.S. medical school classes and textbooks, so many physicians don’t recognize them.

Some of the infections are transmitted by bug bites and some by animal feces contaminated with parasite larvae; still others are viral. All spread in conditions of overcrowding, malnutrition, poor sanitation and close contact with animals receiving little veterinary care.

“These are diseases that we know are ten-fold more important than swine flu,” said Peter Hotez, a microbiologist at George Washington University and leading researcher in this field. “They’re on no one’s radar.”

The insect-borne diseases — among them, Chagas and dengue fever — thrive in shanty towns along the Mexican border, where many homes have no window screens and where poor drainage allows standing puddles for bugs to breed. Outbreaks of a bacterial infection transmitted in rat urine have cropped up among the urban poor in Baltimore and Detroit.

Such parasites as toxocara — shed in animal feces — thrive in the soil and sandpits where poor children often play. There are an estimated 10,000 toxocara infections a year in the U.S. Symptoms include wheezing, fever and retinal scarring severe enough to blind.

These diseases share a common thread. “People who live in the suburbs are at very low risk,” Dr. Hotez said. But for the 37 million people in the U.S. who live below the poverty line, he said, “There is real suffering.”

Consider cysticercosis, caused by ingestion of tapeworm larvae. Medical journals estimate 3,500 new cases a year in the U.S., mostly among Latin American immigrants. The larvae spread through the bloodstream and can damage the heart, lungs and brain.

Several times a year, pregnant women complaining of seizures come into Jeanne Sheffield’s obstetrics practice at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, which serves a mostly poor, Hispanic population. Dr. Sheffield orders MRIs and often finds lesions in the brain, a telltale sign of this parasitic infection.

In recent years, as the immigrant population has spread, Dr. Sheffield said, cysticercosis has cropped up in states that have never had to deal with it before, including Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and Oregon. Treatment is available but complex; patients must remain on anti-seizure medicine for years.

Chagas disease, another troubling infection, begins with the innocent-sounding “kissing bug,” an insect endemic in parts of Latin America and also found in across the American South, especially Texas.

The bugs are often infected with a tiny protozoan parasite, which they excrete after snacking on human or animal blood. When a bite victim scratches, he may accidentally rub the parasite into his open wound — and an infection takes hold. Chagas spreads more easily in poor rural communities where homes without window screens get infested.

Many of those ill with Chagas are immigrants or travelers who became infected elsewhere; as many as half develop complications such as cardiac inflammation that can cause heart failure.

Most blood banks in the U.S. began screening for Chagas in the past two years, as concern about the disease mounted. Hundreds of cases have been detected, with especially high rates among Hispanics in Florida and California.

Nationally, one in 30,000 potential blood donors tests positive — yet many don’t seek treatment even after they are told they have Chagas, said Susan Stramer, executive scientific officer of the American Red Cross. Many are immigrants who don’t want to draw attention: “They’re afraid of the consequences of finding out they’re infected in the U.S,” she said.

One of the few Chagas clinics in the nation is run by Sheba Meymandi, a physician at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Dr. Meymandi hits the road one weekend a month with a car full of PVC piping and lengths of cloth, which she uses to transform church sanctuaries into makeshift clinics with curtained exam rooms. At each stop, she tries to persuade Latinos to be tested.

It is a hard sell. Those who feel fine see no need to be tested for what sounds like an exotic disease. And those who have heard about Chagas have also heard that the treatment is exceptionally grueling — three daily doses of a drug that can cause insomnia, nausea, memory loss and a possible lack of sensation in the limbs. The cure rate is about 70%.

Dr. Meymandi presses on, spurred by the reports that regularly cross her desk, such as the recent case of a 38-year-old gardener who dropped dead, his heart ruined by the parasite. “This is no longer an exotic disease,” Dr. Meymandi. “It’s prevalent.”

Public-health experts say the first step in fighting the infections is to learn more about them. “We understand the basic biology,” said Mark Eberhard, who directs the parasitic-diseases division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But we don’t understand that much about the burden of these diseases.”

Hoping to raise awareness — and money for research — the CDC is teaming with private foundations to organize a national summit this fall for doctors, nurses, community activists and politicians.

Health-care legislation pending in the House calls for a full report to Congress about the threat from this cluster of diseases, termed “neglected infections of poverty,” as their consequences threaten to increase U.S. health-care costs.

— Hat tip: Paul Green

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Hacker Attack Disables Michael Savage Website

Radio host wonders, ‘Would it not be possible the Brits ordered this?’

The website for radio talk show host Michael Savage was forced to shut down for nearly an hour this morning as technical experts attempted to undo the work of a computer hacker, who had snuck into the webpage’s server and damaged the site.

[…]

“Why on the day of the worldwide furor over the release of the Lockerbie Bomber by [British Prime Minister] Gordon Brown would Michael Savage’s website be hacked?” the radio host posited. “We cannot say who did this, but would it not be a possibility that the Brits themselves ordered this hack-attack?

“Why?” Savage asked WND. “Because the evidence that they placed me on this list with real murderers and terrorists was a political favor to some Islamic nation can be found in the recently discovered e-mails, hidden until now by the Gordon Brown government. Their own e-mail chain on banning Savage states, ‘There is no evidence of Savage advocating or inciting violence,’ yet, by including Savage on this banned list it would ‘help provide a balance of types of exclusion cases,’ in other words, the list would not only contain radical Muslims but also a white male conservative.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Inflation and the Fall of the Roman Empire

This is a transcript of Prof. Joseph Peden’s 50-minute lecture “Inflation and the Fall of the Roman Empire” given at the Mises Institute Seminar on Money and Government in Houston, Texas on October 27, 1984. The original audio recording is available courtesy of the Mises Institute.

— Hat tip: JD

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Next Step in H1N1 Scare: Microchip Implants

Company developing under-the-skin devices to detect ‘bio-threats’

A Florida-based company that boasts selling the world’s first and only federally approved radio microchip for implanting in humans is now turning its development branch toward “emergency preparedness,” hoping to produce an implant that can automatically detect in its host’s bloodstream the presence of swine flu or other viruses deemed a “bio-threat.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Ramadan in Virginia Synagogues

CAIRO — With mosques in the southern US state of Virginia are already bursting at the seams with worshippers, Muslims are turning to synagogues to perform prayers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

“We say our prayers, and a few hours later they meet for Sabbath and they say their prayers,” Rizwan Jaka, a leader at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) mosque in Sterling, told the Washington Post on Saturday, August 22.

Last year, ADAMS rented spaces at two synagogues to accommodate the growing numbers of Muslims worshippers during Ramadan.

“People may think it’s strange or odd, but we are simply grateful for the space.”

There are a few number of mosques in Virginia, leaving the already existent worship of places unable to accommodate the growing numbers of worshippers.

Several mosques have been built in Virginia suburbs such as Manassas and Ellicott City, but many have been full from the moment they opened.

To meet the overflow, Muslims started renting hotel ballrooms, office space and synagogues to handle the problem.

“We are a community with many people but not so much money,” Mohammad Mehboob, a community leader, told the Post.

“But Allah has always provided for us.”

Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, started in the US, home to between six to seven million Muslims, on Saturday.

In Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

Most dedicate their time during the holy month to become closer to Allah through self-restraint, good deeds and prayer.

Muslim-Jewish Bonds

Many see that observing Ramadan prayers in Jewish synagogue helps strength bonds between Muslims and Jews in the US.

“The prophet Isaiah said our houses would be houses of prayer for all people,” Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation said.

“Now, I don’t know if Isaiah could have imagined us hosting Ramadan in the synagogue, but the basic idea is there.”

Nosanchuk said the idea, seems difficult, turned to be easy as their Muslim friends did not need much.

Muslims only needed wide-open space, carpet to cushion the floor and a place for their shoes and the synagogue’s social hall suited them perfectly.

The arrangement has led to the unexpected benefit of cultural exchange.

There have been pulpit swaps, with the imam and rabbi preaching to each other’s congregation and interfaith visits as well.

David Fram, 72, who sings in the synagogue’s choir, was recently invited to the Sterling mosque for daily prayers.

And a few weeks later, he found himself at Barnes & Noble buying a copy of the Nobel Qur’an to know more about Islam.

“It’s not like the UN here. We’re not looking to draft some final settlement agreement between Israel and Palestine,” Nosanchuk said.

“But we’re learning from each other, and we’re trying to give them the space they need and make them feel at home.”

— Hat tip: TB

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Suicides Skyrocket Among Young Men and Women in the Military

On July 23, 2009, the “Air Force Times,” reported that the US Senate has ordered “an independent study to determine whether an increase in military suicides could be the result of sending troops into combat while they are taking antidepressants or sleeping pills.”

Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-Md), who pushed for the study, said he does not know whether there is a link, but he believes prescription drug use, especially when it is not closely supervised by medical personnel, needs a closer look, the Times noted.

“One thing we should all be concerned about is that there are more and more of our soldiers who are using prescription antidepressant drugs … and we are not clear as to whether they are under appropriate medical supervision,” Cardin told the Times.

“Surveys … have shown that as many as 12 percent of those who are serving in Iraq and 17 percent of those who are serving in Afghanistan are using some form of prescribed antidepressant or sleeping pills,” he said. “That would equal 20,000 of our service members.”

“Death by suicide is at record levels in the armed services,” according to Dr Peter Breggin, one of the top experts on psychiatric drugs in the US.

“Simultaneously,” he says, “the use of antidepressant drugs is also at record levels.”

“The army confirms that since 2002 the number of suicide attempts has increased six-fold,” he notes. “And more than 128 soldiers killed themselves last year.”

The FDA requires antidepressant makers to list the following adverse effects on the labels of their drugs: “anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity … and mania.”

“We are giving our troops drugs that provide a prescription for uncontrolled, disinhibited violence, including agitation, irritability, impulsivity, hostility, and aggressiveness,” Dr Breggin points out.

“During Vietnam, a mere 1% our troops were taking prescribed psychiatric drugs,” he reports. “By contrast, in the past year one-third of marines in combat zones were taking psychiatric drugs.”

“Instead of shortening tours of duty, instead of temporarily removing stressed-out soldiers from combat zones, and instead of providing counseling—the new army policy is to drug the troops,” he notes.

In his latest book, “Medication Madness,” Dr Breggin describes dozens of cases in which peace-loving citizens became suicidal, violent and psychotic from taking antidepressants.

[Comments from JD: Scroll down for the part about psychiatric drugs and the military.]

— Hat tip: JD

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White House Reveals Identity of Firm That Sent Unsolicited E-Mails on Health Reform

The White House revealed to FOX News that it hired a private communications firm to distribute mass e-mails, including unsolicited spam to help sell President Obama’s health care plan.

The company, Govdelivery, describes itself as the world’s leading provider of government-to-citizen communication solutions and says its e-mail service provides a fully-automated on-demand public communication system.

It is still unknown how much taxpayer money the White House provides to Govdelivery for its services.

— Hat tip: JD

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Art: Greece: Saudi Female Artists Exhibit Works in Athens

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 13 — A group of female saudi artists is showing in this days is works for the first time in Athens, according to daily Asharq Alawsat. The group, composed by 9 artist accompained by Director of the Saudi Society for Culture and Art Ibrahim Youssuf Bin Omar, present is works in the Divani Caravel Hotel in Athens, after receiving a personal invitation by the Saudi Ambassador in Greece. The works displayed regards in particulary paints from both abstract and realist style, most of them already winner of international prices in Bahrain and Yemen. The initiative, held by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Al-Sharqiyah governorate, aim to identificate common values beetwen middle east and greek artistic culture.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Cyprus: Common Action With Greece on Missing Persons Issue

(ANSAmed) — NICOSIA, AUGUST 12 — The President of the Greek Cyprus House of Representatives, Marios Garoyian, and the President of the Greek Parliament, Dimitrios Sioufas, agreed to undertake common action for a more intensive promotion of the missing persons issue, Cyprus news agency reports. According to an official announcement of the House of Representatives, Garoyian and Sioufas had today a telephone conversation on the missing persons’ issue on the occasion of the recent disclosures and evidence of Greek Cypriot hostages being murdered during the Turkish invasion of 1974. The two Presidents decided also that the Cypriot and Greek Parliaments request a more active mobilization of the international community in order to ascertain the fate of every missing person of the Turkish invasion and agreed that the efforts would be based on the relevant decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Cyprus has been divided when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory in 1974. A significant number of Greek Cypriots were reported missing during the invasion. Turkey has so far refused to provide information about the fate of Greek Cypriot missing persons who were last seen alive in the hands of the Turkish military during the 1974 Turkish invasion. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Istat Confirms Zero Inflation in July

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 12 — Italy’s year-on-year inflation rate in July was equal to zero and should current trends be confirmed inflation for all of 2009 should average out at +0.7%, national statistics bureau Istat confirmed on Wednesday. Italy’s inflation rate in July was the lowest since September 1959, when it fell by 1.1%, and down from 0.5% in June. There was also no variation in the consumer price index from June to July, Istat added. Using the European Union’s measuring stick, inflation in Italy fell by 0.1% over July 2008 and the consumer price index declined 1.2% from June of this year. Food prices fell 0.3% from June and were up 1.5% from in July of last year. Prices for bread and other flour products, which saw whopping increases over the past year, were 1.5% higher than July 2008 with year-on-year bread prices up 0.8%, but down 0.1% from June. Gasoline prices in July were down 1.5% for the month and 14.6% for the year, while diesel prices declined 0.3% from June and 28.4% from July 2008. Looking at costs in July for goods and services linked to the summer holiday season, Istat found that compared to a year ago seasonal rents were up 3.4%, bathing establishment prices were 4.3% higher, maritime transport fares climbed 8.8% and train tickets in one year climbed 6%. Air fares, on the other hand, were 18.4% lower than July 2008 and the price for ‘all-included’ holiday packages decline by 1.3%.. In July Istat recorded negative year-on-year inflation in 13 Italian cities including Turin (-0.2%), Milan (-0.1%), Venice (-0.6%), Florence (-0.6%), Genoa (-0.2%), Bologna (-0.6%) and Palermo (0.2%). (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Libya Continues to Dominate Swiss Concerns

The Swiss justice minister says there may be legal problems over a tribunal set to look into last year’s detention in Geneva of a son of Libyan leader, Moammar Gaddafi.

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the legal basis was questionable, adding that the issue would be put forward at next Wednesday’s meeting of the seven-member Swiss cabinet.

The Swiss president, Hans-Rudolf Merz, apologised on Thursday in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, for the detention of Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife Aline in July 2008 after Geneva police received reports of the mistreatment of two domestic staff.

The apology has led to widespread criticism in Switzerland and called into question the competence of the cantons, which are responsible for police matters.

Widmer-Schlumpf told the Sonntag newspaper that she had been surprised by an accord signed by Merz and the Libyan authorities setting up the tribunal, which will be based in London.

At stake are not only relations between Switzerland and Libya, but also the future of two Swiss who have been detained in Libya and are not free to leave the country.

Sunday newspapers reported that Merz had become increasingly “politically isolated” because the two Swiss had not been released immediately, adding that Merz had become the third hostage to Libya.

Widmer-Schlumpf said that if the two were not released soon, the issue would become “politically very difficult”.

Economics Minister Doris Leuthard told Swiss radio the affair had to be discussed at the cabinet to clear up possible conflicts between the finance and foreign ministries.

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey told two Sunday newspapers that it was important for the two Swiss to be released soon, after being detained for just over a year.

But she did not wish to be drawn on other questions about the case.

swissinfo.ch and agencies

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Quangos Blackball … Oops, Sorry … Veto ‘Racist’ Everyday Phrases

It could be construed as a black day for the English language — but not if you work in the public sector.

Dozens of quangos and taxpayer-funded organisations have ordered a purge of common words and phrases so as not to cause offence.

Among the everyday sayings that have been quietly dropped in a bid to stamp out racism and sexism are “whiter than white”, “gentleman’s agreement”, “black mark” and “right-hand man”.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has advised staff to replace the phrase “black day” with “miserable day”, according to documents released under freedom of information rules.

It points out that certain words carry with them a “hierarchical valuation of skin colour”. The commission even urges employees to be mindful of the term “ethnic minority” because it can imply “something smaller and less important”.

The National Gallery in London believes that the phrase “gentleman’s agreement” is potentially offensive to women and suggests that staff should replace it with “unwritten agreement” or “an agreement based on trust” instead. The term “right-hand man” is also considered taboo by the gallery, with “second in command” being deemed more suitable.

Many institutions have urged their workforce to be mindful of “gender bias” in language. The Learning and Skills Council wants staff to “perfect” their brief rather than “master” it, while the Newcastle University has singled out the phrase “master bedroom” as being problematic.

Advice issued by the South West Regional Development Agency states: “Terms such as ‘black sheep of the family’, ‘black looks’ and ‘black mark’ have no direct link to skin colour but potentially serve to reinforce a negative view of all things black. Equally, certain terms imply a negative image of ‘black’ by reinforcing the positive aspects of white.

“For example, in the context of being above suspicion, the phrase ‘whiter than white’ is often used. Purer than pure or cleaner than clean are alternatives which do not infer that anything other than white should be regarded with suspicion.”

The clampdown in the public sector has angered some of the country’s most popular writers.

Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider children’s spy books, said: “A great deal of our modern language is based on traditions which have now gone but it would be silly — and extremely inconvenient — to replace them all. A ‘white collar worker’, for example, probably doesn’t wear one. An ‘able seaman’, under new regulations, could well be neither. ‘Spanish practices’ can happen all over Europe. We know what these phrases mean and we can find out from where they were derived. Banning them is just unnecessary.”

Marie Clair, spokeswoman for the Plain English Campaign, said: “Political correctness has good intentions but things can be taken to an extreme. What is really needed is a bit of common sense.”

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Sweden Democrats Gain in New Voter Poll

Sweden’s centre-left opposition parties maintain a slight lead over the governing centre-right Alliance parties, while the far-right Sweden Democrats have enough support to gain a seat in the Riksdag, according to a new poll.

According to the latest poll of voter sympathies carried out by the Sifo polling firm, the red-green parties have support from 48.1 percent of the voters, while the four Alliance parties together garner 45.2 percent.

But if the election were held today, the Sweden Democrats, which have crossed the four-percent threshold, would be the kingmakers.

Support for the Sweden Democrats rose from 3.1 percent to 4.2 percent, giving them the ability to tip the scales of power in a Swedish parliament where the two main political blocs are only separated by 2.9 percent, according to the Sifo poll.

Both the Social Democrats and Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of the Moderate Party, however, have said repeatedly that neither party has any plans to cooperated with the Sweden Democrats or become dependent on them to form a coalition.

In a statement regarding the Sifo poll results, the prime minister said that support for the Sweden Democrats would likely drop when the 2010 parliamentary election campaign heats up and that both blocs plan on moving ahead with platforms lacking input from the Sweden Democrats.

For the most part, Reinfeldt didn’t want to comment on possibility of the Sweden Democrats being kingmakers or other theories about possible partnership with the party.

“I don’t want to give them any unnecessary attention,” he said.

According to political scientist Sören Holmberg, Swedish democracy may be in for a “difficult situation” if the Sweden Democrats end up as the party that could give either political bloc a majority in the Riksdag.

“We may have a thorny discussion about what sort of influence the Sweden Democrats can have in Swedish politics. But we should also be reminded that the government doesn’t need to resign [if it’s unable to achieve a majority],” he told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

“There needs to be a majority for a no-confidence vote and then the opposition and the Sweden Democrats would have to support it.”

The poll results were published on Sunday in the Göteborgs-Posten, Svenska Dagbladet, and Skånska Dagbladet newspapers.

The results come from responses given by 1,911 people who were asked between August 10th and 20th to say which party they would vote for if Sweden’s parliamentary elections were held today.

The parties’ figures are given below in percentages, with changes from the previous poll given in parentheses.

Social Democrats: 32.8 percent (no change); Moderates: 27.6 (-0.6 percent); Green Party: 9.2 percent (+0.7); Liberal Party (Folkpartiet): 6.8 (-2.0); Left Party: 6.1 (+0.9); Centre Party: 6.1 (+1.1); Christian Democrats: 4.7 (+0.5); Sweden Democrats: 4.2 (+1.1).

— Hat tip: TB

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Sweden: Transgender Belly Dancer Helps Launch Arab Gay Initiative

As a human rights group publishes details of a bloody campaign of hate being waged against gays in Iraq, Rami Abdelrahman speaks to members of a recently founded initiative for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Arabs in Sweden.

Dressed in a flashy black belly-dancing outfit, Nancy is a hobby transgender dancer from Iraq, ready to take to the stage with full make-up and skinny high heels. She is preparing to entertain more than 200 other Arab gays, lesbians and transgender people in Stockholm, Sweden.

The setting is the Stockholm headquarters of the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL). The occasion is the launch of Arab Initiative, the first Arab LGBT rights group in Europe.

Nancy has been in Sweden six years now. She lives with her Iraqi family in a Stockholm suburb and hides her preferred gender identity and hobby from her family.

“I was a hobby trans even back in Iraq. I believe most of my friends back then were bisexuals, they just refused to admit it, even if I had a relationship with them,” Nancy says, as she keeps watch of the entrance to the RFSL party premises.

She lets a fellow Iraqi in, and kisses him on both cheeks. Turning around, Nancy says her family would never accept her lifestyle and explains how she has to stay out with other Iraqi friends when she’s in town dressed up as the person she prefers to be.

“However, people here are more open to accepting a transgender belly dancer than in the Middle East.”

Ali, who started the Arab Initiative, takes some time off from serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to members and their friends to speak about the purpose of the organization.

“Our aim is to create new bridges between European and Arab cultures, spread information about the Arab world in Sweden, support LGBT people with an Arabic background, and hopefully to bring more tolerance and understanding of their issues and defend their rights in Sweden and abroad,” he says.

“We as Arabs are discriminated against in general as an immigrant group, and then we are discriminated against again amongst our own minority for being gay,” he adds.

Ali and his peers have received funding from the European Union, which supports several LGBT organizations for immigrant minorities around Europe.

Since its establishment last May, the Arab Initiative has held parties, partaken in two Pride festivals, arranged three film showings, and four seminars.

“We have been making connections with LGBT groups in the Middle East, promoting ourselves locally through word of mouth, and standing up for LGBT rights against media producers who portray this particular group in a negative way.”

Ali adds that it is not a political organization, but mostly a place for Arab LGBT people to find support and meet their peers.

Karin Båge, head of RFSL in Stockholm, says that her group was contacted by the Arab Initiative. RFSL quickly gave the group full access to its premises, skills, and contacts.

The difficulties faced by gays in Iraq was brought into sharp relief this week as Human Rights Watched published details of a murderous militia-led campaign against homosexuals in the Middle Eastern country. In response, RFSL called on the Swedish government to halt all deportations to Iraq of people who have sought asylum on the basis of sexual orientation or gender.

“We urge Sweden to investigate the possibility of evacuating homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people who are at risk of being subjected to ‘sexual cleansing’,” RFSL chairperson Sören Juvas wrote in a press release on Monday.

Sa’ad Ibrahim, 37, is an Iraqi citizen who was granted asylum last May after being threatened with death due to his sexual orientation.

“One day in 2006, I received a call between 8 and 9 in the evening when I had arrived home from work. A friend of mine told me that another friend of ours had disappeared. So we asked around and after ten days we found out that his dismembered body had been found. Three of my friends were killed this way. I am the only one alive in my previous circle of friends,” Sa’ad tells The Local.

He had previously received written threats in his ladies’ shoe shop in a conservative Shiite district of Baghdad, where he was told he was a “fag” and that “God hates fags.”

“Around 9.30 to 10 at night there were six people asking about me around the corner. I got the message to leave before they made it to my shop: I escaped through the back door and left everything behind me. I went far away to my uncle’s place where I stayed for the next five months. Every day I would imagine myself torn to pieces.”

He made his way to Sweden through a smuggling network, using up all the money he had managed to gather. When he came to Sweden he was devastated and lonely, he says.

“Now I am very happy because here I am able to mingle and mix with all sorts of people. I met an Iranian man who became my boyfriend. I fell in love with him, as he took me to the Pride festival, which turned my life around 180 degrees. I was totally amazed by the energy of the festival.”

Meanwhile, it was time for Nancy to mount the stage and wow the crowd with her belly dancing shakes to Arabic music. Swedes, Arabs, Africans and people of other ethnicities, men and women, straight and gay, gathered around the stage and clapped to the rhythm — a sight unseen in any Arab country.

Ali said the Arab Initiative will be organizing similar parties this autumn. The soonest will be in observation of Ramadan, the holy fasting month in the Islamic calendar, which starts this Saturday.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Switzerland Apologises to Libya

Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz has apologised in Tripoli for the arrest in 2008 of one of the sons of the Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.

Two Swiss businessmen currently detained in Libya would be released “soon”, according to a finance ministry statement.

“I express to the Libyan people my apologies for the unjust arrest of Libyan diplomats by Geneva police,” Merz said in English at a joint news conference, according to AFP news agency.

Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi said the two countries had agreed on a “normalisation” of their relationship — a decision that was confirmed by Merz — and they would set up a joint committee to examine what he called the “tragic incident” in Geneva.

Relations between the countries have been strained since July 2008 when Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife were arrested in Geneva, charged with assaulting two domestic employees.

The couple were freed after two days in custody on bail of SFr500,000 ($470,000) and the charges were later dropped, but Libya responded by suspending oil deliveries to Switzerland, withdrawing assets worth an estimated $5 billion (SFr5.3 billion) from Swiss banks, ending bilateral cooperation programmes and placing restrictions on Swiss companies.

In its statement on Thursday, the finance ministry said both countries would set up an independent court to look into the circumstances surrounding the arrest, and that Switzerland was “prepared to apologise for the improper and unnecessary arrest of Hannibal Gaddafi and his family by the Geneva police”.

Merz told a journalist from AFP that the Libyans had promised him that the two Swiss hostages would be released before September 1.

“Today I have fulfilled my mission and achieved my goals of wiping the slate clean of last year’s incident and opening the Libyan market [to Swiss firms],” he said, before returning to Bern on Thursday evening.

“It is a satisfying outcome for me.”

Oil supplies

Geneva’s prosecutor dropped the case in September last year following the withdrawal by the plaintiffs of their formal complaint after they reached an undisclosed settlement with the Gaddafis.

Charles Poncet, a Geneva lawyer representing Libya, said on Thursday he was “very happy” that Bern and Tripoli had managed to overcome their differences. He added that a hearing on the civil suit due next month would be “suspended” as a first step and “certainly withdrawn”.

Geneva authorities had rejected Libyan calls for an apology. “We have found that the rule of law was respected, that international conventions were not violated and in the final analysis, there was perhaps a problem of a lack of tact,” the cantonal government president, David Hiler, said in January.

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey last month said Switzerland intended to seek a meeting with the Libyan leader in order to help settle the dispute.

For Switzerland the dispute is “a matter of law, while for Libya it is a matter of honour”, she said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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The Mythical European Umma

Muslims in Europe are secretly amassing an arsenal of the deadliest in biological weaponry: the demographic time bomb. The first phase of the Muslim invasion — or should I say reinvasion — of Europe has already begun with the deployment of an expeditionary force of womb-men: a fearsome army of mutant ninja warriors whose function is to go forth and multiply. Their turbo-charged and perhaps even genetically modified uteruses mass produce the deadly biological agent which is currently being stockpiled in Muslim homes across the continent.

And their mission: to create Eurabia — or, better said, since many European Muslims are not Arabs, to turn the EU into the European Umma. Having been driven out of Europe once and unable to reconquer it through force of arms, those crafty and cunning Muslims are back to do it through the Trojan horse of immigration and reproduction.

— Hat tip: JD

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Three Palestinian Refugees in Italy on Hunger Strike

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 21 — “Ours is a human cause, not a political one”, stated Mohammad Said Siyam, one of the three radical Palestinian representatives wanted by Israel for terrorism, who escaped to Italy in 2002. He explained to ANSA the motivations behind the hunger strike yesterday after the Italian government decided not to continue to supply them with economic assistance and protection as a part of an EU agreement that guarantees their well-being. The three Palestinians have been in Italy for the last 7 years, thanks to an agreement mediated by Brussels to put an end to the Israeli siege at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where they were surrounded together with another 30 or so militants. “We do not see the reason for which the agreement has not been renewed”, Siyam said, who together with the other two Palestinians (Ibrahim Salem Ubayyat and Khalud Abu Nijmah) found refuge yesterday in the offices that represent Palestinians in Rome, beginning a hunger strike “which will last until the Italian government renews the agreement”. The agreement ended in 2005, but according to Siyam, it would be impossible to return to Bethlehem at the moment. “We would run the risk of facing criminal charges from the Israeli government”, he said. The man, father of two and who suffers from cancer, declared that “the Interior Ministry has not provided them with protection and economic assistance since April”. Since then, the three refugees, which on the basis of the agreement are barred from engaging in work in Italy, have “lived with ever increasing economic restraints”. Last July they made their first appeal to the Italian government. “They promised us a response in a few days time, 50 days have passed and nothing has happened”, Sayim said. “We are grateful for what the Italian government and people have done for us so far, the ex-militant concluded, stressing however the motive behind the request: “We are only asking for the agreement to be respected, or we will let ourselves die of hunger”. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UK: Dear Muammar… Happy Ramadan

Brown’s letter to Gaddafi as FBI boss launches blistering attack at Lockerbie bomber’s release

The the British and Scottish governments were facing acute pressure today over the release of the Lockerbie bomber after the most stinging criticism yet of the move.

In an unprecedented attack, FBI director Robert Mueller told the Scottish Justice Secretary he was ‘outraged’ at the release of Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi, saying it made a mockery of the law and gave comfort to terrorists.

Former Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell also slammed the decision, saying it was a ‘grave error of judgment’ which had damaged the reputation of Scotland.

Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi kisses the hand of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli two days ago

The blistering comments came as Downing Street released the full text of a letter sent by Gordon Brown to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in which the Prime Minister wished the Libyan leader a happy Ramadan.

The letter, which was addressed to ‘Dear Muammar’, asked Gaddafi to ‘act with sensitivity’ over Megrahi’s homecoming.

‘A high-profile return would cause further unnecessary pain for the families of the Lockerbie victims. It would also undermine Libya’s growing international reputation,’ Brown wrote.

Instead, Megrahi was given a hero’s welcome in scenes described by President Barack Obama as ‘highly objectionable’.

The Prime Minister also faced calls to explain a meeting he had with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi when he apparently discussed the case.

Mr Brown has yet to make a public comment following the Libyan’s release on Thursday, with senior ministers stressing it was a matter for the devolved Scottish government alone.

Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi (front row 2nd R) and his family pose for a photo with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (R)

Libyan newspapers bearing front-page stories on freed Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi’s return to Libya are displayed at a stall in Tripoli

Opposition parties have also spoken out after Col Gaddafi’s son Saif claimed that the decision to free Megrahi was tied to a trade agreement.

Colonel Gaddafi’s son buys £10m Hampstead mansion

Libyan television yesterday showed pictures of Col Gaddafi himself meeting Megrahi and praising ‘my friend’ Gordon Brown and the British government for their part in securing his freedom.

The Foreign Office minister responsible for Libya is also said to have written to the Scottish government, encouraging officials to send home Megrahi.

Ivan Lewis wrote to Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill on August 3 after Libyan officials allegedly threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Britain which could have affected commercial interests in the country.

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said the British government ‘urgently needs to clarify the approach that it took’ to negotiations with Libya.

But Business Secretary Lord Mandelson dismissed suggestions of a deal as ‘offensive’.

‘The idea that the British government and the Libyan government would sit down and somehow barter over the freedom or the life of this Libyan prisoner and make it form part of some business deal …. it’s not only wrong, it’s completely implausible and actually quite offensive,’ Lord Mandelson said.

However, in transcript of a meeting between Saif Gaddafi and Megrahi as the pair flew home from Glasgow, the son of the Libyan leader says: ‘You were on the table in all commercial, oil and gas agreements that we supervised in that period.

‘You were on the table in all British interests when it came to Libya, and I personally supervised this matter. Also, during the visits of the previous prime minister, Tony Blair.’

Megrahi, who is terminally ill with prostate cancer, was freed by Mr MacAskill on compassionate grounds after serving eight years of a life sentence.

He returned home to Libya to jubilant scenes that included people waving Scottish flags.

Former US prosecutor Mr Mueller, who played a key role in the investigation into the 1988 bombing which killed 270 people, told Mr MacAskill in a letter: ‘Your action in releasing Megrahi is as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice.

‘Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world.’

He added that he normally did not comment on the actions of other prosecutors, but he had been forced to abandon the rule because ‘I am outraged at your decision, blithely defended on the grounds of ‘compassion”.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond today defended the decision to free the Lockerbie bomber as the right decision for the right reasons.

Mr Salmond told BBC Radio 4: ‘No one I think seriously believes we made any other decision except for the right reasons.

‘I think it was the right decision. I also absolutely know it was for the right reasons.’

Mr Salmond insisted the decisions were made to the letter of Scots law.

He said there had been wide consultation with American families and politicians, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Mr Salmond said: ‘I understand the huge and strongly held views of the American families but that’s not all the families who were affected by Lockerbie.

‘As you’re well aware, a number of the families, particularly in the UK, take a different view and think that we made the right decision.

‘I would never criticise anybody in terms of who comes forward from the affected families.

‘I don’t think Rob Mueller’s correct in believing that all the families have the same opinion — clearly that’s not the case.’

Mr Salmond said his Justice Secretary had not invited the two applications, one for prisoner transfer and one for compassionate release.

He continued: ‘An important point is that Robert Mueller, who is I’m sure extraordinarily distinguished in all sorts of things, but that aspect — particularly of compassionate release — is not part of the United States judicial system.’

A Scottish government spokesman said Mr MacAskill would respond to Mr Mueller’s letter ‘in due course’.

He will face questions from his peers when the Scottish Parliament is recalled a week early tomorrow.

Labour’s Mr McConnell, who preceded the SNP’s Alex Salmond, said it was up to the Scottish Parliament to take action to repair some of the ‘damage’ caused by Megrahi’s release.

He told the BBC: ‘The way in which the decision has been made and the decision itself have damaged the reputation of the Scottish justice system — historically our legal system has had a fantastic international reputation.

‘It’s damaged that reputation, but much more significantly it’s also damaged the reputation of Scotland internationally.

‘I think it’s absolutely vital that the Scottish Parliament now takes action to limit that damage and to give a clear indication to the rest of the world that when the Scottish Government made this decision they were not acting with the support of the people of Scotland.’

A spokesman for Mr MacAskill said he would answer ‘any and all’ questions put to him by MSPs at Holyrood in line with the proper parliamentary process.

Opposition parties have spoken out after Col Gaddafi’s son Saif claimed that the decision to free Megrahi was tied to a trade agreement.

Libyan television yesterday showed pictures of Col Gaddafi himself meeting Megrahi and praising ‘my friend’ Gordon Brown and the British government for their part in securing his freedom.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson dismissed suggestions of a deal as ‘offensive’.

The Foreign Office said in a statement: ‘No deal has been made between the UK Government and Libya in relation to Megrahi and any commercial interests in the country.’

The letter sent by FBI director Robert Mueller to Scotland’s Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskillDear Mr Secretary

Over the years I have been a prosecutor, and recently as the Director of the FBI, I have made it a practice not to comment on the actions of other prosecutors, since only the prosecutor handling the case has all the facts and the law before him in reaching the appropriate decision.

Your decision to release Megrahi causes me to abandon that practice in this case. I do so because I am familiar with the facts, and the law, having been the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the investigation and indictment of Megrahi in 1991. And I do so because I am outraged at your decision, blithely defended on the grounds of “compassion”.

Your action in releasing Megrahi is as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice. Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world who now believe that regardless of the quality of the investigation, the conviction by jury after the defendant is given all due process, and sentence appropriate to the crime, the terrorist will be freed by one man’s exercise of “compassion”. Your action rewards a terrorist even though he never admitted to his role in this act of mass murder and even though neither he nor the government of Libya ever disclosed the names and roles of others who were responsible.

Your action makes a mockery of the emotions, passions and pathos of all those affected by the Lockerbie tragedy: the medical personnel who first faced the horror of 270 bodies strewn in the fields around Lockerbie, and in the town of Lockerbie itself; the hundreds of volunteers who walked the fields of Lockerbie to retrieve any piece of debris related to the break-up of the plane; the hundreds of FBI agents and Scottish police who undertook an unprecedented global investigation to identify those responsible; the prosecutors who worked for years — in some cases a full career — to see justice done.

But most importantly, your action makes a mockery of the grief of the families who lost their own on December 21, 1988. You could not have spent much time with the families, certainly not as much time as others involved in the investigation and prosecution. You could not have visited the small wooden warehouse where the personal items of those who perished were gathered for identification — the single sneaker belonging to a teenager; the Syracuse sweatshirt never again to be worn by a college student returning home for the holidays; the toys in a suitcase of a businessman looking forward to spending Christmas with his wife and children.

You apparently made this decision without regard to the views of your partners in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the Lockerbie tragedy. Although the FBI and Scottish police, and prosecutors in both countries, worked exceptionally closely to hold those responsible accountable, you never once sought our opinion, preferring to keep your own counsel and hiding behind opaque references to “the need for compassion”.

You have given the family members of those who died continued grief and frustration. You have given those who sought to assure that the persons responsible would be held accountable the back of your hand. You have given Megrahi a “jubilant welcome” in Tripoli, according to the reporting. Where, I ask, is the justice?

Sincerely yours,

Robert S. Mueller, III

Director

— Hat tip: Gaia

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UK: Equality Czar to Investigate Discrimination Against Nudists

Promoting claims naturists suffer prejudice like ‘gays,’ ethnic minorities, elderly

HARRIET HARMAN is set to embrace yet another minority group who claim to be victims of discrimination — naturists.

The Government Equalities Office, which is overseen by Labour’s deputy leader, is promoting claims that devotees of skinny dipping and nudist campsites suffer prejudice equivalent to that experienced by gays, ethnic minorities and the elderly.

A submission written by British Naturism has been included in a review into discrimination. “Naturists encounter prejudice in employment,” it reads.

“This is a particular problem for people in the caring professions and education. Any occupation requiring an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check is potentially a serious problem.”

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: EU Membership to Cost Households an Extra £257 Next Year

Every household will have to pay £257 towards the EU next year after Labour signed away much of Britain’s hard-won budget rebate.

Official figures show that our share of the EU budget is to soar by almost 60 per cent to reach £6.4billion next year.

The increase, which works out at £92 per household, is detailed in a Treasury document released quietly by the Government just before Parliament rose for its summer break.

As usual, the bulk of the budget will go on aid to the EU’s poorer countries and lavish agricultural subsidies.

This year Britain will pay £4.1billion net to the EU — £800million more than the £3.3billion forecast by the Treasury — and by 2009-10, the net figure will be £6.4billion.

The increases have been caused by extra demands for funding by new EU members, including Bulgaria and Romania.

Britain’s contribution to the EU budget will continue to shoot up as the Government’s surrender of billions of pounds of rebate payments begins to bite. Margaret Thatcher famously won the rebate in 1984.

It was designed to compensate the UK for the massive costs of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which benefits Britain much less than other countries because of its relatively small farming sector.

Critics have attacked former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as Chancellor for agreeing in 2005 to give up a large chunk of British taxpayers’ money for no return.

There have even been suggestions that the deal may have been struck to smooth Mr Blair’s chances of becoming the first president of the EU.

As part of the agreement, Britain secured promises of cuts to the CAP subsidies paid to farmers. But not have materialised, thanks to the resistance of France and other EU governments that rake in billions in subsidies.

The CAP helps ensure that the French, who benefit most from lavish subsidies to their farmers, get back 98 per cent of their total contributions to the EU budget.

The increased budget payments have made Britain the highest contributing member apart from Germany.

They are likely to fuel controversy over how much Britain benefits from EU membership, after more than a quarter of voters in this year’s European elections backed parties which want to take Britain out of the EU.

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond accused the Government of ‘incompetence’.

‘The consequences of Labour’s rebate sell-out are becoming clear,’ he said.

‘Gordon Brown and Tony Blair signed away billions of pounds of our money in return for absolutely nothing. At a time when our economy is in recession and public service budgets are under pressure, Labour’s incompetence is allowing billions of pounds to be siphoned off to Brussels.’

The scale of the increase in the net contribution between this year and next is by far the largest between any two years since 2003, according to the Treasury figures.

In 2003/4 Britain’s net contribution was £3.2 billion, and in following years was at £3.9 billion, £4.4 billion, £3.5 billion, £4.2 billion and £3.0 billion before hitting £4.1 billion this year under current spending plans.

The CAP, critics say, adds further big indirect costs to British membership of the EU.

Experts say the agreement costs a British family of four an additional £20 on their weekly food bill — or £1,000 per year.

About half of this is made up of higher taxes in order to subsidise farmers, and half through higher food bills compared with what we would pay for the same food on the world market.

The Common Fisheries Policy, meanwhile, which has allowed EU fleets to ravage Britain’s fishing grounds, costs at least £1billion a year to Britain in lost jobs and reduced catches.

Business also complain that the tide of regulations from the EU is increasingly costing business dear, adding to the indirect costs on Britain.

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UK: Family Told by NHS: Alzheimer’s is Not a ‘Health Condition’

A family has won £130,000 from an NHS trust after it refused to pay for their mother’s care fees, claiming her Alzheimer’s was not a health issue.

NHS Worcestershire ruled that Judith Roe, 74, did not qualify for NHS funding because her condition was a “social” rather than “health” problem, even though she was so ill she could not make a cup of tea and regularly left the stove on.

She was forced to sell her £200,000 home to pay her £600-a-week nursing home fees, which would have been funded if she had been categorised correctly.

[…]

“We are still very concerned that older people may wrongly be forced to pay for their care when it should be free.

“We strongly encourage anyone who believes they are unfairly missing out on NHS support to fight for their rights.”

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Lockerbie Bomber’s Release Linked to Trade Deal, Claims Gaddafi’s Son

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Saif, claimed the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, was linked to trade deals between Britain and Libya.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Mother Dies After Doctors Refuse to Save Her Life With Transplant Using Daughter’s Kidneys

A mother has died a year after being denied a kidney transplant from her dying daughter because of rules banning donor requests.

Rachel Leake, 41, was admitted to hospital with an infection three months ago and died earlier this month from blood poisoning.

Her sister Carole Saunders said: ‘She had no fight left in her, to be honest, when she lost her daughter. We are all devastated, absolutely devastated.’

Mrs Leake hit the headlines in April last year when she spoke out to condemn rules preventing her from receiving a kidney from her 21-year-old daughter Laura Ashworth.

Before she died from a suspected asthma attack, Miss Ashworth told friends and family she wanted to give one of her kidneys to help her seriously ill mother.

But she never began the formal process of becoming a ‘living donor’ and when she died suddenly the authorities insisted her organs go to strangers at the top of the waiting list.

Ironically, the government announced a change in rules in March, allowing people to donate healthy organs to family or friends when they die. However, at the time of Miss Ashworth’s death the policy was under review and a blanket ban in place.

She was carrying an organ donor card and her kidneys were given to men in Sheffield and London and her liver transplanted into a 15-year-old girl.

Mrs Leake underwent a kidney transplant in 2003, but the organ failed and she desperately needed another. Her daughter regularly spoke about donating one of her kidney’s, but her mother refused to take he up on the offer.

Following Miss Ashworth’s tragic death Mrs Leake had hoped to be given a kidney by her sister Carole Saunders, 52.

However, her health deteriorated and she died after allegedly contracting septicaemia in Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mrs Leake, who was a diabetic, had been admitted for treatment because of an infection in both her feet due to poor circulation.

It is not known if or to what extent her death was related to her need for a transplant.

Mrs Saunders said:’Rachel was a lovely, lovely person, a beautiful woman and a friend to so many people. She had a big heart. She was very caring and even though she had a lot of problems herself and suffered an awful lot of pain she still had time to listen to other people.’

When her daughter died Mrs Leake took over the job of caring for her granddaughter Macie, despite her own poor health.

She lobbied her local MP over the transplant donor rules and said at the time of her daughter’s death last year:’I am angry, really angry. I am not finding comfort at the moment in the fact that she helped three people.

‘All I wanted to do was carry out her wishes. She would have been so upset that she was able to help other people and not her own mum.

‘Everyone has gone mad and everyone is disgusted. The thing that hurts the most is how Laura would feel. She would be devastated that she was not able to help me.’

She said her daughter had regularly expressed her wish to donate a kidney, but she never took up the offer because of her age or other reasons such as pregnancy and health problems.

Tragically Miss Ashworth was herself rushed to hospital after suffering breathing problems and collapsing in her mother’s arms at home.

The next day doctors revealed she had no hope of recovery and discussed organ donation. A family friend asked if a kidney could be used to help Mrs Leake, but she was told ‘there’s a law which prevents directed donorship’ and the organs went to strangers.

In March Baroness Thornton announced people will be able to make a ‘preferential donation’ request about who should receive their hearts, liver, kidneys or lungs if there is no critical need for them nationally.

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UK: Police Charge ‘Suicide’ Man Who Delayed the Trains for Four Hours

In what is thought to be the first case of its kind, Michael Finnegan, 26, has been charged with trespassing on railway property, causing a public nuisance and obstructing a train, a charge that carries a maximum prison sentence of two years.

Mr Finnegan climbed on to a bridge near Gallions Reach station on the Docklands Light Railway in East London on July 16.

After four hours, a police negotiator, together with a friend of Mr Finnegan, persuaded him to climb down from the 50ft-high bridge.

He was arrested at the scene but police decided his mental condition meant he was

not fit to be detained and bailed him until July 29, pending a medical evaluation.

He then agreed to enter a psychiatric unit at Queen Mary’s Hospital in South-West London where he received treatment and counselling.

According to Mr Finnegan, on the morning of his release from hospital on July 29, an officer from the British Transport Police allegedly contacted him by telephone offering to drive him to a Central London police station, where he was scheduled to be questioned for the first time about the alleged offences.

Mr Finnegan, a voluntary worker from South London, told The Mail on Sunday that he was questioned about the incident and told that the Crown Prosecution Service had authorised the three charges to be brought against him.

He spent the night in a police cell. The following morning, he was handcuffed and driven to Stratford magistrates court in East London in a prison van operated by security firm Serco.

At court, he had to wait in a cell for around seven hours until his case was called at 3.30pm.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail.

Mr Finnegan will appear at a committal hearing on September 10.

His trial is expected to take place at Isleworth Crown Court in Middlesex.

Research carried out by the Rail Safety and Standards Board in 2005 estimated that there are an average of 70 incidents of suicide on British railways each year, costing the industry more than £11 million in train delays and lost working time as a result

of trauma suffered by staff.

It is understood to be the first time someone has been prosecuted in such circumstances.

A British Transport Police source, who did not wish to be identified, said he found Mr

Finnegan’s case ‘unusual’.

He added: ‘In almost 20 years, I have never heard of a case like this. I don’t know of any other.’

Earlier this month, a 13-year-old boy in Liverpool died after being electrocuted at a railway maintenance site.

A source said police are deciding whether to prosecute two other boys, who survived, for trespassing.

Mr Finnegan, now unemployed, was until recently working as an outreach worker for a

charity.

He is a member of the Bank of England rugby team, although he has never been employed by the bank.

A CPS spokesman said: ‘The police took the decision to charge this case on July 29.

The first hearing was on July 30. The CPS is conducting a thorough review of the evidence.’

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Algeria: Bouteflika, Hand Extended to Fundamentalists

(ANSAmed) — ALGIERS, AUGUST 20 — Algeria “extended a hand” towards armed Islamic fundamentalists and the “hand will remain extended” even if the fight against terrorism moves forward, declared president Abdelaziz Bouteflika during a speech given for World Moudjahid Day (fighters in the war for independence). “It is necessary to unite the right conditions to development giving an occasion to those who have gone astray”, Bouteflika said, “having mistaken over religious references or for having been tricked by mercenaries that work for organised crime and the destruction of Algerian society”. In spite of the fact that the door to national reconciliation remains open, “the state remains determined to face those that refuse the hand that has been offered”, he added. After the law on Civil Agreement of 1999, that during the first mandate of Bouteflika brought the release of thousands of ‘penitents’, in 2005 the Charta referendum was approved for peace and national reconciliation offering pardon to those who put down their weapons. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt ‘Hezbollah Cell’ On Trial

A group accused of plotting attacks in Egypt for the Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah has gone on trial in Cairo.

The 26 men, arrested in April, deny spying on ships in the Suez Canal and plotting attacks on holiday resorts popular with Israelis in Sinai.

At least one man said he had been tortured. Four defendants are on the run and being tried in their absence.

Hezbollah’s leader has said one of the men was an agent for the movement but denied any plan to harm Egypt.

The 26 men — two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians — are charged with spying for a foreign group and planning attacks against tourists and shipping in the Suez Canal.

They are also accused of sending operatives into the occupied Gaza Strip to help Palestinian militant groups there.

‘Revenge’

As the charges were read out, several of the accused reportedly shouted: “We live and die as Egyptians. We will never betray our country.”

At least one of the accused said he had been tortured while in Egyptian custody, Reuters news agency reported, adding that he had been referred for medical checks.

A lawyer for the men said the charges against them were “absolutely not true”.

“There was never any question in this case of a plot for the assassination of figures inside Egypt,” said the lawyer, Montaser al-Zaiat.

Hezbollah has said the charges are politically motivated and in revenge for the movement’s stance on Egypt’s support for the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

Hezbollah supports Hamas — the Islamic movement which controls the coastal enclave — and has strongly criticised Egypt for not opening its border with Gaza to relieve the blockade.

The trial has been adjourned until October.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Italy-Libya: Berlusconi in Tripoli for Friendship Day

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 19 — Silvio Berlusconi will be in Tripoli on August 30 to celebrate the first anniversary of the signing of the Italy-Libya Friendship, Partnership, and Cooperation Agreement signed by the two leaders a year ago in Bengasi, as he promised Gaddafi when he was invited to the event in March. The agreement ended the dispute over Italy’s colonial past, with 5 billion USD in financing over 20 years and an apology from the Italian premier and was heralded as the beginning of “a new era”. For this reason, August 30 in Libya has become the ‘Day of Friendship between the people of Libya and Italy’. Two days later, in early September, Libya will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Libyan revolution. An exhibition by the Frecce Tricolori is set to take place for the national festival, with a flyover of Tripoli, and an air show alternating with about 60 Libyan aircrafts as well as aeroplanes from various other countries. But Friendship Day will also be a chance for Berlusconi and Colonel Gaddafi to discuss various aspects of the agreement, particularly a recent issue involving accusations of Italian fishing boats trespassing into Libyan waters. In the past weeks, after two fishing boats from Mazara del Vallo were stopped and released after a week, Tripoli announced more severe measures against reported trespassing violations and Berlusconi assured Sicilian fishermen that he would speak to Gaddafi about the matter on August 30. Among the points of last year’s agreement is also the fight against illegal immigration, which in the past months has raised doubts in the UNHCR and created internal controversy regarding the treatment of migrants by the Libyan authorities. After the new of the murder of 20 Somali citizens and injury of over 50 in a detention centre in Bengasi in the past weeks, radical members of the Democratic Party (PD) presented an urgent parliamentary question yesterday and asked Berlusconi to not go to Tripoli to celebrate the agreement.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Jordan to Improve Nuclear Safety Standards

(ANSAmed) — AMMAN, JULY 23 — As the Kingdom preparers to join the league of peaceful nuclear energy owners, officials said today they are in the midst of preparing a legislation to ensure safety from potentially lethal impact on the enviornment in Middle Eastern neighbours. The state-run Jordan Nuclear Regulatory Commission (JNRC), which has been at the centre of this multi-billion project, is working closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to improve nuclear standards and make them up to international level, according JNRC Director Jamal Sharif. Current laws on Radioactive Protection and Nuclear Safety and Security Law deal in small-scale radioactive materials and must be improved in the near future, he said. “We have to amend our laws in line with international treaties and agreements we signed,” said Sharif. “We want to protect people, their property and the environment,” he said, adding that the bill intends to ensure proper handling of nuclear materials. In the meantime, experts from Jordan are working with the IAEA to map radioactive levels ahead of the launch of uranium mining in order to detect potential future changes in radiation levels. The commission has set up 13 air monitoring stations across the kingdom to keep watch of nuclear activities, he said. Jordan turned to nuclear energy to save public expenditure on fuel and provide the 5.6 million population with desalinated water. Several agreements have been signed with the US, Japan, France and other countries to develop the nuclear programme. The kingdom has no natural resources and buys most of its energy needs from neighbouring countries. Oil is purchased from Saudi Arabia and Iraq while most needs of gas and electricity are imported from Egypt. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Libya-Switzerland: Gaddafi’s Son’s Arrest, Possible Apology

(ANSAmed) — TRIPOLI, AUGUST 20 — A delegation from the Swiss government on a visit to Tripoli will probably apologise to Libya for the arrest last year of Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Muamar Gaddafi, and his wife in a Swiss hotel, said a source in the Libyan government. “Negotiations are proceeding well and we expect the Swiss President to apologise for the arrest of Hannibal Gaddafi,” said the source. Motassin Bilal, called Hannibal, and his wife Alina, were arrested halfway through July of 2008 in a Geneva hotel on charges of mistreating two domestic employees, a Tunisian and a Moroccan, who then withdrew the accusations. Hannibal and Alina were released from a Swiss jail after paying bail. The matter created a diplomatic incident between Libya and Switzerland. Tripoli cut oil supplies to Bern and withdrew over 5 billion dollars from Swiss bank accounts. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Morocco: Govt Crackdown on Beggars, 7,000 Arrests Since 2007

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 19 — Despite difficulties and resistance, the Moroccan government is continuing with its campaign to crack down on beggars in the country’s streets, according to the informational website Magharebia.com. The campaign, which began 3 years ago, has recently been extended to two other Moroccan cities, Tangiers and Laayoune. The government initiative, which has led to almost 7,000 arrests by the police since 2007, has met with a great deal of resistance. Many times beggars have railed the authorities, according to reports in the Moroccan press, but not only them: citizens also seem dissatisfied with the results achieved. “We have been told that the government stepped up its campaign, but we have not noticed any difference here,” commented Salima Sefrioui, who lives and works in Rabat, a city with one of the highest numbers of beggars according to data supplied by local police forces. Also the Minister for Special Development, Nouzha Skelli, confirmed that the initiative had met with difficulties, due mostly to those who call themselves ‘professional beggars’. In any case the government, concluded Skelli, intends to go forward with it, continuing to broaden the scope and financing of the programme.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Nuclear: Mubarak Rejects US Defence Umbrella in Gulf Region

(ANSAmed) — CAIRO, AUGUST, 17 — President Hosni Mubarak said Monday that Egypt will not be a party to any US nuclear umbrella to protect the Gulf states and cover Egypt and Israel in an interview to Al Ahram daily newspaper. Mubarak, who is in a several days visit in the US and should meet president Barak Obama tomorrow said “we did not get official contacts on this suggestion and if such reports were true Egypt would not be part of such umbrella”. “A nuclear umbrella would entail accepting foreign troops on our soil and a regional nuclear power”, two issues which are totally unacceptable, he said. “The Middle East is not in need of any unclear power whether in Iraq or Israael but rather in need of peace, security, stability and development”, the president said. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Fatah: Many Fresh Faces in Revolutionary Council

(ANSAmed) — RAMALLAH — Fatah’s new Revolutionary Council brought in at the sixth congress of the party (which has just come to an end in Ramallah) has a number of new members. For technical reasons, the overall number of members — as specified by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas — rose from 80 to 81, with 70 new ones. Palestinian press report that among those elected is the lawyer Fadwa Barghouti, wife of Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti (serving a life sentence in Israel but also elected to the party’s Central Committee). Yesterday Mahmoud Abbas called together in the Ramallah Muqata (headquarters) all the members of the Central Committee and the Revolutionary Council. Among the new members on the Revolutionary Council were a large number of party member leaders from East Jerusalem, including Hatem Abdel Qader and Afif Safeya, former Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) ambassador to the US. There were 11 women elected to the Revolutionary Council and four Christians. However, the person who has given rise to the most curiosity was Uri Davis, an Israeli and British professor of anthropology at the West Bank University. Born Jewish and raised in Israel, Davis (66) was the first ever to refuse to do military service in Israel. Afterwards he developed a strongly anti-Zionist ideology and has been a Fatah member since the 1970s. A year ago he converted to Islam to marry a Palestinian woman, also a Fatah leader. Though holding an Israeli passport, Davis does not like being labelled an “Israeli”. “I am a Palestinian of Jewish descent (‘Ivri’ ‘ in Hebrew),” he told the Israeli military radio station, “I am an anti-Zionist, a citizen of the apartheid state of Israel as well as of the United Kingdom, a constitutional monarchy.” Davis was born in Jerusalem to a family of Jewish Zionists who had immigrated from Europe during the 1930s. Afterwards he developed a strongly anti-Zionist ideology, which led him from the small Israeli Trotskyist group Matzpen to Fatah. He also currently teaches at a British university. Davis has confirmed that he is no longer Jewish, after registering as a Muslim with the Israeli Ministry for Internal Affairs to get married. Davis is not the only Israeli to have reached a high position within the ranks of Fatah. In the 1980s the Israeli Ilan Halevi was also active in the movement in Paris, while in the 1990s an Orthodox, anti-Zionist rabbi, Moshe Hirsch, was chosen by Yasser Arafat as Minister for Jewish Affairs in the first Palestinian Authority government. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Hamas Claims Abbas Foiled Schalit Deal

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas personally intervened to foil a prisoner deal between Hamas and Israel last June, a prominent Hamas official said on Saturday.

“We were very close to striking a deal that would have resulted in the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit,” said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas legislator and spokesman.

“But Abbas personally intervened to prevent the prisoner exchange because he was opposed to the release of Hamas legislators and officials from Israeli prison.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Israel Jewish State? Not Our Business, PNA Premier

(ANSAmed) — TEL AVIV — The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) considers that it is not its duty to formally recognise Israel as the Jewish State, as requested by current PM Benyamin Netanyahu, and that at most it is up to Israel to define its own characteristics. The comments were made by PNA Premier, Salam Fayyad, in an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz published today. ‘The nature of Israel is Israel’s business and no-one else’s,” said Fayyad, disapproving of Netanyahu’s attempt to insert a further precondition into the negotiations, a condition that have never been provided for by any preliminary agreement ever signed by the two sides. “Why try to solve this aspect now when no other aspect has been resolved?” wonders Fayyad, a non-partisan technocrat who is an ex World Bank official, involved in giving credit to the PNA. Similar concepts have been expressed recently by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The issue of the nature of Israel, of which the PNA has for some time recognised the full right of existence, as part of the “two-state for two people formula”, has been brought up by Netanyahu as a response to the fear of a possible demographic influx and as a sort of insurance against the invocation of the Palestinian refugees’ right to return following their exodus during the 1948 war. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Israel Presses Sweden for ‘Condemnation’

Israel on Sunday ratcheted up pressure on Sweden to condemn a Swedish newspaper report about alleged organ harvesting that has heightened tensions between the two countries.

“We are not asking the Swedish government for an apology, we are asking for their condemnation,” a senior official quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as telling ministers during a weekly cabinet meeting.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz of Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party said “the crisis will continue as long as the Swedish government doesn’t change its attitude toward this anti-Semitic article. Those who do not condemn it are not welcome in Israel.”

The comments came two weeks before Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was to visit Israel, with Stockholm currently holding the rotating EU presidency.

“There is no question of canceling or delaying this visit, but it is clear that this incident will cast a worrying shadow over meetings if it is not resolved,” Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said.

Sweden’s Aftonbladet newspaper sparked the row last week when it published a report claiming Israeli soldiers snatched Palestinian youths to steal their organs and returned their dismembered bodies a few days later.

The Swedish government has declined to condemn the piece, saying it has to respect the principle of freedom of expression enshrined in its constitution.

The article has sparked outrage in Israel, with Netanyahu and scores of ministers and commentators calling it a “blood libel” smacking of anti-Semitic accusations against Jews.

“The Swedish government cannot keep silent any longer. In the Middle Ages, slander was spread accusing Jews of preparing Passover matza (unleavened bread) with the blood of Christian children,” Steinitz said.

“And today it is IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers who are accused of killing Palestinians to take their organs,” he said.

The head of the Israeli Government Press Office, Daniel Seaman, said on Sunday he would not give accreditation to two of the newspaper’s reporters.

“We are not obliged to accredit them. It will take time. We have to conduct verifications, maybe to examine their blood type to know whether they can be organ donors,” Seaman, known for controversial statements, told army radio.

Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier, the Swedish ambassador to Israel, had initially expressed outrage at the article, but Stockholm distanced itself from her remarks several days later, drawing a stinging response from Israeli officials.

— Hat tip: TB

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Israeli Lecturer Endorses International Boycott of State

Dr. Neve Gordon, a political science lecturer at the Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba called for an international boycott of Israel in a Los Angeles Times opinion article published Thursday. Gordon, who wrote a book titled “Israel’s Occupation” thinks a boycott is the only way to save Israel from itself.

The University condemned Gordon’s statements Saturday, accusing him of crossing red lines.

— Hat tip: JD

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Justice Minister ‘We Were Sodom, Now We Are Gomorrah’

(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 19 — Israeli Justice Minister Yaacov Neeman, commenting today on the security situation in the country, which has been recently shaken by a wave of murders in the past weeks, said, quoting a phrase by the Prophet Isaiah, “We were Sodom, we now resemble Gomorrah”. The minister, according to reports, said this during an urgent session of Knesset’s internal commission, called to discuss security issues in the country. Neeman said: “We are in a very difficult situation. There is no doubt that the fight against organised crime, murders, what is happening on our streets, robberies, must be a priority.” Neeman said that partially worsening the situation is an excessive backlog of the judicial system. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Mahmoud Abbas: Attack by Hamas Inhuman

(ANSAmed) — RAMALLAH (WEST BANK), AUGUST 17 — Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), the moderate President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has described Saturday’s attack by Hamas radical militants on a group of even more hard-line separatists (Jund Ansar Allah), linked to Al Qaeda as “atrocious and inhuman”. The group was initially affiliated to Hamas. “The method used (an attack on a mosque in Rafah which led to the deaths of more than 20 people) was atrocious and inhuman” said Mahmoud Abbas outside a meeting of the PNA government in Ramallah. “I don’t know that group (Jund Ansar Allah), but I believe they came out of Hamas”, he added. Hamas rose to power in 2007 after a show of force against institutions loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, since when it has created a de facto entity in Gaza, separate from the West Bank, which is currently run by the PNA and the President’s Fatah party. Reconciliation talks mediated by Egypt have so far failed to heal this split. In recent days Mahmoud Abbas — despite the recent election of a Fatah administration which is more hard-line towards Hamas — announced his intention to proceed with talks in Cairo, but a Hamas spokesman today retorted that there would be no possibility of agreement as long as PNA security forces continue to strike at Islamic militants in the West Bank. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Palestinians Turn Jewish Skullcaps Into Business

“We make qors (the Arab name for kippah translates as ‘disc’) while having a gossip,” said Umm Ali. “We meet each other and we make money at the same time,” added the mother of three, whose husband is unemployed.

The women make around five caps a day, worth about 12 shekels ($3) each.

“Women here can’t sit down without knitting. We’ve gotten used to it,” jokes Ruqaya Barghouthi.

Six Palestinian skullcap dealers distribute the wool, needles and the models to women in this village and 10 neighboring villages.

The finished articles are collected each week and shipped to Israeli retailers. The skullcaps are also exported to the United States.

“The kippah business is what makes my shop busy. Women buy stuff from the kippah money they earn,” said Riyad Ata, whose grocery store serves as a collection point for finished caps from some 100 women.

Merely business

Observant Jews wear a kippah, which means dome in Hebrew, to cover the head in acknowledgement of the supreme God.

The women of Deir Abu Meshal, known for its traditional dress embroidery, say that to them it’s merely a business.

They say they have no qualms about furnishing skullcaps for the people of the occupying power or the Jewish settler, who may be living on Palestinian land.

They say the work is convenient: they don’t have to travel.

“Without this knitting business, people here would be very poor,” said Nema Khamis, 50, who passed on her skills to her five daughters and daughter-in-law.

Palestinian weavers used to make the traditional keffiyeh, the chequered Arab headscarf that late leader Yasser Arafat made a national Palestinian symbol. But much of that business has now gone to China, where costs are lower.

— Hat tip: TB

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Energy: Saudi Arabia, Project for First Nuclear Reactor

(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 20 — The interest of Saudi Arabia in nuclear energy and its projects for the construction of its first nuclear reactor are moving forward, report Arab media quoting the Minister of Water and Electric Energy, Abdullah Al Hosain. “The kingdom is working for the construction of a nuclear energy plant”, Al Hosain declared to the daily Watan, adding that the national science institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, is working on the project. In May the French Minister of the economy, Christine Lagarde, declared that France and Saudi Arabia were close to reaching a cooperation agreement for civilian nuclear power. Similar agreements were signed last year by the US government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop a nuclear programme worth 41 billion dollars including the construction of three nuclear reactors. The path towards the nuclear was embarked on by Gulf Countries in 2006, but since 2008 there has been a significant acceleration in activity, with other international cooperation agreements between Bahrain-US, the UAE and Great Britain and Qatar-France. All of the agreements fit into the plan for the development of civilian nuclear energy, and representatives from the different countries stressed the issue, emphasising that the interest of the oil block towards nuclear power is not a response to the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the ‘Great Neighbour’ that resides on the other coast of the Gulf. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Freed Egypt Sailors Cheered Home

The crews of two Egyptian fishing boats who escaped from Somali pirates after months in captivity have arrived home to a hero’s welcome.

A military marching band and crowds of relatives and well-wishers greeted the crews as their two rusty ships docked at Attaka in the Gulf of Suez.

The 34 men, seized in April, reportedly freed themselves by seizing their captors’ weapons and overpowering them.

Two pirates were killed while eight have been taken to Egypt for trial.

Whirling dervishes danced for the crowd on the Attaka quayside and banners proclaimed: “Welcome to the sons of Egypt, the heroic fishermen.”

The sailors said that during their captivity they had been locked in the refrigeration compartments of the ships and treated badly.

“The pirates wanted to starve us to death. They gave us rice infested with vermin and we were unable to get a bath all this time,” said Mohammed Tolba el-Hebabi, one of the crew.

Their vessels, the Ahmad Samar and the Momtaz I, were seized by pirates off the Somali coast in April after they strayed from Egyptian waters.

The pirates demanded a ransom but the crew members’ families said they had no way of paying the hundreds of thousands of dollars asked for.

Pirates ‘drugged’

The BBC’s Yolande Knell in Cairo says there are conflicting reports about exactly how the fishermen managed to escape.

One of the crew, Sayyed Sobhi, said they had disarmed the pirates while they were sleeping.

But the owner of one of the ships has told reporters that he helped intelligence services to carry out what was code-named “Operation Egyptian Dignity”.

He said he travelled to Somalia and was taken out to sea to visit the crew by local people.

Once on board, he managed to drug the pirates, allowing the sailors to overpower their captors, he said.

“This is a story of Egyptian heroism,” said Bakri Abul Hassan, the Red Sea director of the fishermen’s trade union.

Eight of the pirates were captured and have been returned to Egypt where they are expected to stand trial.

The Egyptian authorities said they would be treated “in accordance with international law”, the AFP news agency reported.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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French 007 Tells of Great Escape From Dubai Wearing a Wetsuit Under a Burka

A former spy convicted of fraud in the United Arab Emirates has told how he made a bid for freedom by donning a wetsuit disguised under a burka before diving into the ocean.

Frenchman Herve Jaugbert, an ex-naval officer, alleges the Dubai secret police had threatened to insert needles up his nose and that he was about to be thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

The 53-year-old explained how on the night of his escape last summer he stepped into a full-length diving suit, complete with breathing equipment, before adding padding to cover the shape of the kit.

Jaubert, who designs and builds leisure submarines, then disguised himself in a burka and walked down to the water’s edge.

From there, he swam underwater to the nearby coastguard station, on a remote outpost, where he cut the fuel lines on a police patrol boat. He knew it was the only one in the area, and the coast would now be clear.

He then swam back to the beach, got into a Zodiac dinghy and headed back out to sea. Six hours later he was 25 miles off-shore and outside Dubai’s territorial waters. Another former French agent met him in a yacht, he claims.

The pair then sailed to Mumbai, India, which took a week. Jaugbert told the French consul that he had lost his passport and was given a new one.

Jaubert had been working as a contractor for ship-builder Dubai World in 2007 when he was called in for questioning by police, he told The Sunday Times. An executive at the firm had reported finding bullets in Jaugbert’s office and police thought he was a mercenary or hitman. At the same time, the company accused Jaubert of billing for goods that did not arrive.

According to Jaubert, his employers had run out of money and wanted to find a way of sacking him without paying benefits that would have been due under a five-year contract.

‘The police had interrogated me for hours and threatened me with torture,’ he said from his home in Florida, where he now lives with his wife and two children. ‘I lived with a ball of fear in my stomach.’

He said that if he hadn’t left, he’d be ‘stuck in the same nightmare as the others’, referring to the dozens of expatriate businessmen who are languishing in Dubai jails for alleged ‘economic crimes’.

As the economic slump deepens, foreigners are being jailed for misdeeds not generally considered as crimes, such as the bouncing of a cheque.

To the Emirati authorities, however, Jaugbert — who is writing a book about his experiences — is a liar and convicted fraudster. He was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison after his escape in the dinghy.

A spokesman for Dubai World said Jaubert had been dismissed because ‘he was found stealing from the company’, adding that his five-year sentence was ‘entirely appropriate’.

— Hat tip: A Greek Friend

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Hezbollah Readies for War as UN Can Only Observe

In a Lebanese village 10 miles west of the Israeli border, black-capped Hezbollah militiamen stand guard in front of a suspected weapons cache.

Even though they are unarmed, their presence deters United Nations peacekeepers from approaching the house in Khirbet Silim, preventing the UN troops from fulfilling their mission, which is to stop Hezbollah from rearming.

“The UN can’t just come around here and go into people’s houses,” said Rassan Salim, a municipal official in the village and a Hezbollah militia member. “Our weapons are to defend Lebanon.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Iraq Broadcasts Truck Bomber Video Confessions

Iraq on Sunday showed a video of a Saddam Hussein loyalist confessing to orchestrating one of two massive truck bombings that killed 95 people and maimed hundreds more in Baghdad four days ago.

Former police chief Wissam Ali Kadhem Ibrahim, who appeared oddly calm for someone accused of taking part in the bloodiest attack of the year in Iraq, said he had orchestrated the bombing together with a leader of a branch of the now outlawed Baath party who was living in Syria.”I received a call a month ago from my boss in the (Baath) party Sattam Farhan in Syria to do an operation to destabilize the regime,” Ibrahim said in the footage, alluding to Saddam’s now outlawed political movement.

The 57-year-old suspect said the truck bomb was prepared in Khalis, 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, and that he had called a contact in the nearby town of Muqdadiyah to ensure its safe passage to the capital.

Ibrahim, who said he was a chief of police in Diyala until 1995 under Saddam’s rule, said he had worked as a lawyer until 2002 but then became a leading Baathist official in the restive province northeast of Baghdad.

Many Saddam loyalists fled to Syria after the fall of Saddam in 2003, and Iraqi officials frequently blame neighboring countries for fomenting violence in Iraq.

Qassim Atta, spokesman for the Iraqi army’s Baghdad operations

Baghdad security spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi, who showed the video to the media, had previously announced the arrest of a group of Baathists he alleged were responsible for Wednesday’s bombings, which devastated the foreign and finance ministries.

His office said on Sunday shortly after the taped confession was aired that every police officer manning checkpoints on the day of the blasts between Baghdad and Diyala province, where the prisoner said the attack was put together, had been arrested.

Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, spokesman for the Iraqi Army’s Baghdad operations, told reporters that Ibrahim was the main person responsible for the attack at the ministry of finance.

The second truck bombing on Wednesday occurred just minutes later at the ministry of foreign affairs.

Toughening securityGovernment officials meanwhile told AFP that they had halted the dismantling of blast-proof concrete security walls in Baghdad following last week’s devastating attacks.

The decision is a step back from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s plan to remove the walls to show that Iraq’s security situation was improving.

The decision to stop dismantling the so-called T-walls was taken shortly after the truck bombings, high-ranking officials from the defense and interior ministries said on condition of anonymity.

The sources did not say whether some of the barriers that have already been taken down would be re-erected in the wake of Wednesday’s attacks, the deadliest since U.S. forces pulled out of urban centers at the end of June.

The walls are T-shaped concrete barriers about three meters (10 feet) high and linked with heavy-duty metal cables to protect against explosives.

On Sunday, foreign ministry staff were seen erecting a new line of T-walls and the nearby streets remained closed to traffic.

“We will re-examine our strategy on security matters,” Baghdad governor Salah Abdul Razzaq told AFP during a visit near the ministry.

“It is possible we will close certain places to ensure security,” he said, adding that the bombers had exploited the Iraqi people’s desire to see the concrete barriers removed, ultimately making it easier to conduct the attacks.

Premier Maliki said on Saturday that Iraq had taken “decisive measures to tackle the weak points” exposed by Wednesday’s bombings.

— Hat tip: TB

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Iraq: Jordanian Citizenship for Tariq Aziz’s Son, Press

(ANSAmed) — BAGHDAD, AUGUST 18 — The Jordanian authorities have decided to grant Jordanian citizenship to Ziad Aziz, the elder son of former vice premier of Iran, Tariq Aziz. The news was reported today by the Iraqi paper Azzaman, quoting “trustworthy sources”, according to whom Ziad Aziz, a 43-year-old architect, will receive citizenship together with his wife and their four children. “I’ve haven’t yet been officially informed by the Jordanian government,” said Ziad, adding that he presented an application for citizenship for his whole family (including his mother and his brother who lives in Yemen) to King Abdullah II of Jordan one year and 8 months ago. Ziad Aziz, who has lived in Jordan with his family since 2003, has expressed gratitude to the Jordanian government and said that he is “proud” to have Jordanian citizenship as he is of his Iraq roots. On August 2, Tariq Aziz, 73, Christian former right-hand man of Saddam Hussein, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for his role in deporting Kurdish people from the fuel-rich areas of north Iraq. In March he was sentenced to a further 15 years for his part in the execution of 42 tradesmen and businessmen in Baghdad in 1992.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Mubarak’s and Arab States’ Peace Plan: Israel Gives Everything, Arab States Think About it

by Barry Rubin

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in a major interview, August 17, explained his position on regional peace with Israel. The problem is to understand what it means in practice.

Here’s what he said in his briefest explanation of this policy:

“I affirmed to President Obama in Cairo that the Arab initiative offers recognition of Israel and normalization with it after, and not before, achieving a just and comprehensive peace,”

What does this mean?

In order to get normalization with the Arab world, Israel must first meet the terms of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Consequently, Arab states give the PA veto power over their actions, a major reason why the conflict has been sustained for decades and will continue for decades more.

I think anyone will find it very hard to discover a single instance of any Arab country pressing the PLO or PA toward a more moderate policy at any time over the last 25 years. That isn’t going to happen now either, though the idea of their doing so is a central element in the current U.S. policy.

Think about what has just happened: in a face-off between the United States (and not just any U.S. government but the “wildly popular” President Obama) and the PA, the PA won. Obama requested that Arab states take steps toward normalization or confidence-building with Israel to promote peace and to persuade Israel to stop construction on settlements.

The PA called on Arab states not to do so.

They aren’t doing so.

Mubarak, however, notes one small exception:

“I told him that some Arab states which had mutual trade representation offices with Israel could consider reopening those offices if Israel commits to stopping settlement [building] and resumes final status negotiations with the Palestinian Authority where they left off with Olmert’s government.”

In fact, it has been reported that the two countries in question—Qatar and Oman—might do so. This is the sum total of U.S. success in getting Arab states to offer to do something…

— Hat tip: Barry Rubin

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Oman: Qatar Offer Normalisation; Israel Sceptical

(ANSAmed) — TEL AVIV, AUGUST 14 — Omar and Qatar are prepared to begin normalising relations with Israel (as Washington has asked of moderate Arab countries) so long as the Israeli government agrees to halt settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in line with what has been asked by the American administration and the international community. Reporting on the matter today were Israeli media online, underscoring however that the Israeli government seems to be reacting rather coolly to the move. The offer made by the Gulf countries has come out in the Arab press over the past few hours, with its being the first overture of the type since US president Barack Obama urged the countries to make such a move. It is an overture which shows a complete turnaround compared to the decision with which the two emirates — after having already begun rapprochement with Israel in previous years — decided to sever all formal ties. In the case of Oman, this happened in 2000 in relation with the Israeli reaction to the second Palestinian intifada, while Qatar broke off relations only a few months ago in protest against Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The signals from Doha and Muscat have met with scepticism from Israeli government sources closely linked with Benyamin Netanyahu (at the moment against a total freeze on settlements), who have said that the conditions laid down are “premature” and would not lead to “significant changes” in the short term. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Professor Richard Dawkins Wants to Convert Islamic World to Evolution

“I would like to see my books translated into Arabic. They haven’t been. They are all translated into Hebrew. Persian, I’m not sure. My books are translated into Turkish and they regularly get censored and suppressed.

“The experience of my Turkish publisher of The God Delusion was that he was threatened with arrest for blasphemy. He may even have been arrested, and my website has been banned in Turkey. I feel amused really. There’s something to be said for being suppressed, it makes people want to read you.”

[Comments from JD: One alternative is to self-publish the Arabic versions and go on a book tour.]

— Hat tip: JD

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Tourism: Northern Cyprus, Culture and Uncrowded Nature

(by Luciana Borsatti) (ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 14 — Long, sandy beaches, unpolluted nature as in the large natural reserve on the Karpaz peninsula, a cultural and archaeological inheritance dating back nine thousand years, customs and traditions from the Turkish Islamic tradition for centuries at close contact with the Greek Orthodox culture. And the chance of a holiday far from more crowded resorts of Southern Cyprus. This is what the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) has to offer, in the area above the ‘green line’ which has divided the island in two since the Cyprus Republic, founded in 1960, separated into two ethnically and politically distinct entities, in a process ending in the Turkish invasion of 1974 and in the formal constitution of the TRNC in 1983. The green line which divides the island, passing through the centre of Nicosia and including in the Turkish side also the Famagosta fortress which was the theatre to the tragedy of Othello, is still the cause of questions from the tourists who want to visit Northern Cyprus. Even though negotiations between the two sides over the reunification of the island are under way, under the auspices of the UN, it still is a thorny issue and source of contradictory reports relating people’s freedom of movement. Therefore the Turkish Cypriot authorities offer precise directions through the TRNC Office of Representation in Rome (rome@trncitalia.it), which also has details about specialist tour operators. EU citizens can move freely between Northern and Southern Cyprus by showing their identity card or passport at the check points: those renting cars in the south must have extra insurance in order to drive in the north, while those who rent a car in the north must rent a different vehicle in the south if they want to visit that part of the island. North Cyprus, which is home to around 300,000 inhabitants, 99% of them Muslims, welcomed around 400,000 tourists in 2007 according to official statistics; there were 130 hotels, 16,000 beds and a total revenue for 2006 of 300 million US dollars. The north is most popular among Turks and Syrians, but there is also a European presence of 150,000, mainly British — Cyprus was a British protectorate from 1878-1959 — Germans and Dutch. What are they attracted to? A rich and interesting cultural heritage — says Sadettin Topukcu, who represents the Northern Republic in Italy — but not just that. The northern coast of this third largest island in the Mediterranean has beaches where you can see sea turtles layinig their eggs, countryside with wild asses, clear, unpolluted seas, miles of rocky, sandy coastline, nine thousand years of archaeological history where the Persians and Alexander the Great were followed by the Romans and Crusaders, the Templars and Hospitallers, to the Venetians, who held Cyprus from 1489 until the Ottoman conquest in 1571. Visitors can choose between Gothic churches, castles from the time of the Crusades, ruined temples, monasteries, and a Roman amphitheatre in the archaeological region of Salamina. There are also festivals and the chance to go hiking or horse-riding in the hills and villages, tennis and water-skiing, as well as underwater diving in search of relics and archaeological remains. As for the city of Nicosia, the Ledra Palace check point marks the border between two realities which are similar, but with several significant differences: less tourism, few bars and restaurants, and the great Belediye Pazari covered market, the Buyuk Haman Turkish baths, the majestic Selimiye mosque, which was formerly a Gothic cathedral, and the Buyuk Han caravanserai. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Turkey-Libya to Sign FTA in September, Minister Says

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, AUGUST 13 — Turkey and Libya may sign a free trade agreement (FTA) in September, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çaglayan said as reported by daily Today’s Zaman. Following a meeting with Libyan Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Public Works Muhammad Matuq, who is also the co-chair of the Turkey-Libya Joint Economic Committee in Ankara, Çaglayan told reporters: “Talks on establishing an FTA are still continuing. A delegation from the Turkish Foreign Trade Undersecretariat will pay a visit to Libya to have talks on the agreement on September 7 and 8. I hope that the agreement will be signed in September.” The mutual trade volume between the two countries reached $1.4 billion last year, and Turkey’s exports to Libya was $1.1 billion of this amount, the minister said, noting that the government expects to double this amount by the end of the year. “We are working to increase this figure to $5 to $10 billion in the coming years,” he said, adding that Turkish contractors have undertaken projects worth $9 billion in Libya and are eager to take part in more infrastructure projects there. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UAE Chosen as One of the Best Sites for FDI

(ANSAmed) — ABU DHABI, AUGUST 13 — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was chosen as one of the best sites for the 2009-11 year of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), according to a survey report prepared recently by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). UAE’s ministry of foreign trade said it has analyzed thoroughly the report’s expectation for the 2009-11, including aspects of foreign trades and investment in UAE. The report concluded the UAE has surpassed Turkey in terms of FDI when compared to the UN 2008-10 annual report which put the UAE, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia among the best FDI sites. The report noted that UAE and Turkey are considered among the best Foreign Direct Investment. The report explained that consequences of the global financial crisis on global plans for non-national companies resulted in minimizing such forecast in the report. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Afghan Challenger Alleges Fraud

The main challenger in presidential elections held in Afghanistan last week, Abdullah Abdullah, has alleged widespread fraud.

Mr Abdullah said he had evidence that voting had been widely rigged in favour of incumbent President Hamid Karzai.

The allegations had been sent to the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) for investigation, he said.

A leading group of election observers has also said intimidation and voting fraud occurred in Thursday’s poll.

The campaign teams for Mr Karzai and Mr Abdullah — a former foreign minister — each claim their candidate won an outright majority.

Preliminary results are due in the coming days, but the final result is not expected for several weeks.

‘Alarming reports’

Mr Abdullah said his team had been told that voter turnout had been significantly inflated in some areas where few votes were cast, with the extra ballots marked in favour of Mr Karzai.

“The initial reports we are receiving are alarming,” Mr Abdullah was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

“There might have been thousands of violations throughout the country, no doubt about it.”

Meanwhile, the ECC said it had received more than 200 complaints about the electoral process.

ECC spokesman Grant Kippen said the watchdog was aware of “significant complaints” of irregularities, including voter intimidation, violence, ballot box tampering and interference by some Afghan election officials.

But, he added, there were no specific charges against individual candidates such as Mr Karzai.

Afghan and Western officials have declared Thursday’s poll a success, despite concerns about the turnout.

Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy to Afghanistan, said allegations of fraud were to be expected.

“We have disputed elections in the United States,” he said. “There may be some questions here. That wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

Mr Holbrooke said Washington would wait for rulings from both Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission and the ECC before commenting on the election’s legitimacy.

The credibility of the vote may be brought into question by reports that turnout in some areas, such as the restive Helmand province, was as low as 5%, analysts say.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Democracy? We’re Just Wasting Brave Lives on a Country We’ll Never Free

by Peter Hitchens

It is certain that British troops will quit Afghanistan in the next few years, leaving that country, as it is now, corrupt, repressive and ruled either by warlords or mullahs.

When that day comes, what will politicians of both major parties say to the families of those soldiers who die between now and then?

Or to the many who will be horribly injured in the same period?

How will they dare to live in the same country, to walk to work, to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, to greet their families, watch their children grow, knowing all the time that they have, through cowardly negligence, ensured that scores of others will never do these things again?

How can they bring themselves to send people into dreadful danger for a cause that is already lost?

Who do they think they are, that they are entitled to avoid this question, while they send others to a place where they cannot avoid death or dreadful wounds?

I have little enough time for our present political class, and (having spent years in their company back in the Eighties) do not have much to do with most of them now.

Not all of them are wholly contemptible. Some show brief, flickering signs of intelligence and integrity.

But I cannot forgive any of them who do not now begin to demand our immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The justifications for our presence there, where they are not drivel, are lies.

If you doubt it, look at the bitterly comical ‘election’ which has just taken place. Nobody can conceal the truth. Huge numbers of voters stayed away out of fear.

Revolting war criminals such as ‘General’ Dostum are officially on ‘our’ side, in which case I can see no moral difference between ‘our’ side and the Taliban.

Votes were bought, ballot boxes stuffed, figures fiddled.

To my grim delight, I observed the BBC’s doughty defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt, reporting wanly from some dubious polling station, her head swathed in an Islamic veil and her torso defended by a bullet-proof vest.

So far as I know, Ms Wyatt is not a Muslim, so why the head-bandage, if we have

liberated the Afghans from the mullahs?

As for the armour, I don’t blame her. The place isn’t safe for Westerners, and it never will be.

But the combination of the two garments rather sums up the situation, doesn’t it?

Start saying it. Start putting stickers in your car and in your front window. Get out of Afghanistan — now.

And remember, when we do leave, those who did not have the courage to say so when it mattered.

— Hat tip: A Greek Friend

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Malaysia: Beer-Drinking Model Planning Mecca Pilgrimage

A Muslim model who is to be caned for drinking alcohol said she is planning a pilgrimage to Mecca, and seeking solace in prayer as she prepares to face her punishment this week.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno will be the first Malaysian woman to be caned under Islamic laws applicable to Malaysia’s Muslims, who account for 60 percent of the 27-million population.

She was sentenced to six strokes after pleading guilty to drinking alcohol at a hotel nightclub in Dec. 2007, and is expected to receive her punishment this week at a women’s prison in Kajang, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Public caningKartika cried when the verdict was handed down last month but in an interview at her home in a small Malay village, the slim and soft-spoken Kartika was composed about her fate.

“Sometimes I feel sad and stressed as I have tarnished my family’s name. But now after spending time reading the Quran, I feel calm and am not afraid of being caned,” she said.

The part-time model and mother of two, who lives in neighboring Singapore, has called for her punishment to be carried out in public but it is not clear exactly how it will be conducted.

Officials from the sharia religious court are expected to detain Kartika on Monday and take her to prison where she will undergo a medical check.

Islamic scholars have backed the sentence, and said it would be carried out when she was fully clothed and with a cane that is smaller and lighter than the heavy length of rattan used in criminal cases.

Malaysia, a multicultural country with large Chinese and Indian communities, has a dual-track legal system and sharia courts can try Muslims for religious and moral offences.

Critics say the unprecedented caning will damage Malaysia’s international standing as a progressive and moderate Islamic country.

“Mother of all sins”Kartika said she never expected the court to impose the sentence.

“But I accept it as consuming alcohol is the mother of all sins for a Muslim,” she said.

Sitting between her doting father Shukarno Mutalib, 60, and her 56-year-old mother Badariah Mior Salim, Kartika said her family and the 500 people of their village in Perak state have rallied around her.

Religious authorities caught her drinking at a hotel in Kuantan, the state capital of the central Malaysian state of Pahang.

Kartika said she had three glasses of beer before the hotel was raided in what she said was her second time drinking alcohol. She and the other patrons were asked to provide urine samples.

“I was initially angry. But I did not scold her,” said Shukarno, who operates a lodge by the Perak river in nearby Jawa village.

“I believe my daughter is the chosen one by Allah to remind Muslims not to drink. I heard many (Muslims) were arrested for beer drinking that night but were mysteriously freed,” he said with a smile.

She is strong and is ready to accept the caning. But many people warn me that she will be traumatized. So we have a plan to send her to Mecca to overcome her painful ordeal,” he said.

— Hat tip: TB

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Malaysia: ‘If You’Re Going to Cane Me, Then Do it in Public’

Model’s stand after conviction for drinking alcohol exposes brutality of Malaysian law

She says it was only the second time she had drunk alcohol in her life, and even then it was just a few of glasses of beer. But it was enough for a Muslim court in Malaysia to order Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a part-time model and mother-of-two, to be caned. The corporal punishment case has divided the Asian nation and led human rights campaigners to urge the authorities to show restraint.

[…]

Her father, Shukarno Abdul Muttalib, has also suggested that the caning should take place in public. “As a Muslim, I agree with her punishment, but I don’t agree that it should be done in jail, she is not a prisoner,” he told Bloomberg News. “If the authorities want to use this as an example, then the caning should be done in public.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Melbourne Cops Under Siege

EXCLUSIVE: POLICE are under orders to patrol Melbourne’s streets in groups of at least three because gangs of thugs have made it too dangerous for them to work in pairs.

Melbourne police division chief Supt Stephen Leane said police were no longer patrolling in pairs because of the dangers posed by groups of young thugs, often called together by mobile phone, who confronted officers.

The revelation came as new figures revealed almost a third of assaults in Melbourne’s CBD were carried out by two or more assailants. Experts said there was a growing culture of pack violence.

Twelve out of 15 high-profile cases in the past three years, which resulted in a death or a serious injury, allegedly were carried out by groups that outnumbered victims — in some cases by 10 to one.

The dangerous trend has baffled police and criminologists, who cannot explain why young people are increasingly prepared to viciously attack hopelessly outnumbered victims.

“It’s called swarming,” Supt Leane said.

Supt Leane said: “It’s not just a matter of being punched in the nose. Their mates are joining in and you’re getting punched on the nose and getting kicked to the ground.

“You’re ending up in a fight with more than one person. It continues when you’re on the ground.”

Supt Leane said police now patrolled Melbourne’s streets at night in groups of at least three because of the potential threat posed by groups of people acting aggressively.

“You won’t see two police by themselves. The minimum you’ll see is three,” he said.

“The days of being able to put two police out on foot patrol have unfortunately passed us by for the moment. We’ll stop someone for a chat on the footpath and someone else who’s not involved in the discussion is texting and the next thing there’s a group of people there.”

Supt Leane said police in Melbourne hoped to one day to go back to paired foot patrols.

A snapshot of assaults in the Melbourne division from July to September 2008 showed 30 per cent of all assaults were carried out by more than one offender.

Deakin University criminologist Dr Ian Warren said CCTV surveillance was highlighting group violence more and more.

However, a lack of research meant it was not known why people were engaging in violent swarming behaviour.

Dr Warren said people could be less inhibited in their behaviour if they were within a group.

“When you’re part of a group you’re more anonymous; it can make you more willing,” he said.

Dr Warren said there appeared to be a change developing where people were prepared to use extreme violence.

“If there is a change in the way our society does group violence it’s possibly a trend . . . when the intention is to pulverise or really cause real damage.

“The brutality of some of this stuff is really worrying.”

Dr Warren said more research was needed to determine why people were attacking in packs and why they were using such extreme levels of violence.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Mali Protest Against Women’s Law

Tens of thousands of people in Mali’s capital, Bamako, have been protesting against a new law which gives women equal rights in marriage.

The law, passed earlier this month, also strengthens inheritance rights for women and children born out of wedlock.

The head of a Muslim women’s association says only a minority of Malian women — “the intellectuals” as she put it — supports the law.

Several other protests have taken place in other parts of the country.

The law was adopted by the Malian parliament at the beginning of August, and has yet to be signed into force by the president.

One of the most contentious issues in the new legislation is that women are no longer required to obey their husbands.

Hadja Sapiato Dembele of the National Union of Muslim Women’s Associations said the law goes against Islamic principles.

“We have to stick to the Koran,” Ms Dembele told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme. “A man must protect his wife, a wife must obey her husband.”

“It’s a tiny minority of women here that wants this new law — the intellectuals. The poor and illiterate women of this country — the real Muslims — are against it,” she added.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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‘Several Dead’ In Somali Clashes

A number of people have died in further fierce fighting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, between Islamic militants and government forces, officials say.

The conflict comes despite a call by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad for a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Some of Saturday’s fighting centred on a strategic road linking the capital with the town of Afgoye.

A government official said 10 Islamist fighters had been killed.

The Somali Minister of State for Defence, Yusuf Mohamed Siyad, said on Saturday that the final number of militants killed in the operation was not known.

“They left behind some dead bodies and took others. They also took some of the injured militias — for that reason we do not have the exact number of their casualties.”

The road to Afgoye is used to transport supplies to camps where tens of thousands of displaced people are living.

At one point in the fighting, the militants also came close to the presidential palace.

According to local media reports, each side accused the other of starting the fighting. A number of civilian deaths and injuries were also reported.

On Friday, more than 20 people were killed in Mogadishu in heavy battles between Islamist militants, who are fighting to overthrow the government, and African Union peacekeepers.

Thousands of civilians have been killed and more than a million driven from their homes because of fighting in the past two years.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Israel: Ministers Clash Over Immigration, Inhuman Policies

(ANSAmed) — TEL AVIV, AUGUST 17 — War has been declared between Israel’s Minister for Tourism and Minister for Immigration over immigration policy: draconian measures introduced by the latter which have been condemned as “inhuman” by the former. The controversy has hit the media since the Tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov, a Russian-speaking supporter of the Radical Right party (Israel Beitenu), wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister condemning as damaging to the country’s image a directive against illegal immigration issued by Minister for the Interior Eli Yishai: he is the leader of a religious Right-wing group (Shas). In particular, Misezhnikov has condemned the treatment of a Peruvian girl who had travelled to Tel Aviv to meet her Israeli boyfriend and was stopped by police. She was suspected of illegal immigration (the girl had little money on her), and — the critics say — she was a victim of the ideological hostility of the right towards mixed marriages between Jews and non-Jews. Misezhnikov is calling on Netanyahu for a meeting to clarify the issue (his party largely represents communities like those of Russian origins where mixed marriages are widespread). These kinds of scandals “lead to an image of Israel as an insensitive and inhuman State”, he said. The damage “will be irreversible if the Ministry for the Interior’s current policies are not revised immediately”.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Fall in Demand for Foreign Labour, -46% in 2009

(ANSAmed) — ROME — The slump is continuing to affect Italian companies, which are still cutting costs and reducing on recruitment. This goes for immigrant labour as well. According to a study by trade association Unioncamere, offers for ‘full-time’ (non-seasonal) jobs to immigrant workers is due to halve in 2009 compared to last year. Forecast job offers total an estimated 93 thousand, down 46% on 2008. This is the lowest level in nine years, compared to the peak reached in 2003, when demand for full-time immigrant workers reached 227 thousand, or 33% of total hirings. In 2009, the percentage of foreign workers out of the total taken on stops at 17%. But demand for seasonal workers continues to rise (up 7.9% on last year), while companies are looking for ever more qualified immigrant labour — people with past experience specific to the field (offers are up from 46% in 2008 to 53% in 2009). “During this tough period,” said the Chair of Unioncamere, Ferruccio Dardanello, “one can understand the caution being shown by companies who, with a general demand for workers, are also cutting back on the numbers of immigrant workers, which have now reached a critical mass on the job market. Companies taking on this type of worker do so partly because they can’t find Italians who are prepared to carry out certain kinds of work, but the recruitment of immigrant personnel is increasingly part of a competitive strategy, which will lead them to seek out ‘the best”‘. SEASONAL WORK — Demand for foreign workers to carry out seasonal jobs continues to grow: an estimated 231 thousand workers have been taken on in 2009 (up 7.9% compared to 2008), equal to 27% of the total. Seasonal immigrant workers are sought after above all by agricultural business (+6% on 2008 at 161 thousand). PROFESSIONS MOST IN DEMAND — Companies are looking increasingly for immigrant labour in the higher professions, even though an ‘ethnicisation’ of job offers for some kinds of jobs is becoming more and more apparent, such as farm labouring or cleaning services, which are still considered typical ‘immigrant work’. Unioncamere has drawn up a list of the most sought-after professions: top of the list come cleaning staff, with around 14 thousand recruitments estimated in 2009. Jumping into second place (4th in 2008, 9th in 2007) are offers for professionals in the health-care sector: in 2009 almost 6 thousand foreign nurses and carers for the elderly will be taken on. There has been a fall in demand for waiters and shop assistants. EVER BETTER-TRAINED — The levels of training asked for is also increasing: in 2009, the number of immigrants with university degrees reached 5.2% (+1% over five years), while the percentage of immigrant employees with professional qualifications stood at 32% (+10% on 2004). OUTLINE OF RECRUITMENT — >From the geographical point of view, the readiness to take on immigrant labour is highest in the Centre-North (23-33% of total recruitment), while it is most modest in the Centre-South, where it rarely exceed 16% of the total. The provinces where immigrant staff are most sought-after are Asti, Biella, Parma and Forli’.(ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Just 31/2 Years for DWI Killer

An illegal immigrant — already under suspicion for a 2006 murder — will serve as little as 31/2 years for drunkenly killing two women in Queens after pleading guilty yesterday in the deadly crash.

Daryush Omar, 25, admitted that he was blitzed, with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, when he ran a red light and smashed into a livery cab in Astoria, Queens, in November.

The crash killed cabdriver Bessy Velasquez, 41, of Brooklyn, and her passenger, Panayiota Demetriou, 30, an aspiring child psychologist, of Astoria, just days shy of earning her doctorate.

Velasquez left behind two teenage daughters.

Omar, faces between 31/2 and 10 years for vehicular manslaughter, and will be deported back to Afghanistan after prison.

Manhattan prosecutors failed to build a murder case against Omar for the 2006 beating of a Hoboken, NJ, banker outside a Chelsea nightclub when two key witnesses vanished.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Obama Island’s Brazilian ‘Engine’

Barack Obama will soon follow in the footsteps of US Presidents Bill Clinton and John F Kennedy by holidaying on Martha’s Vineyard. But behind the scenes of the exclusive island getaway, BBC Brasil’s Bruno Garcez finds an army of immigrant Brazilian workers tending lawns and waiting on tables.

[…]

If Mrs Nascimento had a chance to meet the latest famous visitor to the island, she would ask him to help immigrants facing hardship in the US because of problems with their papers.

She said: “Obama represents hope.

“He should create a law that could help people like my husband who are good citizens, who never had any problem with the law, who pay their taxes and have a good credit history.

“I do have hopes that something will be done — I just fear it might take too long.”

Tensions between Martha’s Vineyard’s Brazilian and American communities were stoked last January when a young American girl, Brandy Gibson, was killed in a car accident.

The fact that the Brazilian van driver was unlicensed led to a wave of angry messages in the local press aimed at Brazilians — although immigrants who spoke to the BBC did not complain of prejudice.

Michael Dutton, Oak Bluffs’ town administrator, said: “Over the years, as with any first generation of immigrants, Brazilians ended up being blamed for many things unfairly.

“The Brazilian population has kept to itself. That is not good, because they remain a mystery to the rest of the island.”

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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Tunisia: Emigration Office, Control of Illegals Successful

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 20 — Tunisia has managed to control illegal emigration, thanks to the pace of the country’s development, a reduction in unemployment and levels of poverty, as well as efforts to combat economic marginalisation and a willingness to develop legal emigration, said Director General of the Office for Tunisians abroad (OTE), Fraj Souissi, who was speaking at a regional conference in Tunis on emigration in the Arab world, organised by the Social Liberal Party (PSL). The meeting took place in preparation for the meeting in Brussels in November between heads of liberal Arab and European political parties and organisations to discuss the issue. Souissi also stressed that the current difficult economic situation has reopened the issue of some rights in host countries. He called for the inclusion of the issue of emigration as part of the global approach in the euro-mediterranean partnership, inviting the Arab market to move towards new areas of employment in north America, Asia and Africa. Secretary General of the PSL, Mondher Thabet, expressed his wish that the Arab countries would present a series of joint proposals concerning emigration, which they would propose to their European colleagues at the meeting in Brussels. (ANSAmed).

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Lutherans Accept Clergy in ‘Lifelong’ Same-Sex Relationships

After hours of back and forth between members, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America decided Friday evening to accept noncelibate clergy members and lay leaders who are in “lifelong” and “monogamous” same-sex relationships.

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While the recommendations passed at the weeklong Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, Minnesota, do not address recognizing same-sex marriage or civil unions, they do allow congregations to support same-sex relationships among their members and allow individuals in same-sex relationships to hold clergy positions.

The previous policy of the 4.6-million member church allowed gay people to serve as members of professional rosters only if they were celibate.

— Hat tip: JD

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US Lutheran Split Over Gay Clergy

Traditionalist US Lutherans have warned they might leave to form another denomination after their Church voted to allow gay people to act as pastors.

Delegates voted on Friday to allow people in life-long monogamous gay relationships to become ministers.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (Ecla) is one of the largest to open the role to gay men and women.

The decision comes a month after the Anglican Church in the US voted to allow the ordination of gay bishops.

Delegates in tears

Two-thirds of delegates voted in favour of the change at the Lutheran Church’s national assembly in Minneapolis on Friday.

It followed impassioned argument about whether or not the Bible forbids active homosexuality, and left a number of delegates in tears.

Some traditionalist clergy told the assembly they would leave the Church, and predicted an outflow of Lutherans to join other churches or create their own denomination.

The decision by the 4.5-million strong Lutheran Church is significant because of its position roughly in the middle of Protestant theology, and it will add to a sense of momentum towards a more liberal approach to homosexuality among American churches.

Other Protestant denominations — including the Presbyterian Church — have recently opted not to take a similar step, but by a narrower margin than before.

Anglicans who have left the Episcopal Church because it ordained a gay bishop have formed a rival traditionalist Church.

— Hat tip: Sean O’Brian

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