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DIPLOMACY: Putin’s France visit sparks concern over possible warship purchase

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:00:45 -0500

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with French business leaders on a visit aimed at boosting economic ties. But his trip sparked concern amid reports that Russia plans to buy a French warship that would boost its military capabilities.

Mauritania’s battle with a new wave of terrorism

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:40:08 -0500

The terrorism that Tunisia experienced in the 1980s erupted in Algeria in the 1990s. The wave of terrorist activity later spread west to Morroco. Then in 2005 Mauritania to the south became engulfed in the political violence sweeping north Africa. On June 4, in a first assualt against the army, some 150 terrorists attacked a military barracks in the Lemgheity region. The outcome was 15 soldiers dead and 15 wounded. Six terrorists were killed. The country was plunged into turmoil. The attack was widely condemned by Mauritania’s political partes, whose members took to the streets to voice their anger. Just two days later, the US administration, which had planned to make Mauritania a barrier against the spread of terrorism, launched operation Flintlock. Its aim was to support Mauritania in the fight against terrorism. France was at first opposed to American intervention in what was traditionally its area of influence. But, according to diplomatic sources, Paris accepted it, not wanting to be in the frontline of an anti-terrorism battle. Then the US withdrew its military cooperation with Mauritania after General Abdel Aziz seized control in a military coup August 2008. Terrorism had not been completely rooted out. The gunmen struck in December 2007 near Ghalaouiya, killing three soldiers and again in February 2008. The Israeli embassy,which had never been targeted since diplomatic relations were established in 1999, was attacked. Three French citizens were injured. General Abdel Aziz ordered the embassy to be closed after Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. More assualts against the army were to follow. Twelve soldiers were killed in an ambush in September. Their bodies were decapitated. Western intelligence services reported Al Qaeda had numerous members embedded in Mauritania. Some characterised this entire region of Africa as the new Afghanistan — a ...

News review 2005 part 3 of 6

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:12:50 -0400

Including: Mugabe retains power in Zimbabwe; Pope John Paul II dies; Protests against Japanese history textbook; France rejects EU constitution; Khodorkovsky sentenced and more. MUGABE RETAINS POWER IN ZIMBABWE ELECTIONS CONDEMNED AS UNFAIR BY THE WEST Zimbabweans kept President Robert Mugabe in power after March 31 elections gave him an overall majority in the 150-seat parliamentary assembly. Despite turnout of less than 50 percent and accusations that the polls were flawed, Mugabe's Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Unity-Patriotic Front) party took 78 seats, leaving the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai with 41 seats and one independent. 30 other seats are directly appointed by Mugabe. 81-year-old Mugabe has held power for 25 years since independence from Britain and has been isolated and criticised by the international community for misrule and wrecking the economy. POPE JOHN PAUL II DIES, CARDINAL RATZINGER ELECTED SUCCESSOR An estimated 300,000 people crammed into the Vatican city on April 8 to watch one of the most momentous funerals in recent history. Polish Pope John Paul II died on April 2nd after a 26-year papacy, after long bouts of illness and increasing frailty. He was buried a week later in a simple wooden coffin, after a huge outpouring of grief, during which millions files past his body as it lay in state. The conservative German 78-year-old Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI surprisingly quickly on April 19 and faced with the daunting task of leading 1.1 billion Roman Catholics through what some predict will be a difficult papacy. BRITAIN'S PRINCE CHARLES FINALLY MARRIES CAMILLA PARKER BOWLES AFTER 35-YEAR AFFAIR The day after attending the pope's funeral, Britain's heir to the throne, Prince Charles finally married his mistress of 35 years, Camilla Parker Bowles. Charles troubled first marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, was unable to survive his continuing affair with Camilla and they divorc...

LIBYA: Gaddafi pays ‘attractive’ Italian women to listen to him preach on Islam

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:50:22 -0500

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in Rome for a U.N. food summit, recruited "attractive girls at least 1.70 m tall" to a Rome villa, for a surprise session on Islam.

Lebanon Shells Al-Qaida Militants

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:10:09 -0500

TRIPOLI, Lebanon - May 21, 2007 Lebanese troops pounded a Palestinian refugee camp with artillery and tank fire for a second day Monday, raising huge columns of smoke as they battled a militant group suspected of ties to al-Qaida in the worst violence since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Nearly 50 combatants were killed in the first day of fighting Sunday, but it was not known how many civilians have been killed inside the Nahr el-Bared camp on the outskirts of the northern port city of Tripoli, the site of the heaviest battles. Palestinian officials in the camp reported at least nine civilians were killed Monday, along with 40 wounded. The figures could not be confirmed because emergency workers or security officials have not been able to get in. The State Department defended the Lebanese army, saying it was working in a "legitimate manner" against "provocations by violent extremists" operating in the camp. Black smoke engulfed the skies over the camp as fires raged and heavy gunfire and explosions rang out. The fierce fighting resumed after a brief truce that allowed the evacuation of 18 wounded civilians, according to Saleh Badran, an official with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Lebanon was already in the midst of its worst political crisis between the Western-backed government and Hezbollah-led opposition since the end of the civil war. The battle was an unprecedented showdown between the Lebanese army and militant groups that have arisen in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps, which are home to tens of thousands of people living amid poverty and crime and which Lebanese troops are not allowed to enter. The troops were fighting a group called Fatah Islam, whose leader has said he is inspired by al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and was training militants for attacks in other countries. Lebanese officials have also accused Syria of using Fatah Islam to stir up trouble in Lebanon, a charge Damascus has denied. Lebanese officials said one of t...

NBC NEWS: 20000 Americans Convert To ISLAM Each Year, 75% Of Them Women.

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:13:26 -0500

NBC NEWS: 20000 Americans Convert To ISLAM Each Year, 75% Of Them Women. Sources: http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm??g=1151784d-66c1-4310-afc2-06ed464eb2ed&f=00&fg=email The number of Europeans and Americans converting to Islam is growing rapidly check it out !! Islam is Fastest Growing Religion in United States: http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/a100501b.html Times on line: Thousands of british people convert to islam every year: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1026534.ece Why European women are turning to Islam: http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1227/p01s04-woeu.html

POLITICS : Is the burqa compatible with a western society?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:25:48 -0400

Marc Perelman interviews Tariq Ramadan (Saint Antony’s College Oxford); Nicolas Perruchot (Nouveau Centre Party); Amel Boubekeur (Carnegie Middle East Center); and Fouad Al Obaid (Kuwait Times).

SAUDI ARABIA: Jeddah flood toll rises as haj pilgrimage peaks

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:23:26 -0500

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims pelted pillars symbolising the devil on the third day of the world’s largest annual pilgrimage, as the death toll from flash floods in the western Saudi city of Jeddah rose to 83.