Iran backs Prince Ali's FIFA bid

AMMAN (JT) –– The Iranian Football Federation (IFF) on Thursday announced its support for HRH Prince Ali’s candidacy for the position of FIFA vice president as a representative for Asia, according to a statement posted on the Jordan Football Association (JFA) website. After a meeting with Prince Ali in Amman on Thursday, IFF President Ali Kashaffian, stressed that he will vote for the Prince in the election slated for January 6 in Doha. “We enjoy good relations with the JFA and we discussed Prince Ali’s candidacy for the FIFA vice president position and we [IFF] stressed our full support for him,” Kashaffian said. “We will announce to everyone through our media outlets in Iran that we back His Royal Highness and we will ask everyone to stand by him during the elections,” he added. He said that discussions also covered ways to boost Asian football, indicating that Prince Ali has “brilliant” ideas to develop the game in the continent that deserve to be supported, the statement said. Prince Ali highlighted the importance of Iran’s support. In October, Prince Ali, head of the JFA and the West Asian Football Federation, officially announced his nomination for the FIFA position.

10 December 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/?news=32512.

إسرائيل سعت لمنع بيع طائرات للرياض

10/12/2010 م

ضمن سعيها للحفاظ على تفوقها التقني
إسرائيل سعت لمنع بيع طائرات للرياض

كشفت برقية صادرة من السفارة الأميركية في تل أبيب سعي إسرائيل لمنع الولايات المتحدة من تزويد السعودية بطائرات "أف 15" والأردن بصواريخ جو/جو، كما بينت البرقية وجود تنسيق إسرائيلي/أميركي للإبقاء على تفوق إسرائيل النوعي في المجال العسكري.

البرقية الصادرة في 18 نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني والتي سربها موقع ويكيليكس، تورد تفاصيل اجتماع أعضاء المجموعة العسكرية السياسية المشتركة الأميركية ونظرائهم الإسرائيليين، الذي بحث -بالإضافة إلى موضوع الأسلحة التي تم بيعها للدول العربية- موضوع عمل الإسرائيليين من حملة الجواز الأميركي في أماكن حساسة.

الطرف الإسرائيلي في الاجتماع، أبرز مخاوف إسرائيل من تسليم الرياض طائرات "أف 15" متطورة، خاصة أن السعودية تنوي نشرها في قواعد جوية بمدينة تبوك الشمالية القريبة من حدود إسرائيل.

الأميركيون طلبوا تأجيل الخوض في التفاصيل حتى تتقدم السعودية بطلب شراء رسمي، ولكنهم أشاروا إلى أن السعوديين يفكرون أيضا في نشر طائرات أوروبية مقاتلة من طراز تايفون في قاعدة تبوك.

مجموعات عمل
الطرفان اتفقا على تشكيل أربع مجموعات عمل متخصصة في التفوق النوعي الإسرائيلي في المنطقة، ويتناول تخفيض القدرات التقنية لطائرات "أف 15" المزمع بيعها للسعودية والاتفاقيات السابقة والقدرات التقنية بشكل عام، والسياسة المخابراتية.

كما أبرز الطرف الإسرائيلي مخاوفه من بيع صواريخ جو/جو متوسطة المدى من طراز "سي 7" إلى الأردن. الطرف الأميركي طمأن الإسرائيليين بأن الصواريخ هي نسخة تصديرية لا تتمتع بمزايا تقنية عالية، وأنها شبيهة بالنسخة السابقة "سي 5"، ولن تضيف للقدرة العسكرية الأردنية إلا شيئا بسيطا للغاية، وقد لا تضيف شيئا على الإطلاق.

الإسرائيليون أثاروا مسألة المواطنين الأميركيين الحاملين لجوازات سفر إسرائيلية، وإمكانية استثنائهم من المنع القاضي بوصول مزدوجي الجنسية في الولايات المتحدة إلى التقنيات الحساسة. الأميركيون أبدوا تفهما لمطالب الإسرائيليين، وقالوا إن الموضوع جار بحثه على أعلى المستويات.

واقترح الإسرائيليون إعفاء مواطنيهم من حملة الجوازات الأميركية من المنع أسوة بأولئك الذين يحملون جوازات سفر أسترالية وكندية.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/16FA925C-D934-4266-A3DC-08078E384328.htm.

ويكيليكس: لا أمل لتركيا في أوروبا

10/12/2010 م

خالد شمت-برلين

سلطت برقيات دبلوماسية أميركية سرية نشرتها صحيفة ديرتاجسشبيغيل الألمانية، الأضواء على حقائق جديدة تتعلق برفض الاتحاد الأوروبي لقبول تركيا في عضويته، وحالة الامتعاض المتصاعدة بين الأتراك تجاه أوروبا، ووصفت الرئيس الفرنسي نيكولا ساركوزي بالمهووس بالعداء لتركيا.

وذكرت البرقيات -التي نشرتها الصحيفة الألمانية نقلا عن موقع ويكيليس- أن مسؤولين أميركيين خرجوا من لقاءات عديدة مع دبلوماسيين أوروبيين بانطباع مفاده أن أنقرة لا أمل لها في دخول الاتحاد الأوروبي، وأشارت إلى أن سعي الولايات المتحدة الدائب منذ فترة طويلة لإقناع الدول الأوروبية بقبول تركيا في صفوفها، واجه باستمرار استياءً شديدا من الأوروبيين.

وأوضحت البرقيات الأميركية أن واشنطن لديها قناعة بأن حصول أنقرة على عضوية الاتحاد الأوروبي سيعمق ارتباطها بالغرب، ويسهم في إقناع العالم بأن اتحاد الديمقراطيات الأوروبية ليس ناديا قاصرا على المسيحيين فقط.

واعتبرت الصحيفة أن تكرار رئيس الوزراء التركي رجب طيب أردوغان دعوته للأوروبيين للإعلان بوضوح عن موقفهم بشأن ما إذا كانوا يرفضون قبول بلاده في اتحادهم، يعكس أجواء استياء متزايد في تركيا من وقوف دول كألمانيا وفرنسا والنمسا حجر عثرة أمام مساعيها للانضمام إلى الاتحاد الأوروبي.

إصرار فرنسي

ولفتت برقية نشرتها الصحيفة الألمانية إلى قول رئيس قسم أوروبا السياسي في وزارة الخارجية الأميركية فيليب غوردان إن الأوروبيين لا يبدون أدنى تأييد لتصور بلاده الداعم لدخول تركيا الاتحاد الأوروبي، وأوضح غوردان أن الفرنسيين هم أكثر المجاهرين بموقفهم في هذا الموضوع.

ونقل الدبلوماسي الأميركي عن جان ديفد ليفي مستشار الرئيس الفرنسي نيكولا ساركوزي قوله له -خلال اجتماع جرى بينهما في سبتمبر/أيلول 2009- "نأمل تخلي الأتراك أنفسهم عن السعي للحصول على عضوية الاتحاد الأوروبي، وإذا نجحوا رغم كل المعارضات في استيفاء المعايير المطلوبة منهم للحصول على هذه العضوية، فإن هذا سيكون سيناريو مرعبا لباريس التي ستواجه هذا الوضع باستفتاء شعبي سيرفض فيه الفرنسيون قبول تركيا في أوروبا".

وسجل الدبلوماسيون الأميركيون في برقياتهم السرية أن الحكومات الأوروبية غضبت بشدة من محاولة أنقرة لعب دور صوت العالم الإسلامي داخل حلف شمال الأطلسي (الناتو) أوائل عام 2009، ورفضها حينذاك انتخاب رئيس الوزراء الدانماركي أندرياس فوغ راسموسن أمينا عاما جديدا للحلف، بسبب موقفه من قضية الرسوم الكاريكاتورية المسيئة إلى النبي محمد (ص).

موقف إسرائيل

وذكرت البرقيات الأميركية أن مسؤولين إسرائيليين عبروا أيضا لباريس عن امتعاضهم من الموقف الأوروبي الرافض لتركيا، واعتبروا أن إظهار أوروبا مشاعر الترحيب لأنقرة، سيسهم في تخلي الأخيرة عن الاهتمام بتعزيز علاقاتها العربية والإسلامية على حساب العلاقة مع تل أبيب.

وحمل الدبلوماسيون الأميركيون في برقياتهم السرية ساركوزي والمستشارة الألمانية أنجيلا ميركل المسؤولية عن تنامي مشاعر الصدمة والغضب لدى المواطنين الأتراك تجاه أوروبا، وكشفوا عن تحفظ الجناح المتدين في حزب العدالة والتنمية التركي الحاكم على مساعي الاقتراب من أوروبا، وتخوفه من أن يؤدي تناغم تركيا مع الاتحاد الأوروبي وحصولها على عضويته، إلى محو الإسلام والهوية الحضارية من البلاد.

وقال الدبلوماسيون الأميركيون -في برقياتهم السرية العائدة إلى يناير/كانون الثاني الماضي- إنه "رغم المخاوف الغربية من سعي تركيا للاقتراب من العالم الإسلامي وانتهاجها سياسة خارجية مستقلة، فإن سياسة أنقرة العالمية ستبقى معتمدة في المستقبل على ثلاثة محددات مركزية، هي التعاون مع حلف الناتو، والتعاون مع الاتحاد الأوروبي في المجال الجمركي، والسعي للحصول على عضوية هذا الاتحاد".

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/FD771BE5-4CD4-4393-ACA6-40A450BBB6A8.htm.

إضراب لمعتقلين إسلاميين بالمغرب

9/12/2010 م

يخوض معتقلو ما يعرف بالسلفية الجهادية في سجن مدينة القنيطرة غرب العاصمة المغربية الرباط إضرابا مفتوحا عن الطعام منذ يوم الاثنين السادس من ديسمبر/كانون الأول الجاري.

وقال بيان أصدرته هيئة حقوقية تدافع عن هؤلاء المعتقلين –الذين يطلقون على أنفسهم اسم معتقلي الرأي والعقيدة- إن 84 منهم يخوضون هذا الإضراب في مرحلة أولى، ومن المقرر أن يلتحق بهم 18 معتقلا آخرين في وقت لاحق.

وأضاف البيان الذي أصدرته "تنسيقية الحقيقة للدفاع عن معتقلي الرأي والعقيدة" أن بعض هؤلاء المعتقلين تعرضوا للضرب والعقاب، مشيرا إلى أن كلا من عبد الهادي الزودي ومراد ساروف وخالد حداد وإدريس ربيع ظلوا لساعات مقيدين ومربوطين بجانب غرفة العقوبات.

كما تعرض المعتقل محمد السويسي –حسب البيان نفسه- للصفع والضرب المبرح، وردا على هذه الممارسة أعلن المضربون الـ84 خوضهم إضرابا عن الماء لمدة 24 ساعة يوم الخميس.

وتضامنا مع المعتقل نفسه سيعلن 26 معتقلا من "السلفية الجهادية" بالسجن نفسه إضرابا عن الطعام لمدة 24 ساعة في اليوم نفسه.

يذكر أن معتقلي ما يعرف بالسلفية الجهادية يقضون عقوبات في عدد من السجون المغربية على خلفية التفجيرات التي ضربت مدينة الدار البيضاء يوم 16 مايو/أيار 2003.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/C594C993-8E3E-4BEB-BBDF-B8553ED4DDEF.htm.

لبنان يسجن منتمين لفتح الإسلام

9/12/2010 م

أصدرت المحكمة العسكرية في العاصمة اللبنانية بيروت مساء الأربعاء أحكاما بالسجن على ستة أشخاص أدينوا بتهمة الانتماء إلى "مجموعة أصولية" كانت تخطط للقيام بأعمال "إرهابية".

وحكمت المحكمة بالسجن حضوريا مدة أربع سنوات على كل من اللبنانييْن قاسم خارم وعباس جزيني، وبمدة مماثلة على كل من الفلسطينييْن أحمد شحادة وماهر سكر.

كما حكمت غيابيا بالأشغال الشاقة المؤبدة على كل من الفلسطينييْن أسامة الشهابي ومحمد العارفي.

وأدين الستة بتهمة الانتماء إلى تنظيم فتح الإسلام للقيام بأعمال "إرهابية".

وكانت محكمة عسكرية لبنانية أصدرت في مارس/آذار الماضي أحكاما بالسجن لمدد تصل إلى 15 عاما على عشرين شخصا، ينتمي بعضهم إلى أربع جنسيات عربية، بعد اتهامهم بالانتماء لتنظيم القاعدة والقيام بأعمال "إرهابية".

يشار إلى أن أمير تنظيم فتح الإسلام عبد الرحمن عوض قُتل في شهر أغسطس/آب الماضي، بواسطة دورية تابعة لمخابرات الجيش اللبناني، في بلدة شتورة بوادي البقاع شرق العاصمة بيروت.

ويُوصف عوض بأنه خليفة شاكر العبسي الذي أسس فتح الإسلام في مخيم نهر البارد شمالي لبنان مطلع عام 2007، وخاض معارك طاحنة مع الجيش اللبناني على مدى أربعة أشهر، انتهت بتدمير المخيم ومقتل نحو 400 شخص، وفرار العبسي إلى جهة مجهولة لاحقا بعد إشاعة خبر موته.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/B32B9EF5-D3F9-4D22-AACF-5FC779D3458A.htm.

Kenya: Leaked Cables Claim Nation Sent Tanks to South Sudan

Kevin Kelly and Patrick Mayoyo
7 December 2010

Nairobi — The mystery surrounding Russian-made tanks that the government denied were destined for South Sudan last year has been unraveled by a secret diplomatic cable.

A 2009 cable released by whistleblowing site WikiLeaks says a senior State Department official produced satellite images that appeared to show that the tanks unloaded in Kenya were trans-shipped to South Sudan.

The evidence contradicted claims by Kenyan officials that the hardware imported from Ukraine was intended for the Kenyan military.

A bill of lading and manifest of the hijacked MV Faina, which was seen by the Nation when the ship was released by pirates showed that its cargo consisted of more than 812 tonnes of ammunition in addition to 33 T-72 tanks from Ukraine.

Other weapons on the ship included unpacked spare parts for the T-72 tanks, Soviet-made anti-aircraft guns and rocket propelled grenades.

The Chief of General Staff, Gen Jeremiah Kianga, laid claim to the cargo insisting that the tanks and assorted arms belonged to the Kenyan military after pirates released the vessel they had captured off the coast of Somalia after ransom was reportedly paid.

However, satellite photos released by Wikileaks show that the T-72 tanks' actual destination was in South Sudan. The photos, the cable says, were presented by a US deputy assistant secretary of state, Vann Van Diepen, during talks in the Ukrainian capital in September 2009.

The Ukrainian side is said in the document to have repeatedly insisted at the talks that the weapons were intended for the government of Kenya.

The Ukrainians stuck to that position even when Mr Van Diepen presented a copy of a contract that listed the actual recipient as the government of South Sudan.

A Ukrainian official "questioned the authenticity of the contract, and asked if the US had any better evidence," states the cable marked "secret."

The document dated November 9, 2009, was published on the website of London's Guardian on Monday but a search of WikiLeaks' own site on Tuesday did not reveal a link to the cable.

"Van Diepen, regretting that the GOU [government of Ukraine] had forced him to do so, showed the Ukrainians cleared satellite imagery of T-72 tanks unloaded in Kenya, transferred to railyards for onward shipment, and finally in South Sudan," the Guardian's version of the cable states. "This led to a commotion on the Ukrainian side."

Mr Van Diepen then warned that "there was nothing for Ukraine to gain from lying and a lot to lose."

He told the Ukrainians that the US would have to consider imposing sanctions as a result of the arms transfer to South Sudan in violation of international agreements. "A factor in US deliberations would be whether the GOU told the truth," the document added.

The Ukrainian side still "asserted that Ukraine only had a relationship with Kenya, and did not have a relationship with South Sudan," the cable continued. "Ukraine could not be held responsible for the actions of a third country."

The Ukrainians however did promise to "study this situation in the light of a partner relationship so that the US knows that Ukraine is a reliable partner," the cable said.

The document gives no indication of whether the United States raised the matter with the Kenyan government. Such a discussion might be recounted in US Nairobi embassy cables that WikiLeaks indicates it has obtained but has not yet released.

A ship carrying the weapons reached Mombasa in February 2009 after a $3.2 million ransom was paid to Somali pirates who had hijacked it five months earlier.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201012080119.html.

Japan probe shoots past Venus, may meet again in six years

by Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) Dec 8, 2010

A Japanese space probe has hurtled past Venus after failing to enter the planet's orbit as planned, the space agency said Wednesday, but it voiced hope for a successful rendezvous six years from now.

The "Akatsuki", or "Dawn", blasted off in May on a 300-million-dollar mission to observe the toxic atmosphere and super-hot volcanic surface of Venus, which is sometimes called the Earth's sister planet.

However, in a setback for Japan's space program, the box-shaped golden probe failed to enter the planet's gravitational pull and shot past it, said the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

"It will come close to Venus again in roughly six years, giving us another opportunity," said JAXA spokesman Hitoshi Soeno, who stressed that ground control in Sagamihara near Tokyo was still in command of the probe.

Masato Nakamura, the chief developer of Akatsuki, said a second attempt was "highly doable", according to the Jiji Press news agency.

The Akatsuki, also called the Planet-C Venus Climate Orbiter, was sent on a mission to orbit and observe Venus for two years, working closely with the European Space Agency's Venus Express.

It is fitted with two paddle-shaped solar panels and five cameras to let it peer through the planet's thick layer of sulfuric acid clouds, and was also due to search for signs of lightning and for active volcanoes.

Venus is similar in size and age to Earth but has a far more hostile climate, scorching at around 460 degrees Celsius (860 degrees Fahrenheit) and with large amounts of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas on Earth.

Scientists believe that investigating the climate of Venus would deepen their understanding of the formation of the Earth's environment and its future.

The Japanese probe on Tuesday morning Japan time reversed its engine thrust to slow down and enter the gravitational field of Venus, said JAXA, which had Tuesday reported communication problems with the probe.

On Wednesday JAXA announced that its mission had failed.

"We started the manoeuvre to put the Venus probe Akatsuki into orbit around Venus at 8:49 am (Tokyo time) on December 7... but have confirmed that we could not put it into the orbit," it said in a statement.

The exact cause of the failure was not officially determined yet but one possible explanation was that the probe did not slow down enough near Venus to be pulled in by the planet's gravity, Soeno said.

Japan's top government spokesman Yoshito Sengoku said "it was very regrettable that the probe did not succeed in entering the orbit around Venus. We'd like to continue watching Akatsuki's situation."

The project has so far cost Japan about 24.4 billion yen (290 million dollars). Akatsuki cost 14.6 billion yen to develop and produce, while its rocket launch cost 9.8 billion yen.

Japan launched a Mars probe in 1998 but JAXA gave up on its attempt to put the probe, called "Nozomi" or "Hope", into the red planet's orbit in 2003 due to technical glitches.

The latest setback came after a landmark mission by "Hayabusa", which became the first-ever space probe to collect asteroid dust during a seven-year odyssey that ended with its return to Earth over the Australian desert in June.

The trip of Hayabusa, or Falcon, had been plagued with technical glitches but it managed to come home three years late.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Japan_probe_shoots_past_Venus_may_meet_again_in_six_years_999.html.

NASA, SpaceX giddy over historic orbit launch

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Dec 8, 2010

NASA and SpaceX chiefs shook their heads with disbelief and joy Wednesday after a perfect launch into orbit and back of the company's Dragon capsule, a historic first for the future of space travel.

Never before has a private enterprise attempted to launch its own spacecraft to orbit the Earth and splash back down intact, and SpaceX pulled off the operation perfectly, NASA and company officials said.

The demonstration launch invigorated the US space agency and boosted confidence in the prospect of using commercial vendors to carry astronauts into space and to supply the International Space Station.

"I am sort of in semi-shock. I wish I could be more articulate at moments like this," said SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

"It blows my mind. It is hard to be articulate with a blown mind," Musk told a NASA press conference.

"This has really been better than I expected," he added. "If there had been people sitting in the Dragon capsule today, they would have had a very nice ride."

The Dragon spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida atop the massive Falcon 9 rocket at 1543 GMT.

The bullet-shaped capsule entered orbit about 10 minutes later, then circled the Earth twice before re-entering the atmosphere from low orbit, and splash-landed into the Pacific Ocean at 1904 GMT.

"The SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft has successfully splashed down in the ocean. Mission success!" NASA tweeted moments after the company confirmed Dragon had made a soft landing in the ocean well west of the Mexican coast.

No one was aboard the Dragon space capsule on this flight, but it has room for seven crew and an ample cargo hold that could supply the International Space Station, after NASA closes down its space shuttle program for good next year.

"From all indications it looks like it was 100 percent successful," said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the NASA Commercial Crew and Cargo Program.

"It's really an amazing accomplishment for SpaceX," he added. "This experiment is working -- this public-private partnership has shown to be successful today.

"Thank you for the early Christmas present."

The operation aimed to showcase the capsule's ability to launch and separate from the Falcon 9 rocket, orbit Earth, transmit signals and receive commands, then make it back intact.

Company president Gwynne Shotwell said the water landing was just 52 seconds later than projected and the craft splashed down within six miles (10 kilometers) of its landing point, and well within the 60 by 20 kilometer (37 by 12 mile) range.

The next step is for a fly-by of the ISS as part of a five-day mission in which the Dragon will approach the orbiting station within six miles.

Later, an actual cargo and crew mission to the ISS is planned. Both are scheduled to take place in 2011.

Prior to Wednesday, the company was not overly optimistic that all would go according to plan in its demonstration launches, projecting only a 70 percent likelihood of success.

A couple of glitches did delay the launch. First, a crack in the engine nozzle was discovered on Monday, postponing the launch by a day. Then, the first attempt Wednesday morning was aborted just moments before liftoff.

The US space agency NASA signed a 1.6-billion-dollar contract with SpaceX in December 2008 under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to provide 12 spacecraft with cargo capacity of at least 20 tonnes to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) through 2016.

NASA has also signed a contract of 1.9 billion dollars with Orbital Space Corporation for eight launches of its Taurus II rocket starting in 2011.

President Barack Obama hopes the private sector will help fill the gap that will open when the space shuttle fleet is retired next year, and before a new generation of spacecraft is developed.

The three US shuttles -- Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor -- will become museum pieces after a final shuttle mission to the space station in 2011.

Obama has proposed spending six billion dollars over five years to help the private sector develop reliable and affordable launchers to transport cargo and US astronauts to the International Space Station.

During the transition period, the United States will depend on Russian Soyuz rockets for access to the ISS.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said "the historic significance of today's achievement by SpaceX should not be lost.

"These new explorers are to spaceflight what (1920s airplane pioneer Charles) Lindbergh was to commercial aviation."

Source: Space-Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/NASA_SpaceX_giddy_over_historic_orbit_launch_999.html.

SpaceX Dragon Does Two Orbits Before Pacific Splashdown

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Dec 8, 2010

US company SpaceX on Wednesday successfully launched a space capsule into orbit and back, marking the first such attempt by a private enterprise and a major milestone in the future of space travel.

The Dragon spacecraft, which could one day carry astronauts and supplies into space after the government-run shuttles are retired, blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida atop the massive Falcon 9 rocket at 1543 GMT.

The bullet-shaped capsule entered orbit about 10 minutes later, then circled the Earth twice before re-entering the atmosphere from low orbit, and splash-landed into the Pacific Ocean at 1904 GMT.

"The SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft has successfully splashed down in the ocean. Mission success!" NASA tweeted moments after the company confirmed Dragon had made a soft landing in the ocean well west of the Mexican coast.

A press conference was scheduled for 2030 GMT to discuss more details of the mission.

No one was aboard the Dragon space capsule on this flight, but it has room for seven crew and an ample cargo hold that could supply the International Space Station, after NASA closes down its space shuttle program for good next year.

In the absence of astronauts, the "Dragon capsule is carrying a few thousand patches, employee badges for the SpaceX company and some other mementos," NASA said.

The operation aimed to showcase the capsule's ability to launch and separate from the Falcon 9 rocket, orbit Earth, transmit signals and receive commands, then make it back intact.

The next step is for a fly-by of the ISS as part of a five-day mission in which the Dragon will approach the orbiting station within six miles (10 kilometers).

Later, an actual cargo and crew mission to the ISS is planned. Both are scheduled to take place in 2011.

But the company was not overly optimistic that all would go according to plan in its demonstration launches, projecting only a 70 percent likelihood of success.

A couple of glitches did delay the launch. First, a crack in the engine nozzle was discovered on Monday, postponing the launch by a day. Then, the first attempt Wednesday morning was aborted just moments before liftoff for reasons that remain unclear.

The US space agency NASA signed a 1.6-billion-dollar contract with SpaceX in December 2008 under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to provide 12 spacecraft with cargo capacity of at least 20 tonnes to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) through 2016.

NASA has also signed a contract of 1.9 billion dollars with Orbital Space Corporation for eight launches of its Taurus II rocket starting in 2011.

President Barack Obama hopes the private sector will help fill the gap that will open when the space shuttle fleet is retired next year, and before a new generation of spacecraft is developed.

The three US shuttles -- Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor -- will become museum pieces after a final shuttle mission to the space station in 2011.

Obama has proposed spending six billion dollars over five years to help the private sector develop reliable and affordable launchers to transport cargo and US astronauts to the International Space Station.

During the transition period, the United States will depend on Russian Soyuz rockets for access to the ISS.

Source: Space-Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/SpaceX_Dragon_Does_Two_Orbits_Before_Pacific_Splashdown_999.html.

Leaked US cable says China has 'no morals' in Africa

by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Dec 9, 2010

The United States thinks China is a "pernicious economic competitor with no morals" whose booming investments in Africa are propping up unsavory regimes, according to a leaked diplomatic cable.

The frank assessment by the US assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Johnnie Carson, was among the latest revelations in thousands of documents released by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

"China is a very aggressive and pernicious economic competitor with no morals. China is not in Africa for altruistic reasons," Carson said in a February meeting with oil executives in Nigeria.

"China is in Africa for China primarily," he said, according to a confidential February 23 cable written by the US consul-general in Lagos.

Carson said another reason was to "secure votes in the United Nations from African countries" to forward China's own aims, and also to depress diplomatic support for its rival Taiwan.

Beijing had pumped a total of 9.3 billion dollars into Africa by the end of 2009, according to the China-Africa Trade and Economic Relationship Annual Report 2010, launched in October by a government-linked research institute.

Investment in the continent reached 1.44 billion dollars in 2009 alone, compared with 220 million dollars in 2000, the report said, reflecting China's growing interest in Africa's resources to fuel its fast-growing economy.

More than 1,600 Chinese businesses are investing in Africa in the mining, processing, commerce, agriculture, construction and manufacturing sectors, state media has said, citing the commerce ministry.

China has been criticized by the West for its support of hardline leaders such as Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, but many African leaders praise Beijing for not preaching to them over human rights.

"The United States will continue to push democracy and capitalism while Chinese authoritarian capitalism is politically challenging," Carson said.

Beijing pursues a "contrarian" approach by dealing with the "Mugabes and Bashirs of the world", he said.

Beijing reiterated earlier this week that it hoped the ongoing revelations from the cables leaked by WikiLeaks would not affect ties with the United States.

The Chinese foreign ministry had no immediate comment Thursday on the details of the messages on China's policies in Africa. It has thus far refused to comment on the specifics of the documents involving Beijing.

Carson said the United States had "trip wires" in terms of China's presence in Africa.

"Is China developing a blue-water navy? Have they signed military base agreements? Are they training armies? Have they developed intelligence operations?" he said.

"Once these areas start developing, then the United States will start worrying," he said, though noting for the time being, Washington did not perceive China as a "military, security or intelligence threat".

Another cable sent by the US ambassador to Kenya on February 17 said Nairobi had received weapons and ammunition from China in support of its "Jubaland initiative", referring to a Somali border province.

The east African state has also received telecoms and computer equipment from China for its intelligence services, the memo said.

The cable says a Chinese telecoms firm was granted a contract for landline monitoring equipment with the help of corrupt officials, one of whom received monthly payments of more than 5,000 dollars used to pay "medical bills".

Le Monde identified the Chinese company as ZTE. The name of the company has been redacted out of the cable that appears on the WikiLeaks site.

ZTE and its Chinese rival Huawei have been trying to boost their presence in the United States, despite opposition from US lawmakers concerned about possible threats to national security.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Leaked_US_cable_says_China_has_no_morals_in_Africa_999.html.

Russia to deliver S-300 missiles to Kazakhstan: official

by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Dec 8, 2010

Russia is to deliver to Kazakhstan its sophisticated S-300 air defense missile system in order to bolster the defenses of its ex-Soviet Central Asian neighbor, an official said Wednesday.

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his Kazakh counterpart Adilbek Dzhaksybekov had discussed the possible delivery of the missiles during talks in Moscow, said Russian defense ministry spokeswoman Irina Kovalchuk.

She said the deal would be in line with "strengthening a shared defense space," in a statement on Russian news agencies.

"At the current time, work is being carried out on the preparation of a corresponding contract," she added.

The S-300 air defense missile system is one of Russia's most prized defense products and its refusal to fulfill a contract to deliver the weapons to Iran has sparked an unprecedented crisis in Moscow-Tehran relations.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russia_to_deliver_S-300_missiles_to_Kazakhstan_official_999.html.

Fake chips threaten military computers

by Staff Writers
Cambridge, England (UPI) Dec 7, 2010

Counterfeit computer chips could pose a threat to military computer-based hardware and systems, crippling or disabling them, U.K. experts say.

A U.K. electronics firm discovered that a classified avionics system it makes for military aircraft failed when it was installed in a test plane, NewScientist.com reported Tuesday.

Upon investigating, it found many of the connecting pads on a key microchip were not connected to the metal legs of the chip carrier, the plastic package that houses and protects the chip.

When the chip carrier was soldered to the system's circuit board, the entire system failed to work.

What made it shocking, a company source told NewScientist, was that the chip was supplied by an authenticated U.K. defense supplier.

"It was the genuine article -- but our supplier had the chip bonded by an unqualified third-party outfit which has now disappeared," the source said.

Because a chip carrier is a sealed unit, counterfeit carriers with no chip at all are also becoming commonplace, says the source.

Other fakes are reclaimed from recycled circuit boards and printed with the markings of expensive military-grade chips.

In November a Florida woman pleaded guilty to taking part in the sale of $16 million worth of such rebranded counterfeit chips to the U.S. Navy and a multinational arms manufacturer, NewScientist.com said.

Identifying the fakes and taking action against their makers is not easy, an expert says.

"Counterfeiting operations are becoming well-oiled global machines with a complete support ecosystem around them," Ruth Thomson, a product authentication expert with U.K. R&D firm Cambridge Consultants, says.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Fake_chips_threaten_military_computers_999.html.

Pentagon says 'hard to quantify' WikiLeaks danger

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Dec 7, 2010

The Pentagon said Tuesday it would be "hard to quantify" the danger posed by the WikiLeaks release of secret documents but insisted the information would be used by US adversaries.

"If someone has been killed as a result, it's very tangible and very quantifiable," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan told reporters.

"But how do you quantify information that our adversaries have got about how we operate? How do you quantify some other damaging elements like learning how we gather information and intelligence, altering their behavior because of things that they've learned?" he said.

"We do know from various means that our adversaries are out there actively mining this for information."

He added that the Defense Department did not know what was behind a host of problems experienced by WikiLeaks, which has come under attack by hackers and switched servers as different countries have tried to shut it down.

The United States has condemned the whistle-blower website's release of hundreds of secret documents, part of a trove of 250,000 US diplomatic cables -- most from the last three years -- the site plans to release in stages.

In one of the more recent leaks, WikiLeaks released a February 2009 cable listing infrastructure and key resources that, if attacked, "could critically impact" US public health, economic life and national security.

Earlier leaks detailed previously unknown diplomatic incidents, quoted top officials in closed-door meetings and included candid assessments of world leaders and hot-button international issues.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was arrested in Britain on Tuesday on Swedish sex crimes allegations, has denied anyone had been harmed by the cables or earlier leaks of US war logs from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pentagon_says_hard_to_quantify_WikiLeaks_danger_999.html.

Emirates seek gulf-wide missile shield

by Staff Writers
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UPI) Dec 7, 2010

The United Arab Emirates is reported to be strengthening its missile defense network and plans to integrate it with other Arab states in the Persian Gulf to counter Iran's missile might.

Experience shows that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. But even so, the emirates ordered four batteries of U.S. Raytheon Patriot MIM-104 PAC 3 air-defense missiles worth $3.3 billion in 2008.

In September, the U.S. Congress cleared the sale of three Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile systems produced by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. Other key contractors are Boeing, Raytheon and Honeywell.

THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles such as the Soviet-era Scud, up to Iran's Shehab-3b weapon that currently constitutes Tehran's strategic missile force.

The THAAD deal could be worth up to $7 billion. The emirates, which are at odds with Iran over its occupation of three strategic islands in the gulf, would be the first regional state to be armed with THAAD.

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are also looking to upgrade their Patriot PAC 2 systems to PAC 3 standard.

These contracts form part of an overall package of U.S. arms to gulf Arab states that totals some $122 billion over the next decade. Saudi Arabia alone will get arms worth $67 billion, the largest arms contract ever concluded by the United States.

Senior emirates officials at a defense conference in Abu Dhabi, the emirates' capital and primary arms buyer, reported last week that it is setting up an integrated air and missile defense center.

This, they said, could be a template for a gulf-wide missile defense system embracing the other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.

"Other gulf states are thinking about THAAD," a defense source observed. "An integrated missile defense system is the best way to counter any threat."

But the concept of a unified GCC defense system has been kicking around for more than 15 years and, despite lackluster efforts by individual states to establish their own systems, there has been little or no close military coordination or cooperation in this regard.

Age-old tribal rivalries between the royal families that rule the GCC states have been a major stumbling block.

The smaller gulf states are all wary of -- if not downright opposed to -- domination by Saudi Arabia, the leading state in the alliance and the world's largest oil exporter.

One Persian Gulf official said the original GCC-approved plan for an integrated missile defense network involved a system that covered the Arabian Peninsula, extending a footprint from the southern Mediterranean to beyond the gulf, in conjunction with the region's Western allies.

But analysts say that even though the perceived threat from Iran has grown as it allegedly seeks to acquire nuclear weapons, the prospect of a gulf-wide defense system, if it's anywhere, is years away.

Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars these states have spent on Western arms over the last three decades, "the problem is that Â… there isn't a GCC military alliance akin to NATO," said Mark Thomas of the Royal United Services Institute in London.

Whether the burgeoning threat from Iran as perceived by Arab gulf leaders will change attitudes on this is far from certain.

It is clear that none of the individual regimes in place is inclined to relinquish national control over their military forces.

That attitude is best exemplified in the continued absence of an effective rapid deployment force, as was evident when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990.

Even the loss of Kuwait, albeit for only a few months, didn't prod the GCC states into forming a unified force of any size to handle such emergencies.

There is a 9,000-man GCC force but it's little more than a token force without any real firepower. The council's military leaders agreed in 2008 to restructure the force and more than double its strength but a lack of political will and the inability of these states to work together meant the project foundered.

The Saudis, for instance, have chosen to concentrate on building a 35,000-strong force to protect the kingdom's all-important oil installations, terminals and pipelines, as well as other essential infrastructure.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Emirates_seek_gulf-wide_missile_shield_999.html.

Air Algerie to buy 11 new planes

2010-12-09

Air Algerie plans to buy 11 new planes, company CEO Abdelwahid Bouabdallah announced Wednesday (December 8th) in Algiers at the 11th International Travel and Tourism and Travel Salon (SITEV). The national air carrier is also negotiating for a new route to New York, El Moudjahid reported.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/12/09/newsbrief-05.

Algeria, Germany launch 'Desertec' commission

2010-12-09

Algeria and Germany agreed to establish a joint economic commission on renewable energy sources, El Watan reported on Thursday (December 9th). President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who is in Berlin this week on an official visit, reached the agreement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The commission is part of Germany's Desertec project, which aims to use Sahara solar and wind power for 15% of Europe's electricity needs by 2050.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/12/09/newsbrief-02.

Maghreb states agree on agricultural free trade union

After nearly two decades of negotiations, the five states of the Arab Maghreb Union finally agreed to create an agricultural free trade zone.

By Walid Ramzi for Magharebia in Algiers – 09/12/10

The members of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) reached an agreement on the establishment of a Maghreb free trade zone for agricultural products that will take effect in 2011.

AMU Secretary-General Habib Ben Yahia made the announcement at the 16th session of the Maghreb Ministerial Committee for Food Security in Algiers on November 30th.

Ben Yahia described negotiations, which began in 1991, as difficult but added that they "took into account the interests of each country". The pact will be presented to the trade ministers of the AMU at their next meeting in Tripoli prior to its submission to the Council of Foreign Ministers.

The Maghreb countries are seeking to create an economic bloc to counter effects of the global market and to ensure food security.

The secretary-general said he regretted the fact that the exchange ratio between AMU countries did not exceed 3%, which he said emphasized the need to accelerate the establishment of a free market.

At the end of the meeting, the Maghreb ministers stressed the need to co-ordinate investment laws and regulations to ensure the free flow of capital and to promote the "Future Vision for Agriculture in the Maghreb by 2030".

The Algerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rachid Benaïssa, called for "more co-ordination and joint action in the areas of scientific research, training and agricultural advice, as well as issues of water economy and all matters relating to rural development and investment in Maghreb agriculture in order to strengthen the principles of its modernization".

"Through work and co-ordination within the framework of the Arab Maghreb Union in a gradual manner and on a sustainable basis, we can improve our Maghreb food security," Benaissa said. The minister pointed out that the reports and the documentation relating to the vision of the future prospects of the Maghreb in 2030 represent "an important reference for the preparation of an action plan".

Abdelmajid al-Gaoud, Libyan Secretary-General of the People's Committee for Agriculture, also called for the establishment of a seed bank and other joint projects.

"The achievement of food security is to achieve the social security of the people of the five countries of the Maghreb," al-Gaoud said.

During the meeting, the representative of the Libyan delegation strongly criticized the stumbling of the AMU, pointing out to his country's willingness to support the joint work while railing against the union because "it remains a dream that we cannot abstain from, and even if we can not realize it, we will not stop this dream, until it becomes a reality".

The Libyan representative called for the need to be realistic, through the application of the common practical matters reached in various meetings, expressing his deep regret for the inability of the countries of the Maghreb Union to ensure food security, as evidenced by the increase in the import of food items to about $30 billion annually.

Tunisian Agricultural Minister Abdessalem Mansour said that co-ordination between the Maghreb countries to improve food security "has become an absolute necessity".

"We should achieve the aspirations in accordance with a Maghreb vision based on technological development with the thinking in the most effective ways to develop mechanisms for joint action," Mansour said.

The Tunisian official said, "It is necessary to develop an action plan extending from 2011 to 2020 based on a firm strategy with respect to the exchange of manufactured agricultural products". He also stressed the need to complete an observatory to monitor the prices of strategic food products, especially grains and dry legumes in light of speculators in the global market.

Moroccan Ambassador to Algeria Abdellah Belkziz called for the "conservation of natural resources such as water from a Maghreb strategic perspective" and the exchange of specialists and experts in the field of desertification, animal and plant health and water use.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/12/09/feature-01.

Algiers International Symphonic Music Festival begins Thursday

2010-12-08

The 2nd Algiers International Symphonic Music festival kicks off on December 9th, El Watan reported on Tuesday (December 7th). Musicians from France, Mexico, Ukraine, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Russia, Austria, and Japan will participate in the six-day event. Spain will be the guest of honor.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/12/08/newsbrief-08.

Algeria to sign 49 tourism deals

2010-12-08

Algeria will unveil 49 new tourism projects next week, APS reported on Tuesday (December 7th). According to the Tourism Ministry, the agreements will be signed on December 8th, the opening day of the 11th International Tourism and Travel Show (SITEV 2010). The three-day trade fair in Algiers will include exhibitions from domestic travel operators.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/12/08/newsbrief-07.

Brazil's Lula sticks up for Assange

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Brasilia - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stuck up Thursday for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and called those keen on protecting freedom of expression to protest over his arrest in Britain.

"The lad was arrested and I see no protests in favor of freedom of expression. There is nothing. The lad only posted what he read onto the website. Guilt rests not on the person who disclosed (the leaked documents), but on those who wrote them," Lula said in Brasilia.

The leftist Lula, a former trade union leader, has himself come under fire by press freedom advocates for his plans to create an agency to regulate media content. He is set to leave office after eight years on January 1.

Assange, 39, is in Wandsworth Prison in London after Sweden sought his extradition on rape charges. Sweden denies this has any connection with US efforts to bring Assange to justice for gradually releasing 250,000 leaked US diplomatic cables.

Assange has denied the Swedish allegations, saying they are part of a smear campaign.

Lula said he will order the publication on the Brazilian Presidency's blog of a protest against Assange's arrest.

"I think we have to stand up for freedom of expression. Here are my protests and my solidarity," he said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357428,brazils-lula-sticks-assange.html.

African Union suspends Ivory Coast over disputed elections

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Nairobi/Abidjan/Addis Ababa - The African Union (AU) Thursday suspended Ivory Coast's membership in the 53-nation body over President Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to recognize his opponent as the winner in last month's presidential elections.

Opposition leader Alassane Outtara was named as the winner by Ivory Coast's election body, an outcome accepted by most other countries and international bodies. However, Gbagbo's supporters invalidated those results and claimed victory for themselves last week.

An AU spokesman said Thursday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa that the suspension would remain in effect until Outtara was recognized as the uncontested president of Ivory Coast.

Gbagbo's foreign minister, Alcide Djedje, Thursday floated a power sharing deal as a possible way out of the stand-off, telling Ghanian broadcaster Citi News that the president and his supporters are open to all discussions.

But Djedje also rejected what he called attempts by the AU, United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States to dictate who the next Ivory Coast president would be.

Gbagbo was handed victory Friday when the constitutional council, headed by a close ally, overturned electoral commission figures proclaiming Ouattara the winner by annulling the results in seven opposition strongholds in the former-rebel north.

US probing WikiLeaks-related hacking

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Washington - The United States is probing the possibility that hackers have been carrying out attacks on the websites of financial companies that have halted payments to WikiLeaks, the top US law enforcement official said Thursday.

"We are aware of the incidents," Attorney General Eric Holder said. "We are looking into them."

Holder spoke to reporters after a meeting with EU security and justice officials in Washington.

Hackers proclaiming to back WikiLeaks' ongoing release of 250,000 secret US diplomatic cables have declared online that they are trying to obstruct access to Mastercard and Visa websites. The credit card companies have been used by individuals seeking to donate money to WikiLeaks.

The US government has vehemently condemned the WikiLeaks release. Holder would not say whether the government has been urging companies to halt money transfers to WikiLeaks.

The two credit card companies announced earlier this week they would no longer accept payments to WikiLeaks. The online service PayPal did the same. The hackers, calling themselves "Anonymous," have vowed to go after PayPal next as part of "Operation Payback."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357448,us-probing-wikileaks-related-hacking.html.

Rights organizations urges UN to attend Liu's Nobel award ceremony

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

New York - International human rights organizations on Thursday asked the top UN human rights defender to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo for jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Liu is this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate and is serving an 11-year prison sentence for campaigning for human rights in China. Chinese authorities barred him and relatives from traveling to Oslo, where the award ceremony will be held on Friday.

Friday is also UN Human Rights Day, which each December 10 is an occasion to renew support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, was invited to Oslo, but declined apparently under pressure from China not to attend. China has called on governments to boycott the ceremony. Neither Pillay nor UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for Liu's release since he was named the Nobel Peace Prize recipient in October.

In Geneva, a total of 24 human rights groups signed a petition urging Pillay to attend the Oslo ceremony.

"We urge the high commissioner to go to Oslo, attend the award ceremony, and convene a press conference that will spotlight the plight of the 1.3 billion Chinese citizens who are systematically denied the basic guarantees of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," said the petition.

The Geneva-based rights group UN Watch said the petitioners include the World Movement for Democracy from the United States, SOS Racisme of France, and activist organizations from India, Venezuela and Liberia.

"The world spotlight in Oslo tomorrow will be exceptional - it's a golden opportunity that the UN should not squander," said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.

Neuer said Yang Jianli, the exiled Chinese dissident who represents Liu's family, has strongly criticized the UN's absence in Oslo.

The petitioners said, "We fully reject China's attempt to describe this courageous champion of human rights as 'subversive and criminal,' and its denunciation of the award as an 'obscenity'. On the contrary, no award could be more fitting on international Human Rights Day."

Pillay said in remarks for the UN Human Rights Day issued in Geneva: "Every year thousands of human rights defenders are harassed, abused, unjustly jailed and murdered. Often their families are targeted as well."

"That is why, Human Rights Day is dedicated to human rights defenders and their magnificent battle to stop discrimination," she said.

Pillay cited Russian rights advocate Natalia Estemirova, who was kidnapped and murdered in 2009; Rogelio Martinez of Colombia, who was gunned down this year; and Gennadiy Pavluk, a Kyrgyz journalist who fell to his death from a high rise building with hands and legs bound a year ago.

Pillay said one positive development this year was the release from house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in November by the military government in Myanmar.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357450,lius-nobel-award-ceremony.html.

Haiti to verify vote count after violence over preliminary results

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Washington/Port-au-Prince - Haiti's electoral authorities on Thursday said they will verify the vote count from last month's elections after the disputed preliminary results triggered violence across the country.

"We are going to create a commission to verify the count," Philippe Augustin, a member of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) told the German Press Agency dpa.

The preliminary results from the November 28 poll gave a narrow lead to ruling party candidate Jude Celestin over popular musician Michael Martelly for second place in January's runoff.

Former first lady Mirlande Manigat received 31.37 per cent of the vote, according to the electoral commission results, and will face Celestin, who received 22.48 per cent. Martelly got 21.89 per cent of votes, despite recent polls suggesting he would defeat Celestin, the protege of outgoing President Rene Preval.

The CEP's Augustin said international observers and representatives of the three candidates were to be made part of the commission.

Haitian daily Le Nouvelliste quoted a CEP statement as saying that this was an "emergency, exceptional verification procedure."

It remained unclear when the verification would start.

The demonstrations started shortly after the preliminary results were announced late Tuesday and the country has continued to simmer since.

Thousands of angry Haitians went on a rampage across the impoverished nation, burning tires, looting stores, blocking roads with rubble and setting fire to offices of the governing party over widespread allegations of vote rigging in the elections.

There were hopes that the election would yield a fresh and stable leadership for Haiti, to aid the country's reconstruction process as it struggles to emerge from the rubble of January's devastating earthquake, which killed close to 230,000 people, and a raging cholera epidemic that has left more than 2,100 dead.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357453,count-violence-preliminary-results.html.

Judge Barakat appointed first woman attorney general

By Abeer Numan

AMMAN - The Judicial Council appointed Judge Ihsan Barakat as Amman attorney general, thus becoming the first woman to assume the post in Jordan’s history.

Barakat will assume her new duties on Sunday to succeed Judge Mazen Qaraan, who was promoted to serve as a Cassation Court judge, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Over a telephone call yesterday, Barakat voiced gratitude to the Judicial Council and Minister of Justice Hisham Tal for their confidence, describing the post as important and a new challenge for her. She also voiced hope that she will be able to shoulder the responsibility.

On Wednesday, Barakat was appointed as assistant director of the General Prosecution Office before she was entrusted with the post of Amman attorney general.

The decision was good news for women’s rights advocates.

“We are proud of the council’s decision which comes in response to calls to give qualified women the opportunity to assume decision-making positions in Jordan,” law professor Abeer Dababneh, who heads the University of Jordan women’s studies department, said yesterday.

Barakat, also chairperson of the board of the Arab Women’s Legal Network, was serving as a judge at the Amman Court of Appeal, also making history by becoming the first women to occupy such a post.

She was also the first judge to occupy the post of court president, as she served as the chief of the West Amman Court between June 2007 and July 2009.

Between 2004 and 2005, Barakat was director of international relations at the Ministry of Justice, where she participated in the drafting of the National Agenda as a member of the Legislation and Justice Pillar Committee.

Before joining the judiciary, she worked as a lawyer and legal consultant at her own law firm (1998-2002).

9 December 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/?news=32485.

US to deploy SM-3s in Poland

Thu Dec 9, 2010

US President Barack Obama has committed his country to deploying SM-3 missile interceptors in Poland to replace the controversial Bush-era program.

The commitment came after Obama met his visiting Polish counterpart, Bronislaw Komorowski, at the White House on Wednesday.

It was agreed that the land-based missile interceptors will be deployed in Poland in the 2018 timeframe as part of America's NATO-wide missile system. The agreement follows a treaty signed by both countries' officials in Prague in April.

The missile system will be deployed in four stages beginning next year and would be capable of intercepting long-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

"President Komorowski expressed Poland's strong support for the prompt ratification of the new START treaty, as it would bolster Polish and European security and contribute to the Non- Proliferation Treaty's disarmament goals," a joint statement said.

The treaty is part of White House's efforts to reset relations with Russia.

The Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) has a range of 500 kilometers but can be enhanced for longer distances.

The missile was used by the US Navy to destroy a satellite 130 miles (209 km) above the Pacific Ocean in February of 2008.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/154621.html.

Germany and Algeria to cooperate on fossil and renewable energy

Wed, 08 Dec 2010

Berlin - Germany and Algeria unveiled plans on Wednesday to cooperate more closely on energy provision from fossil fuels and renewable sources, during a visit to Berlin by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

"We are interested in helping with the exploitation of oil and gas reserves, but also to cooperate more closely with Algeria on solar and renewable energy," Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

She stressed the importance of the Desertec solar program, which plans to harness solar energy in northern Africa and feed a power network extending to Europe and the Middle East.

"I gave my assurance that we have a great interest in implementing Desertec, which is still a vision today," Merkel said. Representatives of the project were due to join the leaders for a working lunch.

Bouteflika said he hoped the cooperation with Germany would include a sharing of skills.

"We expect help with the training of our youth, which Germany is prepared to do. We are interested in a technology transfer, which Germany has also agreed to," he said.

"We also expect German contributions towards building an economy in Algeria which is less and less dependent on fossil fuels," Bouteflika added.

Merkel thanked Algeria for supporting the country's bid for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, on which Germany is about to begin a two-year rotation.

"This gives Germany the possibility, given the pending conflicts in the region, of reinforcing the options available to the United Nations," Merkel said, citing the conflict in western Sahara as an example.

The leaders also discussed the conflict in the Middle East and in Sudan, where they called on both the African Union and the European Union to "take responsibility."

Merkel said Germany also planned to work with Algeria on securing the country's borders, a project which she said was also aimed at curbing refugees traveling north through Africa to reach Europe.

At the same time, she stressed the importance of creating economic incentives in Africa to prevent the flow of refugees to Europe.

Merkel said Algeria's youth was "thirsty for knowledge," and said they should be offered "as many democratic freedoms as possible, in order to develop well," offering German help in this regard.

Bouteflika was also due to meet Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Berlin.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357193,cooperate-fossil-renewable-energy.html.

Rights group slams Philippines for boycott of Nobel Prize ceremony

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Manila - A New York-based human rights group on Thursday criticized the Philippines for deciding not to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Human Rights Watch said it was "shocked and disappointed" that the Philippines, a staunch advocate of democracy and human rights in Asia, would be skipping the gala Friday in Oslo, Norway.

"The Philippines prides itself on its democratic values, which is why it is shocking to see this government turning its back on Liu Xiaobo's non-violent struggle for free expression in China," said Elaine Pearson, the group's deputy director for Asia.

"By declining the invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the Philippines is failing to live up to its promises to promote human rights in Asia," she charged.

The Philippines is among 19 countries that have said they would not be sending representatives to the ceremony. Others include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Vietnam.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Philippines would not attend the ceremony but declined to state the reason.

A senior diplomat who requested anonymity said the Philippines decided not to attend the event because it "does not want to further annoy China."

China has expressed dismay over the Philippine government's handling of the investigation into a tour bus hostage-taking that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in August in Manila.

Beijing and Hong Kong reacted angrily when President Benigno Aquino III rejected recommendations to file criminal charges against close allies for alleged mishandling of the hostage crisis.

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang denied there was pressure from China on the Philippines not to attend the Nobel ceremony.

"Our ambassador is going to be attending another function, so he won't be able to go to the peace prize awarding," he said. "Attendance is optional, so I don't think that should be a big issue."

Chinese Ambassador to Manila Liu Jianchao said China did not pressure the Philippines but added, "We appreciate the understanding of the Philippine government."

"Every country has the right not to attend the event," Liu said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357311,boycott-nobel-prize-ceremony.html.

Germany arrests two men alleged to be in Sikh terrorist group

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Berlin - Germany has arrested two Indians alleged to be in a Sikh terrorist organization, the Khalistan Zindabad Force, federal prosecutors said in Karlsruhe on Thursday.

The men, named only as 35-year-old Sukhpreet S and 41-year-old Jagtar S M, both Indian nationals, were detained on Tuesday and remanded in custody the next day by a judge.

They are under investigation for membership in a foreign terrorist organization and for breaches of weapons laws, the prosecutors said.

The Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) is a violent group which seeks to create an independent state out of areas of India where the Sikh religion is in the majority. "Khalistan" is the name it gives to the state it proposes to set up.

The prosecutors said KZF actively tried to smuggle explosives, small arms and forged cash into the Indian state of Punjab, with Europe-based members acquiring these resources and fund-raising for the group.

In addition, KZF had attempted to topple moderate Sikh leaders at temples in Europe to expand their control over Sikhs abroad.

The men were detained near Frankfurt and near the western city of Dusseldorf.

Sukhpreet S allegedly bought a semi-automatic weapon for the KZF last year and Jagtar S M allegedly obtained another this year. He had paid 350 euros (1,750 dollars) for it along with a supply of ammunition, a statement said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357338,be-sikh-terrorist-group.html.

Ahmadinejad: Swap deal could be only nuclear issue in Istanbul

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Tehran - A uranium swap could be the only nuclear-related issue that Iran would raise in the next round of multilateral talks, Iranian media quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying Thursday.

"We have red lines which are non-negotiable in our talks with world powers, and this includes suspension of uranium enrichment," Ahmadinejad said.

"But we are ready to cooperate with the powers on the swap of enriched uranium and would welcome their cooperation with us in building further nuclear plants," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with students in central Iran.

In an agreement signed in May with Turkey and Brazil, Iran agreed to store at least 1.2 tons of its low-enriched uranium in Turkey and later exchange it for nuclear fuel to be used in research reactor in Tehran.

The deal was met with skepticism by the international community because it did not address the issue of Iran freezing uranium enrichment as demanded by the UN Security Council.

Iran this week held renewed talks with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in Geneva. The meeting failed once again to produce any tangible results, but the participants agreed to continue the talks in late January in Istanbul.

Iran wants Turkey, which with Brazil was the only county to oppose the latest Security Council sanctions against Iran, to be included in the talks, but the other participants were expected to reject the proposal.

Ahmadinejad maintained the swap could make Iran stop enriching uranium to 20 per cent because exchanging and purchasing fuel would be more economical.

The other Geneva negotiators were reportedly not opposed to reviving the swap deal but insisted the UN resolutions demanding a halt to enrichment must be accepted and implemented by Tehran.

Ahmadinejad said future cooperation with the world powers depended on the other side's acknowledgment of Iran's nuclear rights and the lifting of UN sanctions.

Tehran insists that it nuclear projects are solely for civilian purposes and rejects Western concerns that it might be using them to produce nuclear weapons.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357341,be-nuclear-issue-istanbul.html.

Muslim imams tell Berlin of hate fears

Wed, 08 Dec 2010

Bonn, Germany - Imams told a top German official Wednesday that Muslims in Germany fear they may suffer hate attacks.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere responded with a condemnation, telling the panel of Islamic clergy in Bonn, "Arson attacks and graffiti on mosques can have no place in our society."

One of the imams had just told him that attitudes to Islam were "generally more negative in Germany than in adjacent countries" and added that Muslims were worried there would attacks on mosques.

The minister, who oversees Germany's official negotiations with the Islamic community, about 5 per cent of the population, described his first meeting with a group of imams as a chance to "swap notes."

Officials estimate there are 2,000 imams in Germany, most of whom grew up in and were trained in Turkey.

The meeting with religion teachers from various Islamic denominations was organized in conjunction with the Germany-Islam Conference, a series of meetings organized by de Maiziere's ministry.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357241,tell-berlin-hate-fears.html.

Court to report failure to arrest Sudan's President al Bashir

Wed, 08 Dec 2010

New York - The International Criminal Court was expected to inform the UN Security Council on Thursday that the government in Khartoum has failed to implement international arrest warrants against President Omar al Bashir and other Sudanese officials.

ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo was scheduled to present a fresh six-month report on his activities, which so far have been futile with regard the arrest of al Bashir, who was re-elected for a new term this year.

ICC judges had issued in May a judicial decision informing the council that Sudan failed to cooperate in the arrest of two other Sudanese officials involved in mass killings in Darfur: Ahmad Muhammad Harun and Ali Kushayb.

The ICC is to provide the council with an overview of its prosecutorial and investigative activities in the past six months.

The ICC, supported by a strong coalition of 2,500 civil society organizations in 150 countries, has been asking governments to carry international warrants to arrest the Sudanese, who have been indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"Any lack of cooperation with the ICC threatens to undermine the authority of the Security Council, which referred the situation in Darfur to the court in 2005," said Tanya Karanasios, the program director of the Coalition for the ICC. "We urge the council to reiterate its support to justice for the victims of Darfur."

The war in Darfur that pits Khartoum against African rebel groups has killed over 300,000 people since 2003, the UN said. More than 2 million Darfurians have become refugees.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357260,sudans-president-al-bashir.html.

Protests grow over Haiti vote rigging claims - Summary

Wed, 08 Dec 2010

Port-au-Prince - Thousands of angry Haitians went on a rampage in capital Port-au-Prince and other cities, burning tires, looting stores and setting fire to offices of the governing party over widespread allegations of vote rigging in last month's elections.

The demonstrations started shortly after preliminary election results were announced late Tuesday and escalated through Wednesday. The initial results from the crucial November 28 elections gave a narrow lead to ruling party candidate Jude Celestin over popular musician Michael Martelly for second place in January's runoff.

Former first lady Mirlande Manigat received 31.37 per cent of the vote, according to the electoral commission results, and will face Celestin, who received 22.48 per cent. Martelly got 21.89 per cent of votes, despite recent polls suggesting he would defeat Celestin, the protege of outgoing President Rene Preval.

Three people were reportedly killed in the protests, as the United Nations and Organization of American States (OAS) called for calm.

"This will not simplify the situation," said one witness to the violence. "It is a total rebellion against the government."

Protesters set fire across the country to headquarters and offices of Preval's Inite party. They tore and burned Celestin's election posters. Thick, black plumes of smoke spiraled above the earthquake- shattered skyline of the capital city, as gun shots echoed through the streets.

In Port-au-Prince, crowds gathered outside the headquarters of the Provisional Electoral Council chanting, "We want Michel Martelly" and "We want our rights."

American Airlines canceled its six daily flights to and from Port-au-Prince on Wednesday and Thursday "due to the inability of airport and airline employees as well as passengers to get to and from the airport," a company statement said.

In New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concerns about the allegations of fraud and subsequent violence. He reminded all the candidates "that they have a personal responsibility to encourage their supporters to remain calm and to stop violence."

Jose Miguel Insulza, OAS secretary general, noted that the results were just a "provisional count." He said the OAS observation mission would "closely monitor" the process in the coming weeks in which candidates can challenge election results.

The US embassy in Port-au-Prince urged Haitians to "express themselves peacefully."

"The 2010 elections represent a critical test of whether the Haitian people will determine their destiny through their vote, and it would be regrettable that violence would mar this process," the embassy said in a statement.

The United States was concerned that the preliminary results were "inconsistent" with the published results of the National Election Observation Council (CNO), which had more than 5,500 observers and observed the vote count in 1,600 voting centers nationwide, the embassy said.

Responding to a question about Preval's alleged accusations that that US was partly responsible for the rioting because of its criticism of the election, US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said: "The United States is in no way responsible for the actions of any individual."

He told reporters in Washington, "We are determined to help Haiti achieve a credible election and a result - not one that the United States will impose, but one that the people of Haiti can participate in fully and that the government that emerges reflects the will of the Haiti people and will have the legitimacy and support necessary to move the country forward."

There were hopes that the election would yield a fresh and stable leadership for Haiti, to aid the impoverished country's reconstruction process as it struggles to emerge from the rubble of January's devastating earthquake, which killed close to 230,000 people, and a raging cholera epidemic that has left more than 2,100 dead.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357270,rigging-claims-summary.html.