Libya, Italy to examine 'Friendship Treaty'

2011-12-14

Libya and Italy will hold new talks about their 2008 Friendship, Partnership and Co-Operation Treaty, AFP reported on Tuesday (December 13th). National Transitional Council chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil will meet with Italian authorities in Rome on Thursday to discuss details of the treaty, signed in Benghazi by Moamer Kadhafi and former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Before the Libya-Italy accord was suspended last February with the start of the uprising, Italy had been a close ally and economic partner. More than 180 Italian businesses have taken advantage of the favorable terms for trade links, including Finmeccanica, Impreglio and ENI, which became the biggest foreign energy producer in Libya.

The 2008 Italy-Libya Friendship Treaty includes construction of a 1,700-kilometre coastal motorway in Libya. The deal also allows Italy to send back immigrants reaching its shores from Libya.

In related news, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi and United Nations Envoy to Libya Ian Martin met in Cairo on Tuesday (December 13th), KUNA reported. The talks reportedly focused on opportunities for the two organizations to promote Libyan peace and prosperity.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/12/14/newsbrief-03.

Benghazi protests draw rival factions

2011-12-14

Protests for and against Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) packed squares in Benghazi on Tuesday (December 13th), AFP reported. Chants of "Down with the new regime!" from around 5,000 disgruntled anti-NTC protesters were met in equal voice and strength with slogans such as "The people want Mustafa Abdel Jalil!" from supporters of the NTC and its chief.

Abdel Jalil has been singled out since Monday by protesters in the city over his recent remarks that the NTC was ready to forgive pro-Kadhafi fighters. These protesters say there is a lack of transparency about the NTC's activities.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2011/12/14/newsbrief-01.

Royal appointment sparks debate in Morocco

Some Moroccans see a new royal appointment as removing an obstacle to reform while others are sharply critical of the decision.

By Hassan Benmehdi in Casablanca and Naoufel Cherkaoui in Rabat for Magharebia – 14/12/11

In an unexpected and controversial move, King Mohammed VI last week appointed his friend and former classmate Fouad Ali El Himma as royal adviser.

The December 7th announcement raised questions among activists and political observers over how much desire there was for real and lasting change within the Moroccan establishment.

El Himma was appointed Secretary of State in the Ministry of the Interior when King Mohammed VI assumed the throne in 1999, before later being named delegate minister. He resigned in 2007 to run for parliament from his own town of Ibn Jarir.

He founded the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) a year later, triggering concerns among activists who claimed the move was aimed at creating a new regime party to counter the growing influence of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD).

But Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane has described El Himma's appointment to the Royal Diwan as a positive move because it will remove El Himma from the political arena. The prime minister added that El Himma's new position does not raise fears concerning the functioning of the next government.

In a statement to the press, Benkirane said there was no question of co-operating with El Himma, and that his party will not hesitate to speak out against him and turn against him should he return to his "dubious practices and political maneuvering".

February 20 Movement member Najib Chawki alleged that appointment was part of completing the formation of a shadow government that will oversee major projects above the supervision of the government and the Parliament.

However, others believe El Himma's appointment to the Royal Diwan is a positive sign for the new government led by the PJD's Benkirane.

Mostafa Moâtassim, the secretary-general of al-Badil al-Hadari, an Islamist party which was dissolved after the Belliraj affair in 2009, sees El Himma's selection as adviser as the best way of removing him from direct involvement in politics and the political scene nationally.

A Casablanca student calling himself Belkhair told Magharebia the appointment simply marked the end of El Himma's political career. "The king had been waiting for a suitable moment to respond to one of the people's main demands, namely El Himma's departure," he said.

Belkhair claimed that the work of the royal adviser had no political connotations. "Kings have always had advisers, in accordance with the traditions of the Moroccan monarchy, so that they can seek their input on the nation's big issues," he said.

The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) issued a statement saying it "accepted El Himma's resignation following his appointment by King Mohammed VI as adviser in the Royal Cabinet".

Others have played down the appointment given recent constitutional reforms that give the head of government additional powers. Political observers noted that Benkirane will have wide-ranging freedom to manage affairs. It is up to Benkirane himself, they say, to defend his rights and prerogatives.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/12/14/feature-03.

Mauritania approves independent electoral body

An independent commission will be responsible for supervising all stages of Mauritania's electoral process.

By Raby Ould Idoumou for Magharebia in Nouakchott – 14/12/11

The Mauritanian authorities gave a green light to creating a monitoring body to ensure the independence and transparency of the country's electoral process.

The interior ministry made the announcement last Wednesday. The National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) will follow up on recommendations made by a national dialogue held between opposition leaders and the government in October. Its members will be appointed by consensus between the ruling majority and opposition parties.

The Mauritanian national dialogue held on October 19th recommended organizing municipal and parliamentary elections before March 2012 based on a fatwa from the Mauritanian constitutional council.

The newly-created institution will monitor all future elections. It will cover the entire process, starting with the preparation of lists up to the announcement of results. The ministry assured that the commission would have full powers and capabilities to guarantee free and fair elections.

But some opposition leaders remain skeptical. Tawassoul party chief Jamil Mansour insisted that electoral changes cannot precede overarching political reforms.

"In the absence of political reforms and given the current regime's monopoly and hijacking of the state, any reform of this type will always have a limited impact," he said.

"The independent electoral commission as a product of a dialogue between the majority and some opposition parties is a committee with incomplete powers," Mansour added. "This is because there is a parallel committee operating alongside in the interior ministry. Therefore, we don't think that it will play its natural role."

The announcement was received with some apathy, said political analyst Abdallah Ould Atfagh Mokhtar. "It didn't fully meet the conditions set by the opposition parties that refused to take part in the political dialogue and considered it to be just a formality," he explained. "In addition, the government's approval of this commission was made in an emergency ministerial meeting; something that would raise doubts that this decision was taken prudently."

He alleged that the interior ministry had been "involved in large-scale rigging of election and use of unreal voters for the benefit of a candidate accepted by the military institution and security departments".

Others believe that the existence of a parallel body in the interior ministry would not affect the neutrality of the new commission.

"The committee in the interior ministry will have technical, organizational and security-related tasks only," Mohammed Lamine Ould al-Sheikh, a member of the executive bureau of the ruling Union for the Republic Party, told Magharebia. "This will help the independent electoral commission do its job competently and ideally."

He argued that CENI would fill the gaps that might have been in the previous committee and organize and supervise elections in a transparent manner.

"No political step is free from criticism, but as far as the idea is concerned, the approval of the commission will boost voters' hopes about the transparency of elections," said political activist al-Salem al-Naji Ould al-Mustafa.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/12/14/feature-02.

Marzouki: Tunisia at a 'turning point'

Nearly a year after the start of the Tunisian revolution, the nation now has its first democratically elected leadership.

By Houda Trabelsi for Magharebia in Tunis – 14/12/11

New Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on Wednesday (December 14th) named Ennahda Secretary-General Hamadi Jebali as prime minister.

The 62-year-old official of the moderate Islamist majority party will have 21 days to present his cabinet to the president. Jebali promised Wednesday to choose a team "in the service of the people".

His comments echo those made by the new president a day earlier. When Marzouki was sworn into office as president, he also vowed to work for "all Tunisians".

"We are all aware that we are experiencing a turning point in the history of Tunisia and Tunisians," Marzouki told a special session of the Constituent Assembly on Tuesday.

He pledged to "spare no effort in on-going consultation with the government, the opposition and civil society representatives, in the defense of the foundations of the republic and the democratic system".

"The government's responsibility is to win people's confidence to embark seriously on the file of the martyrs and the wounded," Marzouki said, adding that the new administration will "expedite reckoning and reconciliation in the context of transitional justice".

He also called on the opposition to "be part of the solution and not part of the problem". The president expressed hope that "all of the Tunisian people will come together, transcend their differences, accept pluralism, hold accountable without revenge and forgive without forgetting".

"The challenges posed in the next phase are, in particular, addressing the problem of unemployment, achieving the goals of the revolution, maintaining stability, accelerating urgent reforms and not rushing structural reforms, as well as creating the largest possible number of jobs without drowning in more debt, encouraging investment without allowing exploitation and protecting the rights of employers and employees," the presidents said.

Towards the end of the address, Marzouki stressed the need to help disadvantaged people without harming others. The president promised to protect women whether they wore the niqab, hijab or went unveiled, adding that he would "maintain security without threatening freedom".

The remarks met mixed reaction from observers, with opposition parliamentarian Samir Tayeb saying it was a "speech on thoughts". He added, "There are no clear future visions; a speech came in the form of signals."

"We, as opposition, will hold him accountable and will hold his government to deeds, not intentions," Tayeb asserted.

Najib Chebbi, of the opposition Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), told Magharebia that it was time for parties to work together.

"It is true we opposed some of the points during discussions of the Constituent Assembly, and we put forward our repudiations in all honesty," Chebbi said. "But now after election of a new president of the country, dialogue must continue with the new government to remove all challenges."

"What happened today is a gain and a good step toward building the new Tunisia, with our electing the first legitimate president," Ennahda MP Sahbi Atik told Magharebia.

On the Tunisian street, the presidential address also received a varied response. Mona Boughanmi said she was pleased at where the country was.

"Marzouki's speech today was reassuring and close to the Tunisian people and that seemed clear from his appearance, as he did not wear an elegant suit with millions and did not put on a tie, but wore Tunisian [attire] and specifically the dress of the Tunisian south, his birthplace," she said.

But Salwa Batayeb had a more cautious outlook. "I found Marzouki's speech more akin to a speech in front of a mosque than a speech of a president 'elect'," she said. "He began with a lengthy, polished sermon and then sealed it with a supplication, and that's what made me wary of the speech with the Ennahda Movement."

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/12/14/feature-01.

Paul Virtually Tied for First Place in Iowa

Written by Raven Clabough
Wednesday, 14 December 2011

With the January 3 Iowa Caucus just around the corner, every tiny fluctuation in the polls seems to matter. Just weeks ago, there was a four-way tie in Iowa among Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Godfather Pizza CEO Herman Cain, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Those numbers have changed several times since then, particularly with Herman Cain dropping out of the race, and according to the most recent Public Policy Polling, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich are now tied for first.

Just last week, Newt Gingrich held a clear lead in Iowa, but Paul has now closed the gap, polling at 21 percent, virtually matching Gingrich’s 22 percent. Ron Paul reportedly has a great deal of support in Iowa and Romney is now coming in third in the Hawkeye State, with 16 percent.

Paul’s campaign has been extremely successful in reaching Iowa voters, and intends to continue in its efforts. Paul’s campaign has organized a “Christmas Vacation with Ron Paul” program which will feature approximately 500 youth in Iowa knocking on doors and manning the phone bank for their candidate. Additionally, the campaign purchased a $1-million ad buy in Iowa, which includes radio, TV, and mail advertisements, many of which focus on Newt Gingrich, who is currently Paul’s greatest rival.

“Whenever I hear Newt try to sweep his Big Government record under the rug, I can hardly help but shake my head,” Paul said in an email to his supporters Monday. “If you and I are truly serious about defeating President Obama in 2012 and turning our country around, nominating Newt Gingrich is the absolute last thing the Republican Party should do,” he added.

Paul's mention of the facts of Gingrich's track record has proven to be successful, thus far, as Gingrich’s lead has shrunk from nine percentage points to just one point, according to the most recent PPP poll.

“Newt Gingrich’s momentum is fading in Iowa,” commented Public Policy Polling (PPP) President Dean Debnam. “Meanwhile Ron Paul is building an unusual coalition of support for a Republican primary. The big question is: will they really turn out?”

PPP reports:

Gingrich has dropped 5 points in the last week and he's also seen a significant decline in his favorability numbers. Last week he was at +31 (62/31) and he's now dropped 19 points to +12 (52/40). The attacks on him appear to be taking a heavy toll — his support with Tea Party voters has declined from 35% to 24%.

Paul meanwhile has seen a big increase in his popularity from +14 (52/38) to +30 (61/31). There are a lot of parallels between Paul's strength in Iowa and Barack Obama's in 2008 — he's doing well with new voters, young voters, and non-Republican voters.…

That poll reveals that among those who are “new” for the 2012 election, Paul leads Gingrich 25-17, with Romney remaining at 16 percent. PPP writes, “Paul is doing a good job of bringing folks who haven’t done this before.”

Not surprisingly, Paul also maintains a great deal of popularity among young voters. Voters under 45 overwhelmingly choose Paul over Gingrich, 30 percent to 16 percent. Voters over 45, however, choose Gingrich over Paul, 26-15 percent, with Romney earning 17 percent.

Those who identify themselves as Republicans prefer Gingrich over Paul, 25-17 percent, but those who are more closely aligned with the Democratic Party or who consider themselves Independents overwhelmingly prefer Paul, 34 to 14 percent, with Romney coming in at 17 percent.

Noting the unique quality of these figures, PPP reports, “Young voters, independents, and folks who haven’t voted in caucuses before is an unusual coalition for a Republican candidate … the big question is whether these folks will really come out and vote … if they do, we could be in for a big upset.”

Another major observation in the poll is the loyalty and determination of the Paul supporters, who PPP notes are “considerably more committed to him than Gingrich’s are.” That same Public Policy Poll shows that Paul’s supporters are strong, with 77 percent indicating that Paul is their definite choice. Gingrich’s supporters, on the other hand, are not so strong, with only 54 percent who are certain.

Meanwhile, Romney’s support has remained at 16 percent, with no change from last week’s poll. Gingrich’s support is waning in Iowa, and Romney’s has not increased. PPP recalls that Romney has failed to gain support, even as Cain's, Perry's, and Bachmann’s campaigns have collapsed.

Even worse for Romney is that among those who voted for him in 2008, just 44 percent say they would vote for him again.

PPP believes the reason for Romney’s failure to excite voters is the fact that voters are increasingly disoriented by what has been referred to as the Republican establishment. Thirty-one percent of those polled maintain a favorable view of the Republican establishment, while an equal percentage hold an unfavorable view, and 38 percent are unsure. PPP contends, “When Romney rolls out endorsement after endorsement, to a lot of voters, that’s actually coming across as a negative thing.”

For Paul, on the other hand, that lack of support for the Republican establishment bodes well. Those who maintain a negative view of the Republican establishment are particularly enamored with Ron Paul. Among that group, Paul is ahead with 34 percent, while Gingrich sits at 18 percent, Romney at 10 percent, and Santorum at 12 percent.

Where Romney has Gingrich beat, however, is in values. Thirty-nine percent of voters believe Romney to have stronger values than Gingrich, with just 18 percent of voters choosing Gingrich in that area. Perhaps most surprisingly is that 43 percent remain unsure.

Bachmann’s support has fallen from 13 percent to 11 percent, and her favorability rating is now 55/37.

Though Perry’s camp has made an effort to revive his popularity, with ads regarding “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the “War on Christmas,” they have failed to stimulate his support. He was at nine percent last week and remains there this week. His favorability is 43 percent, while his unfavorability is 47 percent. The only other candidate with less favorability than Perry is Jon Huntsman.

PPP contends that Perry may be going the wrong route to attract Republicans, particularly by calling for the reinstatement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” since just 41 percent of Republicans are opposed to gays serving in the military. Twenty-eight percent support it, and a whopping 31 percent remain unsure.

Currently, 30 percent of Republican voters believe Gingrich to be the most viable candidate, while 21 percent believe it's Romney, and 14 percent assert it's Paul. No other candidate is in the double digits.

There is one major exception to all of these numbers, however: Tim Tebow. PPP humorously added Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow to the equation. Tebow, in fact, has the greatest favorability amongst all of the Republican contenders, 48 percent compared to just 13 percent unfavorable. Of course, Tebow is too young for the presidential age requirement and has never once voiced an interest in political ambitions, but his wholesome nature and outward faith resonate among voters.

How the January 3 Iowa Caucus will close remains to be seen, but one of the online bloggers for Forbes magazine's "Benzinga Insights," John Thorpe, commented on Paul’s increasing success last week, predicting, “In one month, Paul will shock the world and win the Iowa Caucuses.”

Source: The New American.
Link: http://thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/10186-paul-virtually-tied-for-first-place-in-iowa.

Orbital Selects Antares as Permanent Name For New Rocket Based On Taurus II Program

Dulles VA (SPX)
Dec 14, 2011

Orbital Sciences has announced that Antares will be the permanent operational name for the medium-class launch vehicle created by its research and development program formerly known as Taurus II. Orbital has been in the development phase of the new rocket program for the past four years.

The operational phase of the program is scheduled to begin in 2012 with three flights on the manifest that will be conducted under the operational name of Antares.

"We are transitioning to the Antares identity primarily because a launch vehicle of this scale and significance deserves its own name, just like Orbital's Pegasus, Taurus and Minotaur rocket programs that have come before it," said Mr. David W. Thompson, Orbital's President and Chief Executive Officer.

"The successful introduction of the Antares launcher, with its contribution to our COTS and CRS programs along with future sales to other customers, is a linchpin of the company's long-term growth and profitability strategy."

Orbital selected the name in keeping with the company's tradition of using Greek-derived celestial names for launch vehicles. Antares is one of the brightest stars in the sky. Classified as a "supergiant" star, it is located in the constellation Scorpius and has a red hue when observed by the naked eye.

The Antares Launch Vehicle
Orbital is completing the development of the Antares medium-class space launch vehicle that will boost satellites and other payloads into a variety of low Earth and geosynchronous transfer orbits and Earth escape trajectories.

Antares combines a powerful liquid-fuel first stage with proven avionics, propulsion and related technologies from the company's other launch vehicle products and is supported by a "best-in-class" network of suppliers from the U.S. and around the world.

The Antares program currently has a backlog of 10 launches, beginning in early 2012 with a test launch followed by a second demonstration mission later in the year, both conducted under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement with NASA.

COTS is a joint research and development effort to develop a space transportation system capable of safely and reliably supplying the International Space Station (ISS) with essential cargo. Orbital is also under contract with NASA for the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program with an eight-mission, $1.9 billion agreement to deliver cargo to the ISS from 2012 through 2015.

In addition to its work with NASA on the COTS and CRS programs, Orbital is also offering Antares to civil government, military and intelligence, and commercial customers for dedicated launch services for medium-class satellites.

From its launch site at Wallops Island, Virginia, Antares will be capable of supporting mid-inclination and polar orbiting spacecraft weighing up to approximately 13,500 lbs. and 5,500 lbs., respectively. In addition, Orbital intends to establish a West Coast launch site within the next three years to optimize Antares performance to high-inclination orbits, boosting its polar orbit capability to about 9,500 lbs.

Source: Space-Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Orbital_Selects_Antares_as_Permanent_Name_For_New_Rocket_Based_On_Taurus_II_Program_999.html.