Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson calls for assassination of Venezuela's president

Pat Robertson, an American televangelist, former presidential candidate, and founder of the Christian Coalition of America, has called for the assassination of Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez.

On his popular talk show, The 700 Club broadcast on the Christian Broadcasting Network, Robertson said on Monday that Chávez had destroyed the Venezuelan economy and made his country a "launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent". Ninety-eight percent of all Venezuelans are Roman Catholic or Protestant.

Relating to the latest allegations from Chávez that the U.S. is planning to assassinate him, which the U.S. government denies, Robertson said: "You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it."

He added that he did not believe Venezuela would stop exporting oil if that were to happen as Chávez suggested. He again called Chávez a "terrific danger" to the U.S. with the potential to hurt the country "very bad[ly]" and concluded: "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

A spokeswoman for Robertson, Angell Watts, said to the Associated Press that he would not give interviews on Tuesday and had no statement elaborating on his remarks. However, he later issued an apology.

In response, Venezuela's Vice President José Vicente Rangel accused Robertson of making terrorist threats:  "It's the height of hypocrisy for the U.S. to continue talking about the war against terrorism when at the same time you have someone making obvious terrorist declarations in the heart of the country."

The U.S. State Department called the remarks "inappropriate" and insisted that they do not reflect official policy and that the U.S. is not now, nor ever was, planning to take "hostile actions" against Venezuela.

Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, reacted to Robertson's remarks: "It's absolutely chilling to hear a religious leader call for the murder of any political leader, no matter how much he disagrees with such a leader's policies or practices."

In an effort to distance themselves from Robertson's statements, many evangelical Christians have publicly condemned his speech. "This kind of statement, by this well known American Christian leader, is in complete contradiction to the teachings of Jesus Christ who evangelical Christians believe and seek to demonstrate," said Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Director of the World Evangelical Alliance. "Robertson does not speak for evangelical Christians. We believe in justice and the protection of human rights of all people, including the life of President Chavez."

Robertson is considered to have staunch conservative views. His unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for president in 1988 led to allegations of partisanship. According to White House press secretary Scott McClellan, Robertson met with President George W. Bush in November 2002 to discuss the Invasion of Iraq. He considers himself to be a supporter of Bush. Today he remains a controversial public figure.

Hugo Chávez has led oil-rich Venezuela into an anti-US, pro-Cuba policy, and called for seizing assets of wealthy families in an attempt to convert his nation from capitalism to socialism.  He has also worked against regional trade pacts led by the US.  These actions have alarmed some in the US, such as Robertson, as well as many in his own country.  His policies are against the interests of powerful families in Venezuela, so he may be a target of local assassins.

A similar call from a religious leader for assassination came from the now deceased Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran in 1989 against British ex-Muslim writer Salman Rushdie over the content of his book, The Satanic Verses. Iran also offered a multi-million dollar reward to anyone who carries out the killing.

US televangelist Pat Robertson apologizes for assassination remark, August 25, 2005


Pastor evangélico Pat Robertson exige el asesinato de Hugo Chávez

El líder religioso evangélico Pat Robertson solicitó que Estados Unidos asesinara al presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez durante una alocución televisada de su programa El Club 700.

"Si él cree que nosotros estamos tratando de matarlo, entonces yo creo que deberíamos continuar con este plan y hacerlo", dijo Robertson en una alocución al aire emitida este lunes desde las oficinas principales de la Christian Broadcasting Network, propiedad de Robertson, en Virginia.

El predicador se lamentó de que los Estados Unidos hubieran fracasado en su intento de remover al "dictador" durante el intento de golpe de estado en abril de 2002. Desde entonces, afirmó Robertson, "Chávez ha destruido la economía venezolana y esta convirtiendo al país en una plataforma de lanzamiento del comunismo y el extremismo islámico. Además, eliminar a Chávez sería mas económico que empezar un guerra. Tenemos la capacidad de sacarlo, y creo que ha llegado el tiempo de ejercer dicha capacidad. No se necesita otra guerra de 200 mil millones de dólares para deshacerse de un dictador de mano dura. Es muchísimo mas fácil hacer el trabajo mediante operativos cubiertos"

La Casa Blanca se distanció de las declaraciones del religioso sin condenarlas al calificarlas de inapropiadas y referirse a ellas como la opinión de un ciudadano común y corriente que no reflejan la política del gobierno.

Venezuela por su parte ha calificado los comentarios de "terrorismo televisivo" y un crimen ya que se trata de una declaración que incita al asesinato de una persona y ha demandado de los Estados Unidos que tome acción legal al respecto.

Pat Robertson es el predicador evangelista más famoso e influyente de Estados Unidos después de Billy Graham, más aun cuando, recientemente, Graham se retiró de la actividad pública y delegó en su hijo. Robertson, considerado de extrema derecha en los círculos políticos estadounidenses, mantiene estrechas relaciones con la familia Bush, tanto con el ex presidente George Bush como con el actual presidente estadounidense, George W. Bush. Tiene, asimismo, amplios contactos en los círculos dirigentes políticos y económicos del país, después de que fuera candidato a la presidencia de su país en 1988.


Remembering Srebrenice massacre

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Srebrenica today to remember the massacre of over 8,000 Muslims, mostly men and boys, which happened on 11th July 1995. This is considered the worst atrocity in Europe since the end of World War II.

610 victims of the massacres were  buried today after their bodies were recovered from multiple mass graves. 1,300 bodies have been identified with DNA testing but 4,500 body bags of human remain still need to be identified

Serbian president Boris Tadic attended the memorial and paid his tribute to the victims by bowing before their coffins. Tadic's attendance caused outrage among Serbian hardliners but has been applauded by the international community.

French, Dutch and UK ministers were also present, as well as former US Balkan envoy Richard Holbrook.
UK foreign secretary Jack Straw apologized on behalf of the world community stating that it is "the shame of the international community that this evil took place under our noses and we did nothing about it". He also called it "sickening" that Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic, the men accused of overseeing the massacre, have not yet been captured and brought to justice.

Security was tight after two bombs were found in the area last week. More than 1,500 policemen are patrolling the area.


Des milliers de personnes commémorent le massacre de 1995 à Srebrenica

Environ 50 000 personnes étaient rassemblés lundi sur site du massacre de Srebrenica, le plus grand en Europe depuis la Seconde Guerre Mondiale. Les troupes serbes avaient executé 8 000 hommes et garçons musulmans à Srebrenica, le 11 juillet 1995.

Des centaines de bus avaient été affrétés pour faire face à l'affluence exceptionnelle. En plus des chants bosniaques et de plusieurs discours, 610 corps découverts dernièrement ont été enterrés. La sécurité avait été renforcé après la découverte la semaine dernière de deux bombes, d'autant plus que la France, la Grande-Bretagne et les Pays-Bas avaient dépêché des ministres sur place.

Cet anniversaire aura été l'occasion pour le président serbe, Boris Tadic de se rendre sur le site pour condamner la tuerie commise par son pays dix ans plus tôt, et ce malgré le large soutien populaire dont bénéficient encore les responsables en fuite, Ratko Mladić et Radovan Karadžić.

L'événement a pourtant été boycotté par le procureur du Tribunal pénal international (TPI) Carla del Ponte, qui estime que « C'est (...) une honte que les deux principaux responsables du massacre de Srebrenica ne soient pas encore traduits devant la justice ».


Renegade General's forces claim responsibility for aerial attacks on Tripoli

Air forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar attacked positions in Tripoli, Libya controlled by a faction of the Islamist-leaning militia known as Operation Dawn for the second time within a week yesterday, members of his group said.

Operation Dawn is comprised of fighters, mostly from Misrata, who have been fighting a militia group from Zintan. The two groups, former  allies during the 2011 Libyan Civil War, have battled this year over parts of Tripoli, with fighting reportedly centered around the airport for several weeks now.

Yesterday's attack follows a similar one reported to have occurred on the night of August 17–18, arousing speculation as to the origin of the planes. Countries including Egypt, France, and the United States have denied any involvement in either attack, with the Libyan Government opening an investigation into the source.

After the attack on Monday, a spokesman for the militia group said they were not abandoning their positions and that militia fighters from other areas were joining their forces from Mosrata. A political adviser of General Haftar's forces, speaking to Sky News, said, "Escalation by the militias in Tripoli will be met with escalation from our side until we restore security and stability to the country". The forces are reported to have also attacked militias in Benghazi.

General Haftar threw his weight behind the forces from Zintan in May, with the central Government losing control of much of the country, now working from Tobruk away from the fighting. With no national army, they are forced to rely on militia groups, who, while paid by the state, and wearing uniforms, are reported by Reuters to answer to their own commanders and towns.


Líbia: Forças de Renegado General assumem a responsabilidade por ataques aéreos sobre Trípoli

A força aérea leais ao Khalifa Haftar atacaram posições em Trípoli (capital da Líbia), controlada por uma facção da milícia de tendência islâmica conhecida como Operação Aurora, pela segunda vez em uma semana ontem, disseram membros de seu grupo.

Operação Aurora é composta por combatentes, principalmente a partir de Misrata, que têm vindo a lutar contra grupo da milícia de Zintan. Os dois grupos, antigos aliados durante a Guerra Civil da Líbia em 2011, lutaram este ano sobre partes de Trípoli, com combates reportado centrado em torno do aeroporto há várias semanas.

O ataque de ontem segue um similar relatado que havia ocorrido na noite de 17-18 de agosto, despertando especulações quanto à origem dos aviões. Países como Egito, França e Estados Unidos negaram qualquer envolvimento em qualquer ataque, com o governo líbio abriu a investigação sobre a fonte.

Após o ataque na segunda-feira, um porta-voz da milícia disse que eles não estavam abandonando suas posições e que os milicianos de outras áreas foram juntando suas forças de Misrata. Um conselheiro político das forças do general Haftar, falando para Sky News, disse: "Agravado pelas milícias em Trípoli serão atendidas com a escalada do nosso lado até que restaurar a segurança e estabilidade ao país.". As forças eram relatadas também atacaram milícias em Benghazi.

General Haftar jogou seu peso por trás das forças de Zintan em maio, com o Governo Central perdendo o controle de grande parte do país, agora a trabalhar a partir de Tobruk agora longe da luta. Sem exército nacional, eles são forçados a depender de grupos de milícias, que, embora pagos pelo Estado, e uniformes que vestem, são relatados por Reuters por responder aos seus próprios comandantes e cidades.


Renewed factional violence in Gaza; interior minister resigns

A ceasefire between armed factions of the Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas broke down hours after it came into effect, prompting the Interior Minister Hani Qawasmi to offer his resignation.

Hamas and Fatah officials said Sunday that the cease-fire would begin at 1:00 a.m. local time. The ceasefire between their armed factions was mediated by Egypt, but it did not last until sunrise.

A unity government including both groups was formed in February.

Violence in the Gaza strip has claimed the lives of seven people in two days.

Qawasmi had offered to resign on earlier occasions, and this time it was accepted by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.


El ministre d'Interior palestí deixa el càrrec per la violència a Gaza

Les topades entre Hamàs i al-Fatah han reprès avui al matí a Gaza i han fet dos morts i una desena de ferits: d'aquesta manera s'ha trencat l'alto-el-foc a què havien arribat ambdues formacions avui a la matinada, mercès a la mediació d'una delegació de les forces de seguretat d'Egipte. La violència entre milicians palestins ja té la primera víctima política: el ministre de l'Interior, Hani Kawasmeh, que ha presentat la dimissió al primer ministre Ismail Haniya (Hamàs).

Ha estat l'esclat de violència més important d'ençà de la formació d'un govern d'unitat nacional, el mes de març passat. De fet, segons fonts d'al-Fatah citades per la cadena al-Jazira, si les topades amb Hamàs no s'aturen el govern d'unitat es podria trencar. Avui mateix el primer ministre, Ismail Haniya, ha acceptat la dimissió del ministre de l'Interior, Hani Kawasmeh, per la manca de seguretat a Gaza.

L'acord d'alto-el-foc d'ahir s'esdevenia després d'un diumenge en què les topades entre tots dos grups van fer no pas menys de cinc morts i una quinzena de ferits i especificava que tant Hamàs com al-Fatah havien de retirar els seus milicians dels carrers i alliberar els presoners: catorze per part d'al-Fatah i sis per part d'Hamàs.


Report claims UK might withdraw from Iraq as early as October

The Sunday Times cites unnamed U.K. government sources saying that Britain's troops could leave Basra  as early as October. This alleged scenario would allow Gordon Brown to announce a troop withdrawal in a statement at the time MPs return to Parliament.

The speculations have sparked criticism from U.S. military commentators this weekend. General Jack Keane said the withdrawal had "much more to do with conditions in the U.K." than with the situation in Iraq. Frederick Kagan, of the American Enterprise Institute, said the expected withdrawal "highlights the growing divergence between the British and American approach."

Just yesterday, former General Sir Mike Jackson called Donald Rumsfeld's approach to the U.S. presence in Iraq "intellectually bankrupt".

An official statement from the British Ministry of Defence said that decisions about the number of troops in the Southern Iraqi province would take into account the position of the Iraqi and U.S. government. The Ministry said that even after "a competent Iraqi security force" will have replaced them, some troops could still remain in Basra. Until now, Gordon Brown has consistently refused to set a time table for a pull-back.


El Reino Unido podría retirar tropas de Iraq para octubre

El Sunday Times citó fuentes del gobierno del Reino Unido diciendo que las tropa de Gran Bretaña podrían retirarse de Basra en octubre.

Este escenario alegado permitiría a Gordon Brown anunciar el retiro de tropas en una declaración para cuando los MPs vuelvan al Parlamento.

Estas especulaciones han encendido las críticas de comentores militares de Estados Unidos. El General Jack Kean dice que la retirada tiene que ver "mucho más con las condiciones en el Reino Unido" que con la situación en Iraq. Frederick Kagan, del American Enterprise Institute, dijo que la retirada "resalta la creciente divergencia entre el enfoque británico y americano".

En una declaración oficial del Ministerio de Defensa británico se dijo que la decisión sobre la cantidad de tropas en la provincia sureña de Iraq tendría en cuenta la posición de los gobiernos de Iraq y Estados Unidos. El ministerio dijo que aunque "una fuerza de segurida iraquí competente" ya las habrá reemplazado, alguna tropas podrían quedarse en Basra sin embargo.

Hasta el momento, Gordon Brown se ha negado a hacer un calendario para retirar las tropas de Iraq.


Report: Annan failed to fix Oil for Food program

After a year-long investigation, a committee has found that Kofi Annan, head of the United Nations, failed to halt corruption in the Oil for Food program, which was supposed to provide food to impoverished Iraqi citizens.

According to Paul Volcker, head of the Independent Inquiry Committee,  "Our assignment has been to look for mis-or mal-administration in the oil-for-food program and for evidence of corruption within the UN organization and by contractors. Unhappily, we found both."

The report emphasized that Annan knowingly allowed Saddam Hussein to continue making huge unethical profits off of the program.

While Annan acknowledged that there was blame to pass around, he stated that "None of us -- member states, Secretariat, agencies, funds and programs -- can be proud of what it has found." Annan also says that he was at least partly at fault for the corruption; "The report is critical of me personally, and I accept its criticism."

On a lighter note, while the report is critical of Annan, it also says that the Oil for Food program did help get food to many Iraqis.


Informe concluye que secretario-general de las Naciones Unidas falló con programa

Después de un año de investigación, la Comisión de Investigación Independiente de las Naciones Unidas concluyó que Kofi Annan, el dirigente de las Naciones Unidas, no consiguió parar la corrupción en el Programa Petróleo por alimentos, creado para suministrar comida a ciudadanos iraquíes empobrecidos. A pesar de considerar que el programa consiguió alcanzar sus objetivos mínimos de ayuda a los iraquíes, la Comisión encontró fallos e indicios graves de corrupción.

Según Paul Volcker, el jefe de la Comisión: "Nuestro nombramiento fue hecho para buscar mala o incompetente administración en el Programa Petróleo por alimentos y evidencias de corrupción dentro de la organización de las Naciones Unidas y en los contratantes. Infelizmente, encontramos las dos cosas."

El informe enfatizó que Kofi Annan aún sabiendo permitió que Sadam Hussein continuara a obtener de forma anti-ética enormes logros con el programa.

Aunque Annan haya responsabilizado otras personas por la mala conducción del programa, él también admitió la propia culpa: "el informe es crítico de mí personalmente, y acepto su crítica." El secretario-general también dijo: "Ninguno de nosotros: los estados miembros, el secretariado, las agencias, los fondos y los programas, pueden estar orgullosos de lo que fue encontrado."


Comissão libera relatório sobre corrupção praticada em programa das Nações Unidas

A  Comissão de Investigação Independente das Nações Unidas dirigida por Paul Volcker, tornou pública nesta quarta-feira (7) um relatório sobre as atividades das Nações Unidas durante a vigência do Programa Petróleo-por-alimentos. O relatório,  apontou para a necessidade de reformas urgentes nas Nações Unidas e culpou o secretário-geral e o Conselho de Segurança pelos erros que permitiram a Saddam Hussein lucrar de forma irregular.

O programa Petróleo-por-alimentos (ou Petróleo-por-comida) foi um programa de ajuda humanitária ao Iraque que funcionou entre  1996 e 2003 e permitia que o governo de Saddam Hussein vendesse petróleo em troca de provisões de caráter humanitário para os iraquianos. Há provas de que o programa foi usado por Saddam   para ganhar bilhões de dólares de forma irregular. Supostamente Saddam subornou jornalistas, políticos, autoridades de governos estrangeiros e das Nações Unidas para trabalhar a favor de seu governo e defender o fim das sanções ao Iraque.

O relatório tornado público quarta-feira e que, segundo a Fox News, foi considerado "embaraçante" pelo secretário-geral Kofi Annan, diz que:

1. Apesar de o programa [Petróleo-por-alimentos] ter sido bem concebido em seus princípios, o Conselho de Segurança falhou ao definir  de modo claro os parâmetros práticos, políticas e responsabilidades administrativas. Muito da iniciativa foi deixado para o regime do Iraque no projeto do programa e subseqüente implementação.

2. A estrutura administrativa e as práticas do pessoal da Organização – certamente dentro do Secretariado –  simplesmente não se encaixam  nos verdadeiros e extraordinários desafios apresentados pelo Programa Petróleo-por-Alimentos, ou até mesmo programas de menor alcance. Os relatórios do Comitê revelaram sérios casos de comportamento ilícito, antiético e corrupto dentro das Nações Unidas, todavia, as grandes dificuldades administrativas   não foram as únicas, ou até mesmo principais, relacionadas a malfeitoria pessoal. Como ficará evidente no próximo relatório do Comitê e no relatório final, toda corrupção dentro do Programa teve lugar entre companhias privadas, manipuladas pelo governo de Saddam Hussein.

3. A mais notável entre as falhas estruturais das Nações Unidas é a dolorosa  ausência de uma auditoria efetiva e controles de gerenciamento.

(...)A conclusão inevitável do trabalho do Comitê é que a Organização das  Nações Unidas precisam passar por uma reforma – e ela precisa ser feita urgentemente.

O relatório afirma que entre 1997 e 2003 Saddam Hussein de maneira ilícita ganhou pelo menos 1,8 bilhões através da manipulação do programa e 10,99 bilhões de dólares com o contrabando do petróleo:

Milhares de transportes e caminhões levaram mercadorias contrabandeadas — em ambas as direções através da fronteira  iraquiana — com limitada,  se é que houve,  algum tipo  de inspeção ou superintendência pelas Nações Unidas (...) O valor de petróleo contrabandeado por fora do Programa  previsto pelo Comitê  é em torno de  10.99 bilhões de USD ...

A conclusão do comitê é que Saddam foi favorecido por uma má fiscalização e controle do programa. Segundo o relatório, o Conselho de Segurança  encontrou dificuldades na definição dos propósitos,  políticas e controle administrativo. O relatório alega que a "estrutura pessoal e administrativa não foi  adequada",  que houve "falta de mecanismos de controle"  evidenciados pela corrupção e "falta de coordenação entre as agências".

O relatório pede para que seja feita uma reforma urgente nas Nações Unidas e culpa tanto a Secretariado-Geral quanto o Conselho de Segurança:

Com respeito ao Programa no conjunto, a conclusão central do Comitê é que as Nações Unidas necessitam liderança executiva mais forte, reforma administrativa eficaz, e controles mais fiáveis e auditoria. Contudo, a responsabilidade para o que deu errado com o Programa não pode ser posta exclusivamente na porta da Secretaria. Os membros do Conselho de Segurança e o seu Comitê 661  devem arcar com a sua porção de culpa ao fornecer uma  direção obsoleta  e vacilante na implementação do Programa.

A Comissão de Investigação Independente foi criada em abril de 2004 a pedido do Secretário-Geral das Nações Unidas Kofi Annan para investigar o Programa Petróleo-por-comida de assistência ao Iraque. Embora tenha sido criada a pedido das Nações Unidas,  a comissão é uma organização  independente.

A Comissão é presidida por Paul Volcker, ex-Presidente do Banco Central dos EUA. Dela também fazem parte:  o suíço Mark Pieth, especialista em lavagem de dinheiro da Organização para a Cooperação Econômica e Desenvolvimento (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development  - OECD);  e Richard Goldstone da África do Sul, ex-promotor dos  Tribunais Internacionais Criminais para a  ex-Iugoslávia e Rwanda.


Reports: Leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq killed

Reports say that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been killed by Sunni tribesmen in an area just north of Baghdad called Taji during a battle between tribesmen and al-Qaeda militants. Other reports say that he was killed in al-Nibayi, near a bridge where fighting was taking place.

"Preliminary reports said he was killed yesterday in Taji area in a battle involving a couple of insurgent groups, possibly some tribal people who have problems with al-Qaeda. We too have security and intelligence reports that Abu Ayyub al-Masri was killed as a result of fighting between insurgents and al Qaeda yesterday near Taji. These reports have to be confirmed," said Barham Sale, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister.

However; despite the reports, the Islamic State of Iraq denied that al-Masri was dead posting a message on a militant website saying, "The Islamic State of Iraq reassures the Ummah on the safety of Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, may God protect him, and that he is still fighting the enemies of God."

According to Ali al-Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokeman, DNA tests will be performed on the alleged remains.

"We will make an official announcement when we confirm that this person is Abu Ayyub al-Masri. DNA tests should be done and we have to bring someone to identify the body. The Iraqi government will work to identify him," said al-Dabbagh.

However; the United States military has not yet confirmed the reports.

"We are in discussions with the Iraqis over how they obtained this intelligence. If we do have a body, we are going to conduct DNA tests, and that will take several days. If there is no body, that makes it harder. Obviously I hope it's true. We want to be very careful before we confirm or deny anything like that," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq.

Iraqi and U.S. military forces were not involved in the battle.


Ucciso Al Masri, capo di Al Qaida in Iraq

Il leader di Al Qaida in Iraq e successore di Al Zarqawi, Al Masri, è stato ucciso in un conflitto a fuoco interno alle milizie terroristiche.

La notizia è stata data dal ministero dell'interno iracheno, il quale ha precisato che le fonti dell'intelligence sono credibili, provenendo dalla zona dove vi sarebbe stato il conflitto a fuoco fra gli estremisti, ma il cadavere di Al Masri non è stato ancora visto. Inoltre, le forze armate irachene non avrebbero avuto alcun coinvolgimento nella vicenda.


Reports: US to label Iran's Revolutionary Guard as 'terrorist organization'

The United States will be labeling Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a "specially designated global terrorist" organization according to U.S. White House officials.

According to reports, U.S. President George W. Bush will label the group under Executive Order 13224 which "provides a means by which to disrupt the financial support network for terrorists and terrorist organizations by authorizing the U.S. government to designate and block the assets of foreign individuals and entities that commit, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism."

"Anyone doing business with these people will have to re-evaluate their actions immediately. It increases the risks of people who have until now ignored the growing list of sanctions against the Iranians. It makes clear to everyone who the IRGC and their related businesses really are. It removes the excuses for doing business with these people," said an unnamed U.S. official.

U.S. officials say that Iran's growing involvement in terrorist acts in Afghanistan, Iraq and their support for Middle Eastern Muslim extremists are some of several reasons officials are considering the move. It is reported that Iran's continuing involvement in nuclear activities is another cause for the addition.

If the U.S. labels Iran's military as a terrorist organization, it would be the first time that any country has added an armed forces unit of any sovereign government to its list of terrorist groups. Iran has been on the U.S. list of state sponsored terrorism since 1984.

Iran continues to deny that their nuclear program is being used to build nuclear bombs, saying that their program is for "peaceful purposes."

"This kind of news is within the propaganda and psychological activities of the US statesmen against the Islamic Republic of Iran and it is professionally worthless," said an unnamed Iranian official.

Iran's Revolutionary guard controls the air force, navy and ground forces and was created in 1979.


Les États-Unis placent les Gardiens de la Révolution iraniens comme organisation terroriste

Les États-Unis d'Amérique ont classé les Gardiens de la Révolution islamique d'Iran comme une « organisation terroriste à visées spécifiquement globales » selon les autorités de la Maison Blanche.
Selon certaines informations, le Président américain, George W. Bush, a catalogué la formation sous le régime de l'« Executive Order 13224 » qui « fournit les moyens par lesquels peuvent être interrompus les supports financiers pour les terroristes et les organisations terroristes en autorisant le gouvernement américain à désigner et bloquer les avoirs des individualités et entités étrangères qui commettent, ou sont significativement susceptibles de commettre, des actes de terrorisme ».
« Toute personne effectuant des transactions avec ces gens auront à réévaluer leurs actions immédiatement. Cela accroît les risques pour les personnes ayant jusqu'à présent ignoré la liste croissante des sanctions contre les Iraniens. Cela clarifie les choses pour tous ceux liés à cette organisation. Cela ôte toute excuse pour ceux qui font des affaires avec ces gens », a indiqué un officiel anonyme.
Les autorités américaines ont indiqué que l'implication croissante de l'Iran dans les actes terroristes en Afghanistan, en Irak et leur soutien aux extrémistes musulmans au Moyen-Orient sont quelques unes des raisons officielles ayant causé cette classification. On a aussi indiqué que le fait que l'Iran continue ses activités nucléaires en est aussi une cause.
Si les États-Unis qualifient l'organisation militaire iranienne comme organisation terroriste, ce sera la première fois qu'un pays ajoutera des forces armées d'un pays souverain à sa liste de groupes terroristes. L'Iran est sur la liste américaine des états soutenant le terrorisme depuis 1984.
L'Iran continue à nier que son problème nucléaire vise à obtenir la bombe nucléaire, mais à des « visées pacifiques ».
Les Gardiens de la Révolution, créés en 1979, contrôlent l'armée de l'air, la marine et l'armée de terre.


Republican Senator from Georgia wins run-off election

2008 United States presidential election

United States Republican incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss won reelection over Democrat Jim Martin in the state of Georgia in a run-off election on Tuesday, taking 57.5% of the popular vote to Martin's 42.5%. The run-off occurred because neither Martin nor Chambliss received a majority in the general election in November.

"People all around the world truly had their eyes on Georgia, and you have delivered tonight a strong message to the world that conservative Georgian values matter," Saxby Chambliss said in his victory speech. "Now comes the hard work."

"Tonight, the voters of Georgia have spoken," Jim Martin said in his concession speech. "I accept the decision that has been made."

The election was widely watched because a win by Martin would have been crucial for the Democrats to achieve a supermajority in the Senate allowing them to terminate filibusters. Under the rules of the United States Senate, senators can prolong debate indefinitely unless 60 out of the 100 senators vote to close the matter.

Without Martin, the Democrats will have 59 or 58 senators. The exact number depends upon an ongoing recount in Minnesota between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken.

In the past, filibusters have frequently involved coalitions of senators, and votes to stop filibusters have rarely been precisely along party lines.

The contest between Martin and Chambliss featured heavy involvement by major politicians and celebrities. Former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin campaigned for Chambliss, while former President Bill Clinton and the rapper Ludacris campaigned for Martin.


Le sénateur républicain Saxby Chambliss réélu

Le sénateur républicain sortant Saxby Chambliss a battu le démocrate Jim Martin dans l'état de Géorgie lors d'une nouvelle élection mardi, avec 57,5% du vote populaire contre 42,5% à Martin. Cette nouvelle votation a été nécessaire car ni Martin ni Chambliss n'avait la majorité lors des élections générales de novembre.

Cette victoire prive le Parti démocrate d'une chance d'obtenir une "super majorité" de 60 sièges au Sénat, ce qui lui aurait permis de voter des lois sans craindre de manœuvres dilatoires des républicains.

Sans Martin, les démocrates auront 59 or 58 sénateurs. Le nombre exact dépend d'un recomptage toujours en cours dans le Minnesota entre le sortant républicain Norm Coleman et le challenger démocrate Al Franken.

La bataille entre Martin et Chambliss a mobilisé politiciens et célébrités. L'ancienne candidate à la vice-résidence Sarah Palin a fait campagne pour Chambliss, alors que l'ancien président Bill Clinton a soutenu Martin.


Residents of Gaza enter Egypt after destruction of border wall

Thousands of Palestinians entered the Egyptian territory from the Gaza Strip, after the border wall at the Rafah passage was destroyed. Palestinians say that this was to  allow them to get food and fuel.

The Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak announced that his government allowed residents of Gaza to enter Egypt, on the condition that it is peaceful and temporary.

Witnesses reported that a large amount of the wall was destroyed by masked activists with explosives in the early hours of Wednesday, allowing overcrowded trucks of thousands of Palestinians , in the presence of about 2,000 Egyptian soldiers, to cross the border.

On Tuesday during the UN Security Council meeting, a delegation of Palestinians accused Israel of promoting violence in the area, while Israelis responded by saying that the measures were designed to protect themselves from missile attacks being launched from Gaza.

Although Israel reduced the restrictions of the blockade, they warned that the restrictions could be reinstated if the missile attacks persist.

Representatives from both Europe and America demanded the lifting of the blockade and the commitment of both sides to work towards an end to the conflict.


350.000 palestinos huyen a Egipto

23 de enero de 2008El Cairo, Egipto — Miles de palestinos accedieron al territorio egipcio procedentes de la Franja de Gaza, a través de parte del muro fronterizo que fue derribado en el paso de Rafah, para abastecer a la población de alimentos, combustible y suministros tras el reinicio del bloqueo israelí.

El presidente egipcio Hosni Mubarak anunció que el ingreso masivo fue autorizado por su gobierno, siempre y cuando este se produzca en forma pacífica y temporal, pues informó que sus fuerzas de seguridad siempre han acompañado a la población palestina en este proceso.

Testigos informaron que al menos unos 200 metros del muro fronterizo levantado por Israel en el 2004, fueron derribados por activistas enmascarados con explosivos durante la madrugada del miércoles, permitiendo el paso masivo en camiones abarrotados de miles de palestinos, en presencia de cerca de 2.000 soldados egipcios, quienes permanecieron atentos a la situación sin intervenir.

El martes durante el Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas delegados palestinos acusaron a Israel de promover la violencia en la zona, mientras que los israelíes respondieron que las medidas tomadas tienden a protegerse de los ataques con misiles procedentes de Gaza. Aunque Israel levantó el bloqueo, advirtió que este podría repetirse si los ataques persisten. Representantes europeos y americanos exigieron el levantamiento definitivo del bloqueo y el compromiso de ambas partes de dar fin al conflicto.


Des milliers de Palestiniens ont pénétré en Égypte

Des milliers de Palestiniens sont entrés sur le territoire égyptien à partir de la Bande de Gaza, par une brèche du mur frontière érigé sur la passage de Rafah, pour permettre un réapprovisionnement de la population en aliments, carburant et provisions avant la remise en place du blocus israélien.
Le président égyptien Hosni Moubarak a annoncé que cet afflux massif a été autorisé par son gouvernement, dans la mesure où celui-ci se fait de manière pacifique et temporaire, puis a indiqué que ses forces de sécurité avait toujours accompagné la population palestinienne dans ce mouvement.

Des témoins ont indiqué qu'au moins 200 mètres du mur frontière construit par Israël en 2004, ont été détruits à l'explosif par des activistes masqués à l'aube de mercredi, permettant le passage en nombre de camions transportant des milliers de Palestiniens, sous le regard de près de 2000 soldats égyptiens, qui sont restés sans intervenir.
Mardi, devant le Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies, les délégués palestiniens ont accusé Israël de susciter la violence dans la zone, accusation à laquelle les Israéliens ont répondu qu'il s'agissait de mesures prises pour se protéger des attaques de roquettes provenant de Gaza. Bien que l'État d'Israël ait levé le blocage, il a également averti qu'il pourrait y recourir de nouveau si les attaques persistaient. Les représentants européens et américains ont exigé la levée définitive du blocus et un accord entre les deux parties pour mettre fin au conflit.


Residentes de Gaza invadem o Egito

Milhares de palestinos entraram no território Egípcio após a parede da fronteira na passagem de Rafah foi destruída. Os Palestinos dizem que este ato foi por5 causa da necessidade para obter alimentos e combustível.

O presidente egípcio Hosni Mubarak anunciou que o seu governo permitiu que os residentes de Gaza entrarem no Egipto, com a condição de que a entrada seja pacífica e temporária.

Testemunhas relataram que uma grande quantidade do muro foi destruído por ativistas mascarados com explosivos na madrugada de quarta-feira, permitindo que caminhões superlotadas com milhares de palestinos, com a presença de cerca de 2000 soldados egípcios, a passagem da fronteira.

Na terça-feira durante a reunião do Conselho de Segurança da ONU, uma delegação de palestinos acusou Israel de promover a violência na região, enquanto que Israel disse que as medidas foram concebidas para proteger-se Ataques de mísseis sendo lançados a partir de Gaza.

Embora que Israel reduziu as restrições do bloqueio, que alertou que as restrições poderão ser reintegrado se os ataques com mísseis persistirem.

Representantes de ambos os governos da Europa e América exigiram o levantamento do bloqueio e do empenho de ambas as partes a trabalhar no sentido de pôr fim ao conflito.


Results of 2005 German federal election

The alliance consisting of chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens has lost its majority. And while Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) got the most votes it performed much worse than projected and the SPD is only three seats behind thanks to several overhang seats. But that could change slightly, when the outstanding by-election in Dresden is over. So who will govern the country for the next four years is completely uncertain. Both Schröder and Merkel reaffirmed their ambitions for the office of chancellor. But neither the CDU and the Free Democrats (FDP) nor SPD and the Greens have a majority of seats in the Bundestag. A grand coalition between the CDU and the SPD now seems to be the likely option for a future government. But also a SPD-Greens-FDP or a CDU-Greens-FDP coalition seems possible. However FDP chair Guido Westerwelle said this party would not be available for a coalition with the SPD. The Left also doesn't want to form a coalition with any of the parties in Bundestag. They, along with the Free Democrats, are the only real winners of this election. After The Left only had 2 MPs in the last Bundestag, they are now stronger than ever before, getting 54 seats. The Free Democrats also scored one of their best results in their history, gaining 3% and getting 61 seats, which makes them the third biggest party in the Bundestag.

About 61,9 million citizens were eligible to participate in this early election to the 16th German Bundestag. It became necessary because chancellor Schröder deliberately lost a motion of confidence on July 1st. 3648 candidates are competing for the 598 seats (more in case of overhang seats) in the Bundestag. The voters in the constituency of Dresden I are not participating in today's election, the death of a candidate there forced a delayed by-election for the 2nd of October.The all dominating topics of the election campaign were unemployment and the state of the German economy. Other hot issues include a taxation reform and changes to the health insurance system. The race was wide open till the end. Contrary to tradition, all parties concluded their campaigns on Saturday rather than Friday.

All parties say the possible coalitions exclude the Left, who might support the minority government of SPD-Greens. The Grand coalition (CDU/SPD) is possible only with Schroeder in power according to Schroeder, and only with Merkel in power according to Merkel.

The traffic light coalition (SPD-Green-FDP) is excluded by FDP. CDU is likely to try to lure the Greens into coalition, the only option that was not excluded. Also possible are the minority governments. It is still not clear who will be the new leader, and both CDU and SPD claim the right to appoint new chancellor. Although the leftists won, it is possible that conservatives will form government if Greens are willing.

Participation: 77.7%


Ergebnisse der Bundestagswahl 2005

Berlin (Deutschland), 18.09.2005 – Heute waren 62 Millionen Bundesbürger zur Abgabe ihrer Stimme bei der Wahl zum 16. Deutschen Bundestag aufgerufen. Mindestens 598 Bundestagsmandate sind zu vergeben. Die Wahllokale waren von 08:00 bis 18:00 Uhr geöffnet. Die um ein Jahr vorgezogene Wahl kam zustande, nachdem Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder die Vertrauensfrage verloren hatte. Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hatte Klagen zweier Abgeordneter abgewiesen, die das Verfahren als nicht verfassungskonform angesehen hatten.

Im Wahlkreis Dresden I wird erst am 2. Oktober gewählt, da eine Kandidatin der NPD verstarb. Erst wenn die 220.000 Wahlberechtigten die Möglichkeit einer Stimmabgabe gehabt haben, kann das amtliche Ergebnis veröffentlicht werden. Bis dahin werden den Hochrechnungen nur die Ergebnisse der anderen 298 Wahlkreise zugrunde gelegt.

Wie der Bundeswahlleiter mitteilte, lag die Wahlbeteiligung im Zeitraum von 8:00 bis 14:00 Uhr bei 41,9 Prozent. Hierbei ist die Zahl der abgegebenen Stimmen per Briefwahl noch nicht berücksichtigt. Bei der Bundestagswahl 2002 hatten zu diesem Zeitpunkt 42,8 Prozent der Wahlberechtigten ihre Stimme abgegeben.

Am Ende des Wahlabends (Stand: 00:35 Uhr) gab der Bundeswahlleiter eine Wahlbeteiligung von 77,7 Prozent der Wahlberechtigten bekannt. Das entspricht einer absoluten Zahl von 47.879.927 Wählern.

Kanzlerkandidatin Angela Merkel sowie CSU-Vorsitzender Edmund Stoiber sprachen von einer Abwahl von Rot-Grün und einem Regierungsauftrag der Wähler für die Union.

In einem Interview sprach Angela Merkel von der Möglichkeit einer großen Koalition unter einer Kanzlerin Merkel.

Angela Merkel will Gespräche mit allen Parteien aufnehmen, außer mit der Linkspartei. Laut ihren Aussagen schließt sie, bis auf eine Koalition mit der Linkspartei, keine Kombination aus.
Sie geht davon aus, dass Guido Westerwelle auf keinen Fall mit der SPD als Koalitionspartner liebäugelt.

Stoiber sagte, die Union benötige entweder die SPD oder die Grünen um eine Regierung zu bilden.

Der SPD-Vorsitzende Franz Müntefering und Brandenburgs Ministerpräsident Matthias Platzeck (SPD) schlossen eine Koalition mit Beteiligung der Linkspartei aus. Müntefering sprach von einem Riesenerfolg für Gerhard Schröder und die SPD.

Schröder zeigte sich in Siegerpose und wurde von einer tobenden Menge zunächst nicht zu Wort gelassen. Zitat von Schröder: „Wir haben etwas erreicht, was viele für völlig unmöglich gehalten haben.“
Schröder sagte, er werde dafür sorgen, dass es in den nächsten vier Jahren eine Regierung unter seiner Führung geben wird. Unter Franz Müntefering wird es Koalitionsgespräche geben, allerdings nicht mit der Linkspartei. Andere Möglichkeiten schloss Schröder nicht aus.

Die FDP feierte eines der besten Wahlergebnisse in der Geschichte der Partei.

Die Freien Demokraten schließen eine so genannte Ampelkoalition (Rot-Gelb-Grün) mit SPD und Grünen aus. Dies bestätigte der Parteivorsitzende Guido Westerwelle am Abend. Wolfgang Gerhard geht davon aus, dass seine Partei in die Opposition gehen wird anstatt in einer Regierung mitzuarbeiten.

Die Grünen wollen nur eine Fortsetzung der Koalition mit den Sozialdemokraten. Bundesaußenminister Joschka Fischer sagte, die Grünen seien nun in der Opposition und dass nun die großen Parteien am Zug seien. Rot-Grün habe durch das Wahlergebnis seine Mehrheit verloren, aber Schwarz-Gelb sei gescheitert.

Die Linkspartei, auf deren Listen auch Kandidaten der WASG kandidiert hatten, schloss jegliche Koalition mit anderen Fraktionen aus. Oskar Lafontaine schreibt der Linkspartei den Verdienst zu, die Regierung durch Traditionskoalitionen verhindert zu haben.


Probable formación de una gran coalición en Alemania

Los alemanes votaron este domingo. Angela Merkel, candidata de la coalición CDU/CSU, obtuvo 35,4 % de los votos y por lo tanto es la nueva canciller. Por su parte, su rival Gerhard Schröder, del partido SPD, siguió de cerca con 34,2%, de manera que probablemente se forme una gran coalición para gobernar el país más poblado de la Unión Europea.

El partido satélite de la democracia cristiana, el FDP, de tendencia liberal obtuvo 10 % de la votación, mientras que los verdes, aliados de Schröder, sólo obtuvieron 8,1 % del total de votos. El Linkspartei, partido de izquierda, formado por disidentes del SPD y de neo-comunistas (PDS) obtiene 8,5 % de votos, lo que le permite estar representado en el Bundestag.

El panorama político se complica puesto que para gobernar son pocas las alianzas posibles. El Linkspartei ha anunciado que estará en la oposición, mientras que el FDP ya anunció que no establecerá alianza alguna con el partido de gobierno actual. Otras alianzas más exóticas como la alianza (CDU-Verdes-FDP) tienen pocas probabilidades de surgir.

Por todo esto, se presagia un gobierno de coalición entre los partidos CDU y SPD por lo que es poco probable que se aplique los planes que cada uno tenía por separado. Algunas de las reformas planteadas, si bien tienen el mismo objetivo, son enfocadas por ambos partidos de forma muy diferente (por ejemplo, la política fiscal). Sin embargo, anteriormente este tipo de coalición ha tenido amplio apoyo de la población y ha logrado ser muy eficiente en otros países como por ejemplo Austria, que tuvo gobiernos de coalición social-demócratas y demócratas-cristianos por dos décadas durante las cuales los conflictos sociales se resolvieron de forma negociada. Las negociaciones para la selección de ministros de esta eventual gran coalición deberá ser bastante compleja.


Une grande coalition semble probable en Allemagne

Page actualisée : 18 septembre 2005 — « Une grande coalition semble de plus en plus probable en Allemagne »

Publié le 18 septembre 2005
Les Allemands ont voté ce dimanche. La candidate CDU/CSU, Angela Merkel obtient 35,2 % des voix (et devient de facto chancelière), son rival de la SPD, Gerhard Schröder la talonne de près avec 34,3 %, et ce sera probablement une grande coalition qui gouvernera le pays le plus peuplé de l'Union européenne.

Le satellite des chrétiens-démocrates, les libéraux de la FDP recueillent 9,8 % des voix, alors que les Verts, alliés de M. Schröder ne rassemblent que 8,1 % des suffrages exprimés. Die Linke, alliance formée par la Linkspartei (néo-communiste, PDS) et la WASG (formée de dissidents de la SPD), recueille les voix de 8,7 % des votants, ce qui lui assure largement l'entrée au parlement, le Bundestag.

Seuls quelques types de coalitions sont possibles, et une seule semble réellement viable. La Linkspartei a promis d'aller en opposition, alors qu'aucun parti ne lui fait vraiment confiance. La FDP a de plus affirmé ne pas s'allier avec le gouvernement actuel (pour former une Ampel - coalition aux couleurs d'un feu de circulation : rouge, jaune et vert). D'autres alliances exotiques (CDU-Verts-FDP) sont également improbables.

Un gouvernement de la CDU et la SPD est pourtant redouté par les deux grands partis, qui craignent ne pas pouvoir faire passer leurs réformes, qui, même si elles vont dans le même sens, n'ont souvent pas du tout les mêmes méthodes (sur la politique fiscale par exemple). Pourtant, ce type de coalition qui apporte un large consensus et soutien de la population, s'est montré très efficace dans certains pays, comme l'Autriche où, pendant une vingtaine d'années, sociaux-démocrates et chrétiens-démocrates ont évité les conflits sociaux. Les tractations autour des ministres d'une éventuelle grande coalition devraient durer longtemps.


ドイツ連邦議会2005年選挙の結果

18日、第16回ドイツ連邦議会選挙が行われた。299ある選挙区のうち、候補者が選挙運動期間中に死亡したドレスデン1区が10月2日に選挙を延期したため、中央選挙管理委員会からの最終確定結果は出ていない。19日、中央選挙管理委員会は、開票の終わった298選挙区の結果のみに基づく暫定発表を行った。それによれば、どの政党も単独では過半数を得る見込みはなくなった。キリスト教民主同盟(CDU)・キリスト教社会同盟(CSU）の連合が第1党となり、僅差で社会民主党(SPD)が追っている。

いくつかの連立の可能性が取りざたされており、どの政党が政権を得るかは流動的である。選挙中に示唆された、SPD・緑の党、CDU・自由民主党(FDP)の組み合わせのほか、CDUとSPDによる「大連合」の可能性も否定できない。ほかにSPD・緑の党・FDPの連立も可能性があると指摘されているが、FDPはこれを否定している。

ドイツの6,200万人の有権者により、最低でも598議席が選ばれる。ドイツの選挙制度では比例区での投票結果により、定員が超過することがある。

NPDの候補者が死亡したドレスデン1区では、選挙が延期され、10月2日におこなわれる。ドレスデン1区の約22万の有権者の投票を得てのち、ようやく選挙管理委員会からの正式な確定結果が公表される。それまでは他の小選挙区の298議席のみが確定され、2議席がどの政党も得ていない議席として残される。

投票は現地時間午前8時（欧州中央夏時間(UTC+2)、日本時間午後3時）から、午後6時（日本時間19日午前1時）まで行われた。

ドイツ連邦中央選挙管理委員長が19日現地時間午前1時35分（日本時間午前8時35分）に発表した投票率は、77.7%だった。これはすべての郵送投票の数を含んでいる。2002年の連邦議会選挙の、投票率は79.18%だった。

キリスト教民主同盟(CDU)党首であるアンゲラ・メルケル連邦首相候補とシュトイバーキリスト教社会同盟(CSU)党首は、社民党・緑の党連合の退陣と、有権者がCDUへの政権委譲を選択する可能性について語った。

メルケル党首はあるインタビューで、メルケル党首が首相になることを前提に、CDUを中心とした大連立の可能性を語った。

メルケル党首は、左翼党を除くすべての政党と連立について話し合うことを望んでいる。左翼党の発言からは、左翼党が他党と連立することは考えがたい。メルケル党首は、グイド・ヴェスターヴェレ氏率いるFDPはSPDと連立することに意欲を示していないと考えている。

社会民主党（SPD）のフランツ・ミュンテフェリング党首とマティアス・プラツェック・ブランデンブルグ州大統領は、左翼党を連立の対象から除外した。ミュンテフェリング党首はゲアハルト・シュレーダー連邦首相とSPDの大きな成功について語った。

自由民主党(FDP)は、SPD・緑の党による左翼連合に加わることを否定する発言を行った。

緑の党はSPD以外の政党と連立することは考えていない。

左翼党は全党員集会で連立への参加を否決している。オスカー・ラフォンテーヌ氏は、伝統となった連立により政府を組織することを、左翼党は阻むべきであると語った。

ゲアハルト・シュレーダードイツ連邦首相への信任決議が否決されたことで、任期満了より1年早く選挙が実施されることになった。この解散について2人の議員が違憲であるとして提訴したが、連邦憲法裁判所は、解散は違憲ではないとの判断を示した。


Wybory parlamentarne w Niemczech: Wyniki pierwszych sondaży exits polls

Partia konserwatystów Angeli Merkel prowadzi w pierwszych, nieoficjalnych, powyborczych sondażach exit polls. Obywatele Niemiec udali się w niedzielę do urn, aby przedterminowo wybierać nowy parlament.

Sondaże przeprowadzone przez niemiecką telewizję ARD dają od 35,5 do 36 punktów procentowych poparcia dla partii CDU/CSU. Na drugim miejscu znalazła się partia obecnego kanclerza Gerharda Schrödera - SPD z 33,5-34% głosów. Pozostałe miejsca zajmują FDP - 10,5%, Zieloni  - 8,5% i Partia Lewicy - 7,5-8,5%.

Oznacza to, że jak na razie koalicja Chadecji (CDU wraz z CSU) i FDP nie uzyskała większości głosów i nie może samodzielnie stworzyć koalicji (łącznie około 46 punktów procentowych). Wyniki te pokazuja także, iż walka pomiędzy konserwatystami a socjaldemokratami (partia Gerharda Schrödera) będzie zażarta. Wskazywał na to również koniec kampanii wyborczej - po raz pierwszy zakończyła się ona w przeddzień wyborów. Zazwyczaj wtedy obowiązywała cisza przedwyborcza.

Lokale wyborcze otwarte były od godziny 8.00 do 18.00. Pierwsze oficjalne wyniki niemieckich wyborów parlamentarnych zostaną podane o godzinie 20.00 czasu lokalnego.

Ogłoszenie pierwszych wyników było niemałym zaskoczeniem - sondaże przeprowadzone przed wyborami dawały dość sporą przewagę dla konserwatystów. Okazało się jednak, że liczba głosów oddanych na chadeków i liberałów jest zbyt mała aby samodzielnie stworzyć rząd (koalicja musi mieć co najmniej 50% miejsc w Bundestagu). Przyznała to sama przewodnicząca CDU. Merkel jest jednak przygotowana na taką sytuację i zamierza prowadzić rozmowy z wszystkimi partiami oprócz lewicowej Linke.

Kanclerz Schröder również oznajmił, że zajmie się formowaniem rządu. Jak mówi -  "Niemcy czekają cztery kolejne lata pod rządami socjaldemokratów". Przewodniczący SPD Franz Müntefering jest zadowolony z wyników i uważa Schrödera za przyszłego kanclerza Niemiec.


Results of 2005 United Kingdom General Election

At 21:00 UTC yesterday, the polls closed in the United Kingdom general election.  With only a handful of seats left to declare, Labour reached the 324 seats necessary to form a majority in the House of Commons, with the result in Corby at 03:28 UTC.

The Conservative Party remains the Opposition party, with the Liberal Democrats being the third largest party in the House of Commons.

Both the Labour victory and the reduced majority were widely predicted by opinion polls before the election. The BBC/ITV exit poll predicted Tony Blair a majority of 66 seats, which continued to be forecast as the final result as declarations were made. Some early results in the north-east indicated a bigger swing away from Labour than the opinion polls had been suggesting, but later results confirmed the survey.

Overall, there has been no clear swing in votes between the parties. Many seats have seen large swings, but in many different directions, with perhaps the national swing of 5% from Conservative to Liberal Democrat being the most dramatic with many much larger local swings.

The new Labour government has been elected with the lowest proportion of the popular vote ever - just 35.2%. However, the Tories only gained 32.3% barely more than the last election in 2001. The biggest winners in terms of popular vote were the Liberal Democrats led by Charles Kennedy, who secured 22.1% of the vote. With 645 of 646 seats declared so far, this has given the Liberal Democrats another 11 seats in Parliament, but the Conservatives have gained another 33 seats. Labour have lost 47.

As a result, Tony Blair is forecast to be governing with a majority of 66 in the new Parliament. However, on some major issues such as university fees and anti-terror laws, many Labour MPs have voted against their leadership. With a greatly reduced majority, Tony Blair may be forced to water down many more controversial policies in order to guarantee their passage through the House of Commons.  Speaking on BBC News, commentator David Dimbleby pointed out the uncertainty of such possibilities, and noted that a majority of 66 was larger than the 43 seat majority won by Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom general election, 1979.

One surprise vote was the election of ex-Labour member George Galloway in Bethnal Green & Bow, in East London. The area has a very high number of Muslims in it, and Galloway moved from his home in Scotland in order to gain their anti-war support. He ousted Britain's only second female black MP, Oona King, in the process.

Robert Kilroy-Silk, the ex-talkshow host who was sacked from the BBC after writing racist newspaper articles, only came fourth in his election in Erewash in the East Midlands. His party, Veritas, which fielded 65 candidates across the country, stood for withdrawing from the European Union and blocking immigration.

Turnout in the general election is 60%, up 2% on 2001.

In every General Election there is an informal race amongst the constituencies to declare a result first.

For comparison:

The new Parliament met on Wednesday May 11.  Its first business was the election of the Speaker.  Michael Martin was re-elected.

The State Opening of Parliament is scheduled to be on Tuesday May 17.

Counting in Northern Ireland is not performed overnight, as in the rest of the United Kingdom, but instead is performed the next day.  Counts began at 09:00 BST.


Tony Blair consigue tercera victoria consecutiva

6 de mayo de 2005Londres, Reino Unido — El primer ministro británico, Tony Blair, consiguió una histórica tercera victoria en las elecciones británicas, aunque con una mayoría reducida.

Blair, perteneciente al partido laborista, iguala así el récord de tres mandatos consecutivos que tenía Margaret Thatcher, convirtiéndose en el primer politico de izquierda en lograr permanecer en el poder durante un periodo de tiempo semejante en el Reino Unido.

Se calcula que el Partido Laborista consiguió el 36% del total de votos, mientras que el Conservador, de Michael Howard, logró el el 33% y el Liberal-Demócrata, de Charles Kennedy, el 22%.

Blair. cuyo gobierno asumirá la presidencia rotativa de la Unión Europea (UE) durante el segundo semestre de 2005, ha reiterado su compromiso para conseguir el respaldo del electorado de su país al Tratado por el que se establece una Constitución para Europa. Para ello planea realizar un referendo en la primavera de 2006. Por otra parte, ha insistido en lo que, a su juicio, es la necesidad de Reino Unido de aceptar la moneda única europea, el Euro.


Tony Blair vence a eleição no Reino Unido

Às 21:00 UTC de ontem encerraram-se as eleições gerais no Reino Unido.  A faltar poucos assentos a se definir, o Partido Trabalhista (Labour) conseguiu os 324 assentos necessários para formar a maioria da Casa dos Comuns (House of Commons),  depois da contagem dos votos em Corby, às 03:28 UTC.

Tony Blair  é  o  primeiro político do Partido Trabalhista eleito pela terceira vez consecutiva  para o comando do governo  do Reino Unido.

O Partido Conservador (Conservative Party) permanece como partido de oposição, e os Liberais Democratas (Liberal Democrats) ficam como o terceiro maior partido na Casa dos Comuns.

Tanto a vitória do Partido Trabalhista,  como a maioria reduzida foram largamente previstos por pesquisas de opinião pública,  antes da eleição.  A pesquisa de opinião pública da BBC/ITV previu Tony Blair com uma maioria de 66 assentos,  que é ainda a previsão para ser o resultado final. Os primeiros  resultados  da região nordeste tinham  indicado uma oscilação maior em relação ao Partido Trabalhista,  do que as pesquisas de opinião pública tinham  sugerido,  mas os resultados posteriores confirmaram a pesquisa.

De modo geral, não houve nenhuma grande oscilação  de  votos entre os partidos.


Results of British local elections announced

The result of yesterday's local elections in the United Kingdom has been announced. It shows gains for both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party, while the Labour Party has seen a significant fall in its share of the vote.

The Conservatives made the largest gains, with their number of councils increasing by 12. Below is a quote from the Conservative website, on the results:

Labour made significant losses in the elections. Gordon Brown, who leads the party, agreed that the result was poor for the party. Below is part of his quote:

Several smaller parties have also made councillor gains, including Plaid Cymru, the British National Party, the Green Party, the UK Independence Party and RESPECT.


Kommunalwahlen in England und Wales: Historische Wahlschlappe für Labour

London (Vereinigtes Königreich), 02.05.2008 – Die britische Labour Party hat bei den Kommunalwahlen in Wales und England eine vernichtende Niederlage erlitten. Laut BBC hat die Partei 331 Mandate in den 159 Gemeinderäten, die zur Wahl standen, verloren. Die Konservativen gewannen demgegenüber 256 Sitze hinzu. Von der Wahl in der britischen Hauptstadt London liegen bisher allerdings noch keine Ergebnisse vor.

Für die Krise der Labour Party machte Premierminister Gordon Brown die internationale Finanzkrise sowie die hohen Lebensmittel- und Benzinpreise verantwortlich. Er räumte die Wahlniederlage ein und sagte: „Wir haben eine Lektion zu lernen, und dann werden wir vorwärts gehen. Meine Aufgabe ist es zuzuhören und zu führen, und das werde ich tun.“

Brown hatte im Sommer 2007 die Nachfolge von Tony Blair als Premierminister angetreten. Bereits 2004 hatte die Labour Party, damals noch unter Blair, eine Niederlage bei den Kommunalwahlen hinnehmen müssen, die vor allem auf die Unterstützung des Irak-Krieges zurückzuführen war.


Regno Unito: il Labour crolla alle amministrative, pesante sconfitta per il premier Brown

Dopo le elezioni amministrative, tenutesi nella giornata di ieri, il partito di centro-sinistra inglese dei Labour, che fa capo al premier in carica Gordon Brown, ha registrato un vero e proprio crollo dei consensi, divenendo il terzo cartello elettorale per numero di votanti. A trarre grande vantaggio da questa tornata elettorale sono invece i conservatori (Torys), che vincono con il 40%, ma anche i liberal-democratici, che con il 25% scavalcano il partito di Brown, fermo al 24%.

Contando i seggi, il Labour perde 212 poltrone, mentre i Torys ne conquistano 148. Allo stato attuale, se il voto fosse valso per il rinnovo della Camera dei Comuni, uno dei due rami del parlamento bicamerale del Regno Unito, il partito di centro-sinistra, al potere da 11 anni, prima con Tony Blair e ora con Brown, perderebbe la maggioranza.

Il leader d'opposizione, il conservatore David Cameron, ha commentato la vittoria dicendo: «Questa è la prova che il paese non solo è stanco dei laburisti, ma ha fiducia in un partito conservatore rinnovato, cambiato in meglio, unito e pronto a governare il bene di tutta la nazione».

Per ora, nessun commento arriva da parte del primo ministro, che nei giorni precedenti aveva precisato di non voler riservare molta importanza alle elezioni come indice della sua futura permanenza a Downing Street, ma ambienti vicini a Brown fanno intendere la volontà, all'interno della maggioranza laburista, di voler sostituire Brown, prima che nel 2009, o al massimo nel 2010, l'elettorato britannico sarà chiamato a rinnovare la composizione del parlamento.


Trabalhistas sofrem forte revés em eleições municipais no Reino Unido

O Partido Trabalhista, que governa o Reino Unido, sofreu sua maior derrota em 40 anos nesta sexta-feira, prejudicando o primeiro-ministro Gordon Brown em seu primeiro teste nas urnas desde que substituiu Tony Blair no poder.

Os trabalhistas sofreram um forte baque nas eleições municipais realizadas nesta quinta-feira (1) na Inglaterra e no País de Gales, e pode ficar atrás de conservadores e liberal-democratas na disputa.
O baque é similar ao sofrido nas eleições de 1995 pelo conservador John Major, que passou o poder para o trabalhista Tony Blair dois anos depois.


Reward against terrorists in Greece

The Greek ministries of Public Order and Economy announced that they offer the amount of 800,000 euros to those who will submit information that could help authorities in the fight against local terrorism. More specifically, as Greek police stated, everybody who has information about the Revolutionary Struggle (ELA) terrorist far-left organization, can call (within Greece) the police numbers,  170 and 1014.

This effort by the Greek government has been fully supported by the Embassy of the United States in Athens which, in a statement, announced that offers up to $1 million to those who will significantly help towards the capture of terrorists. As the Embassy stated, "you can help bring terrorists to justice and save lives by providing valuable information to resolve past acts of terrorism or prevent future ones".

The Revolutionary Struggle is regarded as a spinoff of the notorious terrorist group November 17th; the members of which were captured in 2003. ELA took responsibility for a rocket attack against the US Embassy in Athens, on January 12, 2007.


Récompenses offertes pour capturer les auteurs de l'attentat contre l'ambassade américaine à Athènes

Les ministres grecs de l'Ordre public et de l'Économie ont annoncé, mardi 20 mars 2007, qu'ils offraient une somme de 800 000 euros à ceux qui fourniraient des informations pouvant aider les autorités dans leur lutte contre le terrorisme, au niveau local.

Selon les explications données par les services de police grecs, cette offre viserait spécifiquement la recherche d'informations concernant l'organisation terroriste d'extrême gauche « Lutte révolutionnaire » (en grec : Επαναστατικός Αγώνας, soit « Epanastatikos Agônas »). Les personnes disposant d'informations sont invitées à composer, sur le territoire grec, les numéros de téléphone 170 et 1014.

Cet effort du gouvernement grec est pleinement soutenu par l'ambassade des États-Unis à Athènes, qui a publié, le même jour, un communiqué annonçant l'offre d'une récompense parallèle d'un million de dollars américains à ceux qui aideraient de façon substantielle à la capture de terroristes. Selon le communiqué de l'ambassade, « Vous pouvez aider à traduire en justice des terroristes et à sauver des vies, en fournissant des informations crédibles, afin de résoudre les actes de terrorisme passés ou d'empêcher à l'avenir. » L'ambassade indique un numéro de téléphone ainsi qu'une adresse e-mail dédiés, au sein du département d'État des États-Unis.

Le groupe « Lutte révolutionnaire » [1] est considéré comme une résurgence du célèbre groupe terroriste Organisation révolutionnaire du 17 Novembre (17N, en grec : Επαναστατική Οργάνωση 17 Νοέμβρη, soit « Epanastatiki Organosi dekaefta Noemvri »), elle-même issue, en 1973, des rangs de l’Epanastatikos Laikos Angonas (ELA), petit mouvement petit marxiste créé en 1971, dirigé contre la junte militaire alors en place, et qui se définisait comme « révolutionnaire, anti-capitaliste et anti-impérialiste ».

En dehors de cinq attentats à la bombe depuis le 5 septembre 2003, le groupe « Lutte révolutionnaire » a revendiqué la tentative d'assassinat, le 30 mai 2006, à l'encontre de Georgios Voulgarakis, ministre de la Culture et ancien ministre de l'Ordre public [2] puis, le 12 janvier 2007, l'attaque à la roquette contre l'ambassade des États-Unis à Athènes [3], qui n'avait fait que des dégâts matériels.


RIA Novosti celebrates 70th anniversary, uploads 100 images to Wikimedia Commons

Celebrating their 70th anniversary, news agency RIA Novosti, along with the Russian chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation, have started the 'Eternal Values' project. This project includes the release of images from RIA's archive to the public under free licenses.

During the first phase, one hundred World War II-time photos were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons share alike license. The license allows the images to be freely used, including within the commercial industry without a fee and allows for creations of derivative works provided any resulting work is redistributed under the same license and properly attributed to its author. The project is supported by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who uploaded one of the images to Wikimedia Commons himself.

Medvedev participated in the anniversary ceremony and personally congratulated the agency. He uploaded the 100th image to Commons. Earlier Medvedev supported Wikimedia Russia's position on the need for changes in Russian legislation in order to make free licenses perfectly legal and to allow freedom of panorama in the country.

This event is part of Wikimedia Russia's goal to "share knowledge, eliminate the digital divide and increase the availability of historical and cultural value for society." Due to similar projects in other countries, German Bundesarchiv released 100,000 historic images under a free license and Queensland State Library released 50,000 images.


«РИА Новости» на свой день рождения сделали подарок «Википедии»

23 июня 2011 года, в рамках празднования 70-летия со дня основания одного из крупнейших информационных агентств России, Российского агентства международной информации «РИА Новости», был запущен совместный с Некоммерческим партнёрством «Викимедиа РУ» проект «Вечные ценности». Проект заключается в передаче наиболее интересных разделов архивов РИА «Новости» в общий доступ с целью распространения знаний, устранения информационного неравенства и повышения доступности исторических и культурных ценностей для общества.

В рамках первого транша на «Викисклад», хранилище свободных медиафайлов проектов Фонда Викимедиа, было загружено сто фотографий времён Великой Отечественной войны под свободной лицензией CC-BY-SA 3.0. Данная лицензия позволяет использование изображений в любых целях, включая коммерческие, и создание производных работ при условии указания авторства и лицензирования производных работ на тех же условиях.

В загрузке файлов принял личное участие приехавший поздравить агентство Президент Российской Федерации Дмитрий Медведев, ранее поддержавший позицию НП «Викимедиа РУ» о необходимости внесения в Гражданский кодекс Российской Федерации изменений, которые явно позволили бы использование свободных лицензий Creative Commons и GNU на территории страны, а также снятие ограничений, связанных с отсутствием в России «свободы панорамы».

Организация подобного сотрудничества входит в цели некоммерческого партнёрства содействия распространению энциклопедических знаний «Викимедиа РУ», основанного в 2008 году. В рамках аналогичного сотрудничества в других странах в общественное культурное достояние перешли 100 000 изображений из Государственного архива Германии и 50 000 изображений из архивов Государственной библиотеки Квинсленда.

23 июня 2011 года


РИА Новости поводом свог 70-ог рођендана даровали Википедију

23. јун 2011.Москва-   - Руска новинска агенција „РИА Новости“, поводом прославе седамдесетогодишњице свог постојања у сарадњи са руским огранком Викимедије је започела са пројектом под називом „Вечне вредности“. Вредни део овог пројекта је пуштање ризнице слика из архиве агенције РИА под слободну лиценцу.

Током прве фазе овог пројекта стотину слика из Другог светског рата је послато на оставу и све оне су под слободном лиценцом (Creative Commons share alike license - CC-BY-SA 3.0). Лиценца омогућава слободну употребу укључујући и комерцијалну употребу без обавезе плаћања, једино што треба је проследити је под истом лиценцом под којом је преузета. Пројекат је подржан и од стране руског председника Дмитрија Медведева који је и сам послао једну од слика на оставу.

Председник Русије Медведев је присуствовао промоцији пројекта и свечаности и том приликом је честитао агенцији на идеји у јубилеју. Он је лично послао стоту слику на Викимедијину оставу. Нешто раније је изразио уверење и истакао важност постојања слободне лиценце и њено озакоњавање.

Овај догађај је био део пројекта руске Викимедије са којом се прокламује деоба знања, „елиминисање дигиталне разлике и подизање нивоа историјских и културних вредности“.

Сличан пројекат је био направљен такође када је Бундес архива (German Bundesarchiv) поклонила 100.000 слика Викимедији на употребу такође под слободном лиценцом, исто је урадила и Квинсландска државна библиотека (Queensland State Library) која је подарила 50.000 фотографија под слободну употребу.


Rice and Straw arrive unannounced in Baghdad

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Jack Straw have made a surprise visit to Baghdad, Iraq to meet Iraqi officials.

The pair, who have been together for the past few days as part of Rice's visit to the United Kingdom, arrived at 10:30 a.m. local time (0630 UTC) to visit Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, among others. Mr. Jaafari, who is of the majority Shia Alliance, is under increasing pressure to stand down after failing to gain adequate support from the opposing Sunni and Kurd minority groups.

According to leading Shia politicians, who are also losing faith in the Prime Minister, the US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has claimed that George W. Bush "doesn't want, doesn't support, doesn't accept" Mr. Jaafari's decision to stay at his post. Mr. Jaafari responded by claiming the comments undermine President Bush's commitment to a democratic Iraq.

The unannounced visit comes after her brief trip to Jack Straw's constituency of Blackburn, England,  where she faced anti-war protests. At one speech, she admitted that the United States had made "thousands of tactical errors" in Iraq, but later dismissed the comments as being made purely figuratively.

On the formation of a united Iraqi government, Condoleezza Rice said she considered it a "matter of urgency." Speaking to reporters in Baghdad, she said that, "The fact that we're going out to have these discussions with the Iraqi leadership is a sign of the urgency which we attach to a need for a government of national unity."

Jack Straw is reported to have said that, "We're committed to Iraq, very committed. But we need to see progress."

Ambassador Khalilzad said last Saturday that the prospective government "...needs to have a good programme to govern from the centre and needs good ministers who are competent." He made a damning comment regarding the speed of the process by claiming that, "Iraq is bleeding while they are moving at a very slow pace."


Enligt ledande shiapolitiker, som börjar att tappa förtroende för premiärministern, har USA:s ambassadör i Irak, Zalmay Khalilzad, sagt att George W Bush "inte vill att, inte stödjer att och inte accepterar att" Jaafari beslutat att stanna kvar på sin post. Jaafari svarade med att kommentarerna underminerar president Bushs engagemang för ett demokratiskt Irak.

Det oannonserade besöket kommer efter Rices korta besök i Straws valdistrikt Blackburn i England, där hon möttes av antikrigsdemonstrationer. Under ett tal medgav hon att USA hade gjort "tusentals taktiska misstag" i Irak, men senare avfärdade hon kommentarerna som endast fiktiva siffror.

Under uppbyggnaden av en enad irakisk regering sa Condoleezza Rice att hon ser det som ett akut problem. När hon talade med reportrar sa hon att "det faktum att vi kommer att ha dessa diskussioner med de irakiska ledarna är ett tecken på hur nödvändigt vi ser på ett behov av en regering för nationell enighet."

Jack Straw rapporteras ha sagt att "Vi är engagerade i Irak, mycket engagerade. Men vi måste få se framsteg."

Ambassadör Khalilzad sa förra lördagen att den framtida regeringen "...måste ha ett bra regeringsprogram och bra och kompetenta ministrar." Han gjorde en fördömande kommentar om den låga hastigheten på processen genom att säga att "Irak blöder medan de rör sig mycket sakta framåt.

Denna artikel är en kort telegramartikel. Vet du mer om ämnet den beskriver kan du hjälpa till med att utvidga den.

21 juli 2010: Nyheter kort: 29 januari 2005
24 mars 2008: 4000 amerikanska soldater döda i Irak
3 mars 2008: Bilbomber dödar 19 i Bagdad
1 februari 2008: Bombdåd i Bagdad bröt nedåtgående våldstrend
24 januari 2008: Ny irakisk flagga utan Saddam Hussein
21 januari 2008: Självmordsbombare dödade 14 begravningsgäster
11 januari 2008: Amerikanska övergrepp utan fällande dom
10 januari 2008: Amerikansk militär bombade al-Qaida
6 januari 2008: Attacker mot kristna i Irak
2 april 2006: Rice och Straw gör oannonserat besök i Bagdad

Condoleezza Rice

2 april 2006: Rice och Straw gör oannonserat besök i Bagdad
1 april 2006: Condoleezza Rice erkänner taktiska misstag i Irak
30 mars 2006: USA kan acceptera Israels gränsplaner
24 mars 2006: Afghansk konvertit riskerar dödsstraff
23 mars 2006: Japan skjuter upp lån till Kina
18 mars 2006: Trilateralt säkerhetssamtal om Iran och Östasien
11 mars 2006: Michelle Bachelet tillträdde presidentposten i Chile
6 december 2005: CIA-fängelser i Europa tills november
5 december 2005: Rice försvarar USA mot tortyranklagelser
2 december 2005: Fler CIA-flygningar än tidigare känt

• Irak
• Condoleezza Rice

Händelser 2 april • april • 2006 • kvartal 2 • vecka 13

Publiceringar 2 april • april • 2006 • kvartal 2 • vecka 13


Rice offers to talk with Iran and Syria

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters that she would be prepared to meet the Iranian foreign secretary, at any time and anywhere. But Iran must stop its uranium enrichment activities "so that they can't keep improving those enrichment capabilities while we talk."

She said that, if it suited their interests, both Iran and Syria would stabilize Iraq without having to be asked to do so by the United States. If they wanted compensation to do so, that would be another matter and she would have to ask what it was they wanted.

She reiterated her commitment to trying to heal the rift in Arab/Israeli relations in Palestine.

Interviewed by David Frost for Al Jazeera television, James Baker, with Lee Hamilton, joint author of the Iraq Study Report said that the President had been positive about the Report and that he had indicated willingness to talk with both Iran and Syria.

Massoud Barzani leader of the Kurdish region of Iraq and Iraq's President, Jalal Talabani, also a Kurd, agreed in the opinion that US Iraq Study Group report is "unrealistic and inappropriate". Mr Barzani was unconvinced by the idea of involving Iran and Syria in discussions aimed at pacifying Iraq.  He complained that the Study Group had ignored the Kurds in the Northern region in their investigations.


USA tilbyr samtaler med Iran og Syria

Målform: Bokmål - Dato: 9. desember 2006 - Oppdater siden - Rediger artikkelen - Flere nyheter

Den amerikanske utenriksministeren Condoleezza Rice fortalte journalister at hun er villig til å møte den iranske utenriksministeren, når som helst, hvor som helst.

Men Rice tilføyde ved pressekonferansen at Iran må stoppe sin utvinning av uran. - Iran må ikke kunne fortsette sitt arbeide med å forbedre utvinningsteknikkene mens vi snakker, sa den amerikanske utenriksministeren.

Hun sa at dersom det passet deres interesser, både Iran og Syria kunne stabilisere situasjonen i Irak, uten å bli spurt om det fra USA. Dersom de ønsket kompensasjon for å bidra til dette, så ville det være en helt annen problemstilling, og hun måtte spørre om man eventuelt ville etterspørre.

Hun gjentok sin engasjement i Midtøsten-konflikten mellom Israel og palestinerne.

I et intervju med David Frost på TV-kanalen Al Jazeera, sa den tidligere amerikanske utenriksministeren James Baker, sammen med Lee Hamilton, som i felleskap har forfattet Iraq Study Report at den amerikanske presidenten hadde vært positiv om rapporten, og at han hadde indikert villighet til å snakke med både Iran og Syria.

Massoud Barzani leder av den kurdiske regionen i Irak, og den irakiske presidenten Jalal Talabani, som også er kurder var enige om at rapporten til Iraq Study Group er urealistiske og upassende. Barzani var ikke overbevist om at det var en god strategi å involvere Iran og Syria for å stabilisere situasjonen i Irak. Barzani klaget og rapporten hadde ignorert kurderne i deres granskninger.


Rick Santorum drops U.S. presidential bid

2012 United States presidential election

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania ended his campaign for the U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination on Tuesday, two weeks ahead of his home state's presidential primary. In addition to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Representative Ron Paul of Texas remain in the race.

During his campaign, Santorum won a total of eleven contests, including those in Iowa, Minnesota, and Kansas.  Overall, according the Associated Press count, he accumulated 285 delegates for the nomination, several hundred short of the 661 won by Romney. 1144 delegates are needed to secure the nomination.

In his announcement, Santorum proclaimed, "We made the decision over the weekend that while this presidential race is over for me — and we will suspend this campaign effective today — we are not done fighting." He said the decision was made over the Easter weekend while spending time in a hospital with his daughter Bella, who suffers from Trisomy 18.

The Daily Caller notes the withdrawal precludes any chance of an embarrassing primary loss for Santorum in his home state of Pennsylvania.  In the latest survey from Public Policy Polling, Romney led Santorum in the state by five percentage points.

After the announcement, Romney commented, "Senator Santorum is an able and worthy competitor, and I congratulate him on the campaign he ran. He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation. We both recognize that what is most important is putting the failures of the last three years behind us and setting America back on the path to prosperity." There is no word yet on any endorsement from Santorum.

Nevertheless, Newt Gingrich is vying for Santorum's supporters.  In a statement, he announced his plans to remain in the race until the August 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, and asked Santorum supporters "to visit Newt.org to review my conservative record and join us as we bring these values to Tampa."

Gingrich has secured 136 delegates, while Ron Paul has 51. Santorum will keep 201 of the delegates he won, since, per the rules, they are bound to vote for him at the convention unless he releases them. His remaining delegates are now up for grabs.


Rick Santorum es retira de la carrera presidencial estatunidenca

11 d'abril del 2012, Pennsilvània, Estats Units

L'exsenador de Pennsilvània Rick Santorum acabà ahir la seva campanya per a la presidència dels Estats Units, dues setmanes abans de les primàries republicanes al seu estat d'origen. En la campanya del Partit Republicà per a la candidatura del partit queden tan sols ara tres candidats: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich i Ron Paul.

Durant la seva campanya, Santorum guanyà en un total d'onze primàries estatals, incloent les d'Iowa, Minnesota i Kansas. En total, segons Associated Press, va acumular 285 delegats per a la nominació del partit. Santorum es trobava molt endarrerit de Mitt Romney amb 661 delegats. Queden tan sols uns mesos de primàries electorals i per assegurar-se la nominació Santorum en necessitava 1.144.

Santorum en el discurs en què anuncià la seva retirada proclamà: «vaig guanyar a 11 estats contra pronòstic i continuaré lluitant, però la meva cursa presidencial s'ha acabat». Digué que acabà la seva campanya després d'estar-se un temps amb la seva filla Bella a l'hospital, que sofreix la síndrome d'Edwards.

Amb aquesta retirada la campanya per a la candidatura del partit molt probablement quedarà en les mans de Mitt Romney. Oficialment es decidirà qui serà el candidat contra Barack Obama del Partit Demòcrata l'agost en un convenció del partit a Florida. Els altres candidats tenen menys de 190 delegats els dos en total, fent la seva candidatura improbable.


US-Präsidentschaftsvorwahlen: Rick Santorum gibt auf

Washington D.C. (Vereinigte Staaten), 12.04.2012 – Nachdem der republikanische Bewerber auf die Präsidentschaftskandidatur Rick Santorum seinen Wahlkampf beendet hat, heißt der einzige ernsthafte Konkurrent für Barack Obama jetzt Mitt Romney.

Der 53-jährige Santorum gab auf einer Pressekonferenz keine Gründe für seinen Rückzug an, erwähnte aber die Einlieferung seiner dreijährigen Tochter ins Krankenhaus am vergangenen Karfreitag, der es jedoch wieder besser geht. Die entscheidenden Gründe für sein Ausscheiden werden von Beobachtern darin gesehen dass seine Wahlkampfkasse leer war, außerdem drohte eine Niederlage in Santorums Heimatstaat Pennsylvania. In Bezug auf die Delegiertenstimmen lag er deutlich hinter seinem Konkurrenten Romney zurück. Trotz seines Rückzuges blieb der fundamentalistisch Konservative eigensinnig und bot dem in Führung liegenden Romney nicht seine Unterstützung an. Santorum auf der Pressekonferenz: „Wir haben über das Wochenende eine Entscheidung getroffen. Während das Rennen um die Präsidentschaftskandidatur für mich vorbei ist und wir heute den Wahlkampf aussetzen, sind wir mit unserem Kampf noch nicht am Ende“.

Trotz dieser ablehnenden Einstellung lobte Mitt Romney seinen ausscheidenden Konkurrenten: „Santorum hat einen wichtigen Beitrag geleistet, und er hat seine tiefen Überzeugungen deutlich gemacht und damit viel Unterstützung für diese Themen und sich selbst gewonnen.“ Ab jetzt heißt es im US-Wahlkampf nicht mehr Romney gegen Santorum sondern Romney gegen Obama. Einer repräsentativen Umfrage zufolge liegt Obama aber mit 51 % klar vor Romney, den derzeit nur 44 % der Amerikaner wählen würden.


Santorum abandona y se consolida Romney como el candidato republicano a la presidencia de los Estados Unidos

El candidato a la nominación presidencial por el Partido Republicano, el ex senador por Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, anunció que "la campaña por la nominación presidencial del Partido republicano ha acabado para mi".

Durante una conferencia de prensa brindada este martes 10 de abril de 2012, en Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Santorum dijo que continuará luchando para derrotar al presidente Barack Obama y ganar el senado para el Partido Republicano.

La decisión anunciada por Santorum convertiría a Mitt Romney en el virtual "nominado". La campaña del ex gobernador de Massachusetts "fellicitó" a la campaña de Santorum pocos minutos después de concluida la rueda de prensa.

Según los primeros informes de prensa, previo a la conferencia de prensa Santorum llamó a Mitt Romney para anunciarle que suspendía su campaña. Al hacer el anuncio Santorum recordó que ganó 11 estados y que fue el apoyo de los votantes lo que impulsó su campaña.


Élection présidentielle américaine de 2012 : Santorum se retire

Le candidat ultraconservateur Rick Santorum a annoncé cet après-midi son retrait de la course à l'investiture du parti républicain à l'élection présidentielle américaine qui se tiendra en novembre prochain. Cette décision a été prise avec sa famille.

R. Santorum a pris cette décision en raison de l'état de santé de sa fille Bella, a-t-il expliqué lors d'une conférence de presse à Gettysburg dans l'État de Pennsylvanie, où il fut sénateur. Sa fille a été hospitalisée au cours du week-end, elle a pu rentrer chez elle en début de semaine.


Rick Santorum deixa a candidatura presidencial nos EUA

O ex-senador pela Pensilvânia Rick Santorum encerrou sua campanha em busca da nomeação do Partido Republicano na terça-feira, duas semanas antes da primária presidencial no seu estado de origem (a Pensilvânia). Ainda estão em busca da nomeação o ex-governador de Massachusetts Mitt Romney, o ex- presidente da Câmara Newt Gingrich e o representante Ron Paul do Texas.

Durante sua campanha, Santorum venceu em um total de onze estados, incluindo Iowa, Minnesota e Kansas. De modo geral, de acordo com a contagem da Associated Press, ele acumulou 285 delegados para a nomeação, Romney até o presente momento tinha 661 delegados. 1144 delegados são necessários para garantir a nomeação.

Em seu anúncio, Santorum disse: "Tomamos a decisão no fim de semana que, essa eleição presidencial acabou para mim - e vamos suspender esta campanha a partir de hoje -." Ele disse que a decisão foi tomada no fim de semana quando sua filha Bella, que sofre de Trissomia 18, estava hospitalizada.

O jornal Daily Caller aponta que Santorum não tem chances de vencer em seu estado natal. Nas últimas pesquisas, Romney tinha 5% a mais que Santorum no estado.

Após o anúncio, Romney disse: "O senador Santorum é um concorrente capaz e digno, e felicito-o sobre essa campanha. Ele provou ser uma voz importante no nosso partido e da nação. Nós dois reconhecemos que o que o mais importante é colocar os fracassos dos últimos três anos atrás e e voltar no caminho para a prosperidade." Santorum não se pronunciou sobre o discurso de Romney.

No entanto, Newt Gingrich está em busca dos apoiantes de Santorum. Em um comunicado, ele anunciou seus planos para permanecer na eleição até a Convenção Nacional Republicana (que acontecerá em agosto de 2012) em Tampa, na Flórida, e perguntou aos partidários de Santorum: "visitem o Newt.org para rever o meu histórico conservador e juntem-se a nós para trazer esses valores para Tampa."

Gingrich tem 136 delegados, enquanto Ron Paul tem 51. Santorum irá manter os 201 dos delegados que ele ganhou, pois, de acordo com as regras, eles são obrigados a votar nele na convenção, a menos se Santorum libera-los a votar em outro candidato. Seus delegados restantes estão agora em disputa.


Rick Santorum gains traction by winning Louisiana vote

United States presidential hopeful Rick Santorum won yesterday evening's Louisiana Republican primary. This win gives Santorum more leverage over fellow presidental hopeful Mitt Romney. To date, Santorum has 263 delegates, following behind Romney's 563 delegates.

Santorum has had success in the primaries in the South, winning primaries in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and now Louisiana. Political analysts and the press speculated that he would take Louisiana based on the conservative and religious voter base. Participating voters were polled as believing that Santorum was more conservative and moral than Romney.

The next primaries will be in Wisconsin, Washington, D.C., and Maryland on April 3.


Santorum guanya en les primàries republicanes de Louisiana

25 de març del 2012, Louisiana, Estats Units

Rick Santorum ha guanyat en les primàries del Partit Republicà a Louisiana. Amb més de cent mil vots totals el candidat de Pennsilvània Rick Santorum s'ha quasi endut el 50% del vot. Aquestes primàries a Louisiana ajuden a Santorum apropar-se a la possible candidatura del partit per a les eleccions nord-americanes de novembre contra Barack Obama del Partit Demòcrata. Però Santorum requereix moltes més victòries per a poder-se apropar al nombre de delegats per a la Convenció Nacional Republicana de 2012 que té el candidat Mitt Romney, amb més de 500 dels 1.144 necessitats per guanyar segur la candidatura.

Cadascun dels delegats en la convenció votaran per a un candidat del partit. Santorum en té 244 i Romney 552. Altres candidats com Newt Gingrich i Ron Paul en tenen 155 i 72, respectivament. Romney té més del doble de delegats que el segon candidat, fent que realísticament altres candidats ho tinguin quasi impossible d'obtindre la candidatura del Partit Republicà.

Tot i així a Louisiana Santorum obtingué el 49% dels vots, guanyant cada parròquia de l'estat excepte una. Romney ha rebut el 27% dels vots, mentre que Gingrich n'ha rebut el 16% i Paul el 6%. El senyor Santorum guanyà per més de 40.000 vots en total.

Louisiana s'afegeix a altres estats del sud de la nació que votaren per a Santorum, incloent Mississipí, Alabama i Tennessee. Com aquests altres estats del sud, aquest estat es caracteritza per tenir una població conservadora, tradicional i cristiana. Santorum pels mitjans de comunicació és vist com al candidat més conservador republicà en aquestes eleccions, especialment amb els seus punts de vista sexistes, conservadors, racistes, homòfobs i cristians. En centres més urbanitzats ha triomfat el candidat Romney, com ara a la ciutat de Nova Orleans.

Les pròximes primàries electorals republicanes tindran lloc el dia 3 d'abril a Maryland, Washington DC i Wisconsin. En tots tres es preveu que guanyi Mitt Romney, però l'estat de Wisconsin es veu dividit entre Romney i Santorum.

Santorum al sentir que havia guanyat a Louisiana va fer un discurs sobre la victòria en front un públic de Wisconsin. Hi digué: «aquesta carrera encara no s'ha acabat». «Jo no estic fent campanya com a un candidat conservador per a president; jo sóc el candidat conservador per a president».


Rick Santorum sweeps three non-binding GOP presidential contests

Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania won three Republican Party (GOP) presidential contests on Tuesday, but received no delegates. Though the races were non-binding, some analysts see in them a vulnerability for front-runner Mitt Romney, and a possible revitalization of the Santorum campaign.

Missouri, Minnesota, and Colorado each held nominating contests. These elections had no delegates attached because GOP rules stipulate that no state other than Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, may choose delegates before the first Tuesday in March. Turn-out was low in each of the contests.

In the Missouri primary, Santorum received over 55 percent of the vote, thirty points ahead of second place finisher Romney. Texas congressman Ron Paul came in third with twelve percent. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich was not on the ballot, as he did not file for inclusion in that primary.

In Minnesota, Santorum won 45 percent of the vote, edging second place Paul, who received 27 percent. Romney finished third with 17 percent, followed by Gingrich with eleven. Santorum spent a large amount of time campaigning in the state this past week. On election night, Paul chose to be in Golden Valley, Minnesota.

In Colorado, Santorum finished with 40 percent, besting Romney by five percent, with 13 percent for Gingrich and twelve for Paul. Former Colorado GOP chairman Richard Wadhams commented, "I don’t think this was as much an endorsement of Rick Santorum as it was another wakeup call for Governor Romney that he needs to be more specific about why he wants to be president, beyond that he’s a successful businessman".

In his victory speech from Colorado, Santorum proclaimed "Mitt Romney has the same positions as Barack Obama...I don’t stand here to claim to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama."  Afterwards, he told CNN that his campaign has "momentum" and that he raised $250,000 online on Tuesday.

In Denver, Romney addressed supporters, acknowledging "a good night for Rick Santorum", while maintaining "we’ll keep on campaigning down the road, but I expect to become our nominee".

Romney has won contests in New Hampshire, Florida, and Nevada.  According to former Republican strategist Dan Schnur, "He is still the front-runner, but his flaws are a lot more apparent after Tuesday night, and that raises the stakes for him over the next few primaries going forward."

The next contests will take place in Arizona and Michigan at the end of February. Romney is the favorite to win these states, though he was also favored to win in Minnesota and Colorado before Tuesday.


Estats Units: en les primàries del Partit Republicà a Colorado i Minnesota surt victoriós Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum radicalment canvia el rumb de les primàries del Partit Republicà per a decidir el candidat del partit per a les eleccions presidencials dels Estats Units de 2012 contra Barack Obama, del Partit Demòcrata. Rick Santorum guanyà ahir en dos estats —Colorado i Minnesota—, a més de guanyar en una enquesta massiva a Missouri.

Les victòries en els estats de Colorado i Minnesota són la segona i tercera victòries de Rick Santorum, un exsenador de Pennsilvània. L'exsenador prèviament havia guanyat en les primàries d'Iowa.

Amb el 100% del vot comptat, Rick Santorum guanyà en les primàries de Missouri per un 55,2%, en les de Minnesota per un 44,9% i en les de Colorado per un 40,3%. Els candidats a la presidència republicans que quedaren segons foren Mitt Romney per un 34,9% a Colorado, Ron Paul per un 27,1% a Minnesota i Mitt Romney per un 25,3% a Missouri. Les següents primàries electorals del Partit Republicà seran a Maine entre el 4-11 de febrer, a Arizona el 28 de febrer i a Michigan el 28 de febrer també.

El fet que Rick Santorum estava en les primàries republicanes fa tan sols uns dies semblava que fos oblidat, però amb aquestes tres victòries s'ha qüestionat si Mitt Romney era realment un polític conservador i sobre les seves habilitats persuasives polítiques. Per a Santorum això li donà esperança per a la seva campanya presidencial el qual significarà un augment en les donacions i suport de candidats republicans més conservadors. Els mitjans de comunicació nord-americans li donen de nou la imatge de que és el candidat que més competició li dóna a Mitt Romney, però Santorum digué en la seva seu a St. Charles (Missouri) que ell tenia planejat ésser molt més que tan sols el segon després de Romney.

«No estic aquí per a reclamar que sóc l'alternativa conservadora a Mitt Romney», digué el senyor Santorum després de donar gràcies a Déu per la seva victòria a Colorado, Minnesota i Missouri i per haver curat la seva filla Bella, que estava malalta. «Estic aquí per a ser l'alternativa conservadora a Barack Obama.» Després Rick Santorum digué que pel que fa l'assistència sanitària i l'ecologisme, Romney es situava en les mateixes posicions polítiques que Barack Obama i que Romney era un conservador imperfecte.

Newt Gingrich, fent campanya a Ohio on les primàries seran el 6 de març, digué sobre els resultats de les tres primàries: «crec que la gran notícia aquí aquesta nit és que serà difícil per als mitjans de comunicació elitistes i conservadors dir que l'exgovernador Romney inevitablement serà el candidat a la presidència per a les eleccions dels Estats Units del Partit Republicà després dels resultats d'aquesta nit». L'expresident de la Cambra de Representants Gingrich, hi afegí: «després d'aquesta nit, veureu que aquesta carrera política és oberta a una multitud de diferents resultats».


Outsider Santorum vyhrál hned troje primárky naráz

Souboj o republikánskou nominaci do voleb prezidenta Spojených států amerických se nečekaně zamotal. Podle zveřejněných výsledků bývalý senátor Rick Santorum vyhrál troje primárky ve státech Minnesota, Missouri a Colorado a jeho kampaň tak dostala velmi silný impuls, zatímco favorizovaný bývalý guvernér státu Massachusetts Mitt Romney inkasoval překvapivý úder.

Bývalý pennsylvánský senátor Santorum získal v Minnesotě 45 procent hlasů a před Romneyho se dostal i člen Ron Paul. V Missouri získal Santorum 55 procent hlasů o 30 procent porazil Romneyho. Po vítězství prohlásil: „Konzervatismus je (v Missouri a Minnesotě) na živu a prospívá. Dnes to bylo vítězství pro hlasy konzervativců z naší strany a lidí z tea party, kteří ve vinohradech den co den budují konzervativní hnutí této země na základech republikánské strany a budují hlas pro svobodu v této zemi.“

Santorum se označil za konzervativní alternativu jak k Romneymu, tak k prezidentovi Obamovi. Toho obvinil z arogance a neschopnosti naslouchat Američanům, kteří nesouhlasí s jeho pomocí finančnímu sektoru a reformou zdravotnického systému.

Santorum nečekaně porazil Romneyho i v Coloradu, kde přitom Romney před čtyřmi lety podobný souboj výrazně vyhrál. Letos získal o pět procent méně. Daleko třetí byl bývalý předseda Sněmovny reprezentantů Newt Gingrich, který se primárek v Missouri neúčastnil.