+18 Homs Injured Le Figaro Journalist Edith Bouvier Calls for Evacutation from Syria

+18 Homs Injured Le Figaro Journalist Edith Bouvier Calls for Evacutation from Syria.In a video launched on the internet on Thursday, wounded Le Figaro journalist Édith Bouvier called for a cease-fire and a medical vehicle to evacuate her to Lebanon.
Bouvier’s colleague, photojournalist William Daniels, said her moral was high and she was smiling despite her injuries.
Two journalists have already lost their lives in Syria this week: American reporter Marie Colvin, the grand reporter of the Sunday Times, and Rémi Ochlik, a French photographer.
On Thursday, the Society of Journalists at Le Figaro demanded that Syrian authorities act immediately to facilitate her evacuation.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alain Juppé, said he had already asked authorities in Damas to organize Bouvier’s evacuation. He also took the occasion to express his anger at the situation of journalists in Homs.
“What happens in Syria becomes more revolting, more shameful, more scandalous each day,” he said.Read the full story here.more video report here.

MFS - The Other News

                       Afternoon Posting.

• Live broadcast info from Japan directly ! Here.

• Libya Live Blog - April 15. Here .(Al-Jazeera).

• Live Blog: Middle East protests April 15 Here. (Al-Jazeera)

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world low seismic activity in Japan  today between 4.7 and 4.9! More info here.

• Japan - Latest official Situation Update No. 86.Here .

• Japan  : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog

• HT:SHTF.Collapse Countdown Clock: “We Have Until July” *Video*. Here.

• Breaking News -   @markknoller In written signing statement, Pres Obama says he'll ignore a provision to eliminate so-called 'czar' positions in his Admin.Hmmmm......Can we call him a dictator now and impeach him finally?See the full story here.

• Anti-Israel posters green-lighted for Zurich.Swiss court allows train station posting of ads saying: "61 years Israel, 61 years of injustice."BERLIN – A Bern court overruled a decision by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) to ban the posting of anti- Israel posters in the main train station in Zurich, according to a report in Tuesday’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung.In 2009, members of the Palestine Solidarity Action group hung posters with the words “Israel established with violence on Palestinian land. The injustice demands resistance” in the main transportation hub. Additional posters contained the message: “61 years Israel, 61 years of injustice.”The posters remained on display for three days, however after SBB management became aware of their content, it had them removed.According to the Bern court decision, the SBB ban on the posters violates the free-speech rights of the pro-Palestinian group.The SBB argued that it maintains a policy prohibiting advertisements and messages addressing “explosive foreign policy themes.”While the posters could be construed to call for violence against the Jewish state – and a rejection of the existence of Israel – the Bern court stated there is no indication for a call to violence.The 27-member European Union has a quasi-legal definition of anti-Semitism, which defines the rejection of Israel as a state to be an expression of modern anti- Semitism. However, Switzerland is not a member of the EU.The SBB has 30 days to appeal the ruling, but it is unclear if the SBB will take further legal actions against the Bern court decision.Hmmmm.....Free speech Ok to Bash Jews and Christians but wrong to bash Muslims?Read the full story here.

• Mubarak may face death penalty.Former President Hosni Mubarak was rushed Friday to a military hospital in Sharm el Sheikh, even as it was reported that he could face the death penalty if a pending probe proves that he ordered the crackdown against demonstrators that left at least 385 dead, state media said Friday. Zakaria Shalash, head of Cairo’s appeals court, was quoted by the state-owned newspaper al-Ahram as saying that the former president may face the death penalty after a trial he expects will last at least one year.While official figures state that the 18-day revolution that began on January 25 left a total number of 385 dead and injured 5,000, AFP places the death toll at 800.Earlier this week, the 83-year-old Mr. Mubarak and his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, were remanded in 15-day custody after prosecutors launched the probe.The former president was detained after his Interior Minister Habib al-Adly stated that Mr. Mubarak himself ordered the use of violence against protesters, said Mr. Shalash.Mr. al-Adly also faces charges of ordering the shootings and can be made an accomplice to Mr. Mubarak’s alleged crime. “If proven, Mr. Mubarak will receive the same punishment as the person who carried out the orders,” said Mr. Shalash.Al-Ahram reports a corruption panel will start questioning Mr. Mubarak and his sons next week on suspicion of graft. The former president could face between three to 15 years in prison if proven guilty. Protests in Egypt intensified over the demands that Mr. Mubarak be put on trial for his alleged crimes. Opposition groups suspended a planned demonstration on Friday after the detention of the former president and his sons. According to public radio reports on Friday afternoon, Mr. Mubarak was transferred to a military hospital where he will continue to be treated for a heart ailment, while his sons are being held in a Cairo prison.Hmmmmm.......Thank you "Hussein"!Read the full story here.

• HT:NorthEastIntelligence.Obama deception indicators “off the charts” during Stephanopoulos interview.By Douglas J. Hagmann.15 April 2011: If you watch and listen carefully to the 20 minute 14 April 2011 interview[i] of Barack Hussein Obama by George Stephanopoulos, you will notice something very telling that takes place during that interview when the discussion shifts to the issue of Donald Trump and ultimately, the “birther conspiracy.” Veteran investigators who are experienced in interviewing and interrogating suspects, witnesses, criminals and non-criminals have undoubtedly identified numerous big red flags of deception precisely when expected, and in textbook fashion. To observe this in action, begin watching the video at about the 13:25 minute mark, when Stephanopoulos lobs the following softball, leading question to Obama and receives his answer[ii]:

George Stephanopoulos: I wonder how you size up your potential opponents? I mean all of us have been struck by Donald Trump rising to the top of the Republican field by feeding fantasies about your background. What do you make of that?

First, note that Stephanopoulos sets an amicable tone for easy rebuttal by Obama to anyone believing that anything might be amiss with regard to Obama’s eligibility. He asks a leading question that automatically suggests that any reference to the “birther issue” as raised by Donald Trump is “fantasy.” Accordingly, Obama should be able to handle the question without any obvious stress or difficulty. But here’s exactly where the difficult-to-control verbal and non-verbal clues of deception take over. First, read his response:

President Obama: Well you know, I think that over the last two and a half years there’s been an effort to go at me in a way that is politically expedient in the short-term for Republicans. But creates, I think a problem for them when they want to actually run in a general election where most people feel pretty confident the President was born where he says he was, in Hawaii. (LAUGHS) He– he doesn’t have horns. We may disagree with him on some issues and we may wish that you know, the unemployment rate was coming down faster and we want him to know his plan on gas prices. But we’re not really worrying about conspiracy theories or– or birth certificates. And so– I– I think it presents a problem for them. But, look I right now have such a big day job that I am not yet focused on what’s happening on the other side. There’ll be a time where I’m– I’m very focused on it. [emphasis added]

Verbal deception indicator 1

In this answer alone, notice how Obama shifts from speaking in the first person to suddenly referring to himself in the third person, or as “the President.” Naysayers, apologists and supporters of all types will undoubtedly refute or even mock this investigator’s observations and premise that switching from talking in the first person (i.e. using “I”) to the third person is meaningless. Alone, it might very well be, but now watch the entire interview or consult the transcript, and note the number of times Obama answers a question by referring to himself in the first person. Now compare your findings with the above paragraph.

Recently, pundits at Fox News actually counted the number of times Barack Obama used the word “I” in a recent speech about Libya. It was excessive, they opined, and typical of Obama. The number of times Obama referred to himself in the first person in this interview appeared consistent with the subject matter and the questions asked, until the issue of his birth certificate was raised.

Verbal deception indicator 2

One of the best indicators of deception is one’s evasiveness of answers, or to simply not fully address the crux of the matter or answer the question posed. Obama knows very well that the issue in this instance, “bracketed” by this question, is his refusal to release his long form birth certificate for which Trump is known for demanding. Admittedly, Stephanopoulos did not directly ask Obama about his birth certificate and used the general term “background” instead.

Nonetheless, instead of addressing that issue head-on, even in this friendly environment, Obama reverts to the use of a non-sequitur by adding that “…he doesn’t have horns.” He then reverts back to addressing the entire issue as a “conspiracy theory,” specifically mentioning his birth certificate out of the context of the question. His evasiveness is smooth but obvious. Now note that Obama continues to refer to himself as “he” or in the third person for the remainder of the question.

What it means

As I’ve previously indicated in various CFP radio segments[iii] and on the nationally syndicated “The Roth Show,” I’ve interviewed a wide range of individuals, from prisoners in Attica State Penitentiary to the residents of some of the most expensive homes in the country during my 26 year career as a professional investigator. I also hold multiple law-enforcement related certifications including those involving interviewing and interrogation techniques, the identification of verbal and non-verbal deception, and certifications in numerous other related subjects related to behavioral analysis and the identification of micro-expressions in lie and stress detection.

As the title of this article indicates, it is my professional analysis that the verbal and non-verbal indicators of deception are not only present in this interview, but are “off the charts” and offer a classic textbook example of the same. Obviously, Obama did not take this opportunity to clear up this matter when provided the opportunity, even in this non-hostile venue. Clearly then, we should expect nothing different should he ever be compelled to prove his constitutional eligibility in a not-so-friendly venue.

Note to the reader: The basis of my conclusions arise from a complete review of the entire 19 minute, 25 second video, isolating the clips where the camera was pointed directly at Obama and not at the interviewer. Additionally, various clips from Obama’s campaign speeches and candid interviews about general matters were used as a baseline for this analysis.Hmmmm.....would there be a polygraph build strong enough to register Barry's answers?Read the full story here.

• Senate Unanimously Votes to Demand UN Retract Goldstone Report Accusing Israel of “War Crimes”.The Senate unanimously passed a resolution Thursday night that calls on the United Nations to retract allegations that the Israeli military committed war crimes in the Gaza Strip during “Operation Cast Lead” in late 2008 and early 2009.The bipartisan resolution, sponsored by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and James Risch (R-Idaho), asks the UN Human Rights Council “to reflect the author’s repudiation of the Goldstone report’s central findings, rescind the report and reconsider further Council actions with respect to the report’s findings.”The resolution refers to a UN report authored by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, who stepped back from his allegations against Israel in a Washington Post op-ed earlier this month.“If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document,” Goldstone said in the op-ed.The Israeli government and its defense forces have disputed the findings of that report since it was released in September 2009. Many members of the government said they viewed Goldstone’s op-ed as a vindication of their actions in the Gaza War.“I think our soldiers and army behaved according to the highest standards during our ‘Operation Cast Lead,’” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to Goldstone’s op-ed. “We expect this farce to be rectified immediately.”Hmmmm......I know i should be very happy ,then why do i have this bitter taste in my mouth?Somehow i fear this will come at a very high price.Read the full story here.

• A Trump-West 2012 Ticket? The LTC-Congressman Says It’s Not Off the Table.Florida Congressman and Tea Party favorite Allen West isn’t opposed to the idea of joining possible presidential contender Donald Trump, West told The Daily Caller Thursday.When pressed repeatedly if he would rule out the possibility of running with Trump, the Republican House freshman did not say that the idea was off the table.“Who knows what’s going to happen,” West said when asked if he’d accept a veep invitation from Trump. “If the people think that I have an ability to continue my service of my country in a different capacity, first of all we gotta talk to God, we gotta talk to my family, we gotta talk to the constituents.”Trump and West will speak at the same Tea Party rally in Boca Raton, Florida this Saturday. . .West was careful to say that his statements were not an endorsement of Trump, or any of the other possible contenders.Hmmmm....My perfect moment to frame :There's a huge cheering crowd ,then the Donald says the magical words to Obama "You're Fired"!Read the full story here.

• US to invite Netanyahu to address Congress. House Speaker John Boehner to invite Israeli premier to speak at joint meeting of US Congress during upcoming Washington visit. US House Speaker John Boehner will invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of the US Congress during a visit to Washington next month, Boehner's office announced on Thursday.Boehner will extend the formal invitation to Netanyahu once Congress approves the joint session, Boehner's office said.Soon after the announcement, Netanyahu confirmed to his Likud party in Tel Aviv that he had been invited to address both houses of Congress: "Next month I will have the opportunity to air the main parts of our diplomatic and defense policies during my visit in the United States," he said. Netanyahu's US trip will come as Washington plans a new push to promote comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. President Barack Obama will lay out US policy toward the Middle East and North Africa in the coming weeks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said earlier this week.Some Israeli reports have suggested Netanyahu could float new ideas in Washington on restarting peace talks, which broke down last September in a dispute over continued Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank.In his Thursday remarks, he outlined the main parts of what he would talk about without going into any details. "I will, of course, speak about the (Iranian) threat," Netanyahu said. "I will speak about the big changes that are taking place in our region and I will speak also about the way which we believe that is the only one that will bring about secure peace between us and our neighbors. Not peace on paper, not peace in ceremonies on lawns, but a true, durable peace that will hold and will ensure our security and future." No specific date has yet been announced for Netanyahu's visit by the Obama administration. Boehner said it would be a great honor for Congress to have Netanyahu speak. "America and Israel are the closest of friends and allies, and we look forward to hearing the prime minister's views on how we can continue working together for peace, freedom and stability," he said. Hmmmm......If they want to support Israel then stop the Islamic lovestory President Obama is having.Read the full story here.

• HT:Aina.48 Hours in the Life of an Anti-Islamist.The information is in and I don't like it one bit. On the other hand, if one remains flexible, realistic, and calm and persists in telling the truth, one may also prevail.I am talking about the hoops one has to jump through in order to be heard on any subject having to do with Islam.I am not talking about the Danish Mohammed cartoon controversy, the criminal trials of the heroically determined Dutchman, Geert Wilders, or the unexpectedly great Austrian, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff. I am not even talking about Lars Hedegaard of the Danish Free Speech Society, who was put on trial for making "racist" statements about Muslims, Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, or Lars Vilks, the Swedish cartoonist, who has required 24-hour protection. I am not even talking about the high-profile and world-class beauty, Aayan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-Dutch-American feminist anti-Islamist.Nor am I talking about Random House's 2008 decision to renege on its contract to publish "The Jewel of Medina," a novel about Mohammed's wife Aisha--and all because a single professor suggested via e-mail that the book "might lead to violence"--or about the Yale University Press 2009 decision to omit the Danish cartoons from a book they published about the Danish cartoon controversy; they did not even bother to tell the author.No, I am not talking about any of this. I am only talking about what happened to me personally in the course of one 24-48 hour period.A deservedly popular network radio program asked to interview me--but then begged me to "work with them" because they are being closely monitored in terms of their "Islamic" content. "Please be sure to say something like 'Many Muslims are moderate,' or 'All Muslims are not jihadists.'" I assured him that I usually say these kinds of things anyway because I believe them--but still, a cold wind blew across my grave.A distinguished American government publication had previously interviewed me at great length and very respectfully about honor killings. The editors ultimately asked me to participate in a debate about whether coverage of honor killings in the West "stigmatizes" Muslims. I said it did not--that if anyone was "stigmatized" it was Hindus, whose India-based honor killings are covered by the same American mainstream media which will not cover Muslim honor killings in America. Guess what? When they sent me the final version for my approval I saw that they had dropped the word "Muslim" before "honor killings" and had added a sentence that softened what I had to say about such Muslim-on-Muslim crimes. I immediately re-inserted the word "Muslim" and hope that the piece sees the light of day as I wrote it.I believe it will. I did not raise my voice or lose patience. Calmly but firmly, I re-inserted my own words and once more explained why they were logically necessary.But I did wonder: To what extent have the Saudis bought up our government media? Or are the same-old-same-old "politically correct" speech code censorship regulations operating behind the scenes without benefit of legislation?Finally, on the same day, a magazine commissioned me to write a piece about honor killings but the editor asked me to "try to be balanced so that his bosses will approve the piece more easily." I pointed out that it was an opinion piece, not a news item. I wrote the piece. It is slated to run--but alongside a piece which will oppose my point of view.The message is clear: Either steer clear of all Muslim subjects or write only positive things about Islam. At the very least, be prepared to have a companion piece which differs from your own, not in the next issue, but right alongside you, speaking over you, as you speak. Be prepared to have to "debate" as the price for being able to present your own arguments.Hmmmm......"We do not want to take over your country, but we control your media already"?Read the full story here.

• UK sends observer to Jerusalem zoning cmte. meeting.Committee members enraged to discover British representative attending meeting of panel that has power to okay construction beyond Green Line.The British Embassy sent an observer to a recent meeting held by Jerusalem's District Planning and Building committee, Ynet learned Thursday.The committee holds weekly meetings to discuss and advance various municipal plans, meant to promote the welfare of all Jerusalemites, but while other municipal committees of this nature are purely professional, the capital's zoning committee's activities are perceived as political. A recent decision by the committee, to approve 942 housing units in the city's southwest Gilo neighborhood, irked both the United States and Britain. British Foreign Secretary William Hague denounced the decision, saying it was impeding the peace talks. It was that decision, Ynet learned, that prompted the British Embassy to send a representative to the meeting, so she could report back to her superiors with a firsthand impression of the committee's work. Sources familiar with the subject said this was not the first time a British delegate was present at committee meetings, which are open to the public; adding that that is often the case when zoning plans protruding the Green Line are involved. Still, several committee members said they were unaware of a UK representative's presence at the meeting; and some were even enraged to find out they were being "surveilled." "Inviting someone who represents a county with political interests hostile to those of Israel must be perceived with all severity," Jerusalem City Councilman and committee member Yair Gabay told Ynet. "It is unprecedented and if anyone in City Hall had anything to do with it, they should resign immediately. The British Embassy confirmed sending a representative to the meeting, citing the meeting was open to the public, and adding that the embassy was "following everything to do with settlements closely."Hmmmm.......Jerusalem now a UK & US piece of Real Estate? Read the full story here.

• Turkey: Future Gaza flotilla not up to us. Jerusalem files official request with Ankara to stop nearing activists' sail to Strip. Turkey says matter a civilian one, 'not Ankara's concern'.Turkey said on Thursday it had received a request from Israel to help stop activists sailing to Gaza on the first anniversary of an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship, but it said the flotilla plan was not Ankara's concern.Turkey, a secular Muslim nation, has been an important regional ally of Israel for more than a decade. Following the deadly raid on the Marmara, it has scaled back ties, demanding Israel apologize and pay damages for last year's raid.Israel's ambassador to Turkey, Gaby Levy, asked the Turkish government this week to help stop the activists, saying sending humanitarian aide to Gaza outside legal channels was a "provocation," an Israeli diplomatic official told Reuters.Asked about the request, a Turkish foreign ministry official told Reuters: "We listened to the message given by the Israeli side and told them this is an initiative by civil society." The official did not elaborate. The IHH, the Turkish Islamist charity that owned the Mavi Marmara ship which was raided by the Israeli commandos, has said it will join the "Freedom Flotilla II". It also plans to send its own convoy led by the Mavi Marmara after Turkey's general election on June 12. An IHH official told Reuters the group has not been approached by the Turkish government over its plans to send another flotilla and added: "In Turkey governments don't tell NGOs what to do and what not to do". Israel has also asked the United Nations to help stop the activists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the mission of ships "was being organized by Islamic extremist elements" intent on bringing about "a flare-up." Hmmmmm......"In Turkey governments don't tell NGOs what to do and what not to do"yeah whatevah.Read the full fairytale story here.

• HT:Memri.Coptic Liberal Magdi Khalil: Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Is Setting the Country Back to the Middle Ages.The Supreme Council Refuses to Recognize the Legitimacy of the Revolution."The basic problem is that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces does not recognize the legitimacy of this revolution, but rather that of the July 1952 [revolution] of and its 1971 constitution. That is why the referendum was on articles proposed by the former president, which were appended to the rest of the articles of the 1971 constitution, and together they made up the declaration of the new [temporary] constitution... Had the council recognized the legitimacy of the January 25 [revolution], we would not have needed these amendments, or a referendum on them. [We would only need] a brief announcement of a [temporary] constitution, which would include the most important articles to be applied during the transitional period, until a new constitution is drafted."Therefore, I personally declare my objection to these constitutional amendments, to the law banning protests, to the political party law, and to the... [temporary] constitution. All of them constitute a [direct] continuation of the era of the corrupt Mubarak, who made a pact with the religious movements in order to create schism and religious tension that would set Egypt back. The revolution was meant to rebuild Egypt as a modern country, moving toward the future. But what has happened so far indicates an attempt to drag Egypt back to the Middle Ages, back to being a failed religious country."Hmmmm......."Israel may benefit from the Arab Change.Yeah whatevah!Read the full story here.

• Thousands of protesters demand reform in Syria.Activists, witnesses say thousands demonstrating in cities across Syria chanting 'freedom'.Activists and witnesses says thousands of people are demonstrating in several Syrian cities.The witnesses say about 10,000 people were chanting "freedom, freedom" Friday in the southern city of Daraa, which has become the epicenter of the protest movement.Others witnesses say demonstrations have begun in the northeastern village of Bayda and in Douma near the capital, Damascus. The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals. A large pro-democracy protest also took place in Deir al-Zor on the Euphrates river, activists and a tribal sheikh said. In the coastal city of Banias, around 1,500 people chanted "freedom" after Friday prayers, despite the deployment of the army in the city as part of a deal to contain protests, the Syria Observatory for Human Rights said. There were also protests in Kurdish areas in eastern Syria, a Kurdish source said.Earlier on Friday, the Human Rights Watch issued a report claiming Syrian security forces have arrested hundreds of people arbitrarily since pro-democracy protests erupted a month ago and subjected them to torture and ill-treatment. Hmmmmm......But,but Saddat is a 'reformer'?Read the full story here.

• World Bank: Food prices have entered the 'danger zone'.Food prices have entered the “danger zone”, threatening to condemn a generation to extreme poverty and malnutrition, the World Bank has warned.Robert Zoellick, World Bank president, said food prices are at “a tipping point”, having risen 36pc in the last year to levels close to their 2008 peak. The rising cost of food has been much more dramatic in low-income countries, pushing 44m people into poverty since June last year. Another 10pc rise in food prices would push 10m into extreme poverty, defined as an effective income of less than $1.25 a day. Already, the world’s poor number 1.2bn. Mr Zoellick said he saw no short term reversal in the damaging effect of food inflation, which is felt much more in the developing world as packaging and distribution accounts for a far larger proportion of the cost in the advanced economies. Asked if he thought prices would remain high for a year, Mr Zoellick said: “The general trend lines are ones where we are in a danger zone… because prices have already gone up and stocks are relatively low.”The problem has been exacerbated by “weather problems in Russia, Ukraine, North America, China”. Making matters worse has been rising fuel prices, which go into fertilisers and energy. However, he played down the impact of speculators on prices, saying only that “it can exacerbate some of the shifts”. He also raised concerns about the food investment policies of some of the world’s wealthier nations in poorer countries. China has been buying up huge tracts of Africa to grow enough food to feed its growing middle class. Using Saudi Arabia’s decision to scrap wheat production and invest overseas for food instead as an example, he said: “This raises sensitivities about the purchasing and investment and the land.Read the full story here.

• Jordanian Court to Try Danish Mohammed Cartoonist on “Blasphemy” Charges.A Jordanian court will begin this month the trial of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard over a controversial caricature of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, but it was unclear if he will attend.Zakarya Sheikh, spokesman for a group of local media outlets that sued Westergaard in 2008 for depicting Mohammed with a bomb in his turban, said on Thursday the artist and others have been summoned by a magistrates’ court in Amman to stand trial on April 25.”A copy of the subpoena obtained by AFP says Westergaard “is accused of the crime of blasphemy.”“These legal measures seek to prevent attempts to insult Islam and incite racial hatred against Muslims worldwide, particularly in Europe,” Sheikh told AFP.A Jordanian prosecutor summoned Westergaard for questioning in 2008 after 30 independent newspapers, websites and radio stations in Jordan sued him over his cartoon, which was republished in at least 17 Danish dailies, sparking violent protests in a number of Muslim countries, including the kingdom.Hmmmm......."Defamation of religions anyone"?See video in earlier posting yesterday.Read the full story here.

• Malaysia: Coalition of 20 Muslim Groups Declare Jihad Against “Extremist” Christians.An umbrella coalition of Muslim groups held a protest today and declared bloodshed against ‘extremist’ Christians that insult and ridicule the position of Islam in the country.The Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela), comprising 20 groups, protested after Friday prayers at the National Mosque against Putrajaya’s release of Malay-language bibles and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s promise to never impound the Alkitab again.A group of 30 men dressed in white shirts and skullcaps gathered at the main entrance of the mosque after prayers with placards saying “Allah is great! We Ansarullah (helpers of Allah) are watching you!”Group spokesman Dr Yusri Mohamad said that the Christians are beginning to challenge and dismantle the status and sovereignty of Islam as the state religion.“Pembela found that statements and actions (by Christian groups) are made to further challenge the sovereignty of Islam. This is not acceptable to Pembela because it implies that there is a larger agenda to be achieved by this group apart from the bible issues alone.Hmmmm.......“Violence does not build up the kingdom of God, the kingdom of humanity. On the contrary, it is a favorite instrument of the Antichrist, however idealistic its religious motivation may be,” Pope Benedict XVI. Read the full story here.

• Obama: Under GOP “We’d Be A Nation of Potholes And Airports Worse Than Places We Used To Call The Third World”.Saving the most raucous for last, President Obama kicked off fund-raising for his re-election campaign Thursday with three sessions in Chicago, raising $2 million from 2,500 supporters.“This is the city where I fell in love and started a family,” Obama told 2,300 cheering fans at Navy Pier. He also spoke to a smaller crowd at MK restaurant, where he used to take his wife on dates.“This is where we’re going to be basing our headquarters for the 2012 campaign,” Obama told the Navy Pier crowd.…Obama defended his record and warned how far the country could fall if Republicans retake the White House and seniors could no longer afford health care:“Under their vision, we can’t invest in roads and bridges and broadband and high-speed rail,” Obama said. “We would be a nation of potholes and our airports would be worse than places that we used to call the Third World but that are now investing in infrastructure.”Hmmmmm......I've got news for you:"Bankrupting a country will get you in the Third World countries league" "Genius"!Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Iranian Regime Prepares For Ahwazi Day Of Rage.On the eve of the Day Of Rage declared today by the Ahwazis, the Arab residents of Iran in Khuzestan province, the Iranian authorities have declared a state of emergency in the province, and also cut communication lines, shut down provincial government institutions, deployed forces on all roads leading to the capital city Ahwaz. It was reported that the regime has freed on bail several Ahwazis who were arrested recently, threatening them not to leave their homes during the Day of Rage. The Borna news agency reported that an Iranian security personnel member was killed and five were wounded in a clash between Ahwazis and security forces. Lebanese Shi'ite cleric Mohammad Ali Al-Hosseini, who opposes Iran, called on the Arab countries to aid the Ahwazis in their struggle. According to Alarabiya.net, Amjad Taha Yassin, the administrator of the Ahwazi Revolution news page on Facebook, said that developments of the situation will be posted minute-by-minute on the Facebook page.Hmmmm.....Not all are waiting for the 12Th Imam it seems?Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Ayatollah Al-Sistani Refuses To meet With Saudi King On Bahrain Crisis.Ayatollah Shahrestani, the representative in Iran of Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, who resides in Iraq, told Iranian Majlis members shortly after he returned from Iraq that Ayatollah Sistani had rejected a request by Saudi King Abdallah to meet with him to discuss the crisis in Bahrain, where Saudi troops are putting down Shi'ite protests. Ayatollah Al-Sistani is considered the greatest jurisprudent of the Shi'ite world. Ayatollah Shahrestani explained Ayatollah Al-Sistani's refusal by assessing that the meeting would not have served the Bahraini people. It appears that with this move Al-Sistani is expressing harsh criticism of Saudi intervention in Bahrain.Hmmmmm.......Read the full story here.

• Shiites on the rise in Sunni Gaza, Sunnis on the rise in Shiite Iran.The number of Shiites is increasing in the Gaza Strip, which has a majority of Sunni population, an Iranian website reported last week. Iran, on the other hand, is irritated by a notable rise in the number of Sunnis in the Iranian southwestern province of Khuzestan, whose population has a majority of Arabs.The conservative Asr Iran (Iran Age) Website reported that a large number of Palestinians in Gaza have converted to the Shiite doctrine within the past few years, although the enclave is controlled by the Sunni Islamist Hamas rulers.A similar report by Agence-France Press said that a large number of Gazans have converted to the Shiite doctrine within the past few years, signaling a clear sign of an increase in the Iranian influence among the Palestinians.Arab states accuse Iran of inciting hatred and igniting sectarian tensions among their peoples.Hamas rulers, meanwhile, are obliged to deal with the converters carefully, in order not to jeopardize their relationship with their closest ally Tehran.Abdul Rahim Hamad, a converted Shiite who lives in Jabalia refugee camp, told AFP that he converted to the Shiite doctrine five years ago. He said that the increase in the number of Shiites in Gaza was “due to the influence of Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah in the region.”“We are now hundreds in Gaza. We will start our political activities soon. Palestinian Shiites will play an important role in controlling this region in the future,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.Ahmed Youssef, adviser of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya, denied any increase in the number of Shiites in Gaza, but he added that the Palestinians “love Iran and Hezbollah.”However, security sources from the Gaza Strip said that police forces last Thursday shut down the premises of the Shiite “al-Baqeyat al-Salehat” society, which is located in northern Gaza.“We were surprised today by the shutdown of the society premises and all its affiliated utilities including its sports track, the Quran reciting class and the youth center,” Hisham Salem, the society chairman, told the Palestinian MAAN news agency.He said that “al-Baqeyat al-Salehat” was a charitable society that was given the municipal license four years ago. “The society receives funds from several foreign states, including Iran,” he said.Iran, on the other hand, is irritated by the spread of the Sunni doctrine in the Khuzestan province–also known as Arabstan or Ahvaz–which has a majority of Arab population.Iran, on the other hand, is irritated by the spread of the Sunni doctrine in the Khuzestan province–also known as Arabstan or Ahvaz–which has a majority of Arab population.Some Arab inhabitants of the province believe that conversion to the Sunni doctrine might end their only link to Iran. Others believe that the Ahvaz problem is a national problem that would never be solved through conversion from one sect to the other.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a visit to Khuzestan in 2010, hinted to the quick spread of the Sunni doctrine among the Arabs in the province. Iranian cleric Mohammed Jawad Adel also warned against the notable rise in the number of Sunnis in Iran, especially on the border areas, describing it as a “very serious issue” and urged the Iranian authorities to strongly confront what he called the “Sunni missionary.”Hmmmm......One minute it's a 'Sunni' day ,next thing you know you're covered in 'Shiite'?Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad: We Aren't Connected To Kidnapping, Murder Of Italian Journalist.The jihadi Al-Shumukh forum has posted a communiqué from the Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad salafi-jihadi organization denying any connection to the kidnapping and murder of Italian journalist Vittorio Arrigoni, and warning that its policy of self-restraint vis-à-vis Hamas, in the face of the ongoing persecution of salafi jihadis, including the killing and arrest of many salafis, is about to end. The communiqué also warns that if imprisoned salafis are not immediately released from prison, first among them Sheikh Abu Al-Walid Al-Maqdisi, the emir of Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, Hamas will bear the consequences.Hmmmm.......What no "The Jooooos did it" now that says a lot. Source.

• HT:Investigativeproject.Top U.S. Admiral Warns of Lashkar's "Expanding Reach".A top U.S. commander has warned of the "expanding reach" of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Laskar-e-Tayyiba (LeT). The group has declared "jihad" on America and its activities are no longer confined to South Asia and India, Adm. Robert Willard, head of the Pacific Command, told a Senate hearing April 12. LeT has been blamed by Indian authorities for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans.Willard claimed the United States had evidence of LeT's presence in Europe and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Willard also said the group was active in Canada and the United States.Willard also noted the relationship of the Pakistani government to the LeT was "very sensitive." The LeT is alleged to be a creation of Pakistan's military intelligence service, the ISI, as part of its efforts to use Kashmiri fighters to wage a low-intensity proxy war against rival India. The group has been banned in Pakistan but Indian authorities maintain the ISI continues to have ties to Lashar militants.Willard's remarks come at a time of heightened interest in Lashkar in the United States, particularly since the arrest of Chicago resident David Headley whose reconnaissance trips to India on behalf of Lashkar played a key role in the Mumbai attacks.Hmmmmm......A voice of reason in the desert?Read the full story here.

• HT:WomenAgainSharia.Picture of the Week: Indonesian Islamic Party MP Quits After Caught Watching Porn.He won’t shake hands with a woman, but we have a feeling that this conservative Indonesian MP enjoys shaking hands with shorty. Here he is downloading porn during a session of parliament.Hmmmm.....The 'Djinnies made me do it?Read and see the full story here.

• And now for something completely different!'World's first 3D porn film' opens in Hong Kong.Movie-goers flocked to see what is billed as the world's first 3D porn film as it opened to packed cinemas across Hong Kong on Thursday, with some screenings selling out completely.Loosely based on a piece of classical Chinese erotic literature, the $3.2-million Cantonese-language movie "3-D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy" features orgies, swinging and some very graphic sex scenes.Curious movie-goers from all walks of life -- office workers, retirees and students -- formed long queues outside cinemas in the southern Chinese city, eager to catch an eyeful of steamy 3D action.Many in the crowd were women and were not shy about watching the movie."I'm not normally much of a movie-goer, but this one is just too good to miss," 32-year-old Justin Lai told AFP as she waited at a cinema in Causeway Bay, one of the city's busiest entertainment districts."I'd like to see what 3D porn is like on the big screen." I hear, but not confirmed, airlines flying to Hong Kong have seen a dramatic rise in passengers.Read and see the full story here.More here.  HT:TheJawaReport.

MFS - The Other News

                       Afternoon Posting.

• Live broadcast info from Japan directly ! Here.

• Libya Live Blog - April 13. Here .(Al-Jazeera).
• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world increased seismic activity in Japan  today between 4.5 and 5.4! More info here.

• Japan - Latest official Situation Update No. 84.On 12.04.2011 at 02:59 GMT+2. Here .

• Japan  : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog

• HT:BigGovernment.Obama’s ‘Framework’ for Perpetual Deficits and Higher Taxes.Big Government has received an outline of President Obama’s ‘framework’ for reducing the federal budget deficit. The White House claims the ‘framework’ will trim $4 Trillion, over 12 years from the deficit.The President believes that we need a comprehensive, pro-growth economic strategy that invests in winning the future, lays the foundation for strong private-sector job growth and ensures that shared prosperity will keep the American dream alive for generations to come. A key component of that strategy must be a commitment to fiscal responsibility and to living within our means. Today, the President is laying out a comprehensive, balanced deficit reduction framework to cut spending, bring down our debt and increase confidence in our nation’s fiscal strength, while supporting our economic recovery and ensuring we are making the investments we need to win the future.Hmmmm....Call me old fashion but what interest me is what's the spending numbers for the next 12 years,considering the number of Trillions he adds in a year to the US debt?Read the full story here.

• HT:Politico.Most 'transparant' administration White House visitor logs leave out many.A foot of snow couldn’t keep Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jennifer Hudson and other celebrities away from a star-studded celebration of civil-rights-era music, hosted by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House in February 2010.Dylan’s haunting rendition of “The Times They Are a-Changin’” was a highlight of the dazzling evening. The digitally friendly White House even posted the video of his performance on its website.But you won’t find Dylan (or Robert Zimmerman, his birth name) listed in the White House visitor logs — the official record of who comes to call at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., which is maintained by the Secret Service.Ditto Joan Baez.Similarly, the logs are missing the names of thousands of other visitors to the White House, including lobbyists, government employees, campaign donors, policy experts and friends of the first family, according to an investigation by the Center for Public Integrity.The White House website proudly boasts of making available “over 1,000,000 records of everyone who’s come through the doors of the White House” via a searchable database.Yet the Center’s analysis shows that the logs routinely omit or cloud key details about the identity of visitors, whom they met with and the nature of their visits. The logs even include the names of people who never showed up. These are critical gaps that raise doubts about the records’ historical accuracy and utility in helping the public understand White House operations, from social events to meetings on key policy debates.

Among the many weaknesses found by the Center’s review of the database:

• The “event” description in the logs is blank for more than 205,000 visits, including many that involved small meetings with the president and his key aides.

• Five junior staff aides together received more than 4,440 visits. By contrast, then-chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, famed for his workaholic schedule, is listed as having fewer than 500 visits.

• Less than 1 percent of the estimated 500,000 visits to the White House in Obama’s first eight months — a time when the new administration was bustling with activity — have been disclosed, according to the Center’s analysis.The Center’s analysis is based on visitor logs through February; additional names released in late March are not included in this analysis. “If this is transparency, who needs it?” said Steven Aftergood, director of the project on government secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists. He called the White House visitor logs “very thin gruel.”Hmmmm.....For all i know even Osama Bin Laden could be visiting Hussein and staying in the guestroom?Read the full story here.

• Iran benefits from regional turmoil as price of oil soars.At the same time, Hezbollah is concerned with the ongoing protests in Syria and the possibility that President Bashar Assad will lose power.According to foreign reports, Syria is storing an unspecified number of long-range Scud missiles inside a base near the Syrian-Lebanese border. Other reports have mentioned that Syria is also storing advanced surface-to-air missiles on Hezbollah’s behalf.Iran is believed to still be suffering from technical setbacks due to the Stuxnet computer virus that attached its Natanz uranium fuel enrichment facility over the summer but has gotten most of its program back on track.According to assessments within the defense establishment, Iran’s current strategy is to prepare all of its nuclear assets for the day that it will decide to go to the breakout stage and begin developing a nuclear weapon.Hmmmm......Read the full story here.

• Top White House aide delivers Obama letter to Saudi king.A top White House aide delivered a personal letter from President Obama to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah on Tuesday, as the administration moved to calm tensions between the two countries over how to respond to upheaval in the Arab world and deal with their mutual adversary in Iran.The stakes are high for both sides, perhaps higher for Obama.

Saudi Arabia, in addition to being the world’s largest oil exporter and the site of the Muslim world’s holiest sites, is the leading U.S. regional partner on counterterrorism matters. An extensive bilateral intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure has been established over the past decade. A pending $60 billion arms deal with the Saudis is the largest in U.S. history.Underlying the current tensions is Saudi Arabia’s long-standing concern that it “has been taken for granted by the United States,” said another member of the Shura, part of a group that visited Washington last week.

The Saudis consider themselves “the voice for moderation and stabilization in the Middle East,” he said, and resent the U.S. implication that the administration is more attuned to threats such as Iran, or that the Saudi monarchy needs to move toward its own reforms at a faster pace than it believes is wise or necessary.

Some foreign policy experts in this country agree that Obama needs to pay more attention to the relationship. The Saudi king needs to know “that the president will provide a secure safety net of support, rather than undermine him” in the event of trouble in the kingdom, Martin Indyk, the director of the Brookings Institution’s foreign policy program, wrote in The Washington Post early this week. Saudi uncertainty was reflected in a visit to Pakistan last month by Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the head of the Saudi National Security Council.But others are more dismissive of Saudi concerns. “Our friends are mad at us because we said Mubarak had to go,” Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) said Tuesday at the U.S.-Islamic Forum, a conference in Washington jointly sponsored by Brookings and the government of Qatar. “We didn’t say that . . . the Egyptian people did,” Kerry said. “We acknowledged a reality.”“For leaders worried about their regimes, royal families and governments,” Kerry said, “this is an opportunity to adjust to how they stay in power.”Hmmmm......C'Mon Abdul no hard feelings wasn't planning to stab you in the back down the road....well not right now perhaps later in an alley?Read the full story here.

• EU slaps sanctions on 32 Iranians over rights abuses.AFP LUXEMBOURG — The European Union imposed assets freezes and travel bans on 32 Iranian officials on Tuesday, saying they had been involved in human rights violations.British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on the sidelines of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers that the 27-nation bloc wanted to hit back at the "appalling human rights record of Iran."He denounced the jailing of Iranian opposition leaders, the detention of more journalists "than any other country in the world," and an "excessive use of the death penalty, often on vague charges."The EU "is agreeing today restrictive measures on 32 individuals in Iran we believe are responsible and instrumental in these policies," he said.The measures were decided at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, following in the footsteps of the United States, which imposed similar sanctions in September 2010.The list of names will soon be made public in the EU Official Journal.The EU ministers had already agreed in principle to the sanctions in March, when they voiced concern about the "deterioration" of human rights in Iran.They also voiced alarm over the "dramatic increase in executions in recent months and the systematic repression of Iranian citizens."Iran has already been hit by a raft of sanctions imposed by the United Nations over its refusal to halt its controversial nuclear programme.The United States and the European Union added their own unilateral sanctions on top of the UN measures last year.The United States hit eight Iranian official with sanctions last year, including current and former ministers, accusing them of committing serious human rights violations during the disputed presidential elections of 2009.Read the full story here.

• Sweden Plans Deportation of Christian-Convert Imam.A former imam who converted to Christianity is facing extradition from Sweden to his native Iraq, where he may face imprisonment or death for his "apostasy" from Islam. . According to an article at Dagen.se (translated by Google): A former imam, who lives in Karlskoga and who converted to Christianity must be deported to Iraq, the Administrative Court of Appeal has decided. Bengt Sjoberg, local politician from Filipstad and heavily involved in refugee issues, said that the former Imam [had] been baptized in the Baptist church in Karlskoga and openly share[d] [his] faith with others. “This is absolutely horrible. This is a genuine conversion and many of us can testify that there is a man who lives as a Christian.”Given the latitude which has been shown by Western nations for generations in extending protection to individuals claiming sanctuary from the tyranny which would confront them at home, the decision of Swedish authorities to deport a man whose conversion would make him a target seems reckless. The bloody persecution which has been inflicted on the Church in Iraq in the past few years has driven much of the Christian remnant out of the country; even the homes of Christians in Baghdad were subjected to Jihadist attacks this past Christmas.According to an entry (“Mänskliga rättigheter, asylsökande och dop/Human rights, asylum seekers and baptism”) on Mr. Sjoberg’s website, the Church of Sweden is making the situation worse for converts because it is urging that those foreigners who become believers in Christianity should not be baptized, if there is a possibility they could be deported. As Mr. Sjoberg writes (again, via Google translation): It's good that the Swedish Church declares that it is dangerous to be a Christian if you come from certain countries such as Afghanistan and Iran.Certainly one of the most basic rights recognized in the West is the freedom of conscience in matters of religion. While Islamic nations threaten to execute those who "blaspheme" Islam, and Jihadists murder the only Christian in the Pakistani government, the moral obligation of Western nations is to protect immigrants from such nations as would imprison or murder them for their religious beliefs, as we once offered a measure of protection to those who fled from the Communist nations.It is not surprising that some of the recent émigrés from the Islam-dominated countries will come to the realization that they had previously been deceived regarding the nature of Christianity. Rev. Elijah Abraham, a former Muslim from Iraq who converted to Christianity, has a ministry, Living Oasis Ministries, which has as its goal bringing the Gospel to adherents of Islam. (Rev. Abraham was interviewed by The New American last year, and the first portion of that interview may be found here.) Rev. Abraham explained that his life as a Muslim in Iraq was one which was filled with hatred:

I grew up with hatred: hatred toward Christianity. I had a lot of Christian neighbors and friends and I loved them, but the Christians I could not separate from Christianity because my community and Islam told me I could not separate America from Christianity ... England from Christianity ... colonialism from Christianity. So that was the hatred — hatred toward the West — imperialism, capitalism, etc. — and hatred toward the Jews, and Israel, and Zionism. Nobody told me why I needed to hate. The culture of hate is just a way of life, and not just hatred toward Christians and Jews, but also toward other factions within Islam. There is no peace. There is this constant struggle, on a personal, community, or national level. That’s why it’s a really great opportunity to share the Gospel with Muslims, because as human beings we always want to have peace of mind. We always want to be at rest and ease. That’s the void that only God can fill. So it’s a great opportunity when I witness to Muslims and give them that option. Yes, they will give me typical Muslim objections to the Gospel, but I’m prepared to answer those questions.Such converts from Islam have a great deal to teach Christians in the West through their willingness to suffer for what they believe. As Sjoberg observes, “We never baptize someone who has not received proper training and if you come from a Muslim background you may be given a long time to think about the risks it entails to become a Christian and be baptized, [as you] may be deported to a country where capital punishment [is inflicted] on any converts. If you still stand fast in the desire to fully become a Christian, we can not deny anyone to make this powerful spiritual experience.”Hmmmm......Why not appeal to the Pope to put pressure on the Swedes?Read the full story here.

• The Obama Administration Embraces Radical Islamists.But the clueless Obama administration’s “faith advisor” Dahlia Mogahed is mimicking Alfred E. Neuman’s line in Mad Magazine: “What, Me Worry?According to a report on the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood website that has since been mysteriously removed, Ms. Mogahed, presumably reflecting the views of her boss, has reportedly said in a recent interview that Washington has no worries concerning the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.The news media – even Fox News – has dropped the ball in not covering this latest piece of evidence that the Obama administration is legitimizing our number one ideological enemy – radical Islam .In the interview, Obama’s faith advisor revealed that the Obama administration:

does not want to make an enemy of the Muslim Brotherhood and in fact respects them;

foresees the Muslim Brotherhood acquiring a majority of the seats in Egypt’s upcoming parliamentary election; andbelieves the relationship between the United States and an Egypt governed by a Muslim Brotherhood majority will be much more that of equals.Obama’s faith advisor did not stop there. In an article she posted on the Huffington Post website entitled “The Fruits of Faith in the Arab Spring,” Ms. Mogahed argued that Islam is playing a role in the Arab nation revolutions akin to the role that religious faith played for this country’s civil rights movement.She said that

Islam contains rich resources for liberation philosophy.

I highly doubt that the Iranian dissidents whom have been killed, beaten, arrested, and tortured at the behest of the oh-so-devout Islamic mullahs running the Islamic Republic of Iran would be impressed with Islam’s version of a “liberation philosophy.”That’s not all. Ms. Mogahed also claimed that Islamists’ rejection of any man-made law that conflicts with Allah’s law is a good thing : Its most central theological principle is that of God’s absolute oneness, meaning that only He is worthy of unquestioning obedience and submission, and only He should be truly feared. This focus on God’s glory minimizes the supposed supremacy of tyrants, making them seem miniscule and powerless. When protesters declare “God is greater,” they are saying that the Devine (sic) dominates the dictator.Hmmmm.....,A pitty her boss has a tendency to leave the word GOD out?Ah my mistake ....that's the Christian God.Read the full treason story here.

• HT:Memri.Al-Azhar Sheikh: Pope's Apology A Condition For Interfaith Dialogue.As part of yesterday's Cairo visit by the Vatican envoy, Al-Azhar Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayeb demanded an official apology from Pope Benedict XVI for his insult to Islam, calling it a basic condition for renewing the interfaith dialogue between the two institutions. Al-Azhar decided to freeze the dialogue with the Vatican in late January following Pope Benedict XVI's criticism of Muslims' treatment of Christians in the Middle East.Hmmm......My guess you got your answer a while back“Violence does not build up the kingdom of God, the kingdom of humanity. On the contrary, it is a favorite instrument of the Antichrist, however idealistic its religious motivation may be,” Pope Benedict XVI. Read the full story here.

• HT:BigPeace.Video - New Islamic Council Established In Spain.The plan is to subsidize the building of more mosques and Islamic schools. Goal is the “further integration of Islam into Spanish society.”Hmmmm....El.Cid planning to be re-burried at the vatican?Read and see the full story here.

• HT:Memri.GCC Countries Call For Cancelling Baghdad Summit.Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad al-Khalifa is reported to have declared that the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have demanded the cancellation of the Arab summit, which is set for Baghdad on May 10-11. The GCC's decision reflects the tension between the Gulf states and Iraq over the issue of Bahrain. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on March 19 and reiterated on March 26 that "Bahrain differs from Libya and Egypt; it is a case between Sunnis and Shi'a and the entry of forces from Arab countries regarded as Sunni in support of the Sunni government of Bahrain has created a situation that appeared like Sunni mobilization against the Shi'a."Al-Maliki has warned of a sectarian regional war.Hmmmm.....Where does Sunni Turkey stand in all this?Read the full story here.

• Hmmmm....The US must bend to the will off the Muslim Brotherhood?Forum seeks more US action in Muslim world conflicts.The head of a global Islamic group called Tuesday for the United States to be more active in solving conflicts in the Muslim world, particularly the long-running dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.In a speech to open the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, or OIC, said the Middle East peace process should be the cornerstone of U.S.-Muslim world relations and called on Washington to take a "more active role in seeking solutions to conflict-ridden situations in the Muslim world."The Muslim world has "seen improvements" in relations with the United States since President Barack Obama took office, said İhsanoğlu, but tensions between the two sides will persist if the Israel-Palestinian conflict is not resolved. "There are certain concerns – I should say certain grievances – concerning the Palestinian issue," İhsanoğlu told reporters."This should be addressed in a concrete way. Without addressing these issues properly, we will still find certain problems between the Muslim world and the United States," he said.Those parameters would include a reference to the borders that existed before the 1967 Six Day War, and the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital of both states. The Palestinians also want the quartet to issue a condemnation of continuing Israeli settlement expansion.On Tuesday, as the U.S.-Islamic World forum opened, diplomats at the United Nations said Washington had blocked a bid to break the deadlock in the Middle East peace process by not agreeing to a meeting in Berlin where Britain, France and Germany wanted to outline a settlement to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.Read the full story here.

• Women block road in Syria after hundreds arrested.Thousands of women staged a sit-in Wednesday on a main highway in northern Syria to demand the release of hundreds of people arrested in protests in the region, a rights activist said."More than 5,000 women are gathered on the main road linking the towns of Tartus and Banias to demand the release of hundreds of people arrested yesterday in Baida by security forces," Rami Abdel Rahman told Agence France-Presse."Dozens of people were arrested" in the nearby flashpoint town of Banias, said Abdel Rahman, who was speaking by telephone from London where his organization, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, is based.Syrian security forces closed the coastal town of Banias, 280 kilometers north of Damascus, and raked Baida with gunfire on Tuesday, witnesses told AFP by telephone.One witness said gunfire on Baida was "intense like rain" while another said Banias was "surrounded by tanks" and "like a prison" with no one able to go in or out of the town.Residents also complained of bread shortages and said shops and petrol stations were closed.The army has kept a stranglehold on Banias since Sunday, when regime agents opened fired on residents, particularly those in mosques, killing four people and wounding 17, according to witnesses.The official SANA news agency had said nine soldiers, including two officers, were killed on Sunday when their patrol was ambushed outside Banias.A human rights activist told AFP that the crackdown on Banias was "probably aimed at arresting" Anas al-Shuhri, one of the leaders of the pro-democracy protests.Read the full story here.

• Kerry: Obama wasted time on settlement freeze.Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry slams US president's 'wrong approach' to Israeli-Palestinian peace process.WASHINGTON – Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Kerry (D), slammed Wednesday President Barack Obama's efforts to advance the Mideast peace process, saying he adopted "the wrong approach."Speaking at a Brookings' Saban Center for Middle East Policy conference, Kerry blamed Obama for "wasting" more that half of his presidential term by publicly demanding that Israel suspend all settlement expansion.Kerry, who has a 2004 presidential bid under his belt, served as a special envoy for the Obama Administration to Syria and Afghanistan. The senator explained his opposition to Obama's policy, saying he believes a plan involving public pressure was doomed to fail, and "unachievable." He went on to say that the American president's choice of action was the same as "putting the cart before the horses," adding the key to resolving the issue was reaching an agreement that clearly addresses security issues and borders. Kerry qualified his words, saying he did not believe this could be achieved at this point in time.Still, the Democratic senator added he had every faith that Washington would soon try to reignite the stalled peace process, likely during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to DC next month. Kerry added Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are likely to actively partake in the process and will do what they can to advance it before September – and the scheduled meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.The Palestinians intend to bring before the Assembly a proposal calling for UN recognition of a Palestinian state win line with the 1967 borders.Kerry added that he believed the Palestinian effort to unilaterally push the issue was "a mistake." He further warned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that such a move would be perilous. The US, he concluded, will make a true effort to stop things from spinning out of control.Hmmmmm.......Words come cheap these days.Read the full story here.