Monday, May 23, 2011

Clearstream: 15 months suspended sentence required cons Dominique de Villepin

Fifteen-month suspended prison sentence was needed on Monday to the court of appeal in Paris against Dominique de Villepin, who was suspected of "complicity in slanderous denunciation" in the Clearstream affair, against the 18-month suspended sentence and 45,000 euro fine required at trial.

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General's Office has requested thirty months' imprisonment, of which 18 were suspended, against former vice-chairman of EADS, Jean-Louis Gergorin, a year closes.

The mathematician Imad Lahoud has seen cons require him thirty months in prison with 15 months suspended.

The Advocate General Jean-Louis Perol has also requested a fine of 45,000 euros against MM.Gergorin and Lahoud.

At trial, the prosecutor of Paris Jean-Claude Marin was itself mounted at the hearing to take up the case Villepin.He was required against him 18 months suspended sentence and 45,000 euro fine.

Meanwhile, he required two years in prison, 18 months firm against Imad Lahoud and three years in prison, 18 months firm, against Jean-Louis Gergorin and 45,000 euros fine against the two men.

On January 28, 2010, Dominique de Villepin had been acquitted, while Jean-Louis Gergorin and Imad Lahoud were sentenced respectively to 15 and 18 months in prison, for each matched to a fine of 40,000 euros.

The Clearstream affair is a huge case of false accusation in which names, including that of Nicolas Sarkozy, were added to listings bank to pretend they dipped in dark corruption.

For the general prosecutor, Dominique de Villepin was aware of the falsity of listings in July 2004 and thus could stop the slander. The Crown has appealed the acquittal of former Prime Minister believes it should be condemned for "complicity by failure."

But if the "complicity in slanderous denunciation" does exist in the penal code, the "complicity by failure" is a legal concept that the appellate court is free to follow or not.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

TERRORISM: In a posthumous message, Bin Laden hails Arab revolutions

Osama Bin Laden hails the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and called on Muslims to take advantage of this "rare historic opportunity" to lift, in a posthumous message audio captured by the U.S. central monitoring Islamist websites (SITE).

The message, posted on jihadist forums on Wednesday by the As-Sahab website, close to Al-Qaeda, takes 12 minutes and 37 seconds, and speaks to Muslims in the Arab revolutions in recent months.

Bin Laden recommends the establishment of a council to advise revolutionary and decide the best time to spread revolt in the Muslim world.

"Any delay could cause the loss of this opportunity and the trigger before the exact time would increase the number of victims," ​​said bin Laden yet, according to the SITE.

"I think the winds of change are blowing across the Muslim world with Allah's permission," says even the leader of Al Qaeda killed in Pakistan by U.S. commandos on May 2

According to a previous release of Al-Qaeda, Bin Laden, the instigator of the attacks of September 11, 2001, posted this message a week before being killed in an attack by U.S. special forces against his residence north of Islamabad, where he was hiding, said SITE.

There is "a great and rare historical opportunity to raise with the Ummah (Islamic community) and free yourself from bondage decided by the executives, the law of men and Western domination," said Bin Laden registration with a photo of the former leader of Al Qaeda.

"This is a great sin and a vast ignorance of waste this opportunity that the Ummah has been waiting for decades. So use this advantage and destroy the idols and establish justice and faith," he adds.

In his message he refers to the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, but no mention of the uprisings in Libya, Syria and Yemen, bin Laden also warned against negotiations and compromise.

"To these revolutionary free in all countries stand firm in your initiative and be wary of negotiations, because there is no middle ground between the people of truth and the people of falsehood," he adds .

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Mississippi flood forced the authorities to carry out load shedding in Louisiana

U.S. authorities have opened a valve unloader on the Mississippi River in Louisiana (south), which recorded a historic flood in order to prevent further flooding of New Orleans, six years after Katrina.

The body of Engineers U.S. Army had previously announced it would open gradually from 3:00 p.m. (2000 GMT) the overflow channel of Morganza, Louisiana, to avoid a "wall of water "in the words of the governor of this state, Bobby Jindal, does descend on thousands of homes located along the Atchafalaya River.

"It may be more a marathon than a sprint," said Gen. Michael Walsh at a news conference in Morganza, stating that "enormous pressure weighing on the entire system."

The valve was opened when the river flow reached 42,500 cubic meters per second.This is only the second time since its construction in 1954 that emergency channel is open.

If all the floodway gates were open, the flow would reach a rate of 17,000 cubic meters per second, three times the volume of water that falls daily from Niagara Falls.

To avoid such a destructive flow, a single valve was opened Saturday to pass 280 cubic meters per second, one or two others could be Sunday.

Load shedding, which will supply water into the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to cause flooding of 1.2 million hectares but will save Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the martyred city of Hurricane just who is recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005, Governor Jindall.

New Orleans is protected by dikes upstream from six yards but the water has already reached 5.2 meters, and the worst floods in 70 years-that struck the central United States follow the course of the Mississippi south .

They have so far destroyed thousands of homes, farms and roads in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.

In view of downloading, the authorities have carried out evacuations in rural areas will be affected, a sacrifice which the mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu, said he was conscious.

"It's a tragic situation for everyone in America and of course for people who live in the Atchafalaya Basin and Morgan City.We wholeheartedly with them, "he said, noting that it would save his city.

Cindy Prejean, a resident of Gibson, a town a hundred miles from New Orleans, expects to see its home swim in 1.5 meters of water.

"What gives them the right to inundate us? Here there are so many neighborhoods, businesses and farms," ​​she told AFP.

According to forecasts, the opening of the channel load shedding could lead to peak at 4.5 meters in some neighborhoods.

The army said it would focus more on individuals than on the property.In anticipation, the American Red Cross has prepared thousands of places for evacuees.

Economically, the activity of the Port of New Orleans are continuing normally but 2,200 oil wells were threatened by floodwaters.

Friday, May 13, 2011

SYRIA: The system maintains the military pressure, two protesters killed in Homs

Two protesters were killed Friday by gunfire police in Homs in central Syria, while many soldiers and members of the security services were deployed in the homes of protest against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Despite the crackdown - which killed at least 700 deaths and thousands of arrests since the beginning of the protest movement in mid-March, according to human rights organizations of human rights - the opposition had appealed mobilization on the "The Syrian Revolution 2011".

In the afternoon, the Information Minister, Adnan Mahmoud, announced a "national dialogue would be initiated in the coming days" in the country.

Fouad Rajab, 40, was hit by a bullet in the head when the security services opened fire to disperse a manifestation of Homs, told AFP an activist of Human Rights, Nawar al-Omar.

A second protester was killed by gunfire in Homs, but the activist was not able to provide his identity.

According Louaï Hussein, a writer and opponent of President Assad had nevertheless instructed police not to open fire on demonstrators.

An adviser to the president, "Bouthaina Shaaban, told me during a telephone conversation that presidential orders had been given strict not to open fire on the demonstrators," said Mr.Hussein on his Facebook page.

Other events were attended by thousands of people Deraa (south), Qamishli, and Derbassyié Amouda (north-east), WQAS near Damascus and Hama 210 km north of the capital.

"Security forces fire into the air with automatic weapons to disperse to Deraa thousands of protesters," said one activist told AFP in this city south, where the protest movement was born in mid- March.

A Qamichli with a Kurdish majority, nearly 3,000 people demonstrated after prayers, according to another activist."With our soul and our blood we sacrifice ourselves for Deraa," chanted the demonstrators, according to a video posted on YouTube.

The protesters also wore a huge Syrian flag on which was written + + Azadi ("freedom" in Kurdish), depending on the video.

In addition, hundreds of people demonstrated in Jdaidet-Artouz, 11 km south of Damascus, "calling for the downfall of the regime," said another activist.

A thousand protesters also marched in WQAS, near the capital, where "significant reinforcements came," according to activists.

In the city of Hama, the police dispersed several demonstrations with batons, tear gas and water cannon.One of the demonstrations took place outside the headquarters of the town hall, where demonstrators tore the portrait of President Bashar al-Assad before being dispersed by Syrian forces, as an activist.

In all outbreaks of the dispute, "there is a large deployment of officers of the security forces," said one activist told AFP.

Asked in the morning, an activist from the coastal city of Banias (North West) stated that "more than 2,000 soldiers" were deployed in the square where people were demonstrating.

But the information minister said in the afternoon as the army began to withdraw from this coastal town, where she had entered Saturday.

According militants, arrests were also continuing across the country, Deir Ezzor (is) in Lattakia (northwest) and to Qamichli Deraa. Wednesday, 19 civilians had been killed by security forces in Dera and Homs, according to an NGO.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said he was "extremely concerned" by reports of NGOs have reported 700 to 850 deaths among the demonstrators and called on Damascus to stop trying to "silence opponents.

The British Foreign Ministry announced it had summoned the ambassador of Syria, threatening to "further sanctions".And Australia said it would tighten its financial sanctions against Damascus.

The head of European diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, had not ruled yesterday that the sanctions taken against 13 members of the scheme can be extended to President Assad.

The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, however, warned against foreign intervention, calling on the Syrian opposition not to repeat the "Libyan scenario," according to Russian news agencies.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on his part that he was "too early" to say whether President Assad had to go.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

SYRIA: Damascus regime predicted the imminent end of the revolt

It is a media outlet even more remarkable that Syrian officials were not usually speak in Western media. Boutheina Shaaban, Special Advisor to President Bashar al-Assad - who often takes on the role of spokesperson - awarded the "New York Times an interview in which she displays confidence regime against the protests that rocked the country for two months.

"I hope we are going through the end of this story. I think the most dangerous moment is behind us.I hope, I think, "said Councillor journalists from U.S. daily, which had special permission to enter a couple of hours in the country to meet briefly with their interlocutor.

Since the beginning of the protest movement, Syria is in effect closed to journalists and the few reports emerging about the violence between security forces and opponents of the regime come from witnesses and activists of human rights.

On Monday, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (OSDH) has reported that authorities have made further arrests in the capital, Damascus and Banias, a town on the Mediterranean coast.Since the beginning of the revolt in mid-March, between 600 and 700 people were killed and at least 8,000 arrested, according to NGOs.

In this regard, Boutheina Shaaban justified in the New York Times "the repressive regime, which" may not be sympathetic with people who lead an armed rebellion. "

Sanctions "manageable"

The international community does not share this analysis. The sanctions against 13 officials and Syrian arms embargo adopted by the European Union (EU) to halt "repression against the people" came into force on Tuesday.

Among these leaders face particular Maher al-Assad, younger brother of Syrian president and head of the Republican Guard, officials said Tuesday morning.The Head of State, himself, is currently not covered by the EU sanctions.

The United States has in turn imposed economic sanctions on officials of the country and warned Friday that they could adopt new measures if Damascus did not put an end to repression.

But these retaliatory measures do not undermine the optimism of the plan. In the interview with U.S. newspaper, Councillor Bashar al-Assad believes that these sanctions are manageable. "This is a form of pressure that has often been used against us. Just arrange a time that our country will be safe again. We're not going to live forever this crisis," says she.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

TERRORISM: Obama closing "a historic week" at Fort Campbell

AFP - Barack Obama closed on Friday "a historic week" for the United States with the decoration of the U.S. commando members who, by shooting down Osama bin Laden five days ago in Pakistan, "decapitated" al Qaeda.

Barack Obama and his Vice President Joe Biden visited earlier this afternoon on the military base of Fort Campbell (Kentucky, western central) to meet the assault force that led the operation against bin Laden .

The President has awarded them a "Presidential Citation, the highest award that can be given to a unit in recognition of their service and their extraordinary success," said an official on condition of anonymity.


"This week was historic for our nation," began a little later Barack Obama in a speech to soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division gathered at the base.

Mr.Obama said that eliminating bin Laden, the U.S. had "decapitated" al Qaeda and they would come to the end of the Islamist organization.

"We have beheaded Al-Qaeda and we will eventually overcome it," he promised the applause of the military.

"It was a chance for me to say on behalf of all Americans and all peoples throughout the world, good job. Good job!" He said. The men who led the raid against bin Laden are "professionals of the shadow of America ...they have trained for years, they are battle-hardened, they are prepared relentlessly for that mission. "

"When I ordered (to intervene, ie), they were ready. And these days, the whole world could see how much they were."

"Of those Americans who deserves credit for one of the largest military and intelligence operations in the history of our nation," he added.

No details were given on the exact composition of the squad but the president has met with members of the unit of helicopter pilots who participated in the raid and other special forces.

Vice President Biden simply stated the fact that members of the Navy Seals, Special Forces U.S. Navy, were involved.

But the White House refused to confirm his participation in the assault.

"Team 6" Navy SEALs (Team 6), presented by the media as the spearhead of the raid conducted against the residence of bin Laden in Pakistan, is the aristocracy of the SEALs - an acronym for Sea, Air, Land (sea, air, earth) also meaning seal - and its missions are considered so sensitive that their existence was never confirmed.

Osama Bin Laden was killed in the night from Sunday to Monday by a U.S. special forces operation against the residence where he was hiding in Abbottabad, a garrison city near Islamabad, Pakistan, ending a 10-year hunt .

Moreover, the Washington Post reports that the CIA since his "hideout" installed to monitor the residence of bin Laden, had observed that anyone leaving the residence should move away by car while riding for at least 90 minutes before use his cell phone to escape a possible electronic surveillance.

The U.S. plays were first picked up a phone call sent the emissary of bin Laden, who lived in the residence.The envoy said at the time the caller on the phone: "I'm back with people with whom I was before," reports the Washington Post.

Through this call, U.S. intelligence was able to identify the telephone number of the effluent. Then use "amount of human and technical resources," the CIA has finally located the residence of Abbottabad, where lived the outfall, and Bin Laden.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

TERRORISM: The U.S. squad had prepared to kill Osama bin Laden

REUTERS - The U.S. special forces involved in the attack against the residence where Osama bin Laden was hiding were prepared to kill the leader of Al Qaeda, officials said Monday U.S. national security.

"It was an operation to kill. If he released the white flag to surrender, he was captured alive," said one official.But during the preparation of
the operation, the working hypothesis was that bin Laden and fought, what actually happened.

The Islamist leader has "participated" in exchange of gunfire between U.S. commandos and the occupants of the fortified residence in which he entrenched himself in Abbottabad, north of Islamabad, the official said.

Other officials said the clash lasted 40 minutes and that the al Qaeda leader had been shot in the head and chest and did not return fire.

Three other men and a woman were killed in the assault of American forces that have no loss in their ranks. A wife of Bin Laden, believed to be dead at first, is in fact injured.The woman killed in the raid was not used as human shields, an official said, correcting earlier statements.

Navy Seals

A senior U.S. administration has confirmed that the soldiers involved in the transaction knew that bin Laden would prefer to die rather than be captured alive.

"The U.S. troops do not seek to kill if there is a way to get a surrender in accordance with military rules of engagement.That said, I think the idea was widely shared that it would end with a death, "the official said.

The operation involved 15 members of special forces, mostly U.S. Navy Seals (elite unit of the Navy), who were based in Afghanistan, said an official familiar with the details of the attack.

Specialists in forensic medicine have also participated in the raid to recover evidence to prove the identity of bin Laden and hunt down information which other leaders of Al Qaeda or to foil the conspiracies being prepared.

According to the National Journal, U.S. authorities had used the information collected on the complex of Abbottabad to build a replica and conduct training sessions in early April.

In the hours that followed the death of Osama bin Laden by President Barack Obama, the commandos have surrounded the remains of Bin Laden at sea

This measure was taken so that the body of the leader of Al Qaeda does not become the object of a cult and it does not appear as a martyr for future activists.

The trail of a "mail"

The crucial information that helped track down bin Laden was provided during interrogations of activists detained by U.S. troops after the attacks of Sept. 11.

Some activists, many of which are held in military prison at Guantanamo, have informed U.S. intelligence on the existence of an "e" close to the Islamist leader.

Initially, U.S. officials did not know the names and activities of this messenger. His identity was discovered four years ago. Two years ago, another reliable information was obtained about the fact that this letter and his brother operated near Islamabad.

In August 2010, the United States end up unable to locate a residence in Abbottabad in which live two brothers, their families and a third larger family.

The residence is at the end of an unpaved road, not far from a military academy in Pakistan.Some residents are retired Pakistani officers.

Using photographs provided by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) from spy satellites and aircraft as well as plays the NSA, the CIA has concluded that the residence was equipped with safety means unusual. It also appeared that its occupants were taking precautions also unusual.

In early 2011, the CIA became convinced that a target "important" was in the residence of Abbottabad and the probability was high whether bin Laden. The CIA, however, has never had the "absolute certainty" that the leader of Al Qaeda was actually in residence, said an official.