Thursday, March 31, 2011

DEMOCRACY WILL WIN DICTATORSHIP!

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Rebels cheer cracks in Gaddafi regime
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By Maria Golovnina Maria Golovnina – Thu Mar 31, 6:27 pm ET
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Rebels cheered the defection of a Libyan minister as a sign that Muammar Gaddafi's rule was crumbling, but U.S. officials warned he was far from beaten and made clear they feared entanglement in another painful war.

After former Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa arrived in Britain, London urged others around Gaddafi to follow suit. "Gaddafi must be asking himself who will be the next to abandon him," Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

Soon afterwards Ali Abdussalam Treki declined to take up his appointment by Gaddafi as U.N. ambassador, condemning the "spilling of blood" in Libya.

But reports of defections of more senior Gaddafi aides remained unconfirmed.

Asked about an Al Jazeera TV report that he was one of several who had fled to Tunisia, top oil official Shokri Ghanem told Reuters by phone late on Thursday: "This is not true, I am in my office and I will be on TV in a few minutes."

Koussa's defection however raised the spirits of rebel fighters who were put to headlong retreat in a counter-attack by Gaddafi forces this week.

"We are beginning to see the Gaddafi regime crumble," rebel spokesman Mustafa Gheriani said in the eastern town of Benghazi.

Despite almost two weeks of Western air strikes, Gaddafi's troops have used superior arms and tactics to push back rebels trying to edge westward along the coast from their eastern stronghold of Benghazi toward the capital Tripoli.

News that U.S. President Barack Obama had authorized covert operations in Libya raised the prospect of wider support for the rebels.

"NO BOOTS ON THE GROUND"

Obama's order is likely to alarm countries already concerned that air strikes on infrastructure and troops by the United States, Britain and France go beyond a U.N. resolution with the stated aim only of protecting civilians.

"I can't speak to any CIA activities but I will tell you that the president has been quite clear that in terms of the United States military there will be no boots on the ground," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

"I am preoccupied with avoiding mission creep and avoiding having an open-ended, very large-scale American commitment," he later told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We know about Afghanistan; we know about Iraq."

The top U.S. military officer said Gaddafi's forces were not close to collapse. "We have actually fairly seriously degraded his military capabilities," Admiral Mike Mullen said. "That does not mean he's about to break from a military standpoint."

The top Vatican official in the Libyan capital cited witnesses on Thursday saying at least 40 civilians had been killed in Western air strikes on Tripoli.

NATO said it was investigating but had no confirmation of the report. Libya's state news agency, citing military sources, said Western air strikes had hit a civilian area in the capital overnight, but did not mention casualties.

Britain said it was focusing air strikes around Misrata, which has been under siege from government forces for weeks. Rebels say snipers and tank fire have killed dozens of people.

About 1,000 people are believed to have been killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of Gaddafi since the uprising against his 41-year-old rule began on February 17, the British government said.

The rag-tag forces fighting Gaddafi say they desperately need more arms and ammunition to supplement supplies grabbed from government depots. The United States, France and Britain have raised the possibility, but say no decision has been taken.

NATO, which took over formal command of the air campaign on Thursday, said it would enforce a U.N. arms embargo on all sides. "We are there to protect the Libyan people, not to arm the people," NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Stockholm.

IMMUNITY?

Rebels were wary of any attempt by Koussa to negotiate immunity, saying Gaddafi and his entourage must be held accountable. "We want to see them brought to justice," senior rebel national council official Abdel Hameed Ghoga told Reuters.

While British officials hope Koussa will provide military and diplomatic intelligence, Scottish officials and campaigners want him to shed light on the 1988 Pan Am airliner bombing over Lockerbie in Scotland, which killed 259 people, mostly Americans, on the plane and 11 on the ground. A Libyan citizen was convicted over the bombing.

Noman Benotman, a senior analyst at a British think tank, said his friend Koussa was "very positive to cooperate not just with the UK government, but Europe as well."

Asked by Channel 4 News if Koussa was ready to face justice, Benotman replied: "Of course, without a doubt, trust me on that. But the point is there is no official case against him -- there's a lot of rumors and a lot of loose talk in the media."

A Libyan government spokesman said Gaddafi and all his sons would stay on "until the end."

Gates said Gaddafi's removal was "not part of the military mission" by coalition forces and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Western military action would not oust him.

"It is not through actions of war that we can make Gaddafi leave, but rather through strong international pressure to encourage defections by people close to him," Frattini said.

(Writing by Andrew Roche; editing by David Stamp)

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Harper aurait pu prendre le pouvoir sans élections en 2004




À lire aussi


Sur le même thème


Du même auteur


(Ottawa) L'ancienne gouverneure générale Adrienne Clarkson avait l'intention de demander à Stephen Harper, en septembre 2004, de tenter de former un gouvernement si les libéraux de Paul Martin, réélus avec un mandat minoritaire trois mois plus tôt, avaient été défaits par un vote de confiance sur le discours du Trône.
Avec seulement 99 sièges aux Communes, alors que les libéraux en avaient 135, les conservateurs de Stephen Harper auraient été contraints de négocier une entente avec le NPD et le Bloc québécois pour obtenir la confiance d'une majorité des députés et diriger le pays.
Aux élections de juin 2004, le NPD avait récolté 19 sièges et le Bloc québécois, 54. Ainsi, les conservateurs, avec moins de sièges que les libéraux, auraient pu prendre le pouvoir, à la demande de la gouverneure générale, sans obtenir un mandat des Canadiens.
«La question a été soulevée durant le gouvernement minoritaire de Paul Martin à savoir si, en tant que gouverneure générale, j'aurais acquiescé à la demande du premier ministre de dissoudre le Parlement et de permettre la tenue d'élections générales», écrit Mme Clarkson dans son autobiographie, publiée en 2006.
«Après avoir examiné les opinions des experts constitutionnels (...), j'avais décidé que je permettrais la dissolution du Parlement si le gouvernement avait survécu au moins six mois. Imposer aux Canadiens d'autres élections avant six mois aurait été irresponsable», ajoute Mme Clarkson dans son livre, intitulé Heart Matters (Le coeur au poing dans sa traduction française).
Ce faisant, Mme Clarkson aurait respecté les conventions constitutionnelles qui veulent que le gouverneur général se tourne vers le parti arrivé deuxième pour le nombre de sièges si celui qui remporte les élections n'arrive pas à obtenir rapidement la confiance de la Chambre.
Les propos de Mme Clarkson démontrent que le chef libéral, Michael Ignatieff, pourrait être appelé à former un gouvernement si les conservateurs sont reportés au pouvoir avec un mandat minoritaire mais sont incapables d'obtenir rapidement la confiance de la Chambre par la suite.
Un tel scénario n'est pas à écarter, car le ministre des Finances, Jim Flaherty, entend représenter le budget qu'ont unanimement rejeté la semaine dernière les trois partis de l'opposition, même si les conservateurs sont minoritaires. Mais avant, le gouvernement devra faire un discours du Trône, lequel fait aussi l'objet d'un vote de confiance.
Depuis le début de la campagne électorale, Stephen Harper accuse Michael Ignatieff de vouloir prendre le pouvoir en formant une coalition avec le NPD et le Bloc québécois, comme les libéraux ont tenté de le faire en 2008.
De passage à Toronto, M. Ignatieff a de nouveau nié cela hier : «Je vais regarder les Canadiens droit dans les yeux et je vais être très clair : pas de coalition.»
M. Harper a pour sa part dû se défendre encore une fois d'avoir lui-même tenté de former une coalition, en août 2004, quand il a signé avec Jack Layton et Gilles Duceppe une lettre pour demander à la gouverneure générale «d'examiner toutes les options» avant de déclencher des élections en cas de chute du gouvernement Martin.
La seule option qui s'offrait à Mme Clarkson, selon elle, était de demander à M. Harper de former un gouvernement et d'obtenir la confiance de la Chambre. Pour y arriver, M. Harper aurait été contraint de faire des concessions au NPD et au Bloc québécois.
Hier, M. Harper a soutenu que l'objectif de cette lettre n'était pas de remplacer Paul Martin. «En tant que leader de l'opposition, je cherchais à faire pression sur le gouvernement pour influer sur son programme, mais sans le faire tomber, sans le défaire et le remplacer», a dit M. Harper en point de presse à Vancouver.
Gilles Duceppe a toutefois tourné en ridicule les propos de M. Harper. L'objectif de la lettre était de dire à Mme Clarkson qu'un autre parti pourrait tenter d'obtenir la confiance de la Chambre. «Il se contredit dans ses versions, les unes après les autres. De dire à la GG : «Ne déclenchez pas d'élections, je pourrais m'entendre», ça n'a aucun sens.»
Avec Hugo de Grandpré, Malorie Beauchemin et Paul Journet
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Sunday, March 27, 2011

We want to know the truth: Is coalition government illegal?




There is always a way in democracy to find a solution for a party which did not get a majority to form a government, it is by calling for a support from another party. The union or support is a coalition and it is never illegitme, it is even legal and will last until the coalition remains valide. What Mr. Happer said yesterday about coalition being illegitime, I think, he is trying to dictate things to opposition parties and change the books of democracy. Gilles D. of Boc Quebecois said that the idea of coalition is from M. Harper who wanted to form a coaliton government in 2004. That is truth. In UK, the actual government is leading the country by coalition. To have the intention is the same than to act. We take act of that as electors when we will cast our votes and we should see if leaders are telling us the truth or are lying us thinking that we do not know what is coalition. Long life to democracy, no to dictatorship.
By Blogueur!

 Coalition' battle kicks off campaign

CBC News

Posted: Mar 26, 2011 10:00 AM ET

Last Updated: Mar 26, 2011 7:33 PM ET

Back to accessibility links

Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives with his wife, Laureen, at the Governor General’s residence, Rideau Hall, on March 26. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)
Harper emerges from Rideau Hall, where he asked Gov. Gen. David Johnston to dissolve Parliament. Canadians will go to the polls May 2. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)
Harper tells journalists outside Rideau Hall that Canadians will choose between a "stable majority” Conservative government and a "reckless coalition”. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff arrives at Parliament Hill in Ottawa to make his opening remarks of the campaign. (Andrew Vaughan/CP)
Ignatieff tells reporters his Liberals will not try to form a coalition with any other party. (Ryan Remiorz/CP)
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe waits with his wife, Yolande Brunelle, to be introduced at a Montreal news conference. (Paul Chiasson/CP)
Duceppe holds up a copy of a 2004 letter he said Stephen Harper signed to replace Paul Martin's minority government with a Conservative-led coalition. (Paul Chiasson/CP)
NDP Leader Jack Layton and his wife, Olivia Chow, wave to supporters as he starts his election campaign in Ottawa. (Andrew Vaughan/CP)
Layton told a boisterous crowd at the Chateau Laurier that he’s running for the top job of prime minister: "I'm asking for a mandate to lead the next government.” (Andrew Vaughan/CP)
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May speaks to supporters during her campaign kickoff in Saanichton, B.C. (Deddeda Stemler/CP)
May greets supporters during her campaign kickoff. In her remarks, May called for an end to a political culture of "endless negativity". (Deddeda Stemler/CP)
Supporting Story Content

Beginning of Story Content

Stephen Harper clearly tried to seize power through a coalition agreement after coming second to Paul Martin's Liberals in 2004, Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe charged Saturday at the start of Canada's 41st federal election campaign.
Duceppe held up the letter to the Governor General he said Harper signed as Official Opposition leader to Martin's government.
Duceppe and Layton say they got together with Harper and drafted the letter to tell then-Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson that Harper was prepared to form a government if Martin lost the confidence of the House of Commons.
"He finished second in that election," Duceppe said in French. "If he says that's undemocratic, well, that's exactly what he was asking for. So let's not play games with history. He has to take responsibility."
Harper has been hitting the opposition leaders hard over what he says is a plan to form a coalition government, a message he repeated outside Rideau Hall Saturday morning.
Harper said that on May 2 Canadians will make a choice between a "stable majority" Conservative government or a "reckless coalition."

Launch mode

The federal party leaders hit the campaign trail with speeches and rallies Saturday. Here's a roundup:
He was adamant that if Canadians don't elect a Conservative government, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff would form a coalition government with the other parties, including the Bloc Québécois. "That is a risk that our country cannot afford," he said.
Harper said the only thing those parties would agree on is raising taxes and spending more money.
Ignatieff painted it as a choice Canadians have between a Liberal party devoted to people or a Conservative party contemptuous of democracy.
Standing with a group of Liberal MPs just outside the Parliament buildings on a frigid day in Ottawa, Ignatieff challenged the idea Canadians don't care about what happens inside the House of Commons.
"We are here because yesterday, something happened that had never happened in the history of our democracy," he said.
"The prime minister lost the confidence of the House because he was found to be guilty of contempt for our parliamentary institutions. And that's why we're having an election.
"The Harper winter will soon be over."
Ignatieff tried to take the focus off the question of whether he would form a coalition after the election. He released a written statement before Harper could announce the writ drop. He said he won't try to form a coalition with the Bloc Québécois or with any of the federalist parties.
Harper was having none of it though, insisting at his press conference earlier that Ignatieff would go ahead with a coalition anyway and accusing Ignatieff of having a "hidden agenda."

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Ignatieff says he's been clear all week.
"I want to completely rule out a coalition," he said.
"This is an election about democracy. The Canadian people are owed clarity, clarity of purpose on this. I made it clear all last week I want to form a Liberal government ... Mr. Harper thinks I don't understand the rules of democratic life, I understand them better than he does."

Layton seeks mandate to lead

NDP Leader Jack Layton addresses supporters as he starts his election campaign in Ottawa on Saturday. Andrew Vaughan/Canadian PressNDP Leader Jack Layton addresses supporters as he starts his election campaign in Ottawa on Saturday. Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press At NDP Leader Jack Layton's first rally of the campaign, he didn't use the word "coalition" but made it clear that his party is willing to work with the others.
"I'm asking for a mandate to lead the next government. And if that turns out to be a minority government, as prime minister you can count on me to reach out to all members of parliament who believe in building a better Canada," Layton said with a crowd of supporters cheering behind him and waving small Canadian flags.
"And together, we will provide an alternative to a Harper-led government, whether it's in a case-by-case basis ... or more stable arrangements. I will work with the mandate you give me."
Although he spoke about working with the other parties, Layton still took shots at his political opponents in his bid to Canadian voters. Stephen Harper must be replaced as prime minister, not just prevented from getting a majority government, Layton said, and he doesn't blame traditional Liberal voters for having doubts about Ignatieff, he said.
"Mr. Ignatieff saying one thing and doing another is not Canadian leadership," Layton said, without giving examples. Layton pledged to fix what he says is broken in Ottawa and bring an end to divisive politics.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May launched her party's campaign in the Vancouver Island riding she hopes to win.
"Canadians look at Parliament and what they think is, we have had enough," she said. "We've had enough of a culture of endless negativity. Enough of the abuse of our traditions.
"We cannot stand by and let our government, our democracy, be abused."
May is running in Saanich-Gulf Islands, a B.C. riding she hopes to wrest from Conservative minister Gary Lunn.
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Saturday, March 26, 2011

ALL ON ICE: PLAY OFFS... ( TOUS SUR LA GLACE:SERIES ELIMINATOIRES



Canadians to Go to Polls on May 2

Mar 26th 2011 – 10:36AM
CBC News
Canada's 41st federal election campaign kicked off Saturday morning after Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and send Canadians to the polls on May 2.

Emerging from his meeting with Gov. Gen. David Johnston at Rideau Hall, Harper said Canadians will make a choice next month between a "stable, national majority government" or a "reckless coalition" led by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

Ahead of Harper's appearance, Ignatieff released a statement insisting he won't try to form a coalition with any other party. But the Liberal leader defended coalitions as a "legitimate constitutional option" in Canada's parliamentary system.

Citing economic challenges still facing the world, as well as conflicts in places such as Libya, Harper hit out at opposition parties for forcing an election that the country doesn't want and the economy doesn't need.

Despite Ignatieff's statement, the Conservative leader was adamant his Liberal rival would try to form a coalition government with the other parties, including the Bloc Québécois.

"That is a risk that our country cannot afford," he said.


Where the Conservative leader goes after 1 Sussex Dr. is a tightly held secret. The Conservative Party won't disclose where Harper and his campaign will spend the first few days of the election.

Meanwhile, Ignatieff and NDP Leader Jack Layton have both planned rallies in downtown Ottawa before leaving town. Ignatieff will travel to Montreal, where Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe is spending Saturday. Layton is flying to Edmonton Saturday afternoon.

Campaign 'a moment of contrast': Ignatieff

It's starting to become clear just what script each party will follow. The Conservatives are hitting hard on the election being unnecessary and irresponsible, and can build a campaign around the hold-steady style of budget they presented earlier this week. They are painting the opposition parties as a threat to the economy and arguing a coalition is inevitable if voters don't choose the Conservatives.

The opposition parties say the issue is one of ethics and respect for democracy, which they say are lacking in the Conservative Party.

Speaking on Saturday outside Parliament, Ignatieff called the coming campaign "a moment of contrast" between the Harper government, which he said has shown "contempt for the fundamentals of democracy," and the Liberal alternative.

"We will be offering Canadians a government of the people, a government devoted to the people," he said, flanked by a group of Liberal MPs.

The Liberals are expected to focus on recent scandals hitting the Conservatives, including charges of electoral fraud for two senators, allegations staff interfered with access to information requests and an accusation a former senior advisor to the prime minister tried to use his influence to promote his girlfriend's business.

The NDP, meanwhile, say they're the real alternative to the Conservatives because in many ridings their candidates run second to the Tories who won seats.

The Bloc say they're the only party who can defend Quebec's interests.

Non-confidence

The opposition Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois came together Friday afternoon in a historic vote to say they no longer have confidence in the Conservative government.

The motion says the House agrees with a committee report tabled earlier this week that found the government in contempt of Parliament, "which is unprecedented in Canadian parliamentary history, and consequently the House has lost confidence in the Government."

Earlier this week, the procedure and House affairs committee tabled a report that said the government is in contempt of parliament for refusing to supply enough information on the cost of the F-35 fighter jets, their justice system reforms and their projections for corporate profits and tax rates.

Mobile-friendly auto-updating text feed available here.
Filed under: Canada
Tagged: canadian federal election, dissolve parliament, governor general, jack layton, liberal, michael ignatieff, ndp, stephen harper, tory
Copyright: (C) Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/termsofuse.html
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Friday, March 25, 2011

Les opposants ont dit: M. Le Premier Ministre, vous n'avez plus notre confiance!



From CBC news

It's official - the government has fallen from power, clearing the way for a spring election.

The opposition Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois came together Friday afternoon in a historic vote to say they no longer have confidence in the Conservative government. The non-confidence vote automatically sparks an election after five years of Conservative minority rule.

Former Conservative - now Independent - MP Helena Guergis and independent MP André Arthur both voted against the Liberal motion. Liberal MP Keith Martin, who is not seeking re-election, was not in the House for the vote.

After the vote, Speaker Peter Milliken addressed Stephen Harper as a member of Parliament rather than as prime minister when Harper rose to move the House adjourn. Conservative MPs left the House chamber quickly for a caucus meeting.

Harper was expected to speak in the foyer of the House of Commons within minutes of the adjournment.

"A government that breaks the rules and conceals the facts from the Canadian people does not deserve to remain in office," he said.

The motion says the House agrees with a Commons committee report tabled earlier this week that found the government in contempt of Parliament, "which is unprecedented in Canadian parliamentary history, and consequently the House has lost confidence in the Government."

NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe say they support the Liberal motion. The three parties combined have enough votes to bring down the government and plunge Canadians into an election.

Speaking for the Tories, Government House Leader John Baird said the opposition is ending the work of a Parliament that's gotten a lot done recently.

"The Liberal members over there claimed to have found that the government has done something wrong," Baird said. "What they aren't telling Canadians is that this was an opposition-stacked committee who used the tyranny of the majority to get the predetermined outcome they wanted."
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Thursday, March 24, 2011

LE DERNIER MOMENT DU GOUVERNEMENT HARPER



STEPHAN HARPER, un jackpot qui perd
Si tout va bien au parlement canadien, les partis d'opposition vont défaire le gouvernement conservateur de M. Harper demain vendredi dans les après-midis. La cohabitation et la collaboration ne sont pas au rendez-vous, les élus s'accusent mutuellement les uns contre les autres et les canadiens vont trancher une fois de plus. Ce qui obligera les conservateurs et les libéraux de s'affronter pour la primature. Tous les calculs sont permis si les élections sont déclenchées ce samedi, même la cohabitation. Le parlement était devenu un véritable patinoir où les joueurs de Hockey s'affrontaient. Tous les coups étaient permis ainsi que les mises en echec. Donc les series commencent un peu plutôt. Les libéraux réprochent aux conservateurs le manque de collaboration et d'avoir un agenda caché sur l'achat des avions de chasse en pleine péroide de turbulence économique sans appel d'offre et  à coût élevé(plus de 29 milliards de dollars) et de ne rien dans le sac pour les familles canadiennes. Les bloquistes, eux, n'ont rien eu pour le Québec et le NDP n'a eu que des bonbons pour les travailleurs et les aînés. Le gouvernement dans l'ensemble semblait être un peu musclé dans son approche avec les partis d'opposition. Les réussites étaient facilement endossées et non les échecs. La publicité négative adressée contre le leader libéral a vu le jour et plusieurs millions de dollars ont été gaspillés, de quoi aider les contribuables...Michael Igniatief est la bête noire pour les conservateurs, il faut le démoniser â tout prix...D'ici demain, nous sommes branchés aux TV et radios pour la suite des series éliminatoires et apprêtons nos patins. Mais, quel parti gagnera la coupe? Les libéraux ou les conservateurs longtemps soutenus par les premiers...Le NDP pourra aider les libéraux en cas d'une cohalition pour conquérir le pouvoir avec l'apui des bloquistes si les élections accouchent d'une souris...
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Yemeni opposition says No to Saleh's new offer



Reuters
Anti-government protesters shout slogans during a rally to demand the ouster of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh outside Sanaa Reuters – Anti-government protesters shout slogans during a rally to demand the ouster of Yemen's President …
By Cynthia Johnston and Mohammed Ghobari Cynthia Johnston And Mohammed Ghobari – Thu Mar 24, 4:53 pm ET
SANAA (Reuters) – Yemen's opposition stepped up efforts to remove President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday, dismissing his offer to stand down after a presidential election at the end of the year.
Tensions ratcheted higher a day ahead of a planned rally that protesters have dubbed "Friday of Departure," and presidential guards loyal to Saleh clashed with army units backing opposition groups demanding his ouster.
But a top general who has thrown his weight behind the protesters said he had no desire to take power, as fears grew of a major confrontation between rival military units in the capital Sanaa or elsewhere.
Yassin Noman, head of Yemen's opposition coalition, dismissed Saleh's offer as "empty words" and a spokesman said the umbrella coalition would not respond.
"No dialogue and no initiatives for this dead regime," opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabry said.
General Ali Mohsen, who sent troops to protect pro-democracy protesters in Sanaa, said the options before Saleh were now few, and criticized what he described as his "stubbornness," but said the armed forces were committed to protecting protesters.
He said military rule in Arab countries was outdated and that the people would decide who would govern them in the framework of a modern, civilian state. "Ali Mohsen as an individual has served for 55 years and has no desire for any power or position," he told Reuters. "I have no more ambition left except to spend the remainder of my life in tranquility, peace and relaxation far from the problems of politics and the demands of the job."
POST-SALEH CONCERN
Mohsen, commander of the northwest military zone and Saleh's kinsman from the al-Ahmar clan, is the most senior military officer to back the protests, and his move on Monday triggered a stream of defections in the military and government.
Saleh offered amnesty to defecting troops in a meeting with senior commanders, calling their decisions foolish acts taken in reaction to violence in Sanaa last Friday, when 52 protesters were shot dead.
Yemen lies on key shipping routes and borders the world's leading oil exporter Saudi Arabia. Al Qaeda has used Yemen as a base to plot attacks in both Saudi Arabia and the United States, and both countries have bet on Saleh to contain the group.
Washington and Riyadh, Yemen's main financial backer, have long seen Saleh as a bulwark against a resurgent Yemen-based al Qaeda network, which has entrenched itself in the mountainous state. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington had not planned for an era without Saleh.
Western countries and Saudi Arabia are worried about a power vacuum if Saleh goes that could embolden al Qaeda.
Mohsen, an Islamist seen as close to the Islamist opposition, said the army would work with the international community against terrorism.
With no clear successor and conflicts gripping northern and southern Yemen, the country of 23 million faces fears of a breakup, in addition to poverty, a water shortage, dwindling oil reserves and lack of central government control.
Northern Shi'ites have taken up arms against Saleh, and southerners dream of a separate state.
Britain said it had drawn up plans for a possible military evacuation of its citizens who remain in Yemen.
Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament he had reports that oil companies were withdrawing their staff. Britain said on Wednesday it was temporarily pulling out part of its embassy team from Sanaa ahead of protests expected on Friday.
TIDE IS TURNING
Saleh and opposition groups have both made proposals for reform. On Wednesday, Saleh offered new presidential elections by January 2012 instead of September 2013, when his term ends.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Saleh and Mohsen were hashing out a deal that would involve both men resigning within days in favor of a civilian transitional government. But there was no confirmation from senior officials.
An umbrella group of civil society organizations called for a transitional council of nine figures "not involved with the corruption of the old regime" to draw up a new constitution over a six-month period ahead of elections.
But the issue of what happens to Saleh, who came power in the north in 1978 and oversaw unity with the south in 1990, was left untouched in the proposal from the 'Civil Bloc'.
Opposition parties said on Thursday they were tired of the drip-feed of concessions. "This talk is aimed at delaying the announcement of the death of the regime. The opposition does not need to respond," said spokesman Mohammed al-Sabry.
Saleh made the offer in a letter sent not only to the opposition but also to General Mohsen.
"The political tide in Yemen has turned decisively against President Ali Abdullah Saleh," an International Crisis Group report said. "His choices are limited: he can fight his own military or negotiate a rapid and dignified transfer of power."
Saleh reacted to the loss of his ally Mohsen, seen as Yemen's second most powerful figure, with a series of meetings with military and tribal leaders where he warned against a "coup" that would lead to civil war.
Saleh also has intelligence services on his side and security sources say he has beefed up his personal security for fear of an assassination attempt.
Protesters who have been encamped in their thousands outside Sanaa University for some six weeks have hardened in their attitude toward Saleh, rejecting any idea of his remaining.
They hope the "Day of Departure" after Friday prayers could bring hundreds of thousands onto the streets. Washington, which has urged U.S. citizens to leave Yemen, warned those remaining to stay away from demonstrations on Friday.
Around 10,000 people gathered on Thursday morning, chanting slogans such as "Go, go, you coward; you are an American agent."
Protesters are divided over what they think of Mohsen, an Islamist from the same Hashed tribal confederation as Saleh.
"The country risks replacing the current regime with one bearing striking similarities, dominated by tribal elites from Hashed and powerful Islamists," the ICG report said.
(Additional reporting by Mohamed Sudam and Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Samia Nakhoul; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)     

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Gaddafi's entourage sends out secret peace feelers




Relatives of Fethi Boubaker shout slogans inside Boubaker's house on the outskirts of Bani Walid Reuters – EDITOR'S NOTE: PICTURE TAKEN ON GUIDED GOVERNMENT TOUR Relatives of Fethi Boubaker, who the Libyan …
By Mark Hosenball Mark Hosenball – Thu Mar 24, 6:59 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Members of Muammar Gaddafi's entourage are putting out feelers to seek a ceasefire or safe passage from Libya, according to U.S. and European officials and a businessman close to the Libyan leadership.
Messages seeking some kind of peaceful end to U.N.-backed military action or a safe exit for members of Gaddafi's entourage have been sent via intermediaries in Austria, Britain and France, said Roger Tamraz, a Middle Eastern businessman with long experience conducting deals with the Libyan regime.
Tamraz said Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Muammar's eldest son, and Abdullah Senoussi, the Libyan leader's brother-in-law, were the most prominent Gaddafi entourage members involved in seeking ways to end the fighting.
A U.S. national security official, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, said that U.S. government agencies were aware that Saif al-Islam and Senoussi had been involved in making peace overtures.
The U.S. official, and a European government official who is also following Libyan events closely, said that U.S. and European governments were treating the purported outreach with caution, but not dismissing it out of hand.
PLAN "B"
"It's clear that some of Gaddafi's family members always have a plan B up their sleeve. That doesn't mean they'll leave and certain Gaddafis are probably going to stick with their crazy dad no matter what happens," the U.S. official said.
In an interview on Tuesday with a U.S. television network, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was aware that people close to Gaddafi had been trying to make contact.
"I'm not aware that he personally has reached out, but I do know that people allegedly on his behalf have been reaching out," Clinton told ABC America's Diane Sawyer.
"This is what we hear from so many sources...Today, yesterday, the day before. Some of it...is theater, some of it is kind of, shall we say, game-playing...But some of it, we think, is exploring, 'what are my options, where could I go, what could I do.' And we would encourage that," Clinton said.
The U.S. national security official added: "It's not at all surprising that members of the Gaddafi regime might be looking for ways out of this mess."
Tamraz, a financier and oil man who sold a chain of European gasoline refineries and retail stations to Libya's sovereign wealth fund three decades ago, claims strong connections in Libya and the Middle East.
The businessman indicated he had been in contact with people in the Middle East and Europe with knowledge of the Libyan overtures. Tamraz spoke to Reuters by telephone from the United Arab Emirates.
ANTI-GADDAFI SANCTIONS
During the last six months, Tamraz said, he had begun discussions with Libyan representatives to buy back the oil company, which operates under the Tamoil brand in Italy, Switzerland and Germany.
Tamoil's Swiss branch said earlier this month that it might be subject to anti-Gaddafi sanctions.
But later the company said it would not be affected by European Union or Swiss sanctions and that it no longer has ties to a former Tamoil director associated with the Libyan Investment Authority who is personally named in the E.U.'s anti-Gaddafi sanctions order.
Tamraz told Reuters that some of the most aggressive efforts by members of Gaddafi's entourage to start dialogue were being channeled through Austria. A European government financial investigator said that Libya was believed to have extensive wealth and investments in Austria.
Tamraz said that he believed Saif al-Islam, Senoussi and other members of the Gaddafi entourage were proposing a ceasefire between government forces, rebels and the anti-Gaddafi Western alliance, or plans which would enable members of the Libyan leader's entourage to go into exile peacefully.
(Editing by David Storey)
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DEMOCRACY IS NOT CONGENITAL: IF THE FATHER WAS NOT, HOW THE SON WILL BE...

Thousands chant "freedom" despite Assad reform offer




By Suleiman al-Khalidi Suleiman Al-khalidi – Thu Mar 24, 7:27 pm ET
DERAA, Syria (Reuters) – President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public pledge to look into granting Syrians greater freedom on Thursday as anger mounted following attacks by security forces on protesters that left at least 37 dead.
Despite the promise and the offer of large public pay rises, thousands of Syrians turned out to chant "freedom, revolution" in the center of the southern city of Deraa, the focal point of protests against 48 years of Baath Party rule.
"The Syrian people do not bow," they also chanted around the main Omari mosque, shortly after security forces evacuated the building which they stormed on Wednesday.
Syrian opposition figures said the promises did not meet the aspirations of the people and were similar to those repeated at regular Baath Party conferences, where committees would be formed to study reforms that then never saw the light of day.
"The leadership is trying to absorb the rage of the streets. We want to see reform on the ground," said a Deraa protester.
A hospital official said at least 37 people had been killed in Deraa on Wednesday when security forces opened fire on demonstrators inspired by uprisings across the Arab world that have shaken authoritarian leaders.
While an aide said Assad would study a possible end to 48 years of emergency rule, a human rights group said a leading pro-democracy activist, Mazen Darwish, had been arrested.
Announcing promises for reform in a manner that would have seemed almost unimaginable three months ago in Syria, Assad adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told a news conference the president had not himself ordered his forces to fire on protesters:
"I was a witness to the instructions of His Excellency that live ammunition should not be fired, even if the police, security forces or officers of the state were being killed."
On Jan 31 Assad had said there was no chance political upheavals then shaking Tunisia and Egypt would spread to Syria.
After Thursday's announcement, Syrian television showed a large procession of cars in Deraa driving in support of Assad with pictures of the president plastered on the vehicles.
The Baath Party, which has ruled for half a century, will draft laws to provide for media freedoms, and will look at allowing other political movements. The party will also seek to lift living standards and consider ending the rule of emergency law.
Authorities released all those arrested in the Deraa region since the protests erupted, an official statement said but it did not give a figure. The statement also said Assad ordered a 20 to 30 percent salary rise for public employees across Syria.
DERAA KILLINGS
"When you first hear it you think they're making major concessions, but when you look at it you realize there's not a lot there besides the salary boost," said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at Oklahoma University in the U.S.. "You understand the regime is in a very difficult spot and they're flustered."
Security forces opened fire on hundreds of youths on the outskirts of Deraa on Wednesday, witnesses said, after nearly a week of protests in which seven civilians had already died.
The main hospital in Deraa, near the Jordanian border, had received the bodies of at least 37 protesters killed on Wednesday, a hospital official said. That brings the number killed to at least 44 in a week of protests.
About 20,000 people marched on Thursday in the funerals for nine of those killed, chanting freedom slogans and denying official accounts that "armed gangs" were behind the killings and violence.
"Traitors do not kill their own people," they chanted. "God, Syria, Freedom. The blood of martyrs is not spilled in vain!"
As Syrian soldiers armed patrolled the streets, residents emptied shops of basic goods and said they feared Assad's government was intent on crushing the revolt by force.
Assad, a close ally of Iran, a key player in neighboring Lebanon and supporter of militant groups opposed to Israel, had dismissed demands for reform in Syria, a country of 20 million.
(Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris and Yara Bayoumy in Beirut; Writing by Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Damascus; Editing by Matthew Jones)
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NATO to police Libya no-fly, compromises on command




By Maria Golovnina and Michael Georgy Maria Golovnina And Michael Georgy – 9 mins ago
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – NATO said it would enforce a Libya no-fly zone but stopped short of taking full command of U.N.-backed military operations to protect civilians from forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Coalition jets pounded targets in southern Libya on Thursday but failed to prevent government tanks re-entering the western city of Misrata, whose main hospital was besieged by armor and government snipers.
Western commanders hope rebel forces in eastern Libya will overthrow Gaddafi, but the return of tanks to Misrata under cover of darkness highlighted the difficulties they face in trying to force the Libyan leader to cease fire.
Rebels, who have set up an alternative government in their eastern stronghold in Benghazi, say they needed more ammunition and anti-tank weapons if they are to end Gaddafi's 41-year rule.
"We need arms and ammunition. This is our only problem," rebel military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Bani told a briefing.
France, Britain and the United States have spearheaded enforcement of the Libya no-fly zone imposed last week by the U.N. Security Council, which authorized "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians against Gaddafi's forces.
But differences over the scope the U.N. resolution gave for military action against Gaddafi's army led to days of heated arguments within NATO about its role in the operation.
Turkey had wanted to be able to use its NATO veto to limit military operations against Libyan infrastructure and avoid casualties among Muslim civilians from air raids.
France argued NATO's command structure should run day-to-day military operations, leaving political control with an ad hoc steering group of coalition members, including the Arab League.
France believes having NATO in full charge would erode Arab support because of U.S. unpopularity in the Arab world. After four days of argument, NATO ambassadors in Brussels reached a deal of sorts.
"At this moment, there will still be a coalition operation and a NATO operation," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters. The alliance's mandate did not extend beyond enforcing the U.N. arms embargo and no-fly zone, he said.
NATO officials said a decision was expected on Sunday on whether to broaden the mandate to allow the organization to take command of all military operations and attack ground targets in the oil-producing country, in order to protect civilian areas threatened by Gaddafi's forces.
Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had told reporters: "The operation will be transferred completely to NATO and there will be a single command and control."
The United States, embroiled in Iraq and Afghanistan, is keen to step back and play a supporting role in Libya, preserve alliance unity and maintain the support of Muslim countries for the U.N.-mandated intervention.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said military planners had been authorized to take on the "broader civilian protection mission" and NATO was well suited to do so.
The number of U.S. aircraft flying missions had dropped significantly as other nations increased their role, she said.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, for his part, told the Security Council there was no evidence Tripoli was complying with U.N. resolutions. His special envoy to Libya had warned Gaddafi's government of possible "additional measures" if Libya failed to comply with the ceasefire demand.
AIR STRIKES
The Libyan government denies its army is conducting any offensive operations and says troops are only defending themselves when they come under attack.
State television said Western jets struck military and residential areas of the capital Tripoli for a sixth straight night on Thursday, prompting bursts of anti-aircraft fire.
Libya said the civilian death toll from five days of coalition air strikes had reached almost 100 and accused Western governments of fighting on the side of the rebels. The toll could not be independently verified.
Western air strikes had earlier on Thursday destroyed government tanks outside Misrata, some 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli, but other tanks inside the city were not hit, a resident said.
Gaddafi's tanks slipped back into the city on Thursday and shelled the area near the hospital, residents and rebels said.
Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said Libyan forces were in control of the city of 300,000 people, with only a hard core of rebels holding out.
But opposition spokesman Abdulbasset Abu Mzereiq said by telephone that rebels were still fighting there, and had killed 30 snipers who had been picking off civilians from rooftops in the town. Government warships had left the port.
Rebels and besieging government forces continued to clash around the eastern frontline town of Ajdabiyah, said Abu Musab, who left the town by car with his family of 10.
(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas and Angus MacSwan in Benghazi, Hamid Ould Ahmed and Christian Lowe in Algiers, Tom Perry in Cairo, David Brunnstrom in Brussels, Phil Stewart in Moscow, Andrew Quinn in Washington, Catherine Bremer, Emmanuel Jarry and Yves Clarisse in Paris; writing by Jon Boyle; editing by Miral Fahmy)
                                               
                                     
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Five reasons why Canada needs a federal election now



By John Size | Daily Brew – 2 hours 43 minutes ago

Vote-weary Canadians are about to go to the ballot box for the fourth time in less than seven years and if polls are correct, it's not something most are looking forward to as spring arrives.
But there's a brighter side to a federal election that many voters are starting to see, especially following the raucous last session of Parliament and the current imbroglio over ethics and procedure.
1. Refreshing new leaders may surface
It's clear in this election that all three national leaders in the House of Commons have their jobs on the line. If the Liberals fail to make a breakthrough, many in the party will want to usher in a new charismatic leader. Michael Ignatieff has failed to resonate with voters, sitting near the bottom in voter confidence.
While Prime Minister Stephen Harper enjoys the best voter support as a leader, if he doesn't win a majority, he will be a three-time minority winner, sort of. Harper will likely step down when the smoke clears.
NDP Leader Jack Layton has questionable health, with recent hip surgery and his current battle with prostate cancer. This is expected to be his final campaign.
2. Parliament will deal with 'real' issues
The hand-written word "not" is now enshrined in Canadian political lore, after chain-smoking cabinet minister Bev Oda had it scribbled on a document denying a religious group funding.
It caused an uproar, committee meetings and led to opposition parties accusing the government of unethical behaviour. Then, there's the current sideline of issue of former Conservative insider Bruce Carson under investigation by the RCMP for possible illegal lobbying, topped off with the reason the government is expected to be defeated Friday in a confidence motion — not providing Parliament with additional costing documents on its crime legislation and purchase of new fighter jets.
OK, enough bickering already.
Polls consistently show Canadians care more about health care than any other issue. Coming in a close second is the economy. A vote might reset the parliamentary agenda to issues that matter most to Canadians.
3. Give voters a chance to form a coalition
If Canadian voters support  a coalition government, they will return the same MPs to Parliament in the same numbers. Take away all the rhetoric and you can bet there will likely be a deal cut between the Bloc, NDP and Liberals to form a majority coalition. Ignatieff and Layton certainly don't deny it at this point. It almost happened before between former Liberal leader Stephane Dion, Layton and Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe. Voters now have a choice to support one or send one of the parties back to the House with a majority.
4. Social media and young voters
Let's face facts, most voters in Canada are older, the majority considered senior citizens. Voter turnout is low, with the last federal election (2008) garnering a mere 59.1 per cent, meaning almost 40 per cent of eligible voters didn't cast a ballot.
Well, Twitter just celebrated its fifth anniversary and social media applications are expected to play a major role in the upcoming campaign with the hopeful result of bringing younger voters into the political fold. Between tweets and Facebook, maybe this time around the demographics of the ballot box will finally change.
5. Some bills will die, some will live
As the House of Commons is dissolved for an election, about 30 bills will die, some of which have been winding their way through the system for a decade.
Bill C-32, an amendment to copyright laws that would for one thing legalize copying of CDs, but prohibit breaking of digital locks, resulting in artists getting a fair shake for their talents, is gone.
But, for more liberal thinkers, so is Bill C-10 that would impose mandatory minimum sentences for various marijuana violations. At one time, Parliament was considering decriminalizing the commonly used substance.
As well, amendments to the much-maligned Senate will also die, including a provision to limit the terms of politically appointed senators and a bill to redistribute House seats to better reflect population, a key democratic principle.
But, voters must keep in mind, an election is the ultimate form of exercising democratic rights, so it can't be all that bad, or can it?
(CP Photo)
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

40 Lipsticked Virgins: Gadhafi's Best Bet for Survival



Mar 23rd 2011 – 8:39AM
Lauren Frayer
With Moammar Gadhafi in hiding as coalition aircraft bomb his country, he's counting on protection from a unique bodyguard corps he's been training for decades -- an all-female, gun-toting posse of virgins.

About 40 lipsticked, bejeweled bodyguards surround the Libyan dictator at all times. They wear designer sunglasses and high heels with their military camouflage. But they're purported to be trained killers -- graduates of an elite military academy in Tripoli that's solely for women.

Gadhafi established the Tripoli Women's Military Academy in 1979 as a symbol of women's emancipation. "I promised my mother to improve the situation of women in Libya," he reportedly said at the time. His mother, a Bedouin tribeswoman born when Libya was an Italian colony, was illiterate.
Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, female bodyguards,
Sergei Supinsky, AFP / Getty Images
Moammar Gadhafi reviews an honor guard at the presidential office in Kiev in November 2008 during a state visit to Ukraine.

The few foreign visitors who've been granted a glimpse inside the academy describe a spartan cement-block complex where 100 handpicked women drill in elite killing techniques, day and night, for three years. They're awoken by bugle call at 4:30 a.m. and jog for one and a half hours, before branching off into classes. Some train to fly MiG fighter jets, while others learn martial arts or how to fire rocket-propelled grenades.

"The three-year training program involves all aspects of soldiering, from firing artillery and rocket launchers to hand-to-hand combat and communications," said Jane Kokan, a Canadian journalist who was granted rare permission to visit Libya in 1995 for a documentary about Gadhafi's bodyguards.

Doug Sanders, another Canadian journalist who visited the academy, in 2004, wrote on his blog that he believes the elite female bodyguards, known also as "Protectors of the VIP," reveal something about Gadhafi's "idiosyncratic mind, and a revolutionary enigma in a Muslim nation where women are still far from equal in daily life."

The academy's best students are dubbed "revolutionary nuns," and they never marry and dedicate their lives to the idea of Gadhafi's 1969 revolution. They're banned from having sex and swear an oath to protect the Libyan leader until death, if need be. In 1998, a bodyguard named Aisha threw herself on top of Gadhafi when Islamic militants ambushed his motorcade. A barrage of bullets killed her and injured two others, but Gadhafi escaped unharmed.

So while Gadhafi's all-female crew -- and especially their photos -- have been featured in many a tongue-in-cheek article in the Western press, they could actually prove powerful in protecting him. Foreign intelligence agents are likely trying already to stealthily chip away at the loyalty of Gadhafi's elite inner circle. But while diplomats at the U.N. and even some of Gadhafi's distant relatives have turned on him, there have been no reports of defections from Gadhafi's all-female bodyguard clan -- though the regime would likely try its best to squelch any such publicity.

"Without the leader, women in Libya would be nothing," Fatia, a 27-year-old bodyguard trainee in Tripoli, told Kokan during her research. "He gave us life. I am ready to die for him. He is a father, a brother and a friend to whom you can confide. You have no idea how humble he is."

Gadhafi is thought to be in hiding somewhere outside Tripoli, but he emerged overnight to deliver a rousing speech from the balcony of his Bab al-Aziziya compound, which was hit by an allied cruise missile two days earlier. It's also where a mysterious Libyan air force crash, purportedly by a Libyan pilot on a kamikaze suicide mission, may have killed one of Gadhafi's sons. Reporters were barred from the Tripoli compound while Gadhafi spoke last night, and he was whisked away after five minutes.

"This assault ... is by a bunch of fascists who will end up in the dustbin of history," Gadhafi told the cheering crowd. "We will not surrender."

But there are rumors he might try to flee. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told ABC News that some senior Libyan officials are putting out feelers about possible exile locations, "allegedly on Gadhafi's behalf."

But just last week, French and British bombers destroyed an airfield in western Libyan thought to house the Gadhafi family's private jets -- eliminating the Libyan leader's means of jetting out of the country secretly. Now he may be looking around at his bodyguards, wondering how long they can continue to protect him.
Tagged: attacks on libya, gadhafi bodyguards, gadhafi protection, gadhafi virgin bodyguards, gadhafi virgins, libya, libya airstrikes, libya uprising, moammar gadhafi, tripoli womens military academy

Copyright: (C) Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/termsofuse.html
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