Publius Pundit
Europe Archives

Have the Swiss Become Racist, Or...?

Filed under: Europe

I've written an article over at Pajamas Media about yesterday's parliamentary election in Switzerland, where the press has heaped on the scorn over what it perceives as a Nazi-like campaign by the country's biggest party. I take the time to throw that notion in the trash. If you know about the controversy surrounding this issue then I think you'll be interested in the article for sure.

"Do the election results show the Swiss have become racist?"

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Gul is Turkey's new President

Filed under: Europe

Abdullah Gul is elected as Turkey's 11th President amid warnings from the military over undermining country's secular constitution. In the third round of the election Gul received his own party AKP's 339 votes out of the 448 MPs present. The main opposition party CHP did not participate. Gul will take over the presidency tonight in Cankaya (the presidential palace) from Ahmet Necdet Sezer with a modest ceremony.

While massive celebrations are planned in Abdullah Gul's hometown Kayseri and other places, not all Turks are happy.

Read more about it here and here

update: Chief of Staff Yasar Buyukanit said that "our nation has been watching the behavior of centers of evil who systematically try to corrode the secular nature of the Turkish Republic". That means the army is not happy at all with Gul as President. We did not expect any less from the guardians of secular Turkey. "The military will, just as it has so far, keep its determination to guard social, democratic and secular Turkey." Glad to see the army is not about to surrender.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Life in UK is unbearable for some

Filed under: Europe

England is Vanishing says Cal Thomas.

"Between June 2005 and June 2006 nearly 200,000 British citizens chose to leave the country for a new life elsewhere. During the same period, at least 574,000 immigrants came to Britain. This number does not include the people who broke the law to get there, or the thousands unknown to the government."

Why the exodus?

"They fear lawlessness and the threat of more terrorism from a growing Muslim population and the loss of a sense of Britishness, exacerbated by the growing refusal of public schools to teach the history and culture of the nation to the next generation. What it means to be British has been watered down in a plague of political correctness that has swept the country faster than hoof-and-mouth disease. Officials say they do not wish to "offend" others."

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Danish Candidate MP - OK to Attack Danish Troops in Iraq

Filed under: Europe

"Asmaa Abdol-Hamid told BT that she supports the Iraqi resistance movement against the occupation forces and that they have the right to live in a country where they can make their own decisions. She therefore does not want to distance herself from Iraqis using weapons against Danish forces in Iraq either. In a reaction to the controversy which her interview started, she maintains her support for the Iraqi resistance, and even goes as far as to compare them to the Danish resistance movement against the German occupation during Second World War. She thinks resistance against a foreign occupation is not only legitimate but even a human right."

Some appear to think that she is confused. I doubt it. She is just being honest.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

UK government bans two Islamist organizations

Filed under: Europe

Tony McNulty, the British minister for counter terrorism and security has proposed banning two more militant Islamic organizations. In the wake of last week's attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow, McNulty has published a draft order in parliament to ban Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi in the country. They would join 44 other organizations already forbidden under the Terrorism Act, which prohibits belonging to, or encouraging, support for the groups. The two organizations have been associated with terror attacks in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, but reportedly are not connected to last week's attempted terror attacks. "Proscription powers are a key tool in the fight against terrorism," McNulty said in a statement.

The new prime minister, Gordon Brown, has informed parliament that he wants to set up a National Security Council that includes all agencies and ministers dealing with security and anti-terrorism matters.

Meanwhile, Islamist militants in the Gaza Strip have released the abducted British reporter Alan Johnston, who had been held hostage since March 2007. The BBC correspondent told a Gaza City press conference: "They were often rude and unpleasant. They did threaten my life a number of times. There was one 24 hour period when they seemed to get very angry and chained me up but that only lasted 24 hours. It was like being buried alive and removed from the world, in the hands of people who were dangerous and unpredictable." (WJG)

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Pro-US Albania cheers President Bush

Filed under: Europe

While anti-Americanism is very strong and on the rise in Europe, nations that suffered from dictatorships or ethnic cleansings usually tend to be very friendly at the United States. Albania welcomed President Bush, as it remembers that America contributed a lot to its liberation by helping in the fight against Soviet Union and rescuing Kosovo's Albanians from the regime of deceased Serbian Communist and war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. While I'm not sure if independence for Kosovo is a good thing, I think that the photos below just show the genuine gratitude of a people who suffered communism and, in Kosovo, has been slaughtered in its thousands by the pro-Russian Serbs.

Kudos to Albania!

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Communist-Fascist moronic convergence against the US in Rome

Filed under: Europe

“Anti-War”, “Peace” activists, Fascists converge in Rome, show their true colors

Peaceful desire to destroy America

Peaceful Anti-semitism

Note: I read on a website, that there was a sign reading “We are all with the Taliban”.

The t-shirt this idiot is wearing represents the symbol of a communist ‘humanitarian’ NGO that has been operating in Afghanistan to supposedly ‘offer medical assistance to war victims’, while in reality it is a staunchly anti-american, stalinist organization whose members in Afghanistan include Taliban ‘militants’.

Showing their desire for peace..

Al-Reuters caption for this photo: “A protester waves a flag”

The Fascists joined their communist cousins:

“Bush, Rome will be your grave”. The Celtic Cross has been often abused by Fascism.

It has been reported that some of these retards assaulted the grave of Aldo Moro, the Christian Democratic Italian PM who was kidnapped and murdered by the Red Brigades terrorists in the late 1970s.

Cross-posted at Free Thoughts.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Major International Arms Trafficker Arrested in Spain

Filed under: Europe

Monzer al-Kassar, an international arms dealers responsible for tens of millions of dollars in munitions going to rogue states and terrorist organizations, was arrested last night as he flew into the Barajas airport here in Madrid. His two associates, Tareq Mousa Al Ghaza, a Syrian national, and Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy, a Chilean national, were arrested in Romania.

Al-Kassar is one of the biggest arms dealers in the world. He has sent weapons to nearly every major insurgent group and dictatorship in the world, often funding both sides of a conflict. I mean everyone. Military dictatorships in Chile and Argentina, Colombian Marxist rebels, the PLO, Iraqi insurgents, Yugoslav war criminals, you name it. He's been tried before but there was never enough direct evidence to put him in jail. Now they've got him. Having this guy rot in prison with no access to the outside world will be a boon to humanity.

I haven't read any of the news reports yet, but now that they've gone and done the press conference I might as well spill what I've learned while I was at the embassy today.

The operation took over four years, with DEA agents posing as members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. They basically inked out a deal with al-Kassar to ship thousands of assault rifles, millions of rounds of ammunition, and even rocket grenade launchers and surface to air missiles to the FARC. It basically got down to the point where the weapons were all ready to be shipped out and he got nabbed just beforehand. In fact, al-Kassar has a compound just outside of Madrid where Spanish officials are expecting to find the weapons cache.

Arresting al-Kassar came after a provisional arrest request by the United States, and the takedown was coordinated between Spanish authorities, the Embassy, the DEA, and Southern District of NY's US Attorney's Office. The next step is to file the extradition request, and Spain is apparently very happy to do so. Here is a list of the charges:
- Conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a US-designated foreign terrorist organization {FARC]; - Conspiracy to kill US nationals;
- Conspiracy to kill officers and employees of the US ;
- Conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles; and
- Money laundering [Al Kassar and Moreno Godoy only].
The political differences between the United States and Spain are great, largely due to Zapatero's withdrawal of Spanish forces from Iraq and his policy of engagement with Cuba. The people at the embassy are greatly anti-Castro and you can always look around to find some sort of anti-Castro cartoon up on the bulletin boards. Because of big disagreements on this issue -- Condi even made comments about it on her visit here last week -- other more minor disagreements are often misinterpreted between agencies as having to do with Spain's Cuba policy.

This operation is a great example of cooperation between the two governments that extends beyond political differences into the field of precision and professionalism. They had a job to get done and they did it.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Khatami visits the Pope

Filed under: Europe

Mohammad Khatami, Iranian former President is scheduled to meet this week with Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. He will also hold separate meetings with Premier Romano Prodi and Foreign Minister D'Alema.

I wonder what is he up to... any ideas?

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Gul's out

Filed under: Europe

Over 1 million Turks protested against AK party government and against Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's presidency. Turks made it clear to AK party that Islamists are not welcome to rule the country. Although, Gul's agenda would have been presumably less religious than that of
Premier Tayyip Erdogan, the general feeling was that his succession to the presidential chair will bring to an end the secularism and the political openness that began with Kemal Atatürk revolution of 1923.

Turkey's army has been the guarantor of the laic political system since 1923. The Turkish General Staff issued a warning on April 27 directed against those who would seek to change the secular identity of Turkey and to irremediably alter Turkey's chance to be ever accepted into the EU.

Today Turkey's highest court has reached a verdict to annul the presidential election. This move brings into spot light the scenario of early elections for a new parliament.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Belarusian Protest Babes Remember Chernobyl

Filed under: Belarus ~ Europe ~ Protest Babes

Every year, the Belarusian opposition holds a demonstration to commemorate the world's worst nuclear disaster, which to this day still affects their country. You will want to check out Charter 97 for all the details, including more picture and briefings on police beatings. However, I know what you're all actually interested in is the protest babes... so click "read more".

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Yeltsin's Mixed Legacy

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Yeltsin dying seems pretty irrelevant to me, but it's one of those news days where not too much is going on. Now that the Anna Nicole Smith affairs is over and done with, the media must be breathing a sigh of relief that Yeltsin died. He was an extremely important world political figure as Russia transitioned from communism. Truthfully, one can only guess to what people will remember of him. I suppose the first thing I think of is vodka, but that's because he didn't affect me much.

Talking he did during his times seems like a waste of time, though. It's well-documented. If you want to know more about his era, read The Oligarchs, which I'd say is a fantastic intro to the era.

His effect on that past of the '90s is much less important than talking about present of today. Outside of shock therapy and all the moves that were intended to promote a democratic and capitalist society, the two moves that he personally made that have the most impact today are the strengthening of the presidency and his selection of Vladimir Putin to succeed him. Facing a communist revolt early in his career, Yeltsin constantly sought to take away power from the Duma so that he could maintain power over the direction of the country. This may have seemed like the right thing to do to erode the power of the communists, but overall it has led to a super-presidency that, in the hands of Vladimir Putin, is neither democratic nor as he intended. I guess that's what I'll remember the most about him.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Empowering Terrorists

Filed under: Europe

Are we losing the war on global terror? This is the most frequently asked question in these times. The general feeling is that we actually are, though it may sound defeatist to say so. The efforts to undermine the fight against evil are being led by an Europe that has totally lost its mind and rationality, compares counter-terror military actions to the suicide attacks against which the civilized world should be united and, worse yet, prevents the intelligence agencies from haunting and detaining the hate preachers who recruit would-be mass murderers. In Italy, some CIA agents may go on trial for doing basically their duty: capturing an Islamist cleric, known by the alias of "Abu Omar", with proven ties to Al Qaeda recruiters. In spite of plenty of evidence about his terror-enabling activities, he is being victimized like a 'martyr of injustice'.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Police State, or Why The West Can't Help Russia

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Ilya Somin wrote a good summary of the opposition protests that occurred in Russia this weekend, in which Gary Kasparov was temporarily arrested (along with hundreds of others, who were also beaten), taking place in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. Somin is certainly right to say that it's hard to be optimistic about the country's near-term political future given who is running it, but the statement before it reeks of optimism: "Hopefully, there will be enough of an international outcry to persuade Putin to desist and force him to tread more cautiously in the future."

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Saturday Morning Captioning

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Opposition leader and chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, along with 170 other activists, were rounded up by Russian security forces before a planned peaceful protest today. But more than just rough-handling, I think the police might get sued for sexual harassment. Here's why...

... any good caption ideas? Post in the comments!

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Plotting The Wrong Russian Revolution

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Big bad billionaire Boris Berezovsky declared to the Guardian that he is "plotting a new Russian revolution," saying that force is the only way to remove Putin from office and change the regime of ex-KGB officers. His latest is that he's bankrolling members of the Russian political elite in an attempt to cause a split. He's made statements like this before, and it's always hilarious because Pootie Poot's cronies go bonkers.

His criticisms of Putin's regime, that he's rolling back democracy and that it may only be possible to remove his regime through force, are ideas and options that should be weighed and considered -- especially the first. But when it comes to violence, some character assassination is in order.

Boris Berezovsky and his ilk, along with Putin, are just two sides of the same corrupt coin. He spent a great part of the 90s buying up the country at bargain barrel prices using his own connections in the government, leaving the country in ravages while he profited. Berezovsky, at one point, was Russia just as Putin is now. Since he was sent into exile, he has been using words such as "democracy" like he owns them. But contrary to what he says, democracy isn't just political elites -- him and Putin -- being able to fight like dogs for power. It certainly isn't a slogan to be thrown around to gain Western support.

All in all, he's just another billionaire slimeball whose very actions led to the rise of a person like Putin. There are plenty of people who are actually in Russia, risking imprisonment and police baton beatings, who are fighting for democracy there. Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, ex-prime minister Kasyanov, and a host of others are trying to put together a feasible democratic opposition at this very moment. Others, like Anna Politkovskaya, actually died trying to bring about a democratic Russia.

In other words, Berezovsky can shove it.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Is President Bush giving Russian war criminals too much, er, lip service? Kim Zigfeld takes issue with it, as it appears that our Commander-in-Chief met with a Russian war criminal in the Oval Office without even really knowing who he is. Definitely not the way to speak out for human rights. It's our latest Publius feature article, so check it out here!

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Halal Banks in UK

Filed under: Europe

We already have the Islamic Bank of Britain (2004) and more will follow soon. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported yesterday that the British banking group Lloyds TSB (one of UK's leading banks) has introduced a new service for Islamic banking for Islamic-owned companies. Apparently other banks will introduce such services in the next two to three years. Sharia prohibits the interest and investment in businesses that are morally deviant (eg alcohol)

If we were to live under Sharia law the tax, jizyah, would have to be paid only by non-Muslims male. Women and children don't have to pay the tax. And men would pay only 0.5% of their yearly earnings. Economically that doesn't sound bad, if it weren't for the other steps of Islamic rule, 1) dawah, primary invitation to Islam followed by intellectual debates, 2) paying the jizya and 3) preparation for an offensive Jihad.

The discourse about an Islamic Caliphate in UK now includes, among others, the economic benefits. Too wild? Not really, if we check the demography statistics of the old continent.

The Muslims advantages are: "fervor and conviction, which in most Western countries are either weak or lacking. They are self-assured of the rightness of their cause, whereas we spend most of our time in self-denigration and self-abasement. They have loyalty and discipline, and perhaps most important of all, they have demography, the combination of natural increase and migration producing major population changes, which could lead within the foreseeable future to significant majorities in at least some European cities or even countries." (Bernard Lewis, 2007)

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Whither The Protest Babes?

Filed under: Europe ~ Protest Babes ~ Ukraine


Supporters of the pro-Russian government coalition protest on Independence square in Kiev. Ukraine's pro-Western president Viktor Yushchenko held crisis talks Tuesday with his prime minister, as a deepening power struggle between the two rivals brought thousands onto the streets in protest.(AFP/Sergei Supinsky)

Normally this isn't a problem, but Yahoo! News doesn't have a single picture of a protest babe on either side. Neither Yanukovich nor Yushchenko have babe backing, and Tymoshenko doesn't have the protest appeal like she used to. That must mean that, indeed, Ukraine is in a true crisis.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Government: Stay Away From Estonia

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Is there a terrorist threat against its major cities? Do mass rallies and civil war rue the day? Good old chaos and anarchy?

Who knows?

In case you're wondering, it's not the American or European governments that have issued such an order. It's the Russian government, of course. True to its bullying nature -- especially against the Baltics! -- First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov has told citizens that they should shun Estonia. The real reason is because Estonia plans to take down an old, irrelevant WWII monument that the people widely regard as a symbol of the beginning of Soviet occupation. Yes, those crazy Estonians are going to tear down a statue! First it's a statue, then the entire Russian Federation!

How ironic that as the Estonians prepare to take down a symbol of Soviet oppression, the Russians react by basically calling for a boycott on Estonian tourism and goods. How perfectly predictable! Big bad Russia's ego gets bruised by baby Estonia and, failing to reconcile with its own history, throws a temper tantrum.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Putintime In Review

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Russia contributor Kim Zigfeld takes a look at Russia since Putin gained power, year by year, month by month, and ends with a scary conclusion.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

That infamous censored media

Filed under: Belarus ~ Europe

Suehp Rom has a cool post at his blog. The media in Iran is censored and satellite dishes are officially banned. But a picture reveals it all.

While not covering the entire cityscape, I took a similar picture during my time in Belarus. And while news censorship was pretty bad, the worst was the general programming. One can only take so many bad soap operas... no wonder there were so many dishes.

It looks like a lot of people make do.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Hiding the face of [Russian] fascism

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia

Before the Winter Olympics of 1936, Hitler did a bang-up job on Berlin. He had to hide all of the work he had carefully been constructing from the world for a few weeks so that none would be the wiser about his plans to exterminate the Jews and conquer Europe. Anti-Jewish propaganda that had once covered the city was completely covered up, pro-Aryan and racist remarks in the media were halted, and undesirables were swept up and kept in camps. In other words, unless an individual knew better, the anyone visiting Berlin would have had no idea by simply looking around that Germany was a fascist power on the path to world war.

Sean Guillory reports that the pro-presidential, nationalist, perhaps even fascist youth group Nashi ("ours") has been blocked on the internet. Not for users in Russia itself, for the rest of the world.

Andy Young of Siberian Light replies that, "There can't seriously be anyone in the Nashi organisation who thinks that doing this will actually reduce the negative coverage they receive outside of Russia, can there?" I think the point is to do exactly that. While people may be able to criticize the fact that they can no longer see what's going on, the fact that they cannot see it prevents them from monitoring the development of the group's ideology. This step most assuredly reveals that Russia's youth politics and its politics in general are going the way of a once-dead ideology based on race elevation and power.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit

Lukashenko lays down his law

Filed under: Belarus ~ Europe

On March 25, Belorussian pro-democracy parties staged a rally commemorating the independence of the first Belorussian state, as well as the week-long rallies that took place in October Square following elections that were deemed neither free nor fair. How the government reacted would determine how serious it was about overtures it had been making about better relations with the European Union. With several MEPs on hand, there'd be plenty of witnesses to whatever happened. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso even said that he was prepared for a "full partnership" with Belarus if it consented to democratic reforms.

But for all intents and purposes, it does not appear as if that will be the case.

Social Bookmarking:
Del.icio.us this del.icio.us | digg this digg | Add to Technorati technorati | StumbleUpon Toolbar stumble upon | Furl this furl | Reddit this reddit