Bush then Sarkosy صارت موضه ضرب رؤساء الدول

It is important to show objection against your leader, but sometimes this leader will go ahead with the wrong plan and opposition have no way of stopping him. some people go a bit further!! Please see the video below.



يستاهل هالتعبان وخصوصا بعد استهزائه عالنقاب وقال عنه انه مظهر من مظاهر تخلف المرأه...نييييييييييهههههههههههاههههههاي صارت موضه ضرب رؤساء الدول

Charity plea over kidnapped pair

The head of an Irish charity whose aid workers were kidnapped in Darfur has appealed for their safe return.
Goal chief executive John O'Shea said he was very concerned for Irish woman Sharon Commins, 32, from Dublin, and Ugandan colleague, Hilda Kuwuki, 42.
They were taken hostage by six armed men at a compound in the town of Kutum, northern Darfur, on Friday.
"We have had no contact with the kidnappers and we are very concerned for their safety," Mr O'Shea said.
"We have no indication as to who did this or why and I would appeal directly to the kidnappers to immediately release both these women who are valued colleagues of ours.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Sharon and Hilda at this very difficult and distressing time."
The Dubliner had been working in the region for a year.
Armed men forced the women into a vehicle along with a Sudanese security guard who was thrown from it as local police gave chase, Mr O'Shea added.
An official team headed by the Department of Foreign Affairs is travelling to Khartoum and Darfur to consult with the Sudanese authorities and international organisations.
Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin called for the immediate release of the captives, and said the Irish government would do everything possible to bring that about.
"While the identity and motive of the abductors is not yet known, there have been two recent cases in which kidnapped aid workers were released unharmed after a few weeks in captivity.
"While I very much hope that Sharon and Hilda are freed immediately, my overriding concern is that they come to no harm," he said.
Irish President Mary McAleese has expressed deep concern at the disappearance of Ms Commins.
"The President has conveyed to the Commins family her sincere hope that Sharon will be returned to safety as soon as possible, along with her colleague, Ms Hilda Kawuki," a spokeswoman said.
It is the third time foreign aid workers have been kidnapped in Darfur since March.
The UN says 300,000 people have died and more than two million fled their homes since fighting erupted in 2003 between black-African rebel groups and the Khartoum government.

BBC

Irish Nobel Prize winner detained in Israel

Irish Nobel prize winner Mairead Maguire and compatriot Derek Graham have been detained by Israeli authorities. The pair was onboard the Spirit of Humanity which was bound for Gaza when it was intercepted by Israeli forces.

The two were part a group of 21 peace activists who were detained and Irish Minister for Foreign affairs Michael Martin is working with his counterparts to ensure their safety and well-being.

The Irish pair were onboard the ship, which was attempting to deliver supplies to the Gaza Strip.

“My immediate priority is ensuring the safety and welfare of Ms. Maguire and Mr. Graham and securing their release as soon as possible," said Martin.

"I have been assured by the Israeli authorities that they are both well and are being properly treated. An officer from the Irish Embassy in Tel Aviv visited yesterday with Ms. Maguire and Mr. Graham to provide assistance and will endeavor to make a further consular visit today.

“I would again renew my call for the release of Ms. Maguire and Mr. Graham as well as the other nineteen passengers detained on The Spirit of Humanity," he said.

“I would also call upon the Israeli Government to ensure that the humanitarian supplies for the people of Gaza being transported on The Spirit of Humanity are made available as soon as possible to the Palestinian authorities for distribution."


KENNETH HAYNES

Challenges Loom for Sweden’s E.U. Presidency

STOCKHOLM — The last time Sweden ran the European Union, eight years ago, its reign was a mostly quiet one, memorable only for a riot that marred a summit in Gothenburg. But as they assume the rotating presidency of the bloc again on Wednesday, Sweden’s leaders may feel nostalgic for those boring days of 2001.This Swedish presidency will be crucial for the E.U., the world’s largest trading bloc, and a portfolio of thorny issues await it. Chief among them is the fate of the Lisbon Treaty, the proposed new charter for the E.U., which many of its leaders feel is crucial for the Continent if it wants to increase its influence on the international stage.But many other challenges are looming.With economies stagnating, the Swedes will face resistance in trying to restore order to the continent’s battered public finances. There is also the issue of climate change and whether Europe can forge a consensus in advance of global talks in December.A wide array of foreign policy challenges confront the E.U. as well, ranging from a likely crisis over Russian gas supplies to fresh tensions with Iran.“You need to prepare for what you cannot foresee,” said Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Prime Minister of Sweden, on Tuesday, encapsulating the unmanageable nature of the task he faces.Hanging over it all is the crippling uncertainty created by a referendum in October, when Ireland votes for a second time on the Lisbon Treaty, which aims to streamline the E.U.’s complex and ramshackle structure.According to Thomas Klau, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, Lisbon is “the one big topic” for the Swedes. “And there is no way to know how that plays out,” he said.“As one Swedish diplomat said to me, ‘Swedes don’t like uncertainty, they like planning,”’ Mr. Klau added. “There is every uncertainty about the vote in Ireland and the result could produce two very different scenarios.”The Lisbon Treaty aims to change decision-making procedures and create a new permanent President of the European Council, where national governments meet.But to come into force all 27 nations must ratify it. That requires a “yes” vote in Ireland, the completion of ratification by Germany, and the assent of the presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland, both of whom dislike the treaty.Achieving this is a challenge for Sweden, a nation of 9.2 million people that joined the E.U. in 1995 but stayed outside the European single currency after voters rejected the idea of adopting the Euro in a referendum in 2003.In the months leading up to the Irish vote, the Swedes must avoid contentious initiatives, so as not to risk complicating the task of the Irish “yes” campaign. This policy paralysis is compounded by the legal uncertainty that the Lisbon vote creates. For example, negotiations on data exchange with the United States cannot be completed before October because the E.U.’s procedures will be changed if Lisbon is ratified.An Irish “no” in October would plunge the E.U. back into crisis.But if the treaty goes through, the Swedes will have only a matter of weeks to oversee the creation of a new E.U. diplomatic service and conduct an elaborate negotiation over new E.U. jobs.Advance discussions are difficult because suggestions that an Irish yes vote is being taken for granted could jeopardize the referendum. “That makes it very difficult to plan,” said one official speaking on condition of anonymity. “It has to be done in secret.”The Swedes will also need to handle the politically sensitive task of doling out appointments within the European Commission.At the same time they must negotiate an agreement among E.U. nations about how to finance a deal on climate change, and mollify eastern European nations that want wealthier neighbors to assume more of the burden. This will then be taken to the table in global talks in December.The backdrop, warned Mr. Reinfeldt, was a tough economic environment and a situation “where a lot of countries think that the climate issue is about getting more resources to their country and someone else should pay.”Meanwhile Sweden may clash with France over moves to reign in ballooning budget deficits. “We think that the line of pushing financial stimulus packages is exhausted and it is exit strategies we should be pushing more,” the Swedish Prime Minister said.The highest court in Germany has ruled that the Lisbon Treaty was compatible with German law, but said that changes to domestic legislation must be made before it can be formally ratified. The decision by the Constitutional Court creates a technical problem for the German government, which will now have to rush through new legislation to comply. Speaking in Stockholm, Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of Sweden, said his preliminary assessment was that the ruling would not create an obstacle to the entry into force of Lisbon.Irish times

Brian Cowen, the Irsih prime minister: 2nd October as the date when Ireland holds its second referendum on Lisbon

His admission came as Brian Cowen, the Irsih prime minister, was set to announce 2 October as the date when Ireland holds its second referendum on the document.
The treaty, which proposes the first full-time President of the European Council, is highly contentious and was rejected by the Irish in a referendum in June last year.
But current opinion polls suggest the Irish will vote Yes this time.
However, Mr McCreevy, the internal market commissioner, said that if the treaty had been put to a public vote, it would have been rejected by 95 per cent of the 27 member states.
The former Irish finance minister said: "When Irish people rejected the Treaty a year ago, the initial reaction ranged from shock to horror to temper to vexation. That would be the view of a lot of the people who live in the Brussels beltway.
"On the other hand, all of the political leaders know quite well that if a similar question was put to their electorate by a referendum, the answer in 95 per cent of the countries would probably have been 'No' as well.
"I have always divided the reaction between those two forces: those within the beltway, the 'fonctionnaires', those who gasp with horror, and on the other hand the heads of state who are far more realistic. They are glad they didn't have to put the question themselves to their people."
He said the Irish should not be ashamed about voting No, adding: "We might not like the result on occasion, but that's democracy, and we should not be ashamed of it."
Having reflected more deeply on the benefits of EU membership, he is hopeful the Irish will ratify the treaty in the autumn.
"Everybody says we do not know enough about Europe. But I can tell you that the ordinary people of Ireland know a damn sight more about the intricacies of the European framework than nearly all members of the other 27 states."
At an EU summit on 19 June, Ireland won legal guarantees on military neutrality and tax and family policies, and if there is a Yes vote in October, the hope is that EU leaders will then take decisions on the first full time President of the European Council, a new high representative for foreign and security policy, and on creating an External Action Service.
If the Irish vote No, the EU will be thrown into a new political crisis which will affect its decision-making capacity on all major issues.
Meanwhile, socialist members of the parliament in the Czech Republic are considering suspending the powers of the country's Eurosceptic President, Vaclav Klaus, on the grounds that he is "trying to act above the law".
Mr Klaus, a diehard opponent of the treaty, still has to sign off the document, even though it was ratified by the Czech parliament in May last year.
Alena Gajduskova, Czech Social Democrat MP, whose party has 29 of the 81 seats in parliament, said: "There is nothing in our constitution that gives the President the right to veto decisions of the country's highest institutions."
Mr Klaus has written to Jan Fischer, the Czech prime minister, stating that the Irish guarantees would have to be ratified by the Czech parliament or he (Klaus) would not sign the treaty.


By Martin Banks in Brussels

TDs learn not to distract revitalised Taoiseach

Happier days for an energised leader; a ‘moral’ victory and a mathematical defeat; moans and groans in corridors of power; some handy tips for George Lee; and a whirlwind tour of a legendary drinking hole
BRIAN COWEN is like a new man since he returned, flushed with success, from the European Council meeting in Brussels.
In the last week in particular, the Taoiseach has appeared more dynamic in his public and Dáil performances.
The Government has decided to adopt a more aggressive approach to dealing with the Opposition. The Taoiseach is to be more up-front and visible to voters. As the party slid to one of its worst performances ever in the recent elections, there were complaints about poor communications at leadership level and a view that the party seemed rudderless and drifting.
Recently though, Brian Cowen has appeared less swift to anger during Dáil exchanges. On Wednesday, even Opposition deputies were impressed by his passionate and articulate defence of the Lisbon Treaty.
He brought the FF parliamentary party meeting to an abrupt end on Tuesday night by barking at startled deputies that he doesn’t want them coming in week after week pestering him about various issues.
Biffo “exploded” when North Dublin’s Michael Kennedy brought up pharmacy licences during Any Other Business. He snapped that he doesn’t want to hear people coming in and raising distractions, when he has only one goal in mind and that is to get the country back on track. “And that’s that.”
Some deputies were quite impressed by this new sign of life.
Meanwhile, there have also been a few sightings of the Taoiseach in the canteen at lunchtime. In fact, he was there yesterday, another indication of the attempt at a more relaxed approach.
He did fine interview with Sean O’Rourke on yesterday’s News at One , standing up to Sean’s trademark robust questioning and putting in a confident and authoritative performance on the economy. One observer described his vigorous defence of the Government as similar to his interview with O’Rourke just before the last general election, when “he ate Richard Bruton for starters”.
But there’s more. He’ll be turning up for the final Questions and Answers programme on Monday night. And he’s back again in RTÉ next Saturday, when he will be a guest on the final transmission of Rodney Rice’s Saturday View radio show. Rodney is retiring after a long and distinguished broadcasting career.

Irish Times

Mujahid and Kamal response to the IFI statement

The issue of the Mosque finances not being disclosed for public scrutiny was brought up during the show by Mr. Liam (Mujahid) Egan. The Islamic Foundation of Ireland is a registered 'Friendly Society' and is a recognised charity. The accounts of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland for the year 2008 have already been submitted to the Registry of Friendly Societies. They were posted on the notice board in the Mosque a week before the Society's last annual general meeting, presented during the meeting and are always made available for inspection by the members of the Society as required.”
During the Liveline show, Mr Egan simply reiterated a comment made by the Imam during the IFI AGM . Is this comment made by the Imam now being denied? We would ask you to look up the word scrutiny. Posting up a list of items with totals does not constitute an examination and judging by the number of concerns expressed during the IFI AGM with regard to finances it would appear to have been an issue long before MPAC reported it. MPACIE will pursue the matter with the Registry of Friendly Societies as our email request to the IFI to see the accounts has remained unanswered.
As for Mr. Egan his continued unwarranted attack on the Imam is well documented.
Mr Egan and MPACIE have only sought accountability and transparency in all the affairs of our community, we would be interested to see in what way this Sunnah might be deemed an attack? Please respond!Many members of the Muslim community are aware of the grudges which both men hold who have been consistently causing difficulties. ... Mr. Egan’s allegations are frivolous, untrue, founded in ulterior motives, and should be totally disregarded as the words of disgruntled and disaffected persons. Accordingly their complaints should be treated with the contempt they deserve.
This shameful, disingenuous and libelous attempt to offset legitimate criticism is typical of those who have no defense. Is it not true that the Imam is also the Patron of the North Dublin Muslim School? Is it not true that the Imam acting as Patron has overseen systemic failures at that school? As was mentioned on the Liveline show, a CEO who oversaw such failures would have the decency to step down or he would be removed, but what are we treated to? Damage control, blame shifting and claims of ‘personal grudges’. Has the Imam apologized to the children who have suffered under his patronage? Has he begged forgiveness from the parents for simply not doing enough to give those kids a fair chance in their adult lives? Where is the public apology?
The IFI have made a number of serious statements and in the interests of fairness we will offer them a chance to reply:
1. Is the IFI denying that the Imam made the comment Mr Egan referred to on Liveline?2. What has Mr Egan said that is untrue?3. In what way does the Imam think he has been attacked by Mr Egan?4. What difficulties has Mr Egan caused?Please note that EVERYTHING Mr Egan and MPACIE have said is in the public domain, we believe in transparency!
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Kamel Ghanam's is here: I was both disappointed and surprised that the IFI has apparently chosen this disparaging attitude in their latest attempts to offset the growing criticism being levelled against the Patron who is also their President, Trustee, Chairman, and Imam.While I admit to having no qualification in evaluating scholastic standards, and that would place me on a par with Patron and many who now make up the current board of management including the Chairperson of the Board of Management etc. I do however have the most important qualification – that of a concerned parent. As a parent I feel adequately qualified to evaluate the standard of education imparted to my children previously when compared with the school they are attending now. I don’t believe I made any insinuations regarding the finances bar the fact that as a parent I and others simply haven’t seen any financial reports despite requests. Contrary to the improbability postulated by the IFI/Patron regarding statements by secondary school teachers – the recent WSE reports demonstrate that such incidences are indeed possible. I do not as yet have the experience of my children progressing to the second level school but I have been reliably informed by other parents of past pupils that when their children went to the secondary schools they encountered problems there.I believe the Muslim community is acutely aware of the growing concerns, and not merely on account of two people as you allege. My only motive in this affair is the future of our children. It is regrettable that the IFI/Patron has not demonstrated similar convictions. I do not believe that my comments were frivolous, or untrue. The only objective was to highlight our desire to improve our children’s education and future as good Irish citizens. Patron I challenge you to a live television debate!______________________________________________________________________________________________