Spain: Socialists begin campaign for immigrant vote

The PSOE leadership today is introducing a campaign to encourage 1.7 million immigrants to register and vote at next local elections of May 22, through reciprocal agreements signed since the fall of 2008 with a dozen countries. 

The campaign will present the Secretary for International Policy and electoral committee spokesman of the PSOE, Elena Valenciano, and Social Movements and councilor of the opposition in the city of Madrid, Pedro Zerolo. Socialists understand that, in principle, the immigrant vote may be closer to them.

If we consider the last polls [*], with the opposition center-right Popular Party leading by 18,8 points against the socialists, despite the former “low-profiled” opposition, I bet they are going to ask the immigrants for voting them.

[*] With the volatile situation nowadays, we’ll see if they are actually true or not, when the elections come…

Spain: Zapatero offered Obama to host AFRICOM at Rota Naval Base

Zapatero offered to increase U.S. military presence in Spain titled El País on its cover on Wednesday December 8, 2010.

It added: “José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was eager to turn the page on the bad relations with President George Bush and wanted to ingratiate with Obama. Just after the latter arrived at the Casa Blanca, Zapatero showed his willingness to increase U.S. military presence atRota Naval Base and offered it to be used by Africom, the new Pentagon command for Africa. “

Found here.

Well, I understand that is necessary for both countries to maintain a good relationship. But it’s quite hypocrite to see Zapatero going after Obama this way, after calling for other countries to order their troops back from Iraq and remaining seated while US flag was passing before him at Spanish National Day Parade on 2003. With his half machiavelic schemes, half childish, he doesn’t understand that Obama is not US Prez for ever and that another Republican can (and, with present circumstances will) be elected. So, then, will they be offering this still?

By the way, just to measure his great democratic spirit: he didn’t even ask the Parliament if they agreed on this. Isn’t that marvellous? 😡

Gadafi “Give me £4BN to stop Europe being flooded by “Black” immigrants”

Gadafi hasn't discovered Gillette yet, it seems.

Dear Muammar: it’s not “Black” people that worry me, you racist scum… This the second time, this fellow says the same… in two months:

LIBYAN leader Colonel Gaddafi is demanding billions of pounds from the European Union to stop Europe turning “black” through immigration.

The dictator also warned that the EU could be swamped by Muslims unless the aid is poured into schemes to tackle illegal immigration from Africa.

Gaddafi made the ultimatum at a two-day summit of EU and African leaders in Libyan capital Tripoli. The meeting finished yesterday.

But last night, critics accused the tyrant of trying to hold Europe to ransom and raised concerns that the EU may cave in to his huge demands.

via Express.co.uk – Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | World News :: Gaddafi wants £4bn to stop Europe being flooded by migrants.

By the way, Zapatero has again spoken what he thinks is English:

🙄 I don’t even know what he was trying to say. “Always Marruecos” can mean “Morocco always”, but who knows???

Spanish debt problems

Two very interesting articles about the problems which Spain is facing now, after our Dear Leader the Allianzator of Civilizations has been leading us into disaster for 6 years now 🙄 . The first in English:

Spain’s debt to GDP ratio is expected to climb from 53.2 percent last year to 64.9 percent this year and 72.5 percent next year. But investors are particularly concerned about Spain’s gaping budget deficit, which at 11.3 percent of GDP is the third-largest in the euro zone, and which may exceed that of Greece this year, according to the European Commission.

In late May, the Spanish Parliament narrowly approved a €15 billion austerity plan to rein in the public deficit and ease fears of a Greek-style debt crisis. The measure, which is intended to reduce the deficit to 6 percent by 2011, includes cutting the pay of public sector employees by 5 percent and freezing that pay next year. The plan also calls for suspending automatic inflation-adjusted pensions and scrapping a payout parents get for the birth of new children.

Although these measures won Zapatero some respite from the markets, they also left his political future hanging in the balance. In the face of public strikes organized by Spain’s largest labor unions, as well as a more than 10-point decline in support for his Socialist Party, Zapatero put off other reforms. Now, with the crises in Ireland and Portugal, nervous investors are once again focusing on Spain’s public finances.

via Pajamas Media » Europe’s Future Lies, Ominously, with Spain.

The second one is in Spanish (though translated partially):

The rescue and even “reestructuration” of the Spanish public debt will be inevitable if the Government continues not doing anything about it. According to the U.S. entity in its “forecast about euro zone growth” report  issued on Tuesday, “Spain can still get by without external assistance” provided that no major negative surprises in the banking sector and whether it makes fiscal adjustment additional. And, at the end of 2011 the deficit will be 7.5% of GDP, well above the 6% target set by the Government, a target that, according to Citi, will be difficult to meet in 2012.

Pope in Spain: one can not live without truth, freedom

Pope Benedict XVI

Man can not live without freedom, and without truth and ” Honestly seeking and aspiring to truth is the condition of authentic freedom.” This the first message addressed by Benedict XVI to Spain, where he arrived this morning (saturday) at 11.30. The first leg of the two day visit is Santiago de Compostela, the culmination of the “Way” that down through the centuries has seen pilgrims from around the world come to pay homage to the Apostle James.

On arrival, a foggy day, the Pope was greeted by the Prince of Asturias, Felipe and Letizia of Spain, with whom, after the welcoming ceremony, he also had a private meeting.

Benedict XVI, from his arrival, called himself a pilgrim. “I wish to join the great host of men and women who down the centuries have come to Compostela from every corner of this peninsula, from throughout Europe and indeed the whole world, in order to kneel at the feet of Saint James and be transformed by the witness of his faith“. “In his deepest being, – he continued – man is always on a journey, ever in search of truth. The Church shares this profound human desire and herself sets out, accompanying humanity in its yearning for complete fulfilment. At the same time, the Church pursues her own interior journey which, through faith, hope and love, leads her to become a transparent sign of Christ for the world. This is her mission and her path“.

via VATICAN- SPAIN Pope in Spain: one can not live without truth, freedom – Asia News.

Zaatero went yesterday to say goodbye to the Pope as he went back to Rome. The joke here is that Zapatero was really making sure the Pope went back to Rome.

This is the best part of his message in Spain. His words about aggressive laicism, weren’t well received by the Government. Anyway, the worst thing of these two days has been the huge hypocrisy shown by Spanish polititians. They are always telling everyone that the Catholic Church is an antique and that the priests are a bunch of conservative guys who support Franco in disguise and protect pedophiles or something of the sort. Well, these days they have exhibited a “devotion” so marked (even crossing themselves and going to church) that it’s really moving.. if you don’t think that there is a crisis and they need the votes. 🙄

BY the way, Spanish MSM (with very few exceptions) have insisted on the “cold reception” that Barcelona, in particular, has given the Pope. So, I’m copying from Australian News.au.com (found) and you can judge:

Among an estimated 250,000 people gathered for the Pope, thousands watched on giant screens outside and broke into applause as his blessing transformed the edifice into a Basilica.

MK protests about the bias of AP. Spanish MSM are even worse. Just a comparison: last Saturday in Madrid there was a demonstration against Govt-ETA negotiation (again…) that gathered several thousand people in protest. Nearly no MSM have reported on it, but the gay kissing at Barcelona, has been widely reported.

Anyway, the worst weren’t the kisses: you can kiss wherever you want and I don’t think that anyone gets shocked at an homosexual couple kissing these days. The worst were the “slogans” they chanted and above all the one that says “the church that lights is the one on the flames“. Of course, none of them do this when Iranian or Saudi representatives come to Spain on official visit. So, it’s true what the Pope said about anti-clericalism and laicism, and that’s why some people have not taken it really well.

Spain: $3b arms deal with Saudi Arabia targeted

This is disgusting. Then they will boast about their pacifism:

Spain’s El Pais newspaper said in a report on Monday that Madrid is trying to reach a deal for the weapons worth three billion euros (4.17 billion dollars) with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the benefit of a subsidiary of Spain in the group of General Dynamics Corps, U.S. defense.The newspaper said without citing the source of the news that Spain hopes to reach a deal to General Dynamics Santa Barbara to sell between 200 and 270 model from the tank (Leopard 2 no) when the Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan (what a name) official visit to the country in November.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a key ally of the United States in the Middle East to modernize its military equipment and put the finishing touches on a contract for military aircraft worth $ 60 billion with the United States, which was announced last week.

Acquired General Dynamics, which provides the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, the weapons company of Santa Barbara manufacturer of the tank from the Spanish government in 2001.

via Spain targets arms deal with Saudi Arabia, three billion dollars.

Those tanks they are selling are from one of the advanced military programs with the latest technology (found), put on hold by the Spanish Government, due to the budget deficit (some Eurofighters are on the list too, while other projects will be abandoned). All of those were made for the required development of the Spanish Army. 😡

PS: Isn’t it clear that Zapatero has Obama as an example? Even when selling weapons! 🙄

Morocco: "Christian Proselitism is Terrorism", 7000 ulemas say

Image by franz88 via Flickr

Read at El País:

7000 Moroccan ulemas (Qu’ram scholars) reject in a message, Christian proselitism in their country and consider it even as “a moral rape” and as “religious terrorism”, when it tries to “divert Moroccan children from their faith”.

The message published this week-end is the last phase in a campaign undertaken by the Moroccan authorities against foreign Christians living in Morocco. The latter are accused of proselitism and of attempting to break Muslims’ faith a crime punished by the Moroccan Criminal Code.

Last March 70 Christians were forced to exit the country, according to the numbers published by several churches, but the Moroccan Home Ministry only acknowledged the expulsion of 16 who run a little orphanage in Ain Leuh, in the Atlas’ range.

The Christian victims of the Home Ministry’s decision are all protestans, except for a Franciscan friar who lived in Larache. He is the first Catholic ever expelled from North Morocco, according to the Tangier’s Archbishopric whose speaker has denied that he did proselitism. Instead he was looking after a very tiny community of Christians in that city.

The ulemas express their “total support and great pried” of those who sign it in front of the “historic decisions taken by the public powers to abort the hypocrite plan of a group of proselytizing Christians”.  Their behaviour towards children, it continues, “is a moral rape, a form of religious terrorism and is similar to the kidnapping of little innocent children”.

“These firm decisions”, it ends, “soothe (us) about the confesional future of the nation protected by the Divine Providence and which is ensured by His Majesty Mohammed VI, the Believers’ Commander, as the defender of the faith (…)”. The text of the Islam scholars was published by its higher hierarchical body, the Ulema’s Superior Coumcil, whose president is the King.

Rabat and Tangier’s Archbishoprics, Rabat’s nuncio and the official representative of the Protestant churches in Morocco have asked for explanations to the authorities about the expulsions. But till now, they have obtained non. Some Moroccans who have converted to Christianism have been victims in March of police harrasment.

At least two Government, US and the Netherlands, have critizised the measures taken by Moroccan authorities. But the Spanish one, who is the EU President now, hasn’t. The more numerous expulsions were carried out during the first week.end of March when the first summit between the EU and Morocco, supported by Spain, was being held in Granada.

Yep, because EU and Morocco were negotiating the “united economic space“. Then Rodríguez Zapatero will claim they defend Human Rights. Hah!

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• US dismayed after Morocco expels Americans (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

EU-Lybia: appeasement on Schengen ban

Libya has lifted a visa ban on travelers from 25 European nations after the resolution of a diplomatic row that began with Switzerland.

Libya’s Foreign Ministry says it scrapped the measure after the European Union blocked a Swiss proposal for a visa blacklist against nearly 200 senior Libyan officials, including leader Moammar Gadhafi.

The Libyan ban was issued in February and caused particular concern in European nations with heavy oil investments in the country.

via Libya lifts visa ban on 25 European nations after resolution of dispute with Switzerland.

And how do you think this has been made:

“Spanish presidency of the EU “feels sorry and deplores” all “the problems” derived from the inclusion of Lybian citizens in the list of Schengen information system, whose names have all being erased”, according to Spanish FM Moratinos’ statement.

… In the press conference after the European Council in Brussels, Zapatero announced Moratino’s trip to the Lybian city of Sirte to take part in the Arab League meeting.

Oh, Lord… So Gadhaffi’s son assaults several maids on a Swiss hotel. He is arrested with his wife. Then they are both expelled from the country. Gadhaffi, instead of being reasonable (when has he been reasonable?), arrests Swiss citizens in the country and bans European citizens from entering the country. And Zapatero feels sorry and deplores that Switzerland included Gadhaffi and family in the Schengen list of banned citizens? 😐

Related articles by Zemanta

• Libya lifts visa ban on 25 European nations (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• EU and Libya lift bans on visas (news.bbc.co.uk)

Spain: NC judge accuses Venezuela of ETA/FARC terrorism (U)

In recent months, Venezuela has been linked to Islamic terrorism in the Sahara desert. But there was no direct evidence of the implication of Chávez’s Government in the support of terrorism till some Swedish weapons sent to Venezuela were found in a FARC camp. From AP:

A Spanish judge yesterday accused Venezuela of collaborating with Basque separatist militants (terrorists!!!!!) and Colombian rebels (terrorists!!!!) and said the two groups plotted to assassinate Colombia’s president while he visited Spain.Judge Eloy Velasco made the allegation in a 26-page indictment in which he charged six members of Basque group ETA, most of them exiled in Latin America, and seven members of Colombian leftist rebel group FARC with crimes including terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder.

Spain has asked Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s government for an explanation, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said.

Velasco wrote that a Spanish probe launched in 2008 turned up evidence “that demonstrates Venezuelan governmental cooperation in the illicit collaboration between FARC and ETA.”

Chávez as ever has answered defiantly that he:

Spain: Jewish man attacked in Madrid

Last Feb 1st, Ruben, a Spanish young man of Jewish religion dressed in the traditional Jassidic way, was walking by the centric Castellana St. (Madrid). After approaching him, a woman began insulting him: “you Jewish are robbers, usurers, murderers, nazis”, “son of a bitch” or “disgusting Jew”. When he called nazi the lady who had called him all those names, she just answered: “don’t be mistaken, I vote PSOE” (PSOE are the Spanish Socialists, Zapatero’s party).

Spain: First ex-GITMO prisoner arrives in Spain

[Translation: T&P]

Interior Ministry, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, has assured today (for last Thursday) that the GITMO prisoners who will be given shelter in Spain will live “legally on all respects, with residence permit and with the possibility of having job“.

Interior Ministry has answered to a question from PP MP Agustín Conde about the legal, jurisdicti0nal and policial situation in which the prisoners will stay in Spain, since Spanish FM Moratinos announced last Feb 15th, that the total number was of 5.

Rubalcaba has said that the Spanish Government has worked with the US Govt in these persons’ selection and that they have arrived to an agreement about the conditions they should fulfill: they shouldn’t have any charges against them neither in the US nor in Spain nor in the rest of EU countries and being unable to get back to their home countries because of mainly “political reasons”.

The first one arrived last Wednesday. His name is Palestinian national Walid Hijazi. He had been living in Saudi Arabia, where he was recruited, and in Pakistan, where he was trained in the same Afghan training camp where some of Sept 11th bombers trained too. Spanish Government is looking for a job and a house for him ( 😯 ). We have to ask what are the political reasons that prevent him from going back to Gaza.

Europe has agreed that ex-GITMO prisoners arriving in European countries can’t travel outside the European country that have adopted them. The problem is how they are going to precent those ex-GITMOs from travelling through Europe if there are no frontiers between countries.

AQIM: 20-day dayline for French hostage’s life

What will they ask for the three Spanish volunteers also in their power?

Al-Qaida’s North Africa offshoot demanded the release of four of its members in exchange for a French hostage it kidnapped two months ago, in a message posted on militant Web sites Monday that gave a 20 day deadline.Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb said that their only condition for the freeing of Pierre Camatte is the release of four members of the group arrested by Mali several months ago.

“We give France and Mali 20 days from the date of issuing this statement to respond to our legitimate demand otherwise the two governments will be fully responsible for the French hostage’s life,” it said in a statement dated Sunday.

The group announced last month its kidnapping of Camatte in Mali Nov. 25 and three Spaniards in Mauritania five days later.

… The group has not yet set conditions for the release of the three Spaniards who had been travelling at the tail end of a convoy distributing aid to poor villages along the coast of Mauritania when they were abducted.

In its earlier statement, the group said the kidnapping was in retaliation for “the Crusaders’ war against Muslims and Islam everywhere and the killing of innocent people and occupying their lands.”

via The Canadian Press: Al-Qaida North Africa branch demands release of 4 imprisoned members for French hostage.

https://teaandpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/aqim-the-kidnapped-volunteers-will-be-treated-according-to-islamic-law/

Zapatero and Jewish Humour

Zapatero: don't worry, be Jewish

Seen at an Israeli market. 😆

(via).

European Presidence: Spain set to boost EU counter-terrorism activities

The Spanish EU presidency plans to set up a special unit aimed at sharing counter-terrorism intelligence among member states, according to Spanish media.

El Pais reports that the new body will facilitate the direct exchange of intelligence between two or several member states in close co-operation with the existing special counter-terrorism co-ordinator, Gilles de Kerchove, and the EU situation centre – a Brussels-based crisis management unit which includes counter-terrorism activities.

…Europol, the bloc’s police co-operation and criminal data exchange body, also gained enhanced powers from 1 January. Its activities touch on terrorism as it manages data on chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, cybercrime and Islamist extremism on the web.

The EU’s institutional changes come against the backdrop of increased fears of terrorist attacks in European countries, after a failed attempt by Al Qaeda on 25 December to blow up a plane destined for the US, which took off in Amsterdam.

Over the weekend, several Western embassies, among which those of Spain and Great Britain, closed their operations in Yemen, where Al Qaeda had trained the failed terrorist plotter.

via EUobserver / Madrid set to boost EU counter-terrorism activities.

Let’s hope this is better done than the EU Presidency official webpage. 🙄 In this case, the errors can be much more dangerous to ordinary citizens.

Spain: Mr Bean sneaks into Spanish EU presidency website

Hackers broke web security and Mr Bean appeared on the official webpage

The British comic movie character Mr Bean on Monday “visited” the official website of the Spanish European Union presidency, the daily El Mundo reported on its website. Hackers managed to break through the security of the website which briefly displayed an image of a surprised-looking Mr Bean saying “Hi there,” the daily said.Mr Bean is played by comedian Rowan Atkinson.

The Spanish government has spent nearly 12 million euros (17 million dollars) on technical assistance and security for the EU presidency website, according to El Mundo.

via Mr Bean sneaks into Spanish EU presidency website : Europe World.

You know, this is part of the “demanding” austerity plan Zapatero announced several days ago. In the middle of a crisis that has caused more than 4 million unemployed and a tax rise. Truly demanding… 😡

This is one of the bast jokes one could do to this page. In fact, Mr Zapatero has been compared with Mr. Bean usually:

"Reasonable resemblance"

Webpage Photo: El Mundo.

Spain: Now Zapatero wants a “demanding” austerity plan

From AFP. After he has made deficit 5 times bigger. I would like to know who is going to be demanded more austerity: politicians or citizens?

Wonders of Socialism: Spanish Deficit Worsens

Till it becomes 5 times what it was last January 2009. But “Allianzator” leader Zapatero has spent €3M in “design furniture” for the Spanish Presidency of Europe’s meetings. Kumbayá, Kumbayá…. who’s going to pay this??? Because surely he is not going to… 😡

“The earth doesn’t belong to anybody, but to the wind”

Zapatero, in Copenhaguen summit.

Meanwhile, the new abortion law was passed in Congress… Why wouldn’t the wind, the proprietor of it all, just blow out and make this law disappear?

Spain: Italian Prosecutors’ report showed AQIM recruitment

El País (Translation T&P, being un update on this story):

“Spain is the last ring of Salafism in Europe“. This appears written in a confidential report of the Italian Prosecutor’s office from 2001 and sums up the huge spread of this Islamist group in the country. This same group has kidnapped 3 volunteers in Mauritania.

A group funded and formed by recruits belonging to different cells and their supporters in Spain. A group which has its more productive and comfortable European basis in Spain, after France.

Last reports sent to Spanish Government by the National Inteligence Center (CNI), the General Police and Civil Guard Information Office point out that Spain is a “recruitment ground” and “constant source of funding” of AQIM (Al-Qaeda for an Islamic Maghreb). There are around 30 open investigations now in Spain about Islamist terrorism which have this group as their target.

The author of this Italian report about Salafism explained how since the late 90s, the leaders in Europe of the Hassan Hattab’s cells, the then leader of the Salafist Group for the Preaching and Combat (GSPC), ended up taking refuge in Spain, attracted like a magnet.The members of AQIM that kidnapped Alicia Gómez, Roque Pascual and Albert Villalta since Nov 29th, have a lot of “brothers” that are now waiting to be judged or imprisoned for belonging to this “organization”, according to Penitentiary Institution’s sources. Most of them are Algerians, but there are also Moroccans and Tunisians.

Spain: Govt confirms AQ’s kidnapping announcement

This is an update of this story. El Mundo:

The technical committee of the Govt in charge of following the kidnapping of these three international volunteers in Mauritania, considers as credible AQIM’s recording in which they acknowledge the kidnappings.

El Pais:

AQ normally asks for freeing the people they had kidnapped, both for money and freeing the Islamist prisoners in Mauritania, Algeria and one in the United Kingdom, Omar Mahmud Othman, nicknamed Abu Qutada, or “Hate Preacher”.

The speaker did not name the region where the kidnapped volunteers are, but most people consider that they have been actually transferred to the north of the country, where AQ has its sanctuaries in the Sahel. Even an Austrian wedding couple captured in Tunisia in 2008 was taken there.

The fact that AQIM has kidnapped both French and Spanish nationals has a good part and a bad part. The positive angle is that Spain is going to work with France, the old colonial ruler of Mali. French secret service, The General Direction for Foreign Security, has the best knowledge of the area.

The negative angle is that AQIM has succeeded to kidnap citizens of both countries, France and Spain, against whom the terrorist organisation has targeted its attacks usuually. “Their boot is very valuable”, according to a Mali journalist.

Abu Qutada @ Wikipedia.

Abu Qutada @ BBC News.

According to UN, drug trafficking finances terrorist groups in the Sahel @ Le Monfe [FR]. Drug trafficking fuels Africa terrorism and crime: UN @ BBC.