FRANCE: Le Quai d'Orsay 14 expels Libyan diplomats loyal to Gaddafi

AFP - France has declared "persona non grata 14 ex-Libyan diplomats" who have a "period of 24 or 48 hours" to leave French territory, said Friday the spokesman of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

"France has declared persona non grata 14 ex-Libyan diplomats stationed in France.Depending on circumstances, allow interested parties within 24 or 48 hours to leave the country, "said spokesman Bernard Valero Quai d'Orsay.

They were accused "of behaviors and activities not consistent with relevant UN resolutions and particularly 1973 and contrary to the protection of Libyan civilians," the ministry said, when asked to AFP.

The 14 diplomats were appointed by the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, that Paris, which recognized the National Transitional Council (CNT, rebellion), no longer considered legitimate.

The ambassadors of Libya in France and Unesco (whose headquarters is in Paris) had announced on February 25, they resigned to condemn "acts of repression in Libya" and they "joined the revolution" cons Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

A group of Libyan dissidents had taken control of the day the Libyan embassy in Paris.

An international coalition - led by France, the United Kingdom and the United States - occurred on March 19 in Libya under UN mandate to end the bloody suppression of the uprising against the Gaddafi regime.

Resolution 1973 adopted in mid-March by the UN authorizes such "take all measures necessary" to "protect civilians" in Libya, while "excluding a foreign occupying force" in that territory.

FRANCE - TUNISIA: A humanitarian emergency for Refugees Tunisian outside Paris

Tickets 50 euros raining in the small Parisian park. In less than three minutes, the scene turns into a riot. All around poor flock to be as quickly turned away. "Only for Tunisians!" Shouted angrily a young refugee to a group of Roma, before rushing to the benefactor came distribute its largess in solidarity.

Installed for several months in a small park of the nineteenth arrondissement of Paris, 200 to 300 illegal Tunisians, some twenty years on average, have fled Tunisia after the fall of former President Ben Ali to join France, via the Italian island of Lampedusa.

"I spend my days here and I can not do anything"

At only 17 years, Atef, a native of southern Tunisia, lives in the park for three months."Sometimes I do not eat for two days. They drink water from the fountain in the park, I sleep in a cardboard box under the ring. I wanted to come to France to send money to my mother because my father died. But, in fact, I spend my days here and I can not do anything, "said the young man in orange engulfing the ticket in his pocket.

Penniless and abandoned by the French state, this group of refugees living at the rate of distributions of meals provided by Tunisians living in Paris and the suburbs.

"They are forgotten by the world," railing against Mouldi Lady, living in France for 25 years.Every day he comes distribute jeans and t-shirts clean, toilet or food, and support young people to the neighborhood public showers.

"Here we do not have a policy, we take care of the emergency. France has two solutions: either to let them enter the territory but the dignified houses, or we make them go home," continues he said.

The stigma of the Revolution

Jamel Tunisian entrepreneur came distribute some tickets to his young fellow exiles, is convinced that they should return home - despite the economic difficulties faced by Tunisia since the Revolution.

"There are ideas to develop the country and restart the economy. It has no incentive to work elsewhere.With some careful thought you can hire everyone. The market wants, "he explains. Moreover, we must share the land with young people. After the Revolution, it is their right, "said James, who leaves in his air-conditioned 4x4 after his empty wallet.

For now, the economic and political challenges of the "new Tunisia" still far from the concerns of hundreds of refugees whose Tunisian only priority is to eat. For them, the humanitarian emergency - it is close to Paris.

Migrants who are victims of Franco-Italian differences

Samia Maktouf, Franco-Tunisian lawyer, committed volunteer in the defense of dozens of refugees in Tunisia.That day, she came up the names, ages and occupations of young men from the camp to try to get them a permit.

"It's allowed to dream in the aftermath of a revolution. They dreamed of a France of the revolution, freedom, equality. Degummed They have a dictatorship with bare hands and peacefully," outraged the lawyer, who believes that the solution must be European.

"This is for Europe to react and stop doing the ping-pong between France and Italy.Paris and Rome have left some relief to these young refugees and to make adjustments on a case by case, "said Samia Maktouf.

The controversial arrival in France, through Italy, thousands of migrants from North Africa will be the focus of a summit Tuesday in the Italian capital between the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Iran: Ahmadinejad accuses Washington of creating tensions between Tehran and the Arabs

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday accused the U.S. of trying to create tensions between Iran and the Arabs, following an appeal from the Gulf Arab monarchies to the UN to "stop interference" in Iran their business.

"The United States seeks to sow discord between Shiites and Sunnis (...) They want to create tensions between Iran and Arabs but their plan will fail," said Ahmadinejad in a speech at the annual parade Army, broadcast by state television.

The day before, the six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman), headed by Sunni families, denounced the "interference by Iran," Country Shiite-majority in their business.

They called, following a meeting in Riyadh, the international community and the Security Council of the United Nations to "stop the Iranian interference and provocation hardcore, especially after the unrest in Bahrain.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is the friend of all nations and wants development.I'm sure with the vigilance of the people and politicians and, I hope the governments of the region, this new conspiracy of arrogance (the United States, ed) will fail, "said Ahmadinejad.

"The pro-Zionist leaders in the U.S. trying to save the Zionist regime but they will not succeed," he added, reiterating that there would soon have a new "Middle East without the domination of the United States and without the Zionist regime. "

"The United States is not an honest friend. Experience has shown that they have fought their own friends who had sacrificed for them," he saidAhmadinejad, referring to the fall of the regimes of Presidents Hosni Mubarak and Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Iran is predominantly Shiite, while the Gulf Arab monarchies are mostly Sunni, with the exception of Bahrain, whose population is Shiite but is ruled by a Sunni dynasty.

Iranian officials have repeatedly condemned the sending of reinforcements to Saudi and UAE Bahrain to support the forces of that country to the suppression of protests led by Shiites in mid-February to mid-March.

The violence in Bahrain, officials said, 24 people including four policemen.Four protesters died in custody since the end of the protest movement.

According to Iranian media, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, asked in a letter to Secretary General of the UN Security Council intervention to "stop the killing of the Bahraini population.

Rome will grant temporary visas to migrant Tunisians

AFP - Italy has decided to issue temporary residence permits "humanitarian" immigrants recently arrived on Tunisian soil, enabling them to travel to all countries of the European Schengen zone, said Thursday the Minister of Interior Roberto Maroni.

"We decided to grant temporary residence permits for humanitarian protection, which will (such migrants, ie) to travel in the countries of the Schengen area," said the minister, noting that "the overwhelming majority of immigrants say they want to join friends and relatives in France or other European countries. "

The minister appeared before the Chamber of Deputies the agreement reached this week with the Tunisian authorities, after the visit Monday of the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in Tunis.

It was on this occasion on Friday confirmed he would meet his French counterpart Claude Gueant "to define a common response system so that France and Italy may involve all countries of the European Union."

Mr Maroni said that the temporary permit applied only to migrants have arrived on Italian soil.According to the agreement with Tunisia, newcomers must be returned to Tunisia.

Since January, with the fall of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the insurgency in Libya, Italy is facing an exceptional influx of immigrants, with over 22,000 landings, mainly from Tunisia.

The majority of these immigrants from francophone ensures want in France.

AFGHANISTAN: Karzai calls on NATO to stop its military operations

AFP - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday asked its NATO allies to cease their military operations in the country to avoid killing civilians, while traveling in the east where foreign soldiers are accused of several recent blunders .

This is the first time Mr. Karzai came to power by the West in late 2001 but continues to report civilian casualties burrs on the strength of NATO, calling for a drastic measure to its allies.

His spokesman, Omer Waheed, however relativized statements after this intervention: it estimated that Mr.Karzai had only to ask again for NATO to cease operations that kill civilians, usually air strikes and targeted raids against suspected rebels.

Asked in the afternoon by AFP, the international force from NATO in Afghanistan (Isaf) did not wish to react to Mr. Karzai.

This statement of Afghan President comes two days after a loved one has been killed by international forces in the family stronghold located in the southern province of Kandahar.

Mr.Karzai was speaking Saturday to about 500 tribal leaders in Asadabad, capital of Kunar, a stronghold of Pakistan border where Taliban Kabul accuses NATO of killing 74 civilians in recent weeks.In the audience were also relatives of the victims of those bombings.

"On the occasion of this meeting I would ask NATO and the United States with honor and humility and without arrogance, to cease their operations in our country," he said, adding: "We are a very tolerant people, but our tolerance is wearing thin. "

The solution to the war against international terrorism "is not in our country" but "in the regions we have shamed for nine years, and they (NATO, ie) know themselves" saidKarzai.

The Afghan president has repeatedly in recent years to ask the international forces to attack Taliban insurgents rear bases overseas, including in neighboring Pakistan, not in Afghan villages.

To the audience, Mr. Karzai took in his arms a little girl's leg amputated after a NATO bombing, and began to cry."I want you to take pictures of this little girl and her injuries and that you show your authority," he told representatives of the NATO force on site:

"We thank the West and are happy with everything they have done for us. We do not complain if we are killed by terrorists, but if we are with our allies, we have the right to complain.How long will I continue to attend the funeral at the four corners of Afghanistan? If foreigners see us as their friends, they should not kill their friends, "he said.

Nearly 140,000 foreign soldiers, two thirds of Americans are deployed in the country to support the weak government of Mr. Karzai against the Taliban insurgency. NATO plans to transfer responsibility to Afghan forces for the security of the entire country by the end of 2014.

Wikileaks: The Mubarak of Egypt under scrutiny of U.S. diplomatic cables

Quarantine of diplomatic cables on Egypt made public by the website Wikileaks between late January and early February depicts a power elite profoundly disconnected from the people. The authorities there seem to be paralyzed by power struggles and very timid on the issue of human rights. Review in detail the main themes raised in these confidential diplomatic exchanges.

Hosni Mubarak: Egyptian The Rais is portrayed as an old wolf of the policy that is clinging to power at any cost, in a long cable in May 2009 dedicated to him.According to the American ambassador stationed in Cairo, he is obsessed by the "threat" of the Muslim Brotherhood and considers Iran "as its main adversary" in the region. The great ideals like human rights do "not interested". Another message of January 2010 provides that he will represent in the 2011 presidential election and that "obviously will be reelected" ...

Inheritance: "This is the topic of conversation in the corridors of power," it said repeatedly in these diplomatic cables. Struggles clan seem to dominate the energy of all those close to Hosni Mubarak.The personality of the president's son, Gamal Mubarak, is considered the main fault line. "The army does not support Gamal and never let settle a dynastic succession," says a cable and September 2008. Better: a parliamentary assured a U.S. representative in 2007, that the only way to resolve the problem of succession would probably one day be "a military coup."

Human Rights: The issue of police violence is one of the most often discussed in these diplomatic cables that run from 2005 to February 2010. The representatives of the Egyptian government then respond systematically denial.On January 31, 2010, the director of security services, Hassan Abdel Rahman, said as there had been no "abuse of prisoners in the last ten years." The Embassy of the United States, however, noted that from 2007, the courts more readily grasp of police brutality case. But the only convictions are generally the "underlings". Between 2005 and 2010, the conclusion is often the same: "Torture and police brutality are rampant and widespread"

Army: A diplomatic cable in 2008 described the army as a body of the state's declining influence that attaches primarily to its economic privileges.U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey estimated that the population no longer sees the army as the nation's elite. Above all, the diplomat believes that the power of the military is primarily economic - investment real estate, among others - that politics of economic privatization undertaken by the president especially irritates the military institution.

Public opinion: On several occasions, diplomatic cables echo the growing public resentment against Hosni Mubarak. Cable in particular relating to violent protests in the city of Mahalla in 2008, stresses that the term "corruption and disdain are on everyone's lips."Upon arrival of Mohamed el-Baradei in Egypt in February 2010, a diplomatic cable emphasizes that for the population, it represents a "viable alternative to a corrupt system."