Abbas in Grozny: "A lot binds Palestinians"

Deutsche Presse-Agentur

December 21, 2008 Sunday 12:29 PM EST

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas predicted "a bright future" for the semiautonomous Russian republic of Chechnya during a visit to the capital Grozny on Sunday.The region, which has gone through two wars since the 1990s, "had to pay a high price" for its future, Abbas said after meeting the Chechen leadership loyal to the Kremlin. The Palestinians and Chechens had a lot in common, he was quotedby Interfax news agency as saying. Abbas and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov visited the grave ofKadyrov's father, former president Akhmad, who was killed in a bomb attack on a stadium in Grozny in May 2004.Kadyrov called the Palestinian president "a true Muslim." Abbas, who arrived in Chechnya during the night, said he followed developments in the republic very closely. He said he felt "at home" in the North Caucasus region as he arrived at Grozny airport in sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall. On Sunday evening, Abbas was due to fly on to Moscow, where he was scheduled to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during a three-day visit. Immediately ahead of Abbas' trip, Russia, which is one of the international quartet that is negotiating peace in the Middle East, accused the radical Islamist Palestinian Hamas movement of doing too little to maintain a ceasefire with Israel.

Muntazer Al Zaidi - Hero of Arabs

MUNTAZER AL ZAIDI is a name that climbing fast to stand in the same line with Abu Mushab Al Zarqawi, Ayman Az Zawahiri if not Osama Ben Laden.

Throwing shoes to a world leader, is definitely disgusting and embarrassing. But Muntazer as a reporter cant take it anymore. He had no choice. He had only shoes to throw, and yet Bush should thank him for not throwing other than shoes (yes.. that 10 size shoes as you mentioned).

The question should be asked is why he throw his shoes to Bush? The answer is, he threw his shoes to show his anger on what Bush (America) had done to the people of Iraq – the women and the children by killing their husband, father and son.

Though Muntazer missed his target, none of the shoes hit Bush but it has done enough damage to the image of the President of United States of America. His PR has to do something to control the damage.

In Middle Eastern and Indo-Pak regions, hitting someone with shoes is a very embarrassing torture to them. It shows clearly on the day when they brought down the statue of Saddam, they hit the statue with their shoes and sandals. In Pakistan, I saw once, when someone start hitting a suspect with shoes, the others will joint him without much question.

Obama should watch this lesson carefully, the one that Muntazer had taught Bush right infront him. Attacking and destroying other country should not be the foreign policy of US.

Muntazer was reported hurt and beaten while being detained by the Iraqi authority. I believe he was beaten by those bodyguards, yes the failed and slow moving bodyguards, they were not there to protect Bush. I estimated by the time those slow bodyguards reached Bush, should Muntazer have other things to throw, he might have chances to make another two “throwings”. Those bodyguards should be sacked or send them to guard some mental hospital that doesn’t need them to move fast.

Anyhow, please released Muntazer. He was provoked by speech made by Bush. He deserved his freedom.

By the way, Mr. Bush - beside size 10 it was made by Turk.

Shahrul Peshawar

Kota Bharu, Kelantan

UNPO Treasurer Calls for Italian Government to Receive Guantanamo Uyghurs

Rome, 16 December 2008-

Senator Marco Perduca, treasurer of the UNPO has tabled a parliamentary question to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs about the future of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Seventeen Uyghurs are amongst up to 60 so-called “critical case” prisoners who cannot be repatriated for fear of being subjected to state persecution. China accuses the Uyghurs of partaking in acts of terrorism against the state in an effort to gain independence. Mr Perduca, acting alongside Senator Donatella Poretti inquired into the possibility that Italy will offer asylum to the prisoners and push for a united “European” solution to Guantanamo.Portugal became the first and only country to offer asylum to Guantanamo Bay inmates last Thursday [11 December 2008] since Albania’s acceptance of 5 Uyghur detainees in 2006. Portugal’s move is significant since it marks a departure from the long held European position of non-assistance with Guantanamo Bay repatriation. Portugal’s new approach has been viewed as a step to ensure that President elect Barack Obama’s promise to close the prison will not be broken. Portugal’s Foreign Minister stated that the European Union should “step forward” and assist the US to resolve the Guantanamo Bay problem. Over 250 inmates are currently being held by US authorities in Guantanamo Bay, around 60 of whom have already been cleared, but have nowhere to go.In October this year [2008], a federal judge ordered the US government to provide asylum to the 17 Uyghur detainees, an order whose implementation the legal advisor to the US Secretary of State, John Bellinger judged highly difficult due to tight US immigration law. As such Bellinger welcomed the Portuguese move to accommodate released prisoners saying it marked a positive shift away from vocal European criticism without offering alternatives.It is the hope of Senator Perduca and the UNPO as a whole that Italy will follow the Portuguese example and offer asylum to released Guantanamo detainees, especially the Uyghurs who face almost certain persecution in China if they return unprotected. It is also hoped that if Italy make such a commitment, other European countries will follow suit providing the US with the collaborative assistance that they claim has been lacking.