Thursday, October 04, 2012

Islamist fear: France to prosecute terrorist camp attendees(traitors?)...

Masked special forces police escort a member of the Islamist community under heavy guard in Coueron, near Nantes.(Reuters / Stephane Mahe)
Masked special forces police escort a member of the Islamist community under heavy guard in Coueron, near Nantes.(Reuters / Stephane Mahe)
The French government has drafted a law to prosecute citizens suspected of attending Islamist militant camps abroad. Authorities will also be able to eavesdrop on the online activities of “potential terrorists”.
France’s new socialist government outlined the hardline measures in a draft bill six months after extremist Mohamed Merah gunned down seven people, including three Jewish children in front of a school in Toulouse.
If the legislation is passed by parliament, citizens suspected of having committed terrorist activity outside of France will be taken into custody for questioning and possible trial, whereas before this was only possible if suspects were on French soil.
Spokesperson for President Francois Hollande’s government Najat Vallaud-Belkacaem said that they expected to pass the bill before the end of this year. She stressed in a press statement that the “terrorist threat remains at a very high level in France.”
"We have laws in place that allow that keep tabs on pedophiles abroad, but not for potential terrorists. We must ensure that we take the same action against them as pedophiles and sex tourists," commented an intelligence specialist on Tuesday to AFP.
The bill also looks set to extent special measures that allow police access to private communications that were due to expire at the end of 2012. The law would extend these powers until 2015 with the possibility of a vote to make them permanent.
"The terrorist threat remains high-level in France," said a government statement on the new legislation. "It is essential that we can detect when people, collectively or individually, embark on the road to radicalization and terrorist violence."
French police came under fire following Merah’s shooting spree six months ago for failing to act on intelligence dating back to 2009 that linked the gunman to foreign Islamist groups.
The then-Interior Minister Claude Gueant fought off criticism on the basis that the French police were only authorized to arrest an individual who had committed crimes on French territory and as such were not within their rights to take Merah into custody prior to the killings.
French intelligence indicates that there are currently several dozen citizens in the tribal border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan who fight or train with terrorist organizations. The authorities aim to locate these individuals and place them under government surveillance.

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http://rt.com/news/france-prosecute-islam-militant-627/

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Its the International Day for all of us over 65 years...

International Day of Older Persons...

"Longevity is a public health achievement, not a social or economic liability. On this International Day of Older Persons, let us pledge to ensure the well-being of older persons and to enlist their meaningful participation in society so we can all benefit from their knowledge and ability."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Theme for 2012:
Longevity: Shaping the Future

On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons.
This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing - which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing - and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly.
In 1991, the General Assembly (by resolution 46/91) adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons.
In 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages.
The theme of the 2012 commemoration is “Longevity: Shaping the Future”. Ageing and health was also the theme of this year's World Health Day on 7 April. These themes focus on how healthy behaviours throughout life can help older men and women lead full and productive lives and be a resource for their families and communities.