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Obama: Mobster killing? 

 

 

 

Hague worried by Arab Spring risks A failure to ensure economic benefits from the democratic awakening across the Arab world could prompt a “collapse”, William Hague has warned.

 

 

Related Analysis and Comment

 

Review: Tablet & Pen This timely anthology allows the region’s literary giants to speak for themselves, shedding light on Middle Eastern attitudes.

 

 

Wednesday, 04, May 2011 05:01

By Ian Dunt

The killing of Osama bin Laden has made US President Barack Obama look like a “mobster”, Ken Livingstone has said.

The Labour London mayoral candidate, who has a long track record backing a principled foreign policy, said the al-Qaida leader should have been captured instead.

“I just looked at it and realised that it would increase the likelihood of a terror attack on London,” he said.

“That’s very much the American style but I don’t think I’ve ever felt pleased at the death of anybody. The real problem for London is that after America we’re a big target so it’s a very dangerous time at the moment.”

He added: “We should have captured him and put him on trial. It’s a simple point – are we gangsters or a Western democracy based on the rule of law?

“This undermines any commitment to democracy and trial by jury and makes Obama look like some sort of mobster.”

The comments come amid an increasingly critical reception for the news that the terrorist leader was killed by US forces on Monday morning.

An original statement from the White House said that he had been shot after resisting capture and that one of his wives had been killed after he used her as a human shield.

But it has emerged that the human shield story was false and that Bin Laden was not armed at the time of the assault.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said: “There was concern that Bin Laden would oppose the capture operation and, indeed, he resisted.”

Under international law the target must be given a chance to surrender and can only be shot if they resist.

Mr Carney said the contradictory accounts emerging from the US were a result of the need to provide detailed information to the public quickly.

PMQs saw the two leaders lay out their final attacks ahgead of the local elections tomorrow 

 

 

High court upholds decision to bar anti-gay Christian couple from fostering: BHA comments The High Court has upheld a decision by Derby City Council to prevent a Christian couple from fostering on grounds that their anti-gay beliefs make them unsuitable for that service. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has commented on the decision, saying it shows that ‘prejudices and preferences come second to the needs and rights of vulnerable children’.

 

 

 

Hague worried by Arab Spring risks A failure to ensure economic benefits from the democratic awakening across the Arab world could prompt a “collapse”, William Hague has warned.

 

 

Related Analysis and Comment

 

 

Wednesday, 04, May 2011 05:02

By Ian Dunt

Ed Miliband and David Cameron entered into a bitter war of words today, as polling day approached.

PMQs was dominated by local issues, with council performance, spending cuts and frontline services dominating discussion ahead of tomorrow’s elections.

Asked about his pledge to veto any minister whose cuts would affect frontline services, Mr Cameron hit back at the Labour leader with an attack on Labour councillors, who he accused of cutting spending excessively.

“Isn’t it time he talked to local Labour authorities like Manchester city council?” the prime minister said.

“Labour local authorities are playing politics with people’s jobs.”

Mr Miliband hit back by mocking reports of a furious row during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, in which energy secretary Chris Huhne argued with Mr Cameron and chancellor George Osborne over No to AV’s campaign tactics.

“I know how the energy secretary must have felt at Cabinet yesterday,” the opposition leader said.

“Remember what they said a year ago – two parties working together in the national interest. Now what do we have? Two parties threatening to sue each other in their own interest. That’s what’s changed in the last year.

“What the public are saying – on police cuts, on tuition fees, on the NHS – this is not what we voted for. Having broken so many of their promises a year ago how can the public believe anything they’re saying at these elections tomorrow?”

Mr Cameron responded by defending the coalition’s record in government, citing a freeze on council tax, a cap on immigration and city academies as examples.

“With council elections tomorrow, people should remember the mess Labour left us in,” he said.

“Don’t let Labour do to your council what they did to our country.”

They’ll want prosperity sooner rather than later

 

 

Hague worried by Arab Spring risks A failure to ensure economic benefits from the democratic awakening across the Arab world could prompt a “collapse”, William Hague has warned.

 

Related Analysis and Comment

Review: Tablet & Pen This timely anthology allows the region’s literary giants to speak for themselves, shedding light on Middle Eastern attitudes.

Wednesday, 04, May 2011 09:30

By Alex Stevenson

A failure to ensure economic benefits from the democratic awakening across the Arab world could prompt a “collapse”, William Hague has warned.

The foreign secretary used his speech at the Lord Mayor’s Easter banquet at Mansion House to raise his concerns about the future of the Middle East and North Africa.

Egypt and Tunisia, which have already ousted their presidents in a wave of popular enthusiasm for democracy, were singled out as facing an “immense economic task”.

“There is a potentially explosive tension between people’s expectations of immediate economic benefits from their revolution and the need for these new governments to take painful measures to open their economies and offer more opportunity to their citizens,” Mr Hague warned.

“We have to do our utmost to help the Arab world make a success of more open political systems and economies, and it is massively in our own interests to do so.”

The foreign secretary said he expected to see progress in Iran, Syria and other Arab countries whose governments continue to use repression, but insisted that “we are not starry-eyed” about the opportunities the Arab Spring has brought.

“There are risks ahead. All change brings the risk of instability and there are some who will seek any opportunity to create chaos,” he added.

“But legitimate grievances have to be addressed.”

In his first major speech since the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden at the weekend, Mr Hague praised the US’ achievement in hunting down the man behind 9/11.

He tied the extent of ongoing dangers from terrorism to the fate of Arab countries struggling to throw off their authoritarian governments, however.

“If the Arab Spring does lead to more open and democratic societies across the Arab world over a number of years, it will be the greatest advance for human rights and freedom since the end of the Cold War,” Mr Hague said.

“If it does not, we could see a collapse back into more authoritarian regimes, conflict and increased terrorism in North Africa on Europe’s very doorstep.”