Saddam's former body guard to be deported from Sweden

It is just one of the many Asylum stories but it seems the state has had a final say in this case. A former body guard for Saddam Hussein is set to be deported from Sweden according to news reports.

According to the security intelligence of Sweden sapo, the man is a security risk for the country. The security intelligence report which claims the man a security risk remains classified.

The government is well aware of the situation of the man and the nature of threat against the man but still is unwilling to budge from its rigid stand.

If deported the man faces a direct threat to his life from extra judicial killings in Iraq taking place after the overthrow of the former Ba'ath party of Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

His wife and children have been provided Asylum earlier.

The Human rights lawyers working in this case state that it is against law of the land to deport a man even if he is a security risk.

It is a very contentious issue as to what happens to the man if deported to Iraq, one thing is to be considered for sure, if nothing happened since 2003 in that country, what will happen to Sweden if he is given Asylum ?

You can read the full story here.

Swedish-Israel tension on 'organ harvest article invovling palestinians' continues

After the publication of an article related to an organ harvesting racket reportedly, done by the Israeli defense forces in a Swedish News daily named Aftonbladet by journalist Donald Boström, the political atmosphere between Sweden and Israel has been strained, with Israeli politicians calling on the Swedish government to condemn the publication. Initially the Swedish Ambassador to Israel Elisabeth Borsiin Bonnier condemned the incident, but Stockholm the capital of Sweden, distanced itself from the issue citing press freedom in the country. But there is uproar among the Israeli Politicians accusing Sweden of supporting anti-Semitic lobby in Sweden.

The controversy took a new turn now, when Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said he has discussed with his Swedish counterpart ironing out a resolution denouncing anti-Semitic culture at an EU foreign ministers meet in Stockholm, Sweden, which is now the rotating president of the EU for six months.

But later on the Swedish FM Carl Bildt farcically denied about discussing the issue at all with the Italian Minister. Italy:EU should condemn the aftonbladet article.

Aftonbladet's organ harvesting allegations are ludicrous from a medical perspective, writes Johns Hopkins medical school lecturer Andrea Meyerhoff, who also argues that Sweden has missed an opportunity to "reject anti-Semitism and reaffirm principles of good journalism." -

1.An excerpt from the article in TheLocal.

"Bildt did the math: no one gains political points from pleasing Israel"

2. Another article by David Stavrou.

Rescuers Free Whale From Net

Rescuers have freed a whale that has been tangled in a shark net for more than a week

Sarah Palin and the Republican Campaign

The campaign for the 2008 Presidential elections has surely veered off the issues at hand. Both the Republicans and the Democrats trading some outstanding comments against each other, it was simply frustrating to see all that happen.

It doesn't augur well for the Republican party campaign for the 2008 Presidential elections, to have reduced this campaign for a media frenzy show and the comment war which was the spectacle of the headlines through out the world during the last few days of the campaign.



The issues at hand for the US are typically different, with the mess in the Wall Street, sluggish economy and the fears of the investors are relentless, the Republican Campaign seems to be caught off the hook on some important issues plaguing the US and world economy.

Now with the Alaskan report due on the Sarah Palin's role on the ouster of the Alaskan trooper is scheduled to be released no less than three weeks before the final countdown, these elections seem to be heading to the wire.

And it will be very interesting to see which way Sarah Palin's campaign for 2008 Vice Presidential campaign goes with things looking pretty bad on the economy front and Obama pointing a finger at the present Republican administration.

Also an email is circulating the web regarding Sarah Palin's Alaska years and has nothing to do with this post, take a look here

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Lost McCain Footage found in Sweden

A lost footage of the American Presidential front runner from the Republican Party John Mccain is said to be found with the Swedish National Television broadcaster SVT according to the news report published in DN, Dagens Nyheter, a Swedish News daily.

According to the News report published on the website The Local , Erik Eriksson, a Swedish Journalist who covered the war of Vietnam from 1968 through 1979 with the SVT and other US publications has released a book which he authored named, I saw Love and Death , along with a DVD, focusing on the period of Vietnam war.

The footage shows McCain and other Prisoners of War exiting a bus and standing on the Tarmac at the Hanoi Airport. According to the author, this is probably, the only footage of McCain from that period of time available now.

Further reading:

Full Story Here
War, Honor, John McCain
Vietnam War
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" Tasting and Complaining " costs Thai PM his office

Thai Prime Minister was forced to resign from the office after a ruling by the court held that he violated a conflict-of-interest law by hosting cookery shows on Television. Thailand's internal politics is again in fresh turmoil due to the latest developments throwing the financial markets in doubt.

According the news reports, the former PM Samak Sundaravej hosted the popular TV show on cooking
" Tasting and Complaining " for seven years before becoming Prime Minister. He is a self proclaimed food enthusiast.

Thailand's politics is on the boil since past a few years when Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted from the office in September 2006 by the Army Junta in a coup over the charges of corruption and abuse of power.

Further Reading :

1. Full Story
2. Politics of Thailand
3. The Economist Report on Thailand

Obama slightly ahead of McCain in the Presidential Race

There has been conflicting statements and counter statements, things which took place in the past and her present focus on things ahead of the campaign have almost took America a little bit hard on the political scene, Sarah Palin's recent past as according to the news reports does indicate clearly that she is somewhere more religious than she appears, and it is every one's personal right to be religious, but the political community would have definitely not liked the idea of mixing religion with politics and also caught off the hook on some key issues like Iraq War policy and many more things related to the Alaskan oil and gas project.

Well, ever since she took the center stage for the Vice Presidential race, the political obituary is almost nearing complete, analysts say that it is a close race, presidential race is deadlocked, I think Obama is distinctly ahead towards the road to Washington, because the Obama campaign doesn't have any new surprises for the American people of getting distracted from the main issues.
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