Ahmadinejad on Latin America tour

Ahmadinejad is locked in a tense standoff with the US over uranium enrichment and influence in Iraq [AFP]

Posted By Aljazeera.net

The Iranian president has left on a Latin American tour of Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua, countries whose governments are critical of Washington.

bodyVariable350="Htmlphcontrol1_lblError";
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will hold talks with his ideological "brother" Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, on the start of his tour.

In Caracas, the two leaders were expected to sign a series of new trade and economic co-operation agreements.
bodyVariable300="Htmlphcontrol2_lblError";
"Iran and Venezuela are two important allies on a global level, the two countries have important industrial and oil projects which we will follow up in this trip," Ahmadinejad said before flying from Tehran.

Ahmadinejad has praised Chavez for his outspoken support of Iran's nuclear program, which the US and European governments say is part of a project to build atomic weapons.

Facing sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council over its uranium enrichment work and the threat of international isolation, Iran is keen to demonstrate it has backing among a number of leaders in Latin America.

Venezuelan support

Chavez is the most vocal supporter in Latin America for Iran and its president, with both men calling each other "brother" and relishing their status as fierce opponents of Washington's influence.

"Hugo is my brother," Ahmadinejad said during his last visit to Venezuela in September, when the two leaders inaugurated a joint oil well. "Hugo is the champion of the fight against imperialism."

In September 2005, Venezuela was alone in opposing a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that found Iran in violation of nuclear safeguards. Since then, Chavez has completely backed Iran's right to enrich uranium.

Iran and Venezuela are both important players in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and have signed numerous co-operation agreements in the energy sector and other fields.

During a visit to Iran last September, Chavez came out in support of Iran's nuclear program, as well as denouncing Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

The two presidents also signed deals covering iron and steel production, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and health care equipment, and munitions.

While Ahmadinejad seeks to cultivate Latin American allies, Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has headed to the Middle East to rally Arab support for a new US strategy in Iraq and to counter Iran's alleged interference in Iraq.

Before her departure, Rice warned that the United States would not be passive in the face of what she called Iran's "regional aggression".

"I think you will see that the United States is not going to simply stand idly by and let these activities continue," she said.

Ecuador ceremony

After his one-day visit to Caracas, Ahmadinejad plans to head to Managua to hold talks with Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua's president and a US Cold War foe.

On Monday, Ahmadinejad will take part in the swearing-in ceremony of Ecuador's new president Rafael Correa, who has vowed to forge stronger ties with Venezuela and not to renew a lease for a US military air base on the country's Pacific coast.
The Iranian president will also hold meetings with other South American presidents including Bolivia's Evo Morales on the sidelines of the ceremony in Ecuador, before finishing his tour on Tuesday.

Bangladesh president quits interim government, delays election

A Bangladeshi military soldier secures his position near the presidential palace in Dhaka. Bangladesh's president buckled to massive opposition and international pressure by quitting his role as head of an interim government and promising "free and fair" elections for the country.

Bangladesh's president buckled to massive opposition and international pressure by quitting his role as head of an interim government and agreeing to postpone disputed national elections.
.
President Iajuddin Ahmed's announcement came hours after he declared a state of emergency in a bid to tackle worsening violence generated by opposition allegations that the polls, scheduled for January 22, would be rigged.
.
New elections at a later date, the president promised in his dramatic U-turn, would be "free and fair".
.
"I have decided to resign as head of the caretaker government, to pave the way for an acceptable election in which all political parties can participate," the president said in a televised speech to the nation.
.
"The new caretaker government will hold dialogue with all the parties, and prepare for new elections within the shortest possible time," he said.
.
His temporary replacement as head of the interim government, responsible for organising the vote, is Supreme Court judge Fazlul Haq -- widely seen as being politically independent.
.
Ahmed will continue to serve as figurehead president.
.
The opposition, led by the left-leaning Awami League, said the announcement was a "victory for the people".
.
They had alleged the planned election would be biased in favour of the outgoing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and have demanded a complete overhaul of an electoral list said to contain 14 million ghost voters.
.
"By admitting that the voter list had errors, and quitting as head of the interim government, he has in fact accepted our main demands," opposition spokesman Abdul Jalil told AFP.
.
The opposition had also promised a boycott and a series of non-stop protests, blockades and strikes, meaning the politically-polarised nation was facing -- as the president put it -- a "grave situation".
.
Ahmed said the pre-poll unrest and the loss of dozens of lives, meant it had become a "necessity to declare an emergency", involving a ban on all political activities and a curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.
.
"It is the expectation of the people to have a free and fair elections... that are acceptable to all parties, at home and abroad," the embattled president said, just a day after he had called 60,000 troops out on the streets.
.
Analysts said the state of emergency and announcement was likely to restore immediate calm to the country, as weeks of protests give way to intense negotiations between the rival parties.
.
Ahmed's decision came after the United Nations said it had suspended "all technical support to the electoral process" and warned it was concerned for the future of the country's democracy.
.
The European Union said it had suspended its election observation mission to Bangladesh, one of the poorest, most corrupt and densely-populated nations on earth.
.
Britain, the former colonial power, also condemned plans to hold elections regardless of the opposition boycott.
.
And crucially, the UN threatened to strip the Bangladeshi army of its prestigious and lucrative international 'blue helmet' peacekeeping duties if it backed elections with no opposition participation.
.
UN peacekeeping missions and the income they generate are highly prized in the Bangladeshi armed forces, and such a warning would have subjected the president to serious pressure to delay the polls, analysts said.
.
The Muslim-dominated but secular country of 144 million, formerly known as East Pakistan, has a history of instability, coups and counter coups since winning independence from Pakistan in 1971.
.
Although democracy was restored in 1991, the Awami League and the BNP have each regularly boycotted parliament and staged national strikes as a negotiating tactic when in opposition.
.
The crisis has also badly damaged the country's economy, with exports including from the crucial textile sector held up at Chittagong, home to the country's largest port. — AFP
Bangladesh's president buckled to massive opposition and international pressure by quitting his role as head of an interim government and agreeing to postpone disputed national elections.
.
President Iajuddin Ahmed's announcement came hours after he declared a state of emergency in a bid to tackle worsening violence generated by opposition allegations that the polls, scheduled for January 22, would be rigged.
.
New elections at a later date, the president promised in his dramatic U-turn, would be "free and fair".
.
"I have decided to resign as head of the caretaker government, to pave the way for an acceptable election in which all political parties can participate," the president said in a televised speech to the nation.
.
"The new caretaker government will hold dialogue with all the parties, and prepare for new elections within the shortest possible time," he said.
.
His temporary replacement as head of the interim government, responsible for organising the vote, is Supreme Court judge Fazlul Haq -- widely seen as being politically independent.
.
Ahmed will continue to serve as figurehead president.
.
The opposition, led by the left-leaning Awami League, said the announcement was a "victory for the people".
.
They had alleged the planned election would be biased in favour of the outgoing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and have demanded a complete overhaul of an electoral list said to contain 14 million ghost voters.
.
"By admitting that the voter list had errors, and quitting as head of the interim government, he has in fact accepted our main demands," opposition spokesman Abdul Jalil told AFP.
.
The opposition had also promised a boycott and a series of non-stop protests, blockades and strikes, meaning the politically-polarised nation was facing -- as the president put it -- a "grave situation".
.
Ahmed said the pre-poll unrest and the loss of dozens of lives, meant it had become a "necessity to declare an emergency", involving a ban on all political activities and a curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.
.
"It is the expectation of the people to have a free and fair elections... that are acceptable to all parties, at home and abroad," the embattled president said, just a day after he had called 60,000 troops out on the streets.
.
Analysts said the state of emergency and announcement was likely to restore immediate calm to the country, as weeks of protests give way to intense negotiations between the rival parties.
.
Ahmed's decision came after the United Nations said it had suspended "all technical support to the electoral process" and warned it was concerned for the future of the country's democracy.
.
The European Union said it had suspended its election observation mission to Bangladesh, one of the poorest, most corrupt and densely-populated nations on earth.
.
Britain, the former colonial power, also condemned plans to hold elections regardless of the opposition boycott.
.
And crucially, the UN threatened to strip the Bangladeshi army of its prestigious and lucrative international 'blue helmet' peacekeeping duties if it backed elections with no opposition participation.
.
UN peacekeeping missions and the income they generate are highly prized in the Bangladeshi armed forces, and such a warning would have subjected the president to serious pressure to delay the polls, analysts said.
.
The Muslim-dominated but secular country of 144 million, formerly known as East Pakistan, has a history of instability, coups and counter coups since winning independence from Pakistan in 1971.
.
Although democracy was restored in 1991, the Awami League and the BNP have each regularly boycotted parliament and staged national strikes as a negotiating tactic when in opposition.
.
The crisis has also badly damaged the country's economy, with exports including from the crucial textile sector held up at Chittagong, home to the country's largest port. — AFP

Les Don Quichotte lèvent les camps... doucement - The Gift Quichotte raise the camps gently…

REUTERS

L'association a déclaré lundi la fin des campements en France, après l'annonce par le gouvernement de la création de 27000 nouvelles places d'hébergement d'urgence. Cependant, de nombreux SDF refusent de partir tant que des solutions ne sont pas concrètement appliquées.

Association declared Monday the end of the campings in France, after the advertisement by the government of the creation of 27000 new places of emergency lodging. However, of many SDF refuse to leave as long as solutions are not concretely applied.

«On lève les camps.» C'est par ces mots que le porte-parole des Enfants de Don Quichotte, Augustin Legrand, a annoncé lundi à Paris que l'association entamait «immédiatement un processus qui mettra fin à tous les campements» de sans-abri qu'elle a installés à travers la France. L'annonce a été faite devant un parterre de journalistes venant de tous les pays qui ont attendu la «star», comme le surnomme certains SDF, pendant plus d'une demi-heure. Juché sur un escalier au bord du canal, Legrand, qui lisait un texte, a ajouté dans son mégaphone : «Un changement radical de politique concernant les sans-abri et la certitude qu'un droit au logement opposable sera adopté prochainement dans un vrai esprit de consensus politique et associatif, nous conduisent à une sortie de crise immédiate.» «Un plan d'urgence est mis en œuvre dès aujourd'hui et nous démarrons immédiatement le processus qui nous conduira à la fin de tous les campements», a-t-il ajouté au bord du canal Saint-Martin où l'association a installé un campement de tentes depuis le 16 décembre, mettant le problème du logement au centre de l'actualité. Il a également ajouté que «la charte des Enfants de Don Quichotte avait été acceptée dans tous ses principes». Visiblement excédé par près d'un mois de lutte, le porte-parole n'a pas souhaité commenter le communiqué distribué aux journalistes. Il a tenu à préciser qu'il «partait dans l'heure» et qu'il n'avait «pas le temps de répondre aux quarante questions des journalistes». Direction l'Afrique du Sud et un tournage d'une durée de trois semaines. Les SDF ne sont pas prêts à lever le camp pour autant. Jean-Baptiste Legrand, le frère d'Augustin a précisé qu'ils allaient «plier les tentes au fur et à mesure que les SDF vont retrouver un logement», en précisant que cela pourrait prendre «plusieurs semaines» avant que le campement de quelque 250 tentes soit levé. Les sans-abri présents sont d'ailleurs sceptiques devant les promesses du gouvernement. Christian, un SDF présent sur le campement parisien, s'emporte. Pour lui, «tout ça c'est des promesses, c'est bidon». Et lui, comme tant d'autres, ne bougera pas tant que il n'y aura rien de concret. A Lille, les Don Quichotte annoncent qu'ils souhaitent rester 48 heures devant le parvis de l'église Saint-Maurice, «le temps que chacun trouve une solution de logement». A Nice aussi, les Don Quichotte refusent de partir. Les quelque 30 tentes installées sur la plage centrale ne seront pas démontées avant que «tout le monde soit relogé», a indiqué Robert Bourgeois, un porte-parole local de l'organisation. Reclamant de la considération, les Don Quichotte niçois veulent être consultés avant toute signature d'accord au niveau national. Peu avant cette annonce, le ministre de la Cohésion sociale, Jean-Louis Borloo, et le ministre délégué à la Cohésion sociale, Catherine Vautrin, que les Enfants de Don Quichotte avaient rencontrés ce week-end, avaient annoncé un «plan d'action renforcé» pour 2007 afin d'héberger de façon «pérenne» et «adaptée» toute personne accueillie en urgence, qui «s'appuiera sur 27.100 places nouvelles». Ils ont également confirmé que le gouvernement présentera un projet de loi instituant un droit au logement opposable.

.......In English.......

“One raises the camps.” It is by these words that the spokesman of the Children of Gift Quichotte, Augustin Legrand, announced Monday in Paris that association immediately started “a process which will put an end to all the campings” of homeless person that it installed through France. The advertisement was made in front of a floor of journalists coming from all the countries which awaited the “star”, as certain SDF call it, during more than one half an hour. Perched on a staircase at the edge of the channel, Legrand, which read a text, added in its loud-hailer: “A radical change of policy concerning the homeless people and the certainty which a right to opposable housing will be adopted soon in a true spirit of political and associative consensus, lead us to an exit of immediate crisis.” “An emergency plan is implemented as of today and we immediately start the process which will lead us at the end of all the campings”, it added at the edge of the Saint Martin's day channel where association installed a camping of tents since December 16, putting the housing problem at the center of the topicality. It also added that “the charter of the Children of Gift Quichotte had been accepted in all its principles”. Obviously exceeded by nearly one month of fight, the spokesman did not wish to comment on the official statement distributed to the journalists. He made a point of specifying that he “left in the hour” and that he did not have “not time to answer the forty questions of the journalists”. Direction South Africa and turning a one three weeks duration. The SDF are not ready to raise the camp for as much. Jean-baptiste Legrand, the brother of Augustin specified that they were going “to fold the tents as the SDF will find a housing”, by specifying that that could take “several weeks” before the camping of some 250 tents is raised. The homeless people present are skeptics besides in front of the promises of the government. Christian, a SDF present on the Parisian camping, carries himself. For him, “all that they is promises, it is can”. And him, like so much of others, will not move as much as there will be nothing concrete. In Lille, the Gift Quichotte announce that they wish to remain 48 hours in front of the square of the Saint-Maurice church, “time that each one find a solution of housing”. In Nice also, the Gift Quichotte refuse to leave. The few 30 tents installed on the central beach will not be dismounted before “everyone is rehoused”, indicated Robert Bourgeois, a local spokesman of the organization. Claiming consideration, the Gift Quichotte niçois want to be consulted before any signature of agreement at the national level. Little before this advertisement, the Minister for social Cohesion, Jean-Louis Borloo, and the minister delegated to social Cohesion, Catherine Vautrin, that the Children of Gift Quichotte had met this weekend, had announced a “action plan reinforced” for 2007 in order to lodge in perennial” and “adapted” way a “any person accomodated in urgency, which “will be based on 27.100 new places”. They also confirmed that the government will present a bill instituting a right to opposable housing.