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Mistress' Diary: Mussolini was Fierce Anti-Semite

Alessandra Rizzo
The Associated Press
Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:54 EST

© AP Photo
Photo dated Nov. 11, 1937 showing Italian Premier-dictator Benito Mussolini reviewing troops before the national Italian monument in honor of the 68th birthday of King Victor Emmanuel in Rome, Italy.

Benito Mussolini was a fierce anti-Semite, who proudly said that his hatred for Jews preceded Adolf Hitler's and vowed to "destroy them all," according to previously unpublished diaries by the Fascist dictator's longtime mistress.

According to the diaries, Mussolini also talked about the warm reception he received from Hitler at the 1938 Munich conference - he called the German leader a "softy" - and attacked Pope Pius XI for his criticism of Nazism and Fascism.

On a more intimate note, Mussolini was explicit about his sexual appetites for his mistress and said he regretted having affairs with several other women.

The dairies kept by Claretta Petacci, Mussolini's mistress, between 1932 and 1938 are the subject of a book coming out this week entitled Secret Mussolini. Excerpts were published Monday by Italy's leading daily Corriere della Sera and confirmed by publisher Rizzoli.

Prestwich and Whitefield Guide
Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:04 EST

© Prestwich and Whitefield Guide
JOINING FORCES: PC Chris Grayshon, of the Prestwich neighbourhood policing team, liaises with a member of the CST

A joint operation to deter anti-Semitism and crime during the Jewish High Holy Days has been hailed as the "most successful yet".

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Community Security Trust (CST) undertook a series of actions over a 23-day period to reassure people during the religious festivities.

It involved high-visibility patrols before and after services at synagogues, covering the main pedestrian routes, as well as joint patrols between the police and members of the CST.

Germany: Swine Flu Kills Two in Bavaria

The Local
Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:47 EST

German health authorities on Monday confirmed the deaths of two men in Bavaria from swine flu, but a 55-year-old from the eastern German state of Thuringia did not die after being immunised for the H1N1 virus as had been originally feared.

A 57-year-old and an 18-year-old both passed away in the past week from swine flu complications, Bavarian officials said. The authorities also confirmed suspicions that a 24-year-old woman from Cologne died on November 11 from the virus.

But the man from Thuringia apparently had a heart attack the same day he received his vaccination, the state's Health Ministry said after an autopsy.

The daily Thüringer Allgemeine reported earlier on Monday that officials were concerned the man had had a adverse reaction to the vaccination.

A 65-year-old German woman with a heart condition died last Tuesday only hours after receiving an immunisation for swine flu.

Friends in high places

Peter Oborne and James Jones
The Guardian
Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:29 EST

Every year a very grand lunch is given by the Conservative Friends of Israel at a central London hotel. Anyone who is anyone in the Conservative party makes it their business to be there. It is normally addressed by the party leader.

This year's event took place in June, with the main speech by David Cameron, and the shadow foreign secretary, William Hague, in attendance. The dominant event of the previous 12 months had been the Israeli invasion of Gaza. We were shocked Cameron made no reference in his speech to the massive destruction it caused, or the 1,370 deaths that resulted, or for that matter the invasion itself. Indeed, our likely future prime minister went out of his way to praise Israel because it "strives to protect innocent life". This remark was not intended satirically.

Afterwards, we resolved to ask the question: what are the rules of British political behaviour that cause the Tory leader, his mass of MPs and parliamentary candidates to flock to the Friends of Israel lunch in the year of the Gaza invasion? And what are the rules of media discourse that ensure such an event passes without even being noticed?

The Israel lobby in Britain

Ian Black
Guardian.co.uk
Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:49 EST

© Unknown
Former Tory leader William Hague (left) and current Tory leader and probable future British PM David Cameron flank Ron Prosser, the Israeli ambasador

50% of MPs in the shadow cabinet are Conservative Friends of Israel members, according to Channel 4's Dispatches

Pro-Israeli organisations in Britain look set to see their influence increase if the Conservatives win the next election, a film scrutinising the activities of a powerful but little-known lobby warns today.

At least half of the shadow cabinet are members of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), according to a Dispatches programme being screened on Channel 4. The programme-makers describe the CFI as "beyond doubt the most well- connected and probably the best funded of all Westminster lobbying groups".

Inside Britain's Israel Lobby claims that donations to the Conservative party "from all CFI members and their businesses add up to well over £10m over the last eight years". CFI has disputed the figure and called the film "deeply flawed".

The programme also describes how David Cameron allegedly accepted a £15,000 donation from Poju Zabludowicz, a Finnish billionaire who chairs Bicom (the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre). Zabludowizc, the film reveals, has business interests in an illegal West Bank settlement. He also gave £50,000 to Conservative Central Office. Zabludowicz says his contributions "are a matter of public record".

Chris Burns and Patrick Donahue
Bloomberg
Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:07 EST

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, drawing on his experience of military failure in Afghanistan in the 1980s, said the U.S. can't win the conflict there and should begin pulling out its soldiers.

Afghanistan, where U.S. and NATO forces are battling a Taliban-led insurgency, is too fragmented between clans to be controlled militarily, Gorbachev, 78, said in an interview today in Berlin. While he said President Barack Obama would be unlikely to take his advice, Gorbachev said he saw no chance of success even with more U.S. troops.

"I believe that there is no prospect of a military solution," Gorbachev said in Russian through a translator. "What we need is the reconciliation of Afghan society -- and they should be preparing the ground for withdrawal rather than additional troops."

Sonja Pace
VOA News
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:43 EST

Britain's prime minister says the UK will send more troops to Afghanistan if other allies do the same. Speaking on British radio, BBC's Radio Four, Gordon Brown said he's confident of that support.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said British envoys are being sent out to talk with coalition partners and NATO allies to make the case for sending more troops to Afghanistan.

"We are prepared to put more troops into Afghanistan, there must be burden-sharing among the alliance," he said.

Britain currently has 9,000 troops in Afghanistan and is proposing sending 500 more, but it wants other allies - not including the United States - to send another 5,000 troops as well.

Sabine Siebold
Reuters
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:38 EST

Germany will send 120 more soldiers to northern Afghanistan to reinforce its base in the Kundus province, Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said on Friday.

Guttenberg announced the modest increase during a surprise visit to Afghanistan, where Germany has the third largest contingent in the NATO-led mission with 4,200 troops.

"I've made the decision to reinforce Kundus with an additional infantry company from mid-January," the new defence minister said at the dust-covered field post in Kundus, where he visited a wounded soldier and ate at the mess hall.

The United States, with 67,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, has long urged Germany and other countries to send more troops. There are about 42,000 from other allied nations.

Defence Ministry spokesman Steffen Moritz told reporters in Berlin the extra infantry company would contain 120 troops.

Matthew Weaver
The Guardian
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:14 EST

Members of explorer troop shouted 'kill the Jews' at veterans during remembrance parade

A scout troop is being investigated by the police after its members shouted death threats and racist abuse at Jewish war veterans during a remembrance parade.

Dressed in full uniform, the explorer scouts, who were taking part in Remembrance Sunday service in Romford, Essex were heard to repeatedly shout "Let's kill the Jews" at Jewish second world war veterans.

The head of the scouts in the area has issued a full apology for the incident, which was witnessed by a senior policeman standing a few feet away.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said the Met was investigating two allegations of "racially aggravated harassment" involving more than one member of the Romford explorer scout unit. He would not say how many scouts were involved.

Channel 4 defends Israel lobby probe

Simon Rocker
The Jewish Community Online
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:09 EST

Channel 4's flagship investigations programme, Dispatches, is to probe what it calls "one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in Britain" - the pro-Israel lobby.

The political columnist Peter Oborne is to front an hour-long broadcast, Inside Britain's Israel Lobby, due to be broadcast on Monday week.

The hard-hitting documentary strand has been responsible for such programmes as Undercover Mosque two years ago, which included covert filming of Islamist extremists preaching in British mosques.

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