TUNISIA: Opposition Islamist Ghannouchi in Tunis after 20 years of exile

AFP - The Tunisian Islamist opposition Ghannouchi was scheduled to return Sunday afternoon in London after his country for over 20 years of exile, through the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had harshly mate Islamists in the early 90s.

A spokesman for the old opponent, aged 69, said that this return, feared by some sectors of Tunisian society, including feminists and secular circles, will not be "triumphant" and on the contrary Rached Ghannouchi who wants to hand over to young people in the lead, simply wants to return as a "free man".

During a demonstration, hundreds of women screamed Saturday at Tunis their determination to defend the emancipation gained over half a century on the eve of the return of Rached Ghannouchi.

"We are here to affirm the rights acquired by women and prevent any backsliding, to say that we are not prepared to negotiate our freedom with the Islamists," said Amel Betaib, a lawyer.

Rached Ghannouchi founded in 1981 Nahda (Renaissance), with intellectuals inspired by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and said today represent a moderate form of Islam close to the AKP in Turkey.

Tolerated, including the coming to power of Ben Ali in 1987, the party was suppressed after the 1989 elections, which he claimed the list had received at least 17% of the vote.

Mr. Ghannouchi had then left Tunisia to Algeria, then to London. In 1992 he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment with other religious leaders for a plot against the president.

The Tunisian government transition, set up after the fall of Ben Ali on January 14, adopted a draft amnesty law that will concern the Islamists, and must be voted by Parliament.What is not yet done but should not however be an obstacle to his return.

Ghannouchi, who no longer president of the Islamist movement, says he also will not be a presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections and wants to transform his movement into a legal political party to participate in upcoming legislative transition team in power since the fall of Ben Ali's task was to organize.

A law still in effect prohibited from forming a political party on a strictly religious.

BELGIUM: 30,000 demonstrators to Brussels to demand a government

AFP - More than 30,000 Belgians took part Sunday in Brussels in a march of "shame" to expose the unprecedented political crisis lasting record that threatens the unity of the country, due to differences between Flemish and Francophone, and ask formation of a government.

This is the first time since the Belgian parliamentary elections of 13 June 2010, ordinary citizens are expressing their exasperation with massively to the current impasse.

They were responding to a call via the Internet popularized five young Flanders and Brussels, three students and two employees, claiming no political affiliation even if one of them is the son of Minister of Justice, a Flemish Christian Democrat .Their motto: a march of "shame" for the kingdom.

"A beard for Belgium"

"What we want? We want a government," chanted the protesters, often young, the 224th day of the crisis which saw the country deprived of effective government, a record in Europe.

Many demonstrators wore also on Sunday a placard with the slogan "Divide? Not in our name!" Slogan of a meeting of artists and intellectuals held in Brussels on Friday evening, which caused a stir.

The participants, mixed Flemish and Francophone, have denounced the line defended by the Nationalist party emerged as the winner of legislative independence, the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), which contributes to the current political stalemate.

The tone of humor, speaking Geluck Philippe, the famous designer of the "Cat", is called a "revolution of mussels and fries," the Belgian national dish, along the lines of "jasmine revolution" Tunisian .

Other successful slogan, "A beard for Belgium" could be read on stickers flown Sunday some 34,000 demonstrators (by police), following a call from the Belgian actor Benoît Poelvoorde no longer to shave until the denouement of the crisis.

A text divides the Flemish majority

"We want a solution.Not this trench warfare between political parties, "said one protester Flemish, Christopher, 27, researcher in sociology from the University of Antwerp (Flanders, north).

For him, Sunday's protest reflects "the beginning of a rift between Flemings," since the right Flemish - N-VA and the Christian Democrats VCT - dismissed on January 6 a draft agreement prepared by a socialist Flemish with a mission of conciliation.

This text was instead supported by the Flemish and Francophone left participant for more than seven months in the endless negotiations in September

Single incident of the gathering on Sunday, five Flemish extremists were detained by police when they tried to destroy tracts for demonstrators.

One of the organizers of the march, Vandereecken Simon, a graphic designer for 23 years, welcomed a success "has exceeded our expectations."

"Our politicians will have to react after such a mobilization. Otherwise, we'll see what steps to take," he told AFP.

Belgium has been administered since 2010 by a firm responsible for caretaker absence of agreement on a new reform of its institutions.

The Francophone Wallonia and Brussels want to limit the autonomy demanded by the Flemish reinforced (60% of the estimated 11 million Belgians), particularly in tax matters, lest it be the beginning of the end for the country.

Tony Blair believes it was right to topple Saddam Hussein

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has delivered Friday to a new exercise of self-justification for its second appearance in a year before the commission to shed light on British entry into the war in Iraq in 2003, alongside the Americans.

The chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Chilcot, had sent more than a hundred additional written questions to the former Labour leader. It opened in early morning discussions expected to last 4 to 5 hours, explaining that the second call was to "clarify" the answers provided so far by Mr.Blair.

Midway through the hearing broadcast by news channels continuously, the tone of the five investigators appeared a little less polished and the responses of Mr Blair were a little less abrasive, compared to the controversial meeting in January 2010.

However, the British prime minister from 1997 to 2007 did not change his argument on the merits, convinced of the rightness of his decision to go to war, and did not immediately brought new elements.

And so much that he refused - to the dismay of Sir Chilcot - to authorize the publication of his correspondence "very private" with former U.S. President George W.Bush, on the period when the two leaders have decided to "regime change" in Iraq during a meeting in Mr. Bush's Texas ranch in April 2002, eleven months before the invasion.

As in January 2010, Friday's debate revolved around three key issues: the war was legal in the absence of explicit UN resolution? Mr Blair said he deliberately manipulated public opinion to never proved the presence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Iraq, which justified going to war? What was the reality of the alignment of Tony Blair - then called "Bush's poodle" by its detractors - the American neoconservatives?

A year ago, Mr.Blair had defended "no regrets" his "right decision" to overthrow "the monster Saddam." "Saddam's regime was brutal, it was a repressive military dictatorship. It was a source of instability and danger to the region," he said Friday.

The war was legal? The Attorney General, Senior Counsel for the Government, which this week again said he was "uncomfortable" about the absence of a UN resolution, has finally sided with the supporters of the invasion, assured Mr Blair."Otherwise, the United Kingdom could not, and did not participate in the decision to oust Saddam."

The reason for maintaining the secrecy of his correspondence with U.S. President? "Notes (addressed) to President Bush were very private. They were written when I wanted to get a change or adjustment of policy. It should be confidential," said Tony Blair. And these notes "are essentially in agreement with what I have expressed in public".

Asked about the front that were loaned, M.Blair has denied having said or written "George, whatever your decision, I will follow you."

In January 2010, a lawyer by profession and outstanding speaker had borrowed a backdoor to escape protesters and journalists. This time he entered through the main issue by asking a few seconds for photographers, while a score of demonstrators coalition Stop the War "chanted" Bliar ", a pun combining" Liar (liar) the surname of the former leader.

Among the demonstrators, Peter Brierley, whose son was killed in Iraq, called the trial of Tony Blair "war criminal".