SBY Thanks Brunei Sultan for Patrol Vessels

Shear English - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed gratitude to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam who has provided the Indonesian navy with two fast patrol vessels. At a meeting with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at the Presidential Palace here on Thursday, President Yudhoyono said the Indonesian Navy would use the two light warships to help ensure maritime security.

"The President expressed gratitude (to Sultan Bolkiah) for the Waspada class patrol vessels. He believes Brunei has granted them with the aim of enhancing bilateral cooperation," presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said.

The two light warships renamed KRI Salawaku 642 and KRI Badau 643 have arrived in Indonesia. The warships are currently stationed at the navy port in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. The British-made warships equipped with guided missiles will be joining the Western Indonesian Fleet Command to conduct patrols in the western Indonesian territory. Although they are more than 30 years old they are expected to be in service until in the next 10 to 15 years.

At the 30-minute meeting, the President was also thankful to the people and government of Brunei Darussalam that had treated well around 70 thousand Indonesian migrant workers employed in the tiny oil rich country, Faiza said. Faiza said President Yudhoyono and Sultan Bolkiah during the meeting also discussed cooperation in food and energy fields.

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Porn Scandal Ended with Resignation from Parliament

Shear Blog - A conservative Indonesian lawmaker caught watching a pornographic video on his computer during a parliamentary session has resigned.

The case has transfixed this Muslim-majority nation, dominating headlines and discussion on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter since the lawmaker was caught on camera Thursday.

Arifinto, who like many Indonesians uses one name, is from a conservative Islamic party and helped push through an anti-pornography law that came into effect in 2008. 

The law faced strong opposition from the public and some members of government, with many saying it is vaguely worded and carries harsh penalties. The 50-year-old lawmaker apologized to his constituents Monday and said he'd decided to step down from Parliament.

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Gadhafi Implored Obama to Stop the NATO-Led Air Campaign

Shear English - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appealed directly to President Barack Obama on Wednesday to halt what the Libyan leader called "an unjust war" and wished Obama good luck in his bid for re-election next year. In a rambling, three-page letter to Obama, Gaddafi implored Obama to stop the NATO-led air campaign, which he called an "unjust war against a small people of a developing country".

"You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action," Gaddafi wrote in the letter that was sent to the State Department and forwarded immediately to the White House, according to a US official who had seen the letter.

"I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility for that. "To serving world peace ... Friendship between our peoples ... and for the sake of economic, and security cooperation against terror, you are in a position to keep NATO off the Libyan affair for good," Gaddafi wrote.

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"Want to Move Toward Change for the Country", Sons Plan to Oust Gaddafi

Shear English - At least two sons of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are proposing a transition to a constitutional democracy that would include their father's removal from power, The New York Times reports. Citing an unnamed diplomat and a Libyan official briefed on the plan, the newspaper said the transition would be spearheaded by one of Gaddafi's sons, Seif al-Islam el-Gaddafi. It is not clear whether Colonel Gaddafi, 68, has signed on to the reported proposal backed by his sons, Seif and Saadi el-Gaddafi, the report said.

But one person close to the sons said the father appeared willing to go along, the paper noted. The two sons "want to move toward change for the country" without their father, The Times quoted one person close to the Seif and Saadi camp as saying. "They have hit so many brick walls with the old guard, and if they have the go-ahead, they will bring the country up quickly."

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Britain Sold Weapons to Libya and Other Dictatorships in North Africa and the Middle East

Shear English - Britain sold weapons to Libya and other dictatorships in North Africa and the Middle East just four months before Colonel Gaddafi’s regime slaughtered hundreds of protesters, a damning report reveals today. Ministers approved the export of sniper rifles, bullets, tear gas and other ‘crowd control’ ammunition to Tripoli shortly before the murderous dictator ordered his military to crush a pro-democracy uprising.

The highly critical report by MPs laid bare the ‘dirty secret’ of Britain selling arms to some of the world’s most brutal regimes. Successive British governments have ‘misjudged the risk’, the Commons’ Committee on Arms Export Controls said. The report follows mounting fears Gaddafi used UK-made arms against the rebel uprising in Libya. More than 1,000 Libyan citizens have been killed since his violent crackdown was launched. Official figures show that since 2009, Britain approved export licences worth £2.3billion to 16 states over a 21-month period.

Military export licenses to Libya alone since the start of 2009 totalled £61.3million, according to Department for Business figures. The UK also awarded Bahrain £6million of licences covering submachine guns, sniper rifles, CS hand grenades, smoke canisters, stun grenades and riot control agents. At least 26 citizens have been killed and 1,000 injured as the Gulf state cracked down on freedom campaigners. Britain also approved arms licenses totalling £1.7billion to Saudi Arabia, £20.4million to Egypt, £276.9million to Algeria and £52.8million to the United Arab Emirates.

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Sex Tape Clip Posted on YouTube, Who Is He ?? "Anwar Ibrahim" ??

Shear English - A clip from a sex tape said to feature Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been posted on video-sharing website YouTube, reports said on Tuesday. The one minute and 47 second excerpt uploaded on Sunday is not explicit in itself but is part of a longer video showing a man having sex with a woman in a hotel room, local media have reported.

The man in the YouTube clip is said to closely resemble Anwar, although the former deputy premier on Tuesday denied any involvement. YouTube removed the clip late Monday but by then it had spread to pro-government blogs and websites, according to the Star daily newspaper.

The Star said the YouTube clip showed a man in a towel with another man dressed in a shirt and trousers while a woman with Chinese features is seen sitting on a bed. In the longer video, the man in the towel reportedly has sex with the woman after the other man leaves the room. “The face of the towel-clad, pudgy-looking man in short hair can be seen several times. He, however, does not stand in place long enough for his face to be clearly identified,” the Star reported.

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