Muslims must quit British Forces, says Iranian envoy Abdolhossein Moezi

 Rich and privileged - the gilded life of would-be plane bomber• Banker's son expressed approval of 9/11 to teacher
• MI5 combing databases for alternative identitiesPeter Walker, Xan Rice and Richard Norton-Taylor guardian.co.uk, Sunday 27 December 2009 19.17 GMT Article historyWould-be plane bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's father is one of Nigeria's most respected businessmen Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's path towards apparent Islamist militancy took him to University College London and a luxury block just off the city's Oxford Street.But no part of his life was so seemingly anomalous to a would-be terrorist as the manicured lawns and tennis courts of the British International school in Togo, where he is believed to have first expressed extreme views.Today, investigators were trying to establish exactly what provoked him to try to detonate an explosive device as a Northwest Airlines jet made its final descent into Detroit airport on Christmas Day.It certainly wasn't a life of poverty. He was born in extreme privilege, of the sort few Nigerians could ever dream of, and his education reflected this. His father, Umaru Mutallab, 70, is one of the country's most respected businessmen, who retired earlier this month as chairman of Nigeria's FirstBank, the oldest bank in the country, with offices in London, Paris and Beijing.While the family comes from Katsina state in the Muslim-dominated north of Nigeria, where funding of hardline Islamist schools by Saudi Arabia and Iran has raised concerns of militancy among young people, Abdulmutallab first became noticeably religious while studying abroad at a very different institution.He undertook his secondary education as a boarder at the…

 The wrong kind of warClassical military strategy has failed. In Afghanistan and elsewhere we should prioritise human security Mary Kaldor guardian.co.uk, Article historyDoes the war in Afghanistan keep our streets safe? Both the current and the previous government claim that it does, but the real answer is probably not. Every attack directed at the Taliban and al-Qaida, even precise drone attacks, provides a justification for mobilising more recruits.But would withdrawal from Afghanistan be any better? That is what critics of the war propose. And again, the answer is probably not. Many Afghans fear that it could mean a return to civil war or a victory for the Taliban – at least in parts of the country – and that, in turn, would mean a base for al-Qaida.So is there any other approach? I believe there is, through a transformation of how we do security. Instead of the classic national security approach aimed at protecting the state from attack using military force, there is a human security approach, based on protecting individuals worldwide from a range of risks (violence, natural disasters, famine or disease, for instance) using a mixture of military and civilian forces under international authorisation.What would it mean to apply such an approach in Afghanistan? First, the effort would focus on the security of Afghans as well as British or Americans, rather than the defeat of an enemy. In fact, the strategy adopted by Barack Obama last autumn is based on "population security". But population security is seen as a means to an end, and the end is the defeat of US enemies. This matters in strategic terms since Afghans see themselves as pawns in a wider battle and cannot have confidence in the international…

 Minn. Democrats Want Higher Taxes for WealthyBy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The Legislature's top Democrats pushed Monday to send new income taxes for the wealthiest Minnesotans to a tax-averse Gov. Tim Pawlenty as part of their plan to wipe away a $2.9 billion deficit. The $395 million proposal -- unveiled at a morning news conference and rushing toward floor votes in both chambers later in the day -- reignited a familiar fight between anti-tax Republicans and Democrats who say the deficit-riddled state needs new sources of cash. Lawmakers and Pawlenty are hard-pressed to balance the budget before the state constitution requires the legislature to adjourn next week. The state Supreme Court made the crisis more acute last week when it said Pawlenty exceeded his authority last year when he ordered budget cuts without legislators' approval. With the Republican governor and top legislative Democrats far from reaching a budget deal, Democrats planned to use their large majorities in both chambers to pass the tax bill. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher said the vote had to be Monday to leave enough time to try to override a veto with GOP help. Top Republicans said their members won't vote to override. Pawlenty promised to veto the bill, which he said would give Minnesota the nation's fifth-highest income tax rate and hurt small businesses. ''The DFL's proposed tax increase is like Jason in 'Friday the 13th' -- it's scary and it keeps coming back,'' he said in a statement. Earlier, Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller said he doubted Pawlenty's position had changed. ''I have no reason to believe that he's become flexible or willing to compromise,'' he said. The proposal would establish a new income tax bracket for the highest-paid taxpayers. Couples filing jointly would…

 Five Mistakes Online Job Hunters MakeMaintaining an online presence is critical in a tight job market. Done right, it can be an important tool in getting hired. Done wrong, it can easily knock you out of the running for most positions. Read Article