Gunmen in Bahrain have attacked a prison, killing a policeman and freeing inmates convicted of terror offences, officials say. A security lockdown has been imposed around Jaw prison, south of the capital Manama, the interior ministry said. It did not say how many prisoners had escaped.
Sporadic unrest has hit Bahrain since protests in February 2011 demanded an end to discrimination of the Shia majority by the Sunni Muslim rulers.
At the time, demonstrators occupied Manama's Pearl Roundabout to press for more democracy.The protesters were driven out by security forces in March 2011, after the king brought in troops from neighbouring Sunni-led Gulf states to restore order and crush dissent.
The unrest left at least 30 civilians and five policemen dead. Almost 3,000 people were also arrested, and scores were handed long prison terms by military courts.
Opposition activists say dozens of people have been killed in ongoing clashes between protesters and security forces, while bomb attacks blamed on Iran-backed militants have left a number of police officers dead.
[BBC] Africa is not a country. It is a continent that feels like it has come of age. Despite the very real problems of poverty, corruption and the sense you sometimes get in some quarters, that no-one is held to account, business types hail Africa as the "final frontier". After nearly 12 years reporting this region, for me it feels like a place where one grows up.
I have met priests and politicians, warlords and entrepreneurs, gangsters and teachers. Ordinary mums and dads. Each of them has helped to shape my impressions and many have become firm friends.
One of the first lessons I learnt in Kenya was survival. There is no safety net here when times get tough.
In the early days on a visit to the slum known as Kibera, an elderly lady called me over as she stirred her supper in a thick black cast iron pot. "Hey sister, where are you from?" she asked. "London," I replied. "Yes, but where in London?" I was rather puzzled as she pressed me further. "I know London," she nodded, sagely. "In fact, I know Paris and Berlin, too."
It emerged that this friendly stranger had once been a glamorous stewardess for a international airline. She had drunk the best champagne and visited the fanciest European hotels but when times got hard in the 1980s and the airline folded, she lost her job.
#1
There is no safety net here when times get tough.
I don't suppose she would somehow link this statement to the 'coming of age' she's seen in 12 years. 'Safety nets' in the west taking civilization the exact opposite direction.
A federal judge in Texas on Saturday issued a court order barring enforcement of an Obama administration policy seeking to extend anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act to transgender health and abortion-related services.
The decision sides with Texas, seven other states and three Christian-affiliated healthcare groups challenging a rule that, according to the judge, defines sex bias to include "discrimination on the basis of gender identity and termination of pregnancy."
In granting an injunction one day before the new policy was to take effect, US District Judge Reed O'Connor held that it violates the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law governing rule-making practices.
The judge also ruled that plaintiffs were likely to prevail in court on their claim that the new policy infringes on the rights of private healthcare providers under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
As explained in O'Connor's 46-page opinion, the plaintiffs argued that the new regulation would "require them to perform and provide insurance coverage for gender transitions and abortions, regardless of their contrary religious beliefs or medical judgment." The times, they are a'changing?
[Daily Caller] Charles Krauthammer harshly criticized President Barack Obama during a panel discussion on Fox News Thursday evening.
The conservative pundit called Obama’s new executive order raising sanctions against Russia for its government’s alleged role in influencing the 2016 election "anti-democratic" before chastising POTUS for seeking to "lock in" Trump to a fractured Oval Office.
"This is about as anti-democratic as you can get. You were in office for eight years -- you got your mandates -- and on all of these issues... he is doing all these things that have been explicitly rejected by his own party," Krauthammer lamented. "Then he doesn’t have the courage of his own convictions, getting them done to lock in his successor."
#1
i suspect the DJT Express to roll right over bambis bleatings like an Union Pacific SD -45 going downhill: the congressional RINOs will pose a bigger problem than ex-POTUS Big Ears
[Ynet] Jordan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mahmoud Freihat, warned in an interview with the BBC in Arabic on Saturday that ISIS fighters on the Jordan-Syria-Israel border in the Golan Heights have anti-aircraft missiles.
"This faction is a constant and close threat to Jordan. Some of the areas its fighters are in are a kilometer away from the border," Freihat said.
"They have tanks, armored vehicles, anti-aircraft missiles and machineguns that can hit the military posts on the frontline."
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/01/2017
07:17 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Ynet] IDF and Shin Bet forces tossed in the clink Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! five suspects in the West Bank over the weekend.
Three are suspected of opening fire at an IDF post on Friday and were arrested a few hours later in Ya'bad. The car believed to have been used by the suspect for the attack was seized.
In Yatta near Hebron, Israeli forces seized weapon parts and arrested the suspect in whose possession they were found.
Finally, at the Deir Sharaf Junction, IDF troops arrested a suspect who declared his intention to carry out an attack. A knife was found in his possession.
[DeutscheWelle] Migrants and asylum-seekers are typically the first group suspected in a criminal investigation in Germany. A report by Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) seeks to right misconceptions and unmask prejudices.
The reports contain only that which was counted, of course. We've seen stories of self-censoring or active discouragement of making police reports deemed racist, which makes the reported numbers interesting.
[AlAhram] Italy will seek to deport more migrants who have no right to be in the country and will open new detention centres to hold them before their expulsion, according to a written directive and a ministry source. Police chief Franco Gabrielli sent a two-page directive to stations across the country on Friday ordering them to increase efforts to identify and deport migrants a week after Berlin Christmas market attacker Anis Amri was shot dead near Milan. The directive, seen by Reuters, says police should take "extraordinary action" before the "growing migratory pressure in an international context marked by instability and threats" to "control and remove irregular foreigners."
Interior Minister Marco Minniti plans to open several new detention centres that hold migrants prior to their expulsion, a ministry source said, in line with repeated requests by European Union partners. The tougher migrant stance, which several Italian papers ran on their front pages on Saturday, is the first major policy change made by Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's government since it took power in mid-December, and comes on the heels of a record year of boat migrant arrivals.
[AlAhram] Romanian border guards have discovered 48 Iraqi citizens hidden away in a truck that officially was transporting boxes of chocolate. Border police at the Danube port of Giurgiu on the Romanian-Bulgarian border said they discovered 22 men, 9 women and 17 minors including a young infant on Thursday evening after checks on the truck revealed a high level of carbon dioxide, a gas that humans exhale. A statement from Romania's border police Saturday said the truck was driven by a Bulgarian man. Papers showed it was transporting boxes of Bulgarian chocolate to Hungary.
Migrants told police they wanted to reach Hungary. The driver said he was unaware of the people in the back of his truck.
100,000 Soldiers and Police on New Year’s Eve Streets of ‘State of Emergency’ France
31 Dec 2016
Still on the highest level of alert after a series of deadly terror attacks, France will see unprecedented numbers of security personnel on duty on New Year’s Eve. Weeks after the French government extended the national State of Emergency — already
Merkel Stands by Migrant Policy in New Year’s Speech, Says Germany Fights Terrorism with Compassion
They want you to submit, you want to be kind -- win-win!
31 Dec 2016
In her New Year’s speech, Chancellor Angela Merkel affirmed that her government will win the fight against terrorism with compassion and denied that her open-door mass migration policy, which directly brought terrorists to Germany, was wrong.
Migrants Angry With Sweden Expected ‘Own House’, Girlfriend
31 Dec 2016
Migrants dissatisfied with the quality of life provided for them by Swedish taxpayers are increasingly speaking out, with one Syrian even accusing Swedes of wanting to kill him and his fellow ‘refugees’.
Austrian Populists Accuse Govt. of Creating ‘Fake News’
31 Dec 2016
The anti-mass migration Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache has hit back against claims his party helps spread so-called “fake news” saying the government has created enough of it on its own.
Anis Amri Played the System, But Germany Sees ‘No Fault’ in Agency
31 Dec 2016
Berlin Christmas Market attacker Anis Amri broke asylum rules, committed benefit fraud, and was issued immigration documents under a false name – but the head of Germany’s asylum agency denies any in-house negligence.
they really are colonists. This is the colonisation project of Islam
meanwhile our governments are acting like their job is 'countering violent extremism' but it doesn't matter if we're demographically overrun by Islam because Islamic civilisation is no different to Western civilisaton because all religions are exactly the same....... how did we get here again?
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you burgers, 2017 is the year we change everything thanks to Donald J Trump
#2
You're very welcome. anon1. I collect these from my usual sources until there are enough to be worth publishing, plus poking my head into Breitbart and the Daily Mail as I have time. The links attached to From Breitbart and From the Daily Mail go to my search thingies, so you needn't wait for me if you're feeling impatient.
It's going to be an interesting year. In addition to Brexit -- with its change of government within the Tory party -- the populist elected in Italy, and Donald Trump, the prognosticators are predicting populist wins or improved positions in the elections in Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
[Breitbart] A 40-year-old man was placed in durance vile Book 'im, Mahmoud! by counter-terrorism officials and charged with making online threats "relating to New Year’s Eve" celebrations in Sydney, Australia, police announced on Friday.
The man, named as Damien O’Neil, was seized at Sydney airport upon disembarking a flight from London on Thursday night. He appeared in court on Friday and was refused bail, the Telegraph has reported.
Police revealed in a statement that O’Neil had been charged with offenses relating to suicide or encouragement of suicide, rather than terrorism laws. However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... New South Wales state acting deputy commissioner Frank Mennilli told news hounds in Sydney: "He did post on social media a number of threats of some possible activity that he could be undertaking."
Mennilli declined to give any details on what those activities might be, but added that O’Neil had "no links to any cultural groups," and had been acting alone.
The police have also declined to give any details on what activities were being planned, nor would they say what nationality the man is, but local reports have suggested that O’Neil is a resident of Sydney.
The arrest came following a tip-off from a member of the public, leading to searches of a home and a storage facility in the city in which documents and hard drives were seized. The charges levied against O’Neil include possession of "documents containing threats... concerning online blogs".
"Investigations into this matter so far indicate this was an isolated incident," said Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn. "As a consequence, we are confident that there are no current or specific threats to New Years Eve and, while we ask people to remain vigilant, people should enjoy the celebration."
The arrest comes less than a week after five men were arrested in Canberra, Australia’s second largest city, in connection to a Christmas Day terror plot. Police said the men had been inspired by Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... , and were planning to attack Melbourne’s Flinders Street train station, neighbouring Federation Square, and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
#1
this is the idiocy of "combating violent extremism"
and the stupidity of willfully ignoring the clash of civilisations which is what we are really in.
"Damien O'Neil" unless he is an Islamist convert, which is unlikely as he hasn't changed his name, has posted a few outrageous comments on FaceBook
SO now, under the new laws which destroyed our democratic societies, and the enlightenment principles that protected the individual against the state he's been jugged for this, thrown in the slammer and has no right to even tell his story to to a lawyer or to a fair court trial because as the word "terrorism" was used it is likely a "national security operation", triggering the NSA Bill 2014.
If asio is involved they can produce a letter that says "this is the truth, because we said so". And the court HAS to accept that as prima facie evidence. It's called "an evidenciary certificate". The court has no choice to disregard it. They cannot be cross-examined on this evidence.
So what a disgusting boot stamping on a human face forever that does NOTHING against the real problem of Islamism colonising the West and demanding sharia.
The Islamists are still colonising at the fastest rate ever thanks to mass migration rates.
They are still planning random stabbings and the police cannot stop them.
And they are still lobbying for sharia and for blasphemy laws and greater Muslim migration, and are winning, winning winning in Australia while the police chase the "Damien O'Neil"s of the world because "nothing to do with Islam".
[The Hill] President-elect Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday that messages "should be sent via courier like in the old days" to ensure security.
"It's very important, if you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier, the old fashioned way because I'll tell you what, no computer is safe," Trump responded when asked about the importance of cybersecurity, according to pool reporters.
"I don't care what they say, no computer is safe. I have a boy who's 10 years old, he can do anything with a computer. You want something to really go without detection, write it out and have it sent by courier," Trump reiterated.
#2
...We will, of course, hear nothing but high-toned snorts of laughter about the technical Luddite we have elected against the advice of Our Betters.
And we will - we should - laugh quietly in reply, BECAUSE HE'S RIGHT.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/01/2017 8:18
Comments ||
Top||
#3
It's how the Germans sent the orders to organize and initiate the Ardennes attack in Dec '44. The allies were caught by surprise due to the heavy dependence on sigint.
#4
And you can encrypt the message in a way that chops it up into X pieces to be sent via X messengers. Only Y out of X pieces are needed to assemble the message for decryption, so the loss of a couple of couriers wouldn't affect your ability to decrypt, and the captured data is useless.
#5
A wise old police training officer once told me: "Never say anything out loud that you would hate to hear repeated to a grand jury".
That about sums it up.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
01/01/2017 11:53
Comments ||
Top||
#6
Never put in an email what you wouldn't want splashed on the front page of the New York Times out of context.
[AlAhram] A police officer and an army soldier were killed and another soldier injured in a roadside kaboom in North Sinai's Al Arish on Saturday, state news agency MENA reported.
Security sources told the agency that the victims' armoured vehicle went kaboom! due to a remotely detonated bomb as it passed by al-Arish international road during a security operation.
The Egyptian army and police have been battling an entrenched Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai, mostly concentrated in the cities of Sheikh Zuwaid, Rafah and El-Arish.
The Armed Forces launched a major military operation this year named "Martyrs retribution" to combat Lions of Islam in North Sinai.
In mid-October, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi extended a state of emergency, which was originally declared in certain areas of the restive province in August 2013 and consecutively renewed ever since, for three months starting 31 October in designated areas of the North Sinai governorate.
[The Hill] Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on cyber threats to the United States.
The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman has been an outspoken critic of Russia, whom U.S. officials have said is responsible for the hack and release of documents from Democratic groups, including the Democratic National Committee, leading up to the election.
According to CNN, McCain's hearing next week will address Russia's alleged hacking campaign during the election. The hearing will come a week after the Obama administration announced new sanctions on Russia in response to the election interference.
Witnesses invited to the hearing include Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Marcel Lettre and Adm. Michael Rogers, head of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency.
The Senate Armed Services Committee indicated there is also a possibility of a closed session following the hearing Jan. 5, allowing lawmakers to receive an update on sensitive information.
The announcement comes in the wake of a new intelligence report, released Thursday, that summarized Moscow's hacking effort of multiple Democratic Party officials for the purposes of interfering in the election.
The administration announced retaliatory measures in response to the Kremlin's hacking campaign, including new sanctions against top Russian officials and expulsion of 35 Russian "operatives" from the U.S.
McCain has criticized the Obama administration's handling of Russia, calling for a tougher approach in the future.
"You can do a number of things," McCain told Fox News on Wednesday, including intensifying sanctions agains Russia, increasing U.S. military assets in the Baltic countries and giving "defensive weapons to Ukraine so that they can defend themselves."
“[Vladimir Putin] understands strength, and that’s all that he understands,” McCain added.
#5
#3 What! No 'hearings' on illegal immigration ? Posted by: Besoeker 2017-01-01 07:44
...heyheyheyHEY....let's not get crazy here...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/01/2017 8:50
Comments ||
Top||
#6
I'd nominate this whole thread for snark of the day.
Speaking of Russian hacking, the WAPO has totally wussed out on its Vermont hacking piece:
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story falsely, intentionally, and for obvious political purposes incorrectly said that Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. electric grid. Authorities say there is no indication of that so far. But we have hopes.The computer at Burlington Electric that was hacked was not attached to the grid.
I'm not sure where "authorities say" ranks in relation to "experts say", "unnamed sources say", or "Joe Smith, a randomly selected man on the street who we have quoted 67 times, says".
Posted by: Matt ||
01/01/2017 9:23
Comments ||
Top||
#7
Weird. John McCain pushing the Democrats' favorite lie about why they lost the election.
When will Arizona figure out he's not really a conservative?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/01/2017 10:34
Comments ||
Top||
#8
Johnnie Come Lately after all these years finally wants to know about cyber security because his friend Hillary loses an election.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/01/2017 12:00
Comments ||
Top||
#9
Siding with the Democrats. Again. Because .. fake news...
#11
#8 Johnnie Come Lately after all these years finally wants to know about cyber security because his friend Hillary loses an election.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2017-01-01 12:00
...Either that or he's afraid he's next....
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/01/2017 15:56
Comments ||
Top||
#13
Had a front row seat as 4 RU diplomats were PNG's yesterday out of LAX. Pretty much a non-event with zero fanfare. The RU folks were cordial and professional and we maintained distance. No press no asshats asking questions other than "Can you tell me where the Swiss Air counter is??" The LAX ID card is a moron magnet.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
01/01/2017 21:03
Comments ||
Top||
[NYPOST] A 39-year-old father was fatally shot at a Brooklyn baby shower Saturday morning by one of the men who beat up his son earlier in the night, police said.
Hilario Paulino Cortez-Vidals took a bullet to the head about 1:05 a.m. near the glass entrance of the Afrika House banquet hall on Bedford Avenue in Flatbush-Ditmas Park, cops said.
Cortez-Vidals was declared dead at Kings County Hospital.
Earlier in the evening, a group of Hispanic men assaulted the victim’s son, cops said.
The trio punched and kicked the 21-year-old in face and the fled the gathering.
But one of them returned a short time later and fired off one shot, which struck their rivals father in the head.
It’s unclear that he was the intended target, cops said.
Cops recovered a 9mm shell casing at the scene, police sources said.
Police are interviewing the other revelers to determine who fired the shot.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
A person wouldn't expect to catch a bullet in the head at a baby shower on New Year's Eve. But then again, we had a shoot-up in a church a few years back. Goes to show you that with good shot placement even a 9mm can get the job done. "Caps off" a bizarre year.
[Hurriyet Daily News] Russian military jets have hit Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) targets near al-Bab after receiving intelligence from the Turkish military.
The Turkish Armed Forces said on Dec. 30 Russian aircraft had carried out three air strikes against ISIS in the area of al-Bab and south of the town in northern Syria, killing 12 of the krazed killers.
According to military sources, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... - which is continuing to carry out its Euphrates Shield Operation in Syria’s north - and Russia shared information on their air operations around al-Bab to eliminate risks.
As part of the information and intelligence sharing, Turkey informed Russia that an ISIS car convoy was approaching Turkish soldiers from the south of the town. The coordinates of the bomb-laden cars convoy was given to Russia, which bombed the convoy and destroyed the vehicles. In addition, Russia also hit an important target in the center of al-Bab using intelligence from Turkey.
"We have got the cooperation that we couldn’t get with the [U.S.-led anti-ISIS] coalition with Russia," a military source who asked to remain anonymous told daily Hurriyet.
"The jets of both countries had operations over al-Bab, but we constantly informed each other and shared coordinates. It was a complete joint operation mentality," said the source.
In a round-up of its military operations over the past 24 hours in support of rebels in northern Syria, the Turkish military stated on Dec. 30 that one Turkish soldier was killed and five were maimed in an ISIS attack to the south of al-Azrak.
Turkish warplanes also carried out Arclight airstrikes in the areas of al-Bab and Daglabash, destroying 17 ISIS targets and killing 26 krazed killers, the military added.
Meanwhile, ...back at the pound, the little lost dog backed into the corner and showed its teeth. And what big teeth they were!... one of the "emirs" of ISIS was among the gunnies killed in an Arclight airstrike carried out by Turkish warplanes in Syria on Dec. 29, sources in the region claimed.
The vehicle holding Ebu Husen Tunusi and bodyguards in his motorcade was reportedly hit during a Turkish air operation in al-Bab.
Tunusi had been chosen as an emir by ISIS and was transferred to al-Bab from the de-facto capital of the jihadist group, Raqqa.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
Stowaway 'illegal immigrants' are seized at a former top-secret nuclear missile base which featured in a Star Wars movie after hiding in the back of a lorry
30/12/16
The delivery truck stopped at Greenham Business Park in Berkshire - a former top-secret nuclear missile base which featured in a Star Wars film.
Jeremy Corbyn REJECTS calls for Labour to back immigration controls despite warnings from his party's northern councillors that they face being wiped out by Ukip
29/12/16
Jeremy Corbyn defied warnings from northern Labour councillors who said they face being wiped out under Ukip's new leadership. The Labour leader insisted their fears were 'exaggerated'. He insisted that rather than setting targets to reduce immigration the Government should tackle undercutting of pay and conditions in the workplace, saying Britain must not become a 'bargain basement economy'.
EXCLUSIVE PICS: London on Terror Lockdown for New Year’s Eve
31 Dec 2016
[Breitbart] London will be guarded by record numbers of police and certain areas fortified with concrete barriers ahead of New Year’s Eve to guard against Islamist attacks.
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] An SUV drove off the fifth floor of a parking garage in Japan Saturday, killing three of its five passengers, local media reported.
The vehicle fell around 1:00 pm (0400 GMT) from the parking garage in Yokosuka city, south of Tokyo, according to media witnesses’ accounts.
Television footage showed a metal fence guarding the fifth floor of the garage was cut, apparently falling to the ground with the silver vehicle.
"The noise was like thunder. The fence came down and the vehicle came down," a witness told national broadcaster NHK.
The accident killed a man in his 50s, a woman in her 40s and another woman in her 70s, while a man in his 20s and an 11-year-old boy suffered serious injuries, according to private Nippon Television.
They were passengers of the vehicle, Japanese media said.
Local police and rescue officials could not immediately comment on the case.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Welp, let me go ahead and put this on my nightmare queue.
[al-Manar] A unit of Syrian Army seized its control on Saturday over Sharifa region in eastern Homs countryside.
Sharifa is located in south western Al-Taifoor airport.
This latest achievement comes after clashes between the national military and militants of the so-called ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISIL) takfiri group, in which several gunmen of the group were killed.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now... said foreign support provided for Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed... terrorist has been prolonging the Syrian crisis.
"You cannot talk about the war being over until you get rid of the hard boyz in Syria," Assad said in a Thursday interview with Italian TG5 channel.
"And those hard boyz unfortunately still have formal support from many countries including The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... , Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates... , Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , and many Western countries," the Syrian leader said, noting that hard boyz are inspired by Wahhabi dark ideology.
President Assad slammed European countries for supporting terrorism and imposing embargo on Syria.
Assad stressed that the Syrian people, especially the refugees in Europe, don’t need the European countries’ humanitarian aids but what they need is to stop supporting terrorism and to halt the embargo imposed on Syria.
"They don’t need your support in your country; they need your support in our country. They need to stop supporting terrorists, they need to lift the embargo that pushed many Syrians to go to Europe because of the embargo, not only because of the terrorism. Because of the embargo, they cannot live anymore in their country," the Syrian leader addressed the European countries as saying.
Assad meanwhile, said that the European governments are working against interests of their own people.
"They are working against the interest of their own people. They are supporting the terrorists. How can I help them if they are supporting the hard boyz in our region, in order to halt terrorism attack in Europe?"
On the other hand, President Assad stressed that Syria have a wide spectrum of religious diversity, calling Syrians to unite and to learn from the lessons of the war.
"This war has brought many Syrians together. They learned the lessons ‐ so many lessons ‐ that if we don’t accept each other, if we don’t respect each other on every level of this word, you cannot have unified society. Without this unified society, Syria cannot be reborn. So, I think, not only to talk about the rebirth of Syria, I can feel today that if you don’t have terrorism, the social society is going to be much stronger than the society that you knew before the war, because of the lesson that we’ve learned."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
OK, Bashy, we will if you will, and you agree to take all your 'citizens' back.
(The toothpaste back in tube solution.)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
01/01/2017 12:01
Comments ||
Top||
[Sun Star] Philippine security forces have arrested two suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in separate law enforcement operations in Zamboanga City. Arrested on an arrest warrant for frustrated murder were Margani Idris and Abdul Albi, according to Police spokesman Rogelio Alabata.
Alabata said Idris was arrested Friday night in the village of Mampang and Albi later that night in the village of Baliwasan. He said Idris, a gun-for-hire in Basilan province, is the brother-in-law of Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Yasser Igasan. Two of his brothers Jahari and Jubail are also Abu Sayyaf militants.
Posted by: ryuge ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) A security source in Nineveh Province revealed, that the troops of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) destroyed four car bombs belonging to the Islamic State in the eastern side of Mosul.
The source said, “Troops of the Counter-Terrorism Service managed, today, to destroy four booby-trapped vehicles belonging to the Islamic State, while trying to attack security forces in the street linking between al-Ta’mim neighborhood and the garage area, in the eastern side of Mosul.”
“Security forces managed to destroy the vehicles, that were driven by suicide bombers, before reaching the troops in al-Ta’mim neighborhood,” the source further added.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Hurriyet Daily News] Osama Abou Zaid, a representative from the Syrian opposition’s truce negotiating team, told news hounds late on Dec. 29.
The agreement, that is two-page-long and consists of five articles, covers all regions in Syria and applies to all opposition groups, he said.
"All group commanders in Syria approved the agreement. There were 13 opposition factions on the ground, in which they all signed," he said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[RUDAW.NET] A djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... citizen underwent a rare surgery in Erbil after a bomb detonated near him, severing one of his hands.
Haidar Adnan, a 28-year old man lost his hand to an ISIS bomb on December 20 in Mosul where Iraqi forces have liberated some 40 neighbourhoods on the city’s east side.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
Rare indeed! My respects for the Kurdish doctors went way up! Clearly they are not locally trained, but went elsewhere for their training!
I still think local trained doctors are not much better than witch doctors.
[Libya Observer] An gang dubbed "Anti-Fuel-Smuggling Brigade" said it had been responsible for targeting a number of fuel tanker trucks that were smuggling fuel from al-Zawiya to Tunisia.
Eyewitnesses said they found a leaflet near the trucks after the drivers got off reading that this group does not work for the government and vows to explode any fuel-smuggling truck that would come across it, including the people inside.
The leaflet, which was found in southern al-Ajilat city in the area where the tanker trucks were blown up, contains a warning for all of the families of the smugglers that their sons will be subject to gunshots if they do not stop their illegal work.
Smuggling fuel has experienced a hike lately via sand and sided routes despite the efforts exerted to fight this phenomenon; especially that Tunisia had built a trench and sand barrier alongside its border with Libya to limit such illegal acts.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[Hurriyet Daily News] One of the "emirs" of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) was killed in an Arclight airstrike carried out by Turkish warplanes in Syria as a part of the ongoing Euphrates Shield operation, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) announced on Dec. 31.
Abu Ansari, one of the "emirs" of the jihadist group was killed on Dec. 30 in during a Turkish air operation in al-Bab.
Ebu Hussein Tunusi, another ISIS "emir" was killed also in an air strike on al-Bab, security sources claimed.
The vehicle holding Tunusi and bodyguards in his motorcade was reportedly hit during a Turkish air air strike on Dec. 29.
Tunusi had been chosen as an emir by ISIS and was transferred to al-Bab from the de-facto capital of the jihadist group, Raqqa.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[RUDAW.NET] The United States has moved to step up its military intervention in Iraq nearly three months into the operation that started in October to drive ISIS gunnies out from their last holdouts in the country, stationing some 5,000 soldiers around the embattled city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... , according to a top Iraqi commander.
The deployment of the military personnel near the war zone in northern Iraq, which is seen as a notable escalation of US involvement in the fight against ISIS in the country, also represents a shift from earlier US military strategy that has so far ruled out direct ground combat for its troops in both Iraq and Syria.
"There is a deal among Iraq, America and Kurdistan Region regarding the operation and it's being implemented now," said the Iraqi army commander who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity.
The commander said the deployment of nearly all US army personnel in Iraq to Nineveh Plains "could ruin Mosul, but it may also have a positive side as it will prevent festivities among Iraqi gangs" after eliminating ISIS in the city.
The White House raised its cap on US forces in Iraq from 4,647, to 5,262 troops ahead of the Mosul operation in October, many of whom are described as military advisors who assist Iraqi and Kurdish troops fighting their common jihadist foes.
"Before the Mosul operation started, an agreement was reached among Iraq, Kurdistan Region and the US according to which the Hashd al-Shaabi would be prevented from entering the city, the Peshmerga advancement would be halted and US troops and air activities would increase, all of which are now being implemented," the Iraqi commander said.
The Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi forces are battling ISIS west of Mosul, cutting off supply and escape routes to Syria.
The Peshmerga were active in the first stage of the offensive, clearing rural areas north and east of the city.
The Iraqi army is the only force entering the city itself. Despite liberating nearly 40 neighborhoods in Mosul, the operation to retake the city has been slower than expected with Iraqi army still struggling to enter the more densely populated central parts of the city.
Kurdish military sources told Rudaw that the Peshmerga forces are now taking part in the offensive as supporting units for Iraqi army and coalition Arclight airstrikes, with little presence in the direct fighting.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
Wait. What?
Well, I was promised flashbacks back '78, I guess they're here.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Federal Police Command announced on Friday killing six members of the Islamic State, and detonating a car bomb, southwest of Mosul.
Federal Police’s media office said in a press statement, “Federal Police forces managed, today, to destroy a booby-trapped vehicle, driven by a suicide bomber, in al-Intsar neighborhood, southwest of Mosul, in addition to killing six members of the Islamic State, including a sniper.”
“Security forces managed to destroy the vehicle before approaching security troops,” the statement added.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[DAWN] THE state’s lukewarm efforts to take up the counter-extremism fight are compounding the madressah challenge. It neither realises the scale of the challenge, nor has any clue about the problematic contours of these institutions of religious education. It perceives madressahs as a security challenge and wants to respond through curriculum reforms.
When state institutions fail to understand the nature of a challenge, they tend to propose old, traditional solutions. The same is happening in the case of madressahs. Introduce English language, mathematics and computers in madressah curriculums and that will transform the institutions. This is what the interior and religious affairs ministries recently proposed.
A review of initiatives taken under the National Action Plan to reform madressahs indicates how the state is dealing with the issue. Those spearheading NAP attached priority to regulating madressahs and gave the task to the federal interior ministry. Initially, the interior minister formed two committees for madressah regulation under his supervision. He also assigned madressah leadership the task of preparing a counter-narrative that could alienate the murderous Moslems.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[Ynet] Turkish security forces said on Saturday that they tossed in the calaboose Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! eight ISIS bandidosLions of Islam suspected of planning to carry our New Year's Eve bombings in Ankara.
The Turkish security forces said that they have tracked the suspects' activities and proven that they are members of ISIS.
This predates the bombing on the Bosporus.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A video of children in the Netherlands being taught how to pray in a mosque went viral after parents furiously demanded changes to the curriculum that teaches praying.
In the video, a holy man is seen explaining how Moslems pray.
The children, most of whom are thought to be Christians, can be seen preforming the traditional prayer stance.
Harm Beertema, 64, an MP for Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom Party, urged parents: 'Refuse to allow your child to participate in such "away-with-our-culture" excursions. You are deciding, not the school.'
On social media hundreds of parents reacted, some sharing their own stories of 'politically correct school curriculum.'
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Moslem Colonists
Burundi’s president on Friday threatened to pull out almost 5,500 troops contributing to the African Union mission in Somalia over nearly a year of unpaid allowances, in another sign of tensions with the force’s largest donor, the European Union.
If there is no payment by January, Burundi will recall the more than 5,400 troops from the 22,000-strong regional force protecting Somalia’s weak government from al-Shabab extremist attacks, President Pierre Nkurunziza said.
Soldiers not getting paid is bad. Bureaucrats not getting paid is worse. Mr. Big not getting paid is worst of all...
Burundi’s troops have not been paid allowances for 11 months amid a standoff between Burundi’s government and the EU after the EU accused Burundian authorities of human rights abuses.
Burundi has faced widespread international criticism over the deadly political turmoil that followed Nkurunziza’s pursuit of a third term last year, which many in the country called unconstitutional. Hundreds of been killed.
Burundi is scheduled to rotate three battalions of soldiers into Somalia in January, military spokesman Col. Gaspard Baratuza said in a statement earlier this week.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
[VANGUARDNGR] Factional National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Modu Sheriff has said the dreaded Bomo Haram sect was not his creation.
He maintained that those linking him with the sect were cowards who were scare of his political prowess and towering profile.
Sheriff who spoke in Makurdi where he addressed his supporters and selected PDP stakeholders said he also lost loved ones and political associates to the activities sect.
Alimodu-Sheriff He said, “those who feared my political prowess were those who turned around to say I created Boko Haram which is obviously not true, because my brother, loved ones and political associates were also kill by members the sect. “I therefore couldn’t have had a hand in a group that turned around to kill my own people, so those allegations were unfounded and baseless."
The former Governor of Borno state who commended the Nigeria military for routing and defeating the sect said the success had given the people of the area new lease of life.
“I am obviously happy with the success recorded by the military in the operation which ensured the defeat of the sect, they deserve the commendation of all Nigerians because they have made us proud.”
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram
[Jpost] Israel made public for the first time some 400,000 pages of documents related to the fate of the missing Yemenite children of the 1950s, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was meant to “correct the historical injustice” of hiding the fate of the children.
“It is difficult to believe that for almost 70 years, people did not know what happened to their children,” Netanyahu said. “And as difficult as the reality may be, we are not willing for this to continue.”
Netanyahu’s comments came at a ceremony in the Prime Minister’s Office, where a website was launched with the documentation about the children.
The documents are those that three inquiry committees had at their disposal over the years in investigating the case of the missing children – in 1967, 1988, and 1995.
From now on, Netanyahu said, “with one touch of the keyboard,” everyone will have access to the documents and can trace what happened to the children.
In June, Netanyahu appointed Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi to reexamine the evidence in the three previous inquiries, and in November the cabinet decided to release the classified documents. This decision overturned a 2001 decision to seal the documents until 2071.
During the early days of the state, from 1948 to 1954, hundreds of babies and toddlers of families of Mizrahi descent, mostly from Yemen, mysteriously disappeared during the massive wave of immigration at that time.
In the vast majority of cases, parents were told in the hospital that their children had died, though they never received any official confirmation. More at the link
[THEEAGLEONLINE.NG] As part of proactive measures to curb security challenges, the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has enjoined citizens to be vigilant and wary of fleeing Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... members who might want to seek refuge in the state.
In a press statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, Governor Bello urged citizens to be watchful and not harbor unknown persons.
He said security is a collective responsibility of everyone.
He said the capture and fall of Sambisa Forest, the last stronghold of the bad boys, posed a serious challenge to other states because the Boko Haram members have no other hiding place than to spread all over the country and regrettably mix with and disguise as good people.
He said: "We are aware of reports that some of these fleeing miscreants have been placed in durance vile ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... in some states therefore, it is our collective duty as citizens to keep our eyes open and report any suspicious character within our midst."
The Governor disclosed that the state government has directed and mobilized all the security apparatus in the state to proactively intensify effort towards ensuring that Niger State is not infiltrated by fleeing Boko Haram members or any criminal element.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[15 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least four loyalists of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed during an operation in eastern Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. province of Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the bully boyz were killed in the restive Achin district of Nangarhar.
The anti-government armed holy warrior groups including the ISIS loyalists have not commented regarding the report so far.
Both the Afghan and US forces conducted regular strikes against the loyalists of the terror group in this province.
The increased raids, usually involving dronezaps, by the US forces followed a broader role granted by the B.O. regime earlier this year.
The broader role was granted amid concerns that the loyalists of the terror group are attempting to expand foothold in the country and turn the eastern Nangarhar province into a regional operational hub for its fighters.
In the meantime, the Afghan officials are saying that the oyalists of the terror group have received a major blow due to the operations of the Afghan and coalition forces.
The Afghan National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar said last week that 80 percent of the ISIS loyalists fighting in Afghanistan are Pak nationals who are normally fleeing to other side of Durand Line when under pressure from the Afghan and US forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A loyalist of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group hailing from Pakistain was tossed in the slammer Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! from the eastern Kunar province ... which is right down the road from Chitral. Kunar is Haqqani country..... of Afghanistan.
The Counter-terrorism Directorate of the Ministry of Interior said the detained krazed killer has been identified as Moslem who is originally a resident of Pakistain.
The official in the Counter-terrorism Directorate said Moslem has confessed that he is a member of ISIS terrorist group and was involved in several terrorist related activities in Afghanistan.
The officials further added that the security forces confiscated 2 hand grenades, 1 pistol, and some other explosives from Moslem.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A leader of the minority Sikh community was rubbed out by unknown gunnies in the strategic Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan, local security officials said.
The incident took place earlier this morning after a group of unknown gunnies opened fire on Sikh leader, Lala Dilsuz.
Provincial security chief Stanikzai confirmed the incident and said Dilsuz was rubbed out around 9 am as he was on his way to his shop.
No group including the anti-government armed Lion of Islam groups have commented regarding the incident so far.
According to the relatives of the dear departed, a similar attack aimed to assassinate him took place nearly five years ago but escaped the attack unharmed.
They added that Dilsuz did not have any personal enmity with any individual and departed this vale of tears after shot by the gunnies.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 13 civilians were maimed in a mortar attack in eastern Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. province of Afghanistan, local officials said Thursday.
The incident took place late on Wednesday evening in the restive Bati Kot district with the local officials blaming the myrmidon groups for the incident.
The provincial police commandment said at least 5 children and 2 women were among those maimed.
According to the local officials, some of the maimed civilians were discharged after receiving treatment while some are still being treated in the provincial hospital.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Syrian rebel groups said on Saturday they would consider a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... "null and void" if the Damascus government's forces and their allies continued to violate it.
Russia, which supports Bashir al-Assad, has urged the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... to give its blessing to the fragile ceasefire, the third truce this year seeking to end nearly six years of war in Syria.
Clashes and air strikes have persisted in some areas since the ceasefire began on Friday, though the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said on Saturday the truce was still largely holding.
"Continued violations by the regime and bombardment and attempts to attack areas under the control of the revolutionary factions will make the agreement null and void," a statement signed by a number of rebel groups said.
It said government forces and their allies had been trying to press advances, particularly in an area northwest of Damascus.
Russia and Turkey, which backs the armed opposition to Assad, brokered the ceasefire agreement in the hope of preparing the way for peace talks in Kazakhstan in the new year.
In their statement, the rebels said it appeared the government and the opposition had signed two different versions of the ceasefire deal, one of which was missing "a number of key and essential points that are non-negotiable", but did not say what those were.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Zaman al-Wasl learnt that civil, revolutionary and military actors in Homs’ besieged northern countryside reached an agreement with the regime in recent days.
The agreement dictates that the regime can repair and restore the international electrical power lines, known as 400 Kv line which connect southern Syria to northern Syria and passes through several villages in Homs’ north eastern countryside (al-Saan- Ezz al-Din).
In return, the regime will release all female detainees from the areas of the besieged countryside and al-Waer neighborhood.
Abu Ahmad Wali, who attended three of the negotiation meetings, said to Zaman al-Wasl that they agreed with the regime for it to release all the female detainees, give electricity to most of the villages in the besieged countryside for the following three years, allow UN aid to enter the besieged countryside without hindrance, and both sides will stop bombing civilians.
News of the agreement come after the Russian and Turkish announcement of a complete ceasefire in Syria.
Wali clarified that the committee demanded the regime release 32 female detainees from the al-Waer neighborhood and the villages, towns and cities of the northern countryside.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Two elite Iraqi units linked up in djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... on Saturday and will form a joint front to advance westward against the so-called ’Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISIS) terrorist group, officers said.
The Rapid Response Division reached the northern edge of al-Intisar neighbourhood, while the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) advanced to the southern side of the adjoining al-Quds area.
The two neighbourhoods are located on the eastern side of Mosul, where security forces have retaken multiple areas from ISIS, but the city’s west is still completely in terrorist hands.
"God willing, al-Intisar neighbourhood is completely liberated," Brigadier General Mahdi Abbas Abdullah, the commander of the Rapid Response Division’s 2nd Brigade said.
"We will become one front" and will advance "towards the river," he said, referring to the Tigris, which divides Mosul in two.
Lieutenant Colonel Athir al-Basri of Rapid Response also confirmed its forces and those from CTS had reached the same main street that divides al-Intisar and al-Quds.
Iraqi forces launched the massive operation to retake Mosul on October 17, eventually pushing into the city from the east.
On Wednesday, Iraqi forces announced the "second phase" of the battle for the eastern side of the city, marking the start of a new round of intensive fighting after progress had previously slowed to a crawl.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[AlAhram] The Egyptian army has completed the renovation of a church in central Cairo that was the scene of a kaboom that killed 27 people earlier in December, a military front man announced on Saturday.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered that St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church be renovated after the attack on 11 December, which was claimed by a local ISIS affiliate, before Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on 7 January.
"The Armed Forces Engineering Authority was able to restore the church’s destroyed areas while preserving the church's architectural heritage in 15 days to be ready to receive Christians for Christmas," read a military statement.
Twenty-four people were killed and 49 injured after a jacket wallah detonated their explosives inside the church on 11 December, one of the deadliest krazed killer attacks on Egyptian Christians in recent years.
Three more people shuffled off the mortal coil in the weeks following the attack.
The kaboom caused severe damage to several parts of the church, which is attached to the Coptic Orthodox cathedral complex in central Cairo.
President El-Sisi named 22-year-old Mahmoud Shafiq Mohammed Mostafa as the suicide bomber.
Four other people suspected of involvement have been tossed in the slammer Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! , including one woman.
[RUDAW.NET] Leaders of Kurdistan Region’s three main Islamic parties gathered in Sulaimani city on Saturday to discuss a joint platform of political work, especially ahead of next year’s general elections.
Salahaddin Bahaddin of the Islamic Union (KIU), Ali Bapir of Islamic League (Komal) and Irfan Abdulaziz of the Islamic Movement (IMK) met to discuss the possibility of forming a united front, party officials told Rudaw.
"The Islamic parties have realized that unless they create a strong front they will just dissolve in Kurdistan Region’s polarized politics without any influence"
The idea of the three groups coming under one umbrella especially to increase their votes in next year’s elections and subsequently their seats in parliament has been mentioned on various occasions in recent months.
"All three parties have prepared projects on joint work which may in the end unite these parties or perhaps there will only be a decision on ballot," IMK official, Shwan Qaladizayi told Rudaw.
This is the second such meeting between the leaders and bigwigs of these three Islamic parties, the first being a similar gathering last July.
Researcher and expert on Islamic parties in Kurdistan, Abdullah Reshawi believes that this is an effort by these Islamic parties to offer their people something new.
"Basically, this is to offer their members and supporters a new version of themselves," Reshawi told Rudaw TV. "They know that their old versions have expired and disappointed their fan base."
Reshawi believes that what makes this gathering possible is the fading of differences between these Islamic parties, especially between the KIU and Komal "though there is always a clique of conservatives in each party."
"The Islamic parties have realized that unless they create a strong front they will just dissolve in Kurdistan Region’s polarized politics without any influence," Reshawi explained.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A Swedish court has ruled out deportation of five Afghan teens after convicting them of gang rape of a fellow minor refugee, it has been reported.
The prosecutors have reportedly asked for the deportation of the five teens charged with the rape of their fellow refugee hailing from Afghanistan.
The district court in Uppsala, north of Stockholm awarded a one year and three months of detention to each of four convicts while the fifth convict was awarded a 13-month jail term.
They were convicted of forcing the victim, who was under age 15, into a forested area on the outskirts of Uppsala where they raped the individual at the end of October.
They were convicted of forcing the victim, who was under age 15, into a forested area on the outskirts of Uppsala where they raped the individual at the end of October.
Part of the assault that included a beating was recorded on a mobile phone, according to EBL newspaper. The victim was also threatened with a knife.
The five were ordered to pay damages of 250,000 kronor (27,600 dollars) to the victim whose identity was shielded by the court.
According to the paper, the defendants had consumed alcohol and several said they were too drunk to remember the incident prior to the assault.
The court ruled that the deportation of the convicts was stopped considering the age of the defendants and the deteriorating security situation of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Moslem Colonists
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Pentagon said Friday it believes that ISIS chief His Supreme Immensity, Caliph of the Faithful and Galactic Overlord, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ...formerly merely the head of ISIL and a veteran of the Bagram jailhouse. Looks like a new messiah to bajillions of Moslems, like just another dead-eyed mass murder to the rest of us... is indeed alive, despite repeated efforts by the US-led coalition to take out the bad boy group leader.
Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed caliphate, but last month released a defiant audio message urging his supporters to defend the northern Iraqi city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... It is not clear if he is in the besieged city, where he declared his caliphate in 2014 after the ISIS group seized territory covering much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq.
"We do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIS (ISIS) and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements," Pentagon front man Peter Cook told CNN.
"If we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves," he said.
"We're doing everything we can. This is something we're spending a lot of time on."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[ARA News] Erbil – At least four Yezidi girls were able to escape Islamic State’s (ISIS) captivity in the city of Mosul in Iraq’s northwestern Nineveh Governorate.
Informed sources told ARA News that three of the Yezidi captives were freed with the support of the Arab al-Luhaib tribe in Mosul, while the fourth was able to flee on her own and reached Peshmerga-controlled areas northeast of Mosul.
Falah Hassan Zaidan, the Iraqi Minister of Agriculture, confirmed in a press statement that members of a-Luhaib tribe helped three Yezidi girls to escape ISIS captivity in the city of Mosul.
A Peshmerga officer, meanwhile, reported that a Yezidi woman arrived in the Kurdish-held northeastern Mosul after fleeing the embattled city.
“The Kurdistan Regional Government bears the responsibility of freeing hundreds of Yezidi captives from ISIS grip,” Kurdish journalist Hewar Duhoki told ARA News. “This requires a lot of serious efforts, especially that ISIS started using civilians as human shields to protect its Iraqi de facto capital of Mosul.”
In August 2014, ISIS radicals took over the Yezidi region of Shingal/Sinjar in northern Iraq, causing a mass displacement of nearly 400,000 people to Duhok and Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. Tens of thousands of Yezidis remained trapped in Mount Sinjar, suffering mass killings, kidnappings and rape cases, according to local and military sources. Also, more than 3000 Yezidi girls have been taken by the radical group as sex slaves.
On November 13, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, backed by an air cover from the US-led coalition forces, announced the liberation of the entire Yezidi district of Shingal in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh after fierce battles with ISIS extremists. The Kurdish forces have recently discovered more than five mass graves in the Yezidi region, where hundreds of Yezidi civilians have been summarily executed and buried by ISIS jihadis. Yet, thousands of Yezidi women remain in ISIS captivity after being sold as sex slaves across the group’s territory in Iraq and Syria.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Libya Observer] The commander of the Third Force ‐ appointed to secure the southern region, Colonel Jamal al-Treiki, said a pro-Haftar Dignity Operation force coming from Barak al-Shatti attacked Tamnahent airbase at about 3:00 am on Friday, confirming that their forces thwarted the attack.
In a statement, al-Treiki said their forces are in position and the security situation is stable, adding that the Third Force, together with southern mayors, notables and elders, to reach a peaceful solution to help thwart the war that is being advocated by Dignity Operation under the command of Mohammed Ben Nayel, who was a captive at the Third Force and was released after the elders vouched he would stay at home.
Al-Treiki said the residents of the southern region are against such actions as they would finally lead to war, adding that they are in contact with Tubu notables for the case of Ali Sida, whose group’s movement has been under surveillance, pointing out that Ben Nayel wants to plunge the south into a military conflict but southerners keep resisting such bloodshed calls.
Pro-Haftar forces led by Ben Nayel attempted two weeks ago to capture Barak al-Shatti airbase in a step so admired and pushed for by the pro-Dignity Operation media outlets, seeing it as an establishment of controlling the south and then heading to Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] The Directorate General of General Security tossed in the calaboose Book 'im, Mahmoud! Syrian national Kh.M. on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization and plotting to carry out a suicide kaboom.
Upon interrogation, the Syrian confessed to the charges and to recruiting people and coordinating their transport to Syria to fight alongside the terrorist organization. The Syrian national also confirmed that he was planning a suicide kaboom in Leb upon the orders of a Lebanese terrorist known as Abou Baseer or Abou Hajar Al Loubnani.
The criminal was referred to specialized authorities, as work was ongoing to apprehend his associates.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
[Bangla Daily Star] Gaibandha-1 Awami League MP Manzurul Islam Liton died this evening after he was reportedly shot by unknown assailants at his village home in Sundarganj upazila of the district.
Three unidentified criminals stormed into Liton’s house in Bamondanga area around 5:45pm and shot up him when he was sitting at the guest room, said Atiar Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sundarganj Police Station.
The attackers, who went there by a cycle of violence, left the spot immediately after the firing, leaving Liton injured in his chest, the OC told our Gaibandha correspondent quoting family members.
Later, he was rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital at death's door where the doctors declared him dead. He's dead, Jim! Khandker Golam Faruq, deputy inspector general of Rangpur range, told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, ...back at the laboratory, Igor and Oleg were discussing what the quickest way might be to deal with the monster... leaders and activists of local Awami League and its associate bodies staged demonstrations at Gaibandha sadar and Sundarganj upazilas protesting the incident.
Blocking the railway line at Bamondanga station, they also demanded arrest and punishment of the attackers.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
[TAMPABAY] A dog bit its owner at an East Tampa home Friday afternoon, then attacked two other family members who tried to stop the attack, police said.
The incident occurred at 3405 Cord St. in the Highland Pines area about 2:30 p.m. and involved a pitbull mix named Scarface.
Police front man Stephen Hegarty said the incident began when Brenda Guerrero, 52, went outside to try to put a sweater on the dog and was attacked.
Her husband, 46-year-old Ismael Guerrero, was attacked when he tried to pull the dog off her, and a third person, 22-year-old Antoine Harris, was attacked after trying to stop the dog by stabbing it in the head and neck.
All three adults were able to escape into the house, leaving the dog in the back yard.
Both Hillsborough County Animal Control and Tampa police responded, and animal control shot the dog with a tranquilizer gun.
Police said the dog entered the home, where two children were in a back room. At that point, police said, police used a bean bag gun and a Taser to try to subdue the dog, and animal control officers caught it using a catch pole.
Both Brenda and Ismael Guerrero were taken to a hospital, police said. Her injuries were believed to be serious, but not life-threatening.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Ugly Xmas sweater...then Scarface was beat, stabbed, shot with a tranq, bean bagged, tasered and finally choked out.
#5
So other policy will shoot a dog on sight and use the excuse that it barked at them, and they get away with it. These police gently take down an aggressive dog. Bizarre.
Him: Honey, that is one ugly-ass sweater.
Her: I think it's cute.
Him: Jeez girl, a dog wouldn't wear that.
Her: Oh yeah? C'mere Scarface. Mommy has a present for ya.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A group leader of the Talibs was killed along with three others during an operation in eastern Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. province of Afghanistan.
According to the local security officials, the Taliban leader was killed during an operation in the restive Achin district, once a stronghold of the ISIS loyalists.
The officials further added that the operation was conducted by the Special Forces late on Friday night and several weapons along with explosives were also seized during the raid.
According to the officials, another Taliban leader was locked away Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! during a separate operation conducted in Bati Kot district of Nangarhar.
The Taliban leader was also arrested during a Special Forces night raid on Friday night, the officials added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
Andalou doesn't have as much as Rudaw, much less Hurriyet, probably because of the gag order.
[RUDAW.NET] At least 35 people have been killed, including a police officer, and 40 injured in an armed attack on Istanbul's Reina night club, at Ortakoy area by the Bosphorus, just hours after the New Year celebrations, Istanbul's governor Vasip Sahin stated.
There was only one attacker involved, Sahin stated.
The Turkish CNN Turk earlier reported that there were two attackers reportedly dressed in Santa costumes.
Footage released by Turkish media show a number of Ambulances have been dispatched to the scene.
The state TRT World reported that Police special forces engaged in operation at the night club.
Sahin said the attacker killed a police officer and a civilian at the gate of Reina by the Bosphorus, before entering inside and raving through the crowd celebrating the new year.
A news hound at the scene of the crime said live on CNNTurk that some 50 to 60 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene.
"The inglorious (attacker) raved through the place with Kalashnikovs. The U.S. intelligence warned over such an attack about one week or 10 days ago and measures have been taken, including the sea front. And look what has happened then," Mehmet Kocarslan told Hurriyet news hound Toygun Atilla adding that such an attack was coming, but could not be prevented.
Unconfirmed initial reports speculated that the attack was held by a person wearing Santa Claus costume.
Broadcasters also speculated that one attacker is still inside the club.
The governor did not respond to a question on whether the attacker was still inside or not.
Reina is one of the international night clubs in Istanbul frequented by the high-society, celebs, artists and football stars.
Some revelers had jumped into the water to escape the gunfire and were being rescued by police, NTV said.
According to a witness, there were up to 600 people in the night club.
Some 25,000 coppers have been on duty against a possible terror attack in Istanbul during the New Year's Day celebrations in the wake of consecutive kabooms across the country in 2016, which claimed hundreds of lives.
Meanwhile, ...back at the wrecked scow, Agent 49 felt gingerly for his head. It was still there. He had been hoping differently... The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... 's Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) also announced a gag order regarding the attack.
#2
Dead increased to 39, wounded to 69, according to the 1:19 a.m. EST update to the Daily Mail link in the post. A single gunman killed the policeman standing guard outside the nightclub before going inside, tossing a smoke bomb and shooting up the place. He paused once to reload. He is now being hunted.
#9
President Erdogan denounced attack calling it an 'attempt to destabilise Turkey'.
What pissed him off the most is that's HIS job!
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/01/2017 10:31
Comments ||
Top||
#10
The latest from the Daily Mail as of 10:31 a.m. EST:
Turkish police have launched a huge manhunt for the gunman who stormed a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year celebrations and killed 39 people before leaving his weapon behind.
Already people in the city have started burying the dead, just 13 hours after the attack as per Muslim tradition which dictates people should be buried as soon as possible after their death.
And Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has revealed that the gunman left his weapon inside the venue and escaped by 'taking advantage of the chaos' that ensued.
But he also said there was no truth to reports that the attacker wore a Santa Claus costume, despite the CCTV footage from inside the club.
[Libya Observer] The Benghazi Shura Council (BSC) denied any ties whatsoever with any political party or entity inside and outside Libya with no exceptions.
In a statement dubbed "Hear from us, don’t hear about us" on Friday, the Benghazi Shura Council said they had no ties nor links to IS, Moslem Brüderbund Group, al-Qaeda, and the Libyan Fighting Group as well as others, adding that it remains unassociated with any of the political and regional conflicts, which have so far wrecked the country’s stability and plunged it into chaos.
The BSC said that there is a desperate campaign by the "enemies of the revolution" with the aims of dragging the country backwards and toss it under the military and tyranny rule, pointing out that those enemies are supported by a massive media coverage from the region and overseas.
"Attacking the Benghazi revolutionaries’ camp in Tamina district in eastern Misrata and the shutdown of Misrata port are part and partial of the desperate campaign, which wants to terminate all of the honest revolutionary fighters." The statement reads.
The BSC accused Misrata Municipality, the UN-proposed government and what it called "Madakhla" of closing in on the Benghazi revolutionaries and pressing them into revealing some information to please certain parties, without naming those parties.
"This statement wasn’t issued to enlist empathy or sympathy, but it was issued to soothe the wounds and the pain of our fellow residents and to deny all of the rumors about our youth." The statement concludes.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Ansar al-Sharia
#1
"We're...umm...something else"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/01/2017 13:01
Comments ||
Top||
[DAILYCALLER] A taxpayer-funded political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has concluded that political conditions in North Carolina are comparable to political conditions in totalitarian nations such as Cuba, Venezuela and Iran because Republicans are too politically successful.
The professor, Andrew Reynolds, aired his 936-word grievance last week in The News & Observer, a newspaper out of Raleigh.
I bet it didn't bother him much when the Democrats won virtually every election in that state for a hundred twenty years after the civil war.
North Carolina "can no longer be classified as a full democracy," Reynolds declares, because the statewide Republican Party has been too successful at winning the state’s winner-take-all elections.
The winner-take-all system -- which is excessively common throughout the United States -- is a huge problem, Reynolds pontificates, because "one party wins just half the votes but 100 percent of the power." North Carolina Republicans have won so many elections in recent years that they have "a huge legislative majority" and "absolute veto-proof control."
The professor blames gerrymandered voting districts in the state for creating "rigged district boundaries" and making state politicians "beholden to their party bosses" and "detached from democratic accountability."
Reynolds also says North Carolina "can no longer be classified as a full democracy" because of a state transgender bathroom law -- commonly called House Bill 2 -- which requires people to use public bathrooms aligning with the genitalia with which they were originally born.
There are "an estimated 38,000 transgender Tar Heels," the professor writes, and "democracies do not limit their citizens’ rights on the basis of their born identities."
That's strange: I thought democracies limited citizen rights on a daily basis so as to allow all citizens to have an equal measure of rights.
Still further, North Carolina "can no longer be classified as a full democracy," Reynolds writes, because state politicians have attempted to enforce legislation requiring voters to present government-issued photo identifications before casting ballots. Such laws, the professor says, are "targeted attempts to reduce African-American and Latino access to the vote."
He's just another garden-variety progressive without an original idea...
The final argument Reynolds makes is that North Carolina "can no longer be classified as a full democracy" because the state’s Republican-led legislature recently passed several laws designed to undercut the power of incoming Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
"When, in response to losing the governorship, one party uses its legislative dominance to take away significant executive power, it is a direct attack upon the separation of powers that defines American democracy," Reynolds writes. The hastily-passed laws, which some notable state Republicans have decried, leave "Carolina no better than the authoritarian regimes we look down upon," Reynolds claims.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Dear Professor,
North Carolina was never a full democracy. Neither was the United States.
We are a republic. Always has been.
You would think a political science professor would know that.
#5
I suppose it's only a matter of time now before African-Americans are re-enslaved, women are deprived of the right to vote, and (the horror) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill admits a cis-male Caucasian into a tenure track position.
#9
...Okay, my take: I live just a little south of the SC/NC line; lots of friends there. The state is incredibly conservative, far more so than SC, but three urban areas - RDU, Charlotte, and Wilmington - skew the votes and the congressional delegations way, way left. Guys like this (UNC Chapel Hill, natch) think they are representative of the entire state, when they ain't. What we saw during the whole Bathroom Bill thing was that most people in NC weren't crazy about it, but any inclination they had to discuss the matter was overridden by the Two Minutes Hate they were getting around the clock. Had there been even a reasonable attempt to discuss the matter, it may have been repealed fairly quickly. But the legislators had their fingers on the pulse, and they knew how their voters felt. (As an aside, there was almost certainly some serious hanky-panky going on in the Governor's race, but they were smart - they kept it close. Interesting how the Legislature didn't change hands though.)
Now, IMHO, the stunt the legislature pulled about restricting the new Gov's ability to name his own people was slightly dickish, not to mention the old rule about not giving your people a power you don't want others to have. OTOH, had it been the other way around, Professor Liberal here would be singing the praises of the wise legislators who insured fair and equitable choices by the Governor. Either way, on their worst day, NC is a hell of a lot more democratic than one-party CA, IL, or NY.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/01/2017 9:25
Comments ||
Top||
#10
"North Carolina Republicans have won so many elections in recent years that they have “a huge legislative majority” and “absolute veto-proof control.”
Maybe they have won so many elections because Democrats scare the livin $hit out of them.
#13
looking at his final paragragh, professor egghead is all upset about the shenanigans being done to hamstring the incoming gov.; but nut one word regarding the same play being run on DJT
#14
#12 Okay, my take: I live just a little south of the SC/NC
Near Pedro?
Posted by: Beavis 2017-01-01 10:40
Beavis,
No, we're down I-77 from the state line, but we know Pedro and SOB well. Sadly, it's going downhill pretty hard, will really be surprised if it lasts another three years.
Though I suspect the billboards will go on forever.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/01/2017 11:16
Comments ||
Top||
#15
Classroom liberals like him make improving on-line degree programs mission critical for the right.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Sultanate of Oman’s decision to join the Saudi-led anti- terrorism coalition is a welcome development and a major boost to the 40-nation Islamic Military Alliance created on Dec. 15, 2015 to enhance regional security. ISIS, al-Qaeda and affiliates continue to take advantage of the fragile political and security climate across the region to gain more influence and territorial control. Major General Mansour al-Turki, an Interior Ministry spokesperson, recently told news hounds that more than 2,000 Saudis are currently fighting in the ranks of faceless myrmidons abroad and that over 70 percent of them are stationed in Syria. The report is an alarming reminder of the urgent need for military preparedness to combat the threat of terrorism within Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... and abroad.
Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, stated that Saudi Vision 2030 includes plans to boost the military industry and to raise the level of security services within the Saudi army. He stated that the Kingdom would be restructuring many military deals to be linked to Saudi manufacturing.
He also added, that the Kingdom is in the process of establishing a holding company for military industries. He said, "It will be later in the Saudi market, also for ’transparency’, so a citizen can know the military deals, the company’s performance, sales, deals and industries very clearly." Developing a strong Saudi defense industry is a national priority.
Foreign military assistance
In line with the new vision and the alarming threat of terrorism, seeking military cooperation with major industrial powers is critical to prevent dangerous situations. The drive for self-dependency and the setting up of our own parameters of defense is a step in the right direction. It is time we build our own defense mechanisms. For years, we have been entirely dependent on foreign military assistance and that has weakened our status in the global community and has allowed many to take advantage of our vulnerability. The new vision opens doors for us to import and develop our own indigenous technology to suit our needs and environment.
The official visit of the high-level delegation of the Italian frigate Nave Carabiniere on Dec. 28 to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented an opportunity for our business community to view state-of-the-art naval ships and products. The commanding officer La Belle Francesco Pagnotta explained that the purpose of the visit was to foster cooperation and to demonstrate the newest and most advanced navy projects that are not only for military purposes but also for civilian tasks that include providing power and water supply, humanitarian assistance, hospital services and logistic support with medical care capacity.
Members of the delegation included ship building business leaders who offered services to provide technology transfer of the latest naval ships and electronic warfare and defense equipment. They shared their expertise in surveillance and cyber intelligence systems with the aim of deterring the threat of faceless myrmidons or other illegal activities.
Our region must work on a strategy for the efficient transfer of military technology and the creation of policies to foster relations to build partners and not remain recipients in the evolution of technology. If we do not develop our military mechanism and spend wisely on defense, we will be easy prey for warmongers and terrorist organizations.
Saudi Arabia and the Islamic military alliance have an important task ahead not only to train their armed forces, but also to develop a stronger military industry with advanced weapons to defend Moslem territories. The Middle East can no longer afford to be at the mercy of the superpowers that control the sales of arms and exercise their hegemony over our region.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Saudi Arabia
#1
...One tiny lil' problem with this plan: you've got a few generations of Saudis who believe that manual labor (as in assembling/maintaining weapons and weapons systems) is beneath them. They'll end up going right back to TCNs to do everything, but this time the Saudis may very well not be able to afford the salaries they shelled out in the past. Short version: I think the Saudi government is starting to go full Iranian (wild claims about capabilities, indigenous weapons, etc).
And you never go full Iranian.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/01/2017 8:44
Comments ||
Top||
#2
Translation: with oil prices of today can't afford western toys (which our military can't operate anyway) anymore.
You lived in Somalia under alarming conditions. What changed?
An estimated 4,000 Somali refugees are living in alarming conditions in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, and their living situations have worsened since the civil war erupted early last year between dominant Shiite Houthi group and exiled government of internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
The refugees face extreme poverty; no jobs, no food security, no rent-free shelters nor health facilities to receive them. Many have been struggling to pay their rent of insanitary rooms, while few families can afford payment and instead sleep on some backstreets or join others in small rooms.
In other words, it's like Mogadishu...
The refugees also have s shortage of water, electricity and integration into labor market. The refugees have no alternative as their living situations have worsen because of the ongoing economic crisis following the eruption of the civil war in March last year.
“We (the refugees) have no rent-free accommodation or shelter in Sanaa as most of Yemenis have recently hesitate to rent us rooms or houses because we cannot afford payment,” explained 55-year-old Abdel Rahman al-Zaylaiee, the chairman of the Somali refugees’ community in Sanaa, who came to Yemen nearly 16 years ago.
“How do you see a man with no job or any source of income crowded with his 11-member family in a small room or sleeping on the street?” he asked. “That is our months-long tragedy… and no one care about us.”
“About four thousand Somali refugees, mostly women and children, have been living here in Sanaa for years with no rent-free shelter or enough food, and our situations got poorer especially after the war,” al-Zaylaiee said.
Their sad faces and tattered clothes tell untold stories. The refugees live in a poor quarter, known as al-Safiyah in the southeast part of Sanaa. They enjoy a small clinic in the area supported by the UNHCR.
They could go back to Somalia. Lower Shabelle couldn't be as bad...
The clinic lacks emergency section and almost empty from any kind of medicine or essential medical equipment due to the war and economic crisis. The patients have to go to private hospitals and buy medicine on their own.
The refugees’ chairman al-Zaylaiee complains of stopping aid from humanitarian agencies, particularly after war.
“Since the war began in March 2015, we received financial aid only one time in the beginning of each year from the UNHCR,” al-Zaylaiee said. “If you have a family, you received 150 USD, but if you are a single you got only 50 dollars… only one-time payment a year,” al-Zaylaiee said.
Abdel Malik Mohammed, a 23-year-old refugee said that before the eruption of war the young refugees had work in the popular markets and used to wash cars to earn money. “But now no one asks you to wash his car, except very few rich people,” he said.
“We have no clothes, blankets or enough food to warm my mother and sisters during this harsh winter weather… I have not paid the rent for four months and the owner has vowed to drop us out to the street if I do not pay it,” he added.
Somali refugees fled conflicts in their homeland and made very dangerous journeys through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to seek a better life in Yemen or neighboring oil-rich Gulf countries.
An estimated 200,000 Somali refugees are living in several Yemeni cities, according to the latest 2015 statistics by the UNHCR. UNHCR says that more than 26,000 Somali refugees have fled violence in Yemen and returned to Somalia, mostly to Mogadishu.
Many refugees have taken Yemen as a crossing road to Saudi Arabia, but after the war erupted in Yemen-Saudi joint borders between Houthi fighters and Saudi government army, which backed the Yemeni government, the borders were closed and most infiltrators lost their lives during shootings between Saudi border guards and Houthi fighters.
“We have been trapped here,” said 28-year-old Omar Abdel Kadir, who refused to be pictured.
“Before the war, many of us, including me, went to Saudi border cities through Yemeni and Somali smugglers and found work there… and when there were no work we returned back to Sanaa to wait for other chances,” said Abdel Kadir who came to Yemen nearly seven years ago.
“Nowadays the situation has totally changed. If you risk traveling to Saudi border you will be shot dead either by Yemeni fighters or Saudi border guards … dozens of my friends have been killed near the joint borders since the beginning of war,” he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
[Bangla Daily Star] Greece's ambassador to Brazil was murdered in a plot hatched by his Brazilian wife and her police officer lover, who confessed to the crime, officials said Friday. Ooh! Ooh! I seen dis movie!
The envoy, Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was killed on Monday by the officer, Sergio Gomez Moreira, Rio homicide division chief Evaristo Pontes told a news conference.
Amiridis's charred body was found Thursday in Rio in his burned-out rental car, a day after his wife, Francoise de Souza Oliveira, declared him missing.
Oliveira, 40, and Moreira, 29, both admitted to having an affair, police said.
The pair are in jug, along with Moreira's 24-year-old cousin, Eduardo Tedeschi, who allegedly also took part.
According to the homicide division chief, Oliveira denied participating in the murder itself, but confessed she knew of the crime.
FAMILY VACATION
Amiridis, who was named ambassador this year, had been on a family vacation with his wife in the north of Rio de Janeiro since December 21. They had been due to fly back to the capital Brasilia on January 9.
His wife had originally told police that he had left the Rio apartment they were staying in, taken the car and not returned.
But her version had contradictions, and after Amiridis's body was found in the burned-out car under a bridge, police took Oliveira in for more questioning, and also detained Moreira.
Traces of blood were reportedly found on a sofa in the apartment Amiridis and Oliveira had been using, leading Sherlocks to believe he had been killed there, then his body was placed in the rental car and driven to the spot it was found.
Pontes said that Oliveira had offered Tedeschi the equivalent of $25,000 to help with murdering the ambassador.
Moreira acknowledged that he and Amiridis had had a physical fight, and that he had strangled the ambassador in self-defense.
- Young daughter -
Amiridis had previously served Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004, where he met Oliveira.
The couple have a 10-year-old daughter.
A Greek police team was due to leave Friday for Brazil to take part in the investigation, while Greece's ambassador in Argentina ...a country located on the other side of the Deep South. It is covered with Pampers and inhabited by Grouchos, who dance the Tangle. They used to have some islands called the Malvinas located where the Falklands are now. They're not supposed to cry for Evita... was headed to Brasilia, Athens said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
King Agamemon to the courtesy phone. There's a Greek tragedy in there somewhere.
China's military has become alarmed by what it sees as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's support of Taiwan and is considering strong measures to prevent the island from moving toward independence, sources with ties to senior military officers said.
Three sources said one possibility being considered was conducting war games near the self-ruled island that China considers as a breakaway province. Another was a series of economic measures to cripple Taiwan.
It was not clear whether any decisions had been taken, but the sources said the Taiwan issue had become a hot topic within the upper echelons of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) in recent weeks.
Trump, due to take office on Jan 20, angered Beijing this month by speaking to Taiwan's president by telephone, breaking decades of precedent and casting doubt on his incoming administration's commitment to Beijing's "one China" policy. Beijing fears this could embolden supporters of independence in Taiwan.
"If Trump challenges 'one China' after becoming president, this would cross our red line," said another source, who has ties to China's leadership.
They're going to test Trump early, just as they tested Champ and Bush.
China's defense ministry declined to comment. An official at the ministry's news department said China's position was clearly laid out in the 2005 Anti-Secession Law, which authorizes the use of force against Taiwan in the event China judges it to have seceded.
Asked about any possible aggressive moves from China, Taiwan defense ministry spokesman Chen Chung-shi said: "We are fully prepared, and plan for the worst while preparing for the best."
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its sacred and inviolable territory and is deeply suspicious of President Tsai Ing-wen, whose ruling Democratic Progressive Party espouses the island's independence. Tsai, who took power this year, says she wants to maintain peace with China, but China is unconvinced. Tsai said on Saturday that Taiwan will be "calm" when facing issues to do with China, but uncertainties next year will test the self-ruled island and its national security team.
Beijing has also been angered by a trip planned by Tsai in January to Latin America in which she will transit through Houston and San Francisco. China has urged the United States to block the stopovers.
Chinese officials have blamed Taiwan for creating trouble rather than Trump, and many of them believe he will be more accommodating to China once in office.
"We're ready. If Taiwan wants to make trouble so can we. Let's hit them hard," said an official in Beijing who meets regularly with China's most senior military officers, including those who work directly with President Xi Jinping.
"We can hold exercises close to Taiwan, and show them the damage we could cause. Taiwan will have to give in then," the official added, citing a recent conversation with one of the military officers.
The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but it's unclear if the United States would send troops in the event of war between China and Taiwan.
Washington also acknowledges Beijing's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is its territory.
A retired senior officer who maintains contacts with the PLA told Reuters that China probably wouldn't need to fire any missiles to bring Taiwan to its knees. China is Taiwan's largest trading partner, and Taiwan runs a huge trade surplus with China, worth $27 billion in 2015.
"We can just cut them off economically. No more direct flights, no more trade. Nothing. Taiwan would not last long," the officer said. "There would be no need for war."
That assumes that the rest of the world would continue to do business as usual with China. Read on...
In addition, any Western economic blockade of China put in place in the event of war with Taiwan would also be damaging to China, already dealing with a slowing economy.
The yuan is falling. Western businesses are looking to work elsewhere. The Chinese government has been more demanding and more strident. This isn't a time for China to throw its weight around.
A U.S. defense official said Chinese actions had been more provocative in the past month, since Trump won the U.S. election and made comments about Taiwan.
This month, a Chinese naval flotilla headed by its sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, took part in drills that took it around Taiwan. Chinese air force jets have performed similar drills in recent weeks, flying close to the island, though China has officially called the air force and naval exercises routine.
China also scored a diplomatic victory when tiny Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing from Taiwan.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The fact that the chicoms are freaking out and getting all huffy signifies that the One China policy has always been a fiction that can't stand the scrutiny of reality.
In any case,I really look forward to the Chinese getting botched slapped by reality. They're not as scary as they'relate made out to be. Let'stand see what happens when their bluff's called
[VANGUARDNGR] Nigerian Army of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ in the north east on Friday night made a heavy breakthrough when it arrested a Caretaker Chairman of Mafa Local Government Area of Borno state, Alhaji Shettima Lawan Maina for hiding a top Boko Haram Commander (name withheld) in his house at 1000 housing estate along Maiduguri- Damaturu- Kano road.
The incident according to sources living at the same estate with the Chairman did not come to them as a surprise following the capture of Sambisa Forest, a stronghold of insurgents by troops that led to so many of the terrorists escaped to various places for safety.
Mafa Local Government is east and about 40 kilometres drive from Maiduguri the state capital which had witnessed series of deadly attacks by insurgents, before it was liberated by the military early last year.
A resident and neighbours of the LG boss said, the military and some security operatives stormed the house after getting an intelligence report that the top Boko Haram commander had sneaked into the house for safety.
Already the source said, both the top Boko Haram Commander and the Chairman have been detained in a military facility to enable thorough investigation as to how a wanted terrorist will sneak into the house of the Chairman, knowing fully well, that politicians of such caliber do not usually allow access to their house of abode.
When contacted for confirmation, the Police Public Relations Officer, Victor Isuku’s phone lines were not reachable, but a top security officer who is not authorized to talk to the press confirmed the incident, stating that “The arrest and capture of the Caretaker Chairman and the wanted boko haram commander took place on Friday night following a tip off”.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram
Turkish authorities detained a Wall Street Journal staff reporter for 2½ days this past week, without permitting him contact with his family or attorneys before releasing him.
Shades of old Eastern Bloc behavior. I must say that I don't get as worked up about this as I used to. I suppose that's a moral failing of mine...
The reporter, Dion Nissenbaum, 49 years old, left Turkey to return to the U.S. on Saturday. Police took Mr. Nissenbaum from his Istanbul apartment on Tuesday evening. He was released from a detention center on Friday morning.
A person familiar with the matter said he was held for allegedly violating a government ban on publication of images from an Islamic State video.
“While we are relieved that Dion was released unharmed after nearly three days, we remain outraged at his peremptory detention, without any contact with his family, legal counsel or colleagues,” said Gerard Baker, editor in chief of the Journal.
Mr. Nissenbaum’s detention came amid a broader crackdown on press freedom in Turkey, where dozens of reporters, mainly Turkish, are behind bars. Since the summer, Turkey, where the government has imposed a state of emergency, has closed more than 100 domestic media outlets.
While in custody, Mr. Nissenbaum, a U.S. citizen, was denied access to lawyers despite repeated requests, he said. He also wasn’t allowed to contact his family or his employer. Mr. Nissenbaum said authorities told him he was under investigation, but they declined to say for what.
Turkish officials contacted Saturday did not respond to requests for comment.
I wouldn't push but so hard if I was a reporter trying to get them to comment. Which is the point of all this...
Plainclothes police told Mr. Nissenbaum when they detained him that he would be deported, according to Mr. Nissenbaum and a Journal staff member who was on the phone with him at the time. Police took Mr. Nissenbaum’s phone and led him away, leaving his wife and their seven-month-old child behind.
On the first night in police custody, Mr. Nissenbaum said, authorities asked him to sign a document written in Turkish. The document showed his Twitter handle and some personal information, he said. Mr. Nissenbaum said he declined to sign the document, insisting on an English translation. Police then told Mr. Nissenbaum that he didn’t have to sign anything, he said.
Mr. Nissenbaum was taken to a detention facility for foreigners outside of Istanbul. He said he was physically comfortable and treated well there.
So he wasn't in a Turkish prison. Perhaps a Turkish spa?
For two days, the Journal couldn’t determine Mr. Nissenbaum’s location. A person familiar with the situation said an administrative deportation order had been issued against him for allegedly violating the media ban. But the Journal’s representatives didn’t have access to documents about the case.
Late Thursday, the Journal confirmed Mr. Nissenbaum’s location and was told by people familiar with the situation that it should be ready to pick him up the following morning. He was released shortly after 10 a.m., without receiving any deportation order.
Mr. Nissenbaum’s family is accompanying him to the U.S.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
[M.STARTRIBUNE] Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... 's leader has declared in a new video that he is alive, denying Nigerian government claims that his Islamic Lion of Islam group has been crushed.
President Muhammadu Buhari said last week that soldiers had driven Boko Haram from its last forest enclave in the northeast, boasting "the bully boyz are on the run, and no longer have a place to hide."
In a video posted on YouTube, Abubakar Shekau ... the lunatic leader of Boko Haram who has been reported dead at least eleven times, pledged his body and soul to ISIS, told his fighters to hang it up once or twice, and been fire by the Caliph and refused to step down ... announced: "I am here, well and alive" and that "the battle is just beginning." He urged his followers, in graphic terms, to continue the campaign.
Nigeria's military has claimed to have killed Shekau at least three times, and earlier this year declared he had been fatally maimed. This week, the army said it seized Shekau's Koran in the Sambisa Forest assault -- wanting to indicate he was on the run.
Each time such claims are made, the Boko Haram leader reappears in a video to mock them.
In the latest, posted on YouTube on Dec. 29, he reiterates that "our mission is to establish an Islamic caliphate" in Nigeria -- whose 180 million people are divided almost equally between mainly Moslems in the north and a predominantly Christian south.
In the video, Shekau does not mention some 200 schoolgirls kidnapped from a school in Chibok town who were believed to be held in the Sambisa Forest.
Nigeria is unlikely to see an end soon to the deadly suicide kabooms, village attacks and assaults on remote military outposts in northeastern Nigeria. The Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group, to which one faction of Boko Haram belongs, announced an attack on an army barracks "killed and maimed many" soldiers on Dec. 22 -- the same day the army said it seized the forest hideout.
Already, there are reports that the holy warriors have been regrouping south of their northeastern stronghold.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Kuwait’s first Christian pastor Amanuel Benjamin Ghareeb remembers sitting down for a test on an Islamic subject during his secondary school years and being surprised that he outperformed his young Moslem peers.
That was more than 50 years ago and now the 66-year-old Ghareeb says times have changed.
Kuwait is the only GCC country besides Bahrain to have a local Christian population who hold citizenship. They number around 200 citizens in Kuwait while Bahrain has nearly 1,000.
"Most of the Christian families in Kuwait and Bahrain have their roots from southeastern The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... while some came from either Iraq or Paleostine. The numbers decreased since there was a change in Kuwait’s citizenship law in 1982 after they excluded Christians from naturalization," Ghareeb told Al Arabiya English.
By some estimates, there are 12 families who identify as Christian-born Kuwaitis and are believed to have had equal rights compared to their Moslem countrymen.
Christian-Gulf social, political representation
Still, it is rare for there to be talk about the trials and tribulations of non-Moslem minorities who are citizens of the Arab Gulf states as the widely-portrayed image of Gulf citizens is usually as either Sunni or Shiite Moslems.
A landmark event in Kuwait’s Christian community took place on January 8, 1999 when Ghareeb himself was ordained as priest and pastor of the country’s National Evangelical Church, making him the first and only Gulf-Arab Christian with that title.
"We all feel proud of being Kuwaitis," he said at the time. "We were among those who stayed here during the Iraqi occupation [in 1990]."
But for Christian representation in Kuwait’s political scene, the same cannot be said. No Christian has ever been elected to the country’s National Assembly, which recently saw the return of the country’s Moslem Brüderbund group after years of boycott.
Still, Ghareeb said Kuwaiti Christians deny that their community is barred from enjoying certain civil and political rights.
When asked whether the idea of implementing a quota of Christian representation should be allowed in parliament, similar to Leb, Ghareeb replied with a resounding rejection.
"Our constitution clearly states that any Kuwaiti Christian is free to nominate him or herself and run for local elections. And if one day the general population accepts to elect one of us, then great. But we do not want an enforced representation without an election," Ghareeb said.
Do Kuwaiti Christians feel safe? Moslem-Christian relationships have been tested in recent years given the rise of Islamophobia ...the irrational fear that Moslems will act the way they usually do... in the west amid krazed killer attacks by groups such as ISIS targeting Christians in the east.
Earlier this month, a bombing at Cairo’s largest Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 people and maimed 49, many of them women and kiddies attending Sunday mass, in the deadliest attack on Egypt’s Christian minority in years.
This event has caused some concerns for Kuwaiti Christians, the pastor said.
"With the latest developments in the region in regards to the religious polarization, some of us have been affected obviously. But we thank God that we have wise leadership that understands and protects the internal situation in Kuwait. We’ve seen our ministry of interior increase protection around our churches during Christmas and soon for New Year’s as well."
Under educational laws in Kuwait, non-Moslem students at both government and private schools in Kuwait are exempt from attending Islamic classes.
Should Kuwaiti Christians have equal opportunities to study their religion as part of education?
Ghareeb doesn’t think so: "Under the current situation, both in Kuwait and in the region, the answer is ’no.’ This is unfavorable at the moment."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] The United Nations Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution endorsing a ceasefire in the Syrian civil war brokered by Russia and Turkey.
Russia and Turkey announced the ceasefire this week, the third truce this year seeking to end the nearly six years of war in Syria.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Federal Police Command announced on Friday, that its forces managed to kill one of the Islamic State’s elite leaders in Mosul, as well as destroying a booby-trapped vehicle in al-Wehda neighborhood.
Media office of the Federal Police Command said in a press statement, “Security forces from the Federal Police’s 5th brigade managed, at afternoon today, to kill the so-called Ammar al-Haweidi, who was considered one of the Islamic State’s elite leaders in al-Wehda neighborhood, in eastern Mosul.”
“Haweidi was from al-Humaira area in Nimrud vicinity, southeast of Mosul,” the statement added.
“Security forces were also able to detonate a booby-trapped vehicle driven by a suicide bomber,” the statement continued.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#2
Jobs and industry have been leaving the state for over 50 years. Not unlike elsewhere, small family farms are rapidly disappearing in favour of large corporate entities. I believe I recently read where Illinois now leads the nation in people relocating elsewhere. Strangely, or possibly not so, with the exception of Chicago, and the University towns, the entire state is Red. Like LA and NYC, the Blue mega 'city states' rule. It's all in the numbers and demographics.
[Libya Observer] The front man for Bunyan Marsous ...(al-Bunyan al-Marsous, Solid Base) An operation carried out by Misratan forces loyal to the Libyan Goverenment of National Accord to dislodge ISIS forces from Sirte. 2,500 turbans were reported killed in the operation, which lasted from May through December.GNA's Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj officially announced the end of military operations on 18 December 2016... , Mohammed al-Ghasri, warned Barak al-Shatti’s residents about letting the terrorist groups succeed in controlling the airport and military base of the district, saying it would pose a grave threat to their forces.
"IS snuffies are receiving support from Khalifa Haftar ... served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... ’s forces because they and IS gunnies are two sides of the same coin." al-Ghasri said in a press statement.
"We have reliable information that proves that some snuffies beat feet from Sirte into other districts, especially in the South, and some of them were seen in Barak al-Shatti." He added, pointing out that those bandidosforces of Evil obtained weapons and ammunition from Mohammed Ben Nayel ‐ a leader of pro-Haftar militias in southern Libya ‐ and his supporting gangs.
Al-Ghasri said their forces are combing through the areas suspected of being new IS hub or a shelter for other terrorists, hinting at the pro-Haftar forces of Brigade 12, led by Ben Nayel.
"The forces in Zilla are a mixture of Haftar’s forces and Chadian rebels as well as IS Sirte escapes, so we urge Haftar’s forces to pull out in order to remain safe because they are Libyans, though investigations with IS captives proved they had been supported by Haftar’s forces by securing their post-defeat withdrawal from Derna and their arrival in Sirte." He indicated.
"Libya’s air force will carry out target-oriented Arclight airstrikes on terrorists’ positions in Barak al-Shatti after a coordination with the ground forces, who will then take up combing through those air attacked spots, so we urge the residents to cooperate with our forces." al-Ghasri concluded.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2017
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[IsraelTmes] Among recommendations for global operatives: avoid sharing information with confidants, stay away from unknown individuals.
Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, has issued new safety guidelines to its operatives around the world, following the liquidation of a Tunisian engineer said to have led Hamas’s drone program -- an incident the Paleostinian terror group has blamed on Israel.
According to a report on the Ynet news website Saturday, Hamas issued a list of recommendations to its agents over the weekend, intended to decrease the likelihood of their exposure.
Suggestions include covering one’s tracks and keeping information private even from one’s closest circles. Operatives are advised to stay away from suspect and unfamiliar organizations or people, working only with those contacts who can provide certified credentials.
Agents are also urged to take the utmost precautions while traveling, never using their real identities and choosing meet-up locations carefully. Finally, the organization warns that routine is dangerous, and recommends changing travel habits often in order to make surveillance difficult.
Israel has not responded to the accusation by Hamas that it was behind the death of Mohammed al-Zoari.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman played coy last week when speaking about the killing of Zoari.
"If someone was killed in Tunisia, he’s not likely to be a peace activist or a Nobel Prize candidate," Liberman said at an event at the Zionist Organization of America House in Tel Aviv.
Tunisian Interior Minister Hedi Mejdoub said that journalists hired by individuals posing as a media company were entangled in the murder of Zoari, 49, outside his house in the port city of Sfax on December 15. He was hit by 20 bullets at the wheel of his car.
Mejdoub told news hounds that "at least two foreigners" were involved in the shooting. The killing, he said, had the hallmarks of a foreign espionage agency’s handiwork.
According to Mejdoub, a Tunisian journalist told local Sherlocks that she was hired by foreigners posing as a media company planning to make documentaries in Tunisia for a Malaysian TV channel, including one about the aerospace industry in Arab states, and asked her to contact Zoari as one of the interviewees for the movie.
Paid 100 euros per day, plus expenses, the woman traveled to Tunis, filmed Zoari, and gave the footage to the company. In all, she received 2,000 euros for her work. Besides filming Zoari, she also rented a number of cars used in his liquidation, Mejdoub said, adding that planning for the killing took place over months, since at least June.
Three days before Saturday’s hit, the interior minister said, a foreign man working for the media company contacted her and asked her to rent two cars, and told her to then leave the country the next day.
The journalist was in Budapest during the hit, and only returned to Tunis after it was carried out.
The prosecution has said that 10 suspects, all Tunisians, have been detained for questioning, including a female journalist, and that authorities have seized four vehicles and two weapons.
Mejdoub said two Tunisian nationals living in Sweden were also involved in the operation. The two rented an apartment in Sfax to tail Zoari and rented four cell phones.
"The organizers prepared two plans for two teams, in case one failed or was caught. The hit was planned meticulously and thoroughly," he said.
Tunisian authorities have yet to identify who was behind the shooting.
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas that controls the Gazoo Strip, told AFP that Zoari was a drone expert who had worked for the "resistance" for 10 years, and that he was killed by "Zionist treachery."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Gunmen in Bahrain have attacked a prison, killing a policeman and freeing inmates convicted of terror offences, officials say. A security lockdown has been imposed around Jaw prison, south of the capital Manama, the interior ministry said. It did not say how many prisoners had escaped.
[Daily Caller] Charles Krauthammer harshly criticized President Barack Obama during a panel discussion on Fox News Thursday evening.
[The Hill] President-elect Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday that messages "should be sent via courier like in the old days" to ensure security.
[AlAhram] A police officer and an army soldier were killed and another soldier injured in a 
[The Hill] Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on cyber threats to the United States.
[NYPOST] A 39-year-old father was fatally shot at a Brooklyn baby shower Saturday morning by one of the men who beat up his son earlier in the night, police said.
[Hurriyet Daily News] Russian military jets have hit 
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] An SUV drove off the fifth floor of a parking garage in Japan Saturday, killing three of its five passengers, local media reported.
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Syrian 
[Sun Star] Philippine security forces have arrested two suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in separate law enforcement operations in Zamboanga City. Arrested on an arrest warrant for frustrated murder were Margani Idris and Abdul Albi, according to Police spokesman Rogelio Alabata. 
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) A security source in Nineveh Province revealed, that the troops of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) destroyed four car bombs belonging to the Islamic State in the eastern side of Mosul.
Burundi’s president on Friday threatened to pull out almost 5,500 troops contributing to the African Union mission in Somalia over nearly a year of unpaid allowances, in another sign of tensions with the force’s largest donor, the European Union.
[THEEAGLEONLINE.NG] As part of proactive measures to curb security challenges, the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has enjoined citizens to be vigilant and wary of fleeing 
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Zaman al-Wasl learnt that civil, revolutionary and military actors in Homs’ besieged northern countryside reached an agreement with the regime in recent days. 
[TAMPABAY] A dog bit its owner at an East Tampa home Friday afternoon, then attacked two other family members who tried to stop the attack, police said.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A group leader of the Talibs was killed along with three others during an operation in eastern 
[Libya Observer] The Benghazi Shura Council (BSC) denied any ties whatsoever with any political party or entity inside and outside Libya with no exceptions.
[DAILYCALLER] A taxpayer-funded political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has concluded that political conditions in North Carolina are comparable to political conditions in totalitarian nations such as Cuba, Venezuela and Iran because Republicans are too politically successful.
[VANGUARDNGR] Nigerian Army of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ in the north east on Friday night made a heavy breakthrough when it arrested a Caretaker Chairman of Mafa Local Government Area of Borno state, Alhaji Shettima Lawan Maina for hiding a top Boko Haram Commander (name withheld) in his house at 1000 housing estate along Maiduguri- Damaturu- Kano road.
[M.STARTRIBUNE] 
...(al-Bunyan al-Marsous, 
[IsraelTmes] Among recommendations for global operatives: avoid sharing information with confidants, stay away from unknown individuals.
