President Trump on Saturday morning tweeted that Venezuela is releasing an American hostage.
The hostage "should be landing in [Washington, D.C.] this evening and be in the White House, with his family, at about 7:00 P.M.," the president tweeted at 9:22 a.m.
Joshua Holt, 26, from Utah has been held in a Venezuelan prison on allegations of spying for the U.S., according to reports. Holt was married to a Venezuelan woman who also was arrested when she came to visit him in prison.
"The great people of Utah will be very happy!" Trump stated.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/26/2018
12:14 ||
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#1
Is Trump "speaking softly, but carrying a big stick?"
[IsraelTimes] Monitor says Israel most likely behind Thursday night attack; Syrian state media confirms missiles fired at airfield near Homs, which was also reportedly hit by IDF on May 10.
A military air base in western Syria was hit in an Arclight airstrike Thursday night, sparking large kabooms, which were heard throughout the area, state media reported.
The targets of the strike were munitions depots belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group, located on an air base south of the city of Homs, according to the Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, which also said the strikes were most likely carried out by Israel.
"Six missiles were fired at the Daba’a military airport and surrounding area in the western sector of Homs province, targeting Lebanese Hezbollah weapons warehouses," Rami Abd el-Rahman, director of the Observatory, told AFP.
The Observatory identified Israel as the likely perpetrator. "The missiles would have been fired by Israel," el-Rahman said.
The Israel Defense Forces refused to comment on the attack.
The Daba’a air base, also known as al-Qusair air base, and the surrounding area are known to be a stronghold for Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias. It was also reportedly struck by Israel in skirmishes against Syrian and Iranian forces on May 10.
A military source told state media that the incoming missile attack was intercepted. This is a common claim by SANA, including in cases where the outlet later acknowledged that strikes hit their target.
"One of our military airports in the central region was targeted by a missile attack. Our air defenses responded to the aggression and prevented it from achieving its objective," the source told SANA.
Conflicting accounts emerged about the exact number of missiles fired at the Syrian air base. Various Syrian and Lebanese outlets reported that it was between two and eight.
The military source did not identify who Syria believed had carried out the attack, though some Syrian media outlets assumed it was Israel, which has been conducting regular airstrikes in the country in recent years, more in the past few months.
Earlier on Thursday night, Lebanese media outlets reported that Israeli jets were flying through the country’s airspace.
Syrian media outlets reported that S-200 anti-aircraft missiles were fired during the attack on the air base.
On Wednesday, a senior Israeli Air Force official issued a stern warning to Syria, telling the country that if its air defense systems fired on Israeli jets, they would be targeted in return.
"All batteries that fire on Israeli aircraft will be destroyed. All batteries that do not fire on us will not be destroyed," the senior officer told news hounds, speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered...
[ToloNews] The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in a report released on Thursday says the US government’s 17-year effort to stabilize parts of war-torn Afghanistan has mostly failed.
The report finds that much of the $4.7 billion USD spent on programs to stabilize areas cleared of gunnies has been largely wasted - some of it siphoned off by corrupt officials, some of it paying for projects that did more harm than good.
According to the report, the US government has appropriated about $126 billion to rebuild the country, most of it to train and equip security forces.
"The large sums of stabilization dollars the United States devoted to Afghanistan in search of quick gains often exacerbated conflicts, enabled corruption, and bolstered support for bully boys," the report says.
The report follows another issued this week by the Pentagon’s inspector general that found little progress in providing security for the Afghan people.
The report finds that bad strategy and policies in Afghanistan have led to billions wasted, more than 2,200 US troops killed and a dysfunctional country left behind.
"These two decisions - to prioritize the most dangerous parts of the country and to draw down forces on timelines unrelated to conditions on the ground - had a profound and harmful impact on countless downstream decisions regarding stabilization planning, staffing, and programming," the report says.
The huge flows of money into the impoverished country had the opposite effect of what was intended, the report says.
"By fueling corruption and the population's disillusionment with its government, the coalition undermined the very government it sought to legitimize and drove support for the insurgency," the report says.
Of the $4.7 billion spent, $2.4 billion went to programs administered by USAID and $2.3 billion was spent on the Pentagon's Commander's Emergency Response Program, the report says.
"Our analysis of the implementation of CERP suggests senior policymakers devoted money to a program with no overarching strategy, and without effective systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data," the report says. "The result was a program that spent $2.3 billion in a profoundly underdeveloped economy with unknown effects."
There are at least 15,000 US troops in the country.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/26/2018 10:10
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#4
...Get out as quickly as we can and with as little warning as possible, but leave a note:
"If it happens again, we will erase your godforsaken little patch of filth, and everyone who enabled you. There will be no aid, there will be no 'rebuilding'. We will act with all the brutality and cruelty that the world has attributed to us for the last seventy-three years.
It would be wise to listen."
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/26/2018 11:05
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#5
Gee... its almost as if that was the plan or something.
#6
A playbill, a fable, a cable:
"Afghanistan soon will be stable!
Don't mind feeble whiners,"
Cried capable diners
Whose bellies pushed forward their table.
[Ynet] SAF's cargo aircraft detected flying from Damascus to Tehran despite US's demand to withdraw Iranian forces from Syria; Syrian reports say US-led coalition forces responsible for recent strike in Albu Kamal; Pentagon denies any involvement in strike.
On the backdrop of the a US-led coalition strike on Syrian army positions in the vicinity of the Syria-Iraq border overnight Thursday, a Syrian Air Force (SAF) cargo aircraft was spotted making its way from the Syrian capital of Damascus to the city of Albu Kamal in the Syrian Desert en route to Tehran.
Assad's army held several cargo flights over the past week to the Albu Kamal area that was bombarded overnight Thursday, as reported by Ynet.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 12 pro-regime fighters were killed, including foreign nationals.
Aviation enthusiasts are trained to detect military aircraft in real-time using special software. Despite the fact that the detection of military aircraft depends on the civil radar's limited coverage range, there are websites that detect military aircraft by processing the flight data, including their altitude and speed.
The SAF has four Russian Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircrafts. Three of them have been detected in action over the past month, and the fourth one is likely not operational.
The aircraft landing at the bombarded compound departed last week Wednesday from Damascus to the Albu Kamal area and returned the next day.
The aircraft had flown last Sunday to the same area and returned three and a half hours later.
Notwithstanding the US's demand that Iranian forces withdraw from Syria, the SAF continues dispatching aerial convoys using cargo aircrafts to the Revolutionary Guards' posts.
The logistic sorties are held despite American and Israeli strike in the area. Over the past two weeks two Syrian cargo aircrafts have been recorded heading from Teheran to Damascus.
While the precise content loaded onto the aircraft is unknown, the pre-flight time returning back to Damascus took four hours
ISIS controlled the stricken area of Albu Kamal until last year when it was reoccupied by the SAF.
One part of the area is currently held by the SAF, Iran and Hezbollah and the other is controlled by the Kurdish forces that receive aid from the US-led coalition.
The US have denied Syrian reports that it is responsible for the strike, and the Pentagon has claimed it knows nothing about the US-led coalition's activity in the area.
"We have no operational reporting of a US-led coalition strike against pro-Syrian regime targets or forces," Captain Bill Urban, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said.
Another Pentagon official speaking anonymously reiterated Urban's statement saying, "We have no information about what happened there."
#1
So NKor has finished it's work in reconfiguring warheads to mount on Iranian ICBMs. Syria is moving the remaining WMDs to Tehran for fitting of the new mounting collars.
If you have a chance to receive a free firearm, why turn it over to authorities? The gun in question was a Springfield XD model, probably 9mm, probably damaged when it was (apparently) thrown out of the window of a speeding vehicle.
What would you do?
If I came into possession of a missing pistol, one of the first things I would do would be to replace the barrel and the fire control group. If the gun was used in a crime, all you have to do is to toss the old barrel into a lake and enjoy your newfound gun.
Thus, the gun was not used in the commission of a crime.
This brings me to my point.
All modern firearms are ghost guns. Kops who would rather have gun registration fail to tell their customers that guns can easily be disassembled and reassembled with new parts, which renders the registration useless. You can't tie a gun to a crime if the barrel has been replaced.
Given the current state of firearms laws and the current drive to add even more laws I don't know why you would even want to help the cops.
Pistol ammunition prices were mostly steady. Rifle ammunition prices were steady.
Prices for used pistols were mostly higher. Prices for used rifles were mostly mixed.
New Lows:
None
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Foundry 35, Silver Bear, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: East Carolina Trading, Own brand, FMJ, Brass Casing, Reloads, .21 per round (From Last Week: +.02 Each )
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, Reloads .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: East Carolina Trading, FP, Brass Casing, Reloads, .19 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Extreme Reloading, Own Brand, RN, Brass Casing, Reloads .14 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: FedArm, Own brand, FMJ, Brass Casing, Reloads .14 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged +.01 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .23 per round (From Last Week: +.01 Each After Unchanged (4 Weeks))
.38 Special, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammomen, Magtech, RNL, Brass Casing, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: Ammunition Depot, Fiocchi, RNL, Brass Casing, .22 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each)
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4Q, 2017)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Able's, Wolf WPA, FMJ, Steel Casing, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .20 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018))
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .32 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: SG Ammo, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .30 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
7.62x39mm AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Wolf WPA, FMJ, Steel Casing, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Wolf WPA, Steel Casing, FMJ, .20 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
.30-06 Springfield 145 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Wolf WPA, Steel Casing, FMJ, .54 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: United Nations Ammo, Wolf WPA, Steel Casing, FMJ, .53 per round (From Last week: Unchanged (4Q, 2017))
.300 Winchester Magnum 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Prvi Partizan, Brass Casing, SP, .81 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Target Sports USA, Prvi Partizan, Brass Casing, SP, .85 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018))
.338 Lapua Magnum 250 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Selway Armory, Prvi Partizan, FMJ, Brass Casing, 2.50 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 200 rounds: Cabelas, Prvi Partizan, FMJ, Brass Casing, 2.80 per round (From Last Week: +.20 Each After Unchanged (3 Weeks))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2018)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammomen, Federal, RNL, Brass Casing, .04 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Winchester, RNL, Brass Casing, .04 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks))
#2
Badanov: Isn't it illegal to sell/transfer the completed and assembled ghost gun without registration or an FFL? Or would this be like the private sale of a firearm between two individuals? There's got to be some obscure governmental caveat covering this.
IMO we've got too much firearm regulation which doesn't really do squat. It seems that I can recall as a youngster that the local hardware store sold firearms and dynamite (for blasting stumps) with little to no regulation. There were virtually no shootings or bombings then.
#4
There were virtually no shootings or bombings then.
See the War on the Patriarchy. From the same people who brought you the destruction of the family within the inner city and the normalization of gangster utes.
#5
Badanov: Isn't it illegal to sell/transfer the completed and assembled ghost gun without registration or an FFL? Or would this be like the private sale of a firearm between two individuals? There's got to be some obscure governmental caveat covering this.
In some states, such a California, there is a registration requirement for newly machined lowers.
Federal law specifically says that transferring a gun assembled by an individual without registration illegal. Trying to remember, but you don't even have to transfer it for money for it to be illegal, but I may be wrong on that.
[IsraelTimes] UN envoy Danny Danon says Tehran secretively launched a Shahab-3 and Scud in January tests, with both missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... , Danny Danon, on Thursday accused Iran of violating a Security Council resolution by conducting in January two previously unreported tests on ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Continued on Page 49
[All Africa] On A stage in a park in Harare, Carl Joshua Ncube, perhaps the country's most famous comedian, is coaching a novice. Imitating her act, in which she pretends to deliver a baby, he mimes a doctor slapping its bottom.
"People love to hear about bottoms," he tells her. An hour or so later, he introduces her--and three other wannabe female comics, one of whom is his wife--to a big audience.
"In Zim-bob-we we only have one female comedian," he says, mock-solemnly.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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[Al Jazeera] At least 50 people have died in a boat accident in the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material... (DRC), according to officials.
The boat which had been transporting passengers and goods tipped over in the Mombovo River as it made its way from Monkoto to Mbadanka on Wednesday night.
"We found 49 bodies on Thursday and another one this morning," Tshuapa Vice-Governor Richard Mboyo Iluka was quoted as saying on Friday by AFP news agency.
It was still not clear how many people were on board or how many had survived, with search and rescue missions still under way.
"The causes of the sinking and the number of people missing are not yet known. The provincial government has already sent a team to find out more," Mboyo said.
He pointed out that the boat had been travelling by night and without light, which is illegal under government safety measures.
River transportation is common in the DRC where fewer roads means travellers often have no option but to rely on boats as a low-cost form of transportation.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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The question for this kind of story always is: mad, bad, or jihad? Around here the first assumption is jihad, and so the story was originally posted, after which we look for subsequent developments.
[KGW] PORTLAND, Ore. A hit-and-run driver hit three women on a sidewalk near the Portland State University campus Friday morning.
Police officers are searching the city for the suspect.
Two of the women suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash near Southwest 6th Avenue and Hall Street. The other victim's injuries were serious, but not life-threatening, according to Portland police. All three were rushed to Portland hospitals.
It's unclear if the crash was intentional. Latest update says it was intentional.
In a news conference, Sgt. Chris Burley with Portland police said a fourth person may have been injured in the crash and walked away from the area..
That person has not contacted police or medics.
Witnesses told KGW that the suspect drove a dark blue or purple SUV onto a sidewalk and hit at least three young women before driving away. Witnesses also said the suspect followed traffic rules, including stopping at red lights, while leaving the scene around 10 a.m.
Police did not confirm the vehicle description. Detectives are looking at surveillance video from the area in an effort to locate the suspect.
Based on witness reports, police began seeking a blue Mazda Tribute SUV soon after the hit-and-run. They found a vehicle fitting that description around 12:45 p.m. Friday and took an older white man into custody. They say there is no ongoing danger for the community.
The Mazda involved in the hit-and-run is registered to Greg Porter, a 61-year-old man with a Southeast Portland address, according to Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services.
The DMV said Porter updated his information on May 15.
Court records show Porter has no significant criminal history.
The address on Porter’s driver’s license is the same as a long-term care facility, Secora Health and Rehabilitation of Cascadia.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported the director of the facility said the man who police arrested was a patient who moved out on May 1. The news organization also reported the director said the suspect “suffered from delusions.” Calls by OPB to Secora were not immediately returned.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
05/26/2018
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#1
Is someone auditioning Arkanicide contractors?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/26/2018 8:15
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#2
When shootings occur, there is an immediate call by the left for draconian new restrictive gun laws. This doesn't occur when people are mowed down with cars.
Imagine how annoyed Pakistan is by this development, dear Reader.
[Khaama Press] The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... have reportedly reached to an agreement regarding the launch of the first joint project in Afghanistan.
Sources privy of the development in the Indian government have said that the leaders of the two countries agreed regarding the implementation of the project during a meeting in Sochi.
Sources told The Indian Express that Modi proposed the idea for the joint project in Afghanistan, which Putin readily accepted. "Unlike in Wuhan, where Xi had proposed the Afghanistan project, here Modi took the initiative with Russia," a source said.
No further details have been given regarding the project and the estimated date for the launch of the project in Afghanistan.
India has played a major role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban ...Arabic for students... regime and has invested over $2 billion in various reconstruction and infrastructure projects.
The construction of the major Salma Dam, the new Afghan parliament building, Zaranj-Delaram highway, and some other projects are among the key investments India has done so far in the country.
The government of India pledged a fresh aid package of $1 billion to support the reconstruction projects in Afghanistan during a visit by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. in late 2016.
Follow up to this story from yesterday. Although yesterday’s story was filed as Page 1:War on Terror, it now appears that Non-WoT is more appropriate.
Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) ‐ A local provincial official who was released by kidnappers in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire.... last week has arrived home safely in the wee hours of Friday.
"A plane which carries Nae’em al-Kaud, a member of Anbar provincial council, has landed safely at Baghdad international airport coming from Turkey early Friday," a source, who preferred to be unnamed, told Baghdad Today.
Al-Kaud had been kidnapped last week in Turkey along with one of his bodyguards before having been released Thursday.
Hamid al-Elwani, the chairman of Anbar province council, told Almaalomah news website that Kaud had been duped by a group pretending to be investors from a neighboring country, and lured him away towards an unknown destination.
The identity of his kidnappers has not been revealed yet.
Al-Kaud also serves as head of the security committee in Anbar provincial council.
[All Africa] In the past two weeks during the visit of the new Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Æthiopia to the Sudan, both governments have reportedly agreed "to extend support to what they termed as Eritrea ...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age... 's armed opposition groups in order to enable them to properly execute their objectives".
To this end, both governments "have agreed to provide these groups with material support inside their respective borders as well as to extend to them requisite facilities for enhancing their free and unhindered, cross-border, movements in the two countries".
To ensure the effective coordination of these operations, the Æthiopian side has appointed the Consul in its Embassy in Khartoum, a certain Mr. Burhan, who has also been acting as the principal supervisor of the operations of 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. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... i funded Jihadist groups. The Sudan has similarly appointed General Hamid al-Mustafa, as a counterpart for the Æthiopian appointee, for the coordination task.
This scheme, launched at a time of intense and pretentious PR campaigns, is in essence, neither new nor surprising. We hardly need to emphasize its futility.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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[ALMASDARNEWS] 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.... (ISIS) issued a statement on Friday that grabbed credit for the attack against the Syrian troops near the Iraqi border yesterday.
ISIS alleged through their official media wing that their rockets hit the Syrian military’s positions just after midnight in the Deir Ezzor countryside.
The Islamic State’s claim comes just 24 hours after the Syrian military accused the U.S. Coalition forces of bombing their positions in the Badiya al-Sham region of Deir Ezzor.
The U.S., in turn, denied any knowledge of this attack, despite accusations from Damascus.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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[Al Jazeera] Diplomats from the United States are being "treated badly" in Pakistain, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told a US congressional hearing, adding that the South Asian country would continue to receive diminishing US aid.
The remarks from Pompeo, who was testifying before the US house foreign affairs committee on Thursday, come as relations between the two erstwhile allies have continued to deteriorate.
"My officers, our state department officers, are being treated badly as well, folks working in the embassies and councils [and] in other places are not being treated well by the Pak government either," Pompeo said, during a debate on the US State Department's budget for the 2019 fiscal year.
Earlier this month, the United States issued new restrictions for Pak diplomats posted in the country, requiring them to remain within a 25-mile (40.2km) radius of the city to which they are posted.
The State Department said it was taking the measures on a reciprocal basis, as US diplomats posted in Pakistain face severe restrictions on their ability to travel within the country.
Pakistain says the restrictions are due to security concerns.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Pakistain, alleged that "the harassment faced by American and local US Embassy and Consulate personnel in Pakistain restricts their ability to carry out their mission.
"We have also documented numerous cases in which ordinary Pak citizens participating in our educational, cultural, and development programs have faced harassment by Pak government officials."
Pakistain, however, said it has not received specific complaints from the US.
"Diplomats hailing from all countries enjoy diplomatic privileges alike and are provided every possible support as per international laws and norms as well as reciprocity," said Muhammad Faisal, a front man for the Pak foreign ministry.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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#1
There's always the threat of cutting of the money. That might get their attention.
[KCNAWATCH.CO] The Nuclear Weapons Institute of the DPRK issued the following statement on Thursday:
True to the decision of the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Nuclear Weapons Institute of the DPRK held a ceremony for completely dismantling the northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK on May 24 Juche 107(2018), to ensure transparency of the discontinuance of nuclear test.
Dismantling the nuclear test ground was done in such a way as to make all the tunnels of the test ground collapse by kaboom and completely close the tunnel entrances, and at the same time, explode some guard facilities and observation posts on the site.
It has been confirmed that there were neither leakage of radioactive materials nor any adverse impact on the surrounding ecological environment.
Complete closure of the area surrounding the nuclear test ground will come on the heels of successive removal of all ground observation facilities, research institutes and structures of guard units, and withdrawal of staff concerned.
It has been confirmed by local and international news hounds that two tunnels at the nuclear test ground were ready for use for carrying out very powerful underground nuclear tests at any time.
The dismantling of the nuclear test ground conducted with high-level transparency has clearly attested once again to the proactive and peace-loving efforts of the DPRK government being made for ensuring peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and over the world.
The discontinuance of the nuclear test is an important process moving towards global nuclear disarmament, and we will continue to join hands with the world peace-loving people in building a nuclear-free peaceful world, a new independent world where the dream and ideal of humanity are realized.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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[Ynet] Although Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, has already admitted that 50 of the Paleostinians killed on the Gazoo border some two weeks ago were its own operatives, the ’massacre’ claims have become a consensus in progressive circles in Israel and worldwide. The result of this incitement campaign is a radicalization of Moslem communities across Europe.
When the "massacre" lie appears in the first act, the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... Human Rights Council will appear in the third act, to help Hamas.
Continued on Page 49
[FOXNEWS] A cop killer recently released from prison will get another added benefit of freedom: the right to vote.
Herman Bell, 70, who served 44 years in prison for the murder of two New York coppers in the 1970s, was granted parole last month by the state parole board. But a fresh decision by New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Sonny Cuomo to issue conditional pardons to more than 24,000 parolees means Bell can vote in the upcoming election.
"How could he do something like that? This is a convicted felon. He killed coppers in New York," Dianne Piagentini, the widow of one of the murdered officers, said on "Fox & Friends" Friday, noting Bell was "tried and convicted" and given "25 years to life" in prison.
Continued on Page 49
#1
The way i hear it this alleged person didn't just shoot the cops - but tortured them first and shot them multiple times - not for poor aim, but to prolong the suffering.
#3
Fredo's brother thinks he has national appeal for higher office
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/26/2018 7:33
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#4
Out of the shadows, a voice whispers "Willie Horton..."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/26/2018 8:12
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#5
The Dems hustling the parolee/convicted felon vote?--Anything to win elections. I can see the restoration of rights under certain restrictive conditions to further rehabilitation, but come on, this is so transparent as a vote-hustling scheme. What's next pushing for voting rights for the 8-9 year old group?
#6
If you are released from prison, you should have ALL your rights restored. If you aren't fit to ever have your rights restored to you, you should be executed or imprisoned for life. Allowing the government to regulate which rights people may keep after prison is just another way of extending the long arm of government.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/26/2018 10:13
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#9
...Interestingly, I looked up whether or not there were any Federal laws preventing felons (outside of Federal custody/supervision) from voting. The answer appears to be no. And even more interesting, at this point THIRTY EIGHT states allow some or total restoration of voting rights upon release. Two - ME and VT - allow voting while IN prison.
As much as I hate to acknowledge this, this appears to be one of those situations where the 10th Amendment rules:
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
And again, as much as I hate to acknowledge it, these states - as legislated by their duly elected officials - have every right to make this call. The only way to change this is a Federal law (which is unlikely at best to survive judicial review were it somehow passed) or activism at the state level to repeal or change current statutes. That's only slightly more likely, but it at least has a chance. In the meantime - and especially given the potential effect on future elections - the GOP had better remember Willie Horton, and PDQ at that.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/26/2018 11:31
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#10
Andrew's just making sure all his aides and Democrat Pols arrested in corruption probes can still support him
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/26/2018 11:52
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#11
Our POS former governor pardoned thousands of felons so they could vote.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
05/26/2018 18:53
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#12
It gnaws at me to say this, but Mike has a point in #9 - it's a states issue.
As a citizen of one of those states, I recognize the concept that serving time should clear the board. However, given the high rate of recidivism and the fact that being a felon shows a certain lack of judgement, I'd like to see a waiting period of a coupla three years before we restore voting rights.
[RADIOSHABELLE] Suspected al-Shabaab ... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... murderous Moslems invaded a mosque on the Kenya-Somalia border and preached to the residents for about five hours.
A Mandera police report revealed an unknown number of heavily armed murderous Moslems arrived at Komor Haile mosque on Thursday at about 10pm and left at around 2am.
A local resident who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity said the murderous Moslems went to the chief’s home but did not find him.
"They arrived when a sheik was delivering a sermon, snatched the microphone and ordered him to sit and listen. We were shocked," said the local.
The report at the cop shoppe said murderous Moslems forced worshippers to listen for hours to their tirade against the Kenya government, local civil servants and security officials.
"It is Ramadhan and we go to the mosques at night for prayers and teachings," said the local.
It is not clear if the murderous Moslems arrived on foot or used vehicles.
"If they had vehicles then they were left far and used them to carry what they looted in local shops," said the local.
Mandera County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka declined to comment on the raid.
Komor Haile is located between Koromey and Arabia in Mandera East Sub County.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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[IsraelTimes] Strategic Affairs Ministry lists more than a dozen NGOs it says violate EU's policy of opposing boycotts, provide support to terror groups
Israel called on the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... on Friday to halt funding to more than a dozen European and Paleostinian non-governmental organizations that it says promote boycotts against Israel, saying the financial support violates the EU’s stated policy that it opposes boycotts against the Jewish state.
Continued on Page 49
[Ynet] Ottoman Turkish police detained 51 suspected members of 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.... in Istanbul on Friday, anti-terrorist police said.
The suspects were believed to be planning to travel back to conflict zones in Syria, they said in a statement, adding that all those detained were foreign nationals.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/26/2018
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[Ynet] European powers have until May 31 to present Iran with a plan to offset the US pullout from its nuclear deal and Washington's renewed sanctions, a senior Iranian official said, with Tehran "weeks" away from deciding whether to quit the pact.
The 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers lifted international sanctions on Tehran. In return, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities, increasing the time it would need to produce an atom bomb if it chose to do so.
Since President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... withdrew the United States this month, calling the agreement deeply flawed, European states have been scrambling to ensure Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal.
[Ynet] Iraq's prime minister has ordered the creation of a high-powered commission to look into alleged irregularities in the parliamentary elections held May 12, the first sign that authorities are taking seriously complaints about the vote.
An official statement said an emergency Cabinet meeting held late on Thursday and chaired by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi named the country's anti-graft chief as the commission's leader. Assisting him will be the heads of five, top level security and oversight agencies.
There have been complaints of irregularities in the balloting earlier this month in which an electronic voting system was used for the first time.
A manual recount of votes in some areas has been called for, a request that has been rejected by the election commission as illegal.
[FoxNews] A man “opened fire” Thursday in an Oklahoma restaurant, leaving at least four people injured, before he was fatally shot by a bystander, police said.
The gunfire unfolded at about 6:30 p.m. local time at Louie's on the Lake in Oklahoma City, Fox 25 News reported.
The unidentified shooter entered the restaurant and fired his gun, Oklahoma City Police tweeted, who later added that four people had been injured.
The man, police said, "was apparently shot-to-death by an armed citizen" outside the restaurant and there was "no indication of terrorism."
In Thursday's shooting, officials said two people were hospitalized after getting shot and were expected to survive.
The suspect is the only confirmed fatality and a motive was not immediately clear, police said. Authorities did not reveal whether or not the gunman knew his victims.
[Ynet] Two homemade bombs targeted the headquarters of the Iraqi Communist Party, which is part of an alliance with holy manMoqtada Tater al-Sadr ... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah... that won Iraq's parliamentary election, a party official and security sources said.
The bombs were hurled into the garden of the building in Baghdad on Friday and did not cause any casualties, said Jassim Helfi, a senior member of the party.
He described the incident as a message from those opposed to the Sairoon bloc's calls for reforms in Iraq. Sairoon has promised to end corruption and foreign interference in Iraq's affairs.
#1
Bombing of the Iraqi Communist Party headquarters? I'm a bit conflicted. You have to have the rule of law in a society but then again it is the Communist headquarters. Here, I guess, it would be the DNC (oops, did I really say that?)
[AnNahar] Algeria blasted rights groups on Thursday for leading a "malicious campaign" against it, after NGOs accused the North African country of arresting sub-Saharan migrants colonists en masse and forcefully deporting them.
Algerian rights groups, activists and civil society members launched an advocacy push in mid-May entitled "We are all migrants colonists!"
Campaigners accused the state of being behind a "campaign of arbitrary arrests, followed by mass and collective expulsions" without due process.
Algeria's foreign ministry lashed out at the push, calling it "a malicious campaign... that wrongly accuses (the government) of failing to meet its international obligations" regarding migrants colonists.
"Algeria strongly rejects these serious accusations that aim... to undermine its image and its relations with its neighbors in the south," the ministry said.
It added authorities deport "illegal migrants colonists" with "full respect for human dignity and rights" and in close consultation with their home countries.
For several months, rights groups have denounced the mass arrests of sub-Saharan migrants colonists in Algeria, who are later "abandoned" in desert areas along the border with Niger or Mali, according to an October report by Amnesia Amnesty International.
On Tuesday, the U.N.'s human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. arm called on Algeria "to cease collective expulsions of migrants colonists particularly from sub-Saharan Africa."
The mass expulsion of thousands of migrants colonists, "without individual review (of their case) or due process, is deeply alarming and not in line with Algeria's obligations under international human rights law," it said.
Rights groups estimate nearly 100,000 sub-Saharan migrants colonists have entered Algeria in recent years.
[ALMASDARNEWS] Helicopters dropped leaflets over parts of northwest Deraa today, calling on turbans to lay down their arms and reconcile with the Syrian government, or, alternatively, continue to "gamble their lives" and face "inevitable death," according to circulating reports by pro-opposition military monitors.
"Your life and your children’s future is more important than your stubbornness. Dear combatant, for whom are you gambling your life? You have two choices: either your inevitable death or surrendering. The Syrian Army is advancing. Make up your mind before it is too late," a leaflet dropped over southern Syria on Friday reads.
Towns and villages in the northwest section of Deraa province are closest to government-controlled territory and the frontlines.
Government negotiators are currently focusing their efforts on negotiating reconciliation and transfer deals in these areas, to minimize and avoid civilian casualties, in addition to casualties in the ranks of government forces and krazed killer groups.
As the Syrian Army gains ground in the province and pushes south, government delegates will also attempt to agree similar arrangements in other parts of the governorate.
Militants control around half of the Syria-Jordan border, including a number of crossings. Jordan maintains a channel of communication with opposition forces in southern Syria and has provided them with support throughout the Syrian civil war.
Amman is likely to act as a mediator or guarantor in negotiations between Damascus and the krazed killers, working in conjunction with the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation to negotiate surrender packages.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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Diyala (Iraqinews.com) – Iraqi security forces arrested on Friday four people who are wanted on terror charges in Iraq’s Diyala, a military commander said.
Speaking to Alghad Press, Commander of Diyala Operations Maj. Gen. Mazhar al-Azzawi said, “Iraqi troops managed during a specific operation to arrest four people who are wanted on terror changes pursuant to article no. 4 of the anti-terrorism law.”
The arrests were made in different parts of Diyala, according to the commander.
He added that the terrorists were moved to a detention center for interrogation.
Iraq’s anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.
Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected Islamic State membership.
Diyala (Iraqinews.com) – Iraqi troops arrested on Friday a man who is standing behind several Islamic State-linked terrorist attacks against security men in Diyala province, a security committee was quoted as saying.
Speaking to SNG news agency, Sadeq al-Husseini, the head of the security committee of Diyala provincial council, said, “Troops of the interior ministry’s antiterrorism and intelligence departments managed to arrest a senior IS leader in al-Nada area, 45 km east of Baqubah, the capital city of Diyala.”
The arrestee is believed to be the mastermind of several IS-linked terrorist attacks against security bodies in the province, al-Husseini said.
The troops found an explosive belt, bombs and documents on supposed terrorist plans in his possession, he added.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/26/2018
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ISIS was so much quieter, back when it was being conquered by the Peshmerga...
Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) ‐ Eleven forces of Evil 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.... group were killed while trying to storm two villages in southwestern Kirkuk, ... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time... a security front man was quoted as saying.
"A joint force from Hawija police and the Tribal Mobilization Forces repelled an attack by Islamic State against Gharib and Hanaf villages in southwestern Kirkuk, managing to kill 11 attackers, including five jacket wallahs," Altaghier TV channel quoted Spokesman for the Iraqi Security Media Council Brig. Gen. Yehia Rasool as saying.
The festivities also left an Iraqi policeman and a member of the Tribal Mobilization Forces killed.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/26/2018
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Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi army warplanes killed seven 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.... forces of Evil after bombarding their locations in Anbar province, a paramilitary leader was quoted saying on Friday.
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. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... i al-Obaidi, a local mobilization troops commander in Anbar, told Almaalomah website that army aviation targeted an underground tunnel belonging to the group in Wadi Jaal in Hit, west of the province, leaving more than seven forces of Evil dead.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/26/2018
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[ToloNews] Some residents of Badakhshan province, in the north-east of Afghanistan, claimed US forces have conducted an Arclight airstrike in Faizabad City, the center of the province. The residents said the bomb landed close to civilian houses, police headquarters and governor’ office.
According to the residents, the airstrike was conducted on Thursday evening.
They said holy warriors did not have any activity in the area where the airstrike was carried out.
"We were leaving the mosque in the evening prayer when we heard a loud voice and I saw that people were shouting," said Gada Mohammad, a resident of Faizabad City.
"The airstrike damaged civilian houses. Why government and US forces do not target the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... in Wardooj (district)? Why they conducted the airstrike here?" asked Mirullah, a resident of Faizabad.
Badakhshan Provincial Council said foreign forces also conducted airstrikes in Kishm district to target Death Eaters.
"The Resolute Support aircrafts bombarded both Faizabad City and Kishm district’s center. One bomb landed close to Jolghar (area) which is near the provincial police headquarters and other landed close to center of Kishm district. No doubt, it created fear among residents of Faizabad City and Kishm district. It shows that there was no coordination," Abdullah Naji Nazari, member of Badakhshan Provincial Council, told TOLOnews.
Meanwhile, ...back at the revival hall, Buford bit the snake and Eloise began speaking in tongues... Badakhshan governor Ahmad Faisal Begzad said the Resolute Support officials have said the airstrike was carried out ’mistakenly’.
"The foreign forces should support our security forces but what happened yesterday (Thursday) was a mistake which has been admitted by them (foreign forces) in which they dropped bombs in the outskirts of Faizabad City and the outskirts of Kishm district’s center," he told TOLOnews.
"We asked them (foreign forces) to be accurate in their operations," he added.
[Khaama Press] A senior Taliban ...Arabic for students... leader in charge of the military commission of the group for the 14 districts of 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 was killed during an operation of the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security ...the Afghan national intel agency... (NDS).
The governor’s office in Nangarhar in a statement said the senior Taliban leader Gul Mohammmad was killed late on Thursday night in the vicinity of Surkh Rod district.
The statement further added that Gul Mohammad was also famous Sangari and was attempting to flee the area when he was rubbed out by the NDS Special Forces.
According to the provincial government, at least two comrades of Sangari were placed in durance vile Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! by the NDS Special Forces during the operation.
Sangari had visited Surkh Rod to coordinate the supply of weapons, explosives, and munitions for the future attacks, the statement said, adding that he was mainly looking to carry out attacks in Jalalabad city.
Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces in East of Afghanistan but the anti-government armed bully boyz including Taliban gunnies have recently increased their insurgency activities in this province.
[Khaama Press] The US Military in Afghanistan says a high-level meeting of the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... leaders was targeted with M142 missile in southern Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... province of Afghanistan.
"Task Force-Southwest, under U.S. Forces-Afghanistan authorities, confirmed a ground-based rocket artillery strike using the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, against a command and control node for high-level Taliban leaders in Musa Qala district, May 24," the US Forces in Afghanistan said in a statement.
The statement further added that the structure was a known meeting location for prominent Taliban leaders, where they planned and facilitated attacks against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, who are supporting election security in the area.
"One way we support our Afghan partners is with kinetic strikes so that they are able to maintain the offensive," said U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson, Task Force-Southwest commander. "Strikes like this one not only degrade Taliban operations, but also give our partners the ability to maintain continuous pressure against a weakened enemy."
Task Force-Southwest deployed to Helmand Province, April 2017, to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and 505th Zone Afghan National Police.
Established in 2009, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan is a U.S.-led mission that directs and enables U.S. military operations in support of Resolute Support, NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... ’s train, advise and assist mission. Its purpose is to sustain campaign momentum in Afghanistan. It is also tasked with executing responsibilities and oversight for manpower, material and logistics, basing and operational movement in the country, supporting a responsible economic transition that encourages a resilient Afghan economy.
#1
So when we reach out to a meeting like this, we knew it was happening; when, where, who. So, how? Must be driving the Taliban nuts trying to figure out how they're getting busted. Somebody inside? Maybe a lot of guys inside? Somebody got chipped and didn't know it? When he's boomed, we need another. How?
Hope it keeps them busy around HQ.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
05/26/2018 6:07
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#2
My guess wud be cellie. But that is only a guess.
[All Africa] The Kenya Red Thingy Society (KRCS) says the number of deaths resulting from the ongoing heavy rains has risen to slightly over 200.
Secretary General Abbas Gullet revealed that those displaced are about 300,000 and 22 counties have been placed under floods watch.
"Those who have died as a result of the raging floods are slightly over 200 and many more have been displaced. We are continuing to assist the affected families and we will go on doing so until the rains cease," he stated.
Gullet told Capital FM News that some of the affected counties include Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, West-Pokot, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Trans-Nzoia, Nakuru and Bomet.
He stated that roads have been cut off in Garissa, Isiolo, Kisumu and Wajir counties, among others.
The organization has reported that Tana River and Kilifi counties are among the worst hit, with 115 camps for the displaced.
The Kenya Meteorological Services said the rains are expected to continue until the end of May, when up to 40 counties are likely to be affected.
Already, cases of cholera have been reported in Kiambu and Kerio-Valley.
A number of people have been killed by landslides in Murang'a, where efforts to relocate residents have not borne fruit, as some families in the danger zones choose to stay put.
Kiriko village in Kahuro has been listed among the landslide prone areas in the past 10 years.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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#1
Much fewer than Katrina.
Guess not as many chose to live below water level.
[All Africa] A Sudanese teen sentenced to death after killing her husband as he tried to rape her has appealed the ruling amid growing support by celebrities and on social media.
Lawyers defending 19-year-old Noura Hussein said they filed the appeal on Thursday, according to U.S. rights group Equality Now, which has worked with the Khartoum-based Seema Foundation to bring attention to the case.
Hussein faces death by hanging after a Sharia court, which follows Islamic religious laws, found her guilty of premeditated murder for stabbing her husband as he tried to rape her in April. It sentenced her to death earlier this month.
The case has drawn condemnation by the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... and international rights groups who have said Hussein is a victim of child marriage and acted in self-defense.
"Let it be known here today that Noura was a victim of child marriage, forced marriage, rape and denial of justice," said a statement by Hussein's defense team passed on to Equality Now.
"Noura and indeed the women and girls of Sudan have too often been treated as chattels to be traded and given away as though they are property and as though they have no rights," it said.
After her marriage ceremony, Hussein refused to have sex with her husband who raped her as three of his male relatives restrained her.
A day later, as he attempted to rape her again and she struggled to stop him, she stabbed and killed him.
Hussein had a 15-day period to appeal following her sentencing on May 10.
Celebrities from model Naomi Campbell to actresses Emma Watson and Mira Sorvino have promoted an online campaign to rescue the teenager, adopting the hashtag #JusticeForNoura in Twitter messages of support.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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[ALMASDARNEWS] The situation in northern Latakia has remained very tense after several hours of sporadic missile and artillery strikes between the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Ottoman Turkish-backed rebels.
Earlier today, a Ottoman Turkish military convoy entered the northern countryside of the Latakia Governorate, which is a clear violation of the Astana peace agreement.
The Ottoman Turkish troops reportedly positioned themselves in the northern part of the Jabal al-Akrad region, prompting the Syrian military to fire several warning shots towards the rebel forces.
It is still not clear why the Ottoman Turkish military is in northern Latakia; however, a source from the Syrian Army believes they are preparing to setup their 13th observation point.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Over 100 Paleostinians have been injured in Gazoo today as Israeli Snipers yet again shoot at Paleostinian demonstrators, prior to this another man died of his previously sustained gun-shot wounds.
The Spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gazoo, Ashraf al-Qadra, announced that 109 have been confirmed injured as Israeli Snipers once again opened fire upon a small group of peaceful Paleostinian demonstrators.
Prior to the mass shooting and firing of internationally banned tear-gas at by Israeli military forces, the Ministry of Health in Gazoo also announced the 67th Paleostinian to have died from their gunshot wounds sustained on the 14th of May Massacre. Yasser Sami Habib, 24 years of age, died today after being treated at the "Mar Youssef Hospital" in Jerusalem, from his sustained gunshot wounds whilst demonstrating in the ’Great Return March’ to the East of al-Shujayeh neighborhood.
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#1
internationally banned tear-gas
Uh huh.
Shoot em if ya got em
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/26/2018 7:39
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#2
"One Death and 109 Palestinians injured by Israeli Sniper fire"
Multiple Choice test:
a) Israeli snipers are really bad
b) Israeli snipers weren't really trying
c) Israili snipers hit what they aim at
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Belgian military conducted two secret missions in Syria in 2016, the VRT reported on Friday. But don't tell nobody, okay? They're secret.
According to the VRT report, the Belgian military conducted two "very short reconnaissance missions, something like one day long." Bet that expended their military budget for a year...
These military missions were reportedly carried out in the areas controlled by the predominately Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). The only people in Syria they didn't expect to stab them in the back...
The missions were meant to create contacts with the YPG in Syria so that they could monitor potential Belgian 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.... (ISIS) members operating inside the country. The old ear tag game...
The VRT also reported that it was the former head of SGRS, Gen. Eddy Testlemans, who came up with the initiative, and that Steven Vandeput was not to be involved. Testlemans reportedly only obtained approval for the operation from the National Security Council, in encrypted form, after it was completed. This procedure allowed everyone to be covered politically. That was the important thing, natch...
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[ALMASDARNEWS] [ALMASDARNEWS] The Belgian military conducted two secret missions in Syria in 2016, the VRT reported on Friday.
According to the VRT report, the Belgian military conducted two "very short reconnaissance missions, something like one day long."
These military missions were reportedly carried out in the areas controlled by the predominately Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The missions were meant to create contacts with the YPG in Syria so that they could monitor potential Belgian 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.... (ISIS) members operating inside the country.
The VRT also reported that it was the former head of SGRS, Gen. Eddy Testlemans, who came up with the initiative, and that Steven Vandeput was not to be involved.
Testlemans reportedly only obtained approval for the operation from the National Security Council, in encrypted form, after it was completed. This procedure allowed everyone to be covered politically.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[Al Jazeera] Pyongyang has said it is still willing to talk to the US government, despite President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... 's decision to cancel his highly anticipated meeting with North Korean leader Kim Pudge Jong-un ...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished... next month.
In a statement published on Friday by state-run Korean Central News Agency, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan said North Korea is "intent to sit with the US side to solve [the] problem regardless of way at any time".
"We remain unchanged in our goal and will to do everything we could for peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and humankind, and we, broad-minded and open all the time, have the willingness to offer the US side time and opportunity," he said.
But he also added that the cancellation of the summit, originally for June 12 in Singapore, made Pyongyang "think over if we were truly right to have made efforts for it and to have opted for the new path".
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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#1
It's bad when Al Jazeera reads like the NYTs or WAPO or sounds like the talking heads on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and ABC.
[Al Jazeera] Israel's Supreme Court has unanimously rejected two petitions brought by human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... groups demanding Israel's army to stop using snipers and live ammunition against unarmed Paleostinian protests in the Gazoo Strip.
The panel of three justices on Thursday sided with the Israeli military, which argued that the protesters constituted a real danger to Israeli soldiers and citizens.
Israel maintains its forces use of live fire is in line with both domestic and international law, arguing the demonstrations are part of the country's conflict with Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,, which governs the Gazoo Strip.
The court's ruling gave Israel "a green light to its continued use of snipers and live fire against Paleostinian protesters", Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, which filed one of the petitions, said in a statement on Friday.
"The Israeli Supreme Court completely ignored the broad factual basis presented to it by the petitioners, which includes multiple testimonies of maimed and reports of international organizations involved in documenting the killing and wounding of unarmed protesters in Gazoo".
The human rights groups said the court "refused to watch video clips documenting Israeli shootings of demonstrators and, rather than actually examining the case, fully accepted the claims presented to it by the state.
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05/26/2018
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[ALMASDARNEWS] At least four members of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham were killed along the Idlib Highway, today, pro-opposition activists reported via social media.
According to the reports, the four Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham fighters were traveling down the Ma’arat Masreen-Idlib Highway this afternoon, when a group of unknown assailants began opening fire on their vehicle.
All four HTS forces of Evil were killed during the attack, including a jihadist field commander that was sitting in the backseat of the vehicle.
Prior to this ambush, HTS uncovered an 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.... (ISIS) sleeper cell inside of Idlib city; this group was reportedly responsible for several attacks against the rebel forces.
So they were actually quite wide awake...
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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Top|| File under: al-Nusra
[Al Jazeera] The Netherlands and Australia have formally accused Russia of being responsible for the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet in 2014 that killed 298 people.
The move on Friday came a day after international Sherlocks concluded that the missile which smashed into the flight MH17 came from a Russian military brigade in Kursk.
At the time of the incident on July 17, 2014, pro-Russian separatists were fighting Ukrainian government forces in the region.
The Boeing 777 broke apart in midair, flinging wreckage over several kilometres of fields in rebel-held territory.
The two countries "hold Russia responsible for its part in the downing" of the Malaysia Airlines flight, the Dutch government said in a statement on Friday.
[ToloNews] An MP from Ghazni said festivities have reached to the outskirts of the provincial center and that a number of main districts of the province are under serious security threats by krazed killers.
The Taliban are reportedly generally the culprits in Ghazni province.
He said the threats to Ghazni City increased after Khwaja Omari district fell to krazed killers. The district is 10 kilometers away from Ghazni City.
Khwaja Omari was retaken by security forces after a while, but the MP said the district is still faced with high security threats.
"Ghazni City is on the verge of collapse," said Arif Rahmani, an MP from Ghazni. "Khwaja Omari, Deh Yak, Zana Khan, Waghiz and Jaghatu districts are falling to the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... and are retaken by security forces every day. These (districts) are parts of Ghazni City. We are faced with a chaos."
"Militant groups attacked some districts, but were pushed back by government forces. Two security force members were maimed in the fighting so far," Ghazni Police Chief Rohullah Mansoori said.
The Ministry of Defense however said they have cleared some parts of Ghazni of bad boys.
"Government forces have made good progresses in Ghazni," Defense Ministry front man Mohammad Radmanish said.
Ghazni has 18 districts, of which Malistan, Jaghori and Nawor districts are relatively secure and the rest are often witnessing heavy festivities between government forces and the Taliban.
#2
Easy enough to mistakenly use det cord instead of electrical wire for lighting the tunnels. Get everybody out, turn on the lights and BOOM, an accident.
#3
I guess the next Godzilla movie he'll win as the apparatchiks demand filings and process under the endangered species act before doing anything to harm it.
#4
Color me incredulous. The drug-smugglers dug the tunnels without checking U.S. governmental laws/regulation and now they can't be restored to the original state by filling them in. Do we have crazys running the Deep-State asylum?
[IsraelTimes] Army says 1,600 Gazooks hurl rocks, burn tires in weekly festivities; 87,000 West Bank Paleostinians come to Jerusalem for Ramadan prayers.
An bomb was thrown Friday at Israeli troops along the Gazoo border in the Strip’s north, the army said, as Paleostinians took part in weekly festivities near the security fence.
The army said no soldiers were maimed by the bomb.
It said some 1,600 Paleostinians took part in riots at two locations along the border, where they threw rocks and burned tires. Numerous attempts were made to damage security infrastructure, the army said.
Troops used riot dispersal means and live fire in accordance with IDF regulations, it added.
Gazoo’s Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",-run health ministry said 86 people were maimed. Most were treated for tear gas inhalation while some sustained gunshot wounds.
Also during the afternoon, several incendiary kites were flown into Israel from the Paleostinian coastal enclave, sparking fires. Strong winds hampered efforts to douse the blazes, though all were eventually brought under control.
Friday’s festivities were part of the weekly "March of Return" protests that began on March 30. Israel says they are orchestrated by the Hamas terror group, which rules Gazoo, and used as cover for attempted terror attacks and breaches of the border fence.
The violent demonstrations were meant to end on May 15, but Hamas leaders have said they want them to continue. Turnout at the past two weeks’ festivities has been far smaller than previous weeks.
Earlier, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gazoo said a Paleostinian man shot in recent festivities died.
Yasser Habib, 24, was maimed several days ago east of Gazoo City, the ministry said. It did not give details of exactly when he was shot.
According to the ministry’s figures, 115 Paleostinians have died since the start of the weekly protests in March, which reached their peak on May 14 when 61 people died.
Hamas acknowledged 50 of those killed that day were its members, while Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... said three of those killed belonged to the terror group.
Separately Friday, the army said an estimated 87,000 Paleostinians from the West Bank travelled to Jerusalem for Ramadan prayers.
It also said 8,000 Paleostinians prayed at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
"IDF troops are deployed in reinforced numbers and are operating along with the Shin Bet, Civil Administration, Border Police and Israel Police in order to allow the Ramadan prayers, as well defending communities and roads and preserving order and security in the area," the army said.
[ALMASDARNEWS] Ottoman Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hami Aksoy has warned that Ankara "will have to respond" to Washington’s possible suspension of delivery of the F-35 strike fighters to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund.... , according to the Hurriyet Daily News newspaper.
Aksoy slammed a recent US bill endorsed by "some US Senators" which specifically stipulates steps to keep Ankara from buying the F-35 warplanes, something that Aksoy said is "against the spirit of our alliance with the US."
"In this bill, the F-35’s shipment is attributed to giving up the S-400 purchase. These are different issues. And one should not put apples and pears in the same basket. This is not a program managed solely by the US. It is a multinational program and we expect everybody to fulfill their obligations," he said, stressing Ankara’s adherence to the program.
He recalled that Turkey’s position on the S-400 is clear and that "work is already underway to provide ourselves with a missile defense system."
Aksoy pointed out that it’s only natural that Ankara had decided to purchase the S-400 system given that Turkey "could not get similar systems Europe ...also known as Moslem Lebensraum... and the US."
His remarks come after the US House of Representatives called for an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in order to require the Pentagon to report on the status of Ankara-Washington ties within 60 days. The new bill stipulates halting foreign arms sales to Ankara over its intention to buy Russia’s S-400 systems.
In late April, the Assistant Secretary of State, Wess Mitchell, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Turkey could face US sanctions if it goes ahead with plans to purchase S-400 missile defense systems from Russia and that it could also affect Ankara’s participation in the F-35 program.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2018
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Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
#1
Well, how else are they gonna build S400 RCS detection signatures for the F35?
#2
...Coulda sworn Turkey had Patriot, but apparently not - they're still running HAWK and Nike-Hercules(!). Apparently the Spanish have a battery of Patriots there from when NATO sent some to defend against potential Syrian SSM strikes. Trying to find out though why they never bought Patriot in the first place.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/26/2018 10:22
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#3
The Turks originally chose a Chinese S-300 clone over Patriot to upgrade their ADS. The deal fell through.
[Khaama Press] The Pak Ambassador to Afghanistan Zahid Nasrullah Khan has confirmed that the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... group has good contacts with the regional countries as he admits that Pakistain has limited influence over the group.
...for a given value of limited that means sometimes the Taliban do exactly as they are told, while other times they are obedient to general ISI principles.
Khaaaan! made the remarks during an interview with The Diplomat and in response to a question regarding President Ghani’s offer to Taliban for peace and the influence of Pakistain to encourage the group for participation in peace talks.
"We have communicated this to the international community, including the U.S., that one thing needs to be understood: the Afghan character is very independent. Even when the Soviets withdrew in 1989, and we had a lot of influence with the mujahideen because we stood with them in that proxy war, they never listened to us and they were never able to reach any agreement. Then, the second instance was when Mullah Mohammad Blinky Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality. Died of an unspecified ailment in a Pak hospital... was in power and 9/11 happened. Pakistain was the [only] country that was recognizing that government, even the UAE and 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... had stepped back, but he never listened to us," the Pak Ambassador said.
"So yes, we have influence, but limited influence. You cannot expect Pakistain to guarantee that they will listen to us ‐ they may not listen to us. And also within the regional environment there are now also other countries with which Taliban have good contacts, their leadership especially," he added.
This comes as the Afghan and US officials have long been insisting that the Taliban receives support from Russia and Iran apart from Pakistain.
Oh? Do tell.
Following a coordinated Taliban attack on Farah city, the Afghan defense minister said on Saturday that the recent violence in Farah province has links with the management of the water resources, apparently pointing towards Iran’s concerns regarding the management of water resources flowing from Afghanistan.
The US Department of Defense or Pentagon officials had earlier said that they are not ruling out the involvement of Iran in a major offensive carried out by the Talibs in western Farah city of Afghanistan.
An interesting comment, which no doubt will result in the Mad Mullahs’ lives becoming a bit more interesting in future.
"I don’t think you can ever rule out how much Iran interferes throughout this region. Iran remains the most destabilizing factor in the Middle East. So no, I don’t think you can ever rule out their mischief," a spokesperson for Pentagon Dana White said.
[ToloNoews] A commander of public uprising forces and a close aide to Abdul Rashid Dostum ...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier... , the First Vice President, on Friday warned Faryab local officials over the fate of his fighters who are under siege by holy warriors in the province.
He made the remarks at a joint meeting with MPs, members of provincial council, political parties and civil society from Faryab.
The commander, Nizamuddin Qaisari, warned that if his forces are not rescued, he will "kill" local officials, police and army commanders stationed in Faryab.
Public uprising forces under Qaisari’s command and dozens of other soldiers are under siege by the Taliban ...Arabic for students... in Shirin Tagab and Khawja Sabz Posh districts for past few days, an MP said.
"If one of them is killed, I will kill you all by my own hands.. If Shirin Tagab falls tonight (Friday), I will arrest you all. The president should hear it. The interior minister and other officials should hear what I say," Qaisari said.
"When you cannot rescue your forces, you must admit to the people that government has made a deal (with holy warriors)," Bashir, a resident of Faryab, said.
Some MPs at the event said festivities have reached close to Maimana City, the center of Faryab, adding that the situation requires a serious attention by government.
"Insecurity threatens Shirin Tagab, Dawlat Abad and Khawja Sabz Posh districts. The threats are visible also in the center of Belchiragh and Garzivan districts. Unfortunately, the wave of threats has reached to Qaramqol and Andkhoy districts," said Bashir Ahmad Tahyanj, an MP from Faryab.
Gen. Momin Andar, Commander the First Regiment of 209 Shahin Military Corps, meanwhile said security threats in Faryab are worrying.
"The situation of Shirin Tagab and Khawja Sabz Posh districts is worse. We have asked commandos to be deployed there," said Andar.
The Defense Ministry however said reinforcements have been sent and have supported well government forces in the province.
"Reinforcements have been sent there (to Faryab) and have supported government forces in the province. Even Shirin Tagab and Khawja Sabz Posh districts have been defended very well," Defense Ministry front man Mohammad Radmanish said.
Herewith the details completely unmentioned in this story from yesterday.
[AnNahar] Iraq announced Friday it had carried out air strikes against 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 in Syria, the third cross border aerial operation inside a month in its war-torn neighbor.
"Iraqi F-16 planes carried out (Thursday) morning raids against the headquarters of IS terrorist gang leaders and an explosives depot occupied by bandidosmurderous Moslems in Syria's Hajin region," a statement by Iraq's operations command said.
A video released with the text shows a strike on a huge building surrounded by palm trees and a wall.
The images show the wall and the building collapsing simultaneously.
Several strikes have been carried out by Iraq or the international coalition since Thursday against the center of Hajin, the last major area held by IS in Syria, said the Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.
At least 65 senior IS leaders live in Hajin, the Observatory's director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
Hajin is in Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria, about 50 kilometers (just over 30 miles) from Iraq's border.
It has been surrounded since the end of 2017 by the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the United States and La Belle France, Abdel Rahman said.
Several hundred prisoners are still held by the jihadists in Hajin, he added.
Since April, Iraq's air force has carried out several air strikes on IS-held Syrian territory close to the border between the two countries.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/26/2018
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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.
President Trump on Saturday morning tweeted that Venezuela is releasing an American hostage.
[ToloNews] The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in a report released on Thursday says the US government’s 17-year effort to stabilize parts of war-torn Afghanistan has mostly failed.
...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka 
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. ..
...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. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
[RADIOSHABELLE] Suspected a
[Ynet] European powers have until May 31 to present Iran with a plan to offset the US pullout from its nuclear deal and Washington's renewed sanctions, a senior Iranian official said, with Tehran "weeks" away from deciding whether to quit the pact.
Moqtada 
[All Africa] The Kenya 
[ALMASDARNEWS] Over 100 Paleostinians have been injured in 
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Belgian military conducted two secret missions in Syria in 2016, the VRT reported on Friday.
North Korea
...also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title 
...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier...
