[BBC] Many injuries have been reported in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey's NTV said. The report said around 20 to 30 people may have been hurt in the attack, which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 1:30 a.m. local time.
NTV reported two attackers were involved, and CNN Turk reported they were dressed in Santa costumes. Unconfirmed reports say one attacker may still be inside. There were reportedly several hundred people in the nightclub at the time.
[EXPRESS.CO.UK] A TWIN kaboom in Baghdad has killed at least 28 people and injured more than 50 people in a suspected terror attack.
Police and medics said 54 people were maimed in the kaboom, which killed at least 28 people at a busy market in central Baghdad, Iraq.
The blast is said to have occured in the Iraqi capital at the Sinak Market in the al-Rasheed district.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but 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.... regularly targets civilians in the Iraqi capital.
Police said the blasts went off near car spare parts shops in Sinak during the morning rush.
One of the kabooms was triggered by a jacket wallah, the other was a planted explosive, an Interior Ministry official said.
Civilians picked through the debris of the kabooms including a food cart torn apart by the blast as medics carried off the casualties.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
12:25 ||
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[BOSTON HERALD] What a pathetic piece of work this Kerry is. Always has been. But what’s the mid- or long-term upside to rolling over for these bloodthirsty Third World savages? Remember, this is a guy who said he could, uh, sort of understand why the Muslim butchers of the Charlie Hebdo magazine staff in Paris had decided to go Gestapo.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan used to call throwing in with the vermin at the United Nations “joining the jackals.”
Gigolo John has joined the jackals, big time. And as he stares at himself in the mirror this morning, he’s thinking … if I can’t get the Nobel, maybe I can at least score a Profiles in Courage award. After all, my initials are JFK. Will James Taylor croon as Caroline hands me the plaque?
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
12:14 ||
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#1
I won't be sorry to see Kerry go, he is the giver of interminable, long-winded, overly repetitious, stem-winder speeches and the co-author of treaties that sell out the U.S.
#3
Oh, he'll try to dance back onto the stage with the rest of the butt buddies of the left, but the stage is shrinking. There might not be enough room on it for him.
[WJACTV] The Pennsylvania State Police have confirmed that Jason Robison, the man accused of shooting Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Landon Weaver, is dead. Stay with 6News on this developing story.
UPDATE: Trooper David McGarvey tells us the house on Bakers Hollow Road that police have been searching is still an active scene, and has not been cleared as of 9:50 a.m. Saturday morning.
District Attorney David Smith has also confirmed a large police presence in the area, but says he could not say more on the subject.
"I can't say the public shouldn't be concerned," said Smith. He did reiterate to 6News police are actively searching for the suspect.
A witness contacted our Dillon Richards, texting that police were lined up outside her driveway this morning. Her car was searched when she left for work.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
12:08 ||
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[The National Interest] Nuclear-powered submarines have traditionally held a decisive edge in endurance, stealth and speed over cheaper diesel submarines. However, new Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology has significantly narrowed the performance gap on a new generation of submarines that cost a fraction of the price of a nuclear-powered boat.
A conventional submarine’s diesel engine generates electricity which can be used to drive the propeller and power its systems. The problem is that such a combustion engine is inherently quite noisy and runs on air--a commodity in limited supply on an underwater vehicle. Thus, diesel-powered submarines must surface frequently to recharge their batteries.
The first nuclear-powered submarines were brought into service in the 1950s. Nuclear reactors are quieter, don’t consume air, and produce greater power output, allowing nuclear submarines to remain submerged for months instead of days while traveling at higher speeds under water.
These advantages led the U.S. Navy to phase out its diesel boats in favor of an all-nuclear powered submarine fleet. However, most other navies have retained at least some diesel submarines because of their much lower cost and complexity.
In the 1990s, submarines powered by Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology entered operational use. Though the concept dated back to the 19th century and had been tested in a few prototype vessels, it was left to Sweden to deploy the first operational AIP-powered submarine, the Gotland-class, which proved to be stealthy and relatively long enduring. The 60-meter long Gotlands are powered by a Stirling-cycle engine, a heat engine consuming a combination of liquid oxygen and diesel fuel.
Since then, AIP powered-submarines have proliferated across the world using three different types of engines, with nearly 60 operational today in fifteen countries. Around fifty more are on order or being constructed.
#2
Other pertinent questions:
So they carry diesel fuel, how much?
So their range and speed is how little?
So they release their exhaust stream as a bubble trail that can be heard on passive sonar how far away?
The take away is they're functionally diesel electrics, suitable for shallow, coastal work, not deep dive or far transit.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/31/2016 12:04
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#3
Ed's comments and questions at #2 are why I enjoy the Burg dialogue. There is always something to be learned.
#5
The key phrase in the article is "relatively long enduring". Relative to what? Ordinary diesel submarines? The only limitation on a nuclear sub is food supplies. They can go out and stay submerged for months, not days or weeks. And they can go faster submerged than surfaced.
I'm not saying that AIP subs are useless or not a threat. I just don't think they make nuclear subs "obsolete".
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/31/2016 14:28
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#6
But "journalists" love writing "American (fill in the blank) obsolete..."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/31/2016 19:45
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[Salon] HELSINKI - A children’s event at the National Opera has kicked off a year of festivities in Finland to celebrate 100 years of independence from its huge eastern neighbor, Russia.
Celebrations will culminate Dec. 6, the day Finnish Parliament declared independence in 1917.
Saturday’s events also include a concert paired with state-of-the-art New Year’s Eve fireworks over Helsinki, the capital.
Throughout 2017 there will be hundreds of events in this Nordic nation of 5.5 million -- from films, dance parties and environment-related events to concerts and activities linked to Finland’s renowned sauna tradition.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia with which Finns share a 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border, shared his good wishes Friday in a phone conversation with his Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto.
#1
FINLAND: Paid in Full
Time - Monday, Sept. 29, 1952
Finland's last "golden schooner" slid into Russian waters last week. Named for the bright brass and copper alloy used for its fittings, the schooner meant gold for Russia in another sense: it was the final payment of doughty Finland's $570 million reparations debt to Russia. Finland thus lived up to a reputation established as the only World War I debtor nation which punctually made its payments to the U.S.
All the #FakeNews that's fit to print
A story published by The Washington Post Friday claims Russia hacked the electrical grid in Vermont.
CNN reported it, too, and we captured it here. Just our usual Rantburg service.
This caused hysteria on social media but has been denied by a spokesman for a Vermont utility company.
The Post story was titled, "Russian hackers penetrated U.S. electricity grid through a utility in Vermont, officials say."
The story said, "A code associated with the Russian hacking operation dubbed Grizzly Steppe by the Obama administration has been detected within the system of a Vermont utility, according to U.S. officials."
The Post published the story before being able to get comment from the two utility companies in Vermont.
"The scoop! Toujours le scoop! Good journalistic practice as taught at Columbia be damned if it interferes!!"
The Burlington Electric Department would end up putting out a statement showing the premise of The Washington Post story as being untrue.
Oh dear. So much for being the other newspaper of record.
"Last night, U.S. utilities were alerted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of a malware code used in Grizzly Steppe, the name DHS has applied to a Russian campaign linked to recent hacks," a spokesman for the Burlington Electric Department said. "We acted quickly to scan all computers in our system for the malware signature. We detected the malware in a single Burlington Electric Department laptop not connected to our organization's grid systems." RussianPr0n, likely
The Vermont Public Service Commissioner Christopher Recchia told The Burlington Free Press, "The grid is not in danger."
However, this false Washington Post story about a Russian intrusion into the American electrical grid has caused panic among journalists. "journalists"
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016
09:40 ||
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This isn't surprising if you followed the MSM's reporting on Iraq. On a scale of 1 to 100 (100 being best), they deserved about a 5.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
12/31/2016 10:55
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WaPo currently has their kneejerk alarm set for "Russia" and "hack", and the system went off by itself.
A story about meatcutters hurrying through work, "rushing and hacking" could easily be the headline tomorrow.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/31/2016 12:10
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#3
Guys who visit pr0n sites get STDs on their computers.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/31/2016 12:47
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I'd like to see the evidence of Russian hacking that some in the current administration claim was done.
[Wapo] Eight years ago, we learned that Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, would move into the White House with the first family to help with the care of her two young granddaughters. Since then, we have heard little about her and even less from her. Although she has kept a low profile, we can assume she has provided the stability for the Obama girls that has allowed the first couple to do the nation’s business without the push/pull between work and family that so many parents experience.
Grandparents at every socioeconomic level in modern American society step up to nurture their grandchildren. From the neediest to the most powerful in the nation, many adults depend on help from their parents in raising their children. These grandparents deserve our recognition. The Obamas are widely praised as a model family. Surely, Grandma has mattered. So, to quote Simon & Garfunkel: "Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson."
#3
she also freeloaded on vacations on the taxpayers' dime $85 Million
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016 10:24
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I don't mind her staying with her family. My mother in law has been living with us for several years now. It's either that or a nursing home and the latter is NOT going to happen.
We have more important things to go after Champ about.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2016 12:18
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A most honorable and noble commitment Dr., and one you obviously fund. My object to Lady Marian is the precedent and probable taxpayer funding.
#7
and Aunt Zeituni. It's the public housing and taxpayer support I get rubbed wrong about
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016 13:13
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I'm not sure if it's real or fake news, but I heard that Ms. Robinson will get a large pension from the government for her "work" of looking after her grandchildren.
I have no problem with her living at the White House - they probably have room to spare. (Clintons used to rent out the Lincoln Bedroom.) However, if she is getting a pension, it implies that she was getting paid to watch her grandkids, which goes beyond just free room and board.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/31/2016 14:38
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#9
Uncle whats-its-name from Boston could have done the same thing, if sober.
That would be Uncle Omar; he did get his job back at that Framingham liquor store after all that hubbub.
Jack London’s famous short story, "To Build A Fire," a man freezes to death because he underestimates the cold in America’s far north and cannot build a proper fire. The unnamed man--a chechaquo, what Alaska natives call newcomers--is accompanied by a wolf-dog that knows the danger of the cold and is wholly indifferent to the fate of the man. "This man did not know cold. Possibly, all the generations of his ancestry had been ignorant of cold, of real cold, of cold 107 degrees below freezing point. But the dog knew; all its ancestry knew, and it had inherited the knowledge." Sorry, Alaska Paul, the EPA says you have to freeze.
If only the bureaucrats in Washington DC knew what the wolf-dog knew. But alas, now comes the federal government to tell the inhabitants of Alaska’s interior that, really, they should not be building fires to keep themselves warm during the winter. The New York Times reports the Environmental Protection Agency could soon declare the Alaskan cities of Fairbanks and North Pole, which have a combined population of about 100,000, in "serious" noncompliance of the Clean Air Act early next year.
Like most people in Alaska, the residents of those frozen cities are burning wood to keep themselves warm this winter. Smoke from wood-burning stoves increases small-particle pollution, which settles in low-lying areas and can be breathed in. The EPA thinks this is a big problem. Eight years ago, the agency ruled that wide swaths of the most densely populated parts of the region were in "non-attainment" of federal air quality standards. Just another power grab. Gotta keep the Natives under control.
That prompted state and local authorities to look for ways to cut down on pollution from wood-burning stoves, including the possibility of fining residents who burn wood. After all, a declaration of noncompliance from the EPA would have enormous economic implications for the region, like the loss of federal transportation funding.
The problem is, there’s no replacement for wood-burning stoves in Alaska’s interior. Heating oil is too expensive for a lot of people, and natural gas isn’t available. So they’ve got to burn something. The average low temperature in Fairbanks in December is 13 degrees below zero. In January, it’s 17 below. During the coldest days of winter, the high temperature averages -2 degrees, and it can get as cold as -60. This is not a place where you play games with the cold. If you don’t keep the fire lit, you die. For people of modest means, and especially for the poor, that means you burn wood in a stove--and you keep that fire lit around the clock.
As Necessary As Food And Water
Growing up in Alaska, I learned this from an early age. (My father, in fact, was a chechaquo. As a white kid growing up in Alaska native villages in the 1950s, the native kids would call him and his siblings chechaquos as a kind of juvenile epithet. Like many families in Alaska, then and now, we weren't wealthy and had no other means of staying warm besides burning wood. As kids, my brothers and I would spend long hours stacking cords of wood and, when we were older, felling trees, cutting them into logs, and hauling them back to the house. It wasn't romantic, it was simply part of life in the far north: firewood was as natural and necessary as food and water.
For most Alaskans, it still is. Replacing wood-burning stoves, especially in the state's interior, isn't easily done. More at the link.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/31/2016
08:41 ||
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Send all the EPA pointy headed idiots to Alaska, put them in a house and tell them they aren't allowed to burn wood. If they survive the winter, we'll all adopt their methods. They are also forbidden from using any hydrocarbons.
#2
Silentbrick, my plan for the EPA was to send them to India. In America these days, you can sometimes see the air pollution over a large city if you can see the whole city at once, like from a hill. In India, you can just look down the road. The pointy heads would have heart attacks.
I would send the OSHA people right along with the EPA folks. I saw men walking to work in hard hats and flip flops. Same fate as EPA.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/31/2016 14:42
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[Clinton News Network] A Vermont utility company said Friday it had found on a company laptop the same kind of malware that US authorities believe was used by Russian hackers in an attempt to influence November's election.
What US authorities? Name them...
Burlington Electric said it found the code after utility companies nationwide were sent an alert by the Department of Homeland Security.
The company, which serves 19,600 customers in Vermont,
Oh nooooo! That'll shut down 0.0056% of the country if the laptop is connected to the computer controlling the Vermont power plant!!!
said the malware was on a laptop that is not connected to the organization's power grid systems.
"Our team is working with federal officials to trace this malware and prevent any other attempts to infiltrate utility systems," spokesman Mike Kanarick said.
The federal government refers to the malicious cyber activity as Grizzly Steppe.
US Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, said he and his staff were briefed on Friday by Vermont state police about the development, which he called a "direct threat to Vermont."
#5
Zerohedge says it was "outdated Ukranian malware"
Regardless of who did this, and regardless of the fact that this was a soft target, I do hope that the new administration puts its focus on locking down critical systems instead of making sure everything has a backdoor so they can read teenage sexts.
#6
I don't know what they do in Vermont, but where I work we have several networks, and laptops don't get to access the more important ones. Since laptops travel about, you've no idea what got loaded on them when the user connected in some random Sturbocks.
Posted by: james ||
12/31/2016 17:40
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[RCP] There is a new cease-fire agreement in Syria, but this time without the U.S. at the negotiating table. Will it last when so many others have failed? William Brangham speaks with Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma about the symbolic significance of the move and what’s next for the rebels, the Assad regime and Syria.
About the ceasefire negotations, Tabler said, "by pausing now and going into diplomacy, I think it shows that the Russians are setting the table for President-elect Trump to become involved in some sort of diplomatic process."
#1
When invited to sit down at the table with Putin and Assad, Trump needs to bear in mind the old grifters rule: When you come to the table and you don't know who the mark(chump) is, you are the mark.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/31/2016 11:49
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[IsraelTimes] Tourists already there urged by Counter-Terror Bureau to avoid crowded areas and New Year’s parties, especially in Goa, other southern states.
Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau issued a travel warning for India on Friday, urging Israelis not to travel to the country and cautioning those already there that Islamist groups may try to carry out terror attacks in the immediate future.
The warning is defined a "concrete basic threat," according to Channel 2 television.
The bureau singled out Western and tourist hot-spots as being at increased risk, with the alert at its highest in southwest India, in particular in Goa and adjacent states.
The bureau recommended that travelers avoid beach parties and nightclubs with a high concentration of tourists, as well as busy markets, festivals and shopping centers.
Families with relatives traveling in the country were asked to alert their loved ones to the advisory.
"Israeli tourists in India are asked to remain alert and listen to local media and the instructions of security officials," the warning said.
In Europe, which has seen multiple deadly terror attacks over the past two years, many cities are preparing for the possibility that Islamist Lions of Islam will also try to disrupt and spoil New Year festivities.
In Berlin, where 12 people were murdered in a truck-ramming attack earlier this month, police closed the square opposite Brandenburg Bridge. An additional 1,700 extra officers will also be deployed across the city during the New Year festivities.
In Italia, major cities including Rome and Naples have banned the entry of trucks to city centers, and coppers are patrolling near tourist attractions, Channel 2 reported.
Additional security measures have also been taken in Spain, Belgium and La Belle France.
An Nahar adds:
Some 2,000 extra officers have been deployed for New Years Eve celebrations in Sidney Harbor after a man was tossed in the clink Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! for allegedly making online threats.
There were a number of other reported threats this holiday period, in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere.
In Melbourne, police foiled a "significant" 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.... -inspired Christmas Day terror plot.
Indonesia said it foiled plans by an IS-linked group for a Christmas-time suicide kaboom, and 52 died in the Philippines in kabooms blamed on Islamist Death Eaters.
- Safety measures -
Security concerns have hit many New Year events with truck blockades a new tactic to try to prevent vehicles ploughing into crowds. Sydney is using garbage trucks as safety barriers.
The German capital has beefed up security after the December 19 carnage, deploying hundreds more police, some armed with machine-guns.
"This year, what's new is that we will place concrete blocks and position heavy armoured vehicles at the entrances" to the zone around Brandenburg Gate, a police front man said.
In Cologne ...a lovely city in Germany. They invented perfume there... , after a wave of sexual attacks last year, 1,800 police will be deployed -- compared to just 140 in 2015.
In neighbouring Austria police will hand out 6,000 free pocket alarms to help stop assaults on women.
In Gay Paree, there will be a firework display again, after muted 2015 celebrations following the November 13 massacre of 130 people.
Nearly 100,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed across La Belle France against the jihadist threat.
[American Lookout] The far left is planning some nasty stuff for Trump’s inauguration. No one on the right did that to Obama but that doesn’t matter to them. The left doesn’t play fair.
In the video below, Trump supporter Roger Stone explains what’s in the works.
Here’s a partial transcript from Real Clear Politics: Roger Stone Infiltrates Planning Session For Inauguration Protesters Planning Violent Disruption. I do want to talk about what is coming in Washington, because it is scary.
We had an operative who infiltrated the J-20 Committee planning session. And let me go through what these folks have in mind, because this is not a benign civilly disobedient protest.
They intend to march from McPherson Square to Columbus [Circle]. They are going to march during the lunch period immediately after the inauguration -- approximately 12:30. Their goal is to "create a sense of crisis."
They are going to harass inaugural visitors as they step off the metro stations. Multiple waves will harass Secret Service checkpoints on the National Mall.
Roving protesters in the crowd will be using drums to break up the program, they are going to launch a pirate radio broadcast. Drones loaded with rockets to attack the parade are under consideration.
#1
Social Media coordinated communications exercise and Inauguration rehearsal or amazing coincidence ?
(CNN) Massive brawls and food-court fights played out at more than a dozen malls across the country in what proved to be a chaotic day after Christmas. Some of the mayhem was captured on social media. The chaos prevented some shoppers from grabbing clothes off clearance racks and returning gifts.
The mall incidents, which ranged from minor melees to mass evacuations, occurred from Colorado to Tennessee and Texas to New Jersey. Police in some cities are investigating the role social media may have played in organizing the disturbances. The motive behind the mall brawls is not yet known.
#2
Do it. The more you do it, the more you piss off everyday normal human americans. The more you reveal how feral and inhuman you are, the greater the following pushback will be.
#4
I do hope to see it in DC and many other mega-city bastions and regional clusters of ill will. Crush the protests and forestall the FEMA war of internment.
[American Lookout] Michelle Obama’s school lunch program has been a national disgrace. Kids hate it. Parents hate it. The disgusting food choices have been documented on Twitter countless times.
Meanwhile, Michelle Obama’s children have enjoyed gourmet food on a daily basis at an exclusive private school in Washington, DC. Finally, congress is preparing to undo her awful school lunch program.
The Conservative Tribune reports: Congress Looks to Repeal Michelle Obama’s School Lunch Rules When the new Congress meets with a Republican chief executive, no Obama regulation will remain untouched -- and that even includes those that originated with Michelle.
According to Politico, the House Freedom Caucus, a powerful group of Republican lawmakers in the lower chamber, is urging Congress to end first lady Michelle Obama’s hated school lunch program.
A document released on the website of Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., called for the repeal of certain parts of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Of 2010, the legislative bill that helped enshrine Michelle Obama’s signature program into law. It’s part of a wider initiative called released under the title "First 100 Days: Rules, Regulations, and Executive Orders to Examine, Revoke and Issue."
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016 7:45
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#2
The normal thought that comes to mind is "it's a shame to throw out all that food..." But "shame" and "food" probably don't apply in this case. Re-purpose it to refugee centers on the border and watch the self-deportations become a stampede...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/31/2016 9:34
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#3
To celebrate, buy all the kids a Wendy's hamburger for 99 cents, and everybody comes out ahead.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/31/2016 12:12
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#4
A ketchup pack will still be a serving of vegetables right? Or was it a fruit...
#5
Remember, there has been talk of drafting Moochelle to run for President in 2020. Just think of the damage she could do if she were actually elected.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/31/2016 14:31
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[PJ] Trump surrogate Scott Brown gave Secretary of State John Kerry a verbal tongue lashing on Fox Business Wednesday, but "with all due respect" toward his former senate colleague.
Before he laid into Kerry, however, Brown had a few words to say about the Obama administration -- which has been busy setting traps in its waning days to trip up the incoming administration.
"This administration is doing everything it can on their way out the door to put up more and more roadblocks for the incoming administration," he charged, adding, "it's not that different from when Bill Clinton was leaving and he took all the keys off the computers."
"It's always something," Brown complained. "Instead of having a friendly transition and opportunity to consult with the president-elect on what their policies may be....they do the exact opposite."
"I've never seen John Kerry so fired up about anything," Brown continued. "Now he's all fired up about Israel. With all due respect, no one cares what John Kerry says, especially with so many -- so few days left with this administration."
"What they did, I think, was completely inappropriate," he continued. "Israel is our dearest and most reliable ally in the region, and to actually go in and throw them under the bus, with all due respect, I don’t think it’s only harmful now but moving forward."
[Breitbart] A senior Islamic State jihadist told Breitbart Jerusalem that there has been an escalation in tensions between Hamas and IS, following a wave of arrests of Salafist militants in Gaza and growing cooperation between Hamas and the Egyptian security services.
Abu Baker Almuhajer, an Islamic State operative active in the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, told Breitbart Jerusalem that in the last few days the Wilayat Sinai group, a local offshoot of IS, intercepted a Hamas arms shipment intended to be smuggled into the enclave through underground tunnels leading into Sinai.
According to Almuhajer, the shipment contained explosives, missile components and thousands of cigarette packs. The cigarettes were meant to be sold by Hamas, he said.
The Wilayat Sinai jihadists demand the release of their associates incarcerated by Hamas, Almuhajer says.
Speaking to Breitbart Jerusalem, a senior Hamas operative confirmed the report, adding that the Salafist group also demanded 20% of the cost of cigarettes and other products that were supposed to be smuggled into the coastal enclave.
The Hamas official said that on Sunday Mousa Abu Marzook, the deputy chief of the Hamas politburo, traveled to Egypt to meet with senior intelligence officials and discuss further rapprochement between the sides after weeks of preliminary contacts.
In recent weeks there has been a detente between Egypt and Hamas that saw the Egyptians begin to repair the Rafah border crossing and allow Gaza businessmen to pass through it. Egypt further intends to set up a trade and commerce zone adjacent to the crossing that would ease the burden of Israel’s blockade of the territory.
Almuhajer said the visit was part of a "trend in Hamas of pledging allegiance to the infidels that control Egypt, and promising them further harmonization in exchange for persecuting the faithful and the Mujahedin." He added that the number of Islamic State jihadists arrested by Hamas in the last few weeks passed the 500 mark.
Israel's anti-terrorism directorate on Friday issued a travel warning for India, citing an immediate threat of attack to Western and tourist targets, particularly in the south-west of the country.
"A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high," part of the warning said.
#1
If they really wanted to make a statement and at the same time create an impact in the US, the bad guys should be targeting the software hotbeds of telecomm, et. al., in Chennai.
"Cheap IT labor is one of the main fact that has attracted multitude of multi-billion-rupee foreign software companies such as Microsoft to establish their business in the city as well as in other software centers of India like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Delhi making the country a booming software exporter worldwide."
[AlAhram] Tunisia said Friday it has locked away Please don't kill me! or closely monitored 800 jihadists who have returned from foreign battlefields in the past decade.
"Some are in prison, some are under house arrest and others are under close surveillance", government spokesperson Iyed Dahmani said of the fighters who have returned since 2007.
A little under 3,000 Tunisians have joined the ranks of jihadist groups fighting in neighbouring Libya, as well as in Syria and Iraq, Dahmani said.
The United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... puts this figure at 5,000.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said all jihadists returning from fighting abroad would be immediately locked away Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! and judged according to the country's counter-terrorism law.
Chahed said authorities had "lists of all (Tunisian) terrorists" and "all the data on them".
Last week, Interior Minister Hedi Majdoub told parliament that 800 jihadists had already returned from the front lines.
Concern about their return has increased since Tunisian Anis Amri, 24, was identified as the suspected attacker who mowed down 11 people at a Berlin Christmas market last week, and also killed the driver.
Tunisians rallied outside parliament at the weekend to protest against allowing jihadists back into the country.
The national union of internal security forces has called on the government to strip Tunisian jihadists of their nationality.
But President Beji Caid Essebsi, citing the constitution, has said the authorities cannot prevent a Tunisian from returning home.
Since its 2011 uprising, Tunisia has faced repeated jihadist attacks, killing more than 100 soldiers and coppers, as well as about 20 civilians and 59 foreign tourists, according to official figures.
[AnNahar] Dozens of Malian migrants colonists kept locked up in Libyan jails after failing to make it onto boats bound for Europe have arrived home, with some reporting maltreatment by authorities in the unstable north African nation.
The group of 159 Malians including several children arrived in Bamako on Thursday night on a flight chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
Around 40 were detained in Libya's notoriously grim jails for living in the country illegally, according to regional civil protection director Bakary Daou, and had requested deportation.
"Given the difficulties that they encountered in Libya, they accepted coming back to the country voluntarily," Daou told AFP.
The government would work with the IOM to ensure they were safely returned to their loved ones, Daou added.
Racist attacks and maltreatment were the norm, the returnees said, confirming they were attempting to reach Europe through the well-trodden smuggling route taken by many west Africans through Niger and Libya.
AFP saw at least three unaccompanied minors and several clearly unwell people among the group.
"In all of Libya's prisons, they hit people and treat them badly, especially black Africans," said Ibrahim Bidane Sy, a migrant who spent three months in one jail.
"I was in prison without communicating with my family or friends... luckily the IOM helped me to get out," he added.
The operation was the second planned mass deportation of Malians from Libya this year.
Earlier this month Algeria, Libya's neighbor, deported 260 Malians who also alleged brutality by the police and authorities.
African migrants colonists have been regularly expelled by the thousands since Libya's descent into chaos.
It is the focal point for migrants colonists attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, and was previously home to thousands of Africans working as laborers or domestic servants.
After receiving medical treatment by the Malian authorities, the migrants colonists were due to return home to their families on Friday.
[AnNahar] Antonio Guterres assumes the reins of the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... on Sunday hoping to breathe new life into the world body, in the wake of its impotence over Syria's humanitarian catastrophe. The Portuguese former prime minister, 67, will become the first onetime head of government to lead the UN, succeeding South Korea's the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon for a five-year term.
His unanimous election has energized UN diplomats who see him as a skilled politician who may be able to overcome the divisions crippling the United Nations.
Guterres faces a monumental task grappling with complex crises in Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, North Korea and elsewhere -- overseeing a clunky entrenched bureaucracy and a bitterly divided Security Council that will leave him little room to maneuver.
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 arrival in the White House on January 20 likely will further complicate his task.
Guterres has acknowledged that "the secretary general is not the leader of the world," but rather that his work depends on the goodwill of the world's great powers.
After two terms under Ban, widely criticized for lacking initiative and charisma, some diplomats are banking on a change of style and personality to revitalize the U.N.
An engineer by training and a practicing Catholic, Guterres fought for migrants colonists' rights as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, anchoring his country to the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... and working to raise living standards.
He has laid out three priorities for change: working for peace, supporting sustainable development and improving internal UN management.
One issue looms above the others, however.
"My deepest regret on leaving office is the continuing nightmare in Syria," Ban recently declared.
Guterres has acknowledged the criticism, saying "it is time for the United Nations to recognize its shortcomings and to reform the way it works."
"The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective."
He has already begun implementing one of his promises -- working toward gender parity -- by appointing three women from developing countries to key positions, including Nigeria's Environment Minister Amina Mohammed as deputy secretary general.
[AnNahar] One police officer and two suspected Lions of Islam have been killed in a shootout in Russia's volatile North Caucasus.
Fatina Ubaydatova, spokeswoman in Russia's republic of Dagestan ...a formerly inoffensive Caucasus republic currently bedevilled by low-level Islamic insurgency, occasional outbreaks of separatism, ethnic tensions and terrorism, primarily due to its proximity to Chechnya. There are several dozen ethnic groups, most of which speak either Caucasian, Turkic, or Iranian languages. Largest among these ethnic groups are the Avar, Dargin, Kumyk, Lezgin, and Laks. While Russers form less than five percent of the population, Russian remains the primary official language and the lingua franca... , said on Friday a police squad was trying to stop a car with suspected Lions of Islam outside the city of Khasavyurt late on Thursday when people in that car opened fire on them. Police identified the two men as local Lions of Islam who attacked coppers earlier this week in the regional capital, Makhachkala.
Islamic turbans in Dagestan have mounted frequent attacks on police and officials, and some have sworn allegiance to 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.
The shootout comes a day after Russia's security agencies in Dagestan tossed in the clink Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! seven people suspected of preparing New Year's terror attacks in Moscow on orders from the Islamic State group in Syria.
[AnNahar] Suspected Berlin truck attacker Anis Amri considered heading to Rome before finally plumping for Milan where police shot him dead, Italian media reported Friday.
The Corriere della Sera daily said that security cameras at Turin station had twice recorded the 24-year-old searching for trains either to Rome or Milan.
"In the end, he chose a regional train for Lombardy because at that late hour, there was no train going to the capital," said the paper, adding that this showed he had "no precise travel plan."
Several papers also reported that when he arrived in Milan in the early hours of December 23, Amri asked a passer-by where he could catch a train or bus for "Rome, Naples or the south."
Sesto San Giovanni, the town north of Milan where Amri was eventually shot, is the starting point for international coaches to Spain, Morocco, Albania or southern Italia.
Local Rome daily Il Messaggero said it was "not a coincidence" that he was eying the capital as that city was where he "probably had the most contacts."
Amri had close links to Italia, arriving there in 2011 from Tunisia after the revolution that led to the Arab Spring.
[AlAhram] The Pak man wrongly incarcerated Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! for the Berlin truck attack on Friday said he had told German police he could not even drive and was now afraid for the safety of his family back home. Naveed Baloch, an asylum-seeker from the troubled province of Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... , told the Guardian newspaper he had just left a friend's house and was crossing a street when he saw a police car approaching fast and picked up his pace. He said he was arrested and taken to a cop shoppe, where he was undressed and photographed.
"When I resisted, they started slapping me," the 24-year-old, who has been living in a secret location provided by police since his release because he says he is afraid for his life, told the British daily.
Baloch, who sought refuge in Germany as a member of a secular separatist movement in Balochistan, said he struggled to communicate because no translator could be found who could speak his native Balochi.
"I calmly told them I cannot drive at all. Neither can I even start a vehicle," he said.
Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed. Police released him 24 hours later, after failing to find evidence of his involvement.
Baloch, a shepherd by profession, told the daily that members of his family in the village of Mand in Balochistan in southwest Pakistain had received threatening phone calls following his arrest.
"Now they all know I fled to Germany, fearful of my life, and that I am claiming asylum here. It leaves my family very vulnerable and there's nothing I can do to protect them," he told the Guardian.
Baloch said he left Pakistain around a year ago, arriving in Germany via Iran, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... and Greece, because of death threats he had received for his activism for the Baloch National Movement.
"Most of the people I worked with have been arrested and killed. I knew it was a matter of time before they came for me. That's the reason I came to Germany," he said.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/31/2016
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[AnNahar] According to a military source who asked not to be named, 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... jihadists have been "tremendously weakened and are trying to avoid confrontation ... by hiding in some obscure locations."
Islamists routed from Sambisa have reportedly fled to areas on the edge of the forest, islets on Lake Chad as well as villages on the Cameroon ...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there... border.
"They were sighted in large numbers in ... the Kala-Balge area," said a vigilante helping in the fight, referring to a region near Cameroon.
If they can be sighted in large numbers they can be killed in large numbers...
The head of the fishermen's union in Borno state, the epicentre of Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency, said some fighters had regrouped on Lake Chad, which straddles Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.
It provides the jihadists with a "convenient sanctuary", with its 400 islets covered with dense vegetation that makes aerial detection and ground operations dangerous, Abubakar Gamandi said.
"The islets are between one and two square kilometres and the fresh water and abundant fish in the lake make them habitable," said Gamandi, who has fished in Lake Chad for 40 years.
Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the leader of a Boko Haram faction recognised by 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, has already been living on the lake since his group split from Shekau's leadership in August, residents and vigilantes say.
Should Shekau and his troops move there, it is unclear whether the two rival factions will end up battling each other.
- The next battleground? -
Cameroonian troops have intensified their operations along their nation's frontier with Nigeria, where fleeing Boko Haram fighters have also sought refuge, according to a vigilante in the Nigerian border town of Banki.
"Cameroon has upped security along the border which has forced fleeing Boko Haram (fighters) to head to Kala-Balge, where Nigerian troops are deploying", said the vigilante, who did not want to give his name.
"Kala-Balge may be the next battleground," said Umar Ari, a local trader.
According to Yan St-Pierre, an expert on jihadist groups, cooperation between west African governments fighting Boko Haram has "vastly improved since September."
However, denial ain't just a river in Egypt... "the army's biggest problem is to secure the areas it recaptures from Boko Haram," he added, referring to a spike in suicide and other guerrilla-style attacks unleashed since the jihadists began to lose ground.
Even though the Nigerian authorities have claimed several times that the end of Boko Haram was imminent, the conflict has merely continued to shift and "the army remains far from gaining the upper hand."
- 'A matter of time' -
How Shekau beat feet from Sambisa remains a mystery.
He "might have escaped in the intense battle to take over Camp Zero," an army source told AFP, referring to the last jihadist bastion in Sambisa Forest to fall to Nigerian troops.
He has since been spotted in Pulka village near Gwoza on the Cameroonian border -- and is currently believed to be hiding in a forest in Kala-Balge, a security source said.
Shekau's fighters are believed to have taken with them scores of Chibok girls held since 2014, as well as Nigerian army hostages, to use them as human shields.
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12/31/2016
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Top|| File under: Boko Haram
[IsraelTimes] Security forces shot and maimed a Paleostinian woman on Friday at the Qalandiya checkpoint in the West Bank as she tried to carry out a stabbing attack, police said. There were no other injuries.
"She approached the security forces with a knife in her hand. She did not respond to the calls of the soldiers to stop," police said, adding that the threat was "neutralized."
Soldiers fired at her legs when she refused to stop.
She was "lightly" maimed and tossed in the clink Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! , police said.
There have been a series of attempted stabbings at the Qalandiya checkpoint, a major crossing point between Jerusalem and the Qalandiya refugee camp north of the capital.
The Qalandiya crossing has two approach lanes, one for pedestrians and the other for vehicles. Israel Radio reported that she came through the vehicle lane.
Defense officials have pointed to a trend among some young Paleostinian women who, often due to personal problems, have in recent months attempted to commit suicide by staging knife attacks against soldiers and police with the expectation that they will be shot.
[Ynet] Friday evening, shots were fired at an IDF position nearby the northern West Bank village of Ya'bad. There were no injuries. IDF forces are searching the area.
[RUDAW.NET] The leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and member of its executive council Murat Karayilan says that his group will withdraw its forces from the Shingal region and that they are currently in negotiations with Erbil over the issue.
In a statement published on PKK’s Sterk TV on Thursday, Karayilan said that there was no need for Erbil to use the threat of force with regards to the presence of his fighters in Shingal because such issues could only be solved through dialogue.
Karayilan said that Kurdish unity mattered to the PKK especially at this "critical juncture".
"The period we are in is an important period in which the fate of our people will be determined. At such a time, the unity of the Kurdish people is more valuable than ever. We take this issue in a strategic way. Therefore, we want to solve all existing problems with dialogue."
"We are also fond of overcoming the internal and external problems of the Kurdish people with dialogue." Karayilan’s statement reads.
It goes on to say: "Even if these problems are not overcome, we have to build a platform, a common roof. In this sense, national unity is very important in terms of the future of our people. It is always in the interests of our people to be in a national unity as a Kurdish people so that the blood of the deaders is not wasted."
Karayilan referred to remarks by Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani who told al-monitor news outlet last week that he was ready to use force against the PKK if they did not leave Shingal voluntarily.
The PKK leader said that negotiations have been underway with the Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) over the issue of their presence in Shingal and that the PKK was ready to leave the area at the conclusion of the talks.
He added that this was the first time he revealed to the media that there were such talks between the PKK and the KDP.
Karayilan also dismissed remarks by Turkish leaders that the PKK might turn the Shingal region into another Qandil, the rugged mountains where the group maintains its bases and leadership.
"The AKP government is constantly trying to attract different points of the agenda, saying that Shingal will be a second Qandil," he said. "First of all, I must point out that the geographical conditions of Shingal are not suitable for being a second Qandil. We are talking about a place that is remote and all flat."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[MIDDLEEASTEYE.NET] The British government on Thursday distanced itself from harsh criticism of Israel by US Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, unsuccessful presidential candidate, and utterly failed Secretary of State... , saying peace between Israel and the Paleostinians cannot be brokered solely on Israeli settlement construction.
British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesperson said Britannia supports a two-state solution and considers the construction of settlements on Paleostinian lands illegal.
However the statement added that the issue of settlements was only part of the problem.
"But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict," the spokesperson said.
"In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long,"
Without referring to the secretary of state's comments, the British government's comments appeared to criticise Kerry's speech, even though the UK voted in favour of the Security Council resolution last week that deemed Israel settlements beyond the 1967 border illegal.
"We do not, therefore, believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Paleostinians is so deeply complex," May's spokesperson said.
"And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally. The government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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Top|| File under:
#1
"No need to be impolite to people we're trying to railroad to extermination"?
#4
The UK voted for the UNSC resolution because, the avowed Israel-lover PM May explained, it is balanced. She objected to Secretary Kerry's subsequent speech (after Israeli PM declined to meet with her in response to that vote), because it was unbalanced.
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Thousands of People rallied in Diraz area in rejection of the regime’s steps to normalize relations with the Israeli entity after a Zionist delegation visited the capital Manama.
The protesters held the photos of al-Aqsa Mosque and Sheikh Issa Qassem and rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud which reject normalizing Bahrain’s ties with the Zionist entity, burning the Israeli flag and highlighting their support to the Paleostinian cause.
A number of Bahraini figures condemned the regime’s act of facilitating the entrance of the Israeli delegation to the Bahraini territories, denouncing the attempts to establish a closer relations with the Zionists.
A circulated video showed a group of Zionist extremists chanting and dancing with Bahraini businessmen during their visit to Manama.
The slogans they chanted asserted their intention to destroy al-Aqsa Mosque to build the alleged Solomon’s Temple, according to the video.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Iran's Shiite puppets
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016 8:25
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#2
Prob'ly just the usual Arab idiots, Frank G, who believed what they were taught in school and saw on television. If I were Bibi, I'd insist on the curriculum being changed before I lifted a missile in the direction of Iran's nukes.
#3
Iran's been stirring Shiite Shit up in Bahrain for some time
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016 9:54
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#4
A circulated video showed a group of Zionist extremists chanting and dancing with Bahraini businessmen during their visit to Manama.
The slogans they chanted asserted their intention to destroy al-Aqsa Mosque to build the alleged Solomon’s Temple, according to the video.
Mmmmm... Right. The Zionist regime is establishing normalized relations with an Arab country. They send a delegation. What does the delegation do? Why they chant and sing with their hosts about tearing down the third holiest site in all Islam.
They aren't tarred and feathered. They aren't run out of Manama on a rail. Nobody notices but al-Manure and probably IRNA or Pars or somebody like that.
Really, if you can't believe al-Manure who can you believe?
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016 11:02
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#5
"The protesters held... 'signs'... and rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud"
Dang, for a moment I thought the article was talking about the typical democrat protesting losing the election.
Took me a moment to realize the article was talking about something else.
A leader of the minority Sikh community was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the strategic Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan, local security officials said.
The incident took place earlier this morning after a group of unknown gunmen opened fire on Sikh leader, Lala Dilsuz.
Provincial security chief Stanikzai confirmed the incident and said Dilsuz was shot dead around 9 am as he was on his way to his shop.
No group including the anti-government armed militant groups have commented regarding the incident so far.
According to the relatives of the deceased, 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 succumbed to his injuries after shot by the gunmen.
Kunduz is among the relatively volatile provinces in northern Afghanistan where the anti-government armed militants have been openly operating in its various districts and often carry out insurgency activities.
However, attacks by militants on minority Hindu and Sikh communities have been rarely reported although they face harassment in different parts of the country, leading to abandoning of the country by almost 99 percent of the Afghan Hindus and Sikhs.
The Taliban insurgents suffered casualties in an airstrike conducted by the US forces in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
The provincial police commandment in a statement said at least 3 Taliban insurgents were killed and 7 others were wounded in the airstrike.
The statement further added that the airstrike was carried out in Chaparhar district of Nangarhar.
The Taliban insurgents group has not commented regarding the report so far.
Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces in eastern Afghanistan but the anti-government armed militant groups have increased their insurgency activities in some remote districts of the province during the recent months.
Both the Taliban insurgents and ISIS loyalists are actively operating in some of the remotely located districts of the province.
The increased insurgency activities by the Taliban militants and ISIS loyalists forced the US forces based in Afghanistan to resume airstrikes under a broader role granted by the Obama administration earlier this year.
The increased raids by the US and Afghan forces followed amid concerns that the ISIS loyalists are attempting to turn the province into its regional operational base besides the Taliban insurgents conducting militancy.
At least 13 civilians were wounded in a mortar attack in eastern Nangarhar 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 militant groups for the incident.
The provincial police commandment said at least 5 children and 2 women were among those wounded.
According to the local officials, some of the wounded civilians were discharged after receiving treatment while some are still being treated in the provincial hospital.
No group including the Taliban insurgents has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.
Both the Taliban insurgents and militants loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group are actively operating in the restive Bati Kot district.
This comes as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said late in October that the mission has documented 8,397 conflict-related civilian casualties (2,562 deaths and 5,835 injured) between 1 January and 30 September, representing a one per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2015.
Ground engagements remained the leading cause of civiliancasualties, followed by suicide and complex attacks, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
UNAMA further added that the anti-Government Elements caused 61 per cent of civilian casualties – 1,569 civilian deaths and 3,574 injured (5,143 total civilian casualties).
At least 10 Taliban insurgents were killed and 19 others were wounded during a series of air and artillery strikes in northern Faryab province.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the raids were conducted in the restive Qaisar district of Faryab.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.
Faryab is among the relatively volatile provinces in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents and militants belonging to other insurgent groups are actively operating in a number of its remote districts.
The shadow provincial governor of the Taliban group was killed along with five others during an operation in this province earlier this week.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the militants were killed during an operation in the restive Ghormach district.
MoD further added that 8 other militants also sustained serious injuries during the operation.
No further details were given regarding the identity of the Taliban leader killed in the operation.
The Afghan forces are busy conducting their annual operation under the name of Shafaq which they are saying has been launched in response to Taliban’s annual spring offensive.
According to the security officials, the main purpose of the operation is to eliminate the senior leaders of the militants plotting and conducting attacks against the government.
The closure of Helmand-Kandahar Highway for the past four days - due to the presence of Taliban and its damaged bridges – has raised concerns among residents of the two provinces.
Helmand residents said the Taliban has destroyed majority of bridges along the road.
A number of passengers meanwhile said they travel through alternative routes where Taliban has built check posts and are stopping people on the way to Helmand.
Abdul Samad, a resident of Helmand, said they urge government to reopen the road and launch a large-scale military operation to clear it of militants.
“Passengers are using alternative ways and different cars to reach their destination,” he said.
Meanwhile, local security officials said they have started a military operation to clear the road in the near future.
“Afghanistan’s and the Afghan people’s enemies are trying to destroy bridges and close the road for Helmand residents. We managed to clear major parts of the road in order to pave the ground for reconstruction of the bridges and the damaged parts of the road,” said Abdul Ghani Abrar, Executive Officer of 215 Maiwand Corps in Helmand.
[DAWN] MUZAFFARABAD: After a silence of nearly two weeks, guns roared across the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday, leaving three civilians maimed in Azad Jammu and Kashmire (AJK).
A police official, Mohammad Ilyas, told Dawn from Abbaspur in the southern Poonch district that Indian troops shelled from across the LoC between "Asar and Maghreb," injuring three persons in Taroti village.
The policeman identified the injured as Mohammad Mushtaq, 57, his son Shahbaz Mushtaq, 20, and another man Zeeshan Amin, 20.
The condition of injured was said to be stable, he said.
Meanwhile, ...back at the argument, Livia had made her point with her knee to Jane's stomach... in a tweet, the newly appointed Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor said that Indian troops resorted to "unprovoked mortar shelling" in Chirikot sector from 4:40pm to 5:40pm, which was "effectively responded" by Pak troops.
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[Dhaka Tribune] Myanmar said on Friday it would take back 2,415 "citizens" from Bangladesh, only a tiny fraction of the 300,000 people who Bangladesh says are Myanmar citizens taking refuge there and should go home.
"There are only 2,415 Myanmar citizens, according to our data," Kyaw Zaya, director general of Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, referring to the number of Myanmar citizens in Bangladesh.
"We always stand with our number," he said, adding he had "no idea" about the Bangladesh figure of 300,000.
He said the Myanmar government had a plan to take back the 2,415 in 2017.
Myanmar earlier agreed to take back 2,415 Rohingyas from the two registered camps in Bangladesh after the eighth foreign secretary-level talks in Dhaka in August 2014. The process was supposed to begin within two months, but it did not happen. After 2005, it was the first time Myanmar agreed to repatriate Rohingyas from Bangladesh.
Less than 300,000 Rohingyas registered their names during a census carried out in six coastal areas in May by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, according to primary data.
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[RUDAW.NET] Damascus will not tolerate any mention of a separate region, federal or otherwise, in the north of the country, says a Syrian official, referring to the Kurds' recent announcement of a federation.
"Imposing federation and talking about northern Syria is not accepted," Basam Abu Abdullah, adviser to the Syrian Ministry of Information told Rudaw.
Any system to run any part of the country should be voted for by the Syrian nation, Abdullah explained.
He added that Kurds are not the only ones living in northern Syria. Aside from Kurds, he said, many other ethnic groups live in the north.
The government advisor also said that "the Syrian government sees the Kurdish nation as an important and main element in Syria as they are important for Syria and have been effective and important for the history of Syria."
Earlier this week, the Democratic Federal System of Northern Syria was declared by the founding members of the self-declared Kurdish enclave in northern Syria.
Tensions between Kurds and the Syrian government have since escalated over the future of the Kurdish autonomous enclave, especially since the liberation of Aleppo by government forces earlier this month where the Kurds were in control of some neighborhoods.
The government asked the Kurdish representatives to drop their demand for a federal system and hoist the Syrian flag on all government buildings and offices.
And on Wednesday Kurdish authorities announced they had dropped the word Rojava--a Kurdish word for Western Kurdistan--from the official name of the federation of northern Syria.
The Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is the main group in Syria’s Kurdistan and rules over that area, declared in mid-March that the region was a federal entity within Syria. The PYD has called the new region the Democratic Federal System of Northern Syria and said its government and society will remain polyethnic.
Damascus has since rejected the declaration of the federal region and described the move as "unlawful action" that "jeopardizes the country’s territorial integrity."
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12/31/2016
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[Libya Herald] Maltese police tossed in the clink Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! a Libya man in the early hours of this morning banging on the gates of the prime minister’s summer residence, the Girgenti Palace in Siggiewi.
According to the police, the man acted aggressively and appeared to be intoxicated. It is reported that he had earlier been involved in a fight elsewhere and was dropped off near the residence.
Meanwhile, ...back at the abandoned silver mine, the water was up to Jack's neck and still rising. And then he smelled the smoke... another Libyan man, 36-year old Ahmad Yassine, was sentenced today to 280 hours community service and fined €10,000 for a bomb hoax at the law courts on 16 November. The magistrates’ court heard today Yassine had called the law courts and claimed a bomb was in the buildings in order to try and prevent a hearing on separation from his wife.
He changed his plea to guilty today after the magistrates, who described him as "a coward, gave the opportunity by to do so. The magistrate decided, however, there was little point in a custodial sentence.
As well as the fine to cover the costs of lost time and work at the court as a result of the hoax, the man was ordered to pay additional court costs.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[GEO.TV] The B.O. regime has been asked to deport Afghanistan´s first woman pilot, who has requested asylum in the United States, said a Pajhwok report.
A letter, written by Afghan activists in the US, urged the president that the female pilot did not face any threats in her home country Afghanistan and she can safely assume duty in her homeland.
The White Assembly asked the US government to deport Nilofar as soon as possible that her home country has spent millions of dollars on her professional training and education.
Nilofar Rahmani, a 25-year-old pilot lionised widely as the "Afghan Top Gun" after the 1986 Tom Cruise film on flying aces, was scheduled to return to Afghanistan last week after a 15-month training course with the US air force.
But on the eve of her departure, she declared she will not be returning citing fears for her safety, triggering a storm of criticism in Afghanistan for "betraying" her nation but also garnering support from activists.
Rahmani became a symbol of hope for millions of Afghan women when she surfaced in the press in 2013 after becoming Afghanistan´s first woman pilot since the Taliban era, dressed in tan combat boots, khaki overalls and aviator glasses.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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#1
Any Afghan who corroborated with us is gonna be in danger. Does that mean we have to let the all into this country?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/31/2016 13:22
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[GEO.TV] ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions judge was probed on Friday over alleged torture of a 10-year-old domestic help child who worked at his home in Islamabad.
Taiba, 10-year-old domestic help, was recovered from the house of Additional Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan.
The minor girl, whose face and hands bore torture marks, had initially denied being hurt by her employers. She told the police that she got a wound to her eye after falling from stairs, while her hand was also burnt accidentally.
However, the hip bone's connected to the leg bone... the poor girl narrated her ordeal after being politely inquired by a female magistrate later. She stated before the magistrate that she was beaten and her hand burnt on stove for losing the broom.
Officials recovered Taiba from a house in Sector I-9 upon receiving complaints. A case was lodged on Friday against Additional Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife at the Industrial Area cop shoppe for torture and violence.
The FIR stated that the judge and his wife had been subjecting the child to torture for the last two years. And in the latest spate of violence, the domestic servant was beaten up for losing a broom.
The chief justice of the Islamabad High Court took notice of the incident and asked for a report on the incident in two days, after which the IHC registrar summoned the judge for an inquiry. The judge denied all charges.
Meanwhile, ...back at the laboratory the smoke and fumes had dispersed, to reveal an ominous sight... the domestic worker was given into state custody. Whereabouts of her family are still unknown, and no one from her family has come for her since the last two years.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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#1
the domestic worker was given into state custody.
I'm sure there is a herd containment facility nearby.
[GEO.TV] At least 26 people including a kid sustained injuries as gun sex broke out in the city on New Year’s eve.
Despite of strict security measures taken by the government in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , heavy gun sex rocked various parts of the metropolis.
According to the hospital sources, one and a half year old child among 26 got injuries as a result of firing.
Earlier, police closed several roads leading to Clifton after which hundreds of vehicles struck in massive traffic jam on main thoroughfares of the city.
Sindh Government had also put ban on riding double and carrying licensed weapons.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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#1
So, not aerial firing from an Apache, huh? Rats...
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/31/2016 12:15
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[MIDDLEEASTMONITOR] A new defence contract will see 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... , 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... and the UAE upgrade their missile defence capabilities.
The United States and allied military forces will upgrade their missile defence capabilities under a new $1.45 billion contract for the production and delivery of Lockheed Martin Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptors, Aerotech News reported.
Using up the oil profits before they run out...
The defence and aerospace industry site announced that the contract will includes PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE missile deliveries for the US Army, and Foreign Military Sales of PAC-3 interceptors, launcher modification kits, associated equipment and spares for Qatar, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.
The PAC-3 missile is a high-velocity interceptor which can defend against including tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. PAC-3 currently provides missile defence capabilities for six nations ‐ the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan.
Kuwait is also under contract to procure PAC-3 missiles.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[FINANCIALEXPRESS] A day after the police trashed reports of funds being raised to meet the legal expenses of tossed in the clink Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! alleged al-Qaeda terror operative Abdul Rehman,
...a common name in that part of the world...
the locals today staged a dharna in front of Salepur cop shoppe demanding a thorough probe into the incident to clear the air on the sensitive issue.
Sheikh Tahimur Ali (53) of Sahipada village lodged a police complaint yesterday alleging that some youths of the village were "coercing" him to donate Rs 50,000 towards the legal expenses of Rehman.
He also alleged that he and his son were threatened of dire consequences if he did not cough up the amount.
Salepur police, after conducting an investigation, came to the conclusion that the allegations were "baseless and false". "He (Tahimur) had lodged the complaint against the youths, implicating them with Rehman, only to teach them a lesson due to a grudge related to a personal rivalry," police had said.
But, as rumours spread that Tahimur had approached the police at the behest of one Ranjit Das of the locality, the latter today sat on the dharna in front of the cop shoppe along with his supporters. Claiming that he had no role in the entire incident, Das demanded a thorough probe into the matter as also into the "secret meetings" held in the locality to garner support for Rehman.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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A loyalist of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group hailing from Pakistan was arrested from the eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan.
The Counter-terrorism Directorate of the Ministry of Interior said the detained militant has been identified as Muslim who is originally a resident of Pakistan.
The official in the Counter-terrorism Directorate said Muslim 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 Muslim.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the ISIS loyalists have not commented regarding the report so far.
This comes as reports emerged recently suggesting that the ISIS loyalists are attempting to expand presence and activities in eastern Kunar province.
The National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar earlier said up to 80 percent of ISIS loyalists operating in Afghanistan are originally hailing from Pakistan and that they escape to the tribal regions of Pakistan after the Afghan forces conduct raids against them.
Both the Afghan and US forces conduct regular airstrikes against the ISIS loyalists to prevent them from expand foothold in the country.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/31/2016
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] 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... ’s King Salman ...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Cutodian of the Two Holy Mosquesand Lord of Most of the Arabians.... al-Saud has ordered the transfer of the Egyptian twins ‐ Menna and May ‐ conjoined at the head from their country to Riyadh to conduct the necessary treatment and evaluate the possibility of separating them.
The daughters of Islam Saqr Ramadan Hassan from Egypt are conjoined at the head and are set to be flown to King Abdul-Aziz Medical center in.
"This parental and humanitarian gesture from the King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is an extension to his great and noble attitudes towards humanitarian work and serving the less fortunate of this dear homeland and the Arab, Islamic and friendly countries are derived from the teachings of our Islamic religion," said Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Rabiah, an advisor at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of King Salman Relief and Humanitarian Center.
The twins are conjoined in the back of the head and share some tissue and veins around the brain area.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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#2
I'm pretty sure Pappy would send you to your room for that, Besoeker.
It won't be long before it is brought to the Saudi king's attention that he no longer has the oil income to indulge in such hand-waving munificence. Isn't it lovely that we needn't suffer the oil running out before we can kick sand in the Soddy national face! Here's hoping the some tissue the girls share isn't critical to brain function, and the girls survive the surgery unharmed.
If simple intention was sufficient, Marxism would work. Having the skill to attempt a procedure, that is noteworthy. Kind of an Apollo 13 thing, I guess.
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[DAWN] US Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, unsuccessful presidential candidate, and utterly failed Secretary of State... made a telephone call to the Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Thursday night in which he said United States was aware of Pakistain’s complaint against India's alleged violation of Indus Waters Treaty, said a statement issued by the government on Friday.
"US would like to see an amicable solution to this issue," Kerry was quoted as saying by the federal government.
The finance minister mentioned it to John Kerry that Indus Waters Treaty is an international commitment and it is the responsibility of the World Bank to make sure that India honours this treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of people of Pakistain are protected.
Earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said India's violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) would set a dangerous precedent for other countries to behave similarly, but remained hopeful that India would refrain from such actions.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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#2
Again. Dump something in the water (like, say more water) and spread a rumor it shrinks muzz pee pees and makes muzz women sterile. Watch the fun...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/31/2016 9:36
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#3
Maybe Kerry can piss off India before Barack leaves office?
Posted by: John Frum ||
12/31/2016 13:34
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In its last full month in office, the Obama administration has admitted 1,307 more Syrian refugees – pushing the 2016 calendar year total to 15,479, a 606.1 percent increase from the numbers resettled in the U.S. in 2015.
Of the 15,479 Syrian refugees admitted by the end of Thursday:
15,302 (98.8 percent) are Muslims – 15,134 Sunnis, 29 Shi’a, and 139 other Muslims
125 (0.8 percent) are Christians – 32 Catholics, 32 Orthodox, five Protestants, four Jehovah’s Witnesses, and 52 refugees described only as “Christian” in State Department Refugee Processing Center data
43(0.27 percent) are Yazidis
eight are “other” religion and one is described as having “no religion”
3,904 (25.2 percent) are males between the ages of 14 and 50
3,521 (22.7 percent) are females aged 14-50
7,428 (47.9 percent) are children under 14, of whom 3,824 are boys and 3,604 are girls.
Last year’s intake of Syrian refugees was considerably smaller – 2,192 in total – although the religious ratio was similarly skewed: 2,149 Muslims (98 percent) and 31 Christians (1.4 percent).
The last month of 2016 has seen 1,307 Syrian refugees arrive, of whom 1,278 (97.7 percent) were Muslims, 24 (1.8 percent) were Christians, and five (0.3 percent) were Yazidis.
The administration has determined that atrocities against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) in areas under its control amount to genocide. At the same time, however, it has rejected calls by Republican lawmakers and others to prioritize vulnerable religious minorities among refugee applicants. President Obama said that would amount to a “religious test.”
Which immigration law expressly allows, precisely because genocide sometimes affects one religion more than another.
Sunni Muslims do account for a majority of Syria’s population – an estimated 74 percent when the civil war began in early 2011. Even so, the proportion of Sunnis among the refugees admitted into the U.S. has been much larger than that: 97.7 percent of those resettled in 2016, and 97.15 of the total number of Syrian refugees admitted since the conflict began (17,513 out of 18,026).
On the other hand, Christians comprised some 10 percent of the Syrian population in early 2011, but only account for 0.8 percent of the refugees resettled in 2016; and for just 1.03 percent of the total number of Syrian refugees taken in since the beginning of the civil war (187 out of 18,026).
But we don't do religious tests, no sir Senator...
Organizations aiding Syrian Christians say many of those who have left the country avoid camps run by the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR for fear of their safety, and seek shelter instead with churches, Christian charities or relatives in surrounding countries. Since the U.S. relies on UNHCR referrals at the early stage of processing refugee status applications, Christians as a result are underrepresented.
The UNHCR has acknowledged that minorities “fear that registration might bring retribution from other refugees” in the camps, although it also says living in a camp is not a requirement for refugees to be registered with the agency.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2016
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[The Grauniad] Labelled an international pariah only months ago by Boris Johnson, and warned he would be stuck in a Syrian quagmire by a patronising Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin ends 2016 if not as the undisputed victor, then at least as the man at the centre of decision making.
Reeling from its cold war defeat and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet empire, Moscow was unable to save Yugoslavia from what it termed western aggression. But in the case of Syria, it can claim it has recovered its self-respect. In the process, it has built a brutal reputation for sticking by its friends, understanding the dynamics of the region better than America, and knowing how to use military power to forge diplomatic alliances.
Many will rightly warn that experience in Syria shows ceasefires are fragile and do not lead to peace talks, let alone peace deals. But the unlikely Russian-Turkish peace drive has a propitious backdrop.
No single formula or manual exists for ending a civil war. But a sense of futility born of exhaustion, a decisive change in the military balance, a recasting of the key actors and a shift in the diplomatic alliances are all key ingredients, and in the case of the Syrian civil war all four factors exist.
The military intervention of Russia a year ago saved President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and this month led to the defeat of the rebels in east Aleppo, changing the military balance for good.
Hillary Clinton’s failure to be elected president extinguished the final hope that a more interventionist, strong anti-Russian voice would be heard in the White House. Donald Trump may be an unknown quantity, but given the choice he will back Assad, and not the Saudi-supported rebels. Finally, Assad’s greatest external opponent, Turkey, has for a mixture of reasons – some noble and some self-interested – decided to make its peace with Putin.
Hillary Clinton’s failure to be elected president extinguished the final hope that a more interventionist, strong anti-Russian voice would be heard in the White House. Donald Trump may be an unknown quantity, but given the choice he will back Assad, and not the Saudi-supported rebels. Finally, Assad’s greatest external opponent, Turkey, has for a mixture of reasons – some noble and some self-interested – decided to make its peace with Putin.
It leaves the divided rebels forced back on their own resources, and the Gulf states. Saudi Arabia has discovered for itself in Yemen the price of war, and will not intervene militarily in Syria without US involvement.
Russia is welcoming diplomatic and economic overtures from traditional US allies in the region. Qatar has invested in a $11.5bn deal for a 19.5% stake in Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil producer, even though the company is subject to US and EU sanctions. Eygpt also appears to be close to a new beginning with Moscow. So some of the old road blocks to peace are disappearing.
But that does not mean all is now plain sailing for Russia. For a start Turkey still insists Assad will have to stand down as part of the peace process, the issue that led to previous peace talks to founder. Putin will have to find a formula that eluded the UN’s Syrian peace envoy, Staffan de Mistura, which allows the talks to start with the issue of Assad’s future in effect parked.
The identity of the rebels to be invited to the peace talks will also have to be agreed. That will require Assad to abandon his division of Syria into loyalists and terrorists, requiring Putin to force Assad to accept that he will have to negotiate with rebels that are not linked to Islamic State or Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, which is linked to al-Qaida. US officials believe it is nigh impossible to separate al-Nusra from mainstream rebels.
The identity of the rebels to be invited to the peace talks will also have to be agreed. That will require Assad to abandon his division of Syria into loyalists and terrorists, requiring Putin to force Assad to accept that he will have to negotiate with rebels that are not linked to Islamic State or Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, which is linked to al-Qaida. US officials believe it is nigh impossible to separate al-Nusra from mainstream rebels.
Putin will also struggle to ensure that Iranians feel they have gained sufficient spoils from victory. Iran is already saying its arch-enemy, Saudi Arabia, must not be present at the talks.
Turkey looks like the pivotal state. The US also appears to be in the process of mislaying this vital ally, but it is hard to read how much Ankara will compromise to strike a deal.
Essentially Putin offered Turkey’s president a bargain. In return for allowing the Syrian army to capture Aleppo, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan looks to have been given the opportunity in northern Syria to push back against a Syrian Kurdish federation,even though the US-backed Syrian Kurds have been at the forefront of the fight against Islamic State in Raqqa.
The Kurds were excluded from the UN Geneva peace process, and Putin’s initial peace talks due to take place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, may also leave the Kurds without a seat at the negotiating table. If so, the Kurds, another bloodied US ally, will feel that the professorial Obama proved to be a lot better at lecturing on the state of the world than actually shaping it. And into that vacuum, Putin has successfully rushed.
#3
Because they have had a salt water port base their for a long time have occupied the country with Syria for a long time and some psycho idiot thought it would behoove the USA to invade a Russian owned vicariously owned country ?
MOSUL: Iraqi forces faced car bombs and fierce resistance from Daesh militants in southern Mosul on Friday, the second day of a renewed push to take back the city after fighting stalled for several weeks.
An officer in the federal police forces, which joined the battle on Thursday, said there were heavy clashes in the southeastern Palestine district, but they had made progress in two other neighborhoods, disabling a number of car bombs.
Another officer, from an elite Interior Ministry unit fighting alongside federal police, said his forces were gaining ground in the Intisar district despite heavy clashes there.
Iraqi forces in the east and north of the city were clearing areas they had recaptured on Thursday before advancing any further, officers said, and the army was trying to cut supply lines to the town of Tel Keyf, north of Mosul.
Since the offensive began 10 weeks ago, US-backed forces have retaken a quarter of the jihadists’ last major stronghold in Iraq in the biggest ground operation there since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Recapturing Mosul would probably spell the end for Daesh self-styled caliphate, and Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has said the group would be driven out of Iraq by April.
Elite forces pushed into Mosul from the east in October but regular army troops tasked with advancing from the north and south made slower progress and the operation stagnated.
After regrouping this month, they renewed the offensive on Thursday, advancing from the south, east and north of the city, which has been under militant control for more than two years.
The second phase of the operation will see US troops deployed closer to the front line inside the city.
On Friday, a Reuters reporter saw a handful of Americans in their MRAP vehicles, that tower over Iraqi tanks, accompanying top commanders to meetings in a village just north of Mosul.
Although the militants are vastly outnumbered, they have embedded themselves among Mosul residents, hindering Iraqi forces who are trying to avoid civilian casualties. Despite food and water shortages, most civilians have stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as had been expected.
NORTHERN FRONT
On the nothern front, Iraqi forces have yet to enter Mosul itself but on Friday they were clearing just-recaptured areas on its periphery as well as trying to cut off Tel Keyf.
“The enemy had occupied this area and used it for resting and resupplying toward Tel Keyf and Mosul,” Major General Najm Al-Jubbouri, a top commander in the offensive told Reuters in the northern district of Sada, which was recaptured on Thursday.
“It (Tel Keyf) is surrounded from the other sides and by our forces here,” he said.
Jubbouri said the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces had killed 70 militants since late on Thursday and were using Apache helicopters, HIMARS rocket launchers and fighter jets.
Mosul is bisected by the Tigris river, and Iraqi forces have yet to enter the western side, where 2,000-year-old markets and narrow alleyways are likely to complicate any advance.
Coalition forces bombed the last remaining bridge connecting east and west Mosul late on Monday in a bid to block Daesh access across the Tigris River.
A medical source in Mosul told Reuters a large number of wounded militants had been ferried across the river to the emergency hospital on the western side of city on Thursday.
The source said the militants were denying wounded and sick civilians access to the hospital.
More than 114,000 civilians have been displaced from Mosul so far, according to the United Nations — a fraction of the 1.5 million thought to still be inside.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/31/2016
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[RUDAW.NET] Airstrikes by the US-led coalition killed at least 70 ISIS hard boyz Friday morning on the northern part of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... a day after the Iraqi military launched the second phase of its offensive to retake the city from the radical group.
Maj. Gen. Najim al-Jabouri commander of the Mosul Liberation Operation told Rudaw that the army has been advancing on the Hadba neighborhood in northern Mosul and "is trying to retake the Mosul-Tel Skuf road."
Jabouri added that the "Iraqi counter terrorism forces together with the ninth division have been trying to link up the southern and eastern neighborhoods to make a buffer wall preventing ISIS boom-mobiles from reaching the liberated neighborhoods."
He explained that tough fighting is happening at al-Quds2 "after al-Quds1 was liberated yesterday."
The Iraqi commander reiterated that their forces will reach the Tigris river as soon as possible as only "five to six more neighborhoods are left to be liberated."
He also voiced concern over the worsening conditions of the civilian in the neighborhoods locked in intense festivities.
"We are doing our best to protect civilians and trying to carry them away from the war-torn neighborhoods," he claimed.
The operation to liberate Mosul was launched more than two months and the army has since retaken 40 neighborhoods, it claims.
On the first day of the second phase, Iraqi forces advanced on three fronts and liberated several neighborhoods, the military detailed in a statement published Thursday evening.
To the north of the city, Iraqi security forces liberated the villages of Tawilah and al-Sada, and on the southeastern front, Counter-Terror forces took al-Quds1 neighborhood.
On the southern front, the statement reads, the army pushed forward in the al-Salam, Intisar and al-Shaimaa neighborhoods.
The military also announced that over 150 ISIS hard boyz had been killed throughout the day, including a commander for the northern coast of the left bank, Abu Hazaifa, who was killed in an Arclight airstrike.
[RUDAW.NET] Iraqi forces progressed north of the city on the second day of the reinvigorated fight to liberate djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... from ISIS.
The Iraqi army pushed south two kilometres along the Tel Kaif-Mosul road, a statement from the media office announced Friday evening.
Maj. Gen. Najim al-Jabouri commander of the Mosul Liberation Operation told Rudaw earlier on Friday that the army has been advancing on the Hadba neighborhood in northern Mosul and "is trying to retake the Mosul-Tel Skuf road."
The aim of the operation was to cut supply lines into the town of Tel Kaif, north of Mosul, Rooters reported, citing a military officer.
Heavy festivities between Iraqi forces and ISIS turbans took place in southern and eastern neighbourhoods of the city.
The army reported killing more than 50 ISIS turbans on the northern front and more than 95 in the south of the city.
[RUDAW.NET] With no news of his daughter, kidnapped by ISIS, for 16 months, a father feared she was dead until he received a phone call in the middle of the night.
Parwin Ali was released from ISIS captivity by a man known only as Abu Ghanim, buying her freedom for $20,700.
She is one of four Yezidi women held for more than two years by ISIS who have beat feet fromdjinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and are now being reunited with their families.
"On December 30, three Yezidi women previously held captive by 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.... were freed in the Iraqi province of Nineveh. The Lahib tribe is looking after them now. They will reunite with their families in the coming hours," Falah Hassan, Iraq’s agriculture minister, told Rudaw on Friday.
A fourth woman fled the city and reached the Peshmerga frontline. Preferring to stay anonymous, she told Rudaw that she had been kidnapped with her sister. Nearly 11 of her family members were kidnapped, including herself. She is the only one to have escaped so far.
According to statistics recorded by Dohuk’s office of the affairs of the kidnapped, over 3,700 Yezidis are still held captive by ISIS, many of whom are women and kiddies.
The head of the office had earlier told Rudaw that they have rescued 2,669 people from ISIS thus far.
Parwin, who was sold on a near monthly basis, was taken from Shingal, to Tal Afar, Mosul, Raqqa, and Aleppo before being brought back to Mosul.
"We will never forget their good deed," said Parwin’s father of the men who freed his daughter.
He welcomed his daughter home with "great respect."
"We kneel down before them and will respect them even more than before. She is our daughter. She is from our flesh and blood."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[MIDDLEEASTEYE.NET] President Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. 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 Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... said on Friday he would not expel any Americans in response to Washington turfing out dozens of Russian diplomats over alleged election interference.
The Kremlin strongman's surprise decision came after Russia's foreign ministry asked him to send home 35 US diplomats in tit-for-tat retaliation for the expulsion of the same number of its staff by President Barack Obama Because I won... on Thursday.
"We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone," Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin.
A calm adult vs. President Obama playing a petulant child. President Putin is enjoying his chew toy.
Putin's move was a clear sign that Moscow is pinning its hopes on President-elect 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... to help rebuild ties - which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War - when he takes office next month.
"We evaluate the new unfriendly steps by the outgoing US administration as a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations," Putin said.
He said Moscow would plan its next steps "based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump," while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to hit back.
Putin ended his message by wishing both Obama and Trump a Happy New Year and separately congratulated Trump in his New Year's message to heads of state around the world.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a total of 96 Russians, including expelled diplomats and their families, were expected to leave the United States due to the latest sanctions on Moscow, TASS news agency reported.
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12/31/2016
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#1
When was the last time you thought of the Russians as the adults in the room? I get the feeling we're not in Cold War Kansas anymore.
#5
"I expect cynicism in Washington. But it usually is combined with a lot of knowledge — as with, say, Henry Kissinger. To be cynical and ignorant and to spin those two things into a virtue? That’s industrial-strength hubris. Kind of like what got us into Iraq, in fact.
"Rhodes and others around Obama keep on talking about doing all this novel thinking, playing from a new playbook, bucking the establishment thinking. But if that is the case, why have they given so much foreign policy power to two career hacks who never have had an original thought? I mean, of course, Joe Biden and John Kerry. I guess the answer can only be that those two are puppets, and (as in Biden’s case) are given losing propositions like Iraq to handle.
"Obama’s hasn’t been an original foreign policy as much as it has been a politicized foreign policy. And this Rhodes guy reminds me of the Kennedy smart guys who helped get us into the Vietnam War. Does he know how awful he sounds? Kind of like McGeorge Bundy meets Lee Atwater."
#12
And remember that the bread, crackers, and bowls of caviar are there for a reason. One of my favorite photos is of a Russian after the night before knocking back a shot of vodka and eating caviar out of a tub.
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] The Syrian army Friday regained control over Sharifa village in southwestern Tifur airport in Homs eastern countryside, killing scores of ISIS terrorists.
The Syrian Army, backed by the air force, stormed Nusra terrorists’ positions in Wadi al-Bardi region in Western Gouta, killing or injuring a number of holy warriors.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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Donald Trump’s pledges to deport undocumented immigrants and build a U.S.-Mexico border wall helped fuel Republicans’ surprising election victories, but they now face growing challenges from fellow party members.
Three RINO Republican senators are working with Democrats to shield about 750,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation if Trump cancels a 2012 order from President Barack Obama that let them stay in the U.S.
Lawmakers want to “ensure that children who were brought here by their parents, through no fault of their own, are able to stay and finish their education and continue to contribute to society,” said Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona. Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are joining him on a measure drafted by the No. 2 Democratic leader, Dick Durbin of Illinois, that will be introduced after the new Congress convenes Jan. 3.
Trump’s campaign was largely powered by his get-tough stance on immigration. A Pew Research Center poll in August found that 79 percent of Trump voters want a border wall, compared with 38 percent of all registered voters.
But among lawmakers in Congress, the desire to build a wall along the entire 1,933-mile border with Mexico has evaporated.
Was it ever there in the first place?
Republicans in both chambers instead support more fencing, border patrol agents, drones and other resources to curb illegal entry. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul said he’ll offer a bill with some of those steps in January.
“Starting next month, the people are going to get what they asked for,” the Texas Republican said Dec. 9 at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, contending that the "border security surge" plan is as good as a wall.
That may not be good enough for Trump, who pushed back after House Speaker Paul Ryan said Dec. 4 on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that "conditions on the ground determine what you need" in different areas of the border.
"We’re going to work on the wall, Paul," Trump told a cheering audience when the two appeared together Dec. 13 in Wisconsin on the president-elect’s thank-you tour. "We’re going to build the wall, OK? Believe me."
In a Time magazine interview in early December, Trump didn’t back off a promise to cancel Obama’s executive orders on immigration. But he also said he’ll seek a solution on young undocumented immigrants -- known as “Dreamers” after failed legislation to protect them -- that will “make people happy and proud.”
I think I see the beginnings of a deal: Trump gets more of a wall and the RINOs get some modification of the "deport them all" idea Trump bandied about. The wall gets built in some places, not all.
Among the pivotal Republican senators who disagree with Trump is John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. McCain highlighted his split with Trump’s approaches during a Dec. 20-21 trip to Mexico, where he discussed the U.S. relationship with its southern neighbor with Mexico’s Interior Minister and other government officials.
While there, McCain said he holds the view of most Senate Democrats that any border security changes should be part of a broader immigration measure to address the status of some or all of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
The Dems say that because they know that's how they can stall any action at all, which is their real goal. That's why they also demand that the Trump team and the Pubs have a 'replacement plan' in place before repealing O-care -- they're not interested in the replacement plan, they're just trying to stall. Same thing on immigration -- gum up the works.
He also emphasized the need for a secure border, but didn’t directly affirm Trump’s call for an actual wall.
"I believe that we need to have significant improvements in border enforcement, but I believe the way that you do that is technology primarily," McCain said.
Tried and failed. Remember the Boeing fence idea? Never worked.
Mexican officials provided some of their own pressure after Trump’s repeated calls for that country to pay for fortification at the border.
Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu met with Ryan in Washington on Dec. 14 to discuss the U.S.-Mexico relationship. She also met with Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, to discuss Mexico’s support for the bipartisan bill protecting younger undocumented immigrants.
For some reason Mexico doesn't want its young citizens back. I wonder why?
Most Republicans in Congress, particularly those in the House, favor securing the border before changing the immigration law. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California has said McCaul’s border-security ideas are a “good place to start.”
McCaul in 2015 advanced a measure through his committee that would have required the Department of Homeland Security to achieve operational control of the Southwest border in five years, based on a sector-by-sector analysis. The agency’s political appointees would be denied pay raises and bonuses if the bill’s goals weren’t met. He has indicated his new proposal will be more extensive, coming under a Republican president who sees the border as a bigger priority.
“We must start with an immediate border security ‘surge,’” McCaul said at the Heritage Foundation. “We have started to work on emergency plans in Congress to build the tough array of barriers we need along the border, close all gaps and defend American sovereignty."
In the Senate, Homeland Security and Government Reform Chairman Ron Johnson says he isn’t in a hurry. He says he wants to wait until the confirmation of retired Marine General John Kelly, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and to work with him on a proposal.
In the meantime, Johnson recently returned from a trip to Israel to discuss border security with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and examine nearly 160 miles of steel fencing that separates Israel from the Sinai. Johnson estimates it might cost the U.S. about $4 billion to build something similar along portions of the border with Mexico, and wants to consider whether Israel’s approach offers a model.
At least he's talking to people who know fencing...
“I’m interested in passing a bill that will actually work,” said Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican. “It may take a little more time and a little more thought.”
Regardless of the pace of the broader debate, Congress could add funds for border security to the next spending bill to keep the U.S. government open after current funding expires April 28.
While Trump promised to make Mexico pay for the changes, few lawmakers see that as a realistic goal -- at least not initially.
A ten percent excise tax on wire-transfers to Latin America would be simple to implement.
Representative Mark Meadows, the new chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said that while most members of his group will want to offset the cost with reductions in other spending, a border plan without spending offsets won’t lose many of their votes.
Freedom Caucus members see border security as a “major problem, and the American people want it built," Meadows of North Carolina said in an interview. "We can probably move the funds from something that is not paid-for to the wall."
The last significant action on immigration was in 2013, when the Senate voted 68-32 for its plan that included a path to legal residency and $46 billion to secure the U.S-Mexico border. The bill would have doubled the Border Patrol’s size by adding 20,000 agents, required 700 miles of border fencing, and added unmanned drones to help police the border. The House didn’t consider the bill.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2016
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#1
As the new year approaches I vow not to repeat the same comments on every Trump vs The RINO's article. But God Allmighty, in every sense of the description Trump is the ultimate RINO. He's new to the party and only for a vehicle for his Presidential run. And even then he threatened to break as an independent. Moreover, Trump has had (and continues to have) nothing but contempt for the party apparatus. He breaks with a number of traditional Republican policies. Trump is NOT a conservative. In fact, many of his proposals are liberal. He has a thumbless grasp of the US Constitution and could give shit who cares. He has even boasted that he will continue Croney capitalism as way to "get things done". His foreign policy is clouded but certainly breaks with traditional Pub orthodoxy.
This is NOT a judgment on the man nor his policies. This is an observation of an absurd narrative developing that it's spineless politicians standing in a true Republican President's way.
#2
Sigh. How did I know as soon as I read the headline that Lindsey Graham was involved?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/31/2016 13:13
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Trump is NOT a conservative.
Define conservative. If you think Lindsey Graham is a conservative then, OK, I'm a liberal.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/31/2016 13:15
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Obstructionists congress-critters will be up for re-election sometime in the near future. The voters may have to impose term limits on them. I thought the legislation for a building a wall was already in place from several years back.
[ARA News] Aleppo – The Islamic State (ISIS) radical group on Friday executed a young man in the city of al-Bab in Syria’s northern Aleppo Governorate after accusing him of helping civilians evacuate the city.
Mustafa al-Hazouri, 24, was beheaded by ISIS on charges of smuggling citizens to areas beyond the group’s control.
“He was captured by ISIS militants while helping a group of civilians escape from al-Bab,” a local source told ARA News, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The extremist group publicly executed al-Hazouri in central al-Bab.
“They wanted to punish him because the group has banned the people of al-Bab from leaving the city under any circumstances,” another source told ARA News.
This comes amid fears of ISIS using civilians as human shields in al-Bab, where fighting continued between the group and rebel factions of the Euphrates Shield Brigades.
Last week, ISIS executed Abdulkarim al-Hassan, a truck driver, for trying to smuggle three families out of Raqqa. “Al-Hassan was caught by the militants near the western exit of Raqqa. He was hiding three families from Raqqa inside his truck, apparently trying to smuggle them to areas held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),” local media activist Muhammad Murdam told ARA News, citing ISIS officials.
The pro-ISIS Sharia Court of Raqqa decided to execute and crucify the man on charges of treason and apostasy. In front of hundreds of people, al-Hassan was executed by firing squad and his body was crucified on an electricity pole, eyewitnesses told ARA News.
[ARA News] Raqqa – The radical group of Islamic State (ISIS) has promoted a number of foreign jihadists to leading positions in Syria’s northeastern Raqqa Governorate, to replace senior local jihadists.
The Islamic State named Abu Saraqeb al-Maghribi, a Moroccan, as Head of Security in Tabqa city in Raqqa Governorate, an informed source told ARA News, adding that al-Maghribi was promoted after the Syrian head of security in Tabqa was arrested by ISIS on corruption charges.
ISIS has also named an Egyptian, known as Abu Jandal al-Masri, as Chief of Information in Raqqa. Al-Masri replaced the Syrian jihadist Abu Ahmed al-Souri at the request of the ISIS supreme leader al-Baghdadi.
Furthermore, the group has replaced another Syrian official with an Algerian, called Abu Muhammad al-Jazrawi. Al-Jazrawi was named as Chief of Hisba –or Islamic Police.
Jawad al-Ali, a Syrian political analyst, told ARA News that promoting foreign jihadists to such leading positions “shows that ISIS no longer trusts its local members.”
ISIS has recently executed dozens of people, including its own militants, on charges of spying for hostile forces in Syria.
“The Islamic State tries to take some preventive steps in a bid to avoid any breaches in its security institutions in Raqqa [ISIS’ de facto capital],” al-Ali said.
“However, isolating Syrian jihadist leaders in this way may lead to a serious internal conflict within the group,” he told ARA News.
This comes amid an ongoing military campaign by the SDF, backed by an air cover from the US-led coalition, as part of the second phase of the Euphrates Wrath Operation for Raqqa. The SDF has so far captured over 1400 km² in western Raqqa within the second phase of the operation, that started on December 10. During the first phase of Euphrates Wrath, that was launched on November 6, the SDF captured roughly 560 km² of land in northern Raqqa.
The SDF launched the second phase of the Euphrates Wrath Operation with the objective of securing Raqqa’s western countryside and Tabqa Dam, which bridges the Euphrates River. The long-term objective of Euphrates Wrath is the elimination of the Islamic State in its de facto capital, Raqqa city.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/31/2016
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Terming China's decision to again block a proposal to list Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist under the 1267 sanctions committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as "surprising", India on Friday said the decision confirms the prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism.
"This decision by China is surprising as China herself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism. As a consequence of this decision, the UNSC has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
"We had expected China would have been understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," he added.
Describing the decision as unfortunate, Swarup said Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad which is proscribed by the UN has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot air base attack.
"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," Swarup added.
Swarup further asserted that India would use all its options available to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice.
China is the lone member among the 15-member UNSC to oppose the ban on Azhar. Previously, while opposing the ban against Azhar, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said that the country firmly supports combating all forms of terrorism, stronger international cooperation against terrorism, and supports the central and coordinating role of the UN in international counter-terrorism cooperation.
Posted by: john frum ||
12/31/2016
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start after midnight on Friday (2200 GMT on Thursday) in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed. Russian President Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. 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 Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... , a key ally of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... , announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.
Monitors and a rebel official reported festivities between bandidos hard boys and government forces along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, and isolated incidents of gunfire further south less than two hours after the truce began. Warring sides appeared to have stopped firing in many other areas, however.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States could join the grinding of the peace processor once President-elect 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... takes office on Jan. 20. He also wanted Egypt to join, together with 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... , 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... , Iraq, Jordan and 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... A number of rebel groups have signed the agreement, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a front man for the Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... (FSA), a loose alliance of hard boy groups, said it would abide by the truce. One FSA commander was optimistic about the truce deal, the third serious attempt this year at a nationwide ceasefire.
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Several breaches reported on Friday for the nationwide ceasefire that had been brokered by Russian and Turkish to end the war in Syria and lead to peace talks between rebels the Syrian regime.
Activists said regime forces and allied militias tried to advance in Jabal al-Arbaeen in Southern countryside of Aleppo, but the the Syrian resistance’s fighter stopped them.
Moreover, attempts to invade the town of Abo Rowil of regime were stopped by rebels.
Osama Abo Zid, legal advisor of the Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... (FSA), reported that they had informed the Turkish side of the ceasefire breaches and they are waiting to see the procedure, although, 12 hours are not enough to evaluate the commitment to the truce.
In regard to areas controlled by ISIS which is not included with the factions signed the truce, 10 non-combatants were killed and 3 maimed by Russian air strikes on al-Bab city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.
Regime’s warplanes carried out about 20 raids against rebels in many towns in Idlib and Hama, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR.
Moreover, SOHR mentioned that regime helicopters also struck northwest of Damascus in the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley, and clashed between regime forces and allied forces were recorded.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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This story goes along with the Trump border wall story. You see, if we had effective border security, guys like this wouldn't be allowed to rape women in the U.S. Mention this the next time an American feminist brings up rape, or campus rape, or something like that, and see how they respond.
A Mexican man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. another nine times since 2003, records obtained by The Associated Press show.
Three U.S. Republican senators — including Kansas' Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts — demanded this month that the Department of Homeland Security provide immigration records for 38-year-old Tomas Martinez-Maldonado, who is charged with a felony in the alleged Sept. 27 attack aboard a bus in Geary County. He is being held in the Geary County jail in Junction City, which is about 120 miles west of Kansas City.
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, from Iowa and chairman of the judiciary committee, co-signed a Dec. 9 letter with Moran and Roberts to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, calling it "an extremely disturbing case" and questioning how Martinez-Maldonado was able to re-enter and remain in the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it has placed a detainer — a request to turn Martinez-Maldonado over to ICE custody before he is released — with Geary County. ICE declined to discuss his specific case beyond its October statement regarding the 10 deportations.
Court filings show Martinez-Maldonado has two misdemeanor convictions for entering without legal permission in cases prosecuted in 2013 and 2015 in U.S. District Court of Arizona, where he was sentenced to serve 60 days and 165 days respectively.
A status hearing in the rape case is scheduled for Jan. 10. Defense attorney Lisa Hamer declined to comment on the charge, but said, "criminal law and immigration definitely intersect and nowadays it should be the responsibility of every criminal defense attorney to know the possible ramifications in the immigration courts."
Nationwide, 52 percent of all federal prosecutions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 were for entry or re-entry without legal permission and similar immigration violations, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
It's not unusual to see immigrants with multiple entries without legal permission, said David Trevino, a Topeka immigration attorney also representing Martinez-Maldonado. Most of Martinez-Maldonado's family lives in Mexico, but he also has family in the United States, and the family is "devastated," Trevino said.
Devastated enough to disown a rapist?
"(President-elect Donald Trump) can build a wall 100 feet high and 50 feet deep, but it is not going to keep family members separated. So if someone is deported and they have family members here ... they will find a way back — whether it is through the air, under a wall, through the coast of the United States," Trevino said.
And if the man in question is a rapist, he'll rape again.
He declined to comment on his client's criminal history and pending charge.
Records obtained by AP show Martinez-Maldonado had eight voluntary removals before his first deportation in 2010, which was followed by another voluntary removal that same year. He was deported five more times between 2011 and 2013. In 2013, Martinez-Maldonado was charged with entering without legal permission, a misdemeanor, and subsequently deported in early 2014 after serving his sentence. He was deported again a few months later, as well as twice in 2015 — including the last one in October 2015 after he had served his second sentence, the records show.
ICE said in an emailed statement when it encounters a person who's been deported multiple times or has a significant criminal history and was removed, it routinely presents those cases to the U.S. attorney's office for possible criminal charges.
Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Arizona, declined comment on why prosecutors twice dismissed felony re-entry after deportation charges against Martinez-Maldonado in 2013 and 2015 in exchange for guilty pleas on misdemeanor entry charges.
Cosme ended up denying her own name by the end of the interview...
Arizona ranks third in the nation — behind only the Southern District of Texas and the Western District of Texas — for the number of immigration prosecutions among the nation's 94 federal judicial districts for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, TRAC records show.
Moran told the AP in an emailed statement that the immigration system is "broken."
"There must be serious legislative efforts to address U.S. immigration policy, and we must have the ability to identify, prosecute and deport illegal aliens who display violent tendencies before they have an opportunity to perpetrate these crimes in the United States," he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2016
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#1
Not certain which type of criminal activity is ignored more by the liberal media and pols, Mexican illegals raping and murdering, or Chicago gang-bang warfare.
#2
Pretty obviously he needs to be disappeared or he'll be back again to rape
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016 8:30
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Every illegal in this country should be deported, if they have a criminal record here, then executed. If we catch them again, they go in the organ banks or up against the wall. If Mexico complains, put a hellfire though their presidents bedroom window and tell him to sit down, shut up and control his people. Or the next one we catch is an act of war.
[Daily Excelsior] After a lull of several days, Pakistain army today again pounded forward areas along Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector, violating ceasefire and killing a civilian while Indian troops retaliated effectively to silence the Pak guns amidst credible inputs by the Intelligence agencies that Pakistain army was trying to push hard boyz into the Indian territory with under the cover of ceasefire violations.
Official sources told the Excelsior that troops all along the LoC have been put on very high alert following two ceasefire violations by Pakistain army in as many days in Poonch sector.
"Army was maintaining strict vigil to thwart any infiltration attempt by the hard boyz on the LoC in view of Intelligence reports that some hard boyz have been spotted at launch pads in Pakistain Indian Kashmiree (PoK), waiting for an opportunity to sneak-in,’’ sources said, adding that Pak troops might have been resorting to mortar shelling and firing to facilitate the intrusion bids.
However, there's more than one way to skin a cat... sources said, Army was on the high alert along the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri and would thwart any attempt of infiltration into this side.
After November 23 meetings between Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistain, the ceasefire violations had virtually come down to naught, both along LoC and International Border. However, there's more than one way to skin a cat... two ceasefire violations in as many days, have put a question mark on the intentions of Pakistain.
Sources said Pak troops resorted to heavy shelling and firing with automatic weapons at Khari Karmara, Bigial Dara, Digwar and Gulpur areas, about four kilometers from Poonch town along the LoC at 4.45 pm today.
They fired several mortar shells targeting forward Indian posts and civilian areas along the LoC. The troops from this side retaliated effectively.
The people living along the LoC were caught unaware as for past several days, there was peace on the LoC. A youth Tanvir Ahmad son of Fazal Mohammad was trapped in the Pakistain firing and was killed due to mortar shell kaboom near his house.
Exchange of heavy shelling between the two sides continued for over an hour. The shelling stopped at 6.05 pm, sources said, adding that body of the dear departed civilian has been shifted to the hospital for post-mortem.
Some houses sustained minor damage in Pakistain shelling.
Sources said the shelling by Pakistain was completely unprovoked and was directly aimed at killing the civilians as several villages were pounded with 82mm mortar shells. Pakistain side was also reported to have suffered extensive damage in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops.
Yesterday, Pakistain army had opened firing in Khari Karmara forward area of Poonch sector in which an Indian Army jawan was injured.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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At least 11 police force members were killed after their outpost was attacked by a group of Taliban militants in Farah city on Thursday night, sources told TOLOnews.
Farah governor’s spokesman Mohammad Nasir Mehri confirmed the incident, but said two policemen were killed in the attack.
According to him, the militants took away all weapons following the raid on the police outpost.
Based on another report, a Taliban commander known as Mullah Tahir rejoined the militant group with his 15 fighters in Jawzjan province, security chief of Jawzjan Police Headquarters, Abdul Hafiz Khashi said.
He said the Taliban commander has taken a number of weapons and eight Border Police force members with him.
He added that Tahir joined the peace process with 35 fighters four months ago.
[MIDDLEEASTMONITOR] Sudan is set to announce a new national government early next month including a minister to take over the newly recreated post of prime minister, a bigwig disclosed yesterday.
The Sudanese Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud said in a presser in Khartoum that President Omar al-Bashir Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it. will issue a decree slated for 10 January to declare the new government once the arrangements are finalised.
The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the political parties participating in national dialogue efforts have engaged in broad-based consultations to name the new prime minister and the entire cabinet, Mahmoud said.
He called on the opposition to join the new government. "The doors are still open for the boycotters to join the national consensus government," he said. Opposition members boycotted the elections in Sudan on the grounds that they do not represent true democratisation.
On Wednesday, Sudan’s parliament endorsed a raft of constitutional amendments, one of which revives the country’s prime ministerial post for the first time since al-Bashir came to power after a 1989 coup. The constitutional changes give the president more power, including authority to appoint cabinet ministers.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[MIDDLEEASTMONITOR] The Jordanian government yesterday said it held Israel, as the occupying power, fully responsible for any violation against the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Jordan’s Petra news agency reported.
State Minister for Media Affairs and government front man, Mohammed al-Momani, said any attempt by Israelis to storm or enter the al-Aqsa Mosque compound is illegal and an aggressive act against the Islamic holy site and the feelings of Moslems.
The minister also reaffirmed Jordan’s stance on maintaining the status quo at al-Aqsa.
The minister was commenting on the storming of the al-Aqsa Mosque by 149 Jewish settlers yesterday.
Earlier, the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem said in a statement that about 15,000 Israelis stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the current year.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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In November, Nevadans went to the polls to destroy their rights in a plebiscite sponsored by Michael Bloomberg. With this new law all three west coast states now have universal background check laws. Just before the election, I would have bet money the measure would not have passed.
Now the FBI said it will not conduct its background check on simple, non-commercial transfers.
The FBI's reason is that the new state law cannot dictate how federal resources are used.
As I mentioned as an inline commentary to a news story about the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram, apparently they are getting plastic AK magazines from somewhere for use in their AKs. The same thing is happening in Yemen, where in a recent photo I saw a plastic magazine in one AK.
Prices for pistol ammunition were steady. Prices for rifle ammunition were steady.
Prices for used pistols were mixed. Prices for used rifles were mixed.
New Lows:
None.
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4Q, 2016)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .24 per round (From Last week: Unchanged (8 Weeks))
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammo Mart, Legendary, FSFP, Brass Casing, Reloads, .21 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Ammo Mart, Legendary, FSFP, Brass Casing, reloads, .21 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .15 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: FedArm, Own Brand, TPMJ, Brass Casing, Reloads, .15 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (7 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: J&G Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel casing, .25 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks))
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round (From Last Week: +.01 Each
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .34 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .34 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
7.62x39mm AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammo King, Wolf WPA, Steel Case, FMJ, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: SG Ammo, Wolf WPA, Steel Case, FMJ, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (5 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds (10 Box Limit): Natchez Shooters Suuply, Federal, RNL, .06 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 325 rounds (2 Box Limit): South Georgia Outdoors, Federal, RNL, .06 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $550 Last Week Avg: $510(+) ($616 (2Q, 2015), $468 (4 Weeks))
California (260, 271): Delton Echo 316 : $750 ($750 (CA: $650 (1Q, 2015)), $400 (2Q, 2016))
Texas (306, 313): Del Ton DT Sport: $500 ($700 (1Q, 2015), $350 (2Q, 2015))
Pennsylvania (154, 160): Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport: $550 ($700 (2Q, 2015), $300 (3Q, 2015))
Virginia (189, 195): Palmetto State Armory: $500 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $415 (3 Weeks))
Florida (445, 445): Anderson Arms: $450 ($650 (2Q, 2015), $380 (1Q, 2015))
#1
So who is making these plastic mags for the jihadis? Are they getting Chinese knockoffs? Whatcha think Chris?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/31/2016 0:25
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#2
What made the kid think he's an expert in anything?
According to Wikipedia, Mikhail Kalashnikov began his career as a weapon designer in 1941, while recuperating from a shoulder wound, which he received during the Battle of Bryansk. Kalashnikov himself stated..."I was in the hospital, and a soldier in the bed beside me asked: ‘Why do our soldiers have only one rifle for two or three of our men, when the Germans have automatics?’ So I designed one. I was a soldier, and I created a machine gun for a soldier. It was called an Avtomat Kalashnikova, the automatic weapon of Kalashnikov—AK—and it carried the date of its first manufacture, 1947."
#6
Also want to add that according to my local gun store peeps there was excellent business in handgun sales this Christmas season. Not so much for AR style firearms and their ammo.
[GEO.TV] ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaurdhy Nisar said on Friday that a prosecution committee was being formed to probe the Axact fake degree scandal, days after an Axact executive was charged by a US Federal Court for his part in a $140 million fake diploma mill scheme. Good idea. Form a committee. That'll fix it.
Umair Hamid, 30, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scam that impacted tens of thousands of consumers.
Speaking at a ceremony here, Chaudhry Nisar said two more committees were being formed to probe the Axact and Khanani and Kalia money laundering case, adding that much of the record in Khanani and Kalia case had been wasted. Even better idea: Form three committees.
He said the investigating officer in Axact case was ill and that the prosecution committee will be formed next week.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[Anadolu Agency] A bombing and a shooting have shaken southern Thailand, a week after the military government revealed new plans to counteract the insurgency in the region.
An investigator at the Rueso district police station in Narathiwat said that a bomb exploded Thursday while a police patrol car passed on a local road. Police Captain Marut Nikolsi said, "The remote-controlled bomb was buried on the roadside. The car was damaged by shrapnel, but no one was injured."
Another incident Thursday evening left one person wounded in Sungai Padi district in the same province.
Police Sub-Lieutenant Kittisak Iat-het said, "An indeterminate number of people ambushed and shot at the car of a 51-year-old villager who was driving along a local road."
In a plan revealed last week, the junta called for more security and the promotion of investment in rural communities in the three southernmost provinces in order to combat the influence of militants. A handout detailing the plans said, "We envision the completion of 'model villages' throughout the region to increase social security for citizens."
Such villages are heavily subsidized by the government to provide jobs and security for local residents. They are singled out by the military for their strategic and geographical importance, along with a high risk of recruitment.
A recent report by Brussels-based think tank International Crisis Group has claimed that peace negotiations have "foundered" because both sides "prefer hostilities to compromise."
[AFP] The Philippine government blamed Islamic insurgents Friday for bombings that left 52 people wounded during the country's Christmas holidays.
A bomb blast ripped through boxing fans watching a bout in the central town of Hilongos on late Wednesday, while six people were injured in a roadside bomb attack on the southern island of Mindanao the same night.
Police said 13 people were also wounded in another explosion outside a Catholic church during Christmas Eve mass in Mindanao on Saturday.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, "It looks like they are employing diversionary tactics elsewhere to ease military pressure on them."
Two small Mindanao-based militant groups, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Maute group, are suspected of involvement in the bomb attacks after they formed a tactical alliance and began sharing bomb-making technology, according to Lorenzada.
Philippine president Duterte has been pursuing peace talks with the MILF, while ordering a crackdown on Mindanao militant factions that spurned his peace drive.
The BIFF is a breakaway faction from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which has been observing a ceasefire with the government. Like the Maute group, which has fought skirmishes with Phillipine forces in another area of Mindanao this year, the BIFF has been seen using the black flags associated with Daesh. The third group targeted in the military crackdown is the Abu Sayyaf.
In November, Philippine police detained two suspected Maute militants who allegedly planted an improvised explosive device near the U.S. embassy in Manila. Earlier that month, the military blamed the group for a roadside bomb that wounded seven of Duterte's military bodyguards ahead of his visit to the region.
[Wash Times] Rapper Nick Cannon continued his criticism of Planned Parenthood this week, arguing that the organization was founded to increase the number of abortions in urban areas and "exterminate the Negro race."
In an interview with DJ Vlad posted Tuesday, Mr. Cannon explained that he doesn’t consider himself anti-abortion, because he doesn’t think the government should be allowed to dictate what women do with their bodies. His real beef is with Planned Parenthood and its founder, Margaret Sanger.
"I feel like it’s a systemic issue," the "America’s Got Talent" host said. "When you look at what Margaret Sanger and all the people who follow eugenics and all that stuff. It was all about cleansing. Margaret Sanger said that she wanted to exterminate the Negro race, and that she was going to use her organization as she founded to do so."
Mr. Cannon, 36, said his stance was never about abortions, because he doesn’t consider himself pro-life or pro-choice.
"It was never about abortions," he said. "I never speak on abortions. It was more about the sterilization and when it comes to actual ethnic cleansing -- where they actually said we want to get rid of a class of people, a group of people.
#9
Extermination of Negroes was Margaret Sanger's original intention. She made no secret of it. She wrote it up.
Luckily for Planned Parenthood. most people don't read much that isn't in People magazine or the grocery store bloids.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016 11:13
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#10
Beat me to it, Fred.
Sanger was a vicious racist and eugenist. Most progressives in her day were. Many today still are.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/31/2016 12:16
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#11
Can't help thinking crack cocaine and heroin are part of the same strategy.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/31/2016 12:53
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#12
What Nguard and AlanC both said.
Also Dr. Steve, with one quibble: MOST still are.
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/31/2016 13:40
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#13
A friend told me she decided to stay home when she saw the video of Hilary Clinton talking about Black super-predators, back in the day. She was not, she said, the only one. A tipping point approacheth that will be healthier for the African-American community than the one from Republican to Democrat.
#14
Do a search on Nick Cannon and planned parenthood. The MFMSM is doing what it did during the last presidential campaign. They are simply ignoring it.
An inconvenient truth. It ain't fake news if it is simply ignored, right?
.
[Libya Herald] Representatives from civil society organizations and local elders from al-Buwanis municipality near Sebha today demanded that the Libyan National Army (LNA) and Misrata’s Third Force stop fighting in the south. They also demanded the demilitarisation of their area and that the Third Force pull out.
The local protests come amid growing expectations of major festivities at any minute between the two sides. Locals have already been warned to evacuate their homes because of fears of an iminent outbreak of fighting.
Buwanis municipality includes Tamenhint airbase. The LNA’s Brigade No. 12 led by Colonel Mohammed Ben Nayel is now just a few kilometres away from it, and the LNA today claimed that representatives from the brigade were in discussions with airbase staff on its takeover.
Earlier this week it ordered the Third Force to quit the region but the Misratans have refused. Instead, the Misratan-dominated 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... (BM) operation, which a fortnight ago finally smashed ISIS in Sirte, has threatened Arclight airstrikes against Nayel’s fighters.
Making the threat, the BM front man Colonel Mohammed Ghasri claimed that Ben Nayel and his forces had given shelter to the remnants of ISIS which had fled Sirte. They would be targeted, he warned.
"Ben Nayel has provided these fleeing holy warriors with weapons and shelter and we call on residents of Brak al-Shatti to stop them taking over their military and civil airport," he said on TV this afternoon.
The Brak al-Shatti airport was taken over by Ben Nayel three weeks ago after the Third Force pulled out.
The deteriorating situation in the area has already resulted in flights from Tamenhint being cancelled and the airport closed.
Tamenhint was also the airport from which the Afiqiyah Airways flight 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... , hijacked to Malta on 23 December, took off.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[3 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] The Yemeni army and popular committees defeated the Saudi-led mercenaries’ attack on Tabbi Hamraa in Marib province, according local media reports.
The reports added that the Yemeni forces sniped a Saudi soldier in Ghalb exit in Asir province.
Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... has been since March 26, 2015 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led coalition.
Thousands have been martyred and injured in the attack, with the vast majority of them are civilians.
Riyadh launched the attack on Yemen in a bid to restore power to runaway ex-president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi who is a close ally to 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...
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[10 views]
Top|| File under: Houthis
[DAWN] RAHIM YAR KHAN/SAHIWAL: Two personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of police foiled the attempt of a jacket wallah to apparently target people coming out of a mosque after the Friday prayers in Rahim Yar Khan. However, there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... the two personnel were maimed when a man in burqa in the guise of a female beggar went kaboom!.
Also on Friday, another official of the CTD was injured in an attack in Sahiwal.
Police sources said that after noticing that a burqa-clad person was approaching the mosque in Rahim Yar Khan’s Shafi Town, the two personnel tried to stop him. But the man went kaboom!, injuring the two personnel.
The injured CTD personnel, identified as Qamar Abbasi and Nadeem, were taken to the Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital, where doctors said their condition was stable.
Later talking to journalists, the personnel said they had suspicion that the burqa-clad person was not a woman. They said when they tried to stop the man he went kaboom!.
DCO Jameel Ahmed Jameel said the alertness of the two personnel had averted loss of lives.
DPO Zeeshan Asgher said that the attacker had apparently come to target acting DSP of CTD Mohammad Ashraf who was present nearby since the CTD office was in the same vicinity.
The sources said a special team was coming from Bahawalpur to investigate the attack.
According to city’s DSP Maqsood Ahmed Gujjar, the attacker was waiting for the CTD officials in the guise of a beggar.
Personnel of Rangers and police cordoned off the area after the blast.
The CTD is leading civilian departments in Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... in the fight against terrorism under the National Action Plan.
In Sahiwal, a district officer of the CTD and his driver were maimed when two men opened fire on them early in the morning.
Asif Mirza was going to his office in the official vehicle when it came under attack.
Sources said that when Mr Mirza left his home two men on a cycle of violence followed his vehicle. When the vehicle was passing through an area between Shadab Town and Pakpattan Chowk, the two men intercepted it. They opened fire on the vehicle and fled.
Mr Mirza received a bullet in his jaw while the driver, identified as Saeed, in his shoulder.
They were taken to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors said Mr Mirza would have to be shifted to a hospital in Lahore.
SP (Investigation) Shakir Ahmed told Dawn that it appeared to be a case of assassination. However, there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... he added, police were seeing it from multiple angles.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[6 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
[ARA News] Aleppo – The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) reported on Friday that their positions were being attacked by Turkey’s military and Islamist rebels. The anti-YPG offensive targeted military installations across northern Aleppo Governorate.
“The Turkish Army and allied jihadist groups launched a renewed offensive in the Kurdish areas of Rojava, targeting YPG headquarters with heavy weapons and airstrikes,” the Protection Unit’s leadership said in a statement.
The Turkish military shelled YPG security offices in the villages of Yabsa, Kerbnav and Seloula with heavy artillery. The artillery bombardment in eastern Kobane, coincided with Turkish air raids on the YPG-held village of Khane.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: badanov ||
12/31/2016
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Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
#1
Alert Gary Johnson!
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/31/2016 8:21
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#12
It's easy to be optimistic after the "One" leaves office. Damn, he is still meddling around on the way out trying to set the table for Trump. What a vindictive jerk.
#15
934 saw the turning point in the great depression in America with unemployment decreasing to 22% . But in other parts of the world some of the political changes occurring would cause the next world war , in Germany Adolf Hitler declared himself the fuhrer.&
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] While the world places its full attention at the destruction in Syria’s Aleppo, another Middle Eastern city has faced just as much destruction and violence.
While Syrian and Russian forces recaptured Aleppo and Iraqi forces, along with a coalition of multiple countries, try to liberate djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... , Libya’s Sirte has been left in ruins after ISIS were driven out.
Fighting continues to be fierce in the coastal city that witnessed the death of longtime ruler Muammar Qadaffy ...a reminder that a single man with an idea can change an entire nation, usually for the worse... Sirte was known to be Qadaffy’s favored city, where his grandfather once led an significant battle against Italian occupation. In 1999, Qadaffy himself announced the "birth of the African union".
Today, little remains of the city but rubble.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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[2 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
ANKARA: Turkey’s state-run news agency says police have detained some 40 suspected militants linked to the Daesh group in raids in southern Turkey.
Anadolu Agency says special forces police, backed by armored vehicles and a helicopter, conducted the raids in the city of Adana early on Friday.
Those detained are suspected of membership in the extremist group and of engaging in Daesh propaganda, the agency said.
Turkey has, since 2015, suffered a wave of deadly bombing attacks carried out either by Daesh militants or by Kurdish militants.
The country sent troops and tanks into northern Syria in August to support Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters in clearing a border area of the Daesh group and curbing the territorial expansion of Syrian Kurdish groups.
The Turkish military said on Friday a total of 1,294 Daesh militants and 306 Kurdish militants had been “neutralized” since the start of Turkey’s incursion into Syria.
In a statement, the Turkish military said 1,171 of the Daesh militants and 291 of the Kurdish militants had been killed.
Syrian rebels, backed by the Turkish military, have launched an incursion into northern Syria, an operation dubbed as “Euphrates Shield” on August 24 to drive Daesh away from the border area and halt advances of Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara sees as a hostile force.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/31/2016
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[7 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
"With all the jails packed with Gulenists, the Turks are confining the forty Islamists in a spare bedroom at Erdogan's new Presidential Complex..."
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] A front man for the Syrian hard boy militia Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly called the Nusra Front, criticized a nationwide Turkish- and Russian-backed cease-fire in Syria Friday, saying the political solution under this agreement would "reproduce the criminal regime."
The group, which changed its name and announced in July that it was severing ties with al-Qaeda, condemned the deal for not mentioning Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators... 's fate.
"The solution is to topple the criminal regime militarily," the group's front man said in a statement.
The conflict pits Assad, helped by Russian air power and Iranian-backed Shiite militias, against an array of mostly Sunni rebel groups, including some supported by The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... , the United States and Gulf monarchies.
Clashes, shelling and air raids in western Syria Friday marred the first day of the ceasefire, which aims to end nearly six years of war and lead to peace talks.
The Syrian army said Thursday that the cease-fire agreement did not cover the radical Islamist group ISIS, fighters from the former Nusra Front, or any factions linked to them.
But several rebel officials said the agreement did include Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/31/2016
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Top|| File under: al-Nusra
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.
[BBC] Many injuries have been reported in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey's NTV said. The report said around 20 to 30 people may have been hurt in the attack, which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 1:30 a.m. local time.
What a pathetic piece of work this Kerry is. Always has been. But what’s the mid- or long-term upside to rolling over for these bloodthirsty Third World savages? Remember, this is a guy who said he could, uh, sort of understand why the Muslim butchers of the Charlie Hebdo magazine staff in Paris had decided to go Gestapo.
[WJACTV] The Pennsylvania State Police have confirmed that Jason Robison, the man accused of shooting Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Landon Weaver, is dead. Stay with 6News on this developing story.
[The National Interest] Nuclear-powered submarines have traditionally held a decisive edge in endurance, stealth and speed over cheaper diesel submarines. However, new Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology has significantly narrowed the performance gap on a new generation of submarines that cost a fraction of the price of a nuclear-powered boat.
[Clinton News Network] A Vermont utility company said Friday it had found on a company laptop the same kind of malware that US authorities believe was used by Russian hackers in an attempt to influence November's election.
[RCP] There is a new cease-fire agreement in Syria, but this time without the U.S. at the negotiating table. Will it last when so many others have failed? William Brangham speaks with Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma about the symbolic significance of the move and what’s next for the rebels, the Assad regime and Syria.
[American Lookout] The far left is planning some nasty stuff for Trump’s inauguration. No one on the right did that to Obama but that doesn’t matter to them. The left doesn’t play fair.
[American Lookout] Michelle Obama’s school lunch program has been a national disgrace. Kids hate it. Parents hate it. The disgusting food choices have been documented on Twitter countless times.
[PJ] Trump surrogate Scott Brown gave Secretary of State John Kerry a verbal tongue lashing on Fox Business Wednesday, but "with all due respect" toward his former senate colleague.
[Breitbart] A senior Islamic State jihadist told Breitbart Jerusalem that there has been an escalation in tensions between Hamas and IS, following a wave of arrests of Salafist militants in Gaza and growing cooperation between Hamas and the Egyptian security services.
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
North Korea
[AnNahar] Suspected Berlin truck attacker Anis Amri considered heading to Rome before finally plumping for Milan where police shot him dead, Italian media reported Friday. 
[MIDDLEEASTEYE.NET] The British government on Thursday distanced itself from harsh criticism of Israel by US Secretary of State 
Simply more of the same. 
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Thousands of People rallied in Diraz area in rejection of the regime’s steps to normalize relations with the Israeli entity after a Zionist delegation visited the capital Manama.
[GEO.TV] At least 26 people including a kid sustained injuries as 
[DAWN] US Secretary of State 
...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. 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 Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
[Gulf News] Slain Afghan Taliban supremo Mullah Mansour was issued a Pakistani national identity card in 2005, Interior Minister says
Terming China's decision to again block a proposal to list 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[GEO.TV] ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaurdhy Nisar said on Friday that a prosecution committee was being formed to probe the Axact fake degree scandal, days after an Axact executive was charged by a US Federal Court for his part in a $140 million fake diploma mill scheme.
[Anadolu Agency] A bombing and a shooting have shaken southern Thailand, a week after the military government revealed new plans to counteract the insurgency in the region.
...(al-Bunyan al-Marsous, 
[ARA News] Aleppo – The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) reported on Friday that their positions were being attacked by Turkey’s military and Islamist rebels. The anti-YPG offensive targeted military installations across northern Aleppo Governorate.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
