[NYP] Marco Rubio is pondering his next move after dropping out of the presidential race, and rumors are running wild that he could be heading to the Miami Dolphins.
Sources said Rubio, who won’t run again for his Florida Senate seat, could potentially land an executive role with the team.
But a Dolphins insider insisted, "Nope, nothing to it. He is a huge fan, though." Insiders said Rubio’s considering private-sector jobs, but will be careful about his next step, as he’s planning on another White House run, possibly in 2020.
#6
Rubio should have set his sights on Gov of Florida instead of running for President. Get some seasoning and put some time and distance between him and the Gang of 8.
h/t Instapundit
The intent of this essay is to advance several observations about how we plan and fight wars, in order to shed light upon why we are performing so poorly. We invaded both Afghanistan and Iraq with inchoate plans and inadequate forces to establish post-war security and governance. After winning the first battle in both countries, President George W. Bush offhandedly decided to build democratic nations, a task for which our State Department and US Agency for International Development had no competence or interest. By default, the mission fell to our military, also without competence but with unflagging devotion and determination.
...On balance, the results in Iraq or Afghanistan were not worth the costs in American casualties, money, and global influence. Several policy lessons may be drawn. When you get a, virtually, identical advice from KSA and Israel---you listen to it?
#1
As Anti-US US OWG Globalist POTUS Obama + aligned intended.
Again, "HOW FAR IS TOO FAR", "HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH", ETC. POWER + INFLUENCE FOR EX-SOLE-SUPERPOWER-SOON-TO-ONE-OF-MANY-OWG-CO-SUPERPOWER(S) AMERIKA TO UNILATERALLY OR ASYMMETRICALLY GIVE UP IN THE NAME OF US-LED ANTI-US OWG-NWO WIDOUT BEING EXISTENTIALLY THREATENED OR DESTROYED IN THE PROCESS???
The "Great Game" doesn't end just because the USSR imploded + the US-World want to begin exploring + colonizing deep space.
A military court ruled on Friday to release on condition of an IDF soldier who shot a subdued Palestinian terrorist in Hebron last week.
The military court at the Defense Ministry's Kirya compound in Tel Aviv issued the ruling after rejecting the prosecution's appeal filed early Friday morning, requesting that the soldier remain in military police custody for an additional seven days. Because we've sacrificed enough of our young men to tender sensibilities of "international community"?
Not all corrupt blacks are Democrats
For years, President Jacob G. Zuma of South Africa had derided demands that he repay the state for upgrades to his homestead in Nkandla, about 300 miles southeast of Johannesburg.
The president maintained that the home improvements ‐ including a chicken coop, a cattle enclosure, an amphitheater, a swimming pool, a visitor center and a helipad ‐ were necessary to ensure his safety and that the cost should be borne by taxpayers.
"Nkaaaandla!" Mr. Zuma said in Parliament last year, drawing out the a's in Nkandla to mock opposition lawmakers' pronunciation of the town's name.
On Thursday, South Africa's highest court ruled that Mr. Zuma had violated the Constitution by refusing to pay back some of the millions of dollars in public funds spent on the improvements, saying he flouted laws meant to safeguard the country's young democracy.
Dealing a humiliating rebuke to Mr. Zuma, the Constitutional Court's 11 justices ruled unanimously that the president had "failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme law of the land."
The court ordered Mr. Zuma to reimburse the state for some of the upgrades once the national treasury determined the appropriate amounts. The improvements cost 246 million rand, or about $16.7 million at current exchange rates.
The ruling is significant, experts said, because it checks the conduct of an executive who has been accused of disregarding the nation's democratic institutions. It also affirmed the constitutional authority of the Office of the Public Protector, which has faced unrelenting attacks from Mr. Zuma's party, the African National Congress, since ordering Mr. Zuma to reimburse the state in 2014.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016
13:11 ||
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Man Crates Labs, a research subsidiary of Man Crates, and Sweden's Centrum fĂśr Kott Vetenskap are proud to announce a joint venture focused on genetically resurrecting once-existing species for cured, mass consumption.
#9
Adult male ostriches, which aren't extinct, can weigh 400 pounds. The meat tastes like beef, or so they say, probably about the way chicken tasteslike alligator. One egg whups up the equivalent of a 20-hen's egg omelette. They take about a year to mature and you can raise two on a quarter acre.
Two ostriches = same weight as onemarket-ready steer.
Why try and resurrect the triceratops?
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016 19:36
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[Danger & Play] The battery case Michelle Fields filed against Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is the result of a con job, a police report reveals. We can now report that Fields conspired with Washington Post reporter Ben Terris to frame Lewandowski.
#4
It was a set up, a dirty trick. The networks swallowed it hook, line and sinker because they were eager for something, anything, to make Trump look bad. Then Lyin' Ted claims it was because of the culture of violence in Trump's campaign. It is a crock of crap. It has been truly disgusting to watch.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2016 12:02
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#5
If he touched her, it's battery. Why can't Trump fans admit this guy was out of line?
In any kind of crowded situation, mere touching is part of the game and isn't considered battery.
Did Corey grab her? I doubt it. After watching the videos from different angles, it looks like he reached for her upper arm, not her forearm. And she way overstated what happened, suggesting he was trying to throw her to the floor. Yet her physical reaction at the corresponding moment in the video wasn't that of one who was handled roughly. She probably thought of it a few seconds too late.
Michelle can't even claim unemployment since she chose to quit.
The sum of my two cents: Seems to me she's a tweak.
#7
How many lives been destroyed by tweaks like her?
It's the MSM that follows stories like these like a pack of baying hounds.
BTW, I doubt seriously that those bruises in the picture can be admitted as evidence. They could have been makeup and they could have even been on somebody else's arm. She's gonna get laughed out of court. Question is: how many MSM stooges will be there to report it?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2016 14:30
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#8
The video shows that the other reporter got into Cory's face immediately after Michelle was yanked back. Corey is such a queer for the Donald
Posted by: Unelet Protector of the Sith2424 ||
04/01/2016 14:45
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Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/01/2016 18:33
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#10
The media treated it like a new Zapruder film.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
04/01/2016 18:39
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#11
Normally I'm a fan of Megan Kelly, but she gave this almost 20 minutes, and treated it like a serious crime, not a misdemeanor if it was true. Her bias against Trump (and I am no fan of his) is apparent.
#12
You trump people are going to look back at this in a few months, see your own pretzling and bending to exucse Trump adn his minion's bad actions, and say to yourself "I was fucking mentally ill, what happened to me"
Posted by: Ominter Spawn of the Huns9166 ||
04/01/2016 19:31
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#13
1. He grabbed her without her permission.
2. He did it hard enough to leave bruises.
3. Tapes (all of them) and eye witnesses coroborate this.
Its battery. Stop being moonbats about it. A simple admission and an apology would have stopped this entire thing. Instead Trump and his minions lie "I Never Touched her"... and then you guys break your backs bending over to make excuses.
Its pathetic. Its a cult. You're behaving like cultists.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016 20:05
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#17
Get in their faces.
Get loud.
Say nasty things.
Get touched, knowing a camera is on you.
Fred Phelps smiles.
I was watching Fox the morning of the Brussels bombing, and they took five minutes out of breaking coverage to bash Trump for his outrage of the day. I thought it was obvious and tasteless. Haven't been back.
#19
Well I am disappointed.
Not even good ones. Rantburg deserves better.
Say you got an "I","T"
Followed by apostrophe, "s"
Now what does that mean?
You would not use "it's" in this case
As a possessive
It's a contraction
What's a contraction?
Well, it's the shortening of a word, or a group of words
By the omission of a sound or letter
#20
Well I am disappointed.
Not even good ones. Rantburg deserves better.
Say you got an "I","T"
Followed by apostrophe, "s"
Now what does that mean?
You would not use "it's" in this case
As a possessive
It's a contraction
What's a contraction?
Well, it's the shortening of a word, or a group of words
By the omission of a sound or letter
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service says there are "no apparent signs of foul play" in the death of Marine recruit Raheel Siddiqui.
"NCIS does not discuss the details of ongoing investigations, but I can confirm that (Siddiqui’s) death is due to injuries sustained in a nearly 40 foot fall in a barracks stairwell," NCIS spokesperson Ed Buice wrote in an email sent Monday to The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette. "At this point there are no apparent signs of foul play in his death."
Buice said NCIS’ investigation process "normally takes several months."
Siddiqui, 20, of Taylor, Mich., arrived at Parris Island on March 7 and died 11 days later.
His family told Detroit’s WDIV-Channel 4 on March 21 that a casualty report they’d received from the Marine Corps stated Siddiqui passed out during a drill and when awakened by a drill instructor, got up and "ran out the back hatch of the squad bay and jumped over the ladderwell wall ... falling 3 stories before landing on the ground."
Siddiqui’s family could not be reached for comment Monday.
Siddiqui’s body arrived in Detroit on March 24, and his funeral was the following day.
Reporter Stephen Fastenau contributed to this report.
[Right Scoop] Bloomberg's John Heilemann told CBS This Morning that the new abortion controversy for Trump comes on the heels of bad week for him, about as bad a week as he’s had in a long time:
If you think about this controversy coming on the heels of the Corey Lewandowski arrest for battery, coming on the heels of the fight that Trump and Ted Cruz were in where many people thought that Trump went over the line in terms of criticizing Ted Cruz’s wife in a kind of unpleasant way -- it’s the most sustained bad set of news cycles Trump has had in awhile.
Heilemann isn’t willing to predict Trump’s political death over this, but says the abortion controversy is certainly not going to help him and it appears that Trump is headed for a clear and decisive defeat to Ted Cruz in a week.
#1
Heilemann isn’t willing to predict Trump’s political death over this
There must be desperate rejoicing and celebration going on across the establishment. Look we're committing suicide for November!!!
Get a grip. You have a very serious problem with the population and you're not paying attention to the issues that gave Trump his momentum. You have no more concern for the 'consent of the governed' than that other cabal.
#4
There are five candidates left in the race. Four of them are career, life-long denizens of the political class (and Cruz supporters who object need to tell me the last time Cruz was not earning his keep in the political realm - and yes, litigating in the Supreme Court is a political occupation).
Trump is the lone player who has not effectively devoted his life, full-time, to politics.
Four of the candidates, if they become President, will wake up each morning thinki9ng "How can I get reelected, and when is my next fund-raising gig?" - because that is how political schmucks are - period.
For better or for worse, I think that Trump will wake up each morning saying "Well, one more day to try to salvage this unholy mess - what can I do today, to try to make America great again?"
I cannot imagine Trump - or anybody - "fixing" America - a country with 100 million parasites living off the sweat of 47% of the population. But - at least Trump will TRY - and I'd like to see him get that chance.
There have thus far been 29 GOP primary contest that awarded delegates. 20 of those contests were NOT caucuses - and Trump has won 16 of those. The other four were Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Idaho.
And - of states with black populations above 8%, Trump has won 16 out of 18 - Texas and Ohio being the other two. Wisconsin is 6.7% black - so I am guessing it will not go to Trump. But - he is likely to sweep the six remaining April contests - out of them, only Rhode Island has a black population below 10%. Unfortunately, only Delaware among them is "winner-take-all" for delegates.
[Daily Caller] SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- Move over, carbon-neutral birthday parties. There’s a new popular way to celebrate for the country’s trendy progressive families: Gender declaration parties for teenage children.
The new phenomenon is a natural outgrowth of one of the latest trends in progressive parenting: Intentionally obscuring the gender of one’s children. Parents, frustrated by a society where people are declared "boys" or "girls" simply because they have penises or vaginas, are fighting back by opting out entirely and waiting until children have grown wise enough to choose a gender for themselves. Typically, this point is reached when a child is able to complete Algebra II, and it is accompanied by a big party comparable to bar mitzvahs or high school graduation parties.
Like other progressive parents, Bryce and Priscilla Hawkins-Hart of Springfield, Mass. did everything they could to keep their "penis-child" Taylor from being pressured into one gender or another. In addition to Taylor’s androgynous name, they insisted on using the gender-neutral pronoun zhe, painted zher room a monochrome grey, and forced zhim to play with both dolls and toy trucks while growing up.
"I remember when the doctor told me ‘It’s a boy!'" Bryce told The Daily Caller. "I just said to him, ‘Well, we’ll see about that!’ Then, I reported that doctor for child abuse for trying to force a gender onto young children."
#12
“Everybody in Taylor’s family that hasn’t disassociated with us is coming,” Priscilla said. In order to be ready for all contingencies, the family has purchased 17 different gluten-free, gender-themed cakes, in case Taylor chooses a gender identity such as two-spirit or genderqueer. If Taylor announces a desire to undergo any kind of sex reassignment surgery, a surgeon will be on hand to perform the procedure then and there, in front of everybody.
“Some might say that’s too much,” Priscilla added. “But I say nothing is too much for our little child of indeterminate gender.”
Donald Trump argues that America's problem is that it has sent its wealth overseas. Exactly the opposite is the case: America's problem is that the world's wealth came to America, and bought subprime mortgages. At the peak of the housing bubble America imported capital each year equivalent to 6% of GDP. Everyone from China's central bank to Arab sovereign wealth funds to German provincial-government banks bought American mortgage debt until the housing bubble crashed. Virtually all of the world's available savings came to the United States.
...A vast army of white-collar warriors supported the grand migration of capital. Americans dropped whatever they were doing and became real-estate agents and mortgage brokers. The financial industry recruited math whizzes from university graduating classes to manufacturer ever-more-complex financial instruments. Opportunity abounded as the world's capital knocked on America's door. Americans, to be sure, spent the money piled at their doorstep on cheap imports from China and other aspiring countries.
...Then came the inevitable crash. Home prices collapsed and well-paying white collar jobs disappeared. The brother-in-law who made $150,000 a year as a mortgage broker in 2007 was unemployed in 2009 and driving a FedEx truck in 2010--or doing nothing at all, as the labor force participation rate collapsed.
Americans became downwardly mobile, as I showed in a March 1 essay, and along came Donald Trump to tell Americans that their misery was all the fault of illegal immigrants and rapacious foreigners. Not so: during the decade before the 2008 crash, Americans were being paid for being Americans. Their forefathers had built the world's strongest democracy and most open capital markets, and they were living off the rent they charged to foreigners to come in and use it. Meanwhile Americans under 25 somehow sank to the bottom of the international rankings for skills in literacy, math and technology. If you're paid simply for being American, why not spend your high-school years with Grand Theft Auto?
Trump recalls Mortimer Duke at the end of Trading Places, shouting, "Turn those machines back on!" Building a wall with Mexico and restricting Chinese imports won't help. What Americans need is tough love. Whether they will take it is another story. But if they don't, America will look a lot like Britain in its post-industrial decline.
Except for the Military Welfare system that costs America hundreds of billion, generation after generation, and grave yards after grave yards. Somewhere, that is not included in this calculation. Why is America expected to carry first world countries? Western Europe since the early 80s matched American in population and combined GDP, but expects American to protect their source of oil and maintain open sea lanes. Their good for 'show' and 'contributions' but you know who bears both the vast bulk of the financial and operational burden.
#2
A bit about the author. Emphasis added at the last sentence:
As "Spengler", Goldman wrote about a wide range of topics, varying from music theory to culture and religion (Goldman himself is an Modern Orthodox Jew), but his main focus was geo-economic and geo-political issues. In his 2011 book How Civilizations Die Goldman revealed his worldview at length, inspired by Franz Rosenzweig and his "The Star of Redemption".[citation needed]
According to Goldman, following in Rosenzweig's footsteps, beliefs about the past and future decide the fate of nations, since the propagation of one's culture is an imitation of immortality, the desire for which is so strong that it shapes history. So a nation's future is heavily influenced by what provides it with a vision of life after death: religion. Goldman thinks that the true strength of a nation is exposed during the encounter with the modern age, with globalization and an open and changing array of perceptions and ideas. The common tendency, especially in Europe, to nationalize religion by adding to it a pseudo-Hebraic belief that the nation is the divinely 'chosen people' condemns peoples to downfall when their nationalism (and the religion it is entwined with) is ruined by political circumstances.[citation needed] When religion and patriotism are thus destroyed, a people loses hope for the future and therefore ceases to bear enough children to prevent demographic collapse.
#3
As a follow-up to #2, "bearing enough children to prevent demographic collapse."
Goldman makes some valid points but fails to mention birth control and modern medicine as the antidote for the inconvenience of children. When all else fails, follow greed and money.
#4
Anybody who was dumb enough to back some of those mortgages deserves to lose their money. Besides, when the bubble burst it was the American taxpayer who got ripped off to keep the crooked bankers and politicians afloat. The author is trying to rewrite history.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2016 11:51
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#5
All those Euro investors in the American gambling mortgage market were there because of a ROI that offered rates their socialist governments back home wouldn't/couldn't compete with.
Police have arrested a man caught taking photos inside the Callahan Tunnel. According to investigators, the suspect claimed it was simple photography, but police are not taking any chances. Massachusetts State Police said they found Muhammad Mamun taking photos inside the tunnel at 5 a.m. on Sunday.
"How could taking pictures put me in such a situation?" Mamun said. "People take pictures of Bunker Hill, they don't get arrested. Why did I get arrested?"
One is a tourist attraction, the other isn't...
Mamun, 25, said he is a medical student in Bangladesh currently working with a program at Mass. General Hospital.
Clearly he's not busy enough at the MGH...
Mamun said he decided to go to East Boston on Sunday morning to take photos of the skyline and thought he could walk through the tunnel to get there. State Police said he walked by a "No Pedestrians" sign and they arrested him for trespassing.
He apparently spoke English well enough to do a clinical rotation at MGH...
"I'm not a terrorist," he said. "They can take everything, I have nothing to hide."
Mamun said he was planning on going home to Bangladesh on April 1.
Or before...
Instead, a judge ordered that he remain in Boston until his next court date and put a GPS monitoring bracelet on his ankle.
"I'm a doctor, I'm a medical student," he said. "I have an ankle bracelet like any other convicted felons."
There's a reason for that, Swampy...
Mamun is due back in court next week.
He said the FBI has already talk to him. Court records show his case was forwarded to the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
#3
I used to take pictures of bridges, trains, and buildings.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/01/2016 18:22
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#4
I used to take pictures of bridges, trains, and buildings.
Yeah, classic subjects for photography.
You can think of this mess as a Muslim tax on photography, in the same way that long waits in the security line are a Muslim tax on air travel.
It may be that young Muhammad is simply a foreigner in love with the beauty of American infrastructure. Or he may be an Islamist miscreant bent on mischief. I figure the odds be 50/50.
I would like to live in an America where people can wander around and take pictures. But it ain't gonna happen until 'moderate' Muslims (all 3 of them!!) step up and do their part.
Racists! They should at least wait until they blow something up before accusing anybody.
- Officers said they have warned about terrorist sympathisers at airport
- They say badges give them access to planes, but they remain employed
- Airport police are threatening to go on strike over 'security deficiencies' And how could this possibly be a problem? I thought Germany efficiently checked each and every rapefugee before letting anybody in.
Obviously access and target surveillance were not major issues.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced on Thursday that it had concluded new sales in India worth hundreds of millions of dollars in the past quarter.
The sales included drones, air defense and radar systems and other products, IAI said.
The announcement came at the end of India’s Defexpo 2016 exhibition in Goa, which saw 28 Israeli defense firms exhibit goods at the Israeli pavilion.
Joseph Weiss, president and CEO of IAI, who opened the Israeli pavilion on behalf of Israel’s defense companies, said, "The sales signed in the past months strengthen India’s position as a major partner of IAI."
"India has unique operational requirements, and IAI is dedicating its best talents, technologies and capabilities to meet those challenges. We will continue our long-term, strategic partnership with India, meet our customers expectations and implement ‘Make In India’ policy led by India’s prime minister," Weiss added.
SacBee: The commander of Lemoore Naval Air Station said Thursday "many investigations" will follow a fatal overnight incident in which an SUV breached security and crashed into an FA-18E warplane on the base. The two occupants of the Jeep Cherokee, a male driver and a female passenger, died in the crash.
An SUV being pursued by law enforcement drove down Reeves Blvd near the base to a checkpoint at the main flight operations area. What happened at the checkpoint was unclear, but the driver got past it and drove across an open field and onto the flight line. The SUV hit the horizontal stabilizer at the rear of the FA-18E fighter jet, authorities said.
The Bee asked Lemoore officials to explain how the breach occurred, how security officers became aware of it and how they responded, and whether entry points need to be modified to prevent such occurrences. Officials declined to answer, saying those questions will be handled in the follow-up investigations.
Lemoore NAS is the largest naval installation in the country for carrier-based aircraft.
#1
NASWI has physical obstacles in the roadways that restrict a vehicle's speed, like to mabe 5 mph. and those amazing little pop up tubes that can stop a car, flat.
and just for fun, sometimes the base security folks position portable light trees in such a way as to cause responsible drivers to incur thousands of dollars of damage to their cars when they run into unlit appendages from the units. (mrs. ret, is still pissed that she got a ticket plus a munched car from that. security moved the light tree soon after)
#2
Like issuing guns to guards, but making sure no one has ammo to actually use them. Too many security implementations are totally undermined by 'supervisors' who fear empowering their subordinates with the means and power to execute them cause someone might screw up.
#6
Ship: great pic but sadly no. and not even the kind you find at the front end of a paved surface 1320 feet long. just the portable light tower with car eating tongue option
Two months ago Afghan security forces started a military operation to reopen the Lashkargah-Sangin highway in southern Helmand province but despite this, the Taliban still has a widespread presence along a large section of the route.
Security officials in the province argued that the pace of the operation is slow because they want to prevent civilian casualties.
But reports have emerged that the Taliban planted land mines under culverts on the route and littered the area with IEDs.
"They [the Taliban] have littered the previous road, which is asphalted, with mines. To reduce casualties we are using another route which is unpaved and is one kilometers away from the main road," said Mohammad Rahim Kohistani, a commander of the Afghanistan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP).
Abdul Hadi Tarin, the deputy commander of 215th Maiwand military corps said that foreign militants, wearing masks, are taking part in the Taliban's attacks on Afghanistan security forces.
Officials at the 215th Maiwand military corps said that their convoys have managed to reach Sangin district without any casualties on two occasions.
Security troops in the area meanwhile said that military convoys reached Sangin district but with much difficulty. They said that after their arrival in Sangin they left the area to the Taliban, due to their strength and the troops' lack of weapons and personnel.
"We are here to ensure safety of the people of Helmand province, but the problem is that we don't have enough equipment," said one of the soldiers in the area.
Reports have emerged that the battles have become less intense in the area, because it is poppy harvesting time.
But locals say the war will intensify after the poppies have been harvested.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A key leader of the Taliban group involved in recruitment of Death Eaters for the group has been killed along with 47 others in the latest counter-terrorism operations.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Mawlavi Abdul Wahab was killed along with 9 others and 16 more were maimed during a raid in Marjah district of Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... . A mawlawi outranks a mullah by two pay grades...
According to a statement by MoD, at least 39 others were killed in separate operations conducted in Kunduz, Takhar, Ghani and Khost province ... across the border from Miranshah, within commuting distance of Haqqani hangouts such as Datta Khel and probably within sight of Mordor. Khost is populated by six different tribes of Pashtuns, the largest probably being the Khostwal, from which it takes its name... s.
The statement further added that 7 Death Eaters were killed in the outskirts of Kunduz city and 3 others were maimed, while 5 Death Eaters were killed in Eshkamish district of Takhar and 3 more were maimed.
MoD further added in its statement that 5 Death Eaters were killed in separate raids in Moqor district of Ghazni and Nader Shah Kot district of Khost province.
According to MoD, at least 2 soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces also bit the dust during the same military operations.
The anti-government armed myrmidon groups including the Taliban murderous Moslems have not commented regarding the reports so far.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Yemeni army and popular committees fired a ballistic missile on a gathering of mercenaries in Marib, as the allied forces confronted a new attempt by Saudi-led forces to advance in Hijja.
Yemeni sources said that the allied forces fired a Qaher-1 missile on a gathering of mercenaries near Nakhla military camp, killing and injuring many of them.
Earlier, the sources said that more Saudi-led forces and mercenaries have been killed in a new attempt to advance in Mede desert in the western Yemeni province of Hijja.
Field sources reported that dozens of mercenaries were killed as they tried to get into Mede on Wednesday, noting that the advance attempt is the fourth one in the last few days.
Yemeni army front man, Colonel Sharaf Luqman, confirmed that 378 Saudi-led mercenaries were killed in attempts to enter Mede desert in the last few days.
"About 378 mercenaries were killed when they tried to enter the border area of Mede from Saudi’s Jizan," Luqman said, noting that the "heroes of army and the popular committees thwarted such attempts."
Saudi-led forces tried to enter a Yemeni border town which was liberated by the Yemeni allied forces a month earlier, in a bid to make it a starting point for their advance to Mede, army front man said.
However, a woman is only as old as she admits... the Saudi-led advance was failed and Mede along with the border town are under the control of the army and the popular committees, Luqman said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday, that ten people had been either killed or wounded in a bomb blast in northern Baghdad.
The source said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “This morning, a bomb exploded near a popular market in Falahat area in Tarmiyah District in northern Baghdad, killing three people and wounding seven others.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “A security force rushed to the area and transferred the wounded to a nearby hospital for treatment and the dead bodies to the forensic medicine department, while carried out a raid to search for the perpetrators of the bombing.”
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Iraqi police said on Thursday, that a civilian was injured in a militant attack that took place in northern Baghdad.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in a brief statement received by IraqiNews.com, “This evening, unidentified militants opened fire against a civilian in the area of al-Husseiniyah in northern Baghdad, resulting in his injury,” pointing out that, “A force from the police transferred the injured to a nearby hospital, while opened an investigation into the incident to determine the party that stands behind it.”
[DAWN] IN the beginning this appeared to be a scoop. A national identity card was found at the site of the bomb kaboom in Gulshan-e-Iqbal in Lahore. It gave details about a young man hailing from Muzaffargarh. He was in his 20s, beard, a madressah education and all. He had been living in Ichra, Lahore, for some years. It was reported that he now gave religious lessons to children for a fee.
There was something odd about this suspect. History tells us that jacket wallahs -- and it was quickly established that this was a suicide kaboom -- are usually brought from outside. Using an asset who had lived in a big city for many years to carry out a suicide kaboom would be a bit of a waste considering that he could be so much more usefully employed in other activities in future, such as facilitating a bomb assault. A suicide kaboom could best be left to an outsider tutored to take the plunge.
Yet there was something about the revelation that made it credible: Muzaffargarh. Apparently the refrain about southern Punjab
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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[FRANCE24] More than a year after their son, a Syrian army soldier, was beheaded by Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS) group bully boys, Fayza and Ghassan M. have filed a civil lawsuit against French jihadist Maxime Hauchard, one of the alleged killers, in a French court.
It’s a chilling image nobody should have to see, let alone a parent. But that’s what Fayza and Ghassan forced themselves to do in November 2014, when they watched an IS group video featuring a jihadist beheading their son.
Continued on Page 49
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04/01/2016
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Aden- Pro-legitimacy forces, comprising security forces, the National Army, and the southern Popular Resistance, were capable of regaining complete control over the city of Mansoura, located at the center of Aden.
Mansoura was recovered after launching a security and military campaign backed by the Arab coalition, which enabled pro-legitimacy forces to successfully access and secure several governmental facilities and public markets in the city.
Tens of soldiers dispersed across the city’s vicinity and security forces later on –after securing the region- established checkpoints across city streets and junctions.
Given that security forces were capable of arriving to Mansoura’s central prison, taking control of it, and reviving a whole city, proves that the recovery operation represents a pioneering approach to the ongoing war in Yemen. The operation reached completion after executing restricted frequent offensives.
Sources belonging to the southern Popular Resistance in Mansoura told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the campaign staged by the resistance was supported by military shields and equipment and under maximum coordination with Arab coalition forces.
Security bodies confirmed that 21 suspects were captured after raids over militia hideouts and the confiscation of arms and motorbikes.
Sources added that the arrested suspects, which have perpetrated several assassinations, have been sent for detention at the city’s central prison, which has recently been restored by the authority.
Security forces spread throughout the city, on Wednesday dawn, and erected several checkpoints at which one suspect was arrested. Later on forces raided several militant lairs inside the city, sources added.
Rounds of bullets were exchanged in fierce clashes between pro-legitimacy forces and militant insurgents before authority regained control over the prison.
Security forces warned youngsters of the consequences they will face for driving motorbikes while packing arms and concealing their faces. Those riding bikes armed and/or covering their faces will be arrested.
Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, who is also the vice president, had already asserted the importance of effectively employing special security forces in the governorates of Aden, Lahij and others for rehabilitation and appropriate restructuring.
Sources in Bahah’s administration told Asharq Al-Awsat that the vast security campaign includes primary presidential instructions for the security forces’ revitalization process.
Vice President Bahah has already met with several Yemeni political and military officials to discuss developments and the progress in restoring liberated areas.
We'll get to the peace talks as soon as we're done here, okay?
A drone strike on Wednesday killed at least four suspected al Qaeda militants in southern Yemen, as unidentified warplanes shelled settlements held by the jihadist group further east, witnesses and local residents said.
The four suspected militants were killed when what was thought to be a U.S. drone fired on a checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Azan in southern Yemen.
It was not immediately possible to confirm the accounts by the residents, who said the militants had seized the city two months ago. The United States has acknowledged using drones but declines to comment on specific attacks.
The heightened air strikes came as forces loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi conducted a security operation against militants in al-Mansoura district of Aden, attempting to bring to an end a state of chaos that had wrapped up the southern port city where the Yemeni government is temporarily based.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS have taken advantage of the year-old Yemen war between Hadi supporters, who are supported by a Saudi-led alliance, and Iran-allied Houthis to seize parts of the country, including the Hadramout provincial capital in southeastern Yemen.
Residents said unidentified warplanes launched three strikes on a former Yemeni army camp east of Mukalla controlled by al Qaeda late on Wednesday night.
They said the air strikes ignited a fire at the old al-Rayyan air base that could be seen from several miles away. Residents said they believed the attacks have caused casualties, but provided no figures.
The militants captured Mukalla in April last year, a month after a Saudi-led alliance began military operations trying to restore Hadi to power and keep the Houthis from taking over the country.
Last week, U.S. warplanes targeted a training camp run by al Qaeda, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 30.
A local al Qaeda commander said in an audio recording posted on the Internet on Wednesday that the camp was being used to train tribal volunteers to fight the Houthis.
The authenticity of the recording by the commander, identified as Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, could not immediately be verified.
In Aden, a security official said Yemeni troops loyal to Hadi, backed by local fighters, deployed in the al-Mansoura district which resulted in the capture of at least 21 suspected militants.
Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, who is also the vice president, is based in Aden.
KOBANE ــ Radical group of the Islamic State (ISIS) launched a new offensive on Kobane city in northern Syria, killing and wounding scores of civilians, local sources reported on Thursday.
ISIS militants bombed the western suburb of Kobane, which falls user the control of the Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). At least four citizens were killed and over a dozen others injured in the bombardment.
Speaking to ARA News in Kobane, rights activist Anas Mohammed said that ISIS shelled areas in western Kobane with homemade rockets, targeting residential buildings in al-Qibba village near the township of Shuyoukh.
“A number of rockets hit houses in the Qibba village, causing the death and the injury of over ten civilians,” he reported.
The casualties included children and women. “Hadlah Mahmoud and her daughter Hala Hussein, 5, lost their lives in the bombing, while Khadija Hussein, and Noor Mohammad, 7, were injured in the attack.” the source said. “Several victims are still stranded under the rubble of destroyed buildings.”
A team of volunteers from the Amal hospital in Kobane continued searching for survivors under the ruins.
This comes as mutual bombardment and clashes continue between the Kurdish YPG fighters–in cooperation with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)– and ISIS militants at several locations near the Euphrates River in western Kobane.
Two weeks ago, Kurdish fighters of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) were able to kill five suicide bombers from the extremist group near Kobane in the Syrian province of Aleppo, according to military sources.
The ISIS-led suicide operations came ahead of celebrations of the Kurdish National Day of “Newroz” where thousands of Syrian Kurds gathered in Kobane and other Kurdish areas in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. The hardline group was apparently trying to target Kurdish celebrators, according to activists.
The extremist group considers all Newroz celebrators as apostates, and that they must either repent or be brought to a Sharia court for prosecution and punishment.
The Kurdish forces have earlier foiled several attempts by ISIS jihadis to infiltrate into the city of Kobane–which has been liberated from the extremist group in early 2015.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Hizb-e-Islami party led by Gulbudin Hekmatyar put forward the removal of restrictions as a condition for joining grinding of the peace processor.
Sources in High Peace Council (HPC) say Hizb-e-Islami wants the United States and other countries to remove all restrictions imposed on it.
The demand was probably made by a delegation of Hizb-e-Islami that visited Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... about 13 days before.
The delegation had also demanded a share in power by placing members of Hizb-e-Islami in civil and security institutions of the country.
"At this stage, Hezb-e Islami is seeking to become a government partner by seeking positions in civil and security institutions," an Afghan official told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the ongoing talks.
He added that the government was "listening and evaluating the practicality of their demands," but that a final decision had not been made.
Hizb-e-Islami is the first group among those in war with the government that sends its delegation to Kabul for peace talks.
The visit was made following a call by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) which includes Afghanistan, Pakistain, The United States and China.
The group urged all armed opponents of the government to lay down guns and join grinding of the peace processor.
However, the hip bone's connected to the leg bone... Taliban rejected the call with setting the complete withdrawal of the foreign forces from Afghanistan as one of their pre-conditions.
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[DAWN] The Iranian Embassy ...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!... in Islamabad on Thursday slammed "certain elements in Pakistain" for spreading "undignified and offensive" remarks, which it said were attributed to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, regarding the arrest of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
"Elements unhappy over promotion of ties between the two Islamic countries of Iran and Pakistain are trying in various ways, including the spreading of undignified and sometimes offensive contents, to fade out the significant achievements during the visit of President Rouhani to Pakistain," embassy front man Abbas Badrifar said.
The front man's statement comes just days after Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav's arrest was announced on March 25, while Rouhani was visiting Islamabad.
The spreading of such news items, said Badrifar, without clarifying what news report he was referring to, is the product of thinking which does not like further expansion of ties between the two countries and is against fruitful materialisation of agreements made during the visit of the President of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran.
But Badrifar said such tactics "will not impact the positive views of the two countries regarding each other."
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[BBC] Six soldiers from Niger's army were killed in an ambush by 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... murderous Moslems, the country's interior ministry said.
The attack happened near the town of Diffa close to the border with Nigeria early on Wednesday.
It comes two weeks after a Boko Haram assault on a military convoy in the same area that left one soldier dead.
The Islamist group is based in Nigeria but is being tackled by a multinational force, including soldiers from Niger.
In the latest attack, three other soldiers were maimed. Niger's military deployed aircraft to try and track those responsible soon afterwards.
Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou has been praised in the West for rallying neighbouring countries to fight Boko Haram.
On Wednesday, the country's constitutional court confirmed the result of the second round of presidential elections, which saw Mr Issoufou re-elected with more than 92% of the vote, a result the opposition dismissed.
Mr Issoufou will be sworn in on Saturday.
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[Ynet] Amidst talks between Egypt and Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, regarding the border situation, a 3 km tunnel was found by Egyptian security forces containing weapons, engineering equipment and generators.
The Egyptian border guard destroyed a three kilometer long tunnel between Rafah, Egypt and the Gazoo Strip, one of the longest tunnels discovered at the border between the Gazoo Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, according to Egyptian security sources Thursday.
The tunnel's opening point, located in the house of an Egyptian smuggler from the Al Barazeel neighborhood in Rafah, Egypt is made out of concrete and steel. In addition to high quality engineering equipment, lighting, generators and communications devices were found.
The Ma'an Paleostinian news agency reported that armaments such as mortars were found inside the tunnel. Egyptian security sources did not rule out the possibility that this tunnel was intended for military purposes.
Is there a civilian purpose for mortars? Fireworks maybe?
Supporting fire for weddings.
Egyptian media accused Hamas and its military wing, the Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades of having something to do with the tunnel. This tunnel was found as an additional round of talks between a Hamas delegation to Cairo and the Egyptian general intelligence were being held. The Hamas delegation returned on Wednesday from the talks in Cairo. The talks focus on the border situation between the Gazoo Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, as well as the smuggling tunnels that the Egyptians are combating.
Egyptian media reported that Egyptian commando forces managed to kill the person considered the number two man in ISIS's Sinai branch, Mohammad Mada'an, in battles in central Sinai .This information has not yet been authenticated.
[BBC] A court in Brussels has approved the extradition to La Belle France of Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in November's Gay Paree attacks. Abdeslam, who was tossed in the clink Book 'im, Mahmoud! earlier this month in central Brussels, had agreed to be transferred.
The 26-year-old was detained after apparently hiding in the Belgian capital for more than four months. His arrest, in a dramatic police operation, came four days before kabooms in Brussels killed 32 people.
Belgian and French authorities will now consider how to go ahead with the extradition, the federal prosecutor's office says.
Maybe they should call Carla del Ponte...
However, the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits... the transfer may take several weeks as Abdeslam - a French national, born in Belgium - is also wanted for questioning in connection with the Brussels bombings.
Police believe the same myrmidon network was behind attacks in both cities.
After his arrest, Abdeslam was initially questioned over his alleged role in the Gay Paree attacks.
But after last week's suicide kabooms in the Belgian capital, he then exercised his right to silence.
"As Salah Abdeslam had declared to agree to be transferred to La Belle France, a federal magistrate took his formal declaration today," the prosecutor's office said. "The transfer is possible."
Earlier, a lawyer for Abdeslam, Cedric Moisse, said his client had dropped his initial objection to being extradited. "He wishes to co-operate with the French authorities," he added.
Prosecutors have said that Abdeslam admitted planning to blow himself up in the Gay Paree attacks but changed his mind.
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[DAWN] PESHAWAR: At least five people were killed and several others injured when a blast occurred inside a vehicle on Kashmire Road in Jani Khel area of Lakki Marwat district on Thursday.
Security personnel rushed to the site of blast following the incident and cordoned off the area, DawnNews reported.
DPO Lakki marwat Ali Akbar said the people were travelling from North Wazoo to Lakki Marwat when a blast occurred in their vehicle.
"Initial reports suggest that the bomb was planted on the vehicle," he said. However, Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... the exact nature of the blast is yet to be ascertained.
The casualties were shifted to nearby medical facility.
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Iraq’s counter-terrorism forces backed by army troops and U.S.-led coalition air strikes advanced towards the western town of Hit on March 31, in an attempt to dislodge the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants, the military said.
A senior officer from the counter-terrorism forces, the elite U.S.-trained units which led the recapture of nearby Ramadi three months ago, said his troops were one kilometer from the town center, 130 km west of the capital Baghdad.
The recapture of Hit, strategically located on the Euphrates River near Ain al-Asad air base where several hundred U.S. forces are training Iraqi army troops, would push ISIL further west towards the Syrian border, cutting a connection to the northern town of Samarra and leaving Fallujah their only stronghold near the capital.
Baghdad has had success in pushing back the militants in recent months and has pledged to retake the northern city of Mosul later this year, but progress has often been fitful.
Another officer, on a frontline less than 3 km from Hit, said the operation had begun at early in the morning and was progressing swiftly.
“There are some IEDs along the movement but it’s still good to go and we are moving,” he said by phone.
In a statement announcing the advance, the military said the offensive was backed by airstrikes from the Iraqi army and air force as well as the international coalition fighting ISIL in the areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria where the militants declared a “caliphate” in 2014.
The statement called on civilians in Hit, thought to number in the tens of thousands, to move away from ISIL positions: “Those targets will be destroyed”.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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[Weekly Standard] "I am so sick, I am so sick," Clinton says, shouting and wagging her finger at the activist, "of the Sanders campaign lying about me. I'm sick of it."
Greenpeace explained the exchange, "At a Hillary Clinton rally at SUNY Purchase campus today, the presidential candidate lost her patience with a Greenpeace activist who thanked her for her commitment to climate change then asked her whether she'll reject fossil fuel money moving forward. Pointing her finger at activist Eva Resnick-Day, Clinton claimed she only takes money from people who work for fossil fuel companies and called the accusations lies."
#2
Lieutenant Hurwitz: [singing] You'll be swell, you'll be great. Gonna have the whole world on a plate. Startin' here, startin' now. Honey, everything's comin' up roses...
#3
Even for a cold corrupt congenital-lying She-Beest like her has gotta get worn down eventually. She's old for this sh*t. You would think she would not mention "lying"...
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016 6:55
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#4
Now that is irony right there. Comedy just keeps on writing itself.
#2
The shooter is being reported as James Brown III. Brown had an extensive criminal record, including a murder charge from 2001, and was well known to police in Aurora, it is reported. A relative said he had a lot of anger in him. Shooter.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016 13:14
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#9
When asked how he felt about spending the rest of his days in a concrete box barely large enough to lay down and get pounded in the a$$ in, his response was "I don't feel GOOD . . . .:
[BOSTONHERALD] TYNGSBOROUGH -- The FBI is investigating the discovery of suspicious devices found hanging from power lines in Massachusetts.
Harold Shaw, special agent in charge of the Boston FBI division, says the devices were found Wednesday when the Tyngsborough Fire Department responded to a brush fire. Shaw says crews noticed the items and alerted National Grid. The power company then alerted law enforcement.
Shaw says multiple incendiary devices "similar in structure to pipe bombs" were found. Tyngsborough police say the devices were found on the power lines.
The FBI says the devices were determined to be "non-explosive" early Thursday morning and have been rendered safe.
Shaw says at this point there is no evidence tying the devices to terrorism and law enforcement agencies and utility companies across the country have been notified.
#3
They used to throw tied-together sneakers over the phone lines to indicate drug transaction sites but I haven't seen any in a while. Maybe this is the replacement?
Person(s) deploy the devices some earlier time, presumably when it's dark.
The item(s) ignite (either by cellphone command or timer) and drop to the ground setting the surrounding vegetation ablaze. Items are consumed or rendered unidentifiable in resulting inferno.
Witnesses saw no one in the area in the days beforehand.
Just conjecture on my part, but plausible.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
04/01/2016 12:08
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#5
Lawn mower - tannerite man, out of the hospital? Anyone seen him ?
[AlAhram] A Turkish military base being built in 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... will be ready within two years, Ankara's defence minister said in Doha on Wednesday.
It will be the first Turkish military facility in the region, Ismet Yilmaz told journalists on the sidelines of three-day Dimdex defence and security fair in Qatar.
"It (the base) will be completed within two years," said Yilmaz, adding the deal had been approved by the Turkish parliament.
The deal is part of a defence agreement concluded by Qatar and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... in late 2014, which allows for agreement in the fields of military training and the deployment of the Turkish armed forces on Qatar's territory.
"We want to achieve cooperation in the field of (military) training and exercises, and contribute to stability in the region," said Yilmaz.
The defence minister said the deal was reciprocal and said there were Qatari military personnel and aircraft currently stationed in Turkey.
Qatar is already home to the biggest air base in the Middle East, Al Udeid, where some 10,000 military personnel are stationed, and is the forward headquarters of United States Central Command.
Qatar and Turkey are increasingly close allies, and both have backed rebels trying to overthrow Syria's Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama...
#1
This is not really surprising. Erdogan of Turkey and the Thani family that rules Qatar have long ties to the international Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-Muslimun).
[AlAhram] Six coppers were killed and at least 23 people maimed on Thursday in a kaboom targeting a Turkish police vehicle in the Kurdish-majority southeastern city of Diyarbakir, a security source said.
The attack took place a day before Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose government has waged a relentless campaign against Kurdish rebels since last summer, was to make a rare visit to the city.
Speaking to AFP, the source said a remotely-operated boom-mobile went off as a police vehicle drove past the city's main bus terminal. Of the 23 maimed, nine were civilians and the rest police.
Ambulances rushed to the scene, where images showed the police bus reduced to a burnt-out wreck by the force of the blast.
[DAWN] 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.... Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan claims that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... is silent on the arrest of an Indian agency’s agent from 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... under a strategy.
He also declined to confirm arrest of two Indian engineers on sabotage charges from a factory owned by the Sharifs in a Punjab town.
"The government is working on a strategy to raise the issue of involvement of RAW in Pakistain," Sana said when asked why the prime minister was not saying anything on the issue.
He was speaking to news hounds outside the Punjab Assembly building here on Wednesday.
Asked about picking up of two Indian engineers by an agency from Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by the Sharifs for their alleged links with subversive activities here, he said absurd and wrong information was being disseminated as no agent or terrorist could have any link with a respectable and law-abiding citizen. When insisted to confirm or deny the report, he said no agency had so far given any report to the effect.
He explained that "sometimes a person is picked up but the report is not made public as other people (co-accused) are to be captured on the basis of the information divulged by him."
He told a questioner that action against hate-mongers must not be confused with the one against "jet-black" terrorists.
Asked if Jaish-e-Muhammad and Jamaat-ud-Dawa ...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba... would be allowed to operate in the province under the notion of good and bad Taliban, the minister said the notion had died after the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb ..the Pak offensive against Qaeda in Pakistain and the Pak Taliban in North Wazoo. The name refers to the sword of the Prophet (PTUI!)... . "Now no one will be allowed to use our soil for any kind of terrorism."
Answering a question about the arrest of the controller(s) of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park tragedy, he said certain areas in the lovely provincial capital were being cordoned off to check bio-data of residents. He appealed to the citizens to bear the inconvenience with patience.
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[BIGSTORY.AP.ORG] 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... 's military has launched a new operation to rid the country of 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... snuffies "once and for all" and soldiers are prepared to storm one of the group's remaining strongholds in Nigeria, a military commander said Thursday.
The operation -- code-named Tentacle -- began this week and involves thousands of soldiers working with Nigerian soldiers on the other side of Cameroon's northern border, Gen. Jacob Kodji said.
"We must flush them out and free our people once and for all," Kodji said, adding that soldiers were "determined" and prepared to move into Nigeria's Sambisa Forest, a stronghold of the Nigerian-based Islamic krazed killers. The forest has been targeted in a sustained aerial bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force this year.
Northern Cameroon has suffered regular raids and suicide kabooms attributed to Boko Haram for more than a year. A particularly deadly spate of attacks in January killed at least 57 people in 17 days, according to government figures.
Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram have accused Cameroon's army of killing dozens of civilians in cross-border raids into Nigeria while in pursuit of Boko Haram -- claims the Cameroon government has denied.
On Thursday, Kodji said there was no reason to fear rights abuses against civilians during Operation Tentacle. "Our militaries are well trained and know just what to do now and tomorrow as they have done in the past."
Cameroon has contributed to a regional force to wipe out Boko Haram that also includes Chad, Benin and Niger.
Niger's interior ministry said in a statement Wednesday night that six soldiers were killed in an ambush carried out by Boko Haram -- the latest attack in the country's southeast region which borders its strongholds in northern Nigeria.
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[DAWN] City police are hunting a man accused of raping an 18-year-old dancer after inviting her to perform at his residence in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. . The suspect is believed to be a member of the Afghan parliament.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Hayatabad Police Station on the victim's complaint.
The victim said in the FIR that she is a dancer by profession and a resident of Peshawar's Tehkal area.
She claimed that an Afghan national invited her to dance at an event at his residence.
When she reached his house, where a "party-like" function was taking place, the accused forcibly took her to a room and subjected her to rape, said Hayatabad Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hassan Afzal.
Police raided the residence of the accused in Hayatababad area, who had already fled, Afzal said. The police took into custody a driver and a cook from his house.
During the raid, police recovered a passport and other documents which revealed that the accused is an Afghan national and a member of the Afghan parliament, said the ASP.
However, there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... details further reveal that the suspect, namely Haji Sher Ali, was also in possession of a CNIC issued in his name.
The police collected evidence from his house to be used in the probe. Results of the medical examination of the victim are awaited, he said.
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#1
surprisingly, the dancer was a woman
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016 7:35
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[DAWN] Seven houses of alleged holy warriors and their controllers were razed to the ground by a lashkar (a group of peace volunteers from Ahmedzai Wazir tribe) in different areas of Wana in South Wazoo agency on Wednesday.
The houses of Ghulam Jan and his relatives were demolished in Shalam Dana and those of Toor Hafiz and Wari Khan in Shin Warsak. The houses of Gul Mir in Tiarza and Sattar Khan and his cousin in Samar Bagh were also razed to the ground.
The "accused terrorists" belonged to the Hakimullah and Maulvi Nazir groups of the banned Tehrik-Taliban Pakistain (TTP).
According to sources, the decision to demolish the houses was taken by a 120-member jirga (an elders’ council) after "proofs" of the suspects’ involvement in terrorist activities were obtained through an investigation. The jirga found that the "holy warriors and their controllers" were part of the TTP and had violated a peace accord with the government.
It investigated the matter on a complaint lodged by the political administration of South Waziristan.
Wana bazaar remained closed during the demolition process in which over 400 volunteers participated, sources said.
The houses were razed to the ground with the help of bulldozers and the debris was set on fire.
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04/01/2016
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The United Nations' recently implemented sanctions against North Korea are already driving a wedge between longtime allies North Korea and China, a document from the Workers' Party of North Korea reveals. In the document, the Workers' Party condemns Beijing for partaking in the sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear program and urges its people to confront China with a "nuclear storm" for its alleged "betrayal of socialism," Daily NK reports. A nuclear storm? Good luck with that. Let me know when your bomb is going to go off because shortly after that I'm going to want to go for a dip in some SPF 10,000 and put my sunglasses on to watch China's rebuttal.
"We must no longer go easy on the Chinese and instead deal with them equally in order to change their attitude of taking us lightly," the document reportedly reads, declaring China an "enemy state." Up until this point, the two nations had kept close ties since signing the Sino-North Korean Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance in 1961. If this goes much further I could get ahead of the market and start up a company manufacturing Earth globes with a large black indentation where Pyongyang used to be.
With North Korea's dismay at China's "eager" participation -- which it says is a ploy to protect its "status of dominance in Northeast Asia" -- the key relationship could meet its demise, Sino-North Korea relations expert Lee Young Hwa, a professor at Kansai University, told Daily NK. "There is a high possibility that Sino-North Korea relations will not only deteriorate," he said, "but lead to tensions as well." Looks like it's official now.
Again, PUDGY = KJU is walking a very fine, very dangerous, + potens existential line between appeasing NOKOR overlord Mainland China while at the same time seeking de facto, near-term inter-Korean reunification wid SOKOR. AS LONG AS BEIJING = MAINLAND CHINA DOES NOT GET BACK SOVEREIGN CONTROL OF ALLEGED RUNAWAY OR REBEL PROVINCE TAIWAN, THE FORMER WILL LIKELY NOT-N-NEVAR! APPROVE ANY REUNIFICATION VENTURE BETWEEN THE TWO KOREAS SHORT OF BENIGN BILATERAL COOP.
China already has significant PLA forces inside NOKOR, is in control of NOKOR's military + major national programs, + its already excessive or predominant share of trade wid NOKOR is only likely to increase over time, not decrease.
The longer the "status quo" goes on, the greater the likelihood of formal Chinese annexation of NOKOR under any scenario, HENCE PUDGY'S DEV OF
NUKES.
Pudge wants to be able to fire a LRBM(S) at the US-Allies in righteous Pro-Beijing andor anti-Western NOKOR kimchee/cabbage indignation, while simul being able to press a button that will divert the missle(s) toward Beijing.
Wid so many Allies in East Asia fearful of Chinese ambitions, among other, its unlikely that OWG Co-Superpower China's Amerikan sibling will be able to prevent war in the name of Chinese-specific strategic access.
#6
See also THE DIPLMAT > IS NORTH KOREA "FED UP" WID CHINA?
* DAILY MAIL > NORTH KOREA LABEL'S CHINA "DETESTED ENEMY" AFTER THEY JOIN [US-led] UN SANCTIONS.
versus
* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > NORTH KOREA'S PEOPLE'S ARMY SAYS COULD SINK A US NUCLEAR-POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIER. MINING OF KOREA STRAITS AND OTHER CORRIDORS TO DETER APPROACH OF US CARRIERS.
versus
* JAPAN TIMES > OPINION: PETER APPS: IS THE US TURNING ISOLATIONIST?
OWG Globalist "Isolationist"
FREEREPUBLIC = IS HEIDI CRUZ THE [future?] FIRST LADY OF THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION [OWG NAU].
OOOOOOOOOO, a "three-fer".
FYI the US is planning another mighty USN-LED FONOP in the SCS, while China's President Xi Jinping has repor declared or re-affirmed that China = Beijing will defend its sovereignty = territory from any threats.
A border guard was injured late Wednesday in an ambush by more than a dozen “terrorists” in the Kasserine region near Tunisia’s frontier with Algeria, the interior ministry in Tunis said.
“A group composed of around 15 terrorists ambushed a border guard vehicle and opened fire near Feriana,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Heavy fire erupted, setting the vehicle alight,” the ministry said, adding that one guard had been injured and was taken to the regional hospital in Kasserine.
The ministry said the attackers “fled towards Mount Chaambi” and that army units had been called in to carry out security operations in the area.
Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, has suffered from a wave of militant violence since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Kasserine and Mount Chaambi have become the North African nation’s prime militant hideouts.
A raid on the Libyan frontier town of Ben Guerdane, blamed on ISIS, left 20 people dead earlier this month.
ISIS also claimed brazen attacks last year on the National Bardo Museum in Tunis and a beach resort, as well as a November suicide bombing in the capital that killed 59 tourists and 12 presidential guards.
Last week the government extended by three months a state of emergency imposed following jihadist attacks, while the United States on Friday announced a $24.9-million (22-million-euro) project to install an electronic security surveillance system on Tunisia’s border with strife-torn Libya.
Last Update: Thursday, 31 March 2016 KSA 08:07 - GMT 05:07
In news that's sure to thrill architects and carpenters around the world, researchers at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology have reportedly developed a new type of wood material that is visibly transparent. That's right; your windows and solar panels might soon be made of wood, or --depending on the way you look at it-- the wooden walls of buildings may turn into windows and transparent solar panels. That's nothing, really. Your neighbors have been making transparent fish for a long time.
To create this optically transparent wood material (which technically isn't 100 percent wood) The researchers on the KTH team used a chemical process to remove the wood's naturally occurring lignin, which is a component of the wood's cell walls. Removing the lignin creates a sort of bleached white wood color, which the team then makes clearer with a bit of tinkering and nanoscale engineering. The result is a wood veneer whose porous surface is filled with a transparent polymer -- which,
In the near future, the wood could be used to make windows or even a sort of privacy screen that would let in light but remain somewhat opaque. Researchers also believe the wood material could be used to make transparent solar cells in an affordable way that's easier on both developers' pockets and the environment. "Transparent wood is a good material for solar cells, since it's a low-cost, readily available, and renewable resource. This becomes particularly important in covering large surfaces with solar cells," said Lars Berglund, a professor at KTH's Wallenberg Wood Science Center.
Transparent wood material has been developed in the past for lab tests and experiments on a microscopic scale, but this new variety is better suited for mass production. Researchers behind the material believe that using transparent wood is a sustainable way to make a naturally strong and durable resource pull double duty in building exteriors.
#4
Polls on this potential matchup have been consistent, and they are not driven by love of Hillary. They are driven by negative views of the candidates. Hillary has the largest negatives of any presidential candidate ever. People know her, and they don't like her. Problem is that Trump's negatives are even higher.
#5
#2 I could be proven wrong, but I refuse to believe the American people will elevate the Hildebeest to the highest office in the land.
Particularly if she gets indicted. I find it hard to believe this poll. Hildabeest is about as elite, insider, corrupt, evil and Beltway Party as you get. The tide seems to be moving against the tired same ol, same ol this year. Regular folks are tired of getting screwed.
Whatever. Seems a lot like Kool Aid to me, but I look at things from a more practical level. Any truth here?
A key theme in this year's presidential race is competitiveness of American industry, though candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders tend to use more colorful language when describing their belief that the United States has lost its economic edge.
Both candidates despise recent trade deals, which they feel have proven that the U.S. can't compete with countries like China and Vietnam, which have far cheaper labor and less onerous environmental regulations.
But if you ask actual manufacturing executives, they're far more bullish on America's future than many of its political leaders. On Thursday, professional services firm Deloitte teamed up with the Council on Competitiveness to release its 2016 Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index, showing that the United States is the second most competitive manufacturing economy after China. What's more, global manufacturing executives predict that by 2020, the United States will be the most competitive manufacturing economy in the world.
So why has the United States been shooting up the ranks? Long gone are the days when cheap labor was the most important input for manufacturers. Total manufacturing employment in China peaked during the 1990s and has been falling ever since. And as manufacturing continues to reduce the number of workers needed, the important ingredients to success in the sector are whether advanced technologies and materials are available, and whether or not intellectual property protections are strong. The United States beats out China on both of these scores.
This is not to say that anxiety over the decline of manufacturing employment is misguided. While it's good that manufacturing firms think that the United States is a great place to do business, their success in America will not have the same impact, in terms of providing a huge number of well-paying jobs, as they did a half-century ago.
Pay for most workers has been stagnant for a generation, and opportunities for the majority of Americans without a college degree are shrinking. It's natural to look at the phenomenon of declining manufacturing employment as a political failure that can be rectified. But the fact that China has lost more manufacturing jobs than the U.S. over the past 20 years is a strong indication that playing hardball with the Chinese isn't going to do anything to increase employment in the United States.
Rather than a political failure, the decline of manufacturing employment is a natural economic process that many industries, like agriculture, have gone through in past eras. As sectors become better at what they do, they often require fewer people to get the work done.
So while it's understandable the state of manufacturing is of concern to presidential candidates, those who say they can bring back lost jobs in the sector either don't know what they are talking about, or are being disingenuous. Instead, American politicians should be lauding the fact that manufacturing executives want to do business here, even if that fact won't save the struggling American worker.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
04/01/2016 6:18
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#3
A plant by Beest supporters. She's the only one not called out in the article. But not sure how it supports Slick Willie's claim about how bad the last seven years have been.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/01/2016 8:12
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#4
And Mexico has always had the 'potential' to be far greater economically than it is, but corruption has removed so much opportunity that it is what it is. By 2020 the ruling caste will be well on its way to reducing American economic opportunity to political crony cartels to be just as moribund as Mexico or Europe.
#6
By 2020 the minimum wage in California will be $15 with corresponding hikes for the higher paid union types on top of that so I'm guessing California will miss this boom. We will not be assembling iPhones here.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2016 11:57
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[FRANCE24] The United Nations ...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly... on Thursday announced 108 new alleged victims of sexual abuse, the vast majority of them minors, by peacekeepers in Central African Republic.
It called "shocking to the core" the report that three girls said a French military commander forced them to have sex with a dog.
The revelations dramatically widened the scope of a sexual abuse scandal that has persisted for months. La Belle France's UN ambassador, Francois Delattre, called the allegations "sickening" and promised "exemplary disciplinary action" if they are proven.
The UN human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... chief on Thursday also described the new allegations of sexual abuse as "sickening" and called for investigations that "leave no stone unturned".
"We are taking these allegations -- some of which are particularly odious -- extremely seriously," Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement.
UN front man Stephane Dujarric on Thursday told news hounds that the UN can't confirm the allegations involving a dog at this point but that investigations continue.
The allegations, dating from 2013 through last year, were first announced by a U.S.-based advocacy group, AIDS-Free World, late Wednesday.
AIDS-Free World said Wednesday night that 98 girls in Central African Republic, also known as CAR, had reported being sexually abused between 2013 and 2015 by perpetrators who have since left the country and returned home. It also said information on the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl by a Congolese peacekeeper only three days ago in a hotel room has been turned over to the United Nations.
The United Nations has been in the spotlight for months over dozens of allegations of child rape and other sexual abuses by its peacekeepers, especially those based in Central African Republic, which has faced sectarian violence since 2013. There have been similar allegations against the French force known as Sangaris, which operates independently in CAR.
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France will end its military intervention in the Central African Republic this year as it has achieved its objectives of restoring security to the country after three years of communal violence, the French defence minister said on March 30.
"I can confirm to you the end of Operation Sangaris during the course of 2016," Jean-Yves Le Drian said in the capital Bangui.
France launched the mission in December 2013 as thousands were dying in ethnic violence between Christians and Muslims.
At the time, "the country was in the throes of civil war, torn by religious tensions, plagued by chaos, on the brink of pre-genocidal scenarios," Le Drian said. "In the space of two years, the Sangaris force restored calm and prevented the unacceptable.
"Of course everything is not resolved but we can finally see the country emerging from a long period of trouble and uncertainty", he said, speaking before French soldiers stationed at the M'Poko airport.
The CAR plunged into chaos in March 2013 when mostly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize, a Christian, and installed their leader Michel Djotodia in power for 10 months. A transitional government was brought in under international pressure in early 2014.
Le Drian is in the country for the swearing-in on Wednesday of new President Faustin-Archange Touadera, elected in a run-off vote on February 14.
France, the former colonial power, had around 2,500 troops deployed as part of Operation Sangaris at its peak, supporting around 10,000 UN peacekeepers. But this has been reduced to about 900.
Le Drian did not indicate when the troops would be withdrawn this year. But he said the pullout will be in parallel with the buildup of the 12,000-strong UN force, MINUSCA, and the European Union's training mission (EUTM RCA). Around 300 French troops will remain in CAR, who will rejoin MINUSCA and take part in EUTM RCA, he said.
Some French units will also continue to provide security at the airport, and some troops based in Ivory Coast and in the Sahel region will be "ready to rapidly intervene" if necessary.
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04/01/2016
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Aid agencies in Somalia today launched a Call for Aid seeking USD 105 million to scale-up critical, life-saving assistance and build resilience for more than one million people in the drought-affected northern regions of the country.
Maybe the good Amero-Somalis in Minneapolis could pitch in?
The severe drought, exacerbated by El Niño conditions, which is ravaging parts of Puntland and Somaliland, has compounded an already challenging humanitarian situation.
An estimated 1.7 million people, or nearly 40 per cent of the 4.6 million people living in these areas, are in need of humanitarian assistance and livelihood support. Of these, 1.3 million people are at risk of slipping into acute food insecurity if they do not receive assistance. Nearly 385,000 people already face acute food insecurity.
The severe drought conditions have taken a toll on lives and livelihoods. If funding is not secured now, the consequences will be grave, especially in light of a less than favourable forecast for the coming Gu rainy season. Malnutrition-related deaths have been reported in Awdal region.
Loss of livestock due to poor pasture and water availability is negatively impacting family income and causing a sharp rise in indebtedness. Without access to emergency health services, water and sanitation, thousands of people could face death due to preventable causes.
“We have reached a critical point in Puntland and Somaliland. Urgent action is required right now. If not, we risk a rapid and deep deterioration of the situation, as drought conditions may worsen in the coming months. Communities are already losing their means of survival. The time to fund is now to come back from the tipping point, avoid a greater crisis and avert loss of lives and save livelihoods,” said Peter de [Somebody].
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Pretty much a reprint of Yippie's presser, but it's useful to see what's on his mind...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Western countries of leaving Turkey alone in the fight against terror, Anadolu reported.
In an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Washington, which aired Thursday night, Erdogan added that those countries had not met Ankara’s expectations for intelligence-sharing.
"We were left alone by Western countries. Our intelligence-sharing expectations were never met,” Erdogan said.
Turkey “has been calling for a common stance against terrorism, and many of the EU member states seem to have failed to realize the significance that this call for action deserves,” he said. Turkey has also previously called on other countries to share information on all terror organizations, including Daesh and the PKK .
The Turkish president was also asked about Ibrahim el Bakraoui, one of three suicide bombers who carried out the Brussels attacks on March 22, which killed 32 people. A day after the blasts, Ankara revealed that he had been deported from Turkey last June after being arrested near the Syrian border.
Erdogan said that el Bakraoui was accused of being affiliated with Daesh and was deported to the Netherlands. “The decision to deport was communicated to the Netherlands and Belgium,” he said.
He added that Brussels was granted additional information per its request. But, “Belgium unfortunately attached no significance to this piece of information and these incidents happened.”
The Belgian coppers didn't attach significance to anything, sad to say...
“We have French fighters in Daesh, we have German fighters in Daesh, we have Australian fighters in Daesh, and 22 countries out of the 90 countries feeding fighters into Daesh are EU member states,” said Erdogan, explaining why Turkey needed a strong alliance with EU member states.
- Syria’s territorial integrity
Erdogan also said Turkey, the U.S. and other international allies “had to work together and jointly for the protection of the territorial integrity of Syria and for the establishment of a long-lasting peace.”
“I’m not in the position to allow the handing over of some parts of Syria to some terrorist organization. I would always be reminded about such a mistake should that mistake ever be made,” he said.
Asked which terror organization he was referring to, Erdogan replied: “YPG, PYD... and if Daesh has an intention of that sort they will never be allowed.”
So why didn't Christiane ask him specifically if he thought Daesh did have those intentions? Was she afraid of his answer, or was she helping him cover?
The PYD, the Syrian affiliate of the PKK organization, two weeks ago declared the creation of a federation in the areas it controls in northern Syria. The move was strongly opposed by the Syrian regime and opposition, the U.S. and Turkey.
Erdogan said that Turkey does not discriminate between a “good” and an “evil” terrorist organization. “A terrorist organization is evil and none of them should be allowed,” he said.
- Islamophobia
Erdogan also addressed the issue of Islamophobia. He said he was one of the “first political leaders officially declaring that anti-Semitism is a crime” and that he awaited the same for Islamophobia.
“I expect an official declaration that Islamophobia is a crime against humanity as well,” he said. “Islamophobia emerged from the Western countries and this is a challenge that we altogether have to surmount.”
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(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – An informed security source announced on Thursday, that the liberation operation of Heet District was started, while emphasized that the Anti-Terrorism forces, Federal Police and tribal fighters are participating in the operation.
The source said in a press statement received by IraqiNews.com, “This morning the joint forces from the Anti-Terrorism Directorate, commandos, Federal Police, Iraqi army and tribal fighters carried out an operation to liberate Heet District from ISIS control.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “The security forces are intending to liberate all the areas in Heet and raise the Iraqi flag over the district in the coming hours.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – A security source announced on Thursday, that 60 ISIS militants were killed in an aerial bombing targeted their strongholds in the districts of Sharqat and Heet.
The source said in a press statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “The Iraqi F16 fighter jets bombed ISIS strongholds and gatherings in the districts of Sharqat and Heet, killing 60 ISIS fighters,” pointing out that, “The bombing was carried out based on intelligence information.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “The air strikes also destroyed four ISIS hideouts in those areas.”
Earlier today, an informed security source announced, that the security forces started an operation to liberate Heet District west of Ramadi, while emphasized that the Anti-Terrorism forces, Federal Police and tribal fighters are participating in the operation.
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – On Thursday, Heet District Council in Anbar Province announced cleansing two areas in the district of Heet west of Ramadi, while pointed out to the killing of dozens of ISIS members in the cleansing battles.
The council’s President Mohammed Mohannad al-Hiti said in a press statement received by IraqiNews.com, “The security forces managed to cleanse the train station area in the southern axis and al-Mashtal area in the northern axis of Heet District, as well as killing dozens of ISIS fighters.”
Hiti added, “The security forces are advancing in the other axes, including al-Baghdadi and Kabisa,” pointing out that, “The tribal fighters are participating on the front lines of the battle backed by the coalition aircraft.”
(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – The president of Khalediya District Council in Anbar province, Ali Dawood, announced on Thursday killing the ISIS military commander in the regions of Albu Shehab and Albu Shgel east of Ramadi.
Dawood said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, “The [army’s] Air Force, in coordination with the intelligence [service], bombarded one of the ISIS headquarters in the area of Albu Shehab in Khalediya Island,” adding that, “The bombardment resulted in killing a number of ISIS elements, including the military commander in the regions and Albu Shehab and Albu Shgel, called Abbas Mohammed Abbas and nicknamed Kenaour.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – A source in Anbar Operations Command announced on Thursday, that the security forces managed to cleanse Heet Hospital and the police building of the ISIS control west of Ramadi, while pointed out to the killing of 22 ISIS members.
The source reported for IraqiNews.com, “The security forces were able to cleanse the local police station in the district of Heet (70 km west of Ramadi) as well as the District Hospital from the ISIS control.”
The source added, “22 ISIS militants were killed during the battles,” noting that, “The security forces are advancing to storm other regions and open safe havens to evacuate the civilians.”
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Gay Paree attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam wants to cooperate with French authorities, his lawyer said Thursday, confirming that his client wanted to be extradited from Belgium to La Belle France. "I'll talk, coppers! I'll talk!"
A prosecutor was set to travel to the prison in the city of Bruges where Abdeslam is being held to discuss his extradition under a European arrest warrant. "Voila! Le poup Francais, M. le Merderer! Avez une closaire louque!" [SPLURP!]
"He wants to cooperate with the French authorities," lawyer Cedric Moisse said. Sometimes they do feel like singing when you dip their heads in the toilet a few times.
Abdeslam has not spoken to Sherlocks since Brussels was hit last week by attacks at the airport and a metro station that were claimed by the so-called 'Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... group.
He has links to several of those involved in the suicide kabooms that killed 32 people.
Known as Europe's most wanted man, the 26-year-old was captured on March 18 in Brussels after spending four months on the run following the November suicide kabooms and gun attacks in Gay Paree which left 130 people dead.
He is believed to be the last survivor from the cell of 10 men who carried out the massacre.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said that Abdeslam had also been planning to target Brussels.
Abdeslam has been linked to at least two of the bombers. Khalid El Bakraoui, who went kaboom! at the metro, rented a flat in Brussels where Abdeslam's fingerprints were found following a raid. The second airport bomber, Najim Laachraoui, once drove to Hungary with Abdeslam.
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For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately.
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Shelling and direct fire attacks continue to increase by both sides on the line of contact in Donetsk, according to Russian language news accounts.
According to a new report which appeared in korrespondent.net, rebel forces fired 82mm and 120mm mortar fire into several key areas including at Yasinovataya, Zaytsevo, western districts of Donetsk city and several villages in southern Donetsk on Wednesday.
Among the localities hit in northwestern Donetsk were Mayorsk, Opytnoye, Leninskoye and Nevelskiy. Quoting Ukrainian military officials, rebel artillery hit Ukrainian positions at Zaytsevo and Avdievka, firing a total of 250 shells.
A separate korrespondent.net report said that rebel forces fired more than 200 shells into Mayorsk and Zaytsevo. Quoting Ukrainian Colonel Alexander Motuzyanik, both side suffered killed and wounded including when Ukrainian forces initiated counterbattery fire on Zaytsevo. According to Col. Motuzyanik a total of five civilians were wounded in Zaytsevo in the shelling.
In southern Donetsk, according to Ukrainian military officials, rebel forces shelled Shirokino with mortars and attacked several villages with small arms fire.
According to an official news release from the Donetsk ministry of defense, on Wednesday Ukrainian forces fired on rebel forces more than 500 times, for a total of 43 violations of the ceasefire. Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions in Spartak, the Donetsk airport, Yasinovataya and in Zaytsevo.
In southern Donetsk, Ukrainian artillery hit rebel positions at Kominternovo, Sahanka and Dokuchaevsk.
Rebel reports say they lost three dead and one wounded in the fighting, while the Ukrainians lost two to rebel sniper fire.
A separate rebel report said that Ukrainian forces fired on rebel positions in Yasinovataya using 152mm artillery. Ukrainian forces have charged that rebels have been using heavier artillery as well including 122mm artillery, which they claim to be sited near Yasionovataya.
On Thursday, according to another korrespondent.net report, rebel forces shelled Ukrainian positions near Zaytsevo more than 300 times using mortar fire, and used heavy artillery.
Yet another korrespondent,.net report said that rebels fired on Ukrainian troops in Peski and Opytnoye, both towns of which are west of Donetsk city. Rebels also fired artillery fire on Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk at Shirokino, Pavlopole, Talakovke and Gnutova.
A rebel news report said that Ukrainian forces violated the ceasefire 28 times, firing mostly on Zaystevo.
Rebels charged that Ukrainian forces fired on rebel position near Zaytsevo using 122mm rocket artillery. If true, the report signals a further escalation in the fighting, in which rebel forces could respond.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraine by clicking here.
Portly North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, whose hostile actions have brought crippling international sanctions to his impoverished nation, has a new message for the Hermit Kingdom's starving masses: Get ready to eat plant roots. Like everyone's had to do since 1953. And not before. And plenty of times since then. Landwhale Kim, whose weight the South Korean government estimates has ballooned to nearly 300 pounds, signaled through state media that the nation could be headed for another famine like the one that killed an estimated 3.5 million people in the 1990s. What a amazing genetic line. From being able to shoot 18 holes of golf with a score of 17, not having an anus, singlehandedly solving the not AIDS epidemic in North Korea, and walking since they were 3 weeks old and driving before they could reach the pedals. Now apparently Fatso has figured out how to turn 1 Calorie per day into 300 pounds. Amazing. I wonder if that cane has something to do with it.
"The road to revolution is long and arduous," an editorial in the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper said Monday, according to The Telegraph. "We may have to go on an arduous march, during which we will have to chew the roots of plants once again." We. Meaning everyone but me.
"Arduous march" in North Korean is code for famine. It's how state media described the disaster that struck when Kim was a mere teen, which experts say was brought on by the economic mismanagement of his father, Kim Jong Il, loss of foreign aid and natural disasters. But mostly through stupidity, ignorance, obstinance, and wanting to remain king of the hill, which is really a pile of manure. But hey, it's a hill, and it's the only one they're ever going to have if they keep this up.
But Kim, who at 33 walks with a cane and reportedly suffers from gout, won't miss any meals. Last September, South Korea disclosed that Kim appeared to have added nearly 70 pounds to his 5-foot, 9-inch frame over the previous five years, reaching an estimated weight of 290 pounds. Must be the stress of lots of late nights deciding who needs to be purged and how.
Photos released over the past year have shown Kim Jong Un's rapid weight gain. The secretive regime hasn't said much about it, but South Korean analysts suspect he's been under severe stress. Investigators also note that he reportedly developed a taste for Emmental cheese while he was a student in Switzerland years ago.
Pyongyang has ordered every citizen in the capital to provide around 2 pounds of rice to the state's supplies every month, while farmers are forced to hand over additional rations from their own meager crops to the military, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported. Much more of these forced donations and it will be better to stop farming and just stick their hands out. At least in the short run it would be. But sometimes you need to think that way.
The comments from state media come amid reports of North Koreans hoarding their food supplies, according to The Telegraph. Kim Jong Un's regime has been cracking down on open-air markets that have served as a source of additional food for city dwellers.
"Even if we give up our lives, we should continue to show our loyalty to our leader, Kim Jong Un, until the end of our lives," the state-run newspaper wrote, calling for a "70-day campaign of loyalty." The staff of the official media seem to understand very well which side of the bread is buttered. And who butters it.
Much of North Korea's population of 25 million is already hungry, but new sanctions, the most severe in 20 years, were approved by the UN Security Council after Pyongyang's February nuclear weapons test and a recent long-range missile launch. And the cost of reaching the goal of having a nuclear weapon will cost them about 5,000 lives a day if all goes well. And the cost of using it will be about a million in the space of a few seconds.
The sanctions will further cripple North Korean trade and squeeze Kim's weapons programs. Under them, UN members are even barred from accepting the reclusive nation's main exports of coal and iron ore.
But experts don't expect Kim's belligerence to stop just because the world shuns him. The latest message to the suffering people is yet another one of collective sacrifice. Collective, meaning everyone but the oligarchy.
"It's an old pattern of telling the population to endure short-term hardship for the promise of larger benefits over the long term," Daniel Pinkston, a lecturer at Troy University in Seoul, told the Los Angeles Times of the Rodong Sinmun editorial. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice . . . . Oh, wait . . . .
But mostly jerks.
How much does that mistake bug you? Does it bring out your inner grammar policeman or do you just keep on reading?
How you react when confronted with written errors can be related to your personality type, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that people who get irritated by errors tend to be introverted or have "less agreeable" personalities than those who more easily overlook those kind of mistakes. Basically, nice people don't care all that much and the jerkier sorts are the ones who get all bent out of shape.
"This is the first study to show that the personality traits of listeners/readers have an effect on the interpretation of language," said lead researcher, University of Michigan professor of linguistics and psychology Julie Boland, in a news release. "In this experiment, we examined the social judgments that readers made about the writers."
In the study, 83 participants were shown emails written by potential housemates. Some had no errors, while others either had typos ("aslo" instead of "also") or grammar mistakes ("your" instead of "you're"). The participants were asked to rate the writers in terms of their perceived intelligence, friendliness, trustworthiness and other attributes such as how they'd feel they would be as a housemate.
Then the participants were asked if they noticed any spelling or grammar mistakes and, if so, how much they were bothered by them. Finally, they were asked to complete the Big Five Personality index (BFI), a 44-question survey that rated them on a scale of extraversion, agreeability, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness.
All the people in the study generally rated the writers with mistakes less favorably than those with perfect letters. (Their English teachers would be so proud!) Beyond that, they discovered a few key personality traits that seemed to influence how much a few carelessly swapped letters or more serious grammar offenses throw a person's whole world out of whack.
It turns out that extroverts were more likely to be understanding and overlook typos and grammatical mistakes than introverts, who tended to be judgmental. Also people with "less agreeable" personalities were more sensitive to mistakes than those people who were very agreeable. The researchers say this is "perhaps because less agreeable people are less tolerant of deviations from convention." In other words, cranky people have a harder time than easy-going people dealing with people who break the rules.
Both highly conscientious and less open participants were sensitive to typos, but they didn't care all that much about grammar. And, perhaps surprisingly, how neurotic someone was didn't affect how they reacted to grammar and spelling mistakes.
So if you have a friend who's constantly pointing out errors on social media, take solace in the fact that he's likely a jerk. And if it's you who upholds every grammar law, then chalk it up to being an introvert. (And be grateful that your eagle eye has nothing to do with being neurotic.)
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016 6:53
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So my elementary school teachers and high school English teachers were introverts and jerks? BTW, that was back in the days of 'standards' which seem to be fading at a discernible rate in the contemporary education systems.
#4
I must have a "less agreeable" personality, then. I attribute that to how in-depth our teachers taught us about grammar and punctuation and how they, and the other kids at the time, considered proper use to be required in the then-modern world.
Although the folks at work do send me their documents to be 'proof-read' and corrected. I carry the belief that documents coming out of our firm should be professional and shouldn't have the aura of being written in crayon.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
04/01/2016 9:10
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First time I've seen an article about Fark's commenters.
#6
Since I was in charge of writing much of the software, I was stuck proof-reading the documentation.
Technical issues were understandable. The poor grammar and spelling by "so-called" professional tech writers was deplorable; and that was 20 years ago.
#8
I don't mind a typo here and there in a Rantburg comment. But when someone sends me unintelligible email and expects me to take them seriously I get a little annoyed.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/01/2016 12:22
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#7 - Heh
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016 12:42
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I started proofreading my father's writings when I was seven, going on instinct alone. Some people are just bothered by such things. It's true I am an introvert, but I do try not to be a jerk.
QAMISHLI – Kurdish-Arab alliance of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported advancement in the oil-rich area between Deir ez-Zor province and Raqqa, northeast Syria, subsequent to clashes with the radical group of Islamic State (ISIS), military sources reported on Thursday.
The western-backed SDF forces have seized the Rweshid oil field after expelling ISIS from the Abu Khashab district west of the town of Margada in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province.
Speaking to ARA News in Hasakah, media activist Suleiman Nabi said that the SDF alliance is still trying to cut the group’s supply lines between the cities of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, through advancing towards the Deir ez-Zor suburbs–connecting Hasakah with ISIS-held Raqqa.
The SDF includes Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and allied local Arab and Christian factions.
“The SDF forces have passed al-Maliha village toward Ma’dan area, west of the city of Shaddadi in Hasakah province,” a spokesman for the SDF told ARA News, pointing out “the SDF’s goal is to cut ISIS supply lines between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in a bid to besiege ISIS jihadis in their de facto capital [Raqqa].”
Under an air cover by the U.S.-led coalition, the SDF forces had seized control of the city of Shaddadi and its countryside nearly two months ago subsequent to fierce battles with ISIS insurgents in the southern suburbs of Hasakah. This progress came after the SDF units cut off a main supply route for the ISIS radical group near Syria’s northeastern border with Iraq.
In February, the SDF alliance had seized control of a key gas facility and main financial resource for the Islamic State (ISIS) radical group in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province last week. The western-backed forces regained control of the Jibisa gas facility, located about 12km east of Shaddadi city in southern Hasakah.
The facility had been used by ISIS for nearly two years as a source to fund its operations. Informed sources told ARA News that ISIS used to produce 5,000 gas cylinders a day in Jibisa to be sold at the black-market. Local sources reported that ISIS has been coordinating with the Syrian regime to sell the gas it used to extract from Jibisa fields, and that the regime’s employees have been working in the facility even during ISIS control.
Jibisa gas facility is considered one of the main gas facilities in northern Syria for its huge production that has been feeding power stations in central Syria. The facility was run by some 500 workers, including specialized engineers, technicians and workers.
The SDF, which includes Kurdish, Arab and Christian units, had earlier liberated more than 240 towns and villages from ISIS militants on the border with Iraq.
Pittsburgh news anchor Wendy Bell was fired Wednesday from ABC affiliate WTAE after outcry over a recent Facebook post in which she used racially stereotypical language in talking about "young black men."
Bell had been associated with WTAE for 18 years but could not withstand the outcry over her rant on the station's own social media account speculating on the perpetrators of a then-unsolved murder. But now it's solved. Let's see if her stereotypical prediction matched reality, shall we? If it does, maybe we can wish it away by firing her instead of going after the truth and fixing it.
"WTAE has ended its relationship with anchor Wendy Bell," Hearst Television, the station's owner, said in a statement. "Wendy's recent common sense comments on a WTAE Facebook page were inconsistent with the company's ethics and journalistic standards."
Bell was pulled off the air last week and WTAE president and general manager Charles Wolfertz aired a public apology for what he then called Bell's "egregious lack of judgment." See? Problem gone! Carry on folks, nothing to see here.
The controversial comments were posted after a mass shooting in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, in which six people were killed -- but before police had made any arrests. "You needn't be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts," Bell wrote. "they are young black men, likely in their teens or early 20s. They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs. These boys have been in the system before. They've grown up there. They know the police. They've been arrested. They've made the circuit and nothing has scared them enough. Now they are lost. Once you kill a neighbor's three children, two nieces and her unborn grandson, there's no coming back. There's nothing nice to say about that." Hmm. I guess I'd better not bother to send my resume to WTAE anytime soon then.
[DAWN] Prayer leaders and other religious holy mans are an under-used means of pushing action to combat climate change, experts and religious scholars said at a multi-faith meeting on Thursday. Depends on how much money's in it...
Religious leaders have the moral standing to call on people and businesses to consider the environmental impact of their activities and take a bigger role in reducing their own carbon footprints and finding ways to cope with the growing impacts of climate change, experts said at a multi-faith meeting in Islamabad.
Pakistain Ulema Council's Maulana Tahir Ashrafi said imams [prayer leaders] could have "unprecedented influence" in bringing action on climate change.
But first, he said, "they need training to both understand and communicate the issues accurately in a country hard-hit by climate-related drought, flooding, crop losses and other problems."
"We religious leaders in Pakistain can talk about climate change with people as long as we become knowledgeable about climate change and its other facets," he maintained.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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[FRANCE24] Police on Thursday carried out a new raid in northern Belgium in connection with a foiled attack plot in La Belle France whose main suspect Reda Kriket was charged this week with membership of a terrorist organization, prosecutors said.
"A raid is under way in connection with the Kriket case. It is taking place at Marke, in the town of Courtrai" in northwestern Belgium, Eric Van Der Sypt, a front man for the federal prosecutor's office, told AFP.
Soldiers and coppers could be seen taking part in the operation near a busy motorway, according to images from local media.
French national Reda Kriket was jugged Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! near Gay Paree last week. Police found a cache of assault rifles, handguns and TATP, the highly volatile homemade explosive favoured by Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS) group jihadists, at his apartment.
French Prosecutor Francois Molins said Wednesday that "no specific target" had been identified for the foiled attack, but the cache of weapons showed an "imminent" act of "extreme violence" had likely been prevented.
Kriket's arrest came four months after IS group jihadists killed 130 people in the French capital.
Investigators in La Belle France and Belgium have been stepping up efforts to smash a network of IS group-linked Death Eaters blamed for both the November Gay Paree attacks and last week's suicide kabooms on the Brussels airport and metro that killed 32 people.
Belgium has so far charged two suspects -- Abderrahmane Ameroud, 38, and Rabah M, 34 -- over the foiled plot linked to Kriket.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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The Olympics should be a clusterf*ck
The decision was taken following on PMDB's withdrawal from the federal government's coalition, as the political crisis faced by Rousseff intensified with the possibility that other allied parties will also leave the government coalition.
The cancellation of the trip also prevents Vice President Michel Temer, national president of the PMDB and the main articulator of the party's withdrawal from the government's coalition, from becoming acting president of Brazil for two days.
According to the Brazilian Constitution, the Vice President takes the President's position when the holder leaves the national territory. Nobody left in the Leftist ruling party that's not tainted
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016
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The Olympics will be a great success. Everyone will say so!!! The water for the rowing and boating events will be crystal clear and pure.
[Ynet] The Turkish army says it has no plans to stage a coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and has threatened legal action against anyone who suggests otherwise.
The rare statement aims to squash speculation over the possibility of a military coup in Turkey as the president visits the United States. The military said on its website such "baseless news" was hurting morale in its ranks without naming specific publications.
The Turkish army, historically seen as a defender of secular principles, has ousted three elected governments and one prime minister.
The institution saw its power reduced through a series of measures after Erdogan came to power as prime minister in 2003. Now the country's president, Erdogan is due to return to Turkey on Sunday.
(IraqiNews.com) The official in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Rashad Klaly, announced on Thursday killing three people and wounding several others in a suicide bombing in front of the government building in the district of Makhmour south of Erbil.
Klaly said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The suicide bomber blew himself up, this evening, in front of the government building of Makhmour south of Erbil, killing three police officers, charged with protecting the building, and wounding several others.”
Klaly added, “A security force cordoned off the area and transferred the wounded to a nearby hospital for medical treatment and the dead to the forensic medicine [authority].”
[IsraelTimes] Though Britannia, La Belle France, Germany and the United States are seeking action, Russia will likely veto any steps
A long-range Qadr ballistic missile is launched in the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran on March 9, 2016. (AFP / TASNIM NEWS / Mahmood Hosseini)
Iran’s defense minister said he is "certain" the UN Security Council will not take any action over its ballistic missile tests despite calls from Western powers.
Britannia, La Belle France, Germany and the United States wrote a joint letter on Monday calling for action over tests they said violated last year’s landmark nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, and the Security Council resolution that enshrines it.
They said the two kinds of missiles fired by Iran on March 8 and 9, the Shahab-3 and Qiam-1, also called the Qadr, were a breach of the resolution because they were "inherently capable of delivering nuclear warheads," something Iran denies.
"I am certain that the Security Council and the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... will not respond as our actions are neither a breach of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the July nuclear deal) nor are they against Resolution 2231," General Hossein Dehghan said.
He reiterated Iran’s longstanding denial that it ever had any ambition to develop a nuclear weapon and said its missiles were designed to carry only conventional warheads.
Diplomats at the United Nations said the Security Council is expected to meet on Friday to consider the alleged breach of Resolution 2231.
But they said action is unlikely as veto-wielding permanent member Russia is opposed to any new sanctions against Iran.
Last Thursday, Washington imposed unilateral sanctions over this month’s tests adding several units involved in Iran’s missile programme to its blacklist.
The Treasury placed sanctions on Shahid Nuri Industries and Shahid Movahed Industries, both units of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group Washington says is responsible for production of Iran’s liquid-fueled ballistic missiles.
It also sanctioned the Al-Ghadir Missile Command of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, which it said appears to have operational control of the missiles.
Residents of the southeastern district of İdil who were forced to flee their homes during a 43-day curfew imposed to conduct operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), have started returning to their homes as security forces eased safety measures and allowed entries to the district.
The curfew, which went into effect on Feb. 16, was partially lifted as of 4:30 a.m. on March 31, paving the way for the return of thousands of İdil residents. The curfew will however continue to remain in effect between 9:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. daily, while houses will not be provided with water due to damages to the district’s water supply network during anti-terror operations.
The arrival of locals from early March 31 created long lines along İdil’s entrance, where security authorities admitted citizens following identity and body checks.
Hundreds of houses and offices in the district’s Turgut Özal and Yeni neighborhoods were severely damaged while offices lined up along Alanya and Adile Naşit streets were completely burned down, according to initial reports from the town.
İdil’s municipal building was also found in ruins, in addition to the district office of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), while reports suggested electricity was currently unavailable across the district.
The lifting of the curfew was announced by Ali İhsan Su, the governor of the southeastern province of Şırnak, with a statement at İdil’s district governor’s office, whereby he thanked the residents of İdil for their support and provided details of the operation’s outcome.
“208 barricades, 72 ditches and 462 improvised explosive devices were disposed of as part of this operation,” Su told reporters, adding that a high number of Kalashnikovs, pump-rifles, grenades and organizational documents had been seized and many PKK militants had been killed.
“I extend my gratitude to our valuable citizens who displayed outstanding patience, understanding and support to our security forces through this period,” Su added.
The governor also explained the measures which will be taken to compensate the losses of İdil’s residents who suffered from the consequences of the operations, suggesting all persons in need will be rehabilitated socially and economically. A damage assessment process will also soon begin, Su vowed, asking all residents to cooperate with state authorities.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/01/2016
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The leader of Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group His Supreme Immensity, Caliph of the Faithful and Galactic Overlord, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ...formerly merely the head of ISIL and a veteran of the Bagram jailhouse. Looks like a new messiah to bajillions of Moslems, like just another dead-eyed mass murder to the rest of us... was a ‘normal family’ man before he became the leader of the terror group, his ex-wife has said.
Saga al-Dulmaimi who managed to escape described a "shallow" marriage to a "normal family man" who spoke little other than to give "orders."
The 28-year-old Saga told Expressed in an interview that she married him in 2008 as he was working as a university lecturer, teaching religion and Sharia.
However, by candlelight every wench is handsome... she said it was later revealed to her that her husband was active in krazed killer groups.
"I married a normal person who was a university lecturer. At the time his name was Hisham Mohammad," Al-Dulaimi said, adding that "He was a family man. He went to work and came home to his family. He didn’t even take part in the resistance movement."
"How he then became Emir of the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world is a mystery to me," Al-Dulaimi added.
Having a bounty of $ million on his head, al-Baghdadi is one of the most wanted turbans in the world.
His voice was last heard in a 24-minute audio message released in December 2015, claiming his organization was "thriving" despite the international forces arrayed against it.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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[Examiner] Hillary Clinton's decision to use a private server while she led the State Department was "inconceivable," and everything she has said about the matter is "incoherent," according to a former chief of the National Security Agency.
"What she set up was inconceivable. And the explanations since that point are incoherent," retired Gen. Michael Hayden told Al Jazeera's Mehdi Hasan, in an interview set to air next week.
Asked if it was likely that the Russian and Chinese governments had possession of her emails, Hayden replied "Yeah," and suggested it wasn't just them.
"I would lose respect for scores of intelligence organizations around the planet if they were not already thumbing through the emails," Hayden said. "And by the way, I would move heaven and Earth as the director of NSA to get the unclassified emails of several foreign ministers."
However, he added, "Whether or not it represents a crime, I'll let the American justice system decide."
[DAWN] Two members of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, sentenced to death by a military court last year, were executed in the Kohat district prison on Wednesday morning after rejection of their appeals by the president. The chief of army staff had earlier signed their death warrants.
The convicts were identified as Mehmood, son of Khwaja Khan of Dela area of Wazoo Agency, and Rab Nawaz, son of Shahi Room of Pir Qillah area of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. .
Their sentence was announced by the Inter-Services Public relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistain Army, on Sep 21, 2015. But the ISPR had not mentioned when and where their trials had been held.
About Mehmood, the ISPR had stated: "The convict was an active member of Tehrik-e-Taliban. He was found involved in attacking law-enforcement agencies using improvised bombs and rocket-launchers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... which resulted in death of 2 soldiers and injuries to 13 soldiers."
It added that the convict had admitted to have committed the offences before a magistrate and trial court.
About Rab Nawaz, the ISPR had said: "The convict was an active member of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain. He was involved in killing of two civilians, possessing firearms and abetting attack on armed forces at Peshawar which resulted in death of 2 soldiers and severe injuries to another."
Before the hangings, law-enforcement agencies had taken adequate security measures to avert any untoward incident. Police carried out a search in area around the prison and strict checking of vehicles and pedestrians continued till Wednesday morning.
The area remained cordoned off before the executions and at the time of handing over of the bodies to the heirs.
A third convict, Fateh Khan of Khyber Agency ... the place to go if you've got an Indiana Jones hat and whip. Chock full of high adventure and treacherous Pathans. You should really train up to it, though... , was also scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, but a day earlier the Peshawar High Court had stayed his execution on an application filed by his mother.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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At least six people, including an accounting officer working for Puntland’s finance ministry have been killed in a huge suicide explosion in northern Galkayo town on Thursday morning.
Reports from Galkayo suggest that man with a bomb strapped to his waist blew up himself near the car of the accountant Said Ali Yusuf (Gada-yare) and killed six, including security guards and pedestrians.
The attack occurred near a hotel in the city, with reports that senior other official was among the dead. Local forces cordoned off the scene and launching probe into the blast.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/01/2016
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that's one way to cover up financial irregularities
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/01/2016 8:28
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[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Syrian President Bashar Assad told Ria Novosti and Sputnik Russia news agencies that the ongoing ceasefire is relatively satisfactory, adding that its success could not be anticipated by many people.
In the second part of the interview with the Russian outlets, President Assad added that the Russians and the Americans held talks to label the terrorist groups without reaching a complete agreement, noting that the anti-terrorist stance of Damascus and Moscow has not changed.
"The most important step now is to speed up the reconciliations and to contact the gunmen who desire to give up their weaponry, explaining that the government is ready to tolerate all those gunmen to avoid a further bloodshed in Syria."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A heavy kaboom rocked the Kurdish-dominated Diyarbakir city of The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... earlier tonight, leaving at least 4 people dead and 20 others maimed.
According to the security officials, the kaboom took place after a vehicle packed with explosives exploded near a bus carrying police personnel.
The officials further added that 4 coppers were killed in the kaboom while civilians and police personnel were among the 20 maimed.
No group has so far grabbed credit behind the incident which comes as Turkey has been hit by a string of attacks during the recent months.
The southeast Turkey where the incident took place this evening has been mainly rocked by waves of violence since a ceasefire between the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the government collapsed last July.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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[THENATIONONLINENG.NET] The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, Thursday said the 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... insurgency in parts of northern Nigeria would soon end.
Speaking when he paid a maiden visit to the 207 Special Mobility Group of the Nigerian Airforce in Calabar, he said that the military was at the "tail end of totally eliminating the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East."
According to him, the movement of the sect in long convoys from one village to the other, killing innocent people has been curtailed.
He said that the military has re-captured most of the territory that were previously in the control of the sect.
"We are not only winning the war against Boko Haram, we are actually at the tail end of the battle.
"It is just a matter of time; this issue of insurgency will definitely come to an end.
"If you visit Maiduguri today and witness the level of economic activities going on, you will believe with me that peace is fast returning back in that area.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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#1
Is this another April fools post?
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
04/01/2016 11:46
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[DAWN] In a comprehensive and scathing survey of textbooks published by the KP Textbook Board, Tahira Abdullah sums up all that is wrong with them. In Textbooks of Hate or Peace? she says the books glorify war, ‘otherise’ non-Muslims, take a uni-dimensional view of reality, distort history and stereotype women.
Textbooks of English, Urdu, Pakistan studies, social studies, Islamiat. general knowledge, geography and history published under three different governments that have ruled KP since 2002 have been analysed. What emerges clearly is that any subject can be used as an agent for pushing a narrow religious agenda. This in turn can be exploited for the attainment of nefarious political goals by those in office.
The conclusion? The MMA, the ANP and now the PTI (in coalition with the Jamaat-i-Islami) have wreaked havoc on the minds of KP’s children. Tahira points out that the different ideological complexion of these three rulers has not made much of a difference.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
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[DAWN] Terming Ulema the only patriots in the country, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... , chief of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... -F (JUI-F) has said that Madressah is a fort of Islam and a peaceful place.
Talking to news hounds at the Jamia Ashrafia here on Tuesday, he said seminaries imparted a lesson of peace, tolerance, love, affection and the religion.
He said turbans were anti-state and bereft of any religion and terrorism should be rooted out of the country.
He accused the secular forces of hatching conspiracies ‘for dollars’ and said only an Islamic system would make the country a better place to live.
Maulana Fazl said holy mans were the first to step forward for protecting the country in times of crises and the seminaries would foil all conspiracies.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/01/2016
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ALEPPO ــ Militants of the radical group of Islamic State (ISIS) stoned two Syrian civilians to death in Manbij city of Aleppo province on charges of ‘committing adultery’, local sources reported on Thursday.
A man and a woman were arrested on Wednesday under the pretext that they have committed adultery. The two victims were referred to the Sharia Court, which has ordered their immediate execution by publicly stoning them to death.
Speaking to ARA News in Manbij, media activist Nasser Taljbini said that after reciting the conviction, ISIS militants publicly stoned a man and a woman to death near the bridge of Manbij.
“Hundreds of people were watching the chilling scene silently,” an eyewitness told ARA News, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Following the execution, some locals started chanting supportive slogans to the Daesh-led brutal act,” the source said, using an acronym for ISIS.
Also, the group on Monday beheaded a young woman in the city of Manbij on charges of communicating with the Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG)–that are engaged in deadly battles with ISIS across Syria’s north and northeast.
ISIS militants beheaded the young girl near the roundabout of Dalla on the highway to Aleppo. The victim was accused of spying for the Kurdish YPG forces, local activists told ARA News.
Over the past few weeks, the pace of ISIS-led executions against civilians has increased dramatically in the city of Manbij for no clear reasons.
The militant group is currently on alert in a bid to impose its hegemony on civilians, especially with the western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) making remarkable gains in northern Syria, coinciding with continued U.S. and Russian airstrikes on ISIS positions.
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.
[Danger & Play] The battery case Michelle Fields filed against Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is the result of a con job, a police report reveals. We can now report that Fields conspired with Washington Post reporter Ben Terris to frame Lewandowski.
[Daily Caller] SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- Move over, carbon-neutral birthday parties. There’s a new popular way to celebrate for the country’s trendy progressive families: Gender declaration parties for teenage children.
Yemeni sources said that the allied forces fired a Qaher-1 missile on a gathering of mercenaries near Nakhla military camp, killing and injuring many of them.
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday, that ten people had been either killed or wounded in a bomb blast in northern Baghdad.
[FRANCE24] More than a year after their son, a Syrian army soldier, was beheaded by 
KOBANE ــ Radical group of the Islamic State (ISIS) launched a new offensive on Kobane city in northern Syria, killing and wounding scores of civilians, local sources reported on Thursday. 
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Hizb-e-Islami party led by Gulbudin Hekmatyar put forward the removal of restrictions as a condition for joining 
[BBC] Six soldiers from Niger's army were killed in an ambush by 
[Ynet] Amidst talks between Egypt and 
[BBC] A court in Brussels has approved the extradition to 
Wazoo
A senior officer from the counter-terrorism forces, the elite U.S.-trained units which led the recapture of nearby Ramadi three months ago, said his troops were one kilometer from the town center, 130 km west of the capital Baghdad.
[Weekly Standard] "I am so sick, I am so sick," Clinton says, shouting and wagging her finger at the activist, "of the Sanders campaign lying about me. I'm sick of it."
The defence minister said the deal was reciprocal and said there were Qatari military personnel and aircraft currently stationed in Turkey.
[BIGSTORY.AP.ORG] 
Wazoo
The United Nations' recently implemented sanctions against North Korea are already driving a wedge between longtime allies North Korea and China, a document from the Workers' Party of North Korea reveals. In the document, the Workers' Party condemns Beijing for partaking in the sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear program and urges its people to confront China with a "nuclear storm" for its alleged "betrayal of socialism," Daily NK reports.
In news that's sure to thrill architects and carpenters around the world, researchers at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology have reportedly developed a new type of wood material that is visibly transparent. That's right; your windows and solar panels might soon be made of wood, or --depending on the way you look at it-- the wooden walls of buildings may turn into windows and transparent solar panels.
[FRANCE24] The 
France will end its military intervention in the Central African Republic this year as it has achieved its objectives of restoring security to the country after three years of communal violence, the French defence minister said on March 30.
Aid agencies in Somalia today launched a Call for Aid seeking USD 105 million to scale-up critical, life-saving assistance and build resilience for more than one million people in the drought-affected northern regions of the country.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Western countries of leaving Turkey alone in the fight against terror, Anadolu reported.
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – An informed security source announced on Thursday, that the liberation operation of Heet District was started, while emphasized that the Anti-Terrorism forces, Federal Police and tribal fighters are participating in the operation.
(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – The president of Khalediya District Council in Anbar province, Ali Dawood, announced on Thursday killing the ISIS military commander in the regions of Albu Shehab and Albu Shgel east of Ramadi.
Portly North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, whose hostile actions have brought crippling international sanctions to his impoverished nation, has a new message for the Hermit Kingdom's starving masses: Get ready to eat plant roots.
QAMISHLI – Kurdish-Arab alliance of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported advancement in the oil-rich area between Deir ez-Zor province and Raqqa, northeast Syria, subsequent to clashes with the radical group of Islamic State (ISIS), military sources reported on Thursday. 
Pittsburgh news anchor Wendy Bell was fired Wednesday from ABC affiliate WTAE after outcry over a recent Facebook post in which she used racially stereotypical language in talking about "young black men."
[FRANCE24] Police on Thursday carried out a new raid in northern Belgium in connection with a foiled attack plot in 
Residents of the southeastern district of İdil who were forced to flee their homes during a 43-day curfew imposed to conduct operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), have started returning to their homes as security forces eased safety measures and allowed entries to the district.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The leader of 
[Examiner] Hillary Clinton's decision to use a private server while she led the State Department was "inconceivable," and everything she has said about the matter is "incoherent," according to a former chief of the National Security Agency.
[DAWN] Two members of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, sentenced to death by a military court last year, were executed in the Kohat district prison on Wednesday morning after rejection of their appeals by the president. The chief of army staff had earlier signed their death warrants.
At least six people, including an accounting officer working for Puntland’s finance ministry have been killed in a huge suicide explosion in northern Galkayo town on Thursday morning.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A heavy 
[THENATIONONLINENG.NET] The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, Thursday said the 
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
