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Houthi's launch IRBM at Mecca!
Today's Headlines
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China-Japan-Koreas
Uighurs Condemn China Forcing Muslims to Eat Pork During Ramadan
[Breitbart] A Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official conceded this week that Beijing had imposed draconian restrictions on Ramadan practices in Muslim-majority Xinjiang, denying reports of a blanket ban on activities during the holy month.

Dolkun Isa, the exiled head of the Germany-based World Uighur Congress, told Voice of America (VOA) that the CCP has intensified efforts to stifle Ramadan this year, urging Muslims to eat pork in violation of Islamic rules, imposing fasting restrictions, banning headscarves, prohibiting prayer, and other hurdles to the holy month.

His revelation came on Thursday, the same day that Radio Free Asia (RFA), citing a new report by the U.S.-based Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), reported that Beijing is implementing a policy of "linguistic imperialism" to marginalize the ethnic group’s language with the purpose of eradicating their "ethnic identity."

China has long oppressed its Uighur (or Uyghur) minority with the intent of erasing their religious and ethnic identity by coercing them into pledging loyalty to the communist party.

VOA learned from Isa "that Uighurs who are working in the public sector and students are asked to appear daily at canteens during lunch or they will be accused of secretly fasting and hiding ’extremist’ tendencies."

He revealed that Beijing mandates that some Uighur public workers ignore Ramadan, going as far as ordering the predominantly Muslim ethnic group to consume pork during the holy month, a practice forbidden by Islam.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 16:59 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Commies


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Britain tells Iran: Do not provoke the United States or Trump will retaliate
GENEVA (Reuters) - Britain told Iran on Monday not to underestimate the resolve of the United States, warning that if American interests were attacked then the administration of President Donald Trump would retaliate.

"I would say to the Iranians: Do not underestimate the resolve on the U.S. side," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told reporters on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

"They don’t want a war with Iran. But if American interests are attacked, they will retaliate. And that is something that the Iranians needs to think about very, very carefully."
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 10:51 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  I would just a soon see them learn the hard way. Say nothing, no warning, no post-event BDA, no broadcasts, no boasting, no invasion, just a heavy kinetic stick on selected targets. Dresden them back to 629 A.D. It is long, long overdue.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 10:57 Comments || Top||

#2  Dresden was a war crime. Bad example.
Posted by: Slats B. Hayes1535 || 05/20/2019 14:17 Comments || Top||

#3  From my POV Dresden saved some good folks.
Sorry not a war crime to them or me.
Posted by: 3dc || 05/20/2019 16:22 Comments || Top||

#4  If by 'war crime, you mean "stuff that happened in a war", then yeah.

But from a historical perspective, bombing each other's cities was a fad at the time.

From a military perspective, Dresden was a rail transport and manufacturing center. You can argue over the this and that, but somebody thought it was worth spending time and effort to wreck the place. Hindsight is always 20-20.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/20/2019 16:43 Comments || Top||

#5  Qom and Nuke centers are targets. Get over it
Posted by: Frank G || 05/20/2019 20:37 Comments || Top||

#6  We don't need to carpet bomb. Its simple. Bomb all railheads, POL facilities, port facilities, government buildings, bridges, water treatment plants, power stations, and any heavy industry that might support the war effort. Interdict any and all movement crossing Iran's borders in either direction and sink all Iranian flagged ships worldwide. Nothing moves in, nothing moves out. After a year, they might have 10% of their population left and Iran will simply be another place that used to be on maps.

Oh and since Mosques are part of their war effort, give each one a MOAB.
Posted by: Silentbrick || 05/20/2019 22:54 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
Google suspends Huawei's Android support


Huawei was already facing serious trouble following the Trump administration's de facto ban, but it might get considerably worse. Reuters sources claim Google has suspended transactions with Huawei that require transferring proprietary hardware and software, hobbling much of its smartphone business outside of China. It "immediately" loses access to future OS updates beyond the Android Open Source Project, according to the insider, and upcoming phones would have to go without official apps like the Google Play Store and Gmail.

The company is still "internally" discussing which services are going away, the source said. Google would cut off all tech support and collaboration for Android and services, however.
Posted by: Jeregum de Medici9319 || 05/20/2019 10:03 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  Who is to say that the ChiComs haven't already placed worms into Google's other apps via the Huawei (or other) products?
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 05/20/2019 12:06 Comments || Top||

#2  Google has no problem working with the ComChis. They'll just look the other way while HR seems not to be concerned about backgrounds as long as they're not 'conservative'.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/20/2019 13:56 Comments || Top||


Intel, Qualcomm and other chipmakers cut off supplies to Huawei
Huawei has more to worry about beyond Google's decision to suspend Android support. Bloomberg sources said that American chipmakers Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom and Xilinx had told staff they wouldn't supply Huawei with parts "till further notice," leaving the Chinese tech giant without potentially vital components. Nikkei tipsters also claimed that Germany's Infineon had cut off "certain shipments" to Huawei out of caution, although a spokesperson since said that most of its products wouldn't be subject to the US blacklisting that had prompted companies to back away.
Posted by: Jeregum de Medici9319 || 05/20/2019 09:49 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [3 views] Top|| File under: Commies


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Real life Assassin's Creed: Paris police arrest man wearing 12-inch hidden blades that could fire out from his wrists, based on weapons used by the video game and movie character
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 08:50 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1 
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/20/2019 11:44 Comments || Top||


The Grand Turk
Turkey to jointly produce S-500 with Russia
[Twitter]


Posted by: 3dc || 05/20/2019 06:01 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Sublime Porte

#1  Well....bye
Posted by: Frank G || 05/20/2019 7:38 Comments || Top||

#2  They can use the plant where they are producing F-35 parts.
Posted by: gorb || 05/20/2019 7:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Therefore guaranteeing the S-500 to be a complete piece of shit.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/20/2019 8:39 Comments || Top||

#4  I can't see Russia agreeing to this. Splitting the profits isn't Puti's style.
Posted by: Charles || 05/20/2019 9:00 Comments || Top||

#5  S-500 vs. S-400 - "It goes to 11!"
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 05/20/2019 9:35 Comments || Top||

#6  I can't see Russia agreeing to this. Splitting the profits isn't Puti's style.

Splitting a country from NATO is.
Posted by: Jeregum de Medici9319 || 05/20/2019 9:37 Comments || Top||

#7  #4 I can't see Russia agreeing to this. Splitting the profits isn't Puti's style.
Posted by: Charles

The Russians have been "cooperating" with India for years on weapons programs. The Indians provide money and the Russians researched... and researched... and researched... The Indians bought some old Soviet ships that the Russians refitted... and refitted... and refitted... Do you see a pattern here?
Posted by: magpie || 05/20/2019 10:59 Comments || Top||

#8  Do you see a pattern here?

No, but I see a cantaloupe on Erdogan's head...
Posted by: Raj || 05/20/2019 11:13 Comments || Top||

#9  Yeah, lots of 'research' and maybe access to the export version. More about NATO than anything else.

At the risk of being repetitious...
While the US and Russia are competitors, that doesn't mean we don't have common interests - in this case, getting Turkey out of NATO. Big propaganda victory for them, big pain-in-the-buttectomy for us.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/20/2019 11:15 Comments || Top||

#10  S-500 vs. S-400 - "It goes to 11!"

Snarf!
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/20/2019 11:24 Comments || Top||

#11  Excuse, preeze! You mean Harf?




Harf, harf! Harf!

Posted by: Bobby || 05/20/2019 15:48 Comments || Top||

#12  Picking sides.
Posted by: Slats B. Hayes1535 || 05/20/2019 19:04 Comments || Top||

#13  Party on Bobby.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/20/2019 20:33 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Vaccine rates rise on long-wary ‘hippie' island near Seattle
VASHON ISLAND, Wash. (AP) ‐ Sarah Day is a school nurse with "street cred" when it comes to the polarizing issue of vaccines on an idyllic island in Washington state known for its rural beauty, counterculture lifestyle and low immunization rates.

Since she began communal living on Vashon Island more than 20 years ago, the registered nurse has been advocating for getting kids their shots against a loud contingent of anti-vaccine parents in the close-knit community of about 11,000 that’s accessible only by ferry, a serene 20-minute ride from Seattle.

And it may now be working, thanks to a "perfect storm" of changes being felt on the island, Day said.

The Vashon Island School District has seen a significant increase in fully immunized children. The number of kindergartners who received the required set of state-mandated vaccines jumped by 31% in the past six years, from 56% to nearly 74% in the 2017-18 school year, according to the King County Public Health Department.

Amid the nation’s largest measles outbreak in 25 years, pro-vaccine advocates are cheering this apparent shift that challenges Vashon’s reputation as a hotbed of highly educated, anti-establishment parents who choose not to vaccinate their children from preventable and potentially devastating diseases.

"We’ve been the poster children for the anti-vaccine or vaccine-hesitancy movement for so long," Day said.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 04:48 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Highly educated? Let me guess, mostly in the Social Sciences
Posted by: Cheaderhead || 05/20/2019 11:25 Comments || Top||

#2  Wide Awoke.
Posted by: Bobby || 05/20/2019 18:35 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
AP sources: Former CIA chief Brennan to brief Dems on Iran
WASHINGTON (AP) ‐ House Democrats will hear from former CIA Director John Brennan about the situation in Iran, inviting him to speak next week amid heightened concerns over the Trump administration’s sudden moves in the region.

Brennan, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, is scheduled to talk to House Democrats at a private weekly caucus meeting Tuesday, according to a Democratic aide and another person familiar with the private meeting. Both were granted anonymity to discuss the meeting.

The invitation to Brennan and Wendy Sherman, a former State Department official and top negotiator of the Iran nuclear deal, offers counterprogramming to the Trump administration’s closed-door briefing for lawmakers also planned for Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Democratic lawmakers are likely to attend both sessions.

The Trump administration recently sent an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Persian Gulf region, and withdrew nonessential personnel from Iraq, raising alarm among Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill over the possibility of a confrontation with Iran.

Trump in recent days has downplayed any potential for conflict. But questions remain about what prompted the actions, and many lawmakers have demanded more information.

Trump and Brennan have clashed openly, particularly over the issues surrounding the special counsel’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Brennan stepped down from the CIA in 2017.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 04:40 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  How much is he getting paid for this?
Posted by: gorb || 05/20/2019 7:53 Comments || Top||

#2  Brennan must be pleading for more distraction/cover.
Posted by: Ulusomp Glainter5497 || 05/20/2019 8:05 Comments || Top||

#3  Wonder why the Dems don't want current data?
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 8:14 Comments || Top||

#4  Wonder why the Dems don't want current data?

I wonder if this implies that Brennan has been in contact with the Iranians and would have current information? Nah, distraction/cover.
Posted by: Ulusomp Glainter5497 || 05/20/2019 8:20 Comments || Top||

#5  Well, at least they can't claim they didn't hear Iran's side of events.
Undisputed Snark O' The Day
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 05/20/2019 8:21 Comments || Top||

#6  #5 - Early Snark 'O The Day contender
Posted by: Frank G || 05/20/2019 9:13 Comments || Top||

#7  #1 How much is he getting paid for this?

Most likely, he's trying to get enough money for high-priced defense attorneys.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 9:54 Comments || Top||

#8  Maybe they should all read Rantburg.
Posted by: Bobby || 05/20/2019 10:15 Comments || Top||

#9  Or this one.
Posted by: Bobby || 05/20/2019 10:17 Comments || Top||

#10  Typical political stunt. If they wanted true into they would ask the current leadership, this will be a platform on hating trump, nothing more.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 05/20/2019 11:45 Comments || Top||

#11  Definitely a 'man bites dog' moment as usually it is the Dems briefing Brennan.
Posted by: Airandee || 05/20/2019 14:40 Comments || Top||

#12  Wonder why the Dems don't want current data?

'cause he'll tell them what they want to hear instead.
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/20/2019 14:40 Comments || Top||

#13  Think they'll publish tapes of the meeting?


Nah, me neither.
Posted by: AlanC || 05/20/2019 17:00 Comments || Top||

#14 
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 17:05 Comments || Top||


-Land of the Free
Google Has A Secret Page That Records All The Things You've Bought Online
[Hot Air] Google has a page, tucked away deep in your settings, where all your receipts from shopping online are sorted and saved. Ordered sushi on Seamless? Not only is the receipt there, but it lists out the California rolls and edamame. It doesn’t stop at Seamless either; it includes anything else you might have bought online too (in which a receipt was sent to your Gmail): Amazon, prescriptions, movies, stuff you paid for using Square. And there are the orders placed using Google services, like Google Play Store, Google Express, or through the Google Assistant.

Here’s the link to the page (you have to be logged in): https://myaccount.google.com/purchases.

On the one hand, it makes sense. You get an email receipt for online or in-app purchases, and it’s easy for Google to extract data from that.

But it’s slightly uncanny to see some of the details of the receipts in there. Like my request to not include bean sprouts in any dishes when I ordered Thai once.

Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 04:32 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Does anyone think that Google doesn't keep these records even after you delete them?
Posted by: Grotle Ulerese2808 || 05/20/2019 10:25 Comments || Top||

#2  Wow, they even have my eBay and Amazon purchases, they must have a deal with these companies!
Posted by: BernardZ || 05/20/2019 11:25 Comments || Top||

#3  Huh... they have my Steam purchases, but only back to Sept. 2018 and the amazon ones are only a couple from 2013.

Not much worthwhile on my page.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/20/2019 17:12 Comments || Top||


Europe
'Never again': Thousands rally in Germany against nationalism ahead of EU vote
[DE] Thousands of people marched in cities across Germany on Sunday to protest against nationalist and far-right parties looking to secure more seats in this week's European elections.

Thousands of people marched in cities across Germany on Sunday to protest against nationalist and far-right parties looking to secure more seats in this week's European elections.

Recent polls show far-right parties like Italy's League, Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and French leader Marie Le Pen's National Rally (RN), are expected to do well in the vote for seats in European Parliament.

Sunday's rallies brought together more than 250 organizations under the banner "Against nationalism" in several cities including Frankfurt and Berlin, where thousands marched through the capital from the symbolic Alexanderplatz to the city's Victory column.

"I am here because I don't want to relive what a national-socialist party already did during my lifetime. That should never happen again," said Renate Foigt, 74, referring to the ideology of Nazi Germany.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 04:21 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Should rally against socialism. Never again...
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 05/20/2019 10:30 Comments || Top||

#2  Just because they want their countries to remain their countries does not mean they want to invade Poland
Posted by: Cheaderhead || 05/20/2019 11:30 Comments || Top||

#3  What bullshit ! Every party should be nationalist. To be socialist or not can be a choice. If you're not nationalist it means that grabbing power by conning people is your profession.

Oops ! That's ... all parties. Everywhere.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/20/2019 12:31 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
The recipe for far-right terror
[American Thinker] When the gunman opened fire inside the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California, the threat of far-right terrorists became clearer than ever to more people than ever. This appeared to be a copycat attack, taking influence from the disturbingly meme-riddled, videogame-style mosque shooting in New Zealand in March. The Atlantic referred to them as the ’Meme Terrorists’, but the reality is more complex. These far-right terrorists are monsters birthed from a Dr. Frankenstein operation orchestrated by an ignorant media, negligent politicians, and a militant far left across the entire Anglosphere. Not memes.

I know this because I’ve seen the radicalisation of young white men in my home county, and I’ve been inside the far right. I’ve seen this radicalisation happen in the working-class north of England, and it’s spreading across the U.S., Europe, and even Australia and New Zealand.

As a teen, I found myself amongst the far right in Lancashire. I had met the family of a young girl called Charlene Downes who was kidnapped and murdered by a Muslim grooming gang. I had seen the effects of mass immigration in neighbouring towns, and I had seen how the politicians ignored everyone who expressed concern about it. I was angry, and I had nowhere else to turn.

When I found myself at the receiving end of violent threats from anti-Semitic and far-right activists, I left the racist party I had been a member of. I knew I didn’t belong there. But many young men I knew stayed.

Jack Renshaw was a teenager from my hometown who became so entrenched in extremist thinking that he bought a machete and plotted to kill our local Member of Parliament. The plot was foiled, and he’s now in prison. Whenever I see the photo of him and myself shaking hands, it reminds me just how easy it is for young men to become radicalised.

I think...my God, could that have been me?
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 04:17 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  But it only works when your far right. All terrorists in America are far right. We all know that and the republican party sews the seeds for terrorists... Shame on all republicans, and we all should be very afraid of republicans, shout them out, chase them with bats for wearing a red hat, throw food at them when they are dining and refuse them service at all establishments.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 05/20/2019 11:43 Comments || Top||


Economy
Retiring Baby Boomers Won't Destroy the Stock Market
[Reuters] Will retiring baby boomers bring down the stock market? Why do some investors view the baby boomer generation’s retirement plans as a potential negative for stocks? Can the stock market or capitalism itself be pulled down by a large generational shift? Some fear that this large group, born in the post-WWII baby boom between 1946 and 1964, will all retire around the same time, and therefore pull all of their money out of the stock market to invest in bonds or hold as cash. And not only will they yank a load of money out of the stock market, but subsequent generations’ Social Security contributions will not be able to support such a large group’s payouts‐leading to the downfall of the entire program.

How valid is this fear? It is true many baby boomers are recently retired or soon to retire. It is also true there are a lot of baby boomers‐about 72.5 million![i] However, you shouldn’t be overly worried about how their retirement will affect markets. Markets are efficient at pricing in widely known information. This means massive surprises can certainly impact the market, but well-known events, especially those known years in advance, don’t typically drive price movement. The market has long known baby boomers exist and will eventually retire. There is no secret cabal of baby boomers coordinating their efforts to sell out of stocks and take down the markets on one surprise, specific unknown day. Folks have been worried about baby boomers’ retirement for some time, and will continue to worry about it. This doesn’t mean demographic shifts don’t have importance or potential financial consequences. Markets care more about what is not known rather than what is already known.

But is there any validity to fearing what will happen if the baby boomers, or any other generation, withdraw large amounts from stock investments to put into cash or bonds around the same time? Couldn’t that have an impact on the stock market? First, consider that baby boomers aren’t all the exact same age, and even the same-aged boomers don’t all have the exact same plans. Not every 65-year old will choose to retire at the same time. Some will retire early, some late, and some may not even retire at all. Some boomers have younger spouses or children to support, some boomers will invest to leave a charitable legacy and some boomers aren’t even invested in the stock market at all! Don’t overlook another critical factor‐longevity. Lifespans are generally increasing. Many people retiring today can look forward to a 20- or 30-year long retirement‐or longer! To support that longer investment time horizon, many investors will need to have some growth in their portfolios, meaning that they’re unlikely to dump all of their stocks at once.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 04:09 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
ISIL inmates instigate deadly riot in Tajik prison
[Aljazeera] Order restored in Vakhdat prison after convicted ISIL fighters armed with knives kill three guards and five prisoners.

At least 32 people, including three prison guards and 29 inmates, have been killed in a high-security prison in Tajikistan after convicted Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) fighters started a riot.

The Central Asian nation's justice ministry said the riot broke out late on Sunday in Vahdat, 10 kilometres east of the capital Dushanbe, as the fighters armed themselves with knives and killed three guards and five fellow prisoners.

One of the instigators of the riot was Bekhruz Gulmurod, son of Gulmurod Khalimov, a Tajik special forces colonel who defected to ISIL in 2015 and, according to the ministry, has since been killed in Syria.

Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 04:04 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  Killl em all and start over
Posted by: Frank G || 05/20/2019 6:02 Comments || Top||


#3  didn't say how many ISIL prisoners survived

hmmm
Posted by: lord garth || 05/20/2019 11:45 Comments || Top||


Down Under
Australian finds A $100,000 gold nugget using metal detector
[BBC] An Australian man has unearthed a 1.4kg (49oz) gold nugget with a metal detector while wandering Western Australia's gold fields, say locals.

A shop in Kalgoorlie shared pictures of the rock online, estimated to be worth A$100,000 (£54,000; $69,000).

The unidentified man was an experienced local hobbyist, shop owner Matt Cook, told the BBC.

Finds of this scale by prospectors are known to happen a few times a year, experts say.

About three-quarters of the gold mined in Australia is produced in and around the Kalgoorlie region.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 03:56 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Congrats to him.
Posted by: Uleck Spererong9442 || 05/20/2019 7:02 Comments || Top||


Economy
Australia's Lynas plans new processing facility in the U.S.
[Reuters] (Reuters) - Rare earths producer Lynas Corp said on Monday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Texas-based Blue Line Corp to set up a rare earths separation facility in the United States.

Lynas’ move into the United States follows ongoing regulatory issues at its processing plant in Malaysia. The southeast Asian nation has told Lynas to remove years of accumulated waste at the plant in order to have its license renewed.

Lynas and Blue Line will cooperate over the next year to develop the processing facility in Texas. The venture will be majority owned by Lynas, the companies said in a joint statement.

The venture would allow Lynas to close a "critical" supply chain gap for U.S. manufacturers, the company said. Lynas had earlier indicated that it was considering building new processing facilities, given the situation in Malaysia.

Lynas is the world’s only major producer of rare earth minerals outside China. The materials produced by the company, such as neodymium-praseodymium, are used in a variety of applications such as electrical components and high-power magnets.

It did not give any details on the cost of the proposed U.S. facility.

Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 03:47 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  There is a mountain of rare earths that exists on an island in southern Alaska. It is known to the Pentagon and to politicians in Alaska, but nothing has been done for almost a decade. Instead we allow Lynas to take control of the US market. You explain it, I can't.
Posted by: Chereting Pelosi1889 || 05/20/2019 8:00 Comments || Top||

#2  You explain it, I can't.

1. watch somebody else do it.
2. do it yourself.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 10:02 Comments || Top||

#3  There will be a money trail if you want to find it. Like so much else in the cesspool on the Potomac, you often find the people it leads to have friends/associates/partners high up in your food chain. Rice bowls are tripwires for career dangers....
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 05/20/2019 12:51 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Caravan Of Unborn Babies Heads Toward Alabama To Apply For Asylum
[Babylon Bee] U.S.‐According to sources all across the country, a caravan of unborn babies has formed to head toward Alabama in an attempt to avoid the rest of the country's barbaric abortion laws.

The unborn humans, mostly residing in the wombs of pro-choice mothers, learned of the new law as their moms watched CNN and listened to NPR. Each of them would then sneak out of their mom's womb in the middle of the night, slip into a state-of-the-art artificial womb they ordered on Amazon, steal their mother's car, and make a break for the Alabama border.

"All we want is a chance to live the American Dream---or really, just live, to be honest," a spokesfetus said. "Since the rest of the nation is one of the deadliest places to be in the whole world when you're an unborn child, we were forced to come here for the future of our children, so we might live."

"Honestly, as unborn children, it's safer in a third-world country like Venezuela than here."

LIberals quickly criticized the caravan, claiming they were "not people" but "animals."
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 03:42 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Classic, sad, horrific, but classic...
Posted by: 49 Pan || 05/20/2019 14:17 Comments || Top||


Pediatric Endocrinologist Blasts ‘POOR SCIENCE' Behind Child Trans Therapy
[Daily Caller] "It’s fairly important to recognize that what is being put forward with the goal of truly helping these individuals that are suffering is based on very poor science and any effort to draw attention to the poor science and the potential very negative and serious consequences that these hormonal interventions really has not been given the attention they deserve," Hruz said, responding to Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s question about why so little attention has been given to the other side of the issue.

"And the kids under the age of 18, who have not fully developed, even people who have gone through puberty, their sexual maturity in most cases hadn’t been reached, correct doctor, until maybe 23, 24, 25 years of age?" Ingraham asked.

Hruz agreed, then added that puberty and adolescence can be adversely effected by such therapies, thereby subjecting them "to the need of medical intervention that has potential [for] very serious harms to their bodies throughout the rest of their life without even considering whether there are alternative options to help them and even recognizing that a large number of children that question their gender identity are going to, if merely left alone, are going to realign their identity with their biological sex."

Ingraham noted studies that show "85% to 90% of children no longer experience feelings of gender dysphoria after having gone through puberty."

"In your mind is that a correct figure?" she asked.

"The estimates vary, but it’s the majority," Hruz responded.

The doctor added the "concerning" fact that trying to interfere with normal puberty using therapy can often cause children to "persist in that transgender identity, really changing that statistic drastically from the normal trajectory we normally see."
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 03:37 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  So, he's a science-denier?
Posted by: Matt || 05/20/2019 7:56 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
FBI Attacks On Bill Barr Show That He's On The Right Track And Getting Close To Home
BLUF
[Red State] This morning some former FBI goon and current NBC News/MSNBC analyst named Frank Figliuzzi launched an attack on Bill Barr in NBC’s opinion section.
As we all have learned, the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, acting on classified data, allied intelligence, human sources and conduct occurring in plain view, opened a counterintelligence investigation to explore Russia’s attempts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. The Russian efforts were later detailed in over two dozen federal grand jury indictments involving Russian intelligence officers and Russian nationals.

The FBI inquiry also included connections between the Trump campaign and known or suspected Russian government affiliated individuals. Those connections are detailed in over 100 pages of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Mueller’s inquiry was predicated by the FBI’s initial Russia investigation. Now, President Donald Trump and Barr seek to undermine Mueller’s findings by fueling doubt about the FBI’s decision to open the initial Russian case that led to a special counsel appointment. Back at the Kremlin, the vodka is flowing.
Except that really isn’t the truth, even by the FBI’s own narrative. The FBI has claimed that a conversation between George Papadopoulos and Australian diplomat Alexander Downer started the investigation...or they did until that story stopped being tenable and then FBI insiders took to the pages of the New York Times to revise and extend that story. We know that candidate Trump was never briefed on any of the dodgey contacts by staff members and given the opportunity to fire them. Instead, inexplicably if one assumes the FBI was not operating as an adjunct of the Democrat Party and the Clinton campaign, they allowed the people they were targeting to have the activities remain hidden from candidate Trump. I think the reason for this is obvious. If they kept surveillance on these people they were able to use them as a gateway to carry out surveillance on the entire Trump campaign and, through them, the RNC. Essentially, this was Watergate but the burglars were the FBI.

As to the vodka flowing, if you think the Kremlin isn’t laughing about one of their information operations, by that I mean the Steele Dossier, being the cause of a special counsel investigation of a sitting president and an impeachment proceeding you really haven’t been paying attention.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 03:21 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I will believe it when I see indictments of the FBI. Right now I don't trust the Democrats OR the Media. We ( the American People and our American Values ) are at risk from the Democratic Party and the Collusion of the MSMedia. The FBI are betraying the Constitution and they are co-operating with the Deep State. Congress is self serving and weak. Its a good thing the American People are armed. And then again, there is always the Military if worse comes to worse. I would trust them more than professional Politicians.
Posted by: Thumper Ometing7097 || 05/20/2019 4:31 Comments || Top||

#2  2011 internal announcement: "Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Connecticut native C. Frank Figliuzzi assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division."

Figliuzzi and Mueller are mutually supportive of each other.

Figliuzzi wrote an op-ed which said: On Monday, Attorney General William Barr, acting more like defense counsel for a cornered president

Reads like a hit piece on Trump and Barr. I assume the writer is not a fan of Trump.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 9:30 Comments || Top||

#3  Purposely confusing the investigation of Russian interference (all the time) with Trump collusion with the Russians (the media narrative), and the Russian preference for Trump (which was part of the collusion narrative.

After explaining that, now I am confused!
Posted by: Bobby || 05/20/2019 10:07 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump: 'I will not let Iran have nuclear weapons' (video)
[The Hill] President Trump said in a Sunday night Fox News interview that he doesn't want to go to war with Iran but emphasized he will never allow the nation to develop nuclear weapons.

"I will not let Iran have nuclear weapons," Trump told Fox News host Steve Hilton. "I don’t want to fight. But you do have situations like Iran, you can’t let them have nuclear weapons ‐ you just can’t let that happen."

Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with the hardline approach toward Tehran taken by national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and wishes to negotiate directly with Iranian leaders, but escalated his own rhetoric earlier Sunday afternoon, warning that a military engagement would mean "the official end of Iran."

Tensions have risen between the two countries in recent weeks, with Bolton announcing a carrier group would be deployed to the Persian Gulf in response to unspecified acts of aggression by Iran, while Iran announced it will scale back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal on the anniversary of Trump’s announcement the U.S. would withdraw from the deal entirely.

"I ended the Iran nuclear deal, and actually, I must tell you ‐ I had no idea it was going to be as strong as it was. It totally ‐ the country is devastated from the standpoint of the economy," Trump said Sunday.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 03:14 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Arabia
Yemen’s Houthi militia says will target UAE, Saudi vital military facilities
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Yemen’s Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
militia said targeting Saudi Aramco’s installations last week was the beginning of military operations against 300 vital military targets, Houthi-controlled SABA news agency said on Sunday, citing a source in the Houthi militia.

Targets included vital military headquarters and facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, as well as their bases in Yemen, SABA quoted the source as saying.

Saudi Arabia said armed drones struck two oil pumping stations last Tuesday, after Houthi-run Masirah TV earlier said the group had launched drone attacks on Saudi installations.

On Wednesday, the Houthi’s leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said that the militia is developing more military capabilities, which have "proven their effectiveness," but what’s to come is "bigger and greater."

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis

#1  Targeting and hitting are two different things.
Just sayin'.
Posted by: AlanC || 05/20/2019 16:52 Comments || Top||


Houthis launches major offensive to capture strategic city in southern Yemen
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
forces launched a major offensive this afternoon in an attempt to recapture the strategic city of Qa’tbah in the Dhale Governorate.

Backed by heavy artillery, the Houthi forces reportedly stormed the defenses of the UAE-backed troops in Qa’tbah, seizing several areas in a short while.

According to the Yemeni group, they have already advanced deep into Qa’tbah, despite facing heavy resistance from the UAE-backed troops and Yemeni National Army.

The Houthi forces previously captured Qa’tbah during a large-scale offensive in the Dhale Governorate last month; however, they would only hold the city for a short period of time before the UAE-backed troops would launch a counter-attack to reclaim the area.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Jihadist rebels attempt to attack Russian airbase in western Syria
[ALMASDARNEWS] The jihadist rebels in the northeastern countryside of the Latakia Governorate attempted to attack the Russian Hmeimim Airbase on Saturday, a Syrian military source told al-Masdar News.

According to the source, the jihadist rebels attempted to attack the Hmeimim Airbase using their long-range missiles; however, they were unsuccessful.

The Syrian military source added that the Russian air defenses were able to shoot down all of the missiles before they could reach the Hmeimim Airbase.

This latest attack by the jihadist rebels marked the third time this past week that they have attempted to strike the Hmeimim Airbase with either long-range missiles or assault drones.

The Russian Air Force has often responded to these attacks by launching Arclight airstrikes over the jihadist-held territories, but due to the recent temporary ceasefire in Idlib, they refrained from striking.

The ceasefire was ultimately short-lived, however, as both the jihadist rebels and Syrian Arab Army (SAA) traded attacks on Saturday.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra


Home Front: Politix
Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton is running for office
[NYPOST] The mother of Trayvon Martin is running for a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission, the Miami Herald reported Saturday.

Since the death of her 17-year-old son, Sybrina Fulton has been advocating for social justice and an end to gun violence.

Martin was shot to death in 2012 by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood crime watch member in Sanford, Fla.

Zimmerman was charged with murder, but was acquitted after claiming he fired in self-defense.

Fulton said she’s not anti-gun, but wants better gun-control measures, including more background checks.
How about apologizing for raising that POS?
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  How about an end to unwarranted physical attacks first?
Posted by: gorb || 05/20/2019 1:09 Comments || Top||

#2  Ran out of boodle already?
Posted by: CrazyFool || 05/20/2019 1:25 Comments || Top||

#3  Mods . . . .
Posted by: gorb || 05/20/2019 7:57 Comments || Top||

#4  The only thing missing in the headline is Trayvon Martin's martyred mother is running for office. Is she running as a Dem?
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 8:53 Comments || Top||

#5  If George Zimmerman hadn't had a gun, no one outside of the local area would have ever heard of Trayvon Martin. There would have been a story about how the body of George Zimmerman was found with severe head wounds, and that police were still looking for his killer.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 05/20/2019 10:00 Comments || Top||

#6  ....body of George Zimmerman was found with severe head wounds, and that police were still looking for his killer.

Also still looking for the motive. Don't forget the motive.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/20/2019 10:58 Comments || Top||

#7  Not Sybrina Martin.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/20/2019 11:01 Comments || Top||

#8  This miss who raised Trayvon is pissed!
"No vicious young man with a fist,
Despising society,
Should suffer anxiety,
Or ever suspect himself dissed!"

Wikipedia bio's an even more impressive catalog of fallacious weaselry than I remembered. Talk page must be a riot... but I'm not feeling immortal today.
Posted by: Squinty Thremp4350 || 05/20/2019 11:52 Comments || Top||

#9  Interesting piece (Vice, May 2017) on his older brother (not endorsing it as reportage, of course, just as "window into the soul" (of what... you tell me ;-))).
Posted by: Squinty Thremp4350 || 05/20/2019 12:08 Comments || Top||

#10  Is this because Sybrina did such a good job in raising Trayvon that she wants to share her wisdom with the world?

Al
Posted by: Frozen Al || 05/20/2019 15:27 Comments || Top||

#11  ^ "Yeah, that... and Mother's Day, b-tch.

And don't you dare mess wit my bidness
Or question my motherly fitness,
Cuz Fruit and me did
All we could for that kid,
[long redaction], as gawd is my witness!"
Posted by: Clirt Huperesing5782 || 05/20/2019 16:50 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Teacher Allegedly Plants Ammo at School, Calls 911
[BREITBART] A Southbridge, Massachusetts, school teacher allegedly planted live ammunition at his school then called 911 to report having found the ammo.

According to WCVB, 57-year-old Alfred Purcell, reported finding "9 mm ammunition in the rear stairwell" of Southbridge High School. His report led to a lockdown, during which the police examined surveillance footage and saw Purcell allegedly taken ammo out of his own pocket, "dropping it on the floor and quickly leaving the area."

ABC News reports that Purcell was incarcerated
Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un!
and police found over 100 live rounds in car. He allegedly told officer he planted the ammo to "prove to the school that they needed to get metal detectors."

Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson saying, "There was no kids that were maimed, nobody was seriously impacted by this other than we went into a lockdown for an hour and we had to investigate a teacher who was doing things he shouldn’t be doing,"

Southbridge superintendent Jeffrey Villar said, "This individual acted in a disgusting manner. I feel very badly for our students because it is an adult who failed them."

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What a bonehead.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 10:12 Comments || Top||

#2  Allegedly? The video is very precise. No allegedly about it.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 05/20/2019 10:23 Comments || Top||

#3  "It was all for the 'Greater Good'...."
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 05/20/2019 10:52 Comments || Top||

#4  Just to point out, a standard box of cartridges in 9mm is 50 count. One box is good enough for this hoax, so what's up with 100+ ?

I am now curious as to what subject Alfy teaches, and how long has he been off his rocker?

What say you, reckless endangerment count for each student, staff, and responder? Or can we just take him out back and break his shins? As a responder, as someone with children in school, no I am really not kidding.

He allegedly told officer he planted the ammo to "prove to the school that they needed to get metal detectors."

Bull crap. Take him out back.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/20/2019 11:41 Comments || Top||

#5  Use the ammo on this guy.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/20/2019 11:45 Comments || Top||

#6  Video shows him placing one round of 9mm in the stairwell. It was during a subsequent search of his car that they found over a hundred shotgun shells.

Posted by: The peanut gallery || 05/20/2019 11:56 Comments || Top||

#7  Also, Alfred Purcell already knew he was being let go from his Biology teaching position. It is likely that he had already been flagged as an unstable person. And this action proves it.

This seems more like a dry run than anything else.
Posted by: The peanut gallery || 05/20/2019 12:16 Comments || Top||

#8  prove to the school that they needed to get metal detectors."


what, for the teachers?
Posted by: Glerens Jearong5090 || 05/20/2019 12:32 Comments || Top||


-Land of the Free
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza accused of demoting admins because they were white
[NYPOST] Whiteness has become "toxic" under schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s regime, insiders charge.

At least four top Department of Education executives who have been demoted or stripped of duties under Carranza’s sweeping reorganization are poised to sue the city, claiming he has created "an environment which is hostile toward whites," a source told The Post.

The women ‐ all white, veteran administrators ‐ contend they were pushed aside for less qualified persons of color.

"These decisions are being made because DOE leadership believes that skin color plays a role in how to get equity ‐ that white people can’t convey the message," said a source familiar with the complaints.

"There’s a toxic whiteness concept going on."
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This is going on in all areas where people are employed in government or any large industries or education. Muslim pastor in Federal corrections dominates and controls all other religious programs.Forget HR. All are onboard the program. Its like free stuff being offered. You just show up.
Posted by: Dale || 05/20/2019 6:53 Comments || Top||

#2  "The women."

There's your mistake right there. Hell hath no fury...
Posted by: Tom || 05/20/2019 14:39 Comments || Top||

#3  The women thought "whiteness" only applied to the men, and they were fine with that. Now they're shocked - SHOCKED to be a target themselves. Gee, it appears I'm all outta fokks
Posted by: Rex Mundi || 05/20/2019 16:12 Comments || Top||


Europe
Sweden: Security Service Arrest Several Islamists Including Leader of Muslim School
[BREITBART] Swedish security service Säpo say they have incarcerated
Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
five radical Islamists in a short period of time, with one of those arrested being one of the main leaders of an Islamic school in western Sweden.

The principal of the school said that the arrest of the man, whose identity was not published in a report by Swedish broadcaster SVT, would not affect the functioning of the school itself, refusing to comment further on the matter.
We have more where he came from
Lawyer Lars-Erik Olsson, who previously represented the arrested man, said, "We have not had any contact now, and I also do not know if he will have the opportunity to contact me," adding, "It does not take much for you to be designated when you are a Moslem."
Just a seething hate for infidels, plotting, and arming up
Gabriel Wernstedt, press secretary at Säpo, was also tight-lipped on the case, saying, "We never comment on individuals when it comes to our intelligence work."

Wernstedt did not comment on the fact that several radical imams in Sweden have also been detained.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [3 views] Top|| File under: Moslem Colonists

#1  Surrender monkey Swedes? Wonder if this is a real story.
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/20/2019 17:57 Comments || Top||

#2  Maybe the Swedes are finally getting tired of all the grenade attacks.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/20/2019 18:21 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
Trump says war will mean 'official end of Iran,' warns 'never threaten the United States again'
President Trump fired a social media broadside at the Iranian regime Sunday afternoon, vowing that war between Washington and Tehran would result in "the official end of Iran" before warning, "[n]ever threaten the United States again!"

Trump tweeted hours after a rocket landed less than a mile from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, the first such attack since September. An Iraqi military spokesman told reporters the rocket appeared to have been fired from east Baghdad, which is home to several Iran-backed Shiite militias.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have risen in recent weeks after the Trump administration ordered warships and bombers to the Middle East earlier this month to counter threatened attacks against U.S. interests by Iran or Iranian-backed forces.

The U.S. also ordered nonessential staff out of its diplomatic posts in Iraq days after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Baghdad told Iraqi intelligence that the United States had been picking up intelligence that Iran is threatening American interests in the Middle East. Two Iraqi officials told the Associated Press that Pompeo had offered no details of the alleged threat.

More at link
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  I suppose if we got into a p!ssing contest with Iran, Iran could be destroyed but I doubt that anyone really wants that to happen including Trump.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 10:15 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Four Dolphin personnel arrested for shooting woman dead
[DAWN] LAHORE: The Nishtar Colony police have enjugged
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
four personnel of the Dolphin Squad involved in the killing of a Christian woman who was riding a cycle of violence with her minor daughter driven by her husband.

Victim’s husband Waris Masih said he and his five other family members riding two cycle of violences were returning to their home in Youhannabad from the 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....

Institute of Cardiology when Dolphin Squad team No 192 opened indiscriminate fire on them near Bank Stop, Ashiana Road.

He said his wife, Nasreen, suffered a bullet injury in the head and she was taken to a nearby hospital where she died.

He alleged the Dolphin Force officials did not help them but started misbehaving with them when they were shifting his injured wife to hospital.

"We asked the squad about opening fire but they could not answer," he said.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Ashfaq Khan, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Ismail Kharak, Dolphin Squad Superintendent of Police (SP) Bilal Zafar, Model Town SP Imran Ahmad Malik and other officers visited the spot.

Earlier, the Lahore police spokesperson claimed that the force officials were chasing some people in the Kot Lakhpat area and they had signalled them to stop but they did not respond to them. He said the officials tried to intercept the suspects and shot up them as a result a stray bullet hit the victim.

Later, an FIR under murder and negligence charges was registered against the force officials and they were also suspended from service and an inquiry was ordered against them.

The PML-N government launched the squad and trained them by Ottoman Turkish personnel.

In November 2018, the force had rubbed out a mentally impaired person in Gulshan-e-Ravi.

In June 2018, another teenage boy was rubbed out in an alleged encounter between Dolphin Force and the suspected robbers on Bund Road.
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  killing of a Christian woman

The official sport of Allan.
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/20/2019 7:21 Comments || Top||

#2  This sounds fishy
Posted by: Frank G || 05/20/2019 7:37 Comments || Top||

#3 
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 9:04 Comments || Top||

#4  Dolphins with guns got nuthin on our sharks with friggen lasers.
Posted by: BrerRabbit || 05/20/2019 13:18 Comments || Top||



Israel-Palestine-Jordan
35,000 Palestinians left Gaza in 2018 via Egypt and Turkey – report
[IsraelTimes] Hamas, a regional Iranian catspaw, said to impose restrictions after young, educated Gazooks exited for ’vacations’ through reopened Rafah Crossing to escape and seek better lives in Europe.
"You need to stay here in the pot of boiling water like the rest of the crabs"
Some 35,000 Paleostinians left the Gazoo Strip in 2018 and didn’t return due to the financial crisis there, a report said Sunday, with the Hamas terror group imposing measures to stem the tide of emigration.

The Rafah Crossing between the Strip and Egypt was opened in November 2017 for the first time in a decade, letting Gazooks take a plane to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the most dubious NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and structure....
ally....

for vacations.

However,
the man who has no enemies isn't anybody and has never done anything...
many residents ‐ mainly young and educated ‐ saw that as an opportunity to escape the impoverished enclave, the Haaretz daily reported Sunday. They were smuggled onto boats and sent to Greece, from which they traveled to other European countries ‐ chiefly Germany and Sweden.

Among dozens of migrants colonists killed last month when a boat capsized off the shore of Turkey were 13 Paleostinians escaping Gazoo, according to the report.

The report cited data by the UN and other organizations to conclude that "estimations in Israel" are that the number of those who left Gazoo and did not return was 35,000.

Hamas ‐ which took over Gazoo by force in 2007, leading Israel and Egypt to impose a blockade ever since ‐ at first saw the Rafah Crossing’s opening as a way of pocketing some cash via payments for the permits, passports, transportation and bribes received in exchange for expediting the process, Haaretz said.

But as time went by Hamas realized it was being exploited by those who had the means to seek a better life elsewhere and send money to their families in Gazoo.

Those are said to have included 150 medical doctors, leading Hamas to prohibit all medical staff from leaving.

Youth unemployment in Gazoo is at 70 percent, according to the World Bank, which says the main cause is the blockade of the Strip. Israel says the blockade is necessary to restrict Hamas’s import of weapons and other materials it could use to attack Israel. Rights groups argue the measures amount to collective punishment of the roughly two million residents.

In March, hundreds of Paleostinians participated in protests against rising prices and in opposition to Hamas in various locations in the Strip.

Hamas security forces cracked down harshly, beating protesters and arresting hundreds, rights groups said. Demonstrations have since petered out.

An Islamist movement that openly seeks Israel’s destruction, Hamas has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008 and has launched thousands of rockets at Israeli cities, as well as incendiary balloons and kites carrying bombs that since last summer have burned large swaths of land.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Hamas

#1  Pedibus non deficient me ,the new motto of Gaza
Posted by: Thrise Shomble3667 || 05/20/2019 11:28 Comments || Top||

#2  A form of evaporative cooling where the smart, ambitious Paleos are "boiled off", leaving behind an ever-increasing concentration of the dumb and surly.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/20/2019 12:03 Comments || Top||


Olde Tyme Religion
Ramadan Bombathon Update, Day 14
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
US paratroopers put on a spectacular display as they leap over northern France ahead of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings next month
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  God and country loves the 82d. Most everyone else fears them or will learn to fear them....
Posted by: 49 Pan || 05/20/2019 15:42 Comments || Top||

#2  Skid, thank for reminding me of how insignificant my life has become... HAHA!! Guess that's why we drink, from a can as of lately... I went to the 50th at Normandy. Met the Army Captain that ran one of the first US breaches of the beach. Introduced him to the gunner he captured. He was a bit overwhelmed with being there and said the guy he captured was a kid and this guy is an old man. When the guy explained that the CPT gave him a candy bar, because he had not eaten in days, the CPT came back to the 90's and it got very emotional. I have walked dozens of battlefields and at Normandy beach, St Mere and Corregidor you can still smell and feel the desperation. Its emotionally draining... For all military historians, its a must visit...
Posted by: 49 Pan || 05/20/2019 15:51 Comments || Top||

#3  Dad was in the 11th. Thanks Skid!
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/20/2019 18:00 Comments || Top||

#4  I had a Jr. High Teacher Tom Rice of Coronado who was there. He did the remembrance jump with a French partner. Good guy and no shit taken
Posted by: Frank G || 05/20/2019 20:28 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Over two killed in gunmen attack on checkpoint in Zillah
"Over two?" That would be three. Approximately.
[Libya Observer] Sources from Zillah town reported two people killed and two others missing after an attack by button men early on Saturday in the vicinity of Zueitina oil field checkpoint.

The sources added that the button men are believed to be linked to ISIS, adding that the four victims are from the Petroleum Facilities Guard staffers in Zillah town.

Zillah saw a similar attack last year by ISIS holy warriors.

Meanwhile,
...back at the argument, Livia had made her point with her knee to Jane's stomach...
the Presidential Council issued a statement condemning the attack, rendering it as terrorist and saying it is part of a series of attacks on different Libyan cities, mainly in the south.

The statement reiterates that the attack on Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
by Khalifa Haftar
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
is the main reason why the security vacuum in Libya is being widened and thus exploited by Death Eaters and criminals.

"The attack on Tripoli will help ISIS and other terrorist groups reemerge and expand in Libya." The Presidential Council warned.

It added that the Libyan Army forces won't sit idly by and watch the Death Eaters wreak havoc in Libya, rather they will do all they can to continue defeating them against all odds.

Southern Libya is seeing security vacuum that has been escalated since February attack by Khalifa Haftar's forces on the region.

Ghadduwah and al-Fuqahaa towns in the south both saw ISIS attacks, which left several people killed and injured and several houses burnt.

ISIS leader His Supreme Immensity, Caliph of the Faithful and Galactic Overlord, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
...the head of ISIS, or what remains of it, and a veteran of the Abu Graib jailhouse. Looks like a new messiah to bajillions of Moslems, like just another dead-eyed mass murder to the rest of us. So far he has been killed at least four times, though not yet by a stake through the heart...
appeared last month in a video admitting the defeat of his terrorist group in Sirte, but reaffirming that ISIS remnants are still operating in southern Libya, vowing to carry out more attacks to weaken Libya's government.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  What does it mean "Over two killed", 2 1/2? 3? why can't they just tell me?
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 05/20/2019 10:17 Comments || Top||

#2  Would that be multiple people killed, or some?
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/20/2019 12:53 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Police suspect 'inside help' in girl's kidnapping from Karachi's DHA neighbourhood
[DAWN] A 20-year old girl, who was kidnapped by four gunnies from outside her home in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
's Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighbourhood last Sunday, returned home safely today, reportedly after the payment of ransom money.

The police termed it a first-of-a-kind case where the kidnappers contacted the family solely through social media, which fuelled police's suspicions that kidnappers might have had some "inside help".

Speaking at presser at his office, SSP South Pir Mohammed Shah said that law enforcement agencies were "active" for the recovery of the girl before she returned home safely.

The SSP said that "someone close to the family" may have been involved in the kidnapping and vowed that the criminals would be taken to task soon.

He said that the case was a challenge for the police, adding that "enhancement of police's capability is being contemplated in order to deal with such cases in future."

SSP Shah said that the girl's father did not disclose details to the police but that there is a "strong possibility" that the family paid ransom money for her release.

Meanwhile,
...back at the abandoned silver mine, the water was up to Jack's neck and still rising. And then he smelled the smoke...
South Zone DIG, Sharjeel Kareem Kharal told Dawn that the police have taken several measures to prevent such incidents in future, including the deployment of coppers at all restaurants in DHA and Clifton areas to keep strict vigil on criminal elements.

The DIG said that law enforcers have also conducted raids in different parts of the city and detained some persons for questioning in connection with the case.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Lamar Odom admits using fake schlang to pass Olympics drug test
[PAGESIX]
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Holy crap - how many scripts is that Page Six site running?
Posted by: Raj || 05/20/2019 0:57 Comments || Top||

#2  That story is a head-spinner. Fake schlangs, the Khardashians, Caitlin/Bruce Jenner, overdosing at a brothel near Las Vegas, and weed and cocaine all in the same story.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 10:10 Comments || Top||

#3  "Holy crap - how many scripts is that Page Six site running?"

Fascinating. uMatrix is your friend.
Posted by: European Conservative || 05/20/2019 11:12 Comments || Top||


Europe
Reporters Face Jail in France Over Secret Military Document
JOURNALISTS IN FRANCE are facing potential jail sentences in an unprecedented case over their handling of secret documents detailing the country’s involvement in the Yemen conflict.

Earlier this week, a reporter from Radio France and the co-founders of Paris-based investigative news organization Disclose were called in for questioning at the offices of the General Directorate for Internal Security, known as the DGSI. The agency is tasked with fighting terrorism, espionage, and other domestic threats, similar in function to the FBI in the United States.

The two news organizations published stories in April ‐ together with The Intercept, Mediapart, ARTE Info, and Konbini News ‐ that revealed the vast amount of French, British, and American military equipment sold to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and subsequently used by those nations to wage war in Yemen.

The stories ‐ based on a secret document authored by France’s Directorate of Military Intelligence and obtained by the journalists at Disclose ‐ highlighted that officials at the top of the French government had seemingly lied to the public about the role of French weapons in the war. They demonstrated the extent of Western nations’ complicity in the devastating conflict, which has killed or injured more than 17,900 civilians and triggered a famine that has taken the lives of an estimated 85,000 children.
Hooray for war! More war, forever!
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [3 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


Afghanistan
Taliban militants suffer heavy casualties in Kandahar, Zabul airstrikes
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Air Forces carried out a series of Arclight airstrikes in support of the Afghan ground forces in Kandahar and Zabul provinces killing at least 15 snuffies and wounding 9 others.

The 205th Atal Corps in a statement said airstrikes were carried out against Talibs in Band-e-Temor area of Maiwand district in Kandahar killing at least 15 snuffies and wounding 5 others.

The statement further added that similar airstrikes were carried out against Talibs in Muqorak area of Meezan district in Zabul which critically maimed 4 Talibs.

In addition, 4 compounds of the snuffies were destroyed and a 82mm rocket launcher, a weapon and a night vision goggle were also confiscated, the 205th Atal Corps said.

The statement also added that the Afghan forces also discovered and defused six improvised bombs during the same operations.

The anti-government armed snuffies including Taliban
...Arabic for students...
have not commented regarding the operation so far.
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


Europe
Austrian vice chancellor forced to resign after hidden camera sting
[DAWN] Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, a key figure of the European far-right, resigned on Saturday after explosive revelations came to light from a hidden camera sting, just days before key EU elections.

"I tendered my resignation as vice-chancellor of Austria to Chancellor Kurz, and he accepted this decision," an emotional Strache said in a televised statement which almost certainly marks the end of his career.

Media reports emerged on Friday alleging that Strache promised public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer he met on the island of Ibiza a few months before 2017’s parliamentary elections in Austria.

Germany’s Der Spiegel and Sueddeutsche Zeitung published hidden-camera recordings of the sophisticated sting operation at a luxury villa.

On Saturday Strache, 49, insisted he was the "victim of a targeted political attack", which had used illegal means to entrap him, but that he was leaving in order to avoid further damage to the government.

Rumours were rife that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz might push for early elections. About a thousand demonstrators gathered in front of the chancellery building, demanding the resignation of the government as a whole.

Some held signs that read: "Sebastian, your government, your responsibility."

Stupid, irresponsible

In the recordings Strache and his party’s group leader in parliament, Johann Gudenus, are seen discussing with a woman purporting to be the niece of a Russian oligarch how she can invest in Austria.

Strache insisted on Saturday that he had not met the woman again after the meeting in the villa, nor did his party receive any funds from her.

"What I said, seen from a sober point of view, was a catastrophe," he admitted.

"Yes, it was stupid. Yes, it was irresponsible. Yes, it was a mistake," he said, describing what he did as "alcohol-influenced macho behaviour".

He appeared close to tears as he apologised to his family, friends and supporters, in particular his wife as he had tried to impress his "attractive host".

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Resigned to kissing cows.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 8:12 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Turkish-backed rebels send large convoy of reinforcements to retake lost areas in northwest Hama
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Ottoman Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield operation room sent a large number of reinforcements to the Hama-Idlib axis, today, as they look to retake all of the areas that were lost to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

According to a report from northwestern Syria, the Euphrates Shield forces were redeployed from the neighboring governorate Aleppo, where they previously led the attack to capture the Afrin region from the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG).

The Euphrates Shield forces are not only battle-tested, but they are also well armed and well trained. Their experience in the Afrin region has helped them develop into a strong force that is capable of fighting in the rugged areas of Syria.

Two weeks ago, the Syrian Arab Army launched a large-scale offensive to seize the remaining areas under turban control in northwestern Hama. The offensive would prove successful as the Syrian Army and their allies were able to seize many areas, including the two turban strongholds of Kafr Naboudeh and Qal’al al-Madiq.

On Saturday, a temporary ceasefire was announced between the Syrian Arab Army and the Ottoman Turkish-backed rebels in the Idlib and Hama governorates. However,
women are made to be loved, not understood...
shortly after the announcement of the ceasefire, the two warring parties exchanged hostilities across the Hama-Idlib axis.
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Sublime Porte


US sanctions force Hezbollah to cut spending on fighters: Washington Post
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Re-imposed US sanctions have affected Iran’s ability to finance Hezbollah, its proxy in Leb, forcing the militia group to cut expenditure by recalling fighters in Syria and laying off employees at its television channel al-Manar, according to a report published by The Washington Post.

The United States has denied the Iranian regime over $10 billion in revenue and expects that number to increase dramatically, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook told Al Arabiya English last month after Washington declared it would start ending waivers to Tehran’s oil customers.

"What we are doing is making it harder for Hezbollah to meet payroll, because 70% of Hezbollah’s revenue comes from the Iranian regime. Historically Iran gives Hezbollah $700 million a year, that’s 70% of their budget," Hook said at the time.

According to The Washington Post’s report, the brunt of Hezbollah’s spending cuts has affected its fighters and their families, who will now be denied from receiving free medicines and even groceries.

The US sanctions have also forced Hezbollah to either furlough its fighters or reassign them to its reserve units, one official said, where they would receive lower salaries or no pay at all.

In March, the leader of Hezbollah called on his supporters to donate funds.
"Don't you wanna kill Jooos? It's not free!"
"The resistance needs your support ... because we are in the heart of the struggle," Hassan Nasrallah said at the time. He added that the group will face the US sanctions with "patience and steadfastness."

One senior Hezbollah official who spoke to The Washington Post admitted that the group’s income from Iran has fallen recently.

"There is no doubt these sanctions have had a negative impact," said the anonymous official. "But ultimately, sanctions are a component of war, and we are going to confront them in this context," he added.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Hezbollah

#1  and the WaPo was saddened by this news.
Posted by: AlanC || 05/20/2019 7:57 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Explosion hits tourist bus in Egypt's Giza
[AlAhram] A blast hit a tourist bus carrying 25 South Africans near the Giza pyramids on Sunday, injuring a number of people, according to the interior ministry.

Security sources said earlier that at least 14 people were maimed in the kaboom near the Ring Road in Giza.

"A device went kaboom! and shattered the glass of a bus carrying 25 people from South Africa," the ministry said on its official Facebook page.

Some people, including four Egyptians in a nearby car, were maimed by broken glass from the two vehicles, state TV said in a video shared by the ministry.

The maimed are receiving treatment, it added. No deaths have been reported.

The blast took place near the famed Giza pyramids.

No damage has been caused to the museum from the kaboom, which took place 50 metres from its fence and more than 400 metres from the museum building, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.

The attack comes nearly five months after three Vietnamese tourists and their Egyptian tour guide were killed when a bomb hit their tourist bus as it was travelling on El-Maryoutiya Street in Giza's Haram district.

No group has grabbed credit for the December attack.

Egypt has responded to terrorist attacks over the past few years with raids on terrorist hideouts nationwide, including a concentrated offensive in North Sinai to combat terrorism.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


-Obits-
World's top UFO hunter dies aged 84 without ever seeing one during his 62 years of research
[DailyMail]
  • American UFO hunter Stanton Friedman has died at the age of 84 in Toronto

  • He was considered one of the world's leading ufologists by fellow UFO hunters

  • Mr Friedman gave university lectures on flying saucers for more than 50 years

  • The retired nuclear physicist never saw a flying saucer in his 62 years of research
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The story is so weird it leaves you speechless. Half in awe of the futility of a life misspent, and half at the ridiculousness of people calling the man 'a legend who never wavered from his beliefs', despite 62 years of denial by the universe.

His real achievement was to be invited to universities to lecture about evil govt. conspiracies and share stories of people abducted for anal rape and dumped in fields.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/20/2019 5:52 Comments || Top||

#2  Congenial fellow. Well liked and respected. True his interests differed from the general public but he stayed the course. Media coined the term flying saucers.
Posted by: Dale || 05/20/2019 6:45 Comments || Top||

#3  He died without ever seeing an UFO during his 62 years of research and got paid for it? I'm somewhat envious of his abilities.

I'm going to look into unicorns and see how that might go.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 10:01 Comments || Top||

#4  I've seen a few UFOs in some greasy spoon/mess halls.

Indigestible Fried Object.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/20/2019 10:43 Comments || Top||

#5  Un-digestible Fried Object

Damn autocorrect
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/20/2019 10:44 Comments || Top||

#6  +Another loser in the interplanetary Hide-N-GoSeek competition. Next month Hide-N-GoSeek champ Bigfoot will not give an interview on the CW network.
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 || 05/20/2019 13:02 Comments || Top||

#7  guy is probably a vegetarianism as well; if after all those years hunting but not capturing a ufo, think he’d have any better luck bagging Bambi?
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 05/20/2019 16:07 Comments || Top||

#8  Shit if you only knew a tenth Stanton Friedman's education, credentials and extensive deep research.

Friedman was employed for 14 years as a nuclear physicist for such companies as General Electric (1956–1959), Aerojet General Nucleonics (1959–1963), General Motors (1963–1966), Westinghouse (1966–1968), TRW Systems (1969–1970), and McDonnell Douglas, where he worked on advanced, classified programs on nuclear aircraft, fission and fusion rockets, and compact nuclear power plants for space applications.

We had a chance to attend one of his lectures on nuclear rocket engines. The developmental methodology was one hell of an eye opener.

I also heard him go off one SETI. His observation was, "if you were looking for proof of life in the prairies, would be searching for telegraph wires?"

There are a lot of quacks out there. Stan was not one of those idiots. Even though he retired, his death is a great loss to the rational UFO research.
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/20/2019 18:16 Comments || Top||

#9  Interesting, Woodrow!

Fermi's Paradox is named after physicist Enrico Fermi and refers to the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence for and various high probability estimates of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations elsewhere in the Milky Way galaxy.

Personally,I think if UFOs had visited our charming planet, we would see the intergalactic equivalent of discarded 12-packs, knocked-over mailboxes and tire tracks across the lawn. But as that hippie astronomer said, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/20/2019 18:42 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Poll of polls tips BJP-led NDA to replicate 2014 victory
[DAWN] NDTV's poll of polls — an aggregate of exit polls — has tipped Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party to nearly replicate its triumph of 2014 polls and comfortably clinch a second straight term in power.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), according to the poll of polls, is set to win 302 seats, while the Congress and co will have to suffice with victories in merely 122 constituencies.
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan
Taliban shadow district chief killed
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Afghan forces have killed the shadow district chief of Taliban
...Arabic for students...
for Karkh district of Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
province, the Ministry of Interior officials said.
"He's less a shadow and more a smudge, now"
A front man for the Ministry of Interior, Nasrat Rahimi, said Mullah Wakil Osmani, the police forces of Herat province have killed Mullah Wakil Osmani, the shadow district chief of Taliban for Karkh district of Herat.

Rahimi further added that three comrades of Mullah Osmani were also killed during the operation and a resident of 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....

province of Pakistain was jugged
Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up!
.
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Taliban

#1  As his caravan passes, do Afghan hounds bark
At those smudges of charcoal and other things dark,
OR SNARK,
At the Akhond of Harkh?
Posted by: Cleaper Sforza3657 || 05/20/2019 13:11 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Saudi forces are ready to respond to Iran with ‘full force and determination’: FM
[ALMASDARNEWS] Foreign Ministry of Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
made an announcement on Sunday amid recent tensions with Iran that they do not want war in the region, but stand ready to respond with "full force and determination".

"Saudi Arabia does not want a war in the region, does not seek it and will do everything in its power to prevent this war. At the same time, it confirms that if the other side chooses war, the kingdom will respond with full force and determination and will defend itself and its interests," Al Jubeir wrote on Twitter.

The news comes as tensions in the region flared up over the week. On May 12, two oil tankers from Saudi Arabia and two other vessels were targeted by a mysterious attack in the United Arab Emirates’ exclusive economic zone.

Even though no one has grabbed credit for the sabotage, the United States has reportedly suggested that sanctions-battered Iran, which has now entered a new phase of tensions with Washington, might have been behind the attack.

On Tuesday, Yemeni Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
rebels carried out drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, causing fire and minor damage.

The Houthis have called it the largest military operation conducted by the rebels against Saudi Arabia since the start of their armed conflict with the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government.

The kingdom has vowed to retaliate against the attacks of the Houthis, who, it believes, are backed by Iran. Tehran, however, has repeatedly denied having any role in the Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
conflict.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iranian ballistic missile launchers in Iraq, Syria aimed at Israel: Iraqi official
[ALMASDARNEWS] The leader of Iraq’s National Coalition, Ayad Allawi, stated this past weekend that an Israeli intelligence agency provided the U.S. with photos of Iranian ballistic missile launchers aimed at Israel.

During his interview with al-Sharqiya TV, Allawi said Iranian ballistic launchers in Syria (area not specified) and Iraq (Basra) were pointed at not only Israel, but also, some of the Gulf States.

Allawi said he received this information after meeting with a U.S. official in Jordan. The U.S. official told him that these missiles were the reason Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his visit to Germany in favor of traveling to Baghdad to meet with the Iraqi government.

The former Iraqi Vice President said that the U.S. officials "assured him" that the Israeli intelligence agencies were "closely monitoring Iranian ballistic missile systems" not only via satellite but also with "advanced ground systems for imaging and surveillance."

Neither the U.S. nor Israel have corroborated Allawi’s claims regarding the Iranian ballistic launchers.

Prior to Allawi’s comments, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton alleged that Iran was planning to attack the American forces in the Middle East. Bolton then announced that the U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, was heading the Persian Gulf to send a message to Iran.

Since this announcement by Bolton, tensions have remained high in the Persian Gulf, with the U.S. and their allies placing their armed forces on high alert.

Iran has denied they have any such plans, adding that they are not looking to start a war with the U.S.
So if they're not there, Iran should have no complaints if they're blown up by airstrikes....since they're not there
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies

#1  But, as we all know, destroying their non-existent missiles would be considered "provocative..."
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/20/2019 7:19 Comments || Top||

#2  Correction:
Iran has denied they have any such plans, adding that they are not looking to start a war symmetrical war with the U.S.

Iran has engaged in asymmetrical warfare against the West for decades.
Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 || 05/20/2019 7:35 Comments || Top||

#3  A-10's are faster than cigar boats ....
Posted by: Ulusomp Glainter5497 || 05/20/2019 8:07 Comments || Top||


Africa Horn
Sudanese commander says democratic elections are his goal
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The deputy leader of Sudan’s military council voiced his enthusiasm for democratic elections in front of an audience of tribal leaders and senior diplomats on Saturday, while seeking to deflect blame for violence in Khartoum this week.

The festivities threatened to derail the council’s talks with an alliance of protest and opposition groups pushing for a swift transition to civilian rule after the fall of former President Omar al-Bashir
Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it.
last month.

Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the youthful leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has emerged as the most prominent member of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) that ousted and tossed in the calaboose
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
Bashir following months of protests.

Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, has considerable power. His RSF are deployed across Khartoum, and he is close to the United Arab Emirates and Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, which between them pledged $3 billion in aid to Sudan late last month.

On Saturday he spoke for nearly 20 minutes after breaking the Ramadan fast to an audience including the top official in the US embassy and the Saudi ambassador, as well as local and international media.

"Democracy is consultation ... that’s it, we want real democracy," he said, in a speech punctuated by applause and laughter. "We want a man who comes in through the ballot box ... We want free and fair elections."

Many of those present were from Sudan’s western Darfur region. Human rights groups accused militias that Hemedti commanded of genocide in the war that began there in 2003, allegations Bashir’s government denied.

On Monday and Wednesday, violence broke out in areas of Khartoum where security forces had been trying to clear barricades erected by protesters, including around a sit-in outside the Defence Ministry that started on April 6.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan


Africa North
Libyan army forces foil heavy artillery advance by Haftar's forces on Tripoli Airport
[Libya Observer] Forces of the Libyan Army under the Presidential Council government's command thwarted on Saturday morning a heavy-artillery-backed advance by Khalifa Haftar
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
's forces on Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
International Airport frontline, blocking their attempt to enter Tripoli's downtown.

Sources from the "Volcano of Rage" Operation of the Presidential Council's commanded forces said Haftar's forces had supplies from Tarhouna for their early Saturday advance, adding that they managed to foil the advance and gained new ground in the vicinity of Tripoli Airport.

"Libyan Air Force targeted positions and ammo depots for Haftar's forces in Tripoli Airport, Qasir Benghashir, Tuwaisha and Sooq al-Ahad." The sources added.

"Desperate attempts by Haftar's forces reflect instructions given by Haftar for them to enter Tripoli at any cost, so he can have a strong position in any negotiations." The sources further added.

On Friday, the Libyan army forces repelled an attack by Haftar's forces on Ain Zara frontline as they tried to advance from three fighting axes using tanks and heavy artillery, according to a senior commander - Abdelrahman al-Shukri.

Some shells fired by Haftar's forces fell on residential areas inside Ain Zara causing material damage to the houses, while in Sabea area in southwestern Tripoli, Libyan army forces seized a number of military vehicles for Haftar's forces after capturing three fighters.

Clashes are still ongoing on Tripoli Airport frontline with an uneasy calm every now and then.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Who will win (by a whisker?) Competitors showcase their wacky facial hair as they battle it out in the 2019 World Beard and Moustache Championships
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan
First session of Afghan parliament ends in brawl over new Speaker
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Afghanistan’s parliament descended into chaos on Sunday when politicians brawled over the appointment of a new Speaker, an inauspicious start to the assembly which was sitting for the first time since chaotic elections last year.

Results of last October’s parliamentary election were only finalized earlier this month after repeated technical and organizational problems and widespread accusations of fraud.

Sunday’s incident underscored the turmoil in Afghan politics ahead of presidential elections that are taking place in the shadow of talks between US diplomats and the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
about a possible settlement of an 18-year conflict.

On Saturday, Mir Rahman Rahmani, a top businessman, ran for the speakership of the 247-seat house but fell short of a majority by a single vote, triggering a clash between supporters, who declared him the winner, and opponents, who said he had not secured the necessary 124 votes.

"We will never accept the new Speaker and there must be a re-election with new candidates," said Mariam Sama, a politician from Kabul.

Video footage widely shared on social media showed a brawl among politicians, with members of parliament seen blocking the Speaker’s seat and calling for a re-run of the vote.

Rahmani is the father of Ajmal Rahmani, a rich businessman popularly known as "Armored Ajmal" after his business selling bulletproof vehicles to the Kabul elite.

"He has secured a majority of the votes and one vote is not an issue, so he is our new chairman," said Nahid Farid, a politician from Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
who supports Rahmani.

The repeatedly delayed parliamentary vote on October 20 was marred by widespread allegations of fraud, vote rigging, inaccurate voter lists and technical problems with biometric verification equipment.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  fraud, vote rigging, inaccurate voter lists and technical problems
Looks like they've learned the 'Democratic' process...
Posted by: Glenmore || 05/20/2019 0:42 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump: If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran
[TWITTER]

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  Will the Iranians chant "Death to America!" at the next official Friday prayers?

Would that count as a threat?

How would the Trump administration react?

IIRC the Iranians did cancel the "Death to America!" chant on the Friday after 9/11 2001.

At the time everyone was still apprehensive and some were fearful about the US' response.
Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 || 05/20/2019 7:52 Comments || Top||


Iraq
Katyusha rocket falls in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A Katyusha rocket has landed in the vicinity of the US embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, according to Al Arabiya’s correspondent.

"A Katyusha rocket fell in the middle of the Green Zone without causing any losses, details to come later," the Iraqi military said in a statement.

The statement added that the rocket was fired from the al-Ghadeer area in Baghdad.

Iraqi security forces have closed the area leading to the Green Zone, while a combing operation is underway.

The apparent attack comes amid heightened tensions across the Gulf region, after the United States ordered non-essential staff out of its diplomatic posts in Iraq.
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


#2  al-Ghadeer area is pretty Shia.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 05/20/2019 9:34 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Odd Man Out Comey: Sunday's Comic
Circular firing squad. Doesn't matter; Trump's DOJ has all three of them dead to rights.
[ArizonaDailyIndependent] A potential rift is emerging between James Comey and John Brennan over who pushed to include information from the unverified Steele dossier in an intelligence community assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Comey, a former FBI director, sent an email to subordinates in late 2016 indicating Brennan, a former CIA director, wanted to include materials from the dossier in the intelligence community assessment, known as the ICA, Fox News reported....
Posted by: Unoluque Whinemble8555 || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Let's indict Comey and let him take his chances, allow Barr to do his job and let the Democrats take their chances, as well.

Let Hillary stand up and hire a Lawyer too. And see how Biden smells as well. No wonder Biden says Let's all be friends again and act like nothing ever happened, OK?

OK? OK?
Posted by: Thumper Ometing7097 || 05/20/2019 4:40 Comments || Top||

#2  We have an annual story-telling contest in this part of the country. Maybe Comey, Brennan and Clapper should enter the contest while they still have a chance...before they enter the Greybar Hotel.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 8:59 Comments || Top||

#3  Well, yep.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/20/2019 10:33 Comments || Top||


Europe
Sweden: Ruling Social Democrats Facing Worst Ever EU Election Result
[BREITBART] The ruling Swedish Social Democrats could be facing their worst European Parliament election result ever, according to a new poll that puts the populist Sweden Democrats on a near equal footing.

The poll, released by Sifo, shows the Social Democrats on just 21.9 per cent, down from their 2014 result of 24.2 per cent, Swedish newspaper Goteborgs-Posten reports.

Professor of political science Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson commented on the new poll saying, "The new poll, a week before the EU election, develops into a nightmare for the major government-bearing parties in Sweden. Now, the big parties have never had a great EU election, but the trend is terrible."
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  develops into a nightmare for the major government-bearing parties

Seems to be a lot of that going around lately.

People all over are getting sick and tired of the globalist, big state elites.

The main question is who and where pulls the first trigger?
Posted by: AlanC || 05/20/2019 8:19 Comments || Top||


Britain
Tory Elites Plot to Bring Down Govt if Boris Becomes Leader
[BREITBART] A number of establishment Tory MPs are planning to bring down the Government if Boris Johnson is elected party leader and tries to implement a No Deal Brexit.

One minister warned that as many as 12 Tory MPs would vote against Mr Johnson if he tried to introduce a Queen’s Speech featuring a No Deal Brexit. Such a move would mean that a Boris-led party would not be able to command a majority in the House of Commons.

The minister continued, saying: "Boris cannot form a government, certainly not on a No Deal platform and probably not on any other."

The minister went on to stress that even with support from Northern Ireland’s Brexit-supporting Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who currently have a "confidence and supply" deal with the Conservative Party to give their minority government a majority in the Commons, the majority would be too slim to deliver a No Deal Brexit opposed by a dozen or more Tory MPs.

The minister said that "even with the DUP on board, that is the majority gone. Then we are straight into an election."
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Gee, this sounds awfully familiar...
Posted by: Raj || 05/20/2019 0:55 Comments || Top||

#2  Elites will never allow the popular will to be enacted. They have too much to lose. That the people should vote against their interests is unthinkable. They literally never lose.
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/20/2019 3:15 Comments || Top||

#3  Another insurance policy in the making.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/20/2019 5:31 Comments || Top||

#4  I like the wto only deal best that the msm spins as node eel. Im not so sure about boris
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 05/20/2019 10:28 Comments || Top||

#5  Innit funny how "democracy" and "free elections" is the gold standard? Until it isn't...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/20/2019 10:37 Comments || Top||

#6  ..like the Turk said, democracy is a trolley you ride to the end of the line and then get off.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/20/2019 13:58 Comments || Top||

#7  IIRR Boris claims to be a bit Turkish...
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 05/20/2019 18:34 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Polish President Denounces 'Hate Crime' After Israeli Spits on Its Ambassador
[Haaretz] An Israeli man was arrested after spitting at Poland's ambassador as the diplomat was sitting in his car in Tel Aviv, Israel Police said Wednesday.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki denounced the attack on Twitter: "I am very worried to hear of a racist attack ... Poland strongly condemns this xenophobic act of aggression. Violence against diplomats or any other citizens should never be tolerated."

President Andrzej Duda called the incident "humiliation of Polish pride," adding it was an "anti-Polish hate crime." Duda said: "Just as we fight any sign of anti-Semitism, I won't agree to any anti-Polish action. We don't deserve it."
The man misbehaved — he claims in response to being insulted by the embassy guard for being Jewish — but he apologized most sincerely and was arrested anyway.
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Video- Sunday Good News: Woman, 81, Meets 103-year-old Mother After 60-year Search
[WeaselZipper] An 81-year-old Irish woman has said she still has not come out of the clouds after meeting her estranged mother for the first time after 60 years of searching. Eileen Macken grew up in a Bethany Home orphanage and had never met her birth mother.

Last year, having started searching when she was 19, Ms Macken contacted RTÉ’s Liveline and made an appeal to track her mother down.

Earlier this year Ms Macken said that with the help of a genealogist she had managed to find her mother who was 103 years old and was living in Scotland.

When she found out that her mother was still alive, Ms Macken told RTÉ News that "just to touch her, it would mean so much".

Last month Ms Macken;s wish came true as she travelled to Scotland with her husband George, along with her daughter and son-in-law, to meet her mother, Elizabeth.

"I went over to see her and she is the most beautiful lady," Ms Macken said.
Blessings, dear ladies
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  That's a better story than the next about the guy who spent his entire professional life searching for UFOs. This woman had a payoff; she found her mother after 60 years.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/20/2019 10:03 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Yemen’s government forces arrest key al-Qaeda leader
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Forces loyal to the Yemeni legitimate government backed by the Arab coalition say they have captured a key al-Qaeda leader in the southwestern province of Taiz.

The military said in a statement that special forces had locked away
Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up!
Bilal Muhammed Ali al-Wafi on Saturday in the mountain area of Habashi.

Al-Wafi, in his 30s, is a key member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000...
, or AQAP, and has helped to carry out several deadly attacks including the 2012 bombing of a Yemeni military parade that killed dozens of troops.

The US designated al-Wafi as a terrorist in 2017.

Al-Qaeda has maintained a foothold in the country throughout the chaos of Yemen’s four-year civil war, as the Yemeni legitimate government backed by the Arab coalition, battles Iran-aligned Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
militia.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula


Houthi's launch IRBM at Mecca!
[Twitter]



Posted by: 3dc || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis

#1  "saudi air defenses"??? Built in the US or in Israel?
Posted by: Richard Aubrey || 05/20/2019 0:22 Comments || Top||

#2  I think they bought the MM23 Hawk systems from Raytheon. They buy from all over actually. Recently bought IRBMs from China.

Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/20/2019 5:22 Comments || Top||

#3  Richard Aubrey: Saudi Arabian Patriot air defence batteries engaged Iranian-made Houthi ballistic missiles over Jeddah and Taif this morning
Posted by: 3dc || 05/20/2019 5:55 Comments || Top||

#4  Something that should have been done by someone right after 9-11. Suggest operational name, "Doolittle’s Raiders".

Instead of sneaking bin Laden's family out of our country.
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/20/2019 7:18 Comments || Top||

#5  Hajj 2019® is coming up soon.

Wonder if this isn't testing a backdoor method to reduce 'tourists' and thereby cutting into SA's economy and stature.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 05/20/2019 9:32 Comments || Top||

#6  Near Mecca, eh? If one had a submarine with a couple spare cruise missiles and wanted to do a little pot-stirring....
Speaking hypothetically, of course.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/20/2019 10:13 Comments || Top||

#7  You guys missed it. Try again and adjust for windage this time!
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/20/2019 10:32 Comments || Top||

#8  Missed it by just this much. ----Don Adams
Posted by: AlanC || 05/20/2019 11:06 Comments || Top||

#9  #1 The Saudis are buying several billion dollars of the latest US ABMs. And in numbers to take out a "saturation" attack.

Any Israeli involvement has been "greenwashed" though American companies.
Posted by: The peanut gallery || 05/20/2019 13:47 Comments || Top||

#10  Shoot. Mr. Wife takes me away for a few days, and certain people out there start getting overexcited.

Good catch, 3dc. Thank you for being on top of this for us.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/20/2019 19:31 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syrian Army struggles to capture key town in northeastern Latakia
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) attempted to enter the key town of Kabani in northeastern Latakia on Saturday, a source told al-Masdar News this morning.

According to the military source, the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Armored Division, alongside the Elite Republican Guard, attempted to crack Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
’s lines at the southern axis of Kabani on Saturday afternoon. However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them...
following a fierce firefight, the Syrian Arab Army was forced to withdraw from southern Kabani, the source added.

Over the last two weeks, the Syrian Arab Army has attempted to break into Kabani from the heights just south of the mountaintop town. Each of these attempts have ended the same way for the Syrian Army, forcing them to find another solution to the stiff defenses of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP).

With the recent arrival of several units from the elite Tiger Forces, the Syrian Army will likely try another major assault on Kabani in the coming days. The issue, however, has little to do with manpower in northeast Latakia; instead, the main problem the Syrian Army’s high command is facing has to do with the corpse count.

Every attempt to capture Kabani has resulted in casualties for the Syrian Army and their allies. For this reason, the Syrian Army’s high command has avoided a full-scale assault to capture the town.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra


Foreign jihadist group threatens Russia with Soviet-Afghan-like war in Syria
[ALMASDARNEWS] The foreign jihadist group, the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), released a video on May 14th that chronicled the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) and the losses suffered by the Soviet Union at that time.

In the video that was released via their official Telegram Sawt al-Islam (Voice of Islam), the Turkestan Islamic Party narrated a 20-minute-long video that not only chronicled the Soviet-Afghan War but also showcased the jihadist group’s strength and their plans.

The Turkestan Islamic Party threatened Russia with a Soviet-Afghan-like war scenario in which they would suffer heavy casualties at the hands of the mujaheddine.

Towards the latter part of the video, the jihadist group showed footage of their fighters near the front-lines in the Jabal al-Akrad(Kurdish Mountains) and Jabal Turkmen (Turkmen Mountains) region of northern Latakia.

The Turkestan Islamic Party is considered one of the most powerful jihadist groups currently operating inside of Syra.

Alongside their allies from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
, the Turkestan Islamic Party has managed to maintain control of several areas inside both the Latakia and Idlib governorates.

As of now, the Turkestan Islamic Party is heavily concentrated along the Idlib-Latakia axis; they are also leading the defense around the strategic city of Jisr al-Shughour near the Ottoman Turkish border.

Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda


India-Pakistan
Survey of encroachment blocking access to stupa ordered
[DAWN] [DAWN] The commissioner Rawalpindi has ordered a survey and demarcation of encroached land blocking access to the ancient Buddhist stupa and monastery of Dharmarajika in Taxila.

The survey has been ordered on the direction of the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued to the 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....

government on a petition filed by two citizens.

Commissioner Joudat Ayaz on Saturday chaired a meeting which was called to resolve the blockade of access to Dharmarajika Stupa, a Unesco World Heritage Site and protected under the Antiquities Act 1975.

The petitioners, retired Maj-Gen Saeed Ahmed Wahla and retired Brig Abdul Malik Khan informed the meeting that the path leading to the Buddhist Stupa and monastery, comprising Khasra No 151 of the revenue department, was protected under the Antiquities Act 1975. Keeping in view its international significance and importance, it should be protected.

They pleaded that the blockade of access to the site was against national and international rules and could send a negative message to the world in general and to the Buddhist community in particular.

The petitioners prayed that the private land developer be ordered to restore the path to the site to its historical shape.

The land developer, Mohammad Muazzam Ali Goraya, claimed that the gate and wall were built "to protect his property against miscreants." He said no one had been or would in future be refused access to the Stupa through his property. He claimed that the employees of and visitors to the Taxila Museum were using the passage through his land without any restrictions.
Posted by: Fred || 05/20/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan



Who's in the News
29[untagged]
5Govt of Iran
4Islamic State
4Houthis
3Commies
2Taliban
2al-Nusra
2Govt of Pakistan
2Sublime Porte
1Govt of Sudan
1Hamas
1Hezbollah
1Arab Spring
1al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
1Moslem Colonists
1Govt of Iran Proxies
1al-Qaeda

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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
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trailing wife
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Two weeks of WOT
Mon 2019-05-20
  Houthi's launch IRBM at Mecca!
Sun 2019-05-19
  Islamic State in West Africa Forming ‘Jihadist Proto-State’ in Nigeria
Sat 2019-05-18
  Drone strike kills notorious ISIS leader and his fighters in East of Afghanistan
Fri 2019-05-17
  Fighting grips Hodeidah port, complicates peace moves
Thu 2019-05-16
  F-16 with live ordinance crashes in Riverside CA.
Wed 2019-05-15
  Iranian ballistic missile platforms in Basra city directed towards the Gulf, Exxon evacuating, German mil. trainers evacuating
Tue 2019-05-14
  The Latest: Norwegian Tanker's Hull Punctured off UAE Coast
Mon 2019-05-13
  Gunmen kill six during Catholic mass in Burkina Faso
Sun 2019-05-12
  Security guard killed as terrorists storm Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar: ISPR
Sat 2019-05-11
  B-52s in Al Udeid AB Qatar
Fri 2019-05-10
  U.S. revokes citizenship of Portland mosque's imam for ties to ObL
Thu 2019-05-09
  Rotherham abuse scandal: 40 arrests made in last two months
Wed 2019-05-08
  Pompeo suddenly in Iraq
Tue 2019-05-07
  400-strong Christian mob attacks Muslim shops in Sri Lankan town hit by Easter bomb
Mon 2019-05-06
  19 killed in Gaza, four in Israel in Sunday’s escalation, say officials

Better than the average link...



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