#2
Don't know if she is or was ever a smoker but the non-smoker lung CA is very very bad. I hope she gets the best possible care regardless of prognosis.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/21/2018 15:52
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#3
...I am genuinely praying for her health and comfort. Nobody deserves this.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/21/2018 16:57
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#4
Her cult followers will be offering lungs for transplant. You watch....
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/21/2018 19:41
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#5
How long she has left depends on whether the tumors are accessible to radiation/surgery &/or will yield to chemotherapy. When all else fails, it's time for hospice.
[LidBlog] Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson on Tuesday ruled that the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) could not use a FOIA request to access the tax documents from the IRS.
“No one can demand to inspect another’s tax records,” Henderson declared, noting that this applies to the protection of confidentiality for “the ordinary taxpayer and the President alike.”
With a face only a mother could love...
[Universal Hub] - MS-13 member gets six years for 'protecting' coke shipment; had earlier attacked rivals in Maverick Square
A federal judge today sentenced Cesar "Cheche" Martinez for his involvement in a local MS-13 gang based in Everett called Eastside Locos Salvatrucha.
A US District Court jury had earlier convicted Martinez on RICO charges for his membership in MS-13 in general, and in particular for his role in serving as an escort for a a 1-kilo shipment of cocaine - which he did not realize at the time was going from one undercover federal agent to another as part of a sting operation.
But according to a sentencing request by federal prosecutors, Martinez created some of the violence for which the local gang was known. In 2008, he and three other MS-13 members went to the Maverick Square Blue Line stop and "attacked a group of gang rivals with a machete, a baseball, and knives before retreating to Martinez’s home." And on Dec. 14, 2014, Martinez drove two of his gang pals from their home base - a garage in Everett - to meet a third gang member in Chelsea so they could kill a rival gang member. Martinez was also involved in planning the murder of an MS-13 member others thought was ratting them out to the feds.
Martinez was one of 61 people arrested in raids aimed at MS-13 in 2016 - 49 of whom have since either pleaded or been found guilty.
#2
What finally drove Massholes to sever it?
Find out in Escape from New Everett,
And why no one cried
For the folks left inside
(cuz its pols still, as always, delivered it).
SATIRE WARNING
[Babylon Bee] WASHINGTON, D.C.‐After Trump announced that US troops would be pulled out of Syria, the President was quickly criticized by leaders on both the left and the right for breaking with the longstanding American tradition of remaining in Middle Eastern countries indefinitely.
Trump drew ire from both sides of the aisle for his "careless and reckless" disregard for the beloved American custom of meddling overseas without a congressional declaration of war and then hanging around for another few decades.
"Occupying a country on the other side of the globe and staying there forever is an American pastime," said a CNN host. "For Trump to pull out when we haven't even been there a decade yet is a disgusting display of his selfishness and unwillingness to conform to the standards of presidential decorum."
"Has he no respect for our ways of life?" the host concluded gravely.
In a rare moment of unity, pundits on Fox News agreed. "We just need another 20 or 30 years in Syria, and we can accomplish our goals," said a morning host on the right-leaning news station. "He didn't even really give our soldiers a chance to settle in."
"This is America, for goodness' sake‐land of the free and home of messing with other countries' affairs. I don't like criticizing the president, but he's way off on this one," he added.
[The Federalist] On Tuesday, presiding judge Emmet Sullivan hit a variety of topics when Michael Flynn appeared before him for sentencing on one count of lying to the FBI. The hearing ended with Sullivan holding the matter until Flynn finished cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
But by then Sullivan had ping-ponged from questioning whether Flynn needed additional time to reconsider his guilty plea, to asking the government if the former Army lieutenant general could be charged with treason. One soliloquy in particular struck me. In discussing the charges brought against Flynn, Sullivan stressed that "This is a very serious offense. A high-ranking senior official of the government making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation while on the physical premises of the White House."
For one short moment, Sullivan’s stark pronouncement cut through the partisan noise surrounding Flynn’s prosecution. Yet it is not that simple. For many, the criminal case against Flynn was never about Flynn; it was about our country abandoning the precept of equal justice under the law.
This governing platitude took a hit when the FBI spun its investigation into Hillary Clinton as a mere "matter;" when agents questioned the former secretary of State in the presence of two witnesses, assuring their stories would match; when an agent involved in the Clinton investigation called her responses "questionable," but not "provable" lies, and nothing became of it; when the FBI took no action against other witnesses whom they believed clearly lied during their investigation of Clinton; and when the public learned that the agents knew all along nothing would be done about Clinton’s criminal recklessness in her handling of classified materials.
In contrast to the kid-glove handling of Hillary Clinton and those close to her, the FBI reached out to Flynn with an iron fist ensconced in a velvet glove. An interview that ended with agents concluding that Flynn had not lied resulted instead in federal charges once Special Counsel Mueller’s office became involved.
Yesterday, news broke that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn had been paid $530,000 for his work lobbying for a Turkish firm with connections to that country’s government during the presidential campaign, as revealed by documents Flynn filed with the Department of Justice to register retroactively as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Knowledge of Flynn’s connections to Turkey is not new; the Daily Caller first reported on his consulting work and links to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government in November, days after the election. The registration under FARA, however, is new.
What’s more, despite earlier denials by press secretary Sean Spicer that the White House was aware of Flynn’s lobbying, the AP is now reporting that the transition team was aware that Flynn might need to register as a foreign agent. Flynn’s personal lawyer contacted transition officials, including soon-to-be White House Counsel Don McGahn, to inform them of Flynn’s activities and possible registration with the Justice Department, the AP reports. The story says the transition team was not told about the specific details of the filing and informed Flynn’s lawyer that the White House did not need to be involved. Sean Spicer appears to have confirmed the AP story at a press conference this afternoon, saying that Flynn’s lawyer contacted the transition team for guidance and was “instructed that this wasn’t the role of the transition team … this was a personal matter.”
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/21/2018 11:04
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#5
I don't have much sympathy for anyone who is working or has worked with sultan ergomesh...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/21/2018 15:42
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[National Review] s the year ends, the Trump legal drama winds down towards its tawdry end. The immense fraudulent fantasy of a Benedict Arnold on steroids collaborating with a foreign enemy, a Manchurian Candidate "groomed for the presidency by his Russian controllers," has come down to a squalid dispute between the president, his crooked former lawyer, and the publisher of the National Enquirer over the nature of incentivizing the pre-electoral silence of a porn star and a former Playboy bunny.
The slab-faced, trim and grim Robert Mueller, closing in like a heat-seeking missile on the start of the third year of the most ineffective and redundant investigation in history, could be a brilliant straight man, desperately serious and purposeful as he silently marches across our television screens every night in reruns of the same old news film in the elaborate pretense that he is doing something useful and important. It is the same pattern as the Clinton investigation, which began with the financial improprieties of Whitewater and meandered around to checking the president’s semen against a White House intern’s carefully preserved dress. The lust to tear down a president leads ostensibly serious and responsible people to act contemptibly, and ultimately to become absurd.
[National Review] A high wall would end the border patrol's reliance on dogs and tear gas when rushed by would-be border crossers throwing stones.
There was likely never going to be "comprehensive immigration reform" or any deal amnestying the DACA recipients in exchange for building the wall. Democrats in the present political landscape will not consent to a wall. For them, a successful border wall is now considered bad politics in almost every manner imaginable.
Yet 12 years ago, Congress, with broad bipartisan support, passed the Secure Fence of Act of 2006. The bill was signed into law by then-President George W. Bush to overwhelming public applause. The stopgap legislation led to some 650 miles of a mostly inexpensive steel fence while still leaving about two-thirds of the 1,950-mile border unfenced.
In those days there were not, as now, nearly 50 million foreign-born immigrants living in the United States, perhaps nearly 15 million of them illegally.
Sheer numbers have radically changed electoral politics. Take California. One out of every four residents in California is foreign-born. Not since 2006 has any California Republican been elected to statewide office.
[Calrion Project] On a good day, Syria one of the most complex issues in the Middle East, let alone when the Trump administration announces a rapid U.S. withdrawal from Syria of our troops. The question is: How should we make sense of it?
With hard and fast questions and answers, Clarion Project provides you below with key analysis points to stay up to speed on this developing story:
1. How will the U.S. withdrawal from Syria impact Syria in the next five to 10 years?
Director of Clarion Intelligence Network Ryan Mauro draws a brief visual point for anyone wondering what might come next: "Think of Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal and before October, 2001. This will be worse."
Iranian-backed Shiite militias are currently operating in the region against Sunni forces. The withdrawal of U.S. troops will inevitably trigger a Sunni uprising against these militias in Iraq, which will likely bring us back to where we started. The situation is ripe to get worse.
2. How might the U.S. withdrawal from Syria impact America?
In a nutshell, expect the Saudis to dramatically increase support to the Salafists in Syria to compete with their enemies: Turkey, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Qatar coalition. You can expect the following things to happen due to this support:
Turkey will crush the Syrian Kurdish protectorate in Syria which they see as a direct threat to them and just another step in establishing an autonomous Kurdish state in the region, something Turkey will do anything to stop.America will cede influence in the region to Iran and Russia.
Iran will build military posts north of the Golan Heights in Israel which they will use to increase the frequency and intensity of attacks against Israel’s northern border. This will deepen the Israeli-Iranian proxy war which has been going on in Syria.
Russia will harden its Syrian air and naval bases in Tartous and Latakia and strengthen its ability to deploy military forces west of the Mediterranean. This is key as Russia’s bases in Syria are its only naval access to the Mediterranean.
3. How does U.S. withdrawal from Syria keep America safer?
The short answer is it doesn’t.
Senator Lindsay Graham correctly stated that this is an Obama-level mistake. America’s policy towards ISIS should be similar to a physician’s treatment plan for an aggressive cancer. Stopping treatment in the middle of the disease will only allow it to grow. ISIS is a cancer. It has been (somewhat) pushed into remission, but it has not been defeated. If we withdraw, it is certain to metastasize ‐ and not only in Syria and Iraq. Left unchecked in the region by a U.S. withdrawal from Syria, ISIS’ current low-level presence in Iran and Turkey will grow.
4. How does a U.S. withdrawal from Syria impact American allies on the ground?
A U.S. withdrawal is a total betrayal of both the Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the latter of which includes Christians. America will also be abandoning its only reliable ally, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
We can now expect Turkey to control the non-Kurdish rebel areas using rebels loyal to Turkey’s Islamist and fanatical president, Recep Erdogan. Moreover, it’s not a coincidence this withdrawal comes at the same time that an offensive by Erdogan against the Kurds in northern Syria is imminent.
In short, in addition to enabling Iranian and Russian power in the region, the U.S. withdrawal from Syria will bring Erdogan one step closer to realizing his dream of being crowned the caliph of his newly-revived neo-Ottoman empire.
#1
Translation: keep the troops there so we can play empire and spend money! Don't take away our toys!
Make America safer...sheesh. Has nothing to do with the safety of the US homeland. I mean reread question 2. Has nothing whatsoever to do with America at all.
Not mentioned anywhere for obvious reasons: the American people and what we need. Globalists never think of us because to them we don't exist.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
12/21/2018 8:46
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#2
If America doesnt stay there getting troops killed for zero American benefit America's enemies will fight each other and weaken themselves.
#7
Trump is abandoning the region. Sorry isolationists, that does not work. It will only embolden Iran and Turkey and the Saudis. Didnt you learn anything when Obama did the same thing in Iraq?
America First? Yes - and that means fighting the wolf BEFORE he comes to your door. Isolationists are fools when it comes to looking long term. You're only delaying intervention, at which time our sons and daughters will pay even more in AMERICAN blood, instead of letting the locals bleed now under our direction.
And just like Obama and Bush, Trump is screwing the Kurds, who have been loyal allies. And this is how we reward them. They could be a stabilizing force in the region but not if you listen to the Klngons and the ivy leaguers in Foggy Bottom.
Not getting the wall built. Running off General Mattis. Letting the Saudis get away with murder. Mueller and the DoJ, Rosenstein and the FBI still unaccountable. Now throwing the region away to the Iranians, just like the State Dept swampies want?
Has Trump lost his way? Is he getting bad advice from the Swamp?
#8
Let's just see how well the Kurds are armed when the Americans leave. And how well they are supplied from the new air base in Iraq.
Way too little info to make judgement. Most of Isis were being killed from air strikes, not special forces.
#9
Ebbavirt Clunk4147 - I have done that. Now, how about a nice cup of apology and STFU from your loud mouth. Got a problem with my point? Address the point. Dont attack my person, take on the ideas - or are you so lacking in reason you cannot do that?
Try taking the positions on, as stated by Gen MAttis because I agree with him, not with keyboard kommandos who preach mindless isolationism but cannot back it up without resorting to personal attacks. Attack Gen Mattis if you dare. Here are his words.
Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in conflict and sustain strong U.S. global influence. One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliance and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances.
We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity, and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
That is the reason to not precipitously withdraw from Syria. Gradual phased and building strength for our allies. Not dumping and running as Obama did. Or do you want Trump to mimic Obama in this?
#10
Whichever mod decided this thread was developing a holiday spirit problem, God bless you and Merry Christmas!
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/21/2018 15:46
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#11
Abandoning the region works just fine. What is the critical interest in Syria? Why is it so important to go to the extreme measure of war? Nobody has ever been able to tell me.
What's the victory condition? What's the prize we get when we win? How do we know we've won?
It's The Swamp that wants us there. Endless war.
"We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity, and values"
This is pure globalism. It is a lie. Our security and prosperity are just fine here in America. Meddling in places that don't concern us just generate more terrorist attacks. Osama Bin Laden got angry and took action because we occupied Saudi Arabia. Let's let these camel and goat fuckers fight it out and sit on the sidelines with popcorn as they waste the blood of their people and their wealth on a pointless war with no prize.
The whole Middle East is not worth a single American's life. Fight me.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
12/21/2018 16:54
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#12
"that means fighting the wolf BEFORE he comes to your door."
So the Saudis and the Turks and the Syrians are coming to our door? They're going to invade America if we don't stop them now? Do people really think that? That's just a flat out lie.
#13
The middle east will stop being a killing field when the participants either kill each other in significant numbers, or they get tired of killing each other, or they and their clans suffer enough losses.
A strong and independent energy policy will save this country a lot of grief, as it finally started doing now. You do not want to buy your civilization's life blood from psychopaths.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/21/2018 17:01
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#14
"prevail in conflict and sustain strong U.S. global influence"
He says it right there. "prevail in conflict" is endless war. Strong US global influence is pure globalism. Globalists are evil fuckers who hate us and who freely spend our lives and wealth on war.
Just imagine the nice things we could have in America with the money that's been spent on war since 9/11.
#15
Let's be clear, the idea of nation building in Syria was never the end goal. Something you couldn't anyways in an Islamic country. Without destroying every mosque.
Primary point, 2,000 (?) troops. Not a major footprint. And their killing shit jihadists.
Not forgetting, how did bin Obama's troop withdrawal workout?
So surrender Syria to Russia and Iran. Great idea. Fucking great idea.
#16
We have allies and equipment in Israel and Saudi Arabia, and bases in Iraq and Turkey.
How is withdrawing 2,000 troops from the Syrian shitshow "abandoning the region"?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/21/2018 20:58
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#17
So surrender Syria to Russia and Iran. Great idea. Fucking great idea.
It was already theirs. The Assads have been Russian clients since they were called "Soviets", and the Iranians have been funding every Muslim militia in Lebanon since the '70s.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/21/2018 21:00
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#18
2K is a rounding error. I assume we had more than that in the Syrian theater(s) before we "entered" and will continue to have that after we "withdraw".
The hyperventilating reminds me of the Khashoggi killing. Apparently, I'm meant to be really worked up about this but am having trouble following the approved narrative on why.
[Express] VLADIMIR Putin has mocked "undemocratic" calls for a second Brexit referendum as the Russian President accused Remainers of "disrespect".
Mr Putin rallied his support behind Theresa May saying she must "fulfil the will of the people", saying he understands the Prime Minister’s position in "fighting for this Brexit". Speaking during his annual press conference, he said: "The referendum was held. "What can she do? She has to fulfil the will of the people expressed in the referendum." "Was it not a referendum?
"Someone disliked the result, so repeat it over and over? Is this democracy?
"What then would be the point of the referendum in the first place?"
Mr Putin also accused the UK and US political classes of "disrespecting" the public by questioning the Brexit vote and Donald Trump's election.
He said: "They don't want to recognise Mr Trump's victory. That's disrespect of voters.
[American Thinker] Most non-orthodox Jews in America undergo cognitive dissonance when they get to know political views of people like me. I am a constitutional conservative, non-orthodox Jew who pulled the lever hard and strong for President Trump and would do it again over any Democrat (man or woman of the left). I would do it again even if 27 Playboy Bunnies signed nondisclosure agreements, because, in the wide scheme of things, Playboy Bunnies are meaningless in comparison to civilization affecting things like whether we hand $150 billion dollars to America- and Jew-hating terrorists in Iran, deny that boys are boys and girls are girls, reject protection of private property and by doing so run up more trillions of dollars of debt to place on the shoulders of our kids, appoint another radical Supreme Court justice who basically rejects most of our Constitution, trash our police, destroy our national sovereignty at the borders, and hollow out our military.
[Express] FORMER Greek MP Costas Lapavitsas took a swipe at the European Union accusing the Brussels bloc of pushing EU citizens to "reject" its "dictating" policies and allowing the strengthening of right-wing parties across the continent.
The Professor of Economics at London's SOAS University claimed the European Union is "depoliticising" economic policies across member states regardless of their political orientation. This, he explained, is forcing people to ask themselves "What is the point of voting?" given no matter which Government they put in power it will have to follow the same strict economic rules dictated by the Brussels institutions.
#5
The Greeks come from the lazy you working fools pay for me to vacation faction of communism. The world would be a better place if more communists came from this faction rather than the confiscate weapons and pile up the bodies faction.
No communists at all would be better but mental health issues are difficult.
Ol' Spackle-Face finally getting justice?
[France 24] Former Argentina president Cristina Kirchner, who has been accused of receiving tens of millions of dollars in bribes during her term in office, will go on trial for corruption, a federal court confirmed on Thursday.
Kirchner is accused of running a criminal network related to the infamous "corruption notebooks" scandal -- revealed through the meticulous records of millions of dollars in bribes paid by businessmen to government officials kept by a ministerial chauffeur.
The court accepted a request by judge Claudio Bonadio that Kirchner, now a senator, be held in pre-trial detention, but her partial parliamentary immunity prevents that from happening.
She is protected by lawmakers' immunity from imprisonment, but not from prosecution.
In August, the Senate voted to partially lift her immunity so that investigators could search her three luxury homes -- but unless it is entirely lifted, she cannot be jailed even if found guilty.
The court also seized 1.5 billion pesos ($38 million) worth of her assets and ordered former planning minister Julio de Vido to be prosecuted for his role in the illicit association.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/21/2018
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#1
Geez, if the Argentinians can do this, why can't won't the US do something remotely similar to Hillary?
[BBC] Germany's biggest airports are on alert after four suspected terrorists were spotted staking out Stuttgart airport, reports say.
Police are said to be hunting for a son and father from North Rhine-Westphalia and two others seen taking photos of the airport's terminal and grounds. Details of the suspects were passed to German police by Morocco's secret service, reports say. This comes a week after a terror attack across the border in France.
Three people were killed by Cherif Chekatt near a Christmas Market in Strasbourg, which is some 150km (93 miles) from Stuttgart.
Police told public broadcaster ARD that security forces were on alert at German airports, while Bild website said warnings had been extended to all 14 major hubs.
'SPYING ATTEMPTS' DETECTED
Since the Strasbourg attack, suspicious activity had been spotted at both Stuttgart Airport and at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, public broadcaster SWR reported. The father and son were captured on surveillance cameras taking photos around the airport, but had disappeared by the time police arrived.
The Stuttgart airport suspects' names as well as details of their communications were reportedly given to police by intelligence officials in Morocco. German police would not confirm the reports, with spokesman Roman Strohmayer saying only "we have information that for the moment cannot yet be judged conclusively."
But, he told Bild website: "We have detected spying attempts at Stuttgart Airport and have massively tightened our security measures at the airport in cooperation with the state police. "
Germany was targeted just before Christmas in 2016, when Tunisian jihadist Anis Amri ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and leaving dozens more wounded.
[France24] The videos show a chaotic scene. People are throwing rocks at vehicles as shots ring out. This footage was captured in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on December 15. On that day, security forces opened fire on civilians, killing seven people. The protesters had taken to the streets to show their support for separatist rebels after the rebels faced off with security forces in a gun battle.
On December 15, a gun battle broke out between security forces and separatist rebels in Kharpora Sirnoo, a village in the Pulwama district. Four people were killed in these clashes.
Hundreds of civilians then poured into the street to protest in support of the separatist rebels. Some of them started throwing stones at the security forces, who then opened fire on them.
In the video below, you can see several different tan and white vehicles, lined up one after another. In the distance, several people dressed in civilian clothing are throwing things at the vehicles. People are running as shots ring out.
#2
If you are attacking "security forces" in support of "armed rebels" YOU are an armed rebel. If you don't want to get shot, don't throw rocks at guys with guns.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/21/2018 7:27
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[NPR] Heading into the 2020 Democratic primaries, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll has a warning for Democrats: Americans are largely against the country becoming more politically correct.
Fifty-two percent of Americans, including a majority of independents, said they are against the country becoming more politically correct and are upset that there are too many things people can't say anymore. About a third said they are in favor of the country becoming more politically correct and like when people are being more sensitive in their comments about others.
That's a big warning sign for Democrats heading into the 2020 primaries when cultural sensitivity has become such a defining issue with the progressive base.
"If the Democratic Party moves in a direction that is more to its base on this issue, it suggests independents are going to be tested to stay with the Democrats electorally," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the poll.
The question was first asked as part of a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll in October 2010. Since then, the margin ‐ between those who opposed more political correctness and those who favored it ‐ has narrowed some. Back then, a slightly higher 56 percent said they were against the country growing more politically correct while just 28 percent said they were in favor, 8 points lower than this latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey.
"Political correctness" has been fundamental to the Trump phenomenon.
[SpaceNews] A cyberattack that may have compromised information about current and former NASA employees is only the latest sign of ongoing information security problems that have plagued the agency for years.
In a Dec. 18 memo to NASA employees, Bob Gibbs, assistant administrator for the office of human capital management, said that the agency was investigating a “possible compromise” of NASA servers first detected in October. Those servers, he said, stored personally identifiable information about NASA personnel, including Social Security numbers. The memo was first published by NASA Watch.
“NASA and its Federal cybersecurity partners are continuing to examine the servers to determine the scope of the potential data exfiltration and identify potentially affected individuals,” Gibbs wrote, saying that process would take time. “The ongoing investigation is a top agency priority, with senior leadership actively involved.”
The scope of the data breach is unclear, but Gibbs said in the memo it could affect both current NASA civil servants as well as those who joined or left the agency, or transferred between centers, as far back as July 2006. He said that when it knows who has been affected, NASA will contact them to provide more information including providing identity protection services. Systems related to the operation of NASA missions were not compromised, he added.
“Our entire leadership team takes the protection of personal information very seriously,” Gibbs wrote. “Information security remains a top priority for NASA.”
However, NASA’s cybersecurity efforts have been criticized for years by its own Office of Inspector General (OIG), who has noted in a series of reports shortfalls in overall information technology (IT) management as well as security issues in particular.
“Through its audits, the OIG has identified systemic and recurring weaknesses in NASA’s IT security program that adversely affect the Agency’s ability to protect the information and information systems vital to its mission,” the office stated in its latest semi-annual report, dated Oct. 31.
Better photo. @adcom_Systems appears to have disappeared in 2016, so maybe Algeria bought the company to make it the 6th(?) country capable of producing long-endurance armed UAVs? pic.twitter.com/motMWggqgJ
[Reuters] A brawl erupts in the Ukrainian parliament after a lawmaker removed a poster depicting oligarch and politician Viktor Medvedchuk as an ''agent'' of Russia's Vladimir Putin.
[Rudaw] Withdrawal of US troops from northeast Syria could prompt the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to abandon the front against ISIS and release its jihadist detainees, a war monitor warned on Thursday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the SDF is seriously considering the release of 3,200 foreign and local ISIS fighters in Syria after home countries refused to take them back.
The Kurdish-led force is also considering its own withdrawal from the frontline against ISIS in Deir ez-Zor in order to defend its territory against a feared Ottoman Turkish operation.
"Multiple credible sources" told SOHR that the military and politicianship of SDF controlled areas had a "long meeting" following the news of the US withdrawal.
"It discussed seriously releasing thousands of elements of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... organization and their families, including children and women, in prisons or Syrian Democratic Forces’ camps," said the war monitor Thursday.
The SDF is holding around 2,080 women and kiddies from 44 different countries and 1,100 fighters from 31 different countries.
SOHR said the prisoners could be freed on Syrian territory very soon.
Thousands of imported muscle, among them some the most radical members of ISIS, are held in SDF prisons. Their home countries, fearing that they cannot successfully prosecute them, are unwilling to take them back.
Such a mass release could revive the ISIS insurgency, which had been on its last legs.
SOHR also reported the SDF is considering withdrawal from its frontline positions against ISIS and redeploying to northern and western areas to hold off a feared Ottoman Turkish intervention.
The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...Qatar's colony in Asia Minor.... had been dissuaded from launching an operation east of the Euphrates by the US military presence in Manbij and northeast Syria. The US withdrawal changes the arithmetic on the ground.
An SDF withdrawal from the front with ISIS, which holds a shrinking pocket of territory, could allow the jihadists to regroup.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/21/2018
01:29 ||
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#1
Didn't ISIS just execute 700 innocent Syrians recently?
[Rudaw] A former Blackwater security contractor was convicted Wednesday of murder at his third trial in the 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq.
Nicholas Slatten, 35, of Sparta, Tennessee, was found guilty of first-degree murder in Washington for his role in the shooting, which strained international relations and drew intense scrutiny of the role of American contractors in the Iraq War.
Prosecutors charged that Slatten was the first to fire shots in the September 2007 massacre that killed 14 Iraqi civilians at a crowded traffic circle in Baghdad. They alleged that Slatten was unprovoked when he opened fire, first killing 19-year-old Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia’y, who was driving his mother to an appointment, prosecutors said.
In all, 10 men, two women and two boys, ages 9 and 11, were killed. Eighteen others were maimed.
The defense has argued that Slatten and other Blackwater contractors opened fire only after Al Rubia’y’s sedan, seen as a potential suicide boom-mobile, began moving quickly toward their convoy. After the shooting stopped, no evidence of a bomb was found.
In 2014, a jury convicted Slatten and three other contractors ‐ Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty and Dustin Laurent Heard‐ who were part of a four-vehicle convoy that was protecting State Department personnel in the area. An appeals court had overturned that conviction, saying he should have been tried separately from three other men.
Slatten was retried last summer, but a mistrial was declared after the jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict.
The appeals court had ordered that Slatten’s co-defendants be resentenced, and Slough, Liberty and Heard all remain in jug and are awaiting resentencing, prosecutors said. Slatten’s sentencing date has not yet been set.
#1
Read a piece years ago about a US convoy in Iraq stalled due to traffic issues. A road full of Iraqi civilians crossed the road the Americans were on. Everybody was going no place. Then an Iraqi taxi pulled out of line and accelerated toward the Americans. A gunner put some fifty cal rounds into the engine block and the taxi stopped. No bomb. No rational motive. But the driver had a motive, whatever it was.
Did he think he'd take one for the team to make the Americans look bad? Did he figure that crashing into a five-ton would inconvenience the US efforts? Did he figure that, whichever it was, or some other thing, was worth his death? If so, he wasn't thinking that when he left home, not anticipating a traffic jam with lots of immobile US vehicles. It came to him with the opportunity.
So, I'd be interested in the actions of the car which was--certainly was when they left--on the way to a doctor's office, when the US vehicles were sighted.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
12/21/2018 8:42
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#2
1. Suppose the Blackwater personnel had been correct in their assessment and saved State Dept. folks from getting blown up?
2. What were the ROEs in 2007?
3. I suspect other such incidents occurred during this war either by NGOs or the military but went "unreported" and there was no rest of the story or trials.
4. What was the relationship back then between the military and NGO contractors at the time?
5. The "fog of war" operating as well as the "fog of after-action analysis" at work?
6. Given the facts as presented, were I on a jury I'd have the same problems as the hung-jury did.
Saw a piece the other day about the taking of Iwo Jima. There were almost no Japanese survivors after the battle but that was a different time and a different war.
[AnNahar] At least six suspected members of a jihadist group were killed overnight in a French air strike in southeastern Mali, a French military front man said Thursday.
A surveillance drone followed eight "members of an armed terrorist group" as they crossed the border on cycle of violences from Niger into Mali, Colonel Patrik Steiger said.
A French fighter jet attacked the group, with ground forces then intervening, in an operation that claimed the lives of at least six of them, he added
Jihadists in the region have mostly swapped pick-ups for more inconspicuous cycle of violences, which allow them to travel on rough roads and tracks through the desert.
The operation revealed however that even these bikers are being monitored from the air.
The French military did not specify which jihadist group the men belonged to but a regional al-Qaeda affiliate has long been active in the region.
La Belle France helped Malian forces defeat jihadist turbans that took control of the three main towns in the country's north in 2012, but large swathes of the hinterland remain beyond the government's control.
La Belle France, the former colonial ruler, has deployed a 4,500-member 'Barkhane' force in the region to conduct counter-terrorism operations.
Until now the force has intervened mainly in Mali, while also focussing on training troops in Burkina Faso ...The country in west Africa that they put where Upper Volta used to be. Its capital is Oogadooga, or something like that. Its president is currently Blaise Compaoré, who took office in 1987 and will leave office feet first, one way or the other... and the other nations of the G5 Sahel military alliance -- Chad, Mauritania and Niger.
However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... the turbans have progressively expanded their reach, carrying out attacks on government forces, notably in Burkina Faso and Niger.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/21/2018
01:21 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, who last year injured coppers outside queen’s residence while shouting ’Allahu Akbar,’ said he was merely trying to get killed.
An Uber driver was found not guilty Wednesday of a terror charge after he injured coppers arresting him outside Queen Elizabeth II’s Buckingham Palace residence while he was armed with a Samurai sword.
Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 27, was unanimously acquitted by jurors at England’s Old Bailey central criminal court in London of one charge of preparing acts of terrorism, following a retrial.
Two unarmed officers had suffered cuts to their hands when they tried to disarm him near the monarch’s famous London residence in August 2017.
They feared for their lives during the confrontation as Chowdhury repeatedly shouted "Allahu Akbar."
The court also heard he supported terrorism by the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group, and had sent a suicide note to his sister "expressing hate of the queen and her soldiers."
But during his trial Chowdhury, from the town of Luton, north of London, told jurors he only wanted to be killed by police and had no intention to hurt anyone himself.
After the not guilty verdict was read out, he saluted the jurors who had spent 11 hours and 36 minutes considering his fate.
A front man for England’s Crown Prosecution Service said Chowdhury had been charged with "the most appropriate offence" and would face no further prosecution over the incident.
#1
Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, who last year injured coppers outside queen’s residence while shouting ’Allahu Akbar,’ said he was merely trying to get killed.
And bypass the judgment process and go straight to martyr heaven. But he's feeling much better now.
[IsraelTimes] Separately, shots fired at bus stop outside Ofra in area that has seen spate of attacks in recent weeks; no injuries
IDF soldiers opened fire on a Paleostinian car that ran through a West Bank roadblock Thursday evening, killing one of its occupants.
The car broke through the so-called Focus checkpoint, the military said in a statement. IDF soldiers manning the position opened fire on the vehicle, killing one of the people inside and injuring another.
The Paleostinian health ministry confirmed one man was killed. Paleostinian media named him as Qassem Abassi, 17, from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
The incident came as tensions ran high following two shootings in the area last week that claimed the lives of two Israeli soldiers and a baby, and amid a general uptick in violence in the West Bank.
Less than an hour before the incident, shots were fired at a bus stop near the settlement of Ofra, north of Jerusalem, causing no injuries. Soldiers at the scene fired at the source of the gunfire, which appeared to be the nearby Paleostinian village of Ein Yabrud, the military said.
Hadashot TV news reported that there were several people at the bus stop at the time. An eyewitness said that as soon as the shots rang out, the civilians dove to the ground behind the soldiers.
The IDF said it was investigating both incidents and that troops had set up roadblocks in the area.
Beyond the checkpoint is a road used by Paleostinians from al-Bireh and Ramallah to its south, and settlers from Beit El to its north, to reach Route 60. The Ofra junction lies farther along the same road.
[Hot Air] Darn those Russians and their meddling in American politics! No... I’m not talking about the 2016 elections, at least not quite as directly. There have been recent allegations that Russia has been "meddling" in another area entirely which hasn’t received nearly as much media attention for some reason. A couple of House committees have been looking into claims that the Russians have been funding environmentalists who push anti-fracking, "keep it in the ground" campaigns aimed at shutting down fossil fuel development in the United States. And thus far they haven’t received much cooperation. (Free Beacon)
[NR] Planned Parenthood routinely discriminates against its pregnant employees, refusing to provide them with adequate rest and often firing or refusing to promote them, according to a New York Times report published Thursday.
Planned Parenthood supervisors regularly refuse to hire and promote pregnant women or women they believe are likely to become pregnant and, when an employee does become pregnant, they are refused break periods and discriminated against when they return from maternity leave, according to former Planned Parenthood employees in California, New York, Texas, and North Carolina.
"It was looked down upon for you to get pregnant," said Carolina Delgado who worked for a Miami affiliate until 2012. "I don’t think that any supervisor had to literally say it for us to feel it."
According to those former employees, supervisors routinely discussed the likelihood of a particular employee becoming pregnant when deciding who to promote and, in response, employees would often emphasize that they were single, gay or did not plan to have children.
1
Ta’Lisa Hairston, who worked in the Human Resources department at a New York affiliate, was forced to undergo an emergency C-section just 34 weeks into her pregnancy after her health suffered when she was refused the regular break periods prescribed by her doctor.
[Wash Times] Border Patrol agents tracked an ultralight aircraft as it crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and made it 30 miles into the country early Tuesday morning ‐ and when they got to the landing spot, they found two Chinese men who had been smuggled in by the aircraft.
The ultralight had escaped, lifting back off and returning to Mexico, but agents say they did manage to nab a Mexican man waiting in a vehicle near the landing zone in southern California, apparently ready to pick up the Chinese men and deliver them to their destination.
Experts said they had seen ultralights, small aircraft powered by lawn mower-sized engines, used to drop loads of drugs in the U.S. But they were surprised to see them being used to ferry illegal immigrants.
"It’s disturbing," said Chris Harris, who retired this year after a two-decade career as a Border Patrol agent in San Diego and who suggested it could be a way for cartels to get dangerous people across the border. "If you want to get some operatives in this country very quickly, that’s a way."
Gloria I. Chavez, chief patrol agent in the El Centro sector of the Border Patrol, agreed that ultralights pose a threat to "national security."
Posted by: Besoeker ||
12/21/2018
00:45 ||
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#1
Would supplying the Border Patrol with anti-aircraft guns over kill? However we should wait until after Christmas Eve so Santa Claus has time to clear the border.
#3
My nephew (Border Patrol) says that they've been hauling people (1-2 per trip) for some time, but on an occasional basis. The consensus is that those folks being transported are the high-paying kind and probably we should be very concerned as to who they are.
These light aircraft can be set up near the border and flown in a relatively short amount of time. Our radar wouldn't even indicate that something was up until they were part way into the 30-minute or so flight. Almost too late to scramble.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
12/21/2018 8:39
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#4
Not everyone riding around Baghdad in one of those taxis was a bad guy.
#10
Great way to bring in nuclear materials, carfentanil & other weapons of mass destruction in very small packages. This has probably already happened.
[Wash Times] Asylum-seekers streaming across Mexico to reach the U.S. will be shipped back across the border and made to wait in Mexico while their cases are decided, the Trump administration announced Thursday in a power-play bid to end the latest surge of illegal immigration.
Mexico has agreed to the plan and will offer humanitarian visas and work permits to the migrants ‐ chiefly Central Americans ‐ who will now wait on the southern side of the border, sometimes for years, for a chance to enter the U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the goal is to end the "catch and release" practice that has enticed a wave of illegal immigrants to head north in recent years, convinced that they will be able to make bogus asylum claims and then slip into the shadows.
"They will not be able to disappear into the United States. They will have to wait for approval to come into the United States," Ms. Nielsen told the House Judiciary Committee. "If they are granted asylum by a U.S. judge, they will be welcomed into America. If they are not, they will be removed to their home countries."
Ms. Nielsen is triggering a 1996 law that says people who cross a land border seeking entry can be sent back and made to wait.
[Guardian] The Danish parliament has approved funding for a plan to hold foreign criminals on a tiny island, despite criticism from the UN and local opposition.
With Denmark taking an increasingly tough stance on immigration, the government wants to send up to 100 people who have completed jail sentences but cannot be deported because they are at risk of torture or execution in their home countries to the island of Lindholm.
Funding for the scheme was included in the 2019 Danish budget, which lawmakers voted through on Thursday. A centre for people convicted of crimes ranging from murder and rape to less serious offences is to be established in 2021 and will cost 759m krone (£92m).
Lindholm is used as a laboratory and crematorium by scientists researching swine flu, rabies and other contagious diseases. One ferry serving the three-hectare (seven-acre) island south-west of Copenhagen is named Virus. So Lindholm will continue to serve by containing dangerous pathogens.
[American Thinker] Judge Emmett Sullivan does not like Robert Mueller. Who does?
Sullivan’s Travels with Mueller
Judge Emmet G. Sullivan was the judge in the Ted Stevens case. Stevens was the 85-year-old Republican senator from Alaska whose conviction for corruption was set aside by Judge Sullivan because of investigative and prosecutorial abuse. Prosecutors falsely charged and convicted a sitting U.S. senator whom they knew was innocent. It is believed that because of Stevens's October conviction, he lost his November re-election bid to Democratic challenger Mark Begich.
Judge Sullivan angrily stated when he set aside the conviction a month later that, "In nearly 25 years on the bench, I've never seen anything approaching the mishandling and misconduct that I've seen in this case."
Judge Sullivan also appointed an independent counsel to investigate misconduct by the government investigators (Mueller’s FBI) and prosecutors. That IC, Henry F. Schuelke, III, concluded, "The investigation and prosecution of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens were permeated by the systematic concealment of significant exculpatory evidence which would have independently corroborated [his] defense and his testimony, and seriously damaged the testimony and credibility of the government's key witness." And, "It should go without saying that neither Judge Sullivan, nor any District Judge, should have to order the Government to comply with its constitutional obligations."
Sullivan and Mueller Today
The original judge for the Flynn sentencing was Judge Rudolf Contreras. Contreras, of the FISC (the court which accepted from the Obama administration the Steele dossier as evidence supporting the issuance of a FISA warrant to spy on members of the Trump campaign), accepted Flynn's guilty plea. Six days later, Contreras was recused from the case. Some say the reason was his FISC relationship, some say it was because he is a personal friend of Peter Strzok, the disgraced former FBI Chief of the Counterespionage and the universally acknowledged "King of Texts," having exchanged a gazillion of them with the also disgraced former FBI counsel to the just as disgraced "King of Lies" Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.
#1
After looking at this, I am inclined to suspend judgement on Judge Sullivan DS ties and allow any additional info to perc to the top. I re-read the hearing transcript. Some parts are unusual and a little over the top; other parts not off the rails.
[IsraelTimes] Extremists feared to have tried to scope out operations at Stuttgart airfield; four people reportedly being investigated.
Police stepped up security at airports in southwestern Germany on Thursday, amid concerns that bandidosfaceless myrmidons may have tried to scope out operations at Stuttgart airport.
German news agency dpa and public broadcaster SWR reported that security officials are investigating four people, including at least one with possible ties to the Islamist scene.
In a tweet, federal police said flights shouldn’t be affected by the "robust" police presence at Stuttgart airport. Additional officers were also deployed to other, smaller airports in Baden-Wuerttemberg state ‐ Friedrichshafen, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and Mannheim ‐ as a precaution.
SWR reported that two of the suspects, a father and son, were spotted taking pictures at La Belle France’s Charles de Gaulle airport near Gay Paree last week.
Separately, German authorities said they incarcerated You have the right to remain silent... two men and a woman in southwestern Germany on Wednesday on suspicion of illegal firearms ownership and preparing an attack. Karlsruhe prosecutors said police seized a fully automatic weapon and ammunition in the raid, but that there was no indication of a link to the security alert at the nearby airports.
[Wash Examiner] A crowdfunding page to raise money for a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border surged past $10 million Thursday night.
Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee veteran who served in Iraq, created the project Monday with the intent of raising $1 billion for construction of a barrier at the international boundary. The site does not state where on the 2,000-mile border a wall would be built.
As of late Thursday, more than 166,000 people had given to the campaign.
"If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall. That equates to roughly 5Billion Dollars, even if we get half, that's half the wall. We can do this," Kolfage wrote.
However, President Trump in January asked for $25 billion from Congress to fund a variety of border security projects, including infrastructure, technology, and additional personnel. The White House is currently fighting for $5.7 billion of funding in the Department of Homeland Security's fiscal 2019 appropriations.
"Democrats are going to stall this project by every means possible and play political games to ensure President Trump doesn’t get his victor. They'd rather see President Trump fail, than see America succeed," Kolfage wrote. "However, if we can fund a large portion of this wall, it will jumpstart things and will be less money Trump has to secure from our politicians."
Kolfage vowed to return everyone's money if they cannot reach $1 billion.
#2
I think this is the guy Facebook permanently banned for no reason recently other than to try to destroy his online business that is popular with many veterans.
#3
MSNBC is sliming him as a right wing conspiracy theorist. Triple amputee from Iraq, go MSNBC, you have no shame..
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/21/2018 9:19
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#4
May be thinking too small here. I propose a constitutional amendment that restricts all Fedgov't expenditures to monies derived from purpose-specific Go Fund Me accounts.
Posted by: Harald Hardrede2018 ||
12/21/2018 9:33
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#5
yah. I wonder how much would be pledged for Congresscritters' salaries?
[The Federalist] Nate Silver, of all people, recently tweeted that the scale of Russian involvement in the 2016 election was quite small, and its effect was not visible. Silver is of course not a Russian agent, nor should this sentiment be out of place.
After all, it seems so obvious that it shouldn’t even need mentioning in analytical circles. But it’s not often that we see an otherwise shrill and religiously anti-Republican national publication write a normal analytical opinion. It’s a signal of the scaling down of the Russian influence narrative that has been pushed for the last two years.
NPR’s essay on Russia collusion being unproven was a surprise: "Prosecutors say that [Paul] Manafort shouldn’t get any consideration for the information he has given the feds because he has been lying to them; Manafort’s lawyers say he gave the government valuable information. Nonetheless, the crimes for which the feds want Manafort to be locked up aren’t a Russian conspiracy to throw the election."
It was followed by The Nation, no right-wing MAGA hatters, with a thorough essay discussing the differences of the ones charged, the charges, and the original narrative of the collusion story. In an absurd irony, the piece notes how Manafort might go to jail for a "crime" of ostensibly tilting the Ukrainian government towards the European Union ‐ weaning them away from Russia:
#1
So the Russian involvement Was somewhere between $6k and a few hundred thousand... The dossier was paid for by Hillary, so it was cost free. I need to find out who in Russia worked the financials so I can invest in him. His return on investment was unmatched! I mean the USG has spent over $25 million investigating it, a hell of a return...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/21/2018 9:18
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[DailyBeast] When the bodies of 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen of Denmark and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway were found at a camping area in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco on Monday, authorities first considered it a random act of sick violence that was likely sexually motivated. One of the women was found inside the pair’s brightly colored tent. The other, who had been beheaded, was found a short distance away. Both had been mutilated. Investigators say they were both sexually assaulted.
Now authorities say the macabre murders were linked to Islamic extremist inspired terror after a suspect arrested in connection with their deaths was found to have ties to ISIS, according to a statement released by the Rabat public prosecutor’s office. One of the men reportedly dropped his ID when he fled the area, which led to his arrest.
On Thursday, the Danish intelligence agency authenticated a video that has been circulating online showing the actual murder of one of the women while the other let out a blood-curdling scream.
Posted by: Tarzan Hitler4525 ||
12/21/2018
00:32 ||
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#1
authorities first considered it a random act of sick violence that was likely sexually motivated
[Live Science] The brain of one of the oldest Australopithecus individuals ever found was a little bit ape-like and a little bit human.
In a new study, researchers scanned the interior of a very rare, nearly complete skull of this ancient hominin ancestor. Hominins include modern and extinct humans and all their direct ancestors, including Australopithecus, which lived between about 4 million and 2 million years ago in Africa, and early humans of the genus Homo would eventually evolve from Australopithecus ancestors.
The modern human brain owes a lot to these small, hairy human ancestors, but we know very little about their brains, said Amélie Beaudet, a paleontologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. [In Photos: 'Little Foot' Human Ancestor Walked with Lucy]
Between ape and human
Beaudet and her colleagues used micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), a very sensitive version of the same sort of technology a surgeon might use to scan a bum knee. With this tool,the researchers reconstructed the interior of the skull of a very old Australopithecus.
The skull belongs to a fossil dubbed "Little Foot," first found two decades ago in Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg. At 3.67 million years old, Little Foot is among the oldest of any Australopithecus ever found, and its skull is nearly intact. The fossil's discoverers think it may belong to an entirely new Australopithecus species, Live Science reported.
With micro-CT, the research team could see very fine imprints of where the brain once lay against Little Foot's skull, including a record of the paths of veins and arteries, Beaudet told Live Science. Using the skull to infer brain shape in this way is called making an endocast.
[Breitbart] Breitbart News’ Jerome Hudson spoke with Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow on Thursday about the new media legacy Andrew Breitbart built a decade ago.
"It’s an amazing thing what Andrew accomplished. I know he is credited a lot for the rise of the citizen journalist class, for people on the right finally starting to fight back," Marlow stated. "I think a lot of the anti-establishment movement that we have in the United States, and around the world, can be traced back to Andrew."
Alex Marlow also discussed what he thought Andrew Breitbart may find interesting if he were still alive today.
[IsraelTimes] Izmir Koch, along with others, was heard shouting ’I want to kill all the Jews’ in 2017 assault; could face up to 10 years in prison
An Ohio man was convicted of a hate crime for attacking a man he thought was Jewish.
Izmir Koch, 33, of Huber Heights, was found guilty by a judge for his part in the assault of a man smoking a cigarette outside a local restaurant on February 4, 2017.
Koch asked people standing outside the restaurant if anyone there was Jewish. When the victim responded in the affirmative, although he was not actually Jewish, Koch allegedly punched him, knocking him to the ground. Koch then continued to hit and kick him, as did others standing outside the restaurant.
The victim suffered injuries to his ribs and a fracture of the orbital floor, the bottom portion of his eye socket.
Before and during the assault, Koch and the other assailants were heard shouting, "I want to kill all of the Jews" and "I want to stab the Jews," according to the Department of Justice.
A hate crime charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, the local ABC affiliate WLWT reported.
Even the Jewish Telegraph Agency has taken to leaving out key information, presumably lest it be accused of the dreaded “racism”. Back in March, Daniel Greenfield laid it all out in an article for Front Page Magazine:
The worst anti-Semitic hate crime of 2018 took place outside a restaurant in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Izmir Koch, an Ahiska Ottoman Turkish migrant who had already been in trouble with the law, allegedly demanded to know if there were any Jews around. A man who been at the restaurant replied that he was Jewish. Izmir punched him in the head, and then kicked him while he lay on the ground.
The victim, who wasn’t actually Jewish, suffered bruised ribs and a fractured eye socket.
Now a federal grand jury has indicted Izmir for committing a hate crime. The violent assault was the single worst anti-Semitic hate crime of 2018. So far. And it’s generated very little interest from the same activists and media outlets who had been accusing the White House of not acting against anti-Semitism.
Izmir had already been facing two counts of felonious assault, one involving a deadly weapon, from 2016. He was found guilty a month after the Cincinnati assault, along with a number of comrades and family members. That assault had taken place outside their trucking company in Dayton, Ohio.
A former employee had come to collect the money that he was owed, and Izmir Koch, Baris Koch, Sevil Shakhmanov and Mustafa Shakhmanov allegedly assaulted him with crowbars, and possibly brass knuckles and a baseball bat. The victim, who apparently had a knife, fought back.
Izmir, Boris and Murad were Ottoman TurkishMoslems from the former Soviet Union who had migrated to this country. A few years before that fight, the local media was talking up their "positive impact" on the community in Dayton. But it didn’t take long for the legal problems to begin. The benefits of bringing these Ottoman TurkishMoslems to Dayton were quickly outweighed by the violence they had brought.
The Cincinnati assault is one of the most physically violent recent anti-Semitic attacks. But the perpetrator is a Moslem immigrant and the alphabet soup organizations don’t want to talk about it.
It doesn’t fit their profile or their agenda.
News stories about the Cincinnati attack don’t mention that the perpetrator is a Moslem immigrant. "Give me your violent, your bigoted, your anti-Semitic masses yearning to kill," doesn’t sound as good.
Lefty Jewish organizations spend all their time forming alliances to support Moslem immigrants colonists against President Trump. Meanwhile the DOJ is fighting the anti-Semitism that they refuse to fight.
Koch, speaking in Russian, loudly asked if anyone outside the restaurant was Jewish. A Lithuanian man who spoke Russian replied that he was Jewish.
Koch and the victim apparently had some mutual friends. They were both part of Cincinnati’s Russian-speaking community, a normally peaceful community which includes both Jews and Muslims from Turkey, Russia, and Uzbekistan.
Except that the Koch bunch are habitual thugs.
Witnesses told a judge back in November that people in the community generally respect one another’s religious differences. Many had immigrated to the US to avoid ethnic persecution.
The victim in the case was originally from Lithuania, but also spoke Russian. It wasn’t clear hy he said that he was Jewish when, in fact, he later told prosecutors that he wasn’t. The victim actually withdrew his initial police report a few weeks after the attack, because, he said, “everybody had been drinking.”
#2
A crime was perpetrated and should be prosecuted despite the victim withdrawing his complaint. Often the state acts on behalf of the victim of a crime if evidence shows there was a crime. Criminals aren't always the brightest bulbs in the box.
[IsraelTimes] US president defends controversial decision to pull troops out of Syria after widespread criticism, says US gets ‘NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars’.
In honor of Trump's recent countermoves:
My gut feeling on Syria, Afghanistan, Mathis: Trump is responding “you want to play Russian Roulette? So fine” - I wouldn't be surprised to see even a NATO exit in the Roulette bullet mix.
Only problem is I doubt many senators or congress critters can read that game play. Their thinking tends to be to concrete.
#2
Gorb - My argument is that it has nothing to do with anything except the US Domestic Civil War being waged by Deep State, the Press, Democrats and Republicrats on the validly elected Trump. The UniParty just can't cope with rejection.
#3
Got into Syria chasing ISIS that had nearly surrounded Baghdad at one point. ISIS still festers, mainly in or around Syria, but no longer posses a major threat to our interests in Iraq. At what point can't the other players deal with ISIS and we pull back? Or is this a Forever War? You have a goal?
Meanwhile thousands of miles away, you've lost control of your own southern border. And you are fiscally insolvent (but no one wants to tell the king he has no clothes). In other words, you got bigger things to deal with back here at home.
#5
Call him a genius all you want, Trump is like a chicken without a head now.
One day on it's Rantburg loves all the kurds, the way they fight ISIS, next day, let them all die.
Keep kissing Trump's dirty a$$ all you want, Rantburg, things have changed here since we had Cold War Warriors in 01'.... now we have Russians acting like Rantburgers.
#8
Some brave Americans bled over there so we would not have to bleed over here. You want a goal? That seems to be a good one. Have you forgotten 9/11 already? Have you forgotten Iraq after Obama bailed out too abruptly? How about Desert Storm where we left the Iraqi regime standing?
History teaches you these lessons, but you isolationists refuse to learn. Start reading up, start with Pearl Harbor.
The goal is to keep the Iranians from building terrorist infrastructure - just like they did when we abandoned iraq. So if you agree with Trump acting like Obama, then go right ahead.
Same goes with letting Turkey and the Islamists there have free reign. Think Erdogan and the MB will not eventually force a US military response? Think again.
Erdogan unfettered. Iran IRG without a counterweight. Saudi's and Salafists reacting to that. And the Russians dominating in Syria with no ability for the US to counter.
A breeding den for terrorists and state sponsored terror groups. They will target Israel - and they will target America. Bet on it. And you isolationists propose sitting by with your thumbs up your butts chanting "America Firts" with no clue that you're setting the wheels in motion for a war.
Fight the wolf THERE not here. Fight the wolf before it grows powerful. Fight the wolf using locals, no Americans.
#14
The coulda, woulda, shoulda goal. If-then-else scenarios to rationalize and justify the unjustifiable. Take Grant's advise, quit worrying about what the other guy is possibly doing, make him worry about what you are going to do.
Hey, instead of a police action and nation building we had gone Mongol on those we are at pseudo-war with, you deter people from even considering doing crap upon us. Those who hate us anyway haven't been moved by our historic 'humanitarian' conduct of operations. Time to get back to real war (and why it should be avoided, but if you want to, this is what you get).
[Townhall] The House of Representatives approved a spending bill Thursday that includes $5.7 billion to build President Trump's proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. It passed by a vote of 217-185, with no Democratic "yeas." The legislation now heads to the Senate.
Among those who voted for the bill were the members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
"Republicans in Congress have continually told the American people that we would fight for wall funding, and today the House of Representatives took its first step toward fulfilling that promise," the group said in a statement after the vote. "The Senate must follow our lead. It’s time we do what we said and work with President Trump and the American people to secure our borders."
The Freedom Caucus introduced an amendment Wednesday night and gave a series of impassioned speeches about how the president had a duty to keep his promise to the American people. To have border security, the likes of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said, they had to fund the wall. He called it "common sense."
The Democrats don't see it that way. On Wednesday night the Senate passed a funding bill that does not include money for the border wall.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] Iran has vowed to probe the video which purportedly shows the humiliation and beating of a group of Afghan men by an individual in security forces uniform.
The Embassy of Iran in Kabul issued a statement after the video went viral and strongly condemned the humiliation and beating of the men.
The statement further added that security authorities in Iran have launched an investigation into the incident, promising that the outcome of the investigations would be shared with the people.
The video of an Iranian soldier beating Afghan nationals has been widely shared on social media and other media outlets during the recent days.
The video purportedly shows a group of at least nine men lined up beside a wall, are humiliated and slapped in the face by an Iranian soldier who repeatedly asks the men for what reason they have visited Iran.
Deputy Afghan Foreign Minister Idrees Zaman also reacted to the video and humiliation and beating of the Afghan men.
"This is shameful and disgusting, to say the least. We are going to raise the issue with Iranian officials. We will not allow Afghans to be treated like this!" he said in a Twitter post.
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[GatewayPundit] The two Democrat leaders were OUTRAGED at the president’s threat to shut down the government over the border wall.
They look panicked.
Democrats DO NOT WANT the American public to focus on border security and their unwillingness to protect this country.
"The Trump temper tantrum will shut down the government but will not give him his wall... It’s bad for the country... There’s still hope... It is a shame that this president who is plunging this country into chaos will not get his wall."
Pelosi then jumped in to hit President Trump:
"Maybe he thinks a shutdown means he can golf more. That’s not how it works."
Every Generation has its challenge. I believe we are now hip deep in ours.
#2
Doesn't that just mean the folks furloughed or contracts in flux - Can Just Blame their stress over the Holidays on DemoRats putting Illegal invaders over their government jobs?
[DAWN] Private schools have outperformed the public sector educational institutions in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. district by producing better results in the last intermediate examination despite the government’s heavy spending on the latter, reveals a recent survey conducted by the elementary and secondary education department.
The survey found that the government spent Rs10,770 a month on every student enrolled in the intermediate classes of the government higher secondary schools, while the private schools charged students Rs3,000-Rs7,500 monthly fee each.
Twenty higher secondary schools from the government and private sectors each were selected for the comparison of the results of the annual FA/FSc examination taken by their students in April.
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[RADIOSHABELLE] Danish authorities have concluded that the situation in some parts of Somalia is safe and that Somalis no longer have valid grounds for asylum.
Following a review of the situation in Somalia, which began in 2017, residence permits will, therefore, be withdrawn for no less than 1,000 Somalis. "It is time for them to go home now," Denmark states.
"If you no longer need our protection and your life and your health are no longer at risk in your homeland, you must, of course, return home and build up your country of origin", says Minister for Migration Inger Støjberg, according to DR.
The minister also points out that each case has been carefully examined and that they always base decisions on facts.
Withdrawing or not renewing a residence permit has become possible since Denmark 2015 changed its immigration law. The legislative amendment was actually aimed at Syrians in connection with the asylum wave of the same year but was also applied to migrants colonists from Somalia.
Denmark has an agreement with Somalia that the home country should take back repatriated Somali citizens in exchange for help in building a police force. However, the man who has no enemies isn't anybody and has never done anything... the agreement only applies to 12 persons per year.
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#1
Gee, it sounds like there really are s#ithole countries. This seems like a reasonable response to Guatamalans, Hondurans, and other Central American "visitors".
#2
Yes. And to everyone who says "the ones that come here are hard workers," I ask this: They abandoned their countrymen for whatever reason. Why should anyone expect them to be more civic minded here?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/21/2018 14:28
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#3
If they’re such hard workers, go home and work hard to fix your country.
Posted by: Captain Oppressor of the Giants5753 ||
12/21/2018 22:44
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[Al Jazeera] An Egyptian court has acquitted 40 pro-democracy NGO workers, in a retrial of a long-running case that has strained the country's relations with the United States.
In 2013, 43 Americans, Europeans, Egyptians and other Arabs were sentenced to jail terms ranging from one to five years on various charges, including operating non-governmental organizations (NGOs) without necessary approval. Their offices were ordered to close.
In April, Egypt's top appeal court overturned the jail sentences of 16 of the workers and ordered their retrial.
Many of the defendants, including at least 15 Americans, left Egypt at the time and received five-year sentences in absentia.
The remaining three defendants who were not acquitted on Thursday are among those who were sentenced in absentia, but did not apply for a retrial, a judicial source said.
Beginning in late 2011, Egypt's crackdown on organizations, including US-based groups linked to its two main political parties, caused outrage in Washington, which supplies Cairo with $1.3bn in military aid each year.
The court at the time ordered the closure of the NGOs involved in the case, including the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Freedom House.
The Americans sentenced in absentia include the son of then-US transportation secretary Ray LaHood.
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[IsraelTimes] Netanyahu says military using ’special means’ to neutralize passages entering Israel from southern Leb; army mum on details
The Israeli military said Thursday that it had begun to seal off some of the Hezbollah attack tunnels dug into northern Israel from southern Leb.
Unlike attack tunnels from the Gazoo Strip, which the army has at times destroyed with explosives, the Israel Defense Forces was plugging shut the passages from Leb, military officials said.
"This stage will be carried out with a number of techniques and measures, which will render the tunnels entirely unusable and will prevent Hezbollah from utilizing them and carrying out its plans," the army said in a statement.
The Israeli military launched Operation Northern Shield ‐ an effort to find and destroy attack tunnels that the military says Hezbollah dug into Israeli territory from villages in southern Leb ‐ on December 4.
IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the army was using different methods for each tunnel as each one was unique.
"Some of them have concrete components, some of them were dug into the living rock," he said. "Each tunnel has a tailored [destruction] technique."
The process of destroying the tunnels, which began on Thursday after days of preparations, would "take time" and was likely to last well into the night, Conricus said.
The spokesperson said only some of the tunnels were being destroyed on Thursday, while others would be "neutralized" in the future.
The military warned the Lebanese population against "approaching the openings of the tunnels or standing near them" in order to avoid collateral damage, Conricus said.
Local governments and residents of the areas around the tunnels found inside Israeli territory were also informed of the IDF’s activities in order to avoid potential injuries.
The military deployed additional troops to the Lebanese border at the start of Operation Northern Shield as a precautionary measure against possible retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah. They remained in place with the start of the new stage of the operation, the IDF said.
"The Northern Command is prepared with reinforcements and a variety of other capabilities on high alert for any developments, should they occur," the army said.
[BBC] A bank in Ohio has apologised for calling police on a black man who was attempting to cash his pay cheque.
Paul McCowns, 30, had gone to the Huntington Bank branch in Brooklyn, Ohio - a suburb of Cleveland - with his first cheque from his new job.
After providing two forms of ID and giving his fingerprints, as requested, the bank staff refused to cash the cheque, and asked him to leave.
Unbeknownst to Mr McCowns, they also called police who later detained him.
"It was highly embarrassing," Mr McCowns told Cleveland 19 News.
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED?
The incident on 1 December occurred after Mr McCowns arrived at the bank to cash his cheque of over $1,000 (£800), earned after three weeks in his new job.
Because he does not have an account with Huntington Bank, they required him to provide two forms of ID, and also insisted that he provide his fingerprints.
After multiple cashiers examined the cheque, he says, they refused to cash it and asked him to leave.
But without informing Mr McCowns, they had also called 911 and reported that he was trying to cash a fraudulent cheque.
Police handcuffed him and put him in a squad car as they called his employer, who he said told officers: "'Yes, he works for me, he just started, and yes, my payroll company does pay him that much.'"
In a statement Huntington Bank said it "sincerely apologises to Mr McCowns for this extremely unfortunate event."
Mr McCowns, who cashed his cheque at a different Huntington branch the next day, said the apology was insufficient.
"I want an apology, a sincere apology, mainly from the person who called the cops on me."
According to Brooklyn police, there have been over 10 calls to police about fraudulent cheques from that bank branch alone in the past few months - all of which ended in arrests.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Egyptian police have killed eight suspected Islamist bully boyz in shootouts in and around Cairo, the interior ministry said Thursday.
It said those killed belonged to the Hasm group, believed to be a breakaway faction of the outlawed Moslem Brüderbund, and added that four others were tossed in the clink Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! in a raid on hideout in the capital.
The operations in Cairo and the capital's Giza district were based on intelligence of planned attacks during celebrations for Coptic Christmas, which is marked on January 7, the ministry said in a statement.
It did not give dates for the operations.
Hasm group has claimed deadly attacks on security forces as well as liquidation attempts targeting a pro-government Moslemholy man and Egypt's deputy prosecutor general.
Egypt has launched a crackdown on Islamists following the 2013 ouster of president Mohammed Morsi, who was a senior Brotherhood figure.
Coptic Christians, who account for around 10 percent of Egypt's 96-million population, have been a key target of ISIS group.
The armed forces launched a nationwide offensive in February 2018 against IS, especially in the Sinai Peninsula where the group has waged a deadly insurgency since Morsi's fall.
The Interior Ministry said two of the eight killed were separately shot dead after they opened fire on security forces storming two residences in Cairo. The remaining six were killed in a shootout as they tried to flee Cairo.
The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, did not say when the events took place.
The Ministry of Interior said that National Security investigations revealed that the members of the organization had received discrete orders via social media and mobile applications to target a number of public figures and vital state facilities.
A number of the terrorist group’s members managed to escape through the desert Giza-Wahat road and security forces are currently in pursuit.
Security forces seized arms, ammunition, electric circuits and other material used to manufacture improvised bombs.
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#1
Gosh! Just think how many would get killed this coming week if the Egyptian G-Men weren't on the case!
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/21/2018 7:06
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Murdering Christians is a crime in Egypt who knew?
[DAWN] La Belle France will maintain its participation in the coalition fighting the turbanIslamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS) group in Syria, a government minister said on Thursday after US President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... surprised Washington's allies by ordering US troops home.
"For now of course we remain in Syria," La Belle France's European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said on CNews television, adding "the fight against terrorism is not over."
"It's true that the coalition has made significant progress in Syria, but this fight continues, and we will continue it," she said.
La Belle France has stationed fighter jets in Jordan and artillery along the Syrian border in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition, as well as an undisclosed number of special forces on the ground.
Its allies have warned that despite losing most of the territory it once controlled during the bloody Syrian civil war, the IS threat has not been totally eradicated.
French Defence Minister Florence Parly took to Twitter on Thursday to say that the IS group "has not been wiped of the map, nor have its roots." "We must definitively defeat the last pockets of this terrorist organization," she added.
Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the IS group had been "beaten" in Syria and announced a stunning order to pull American ground forces from the war-ravaged nation.
The momentous decision to withdraw, which runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region, blindsided politicians, the Pentagon and international allies alike.
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#1
If the French future in Syria matches its history in Lebanon, La Belle France assurances don't mean spit.
[FOXNEWS] The German magazine Der Spiegel revealed Wednesday that one of its top award-winning journalists fabricated many of his articles, inventing characters, sources, and their quotes "on a grand scale" for many years.
Claas Relotius, a news hound and editor, admitted to fabricating parts of at least 14 stories following the magazine’s internal investigation. The publication said the issue "marks a low point in the 70-year history of Der Spiegel."
"I am sick and I need to get help," he reportedly told the magazine.
The news hound contributed around 60 articles to Der Spiegel, one of the leading German magazines for investigative reporting. He previously worked for other publications in Europe ...also known as Moslem Lebensraum... and won awards such as CNN Journalist of the Year in 2014.
The fabricated articles include a phone interview with the parents of free agent NFL player Colin Kaepernick Formerly a petulant second or third string quarterback for the San Francisco Giants, now looking for a job. He was willing to stand up for his princles by kneeling during the national anthem, which he had every right to do, but not willing to take the consequences, which he apparently thought didn't apply to him... and a story about an American woman who claims to have volunteered to witness the executions of death row inmates.
Relotius also drew the fury of locals in Fergus Falls, Minn., after spending three weeks in town and fabricating facts, characters and quotes from people in an effort to portray the town in a negative light.
"What happened is beyond what I could have ever imagined: An article titled ’Where they pray for Trump on Sundays,’ and endless pages of an insulting, if not hilarious, excuse for journalism," wrote Michele Anderson and Jake Krohn who investigated Relotius’ Der Spiegel article about the town.
Both Anderson and Krohn went on to reveal that the article doesn’t contain any truth except for the town’s population, the average temperature, and names of the businesses or public figures.
Nearly everything else, including a coal plant employee named Neil Becker, who doesn’t actually exist, or quotes from a restaurant employee, who was falsely called the owner of a restaurant and whose son was given a fictional illness, was made up.
Relotius’ work was first called into question in November after another news hound for the magazine worked with him on a story about a border militia in Arizona. The news hound found that the supposed interviews never happened.
The Relotius case resembles past instances where journalists have been caught fabricating stories. Those accused previously have included Stephen Glass, who was fired from the New Republic magazine, Jayson Blair, fired from the New York Times
...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... , and Janet Cooke, a Washington Post news hound whose story about a child addicted to heroin won a Pulitzer Prize before it was revealed to be a fabrication.
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#1
"I am sickgot caught and I need to get help an out," he reportedly told the magazine.
[IsraelTimes] ’Why did we do it? I don’t know, but we needed someone to operate our ports quickly,’ says official, amid fears Beijing’s potential intelligence gathering could keep US navy away.
Did Israel compromise its own security and its alliance with the US by allowing a Chinese company to operate parts of the Haifa port?
Several analysts and anonymous officials have in recent weeks expressed great concern over a deal that will put the Shanghai International Port Group in charge of the port’s container terminal starting in 2021.
Allowing Beijing a foothold in so strategically important a location, close to an Israeli naval base, they fear, could compromise Israeli intelligence assets and even lead US military vessels to avoid docking at Haifa at all.
A senior Transportation Ministry official this week dismissed such concerns as the plot of a spy movie and called them politically motivated, noting that the Chinese are already operating ports across the Western world and asserting that Israeli authorities did due diligence before signing the deal.
And yet, even diplomatic sources within the Israeli government admit that letting a company tied to the communist regime operate the terminal raises legitimate concerns in Washington. They further acknowledge that they don’t really know how this misguided decision came to pass in the first place, and they are urging Jerusalem to quickly sort out the matter before it causes serious harm to the US-Israel relationship.
"We warned that this would be an issue," a senior government source told The Times of Israel this week, speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered... . "This issue is part of a broader concern that the Americans have about our relationship with China. Their concerns are legitimate."
China is currently making great efforts to gain control over ports in dozens of countries around the world, which the US sees as a distinct threat, the official continued.
Giving the tender to China ‐ other countries interested were Germany, Swiss and the Philippines ‐ might not have been a mistake per se but could have been the result of "lack of awareness," Dan Shapiro, who currently serves as a visiting fellow at Tel Aviv’s Institute for National Security Studies, added, pointing to the rapidly changing nature of US-China relations.
#3
The China deal did not receive the approval of the Israeli Cabinet or the National Security Council. There were competing bids from the Philippines and Germany, inter alia. Only now is the Israeli cabinet reviewing the implications of what has occurred. Thus, the decision to favor China will be overturned for reasons of domestic security.
#4
Yes! Next question. Kick China out of the WTO and send them back into isolation. To allow them to get any stronger than they are right now is insanity.
#6
And they probably put asbestos in your starch and was it either melamine or formica powder in your baby's formula until they died from malnutrition. What could possibly go wrong?
[IsraelTimes] In new report, social networking giant says it suspended 205,156 accounts for promoting terrorism during first half of 2018, having flagged most of them itself
Twitter blocked 22 accounts affiliated with the Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, and Hezbollah terror groups during the first six months of this year in response to a demand from the Israeli Justice Ministry, the social media giant has revealed.
The accounts are blocked in Israel, but still largely operational in other regions.
Continued on Page 49
[GatewayPundit] Reporter used to report the news. Reporters used to stand up for free speech. All that is gone in the Progressive Era of news as the likes of CNN’s Oliver Darcy use their reporting to censor the news and free speech by campaigning to get their competitors and ideological opponents deplatformed or driven off the air by advertiser boycotts.
Now comes the Washington Post’s tech policy reporter Tony Romm who attempted to get the wildly popular border wall fundraiser taken down by GoFundMe.
The fundraiser by triple-amputee Iraq war veteran Brian Kolfage has raised an astonishing $6.5 million (and climbing) in just a few days since it was started December 16. (Link to GoFundMe page.)
Romm tweeted Thursday about his attempt, writing, "So there’s an effort on GoFundMe to raise cash money for a border wall. Has more than $5M in donations (seeking $1B) and claims to have contacts in the Trump admin (have asked for more). But it got me thinking: is that, like, allowed on the site? (1/3)"
"GoFundMe terms prohibit attempts to raise cash money rooted in "intolerance of any kind relating to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender or gender identity, or serious disabilities or diseases," among other limits (2/3)"
"So I asked GoFundMe if this wall fundraiser violates that. Spox: "This campaign does not violate our terms of service. The funds are safely held by our payment processor and we will work with the organizer to transfer funds" or return them if target isn’t met (3/3)"
Romm then asked if it were even legal for the wall fundraisers to talk to the Trump administration, "this was my next question ‐ how does that work, and what about the contention in the pitch itself that there are convos with Trump admin officials? are they allowed to have those convos?"
It was announced Thursday by MSNBC that Romm was hired as a contributor.
Note: This writer commented to Romm on Twitter, "Always interesting to see reporters acting like the Red Guard of the Cultural Revolution."
#2
Late yesterday, the fund was up to $10 mil. Brian Kolfage is a triple-amputee from the wars.
I've heard arguments both ways about this kind of funding. One argument is that the military by the Constitution is already funded and charged with protecting the country and its borders. On the other hand, Brian might be onto something as this fund might shame the Dem leaders out of their hypocrisy about the border.
[PRESSTV] Syrians have rallied in the northeastern province of al-Hasakah, protesting "threats" posed to their country after The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...Qatar's colony in Asia Minor.... announced another possible military operation in the north of the Arab state.
The demonstrations took place in the province’s capital of the same name and the city of Qamishili on Thursday, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
The protesters condemned the "aggressive statements [made by Turkey] regarding the unity and territorial integrity of Syria and its people," the agency added.
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[PRESSTV] The United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... Security Council has held a meeting on Syria with a focus on a UN-backed constitutional body for the crisis-hit country, days after the three mediators of a grinding of the peace processor in Syria reached a set of agreements in Geneva, Austria, on the issue.
Addressing the Security Council session on Thursday, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Bashar al-Ja’fari said his country is open to any initiative that could help it put an end to the ongoing crisis.
Noting that Syria is ready to actively participate in any genuine effort to reach a political solution for the country’s crisis, Ja'fari added that such a solution must make way for Syrians alone to decide their future without any foreign intervention.
Syria’s UN envoy said the international community has to help the country end the terrorist war and eliminate the remnants of the terrorist organizations, emphasizing that Syrian people were writing the last chapter of their fight against terrorism.
Slamming the Western states for their support for terrorist groups in Syria, Ja'fari stated that although Western countries claimed to be committed to Syria’s illusory sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, they committed acts of aggression against the country and attacked parts of its territories.
Meanwhile, ...back at the game, the Babe headed for second base. He almost made it. Then Sheila slapped him.... Iran's Deputy Ambassador to the UN Es'haq al-e Habib also addressed the session, urged the world body to throw its weight behind the ongoing political process on Syria and help rebuild the war-wracked country.
The senior Iranian diplomat further called for the withdrawal of the foreign forces operating on Syrian soil without the Damascus government's permit.
Al-e Habib further emphasized the need for the continuation of peace efforts in parallel with counter-terrorism battles based on international law.
It is the Syrian people who can decide their country's fate, and the international community can only help facilitate that process, he added.
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[ALMASDARNEWS] The withdrawal of troops from Syria will become a serious blow to the influence of the United States on the ongoing political settlement in the country, a member of the Ottoman Turkish parliament, Ozturk Yilmaz, told Sputnik on Thursday.
"US military withdrawal, if It really happens, may not mean it’s politically a pullout ... But, surely to say, this decision will be a serious blow to US influence on the ongoing political process on the table. If your boots are not on the ground, your hands may be weaker", Yilmaz said.
The politician added that nevertheless, it is extremely difficult to predict what Trump will do tomorrow.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... said that the United States would withdraw its troops from Syria because the ISIS* terrorist group which was the only reason for the US presence in the Arab country, had been defeated in Syria.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Washington had already started the process of withdrawing the troops, of which there are about 2,000.
The US-led coalition of more than 70 countries is conducting military operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The coalition’s operations in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorised by the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.
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#1
Or maybe now being a NET OIL EXPORTER we just don't need to care about the region?
[PRESSTV] Tehran has denounced Albania for expelling two Iranian diplomats, saying the Balkan country fell prey to a scenario fabricated by the US and Israel.
Albania’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it had expelled two Iranian diplomats suspected of "involvement in activities that harm the country’s security."
A ministry front man told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named that the expulsions followed talks with others, including Israel.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Thursday that Albania’s move was "in line with previous such scenarios meant to damage Iran-Europe ...also known as Moslem Lebensraum... relations at the current sensitive juncture."
He said the expulsions come while Tehran has "always had appropriate relations with Albania and respected all of its domestic regulations in a move based on principles of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy."
US National Security Adviser John Bolton was quick to publicly support Albania’s decision.
"We stand with PM [Edi] Rama and the Albanian people as they stand up to Iran’s reckless behavior in Europe and across the globe," he tweeted.
Qassemi said that Washington’s stance on the issue and Albania’s declaration that its move had been coordinated with foreign security services, prove that the US and the regime in Israel had been behind the expulsions.
Albania, he added, had fallen prey to a scenario fabricated by the US and the Israeli regime and certain terrorist groups.
The Iranian official further called on the Albanian government "to defend its illusory sovereignty, independence and security" in the face of the US-Israeli scenario," stressing that the country "must not allow others to affect and hamper its relations with Iran due to special political reasons."
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Not long after accusing 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 of violating the ceasefire agreement in Hodeidah, the Saudi Coalition unleashed a big assault against the Yemeni group inside the province.
According to report from western Yemen, the Saudi Coalition launched at least thirteen anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and four dozen artillery shells towards the Houthi positions in and around Hodeidah.
The Saudi Coalition attack concentrated on the area near the Hodeidah Airport and the strategic Hays District in the western part of the province.
Since the establishment of the U.N.-sponsored ceasefire, both sides have repeatedly violated the agreement with opportunistic attacks against one another.
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[Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] Suspected ISIS turbans branded two Scandinavian women the 'enemies of God' as they filmed themselves decapitating one of the tourists in Morocco.
Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, were found dead near the village of Imlil in Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Monday.
A video showing the murder of one of the women has been recognised as genuine, Danish intelligence service said today adding that the killings can be connected to ISIS.
Men in the gruesome clip can be heard shouting 'it's Allah's will' while there are claims that the words 'this is for Syria' were used, in an apparent reference to Western bombing missions in the war-torn country.
Separate footage has emerged today showing four men suspected of carrying out the attack pledging their alliance to 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... Sitting in front of a black and white flag, one is seen brandishing a knife as they condemn 'destruction caused by the warplanes of the Crusader alliance'. They also appear to taunt Morocco's intelligence service, saying 'where is your knowledge? For here we are...'
This morning, a series of fearsome knives were found on a bus in Marrakesh as three suspects were tossed in the calaboose Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! over the atrocity. Yesterday, a fourth man was held, suspected of belonging to an Islamic bully boy group.
One of the killers threatened to carry out other similar "operations" in Morocco.
Threatening with other operations, one of the killers said in the video: "Take care of your necks, we have planned what will not even cross your mind."
Moroccan prosecution confirmed later on Thursday that the killers pledged allegiance to ISIS.
Moroccan authorities locked away You have the right to remain silent... three people on Thursday, bringing to four the number of suspects in the killing of two foreign tourists in the mountain village of Imlil in the province of El Haouz in the outskirts of the city of Marrakech, southern Morocco.
The counterterrorism office revealed that the arrest took place Thursday morning in the city of Marrakech in coordination with the police.
Previously Moroccan authorities said Wednesday, that the lone suspect arrested in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains is connected to a terrorist group
Local media reported that the suspects had links to the ISIS group.
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12/21/2018
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#1
Suspected ISIS turbans branded two Scandinavian women the 'enemies of God' as they filmed themselves decapitating one of the tourists in Morocco.
Thereby justifying their sick urges ... in their own minds. And in this case, that seems to be good enough.
#5
Who in their right mind goes sight seeing in Morocco?
I did, but it was in the early '70s (before '74 conflict). There are some pretty interesting Roman ruins, some very picturesque towns and the Atlas Mountains are really impressive.
I would not have made that same trip in the last 15 years, though. Too dicey.
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12/21/2018 8:27
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[BBC] Shooting down a drone which has caused chaos at Gatwick Airport is a "tactical option" being considered by police.
The measure had previously been ruled out by Sussex Police, which cited concerns over "stray bullets".
But with the airport expected to remain closed on Friday, Det Ch Supt Jason Tingley said the force would "do what we can to take that drone out of the sky".
The Army has been deployed to assist the police operation.
#4
Also, further reports say that these are not hobbyist sized UAVs but rather Industrial Sized UAVs - this means $20,000 - $50,000 sized object and there have been up to 50 of them at Gatwick. So $2,000,000 -1mil up to +3 mil - invested in this operation. That sounds like a state or sheik funded GoFundMe
#6
All UK functionaries are now embracing the Theresa May Brexit model: Do nothing and don't even worry about whether the problem stays, goes or grows...
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12/21/2018 8:58
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#7
Counter drone firing a net. Sounds like fun to me.
[DW] Germany prohibited housing people slated for deportation in prisons. But state leaders have said the practice ‐ with a few changes ‐ could be deemed legal again.
Germany's 16 states want to hold migrants colonists slated for deportation in prisons, Die Welt reported on Thursday.
This was reportedly decided by the state premiers at a meeting in December.
A resolution called for a relaxation of rules that prohibit such practices, with the aim of housing deportation candidates in special wings of prisons separate from the prison's criminal population.
In 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that keeping those slated for deportation in regular prisons violated the EU Return Directive. Since then, such migrants colonists have generally had to be accommodated in special facilities.
Police union in favor of plans
The chairman of the Federal Police Trade Union, Ernst Walter, told Die Welt he welcomed the plans.
"The only people who can be reliably deported are those who are already in deportation custody because thousands of people are evading deportation by temporary or permanent disappearance on the planned date of repatriation," he was quoted as saying. Therefore the "increased provision of deportation detention is urgently necessary".
Limited capacity
Current deportation facilities can hold fewer than 500 people, meaning holding all deportees is not currently possible.
"Since the urgently needed construction of new deportation detention facilities in the federal states is taking far too long, I welcome the intention of the prime ministers to place deportees in normal detention facilities in separate wings again," Walter said.
Half of deportations fail
Asylum seekers are issued with temporary permits while their applications are being considered. If they are rejected and not offered any other type of residency permit, they are obligated to leave the country by a set deadline of no longer than six months. If that deadline has passed, they may be forcibly deported to their country of origin.
People whose residency permits are not extended by authorities are also subject to deportation. Moslem colonists Migrants convicted of a crime are also subject to deportation in most cases.
In the first half of 2018, nearly 24,000 people were ordered to be returned to their home country. About 11,000 deportations were completed.
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[DAWN] North Korea on Thursday said it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat.
The surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seoul’s more rosy presentation of the North Korean position and could rattle the already fragile diplomacy between Washington, Seoul and Pyongyang to defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war.
The latest from North Korea comes as the United States and North Korea struggle over the sequencing of the denuclearisation that Washington wants and the removal of international sanctions desired by Pyongyang. The statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency also raises credibility problems for the liberal South Korean government, which has continuously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Pudge Jong-un ...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished... is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nuclear weapons as Seoul tries to keep alive a positive atmosphere for dialogue.
The North’s comments may also be taken up as proof of what many outside skeptics have long said: that Kim will never voluntarily relinquish an arsenal he sees as a stronger guarantee of survival than whatever security assurances the United States might provide.
The statement suggests that North Korea will demand that the United States withdraw or significantly reduce the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, which would be a major sticking point to a potential disarmament deal.
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#1
So they've managed to muddle their way halfway through Trump's (only?) presidential term. Time to deal with them?
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Syrian government and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have begun high-level meetings over the ongoing Ottoman Turkish threat in the northern part of the country.
According to a source in the capital city, a delegation from the Syrian Democratic Forces traveled to Damascus to meet with the Syrian government about the Ottoman Turkish military’s upcoming operation east of the Euphrates.
The SDF delegation reportedly arrived at the Mezzeh Airport via helicopter on Thursday.
The source said that the two sides agreed that the Ottoman Turkish invasion of northern Syria is a direct threat to Syria’s illusory sovereignty, but no deals have been made.
He would add that they are still in talks about jointly controlling the crossings along the Ottoman Turkish border.
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[PRESSTV] Iran’s Intelligence Ministry rejects the Israeli premier’s claim that Tel Aviv’s agents routinely visit the country for spying on its nuclear program, saying such "delusional remarks" are merely meant to ease the pressure on him over recent revelations about the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s successful infiltration of the regime’s espionage services.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli spies have been working "all over the world in regards to Iran’s nuclear program," claiming, "We also visit there periodically... to ’catch up,’" without providing details.
In response, the director general for counter-espionage at the Iranian Intelligence Ministry told the ISNA news agency that Netanyahu "has the right to spin yards" of the regime’s spying operations.
Netanyahu, the official added, "has come under the most intense internal and foreign pressure due to leaks about an Israeli minister spying for Iran as well as the large-scale infiltration of the Zionist regime’s intelligence services by those of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran.
The official was referring to the arrest in June of former Israeli energy minister Gonen Segev on charges of spying for Iran, giving the Islamic Theocratic Republic information about the regime’s energy sector, security sites and the identity of officials in the security and political establishments, among other things.
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[DiogenesMiddleFinger] Rep. Speedy Gonzales Gutierrez (D-Ill) used his last few seconds of time in committee to get off a sound bite for the local news and the folks back home before heading back to his district for Christmas break. I cannot imagine the outrage from the media if a Republican member of congress were to speak to and act this disrespectfully towards a female Cabinet Secretary of a Democrat Administration like this. But, here we are.....
#2
Last time I checked, Mary and Joseph were complying with Caesar's orders to report to their home for the census/tax count. They were obeying the law, not breaking it.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] In my view, the liberation of Hodeidah from the Houthis and the latter’s withdrawal from it are a very important sign, not only for 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... but for the Middle East as a whole.
As it is known to everyone, Houthis are only one of Iran’s many arms in the region, as ever since their coup till the talks in Sweden, the decision to go to war or to make peace was never their own.
Continued on Page 49
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[PRESSTV] Pro-Israel American Jews are using the Treasury Department as a cover to wage economic warfare against Russia because they don’t like it, according to E. Michael Jones, an American political analyst in Indiana.
Jones, a writer, former professor, media commentator and the current editor of the Culture Wars magazine, made the remarks in a phone interview with Press TV on Thursday.
The United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions against Russian individuals and entities over what it calls their "malign activities" around the world.
The US Treasury Department said the sanctions target 15 members of a Russian military intelligence service and four entities.
The Treasury accused them of interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, hacking the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Moscow has repeatedly dismissed any meddling in the US elections as unsubstantiated.
"There is an irony here that no one is noting here in the mainstream press. The office for sanctions for economic warfare at the Treasury Department is controlled by Jews. And this is one group that has meddled in every single election in the United States -- for decades now ‐ it’s the Jews, particularly the Israel lobby, particularly a group like AIPAC -- the American Israel Public Affairs Committee," Jones said.
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[ALMASDARNEWS] The Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) carried out a powerful attack against the Ottoman Turkish-backed rebels in the northwestern countryside of the Aleppo province this week.
According to the official media wing of the YPG, their sleeper cell in the Afrin region targeted a group of rebels with a roadside kaboom near the Ottoman Turkish border.
The YPG said that the roadside kaboom managed to kill at least four of the Ottoman Turkish-backed rebels inside the town of Shankila, which is currently under the control of the Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... (FSA).
This latest attack by the YPG comes just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... announced that his country’s armed forces were withdrawing from Syria.
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[IsraelTimes] Asem Barghouti, who is wanted in killing of 2 soldiers, linked to Salih Barghouti, who was slain by security forces after an earlier shooting attack
The Paleostinian man suspected of carrying out a deadly terror attack on December 13 near the Givat Assaf outpost in the West Bank is Asem Barghouti, the brother of Salih Barghouti, another suspected terrorist, an Israeli defense official said Thursday.
Salih, who was rubbed out on December 12 in a village near Ramallah as he attacked Israeli security forces in an attempt to evade arrest, was suspected of having carried out a terror attack near the Ofra settlement three days earlier, on December 9, the Shin Bet security service said.
Seven people were maimed in the drive-by shooting attack on a bus stop outside Ofra, including a 30-weeks pregnant woman who was maimed. Her baby was delivered in an emergency operation, but died days later.
Salih’s participation in the Ofra attack was confirmed by the Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, terror group.
The day after Israeli forces shot and killed Salih Barghouti, two soldiers were killed in the shooting attack near Givat Assaf ‐ Sgt. Yosef Cohen and Staff Sgt. Yovel Mor Yosef ‐ and two people were maimed, a soldier and a civilian woman.
The gunman immediately expeditiously departed at a goodly pace of the attack toward Ramallah in a car with Israeli license plates and is still being sought, the Israel Defense Forces’ Judea and Samaria Division commander, Brig. Gen. Eran Niv, said.
Ma’an, a Paleostinian news agency, reported on Wednesday that Israel was accusing Asem Barghouti of carrying out the terror attack near Givat Assaf. However, women are made to be loved, not understood... the Paleostinian news agency took its story down from its website Wednesday afternoon, after Suheir Barghouti, Asem and Salih’s mother, complained about it at a presser in Kobar, a village near Ramallah.
"Based on what is Maan publishing a report that Asem killed two people?" Suheir said at the presser.
Asem was set free from an Israeli prison in April after serving an 11-year sentence.
A number of members of the Barghouti family have a history of involvement in terrorist activities.
Jasser Barghouti, Asem and Salih’s uncle, directed both the Ofra and the Givat Assaf terror attacks, sources in the Paleostinian Authority told Ynet, a Hebrew news site, on Monday.
Jasser, a convicted terrorist released as part of the 2011 swap that freed kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, currently resides in the Gazoo Strip.
Omar Barghouti, Asem and Salih’s father, and Nael Barghouti, another uncle, were convicted for participating in the killing of an Israeli soldier in 1978. Omar was jugged Please don't kill me! by Israeli forces on December 12, according to family members.
[Libya Observer] Jafara’s Zahraa town in southwestern 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... was the scene for fierce festivities that left 7 killed and 4 injured on Tuesday.
Jafara university, citing unrest, said study is suspended till next week, while education department in the area announced Thursday off for all students due the festivities.
The incident broke at night on Tuesday near the hospital in southern Zahraa town, where eyewitnesses said that the gunfire was opened in a cinematic manner on the scene.
"Fighters from Brigade 55 led by Moamar al-Dawi were sitting at the café when button men opened fire on them, killing seven immediately and leaving others injured." Eyewitnesses said.
Jafara security department has not yet identified the suspects, but said it is working on bringing them to justice.
Lack of security and real government presence in Wershiffana ‐ where Zahraa town is located ‐ is very weak, thus allowing gangs which are on the surface related to the interior ministry to control the district.
Some of those gangs are loyal to Presidential Council’s western military zone, others are led by Emad al-Trabelsi who identifies with the interior ministry, and the rest are loyal to the commander of the self-styled army 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... .
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[Libya Observer] Violent festivities are still ongoing in al-Sooq in Derna's downtown days after attacks by Derna Protection Force on 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, a source from Haftar's self-style army has reported.
The source indicated on Wednesday that since last Sunday, festivities have not stopped, referring to the surprise attack carried out by Derna Protection Force, which left injuries and deaths among Haftar's forces.
"There were not heavy arms in the fighting as the positions of the two sides of the battle were very close to each other. Derna Protection Force is now barricaded inside the old city neighborhood, which is their last spot." The source added.
However, some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... sources from Derna Protection Force say they also control positions in Wasit al-Blad and other pockets inside different neighborhoods.
Sources close to Haftar's self-styled army reported earlier that houses and different properties of Derna residents had been seized by militia fighters under the command of Khalifa Haftar.
Haftar claimed full control and "liberation" of Derna last June, yet festivities are still ongoing in different neighborhoods until today.
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[IsraelTimes] Mehdi Nemmouche faces murder charges for killing 4 people in what is believed to have been the first jihadist attack by a foreign fighter in Europe
An alleged French terrorist accused of returning from Syria and shooting dead four people in a jihadist attack on the Jewish Museum of Belgium in central Brussels appeared in court Thursday.
Mehdi Nemmouche, allegedly the first foreign fighter to return to stage a terror attack on European soil, is charged with murder in the May 24, 2014, attack.
Continued on Page 49
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[DAWN] HYDERABAD: Police on Wednesday recovered the body of a 25-year-old man from a water tank in the house of the suspected killer who allegedly kidnapped and murdered his own friend two days ago.
The police locked away Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! the suspected killer identified as Naeem Rajput, who admitted his crime.
Ahsan, son of Dr Jamil Kazi, had gone missing on Dec 16 from outside his house in Rehman Town within the jurisdiction of the Pinyari cop shoppe.
His family reported the matter to the Pinyari police which allegedly didn’t give a positive response to the family initially.
Later Ahsan’s father, Dr Kazi, currently posted in Larkana district health department, requested the Larkana commissioner to intervene upon which the police started work on the case.
The family received a call for payment of Rs300,000 ransom. The caller wanted the delivery of the payment at Hyderabad’s railway station.
Hyderabad senior superintendent of police Sarfaraz Nawaz Sheikh told journalists at a briefing that Rs300,000 was arranged of which Rs150,000 was paid by the police to the family.
The family delivered the amount at the decided location, from where the suspect secretly collected the money.
"But the hostage was not handed over to the family. The caller told them to reach Makki Shah to find Ahsan. The family rushed to the area but didn’t find Ahsan despite ransom payment," the SSP said.
The SSP said that the accused had used the mobile phone of the dear departed to contact his family.
The SSP said Naeem and Ahsan had 15-year-old friendship.
Naeem told police that he needed Rs300,000 to buy new mobile phones and some other things, the SSP added.
"Naeem took Ahsan to his home on his cycle of violence where he gave him some papers to read. Naeem tried to hold Ahsan and after a scuffle hit him with a stick on his head repeatedly," SSP said.
SSP said that when Ahsan departed this vale of tears Naeem threw his body in an under-construction water tank of his house as his own family was away.
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#1
Criminal Mastermind™
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/21/2018 9:22
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[DAWN] With Pakistain set to submit a compliance report to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) next month, the government has approved new measures aimed to prevent the country from being included in its ’black list’.
The decisions about the measures were taken at a recent meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) that was chaired by Finance Minister Asad Umar.
The committee reviewed the progress made on the FATF Action Plan, which was aimed at preventing suspected turbans from operating bank accounts or using illegal means to transfer money, including hundi, hawala and smuggling of currency through sea, air or land routes.
On the occasion, officials of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) gave a detailed presentation on Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment that was prepared by Nacta and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in consultation with a number of organizations concerned, including provincial departments. It was decided that Nacta would finalise the assessment report and submit it again to the NEC members many of whom had sought details about various aspects of the report, mainly related to issues involving policy and legislation.
However, ars longa, vita brevis... the Risk Assessment Report on cash smuggling prepared by the Federal Board of Revenue and Customs was termed satisfactory by the committee. Apart from the FIA officials posted at airports, seaports and land crossings, those of the Customs department are responsible to stop smuggling of currency, including by people.
About the possible misuse of the banking channel, the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) of the finance ministry presented an analysis of reports on suspicious transactions filed by banks in the last three years and the steps taken against money laundering and terrorism financing on the basis of such reports.
Based on the recommendations made by FATF, an intergovernmental body was formed to coordinate anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) efforts.
The NEC was informed that Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistain (SECP) had amended the Intermediaries (Registration) Regulations, 2017. The Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 places compliance obligations on the service providers (intermediaries) to conduct due diligence and report suspicious transactions to the FMU. The amendment will help trace and contain suspicious transfer of money through various modes of investment, including stock markets.
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[Libya Observer] 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 self-styled army forces attacked Wednesday Saddada Castle between Misrata and Bani Walid, claiming control of the area after brief festivities with forces inside the castle under the command of the former chief of Petroleum Facilities Guard, Ibrahim Jadran and Benghazi Defense Brigades.
According to sources from the area, the festivities left injuries and deaths with reports saying the injured fighters under Haftar's command were sent to al-Jufra hospitals.
In the meantime, the Sirte Protection Force denied that Haftar's forces had seized the town, saying they had retreated to their positions.
"We have declared full mobilization of fighters at the central military zone and we have asked the military reserve force to secure administrative borders." A military source said.
The move of Haftar's forces is seen as an advance on Misrata city, which has mobilized all forces to secure all of its administrative borders.
Earlier this week, Haftar's forces advanced into Abu Najim - 70 km to the west of Sirte - before they were told to leave by central military zone forces.
The self-styled army mobilized troops around the oil crescent region, citing a need to foil an attack by Jadran's forces on oil terminals.
However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... a front man for Jadran - Ali al-Maghrabi - denied any intentions to attack oil terminals or Haftar's forces in there, adding that Haftar's forces are justifying their military moves by such lies so they can advance toward Sirte and Misrata.
Over the last weeks, Haftar's general command reshuffled the military ranks in western and southern Libya in what observers describe as a preparation to advance 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... .
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[Dhaka Tribune] Myanmar forces are conducting new rounds of "clearance operations" in conflict-hit Rakhine state after four local Buddhists were attacked and two killed, the commander-in-chief's office said Thursday, with one of the incidents blamed on Rohingya Moslems.
The violence occurred around the evening of December 17 along Pyu Ma creek in northern Rakhine state's Maungdaw township, the same area where forces waged a bloody crackdown against the Rohingya last year.
More than 720,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched clearance operations in August 2017, and UN Sherlocks want the country's top brass prosecuted for genocide for alleged abuses carried out during the expulsion.
Myanmar said it was defending itself against Rohingya bully boyz who attacked police posts and has denied almost all claims of atrocities.
But the Commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing's office said in the statement posted to his official website Thursday that security forces were active again and had been carrying out "area clearance operations along Pyu Ma Creek."
The post said the activity was sparked after two ethnic Rakhine Buddhist men did not return from fishing and were later found on the creek bank with their throats slit.
On the same day two members of another ethnic Buddhist minority were attacked while fishing along the creek by six men "speaking Bengali language," but they escaped and were treated at a local hospital.
The post said authorities did not know the identities of the attackers.
Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingya as one of its national races and refers to them as Bengali to falsely imply they are newly arrived immigrants colonists from Bangladesh.
Tensions are high in northern Rakhine as the government seeks to kick start a repatriation process but Rohingya in Bangladesh have refused to take part without being guaranteed rights, citizenship and safety.
The Rohingya still in Rakhine are increasingly isolated, and several boats full of men, women and kiddies trying to flee the state have been stopped in recent weeks and turned around.
The minority has long been persecuted and subjected to apartheid-like conditions in Rakhine, with lack of access to healthcare and freedom of movement curtailed.
Many fear that in their absence Myanmar is changing the landscape of their former homes for good, erasing all signs of their local history.
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Moscow and Ankara have been able to reach a compromise on resolving the Syrian crisis despite the divergence of opinion on some issues, Russian President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... told news hounds at his annual news conference.
"We should be satisfied with the development of Russian-Ottoman Turkish relations in the economy and security spheres. Although our interests do not coincide sometimes, we do find compromise solutions on resolving the Syrian crisis. We respect the Ottoman Turkish people’s national interests in this direction. We see that our Ottoman Turkish partners are likewise ready to seek a compromise and reach that compromise with us for the good of the situation in Syria, for the good of the fight against terrorism and for the benefit of strengthening our relations," the Russian leader said.
Putin noted that ties between Russia and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...Qatar's colony in Asia Minor.... were expanding. "In spite of the fact that Turkey is a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... member-country and honors its commitments as a member of the alliance, it pursues an independent foreign policy." "We appreciate that very much, this creates the conditions for predictability and stability of our relations," he stressed.
The Russian president pointed to the Ottoman Turkish president’s role in cementing bilateral relations. "We hope the same trend will continue under the leadership of Mr. [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan," he added.
Answering a question about the role of founder of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Putin said, "Ataturk was certainly an outstanding figure in Ottoman Turkish history. He added a new bright chapter to the preservation and restoration of the Ottoman Turkish statehood and did a lot for that."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2018
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Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was on high alert in northern Hama this morning after the Salafist tough guys in northern Hama attempted to sneak up and ambush their positions.
Led by Jaish al-Izza, the Salafist tough guys were spotted last night making their way towards the Syrian Arab Army’s post outside the small town of al-Massasnah in northern Hama.
According to a military source in the government stronghold of Mhardeh, the Syrian Arab Army was able to foil this attempted ambush before the Salafist tough guys could replicate their attack from the night before.
The source said that the Syrian military killed a number of Salafist tough guys during the brief firefight, forcing them to ultimately retreat back towards their stronghold of al-Latamneh near the Idlib provincial border.
Jaish al-Izza launched a successful ambush on Tuesday evening that resulted in the death of at least nine Syrian Arab Army soldiers; another 20 were reportedly maimed.
The Syrian military has vowed to avenge their losses by launching a new offensive against the Salafist tough guys; however, no date was given for this operation.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2018
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
WASHINGTON ‐ Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced historic action to confront the illegal immigration crisis facing the United States. Effective immediately, the United States will begin the process of invoking Section 235(b)(2)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), individuals arriving in or entering the United States from Mexico‐illegally or without proper documentation‐may be returned to Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings.
"Today we are announcing historic measures to bring the illegal immigration crisis under control," said Secretary Nielsen. "We will confront this crisis head on, uphold the rule of law, and strengthen our humanitarian commitments. Aliens trying to game the system to get into our country illegally will no longer be able to disappear into the United States, where many skip their court dates. Instead, they will wait for an immigration court decision while they are in Mexico. ’Catch and release’ will be replaced with ’catch and return.’ In doing so, we will reduce illegal migration by removing one of the key incentives that encourages people from taking the dangerous journey to the United States in the first place. This will also allow us to focus more attention on those who are actually fleeing persecution.
"Let me be clear: we will undertake these steps consistent with all domestic and international legal obligations, including our humanitarian commitments. We have notified the Mexican government of our intended actions. In response, Mexico has made an independent determination that they will commit to implement essential measures on their side of the border. We expect affected migrants will receive humanitarian visas to stay on Mexican soil, the ability to apply for work, and other protections while they await a U.S. legal determination."
Posted by: Neville Dark Lord of the Wee Folk7365 ||
12/21/2018
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#1
To be reversed the instant another socialist takes office.
[DAWN] South African authorities issued an arrest warrant for Grace Mugabe, the wife of Zim-bob-we’s former leader who was accused of assaulting on woman in Johannesburg last year, South African police said on Wednesday.
The warrant follows a long legal process during which a South African court this year ruled that the government acted illegally in granting diplomatic immunity to Mugabe when the alleged attack was first reported.
It also marked another setback for Grace and Bob Muggsy Mugabe Nonagenarian President-for-Life of Zim-bob-we who turned the former Breadbasket of Africa into the African Basket Case. Dumped in November 2017 when the Missus decided she wanted to be president, and opposed heer might against Crocodile Mnangawa Important safety tip: If your opponent goes by the name Crocodile andf your title is Shopper in Chief let him win.... , who have kept a mostly low profile since the former president was forced from office in November 2017. Robert Mugabe, whose command over Zim-bob-we once seemed impregnable, is now 94 years old and ailing.
"I can confirm that a warrant for the arrest of Grace Mugabe was issued last Thursday. We are following the Interpol processes," said South African police Brig. Vishnu Naidoo.
Whether Zim-bob-we would assist South African authorities with any extradition request is in doubt, though the arrest warrant means Grace Mugabe would be vulnerable if she visits her sons, who stay in South Africa. She also owns a house there.
Grace Mugabe allegedly attacked model Gabriella Engels in an upscale hotel on Aug 13, 2017, whipping her with an extension cord that cut her forehead. However, there's more than one way to skin a cat... Mugabe was allowed to return to Zim-bob-we despite calls for her prosecution. She travelled with her husband, who was then president of Zim-bob-we and attending a regional summit in Pretoria.
Robert Mugabe was ousted only a few months later after a military takeover, impeachment proceedings led by the ruling party that once backed him and large demonstrations for his removal.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2018
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Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
[PRESSTV] Iran and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire.... have agreed to step up their economic cooperation with the aim of reaching a $30-billion target set for their annual trade, voicing concern over the re-imposition by the US of unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Theocratic Republic, a move which they say could affect the entire region's economy.
The agreement was reached at the 5th Meeting of High Council for Iran-Turkey Strategic Cooperation in Ankara chaired by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Ottoman Turkish counterpart, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey... , according to a joint statement issued at the end of the event on Thursday.
Tehran and Ankara, the statement added, called for closer bilateral relations in all areas, especially economy, politics and fight against terrorism, saying enhanced ties between the two neighbors will contribute to the region's peace and stability.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2018
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[SunStar] Three people, including two children, who were trapped during a recent clash between Philippine troops and Abu Sayyaf rebels were rescued by soldiers on Saturday, a top military official said Wednesday.
Navy spokesman Rene Medina said rescued were Manah Solaiman and her two daughters, Raiza, seven, and Pirhana, two. He said they were rescued on Saturday, December 15, in Minis Island, Patikul, Sulu, the site of a recent firefight between marines and some 50 Abu Sayyaf insurgents on December 12.
The clash resulted in the death of seven Abu Sayyaf rebels and a soldier. Three other soldiers were injured.
Medina said troops were conducting clearing operation when they rescued Solaiman and her two daughters in the mangrove of Minis Island. He said they were immediately provided with food and water and taken to a hospital for proper assistance.
He said Manah informed them that she and her two daughters were trapped when the firefight broke out on December 12, which prompted them to hide in the mangrove area. During the debriefing it was discovered that Manah and the two minors were the wife and children of an Abu Sayyaf militant Jackie Solaiman, alias Jackie Chan.
Hi-ya!
Posted by: ryuge ||
12/21/2018
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Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf (ISIS)
[Al Jazeera] The "overwhelming majority" of women and older girls who passed through Libya as migrants colonists reported being gang-raped by traffickers or witnessed others taken away to be abused, according to a UN report based on hundreds of interviews.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement published on Thursday that its report, along with the United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... support mission in Libya, turned up "unimaginable horrors" among migrants colonists who sought to reach Europe ...also known as Moslem Lebensraum... through the largely lawless country.
The 61-page report covers the period between January 2017 to August 2018.
The OHCHR said Sherlocks pulled together 1,300 first-hand accounts detailing "a terrible litany of violations and abuses committed by a range of state officials, gangs, smugglers and traffickers against migrants colonists and refugees".
Those included unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, gang rape, slavery, forced labour and extortion.
"The UN staff visiting 11 detention centres [in Libya], where thousands of migrants colonists and refugees are being held, documented torture, ill-treatment, forced labour, and rape by the guards, and reported that women are often held in facilities without female guards, exacerbating the risk of sexual abuse and exploitation," OHCHR said.
"Female detainees are often subjected to strip searches carried out or watched by male guards."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2018
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Top|| File under: Human Trafficking
[PRESSTV] Spain's socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Spanish and the regional leader of Catalonia agreed Thursday to find a solution to the political crisis that has been festering since a failed secession attempt by the region last year.
The agreement was reached in a meeting in Barcelona between Catalan regional President Quim Torra and PM Sánchez, whose Socialist administration has taken a more conciliatory approach to the independence issue than its conservative predecessor.
Following the meeting, their governments issued a joint statement calling for a "commitment for effective dialogue that leads to a political proposal that has the backing of large part of Catalan society."
The statement, which The News Agency that Dare Not be Named has seen, was read out by the spokeswoman of the Catalan government, Elsa Artadi, after the meeting.
Artadi says that members of the two governments have agreed to meet again in January.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2018
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[National Review] A high wall would end the border patrol's reliance on dogs and tear gas when rushed by would-be border crossers throwing stones.
[Express] VLADIMIR Putin has mocked "undemocratic" calls for a second Brexit referendum as the Russian President accused Remainers of "disrespect".
[IsraelTimes] Separately, shots fired at bus stop outside Ofra in area that has seen spate of attacks in recent weeks; no injuries
[Hot Air] Darn those Russians and their meddling in American politics! No... I’m not talking about the 2016 elections, at least not quite as directly. There have been recent allegations that Russia has been "meddling" in another area entirely which hasn’t received nearly as much media attention for some reason. A couple of House committees have been looking into claims that the Russians have been funding environmentalists who push anti-fracking, "keep it in the ground" campaigns aimed at shutting down fossil fuel development in the United States. And thus far they haven’t received much cooperation. 
[NR] Planned Parenthood routinely discriminates against its pregnant employees, refusing to provide them with adequate rest and often firing or refusing to promote them, according to a New York Times report published Thursday.
[Wash Times] Border Patrol agents tracked an ultralight aircraft as it crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and made it 30 miles into the country early Tuesday morning ‐ and when they got to the landing spot, they found two Chinese men who had been smuggled in by the aircraft.
[Guardian] The Danish parliament has approved funding for a plan to hold foreign criminals on a tiny island, despite criticism from the UN and local opposition.
[Live Science] The brain of one of the oldest Australopithecus individuals ever found was a little bit ape-like and a little bit human.
[IsraelTimes] Izmir Koch, along with others, was heard shouting ’I want to kill all the Jews’ in 2017 assault; could face up to 10 years in prison
Ref #5: The enemy of my enemy.... 
An example of classic democratic hypocrisy. 
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
...also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
[IsraelTimes] In new report, social networking giant says it suspended 205,156 accounts for promoting terrorism during first half of 2018, having flagged most of them itself
[GatewayPundit] Reporter used to report the news. Reporters used to stand up for free speech. All that is gone in the Progressive Era of news as the likes of CNN’s Oliver Darcy use their reporting to censor the news and free speech by campaigning to get their competitors and ideological opponents deplatformed or driven off the air by advertiser boycotts.
[ALMASDARNEWS] Not long after accusing the 
...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...
North Korea
...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...
...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...
[IsraelTimes] Mehdi Nemmouche faces murder charges for killing 4 people in what is believed to have been the first jihadist attack by a foreign fighter in Europe
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
WASHINGTON ‐ Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced historic action to confront the illegal immigration crisis facing the United States. Effective immediately, the United States will begin the process of invoking Section 235(b)(2)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), individuals arriving in or entering the United States from Mexico‐illegally or without proper documentation‐may be returned to Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings.
... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey...
[SunStar] Three people, including two children, who were trapped during a recent clash between Philippine troops and Abu Sayyaf rebels were rescued by soldiers on Saturday, a top military official said Wednesday.
[Al Jazeera] The "overwhelming majority" of women and older girls who passed through Libya as 
