[IsraelTimes] Survey finds party of anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders would become largest in lower house of parliament if elections were held today.
The party of populist anti-Islam Dutch MP Geert Wilders has risen strongly in the polls since the politician was tried and convicted of discrimination, according to a survey published Sunday.
If legislative elections due next March were held this week, Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) would pick up 36 out of 150 seats in the lower house of parliament, making it the biggest single political group, it found.
Before the trial began on October 31, the PVV was credited with 27 seats.
During the trial, but before his conviction on Friday, its estimated share rose to 34 seats. It currently has 12 politicians.
The new poll data comes from a weekly monitoring by the Maurice de Hond Institute.
It found that Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals would place second with 23 seats, against 40 today, and his junior coalition partners, the Labour Party (PvdA), would gain 10 seats, compared with 35 today.
Wilders was found guilty of discrimination against Moroccans but acquitted of hate speech over remarks he made at an election rally in March 2014.
He had asked supporters whether they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands." When the crowd shouted back "Fewer! Fewer!" a smiling Wilders answered: "We’re going to organize that."
Wilders, 53, largely boycotted the trial, which he denounced as a political attempt to gag him.
The judges were strongly critical of Wilders’ "inflammatory" remarks at the rally but decided not to impose any sentence or fine.
The outcome of the Dutch vote will be keenly watched given the anti-EU outcome of Britannia’s Brexit referendum and the November election of populist 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... as the next US president.
Wilders has among other things vowed to confiscate Korans, close mosques and Islamic schools, shut the borders and ban migrants colonists from Islamic countries.
[Dawn] KARACHI: The Sindh police have proposed to the provincial government to place the names of more than 90 seminaries in different cities and districts under the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to monitor their ’affairs’ and ’other’ activities due to their suspected terror links, it emerged on Sunday.
The proposal came days after the Sindh government directed the law enforcement agencies to crack down on drug pushers and seminaries which had links with Death Eaters or banned outfits.
It interestingly also incorporated the provincial government’s decision to register all immigrants colonists living in the metropolis, including slum areas, and on its outskirts and develop their complete database and constituted 15 teams to launch this exercise.
"This move will help us in keeping an eye on these seminaries which are suspected for their links and activities," Additional IG of Counter-Terrorism Department Sanaullah Abbasi told Dawn. "All these seminaries are marked after their geotagging across the province and analysis and audit of their finances to trace the source of their funding and spending in line with the National Action Plan initiatives, which requires the database of all madressahs operating across the country."
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in October, 2016 was briefed during a meeting that around 93 seminaries in the province had solid links with Death Eaters or banned outfits. The intelligence agencies had gathered credible information about activities at these places on which the chief minister had directed the Rangers and police to start an operation against them.
However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... the police authorities believed that before moving to any final crackdown, which could take time, there was an immediate need to keep an eye on all these facilities which required a legal cover and backing from political administration as well.
"Under this arrangement [placing 93 seminaries under fourth schedule] we would be able to do our work more confidently," said Additional IG CTD Sanaullah Abbasi. "The formula used to place any individual under the fourth schedule is applied here while proposing to treat these 93 seminaries the same way. It’s all done to make our work more effective."
The fourth schedule is a section of the ATA under which someone who is suspected of terrorism is kept under observation; it is mandatory for him to register his attendance with the local police regularly.
Also, the fourth schedule comprises elements found to be or suspected to be involved in anti-state activities, delivering hate speeches and/or activists of religious outfits not yet banned, but related with militancy in any way.
"It would not be a new phenomenon if the government places seminaries or any other institution or facility under the fourth schedule," said Advocate Mohammed Farooq, senior criminal lawyer.
"The law allows the government to place individual, institution, facility or anything which is suspected of terrorism or facilitating terrorism under the fourth schedule of the ATA."
[Jpost] Paleostinian terror group Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", has offered to share its rocket arsenal with any Arab army willing to use them against Israel, Gazoo-based Hamas official Fathi Hammad said Sunday to al-Aqsa TV.
Discussions over hardware aside, in his attempt to develop a multi-front threat against Israel, it is unclear which Arab armies Hammad thinks may be tempted by the offer to become brothers in arms.
Hamas has been manufacturing rockets on an industrial scale since it took control of the Gazoo Strip, and has fired tens of thousands of projectiles during the past decade.
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon told a conference in late 2014 that the IDF destroyed 80% of Hamas’s mortars and rockets during Operation Protective Edge, however the group has been restocking ever since, in addition to digging new tunnels under the border with Israel.
Continued on Page 49
Fairly primitive in design, the Qassam is propelled by a mixture of sugar and potassium nitrate, a widely-available fertilizer. The warhead is filled with smuggled or scavenged TNT and urea nitrate, another commonly-used fertilizer.
[PressTV] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Tel Aviv.
“I know Donald Trump…And I think his attitude, his support for Israel is clear," Netanyahu said during a Sunday interview with CBS.
Netanyahu also said that he was hopeful the two could also discuss ways to dismantle Iran’s nuclear deal after Trump enters office. He added that he had five ways in his mind to disrupt the deal.
The Israeli premier has been highly opposed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) since it was signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany in July 2015.
Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.
During his presidential campaign, Republican Trump, who defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election, had promised to annul the deal which he referred to as a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated."
Iran‘s President Hassan Rouhani has on multiple occasions warned that all parties involved in the JCPOA must fulfill their obligations under international law.
[IsraelTimes] Iran says it has finalized a $16.8 billion deal with Boeing to purchase 80 passenger planes, a deal made possible by last year’s landmark nuclear agreement.
The state-run IRNA news agency says 50 Boeing 737s and 30 Boeing 777s will be delivered over the next decade, in the biggest agreement to be struck with an American company since the 1979 revolution and US Embassy takeover.
Boeing has no immediate comment.
Spreading the wealth -- last time it was 100 Airbus planes. But will our new president allow the sale to go through?
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/12/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11126 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
If Trump seals off every single military purchase, perhaps he should let Iran give some of their money back to a US company.
#4
It is forgotten that Boeing had the contract signed during the Bush administration in 2005 to build a fence on the US southern border. After spending $1 billion the project ended a failure in 2010.
#5
Boeing builds good aircraft. If we've normalized commercial relations with Iran (regardless of whether we should have), this doesn't seem like an unreasonable deal. While they COULD be used as military air transport, so could any number of cheaper aircraft, so I would think this is a legitimate deal.
[POLITICO] Donald Trump's insult-laced dismissal of reports that the CIA believes Russia hacked the 2016 election to help him is rattling a spy community already puzzled over how to gain the ear and trust of the incoming president.
Some fear that Trump's highly public rebukes of the U.S. intelligence apparatus will undermine morale in the spy agencies, politicize their work, and damage their standing in a world filled with adversaries. After all, if the U.S. president doesn't believe his own intelligence officials, why should anyone else?
Trump, a career businessman with no national security experience, has long taken positions that have alarmed intelligence officials, such as supporting torture and suggesting that it's OK to kill the family members of terrorists. His choice of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a man who promotes conspiracy theories on Twitter, as his national security adviser has unnerved observers. And his apparent reluctance to accept daily intelligence briefings since winning on Nov. 8 has fueled concerns that Trump will assume the presidency blind to the dangers facing the United States.
Continued on Page 49
#2
The intel community is part of the Obama Regime now, the same regime that said Trump would not be elected, and when he was, said they did not see it coming.
If the regime claims they also did not foresee the emergence of ISIS, either. Nor predicted various domestic terrorist attacks in the past 8 years. Their concerns about their jobs are greater than their ability to protect the US.
#7
Take a look to the right and left of you. Now tell me how many of these Professionals you purged because you did not like their views... AHEM.. Data collection, algorithms, or political views?
Tell me?
Does he kick his prayer rug under the desk when you come around? Or do you kick your prayer rug under the desk when your boss comes around?
#8
"They don’t like the president-elect’s criticism and are even more concerned that he is skipping his intelligence briefings,"
Can't tolerate criticism from their boss? Worried he's not taking their briefings? Well guess what, very few actually enjoy criticism. Obama was somewhat lax with his daily briefings as I recall and no one said much about it from the Dem side. So let it go and get back to work !
#9
The CIA is not as "professional" as they would like us to believe.
They don't want to work for President Trump? Their problem. They will pay the price. Russia doesn't HAVE the reach to influence an American Election. Saying that it does is Democrat propaganda.
Russia is a potential ally and that can be arranged. Putin is no more than what he is, but he is a realist. And Trump is a realist , as well. The EU is not our friend. And the CIA isn't Trump's friend. Deal with both realities.
The CIA will have to adjust to reality.
They work and answer to Trump now. I seriously doubt that the CIA is reliable or credible. The purpose of a thing is always itself. The CIA looks after itself first.
They can be replaced. They need to think about that. That CAN be done.
#10
The biggest problem in the intel community is that after 9-11, lapses were found, but no heads rolled. Since then, they've come to believe that they're bulletproof.
You really need to clean out the dead wood every 15-20 years.
Premier 'lessons learned' assessment of the day, possibly the decade.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/12/2016 7:41 Comments ||
Top||
#12
It has been publicized that the daily briefings have been skewed to please the out going POTUS. If that were to be true then the PE would have no use for a daily briefing.
#13
You really need to clean out the dead wood every 15-20 years. Or more frequently even?
One wonders where we would be today if GW Bush had not decided to have so many Clinton holdovers in the intel sector.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/12/2016 9:52 Comments ||
Top||
#14
Trump doesn't trust the intel community? With good reason, it is politicized and they have often been wrong. He has some good appointments and there will be a house-cleaning soon. The State Department also needs to be cleaned up. In fact, most departments could use a paring down bigly.
#15
Trump simply told them to let him know if something changes and now their panties are in a wad. Why should he have to endure the same report day after day?
And IIRC, the CIA told W that Iraq didn't have WMD and that didn't go over well. Although I'm sure they had some of the equipment, they weren't in a position to do much about it yet.
#16
Trump simply told them to let him know if something changes and now their panties are in a wad. Why should he have to endure the same report day after day?
Or in intelligence parlance, 'Nothing Significant to Report' (NSTRP).... 'nester'
#17
Given the affinity of Brennan, Rice, ValJar and Rhodes, the Agency seems likely to have had a deeper drift to PC assessments for Champ. What Trump sees seems to confirm that, and I'm guessing Flynn, McFarland and Pompeio may well be whispering in his ear other opinions.
Ask the CentCom analysts if assessments are bent to fit what is wanted. Given that, skepticism does seem reasonable.
#18
To put it into historical perspective (remember 'history'?) the IC has generally been at loggerheads with the Oval Office. And the IC in the past had generally been non-political.
#19
Why, oh why, does the President-Elect absolutely need a Daily Brief? He as zero authority until the swearing in ceremony and his time would seem to be needed on the Transition Process.
Or are the apparatchiks doing their bit to derail the First Year of the Trump Presidency?
#21
They think the world revolves around them.
They think their reports are 'must reads'.
Not spending the time to read what are often rehashes of the previous reports is inconceivable to them, because that is what they do, it is their output. A 'deltas' report would be better, which I think is what Trump asked for.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
12/12/2016 15:52 Comments ||
Top||
#22
How is the briefing done?
I've seen a lot of presentations (but no Intel Briefings of course!). Too many of them were simply people standing up and reading from a frigging power point slide. Do you have any idea how low the bandwidth of a powerpoint slide is? (hint: if someone is simply reading a powerpoint presentation it's a very good indicator that they don't have a clue what the F they are talking about!)
Saw a presentation from Edward Tuft, a professor on Information Presentation, on the briefings before the Challenger disaster and how the details of the risk involved were buried deep in brief bullet-point of a single slide of a powerpoint presentation. The data was there but with the 'boil down all this data into a single bullet-point' and the astronomical noise-to-data ratio it was invisible.
I get the impression that Obama and company simply LOVED powerpoint presentations - perhaps that is what the briefings devolved into?
#23
President Obama wanted his intelligence briefings printed out and left in his In box, so he could review them at his leisure.
Given that Mr. Trump has a bit of spare cash lying about, and given the fact that he owns or is involved in properties and projects around the world, it seems reasonable to expect that he is already receiving regular private security reports of the sort that Strategy Page and others provide. I mean. the highest value to me of Rantburg and certain other sites I check daily is that they inform me about the issues in the places Mr. Wife travels to and through on business so I know when to worry -- and he is a mere department head.
If so, the CIA mavens are going to find their upcoming first meeting very different from the first meetings they gave the previous several presidents. Oh to be a fly on that wall on that day!
#24
He shouldn't. They have become so political and tell the president what he wants to hear it is just about worthless.
I have seen some of the daily reports when I worked for the DoD and while they are pretty interesting, they don't change much from day to day and have very little to effect change to a national policy.
Let the Director do the daily stuff and brief the president once a week and report immediately if something scary turns up and needs presidential and national attention.
#25
the details of the risk involved were buried deep in brief bullet-point of a single slide of a powerpoint presentation.
A lot of technical writing, particularly user manuals, have similar flaws. TV ads for prescription meds during the evening news, ditto.
#26
the curtain needs lifting on the intel community and the broom sweep through
obama politicised it but there were problems even before then
we made the wrong decision on 9/11 because of bad advice and forever after we have been piling up the lies as we try to maintain the fiction "nothing to do with islam"
when it is everything to do with Islamist theocratic fascism
and we have pursued wrong migration and foreign policy because of it
we should have declared war on Islamist theocrats and treated sharia as treason from day 1.
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.
[IsraelTimes] Survey finds party of anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders would become largest in lower house of parliament if elections were held today.
[Dawn] KARACHI: The Sindh police have proposed to the provincial government to place the names of more than 90 seminaries in different cities and districts under the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to monitor their ’affairs’ and ’other’ activities due to their suspected terror links, it emerged on Sunday.
[PressTV] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Tel Aviv.
During his presidential campaign, Republican Trump, who defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election, had promised to annul the deal which he referred to as a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated."
