[PRESSTV] Analysts believe that the measure by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to occupy the Yemeni island of Socotra is aimed at gaining dominance over major waterways that cross near the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.
The area around the island is where major maritime routes crisscross and is used by major shipping lines of the world, including oil tankers, which carry crude oil from major Persian Gulf producers to various European and other destinations, especially along the Mediterranean Sea.
While the UAE’s Jebel Ali port continues to thrive in the Persian Gulf region, a new port on Socotra could uptick maritime commercial business in the Red Sea region.
Socotra, an island 300 kilometers off the coast of 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... in the Gulf of Aden, was known until recently for its white beaches and unique flora and fauna that earned it the title of the UNESCO world heritage site in 2008.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... has detained thousands of people for years without trial, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday, slamming the country’s powerful crown prince for the "arbitrary detentions".
Official data from the interior ministry, analysed by HRW, showed that authorities had detained 2,305 people for more than six months without referring them to court.
More than 1,870 had been held for more than a year and 251 for more than three years with their cases still "under investigation", HRW said, citing the ministry database.
One person has been held for over a decade in what HRW said was a case of "documented arbitrary detention".
The ultra-conservative kingdom, an absolute monarchy, has introduced a string of reform in past months, spearheaded by the country’s unchallenged Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ...Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as of 2016.... , dubbed "MBS", who was appointed heir to the throne in June 2017.
Yet arbitrary detention appears to have "increased dramatically in recent years", according to HRW. The group urged authorities to "stop holding people arbitrarily".
"If Saudi authorities can hold a detainee for months on end with no charges, it’s clear that the Saudi criminal justice system remains broken and unjust, and it only seems to be getting worse," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for the New York-based rights group.
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05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Traditional fault lines are changing at a ferocious pace in the ’troubled, unstable’ Middle East.
Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... _ the GCC kingpin _ is taking the lead in this ongoing political re-engineering. Roles are being swapped. Israel is no more an adversary, while, the Paleostinian leadership is now being viewed in Riyadh and some other Gulf capitals not only as a political liability but also as the spoiling party.
This is a major transformation.
For the first time since its inception, Arab News, the leading Saudi English newspaper, carried last week the report of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu presenting ’details of the covert Iranian nuclear programme’ as its lead story. And Bibi’s photograph adorned the front page too.
This was history in the making. And the story doesn’t end there.
Earlier, Israel’s Channel 10 News reported that at a meeting with Jewish leaders in New York last month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ...Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as of 2016.... castigated the Paleostinian leadership for rejecting opportunities for peace with Israel for decades, insisting they should either start accepting peace proposals or "shut up".
Citing multiple sources, the Israeli channel quoted what it said were remarks made by the Saudi crown prince at the meeting that left those present there "staggered" by the ferocity of his criticism of the Paleostinians.
"For the past 40 years, the Paleostinian leadership has missed
opportunities again and again, and rejected all the offers it was given," multiple sources present at the meeting quoted Prince Mohammad bin Salman as saying at the meeting.
Last month, while still in the US, the crown prince had clearly stated that the state of Israel has a right to exist. In an interview given to Jeffrey Goldberg, the chief editor of The Atlantic, the prince had underlined that Israelis and Paleostinians have a right to exist in their own land. "I believe that each people, anywhere, has a right to live in their peaceful nation. I believe the Paleostinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land," the crown prince told the interviewer.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
Thanks President Trump.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
05/08/2018 5:40 Comments ||
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#2
well MSB is still just the crown prince
let's see if his views change when/if he becomes King
Posted by: lord garth ||
05/08/2018 8:57 Comments ||
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#3
I have always liked him. And the King is with him.
He is good as you get there.
[IsraelTimes] A Ottoman Turkish court rules to keep in detention an American pastor locked away Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... for the last one and a half years on terror-related charges, setting the next trial hearing for July 18.
Andrew Brunson, head of a small Protestant church in the western city of Izmir, faces up to 35 years in jail if he is convicted in a case that has strained ties with Washington.
Hostages are a long and dishonourable tradition in that part of the world.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] A suspect who was tossed in the slammer Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! for the liquidation attempt on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday evening has a declared affiliation with the Tehrik-e-Labbaik, it emerged late last night.
In a preliminary report sent to the Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... chief secretary hours after the attack, the Narowal deputy commissioner reported that the suspect had identified himself as Abid Hussain, son of Mohammad Hussain, a resident of Verum village, Tehsil Shakargarh of Narowal district.
"He further showed his affiliation with Tahrik-e-Labbaik [sic]," the DC's letter read.
Abid had allegedly fired at Iqbal from a distance of some 15 yards after the interior minister wrapped up a corner meeting in his constituency in Narowal yesterday evening.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz had earlier told Dawn that the 22-year-old suspect, who was arrested from the spot, had confessed to attempting to assassinate the minister over the issue of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (finality of prophethood).
Posted by: Fred ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] A day after Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was attacked by a suspect believed to be affiliated with the Tehrik-e-Labbaik, ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf, then by the courts... insinuated that the state had emboldened the attacker to execute his plans.
A video showing the distribution of money to protesters after the Faizabad sit-in was called off.
Blaming the incident on the state's capitulation to Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistain (TLP) following the Faizabad sit-in and subsequent standoff with security forces in Islamabad last year, Sharif said: "This is the result of the distribution of Rs1,000 to the protesters. If the protesters had not been given Rs1,000 each, perhaps this day would not have come."
He was referring to an infamous incident, also captured on video, wherein representatives of the armed forces had handed out Rs1,000 cheques to protesters as the latter dispersed following the November 2017 dharna spearheaded by the TLP.
The TLP had protested for more than 20 days at Islamabad's Faizabad Interchange to have changes made to the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath in the Elections Act 2017 reversed.
The agitation had ended after the PML-N government failed to dislodge the protesters and launched a botched operation which eventually failed and forced the state to capitulate.
The government ended up conceding to nearly all of the TLP's demands ‐ including the dropping of all cases against the protesters, who had at times turned violent and destroyed public property.
The army had played mediator between both parties, and the army chief was thanked in writing for the "special efforts" that led to the agreement.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Workers of Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) resorted to violence on Monday night and clashed with each other near the Hakeem Saeed Ground in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... ‐ where both the parties want to hold a political gathering on May 12.
Gulshan SP Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto told Dawn that activists of both the parties hurled stones at each other.
Tension prevailed in the area throughout the day on Monday as both the parties remained at loggerheads over the matter. There were reports that members of both the parties ransacked the tents and camps of their political opponents and set them on fire.
Unidentified suspects also torched "a vehicle or two" on main University Road, said senior police official.
PTI leader Khurram Sherzaman condemned the incident and urged the DG Rangers Sindh to take notice of the matter.
He alleged that PTI activists were "attacked by the snuffies of PPP". He also criticised the alleged inaction by police as it failed to control the violent situation.
Later, police and Rangers personnel reached the location and dispersed the violent mob and controlled the situation after an hour or two.
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05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", has in recent months repeatedly expressed willingness through several channels to enter into talks with Israel over a long-term ceasefire in the Gazoo Strip, highlighting the Paleostinian terror group’s "dire" strategic situation, according to a report Monday.
No doubt they are willing to discuss a hudna. But will they stop digging tunnels, acquiring rockets, sending incendiary kites to burn Israeli fields, train children to be jihadis, and otherwise prepare for their next attemt to overrun the Juices living in the land the Palestinians claim?
According to the Haaretz newspaper, in return for the years-long ceasefire, Hamas wants the agreement to include Israel significantly easing the blockade over Gazoo, approving large-scale infrastructure projects and possibly a prisoner swap deal.
Top Israeli security officials have recently presented the politicianship with intelligence indicating that Hamas, finding itself in an "unprecedented" crisis, is currently open to discussing issues that it had rejected in the past, Haaretz reported.
It appeared Israel had not responded to Hamas’ overtures, the report said.
Hamas, an Islamist terror group that seeks to destroy Israel, has made similar proposals in the past.
The report follows several indications that Hamas is deeply divided as it seeks a way out of the dire situation in Gazoo, where it seized power in 2007. The Strip which faces an economic crisis, sanctions from the Ramallah-based Paleostinian Authority, continued pressure from the Israeli-Egyptian security blockade and rising internal unrest.
(As the French army moves to the coast to meet the flotilla of invading immigrants)
"Press," explains Dio. "Kiss my ass!" replies the colonel, his fists clenched. An officer comes between them, with all due repsect. "Drop dead!" roars the colonel, and he turns and climbs into his tank. Only his chest, ablaze with ribbons, and his glowering, helmeted face, stick up from the turrent. Lovely military tableau, washed in a flood of almost eerie light. The tank bears the name Bir Hacheim. You can't do it! You can't!" "Bullshit I can't!" cries the coloen, in his frontline voice. "If the bastards (leftest, pro-immigrant protestors) don't get up, I'll run them over!"
One stretched out almost under the tracks of the tank. Long beard, curly hair, the face of a sculptured Italian Christ. "Who are you?" Dio asks him. "G.L.A.," the prone figure replies. Gay Liberation Alliance. "And you?" he asks another. "Just people," is the answer. "Proletarians. No special name." The purest of the pure in Dio's book. "He's going to mow you all down," he tells them. "Not a chance, he won't dare" the homosexual answers. "For God's sake get up!" an officer pleads. "Can't you see, here he comes!" The mass of steel has started to move. Imperceptibly at first, as the tracks nibble forward, inch by inch. "Colonel!" screams the offier. "Balls!" replies the colonel. Nan-Chan shuts her eyes. Her Western half can't take it any more. A few moments later, when she opens them agakin - to please her Oriental half - the Italian Christ has disappeard, and the tanks tracks are dragging chunks of shredded, bloody flesh. And all without a sound...One after another the figures (protestors) gets out of the way, but only at the very last moment.
[IsraelTimes] Permission for family visits inside Israel, use of Ben Gurion Airport for trips abroad, and access to Friday prayers on Temple Mount among measures approved by defense minister.
The measures, similar to those of previous years, were announced, even as Israel has expressed fears of increased violence over the next several weeks, owing to the transfer of the US Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14 and the marking of Nakba Day ‐ marking Israel’s founding and the displacement of Paleostinians ‐ the following day.
Ramadan is expected to begin the night of May 15, though the exact date and time are dependent upon the moon.
[PRESSTV] An Israeli minister says Tel Aviv could topple the government of Syrian President of Bashir al-Assad in response to any attack by Iran against the occupying regime, hinting that the Syrian leader himself might be targeted for liquidation.
"If Assad allows Iran to turn Syria into a military vanguard against us, to attack us from Syrian territory, he should know that would be the end of him, the end of his regime," said Yuval Steinitz, the minister of national infrastructure, energy and water resources, in an interview with the Hebrew news portal, Ynet, on Monday.
When asked whether his remarks meant the regime might assassinate President Assad, Steinitz, who is also a member of Israel’s ministerial committee on national security affairs, uttered that "his blood would be forfeit." The Israeli minister, however, appeared to suggest that his comments did not represent Tel Aviv’s policy, adding, "I’m not talking about any concrete proposal."
A text story of Steinitz’s interview with Ynet had quoted him as explicitly saying that the Israeli regime would murder Assad, but this was not borne out by a video clip of the interview.
Iran, Syria’s strong ally, has been giving Damascus military advisory assistance in its countrywide counter-terrorism battles since a foreign-sponsored militancy unleashed in the Arab country in 2011.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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#2
This is exactly the kind of thing we break the 2 p.m. ET rule for. Thank you for getting this up for us, g(r)omgoru. I’ve set it as today’s headline after moving it to Page 2: WoT Background/Politics — there are no bombs, bullets, casualties, or military maneuvers involved.
[Ynet] La Belle France, Britannia and Germany will keep to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran irrespective of the United States' decision later this week because it is the best way to avoid nuclear proliferation, La Belle France's foreign minister said on Monday.
"We are determined to save this deal because this accord safeguards against nuclear proliferation and is the right way to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon," Jean-Yves Le Drian told news hounds in Berlin.
[IsraelTimes] Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country would be willing to remain in the nuclear deal even if the United States pulls out, providing the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... offers guarantees that Tehran would keep benefiting from the accord.
Rouhani’s remarks came ahead of 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... ’s decision expected later this week on whether to pull America out of the landmark deal between Iran and world powers. Rouhani speaks during a meeting with officials in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
He says a US pullout would be a "strategic mistake."
He says that "what we want for the deal is that it’s preserved and guaranteed by the non-Americans" ‐ a reference to other signatories of the 2015 agreement.
He adds that in this case "the US pullout will be OK."
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
Don’t call us when you need saving. You are on your own.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/08/2018 0:10 Comments ||
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#2
I'm sure the Euros intentions are noble and not commercial, and this is nothing like the Saddam era Oil for Palaces deal.
[Ynet] After defeating 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 in battle, Syria's Kurds are now eager to show they can bring justice against the hard boy group's members, and the emphasis is on leniency and reconciliation.
The aim is to extend bridges to the Arabs they now rule within the 25 percent of territory in Syria the Kurds control and win international legitimacy. So they abolished the death penalty , offer reduced sentences to bandidosbully boyz who turn themselves in and have given amnesties to build ties with Arab tribes.
This is in marked contrast to Iraq, where harsh and swift verdicts on IS suspects seem geared to vengeance.
The Syrian Kurds built their justice system from scratch but lack any international recognition, which complicates their efforts to bring hundreds of imported muscle to trial.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[PRESSTV] Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri says his party has lost a third of seats in the Sunday parliamentary elections, winning only 21 seats, down from the 33 it had been holding since the last time Leb elected a parliament in 2009.
Hariri made the announcement in a televised statement on Monday, saying that despite gains in Sidon, 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... , Beirut and Western Bekaa Valley, the Future Movement had only won 21 out of 128 parliamentary seats.
The election results, however, still make Hariri the frontrunner to form the next government as the Sunni leader with the biggest bloc in parliament.
The Lebanese premier said he extended his hand to all political factions in order to fulfill the wishes of the Lebanese people who "voted for security and stability of Leb."
"I extend my hand to every Lebanese to participate in shoring up securing political stability and to improve the lives of all the Lebanese," Hariri noted.
The prime minister also said that the international community should look at the results of Leb's election in a "very positive way."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[PRESSTV] The secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has lauded ensuring an atmosphere of calm and security for the country’s general elections as a national achievement, describing the results as a major victory for the resistance group.
Addressing his supporters via a televised speech broadcast live from the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Monday evening, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... hailed the vote results as "a great moral and political victory for Hezbollah, which protects the country."
He expressed his gratitude to all those who helped holding the national polls successfully, stressing that the "proportionality vote law offered all political factions the opportunity to represent themselves in the elections, mitigated the risks of exclusion from Leb’s political structure, and assured all sides that they will have a role in the administration."
Nasrallah then praised the secure and stable ambiance during the May 6 elections, emphasizing that Hezbollah needs a strong representation in the parliament in order to fight corruption, honor its promises and build Leb.
"The United States and some Persian Gulf states resorted to smear campaign in a bid to poison public opinion towards Hezbollah. Their efforts, however, ended in failure," he pointed out.
The Hezbollah chief further noted that the resistance movement has obtained its goals in the national elections, saying that strong relations among the Lebanese nation, armed forces and his fellow fighters can protect the Arab country against any potential threat.
"No one in the world can target Hezbollah as it has firm support among various strata of the Lebanese society. Towns and cities in southern Leb have served as the resistance front in the face of threats being poised by the Israeli regime and terrorist groups. Enemies’ plots to undermine Hezbollah popularity in those regions have yielded nothing," Nasrallah underlined.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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[Telegraph] Facebook has helped introduce thousands of Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) Death Eaters to one another, via its 'suggested friends' feature, it can be revealed.
The social media giant - which is already under fire for failing to remove terrorist material from its platform - is now accused of actively connecting jihadists around the world, allowing them to develop fresh terror networks and even recruit new members to their cause.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/08/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
Well, that IS how FB works.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
05/08/2018 9:48 Comments ||
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h/t Instapundit
[IsraelTimes] Women’s March leader Tamika Mallory said in a tweet Monday that President Donald Trump’s so-called Muslim ban and plan for a wall on the border with Mexico were inspired directly by the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. מציון תצא תורה
#6
More likely inspired by the Great Wall of China, Hadrian's wall and the big fence along the San Diego border that has reduced immigration in that sector by large numbers (unfortunately they just moved East).
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.
...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...
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as of 2016....
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf, then by the courts...
[DAWN] Workers of Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistain 
[Telegraph] Facebook has helped introduce thousands of 
