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Algeria Army Chief Says Has ‘No Political’ Ambition
Today's Headlines
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China-Japan-Koreas
Oops! Ow!
[Twitter]

Military payload.

Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 13:37 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  Chinese sky penis looks funny.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/23/2019 15:07 Comments || Top||

#2  That may be a Chinese sky vagina, or prolapsed rectum.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 15:55 Comments || Top||

#3  well that escalated quickly
Posted by: chris || 05/23/2019 18:35 Comments || Top||

#4  Chinese of all people should know fireworks are more impressive at night.
Posted by: jpal || 05/23/2019 19:16 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
Re: John Walker Lindh out of prison. WoT continues.
[Hot Air] Remember John Walker Lindh? One of America’s first detainees in the war on terror walked out of prison today after serving seventeen years of a 20-year sentence for terrorism. Reports that Lindh spent time in prison evangelizing for violent Islamist radicalism has some questioning why the federal government let him out ever:

John Walker Lindh, the so-called "American Taliban" whose capture in Afghanistan riveted a country in the early days after the September 11 attacks, has been released from prison.

After serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence, Lindh, the first US-born detainee in the war on terror, on Thursday walked out of a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, and will join the small, but growing, group of Americans convicted of terror-related charges attempting to re-enter into society.

Lindh will live in Virginia subject to the direction of his probation officer, his lawyer, Bill Cummings, tells CNN. But some are already calling for an investigation into his time in prison ‐ where he is said in two US government reports to have made pro-ISIS and other extremist statements ‐ that could send him back into detention.

Reports of Lindh’s maintained radicalization, detailed in two 2017 official counterterrorism assessments, are also driving questions about the efforts of the US government to rehabilitate former sympathizers like him, who are expected to complete prison sentences in waves in the coming years.

Lindh’s behavior must have been particularly good, at least from the prison system point of view. Federal guidelines require prisoners to serve at least 85% of their sentence regardless of their disposition while incarcerated, and that’s precisely what Lindh served. Even so, Lindh would have been released no later than three years from now regardless of his behavior, unless he committed other prosecutable crimes while in prison.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 09:36 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Taliban

#1  Heard a short piece this a.m. on National Peoples Radio. "American Taliban". Early release is controversial. No mention of why he was jugged. No mention of Mike Spann.

Not everyone has forgotten.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/23/2019 10:05 Comments || Top||

#2  These days he'll probably get his own "reality" show or a gig on CNN.....
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/23/2019 10:40 Comments || Top||

#3  We're still at war after the American Taliban finished his 20 year prison sentence. Jesus.
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/23/2019 16:37 Comments || Top||

#4  Herb Islam had been at war with humans for over 1,400 years! It's got absolutely nothing, zero to do with the USA.
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/23/2019 17:41 Comments || Top||

#5  Shhhh he's Virtue Signalling™
Posted by: Frank G || 05/23/2019 19:04 Comments || Top||

#6  We're still at war after the American Taliban finished his 20 year prison sentence. Jesus.

Wrong deity, Mr. McCoy. It’s Allah, and they’re still at war.. Not just with us, but with everyone who hasn’t submitted, everywhere in the world that they can reach. One hopes that the significant reduction in oil revenues will start to make a difference soon, but given that local groups tend to specialize in narcotics growth and transport, kidnapping, and other crimes, they tend to be mostly self-financing, while returning jihadis from Iraq/Syria and organized cross-training for cadres takes care of locals skills deficits, now that the Soviet Union isn’t providing that aspect of things.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/23/2019 23:35 Comments || Top||

#7  Ah - I see Johnny One Note has struck again...
Posted by: Raj || 05/23/2019 23:41 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Indonesian court sentences Frenchman to death for drug smuggling
[France24] An Indonesian court Monday sentenced Frenchman Felix Dorfin to death for drug smuggling, in a surprise verdict after prosecutors asked for a 20-year jail term.

Dorfin, 35, was arrested in September carrying the suitcase filled with about three kilograms (6.6 pounds) including ecstasy and amphetamines at the airport in Lombok, a holiday island next to Bali where foreigners are routinely arrested on drugs charges.

Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws -- including death by firing squad for some drug traffickers and it has executed foreigners in the past.

While prosecutors had not asked for the death penalty, Indonesian courts have been known to go beyond their demands.

"After finding Felix Dorfin legally and convincingly guilty of importing narcotics... (he) is sentenced to the death penalty," presiding judge Isnurul Syamsul Arif told the court.

He cited Dorfin's involvement in an international drug syndicate and the amount of drugs in his possession as aggravating factors.

"The defendant's actions could potentially do damage to the younger generation," Arif added.

Indonesia has not executed anyone since 2016, but a number of foreigners are still on death row including a cocaine-smuggling British grandmother and Serge Atlaoui, a Frenchman who has been on death row since 2007.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 09:30 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Science & Technology
Amazon Is Working on a Device That Can Read Human Emotions
[Bloomberg] Amazon.com Inc. is developing a voice-activated wearable device that can recognize human emotions.

The wrist-worn gadget is described as a health and wellness product in internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg. It’s a collaboration between Lab126, the hardware development group behind Amazon’s Fire phone and Echo smart speaker, and the Alexa voice software team.

Designed to work with a smartphone app, the device has microphones paired with software that can discern the wearer’s emotional state from the sound of his or her voice, according to the documents and a person familiar with the program. Eventually the technology could be able to advise the wearer how to interact more effectively with others, the documents show.

It’s unclear how far along the project is, or if it will ever become a commercial device. Amazon gives teams wide latitude to experiment with products, some of which will never come to market. Work on the project, code-named Dylan, was ongoing recently, according to the documents and the person, who requested anonymity to discuss an internal matter. A beta testing program is underway, this person said, though it’s unclear whether the trial includes prototype hardware, the emotion-detecting software or both.

Amazon declined to comment.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 09:01 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Just what I need, a smart ass watch making comments about my wife's mood.

I can see it now......

"Did that thing just say I'm in a good mood?"

"But weren't you?"

"Weren't. What's it say now? What's it say? Better not say anything or I'm gonna peel it off your cold wrist and use it to negotiate better funeral charges. Better take that trash out, and take your time doing it."
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/23/2019 18:15 Comments || Top||

#2  A timepiece to probe your emotions
And offer you coughdrops or potions!
The Future: No crying,
Just smiling and lying
And buying all Amazon's lotions.
Posted by: Clolurong B. Hayes4910 || 05/23/2019 18:28 Comments || Top||

#3  Perhaps Amazon can help with a device to make me a mindreader:

"What's wrong, honey"
"Nothing"
"Hokay then, I'm going to the garage with a beer"
"If you loved me you'd know what's wrong"
"You said 'nothing', and I'm not gonna call you a liar"
*click*
Posted by: Frank G || 05/23/2019 19:03 Comments || Top||

#4  How about an HR department who can understand human interactions and then we'll move on to AI?
Posted by: Sherese Smith6427 || 05/23/2019 21:42 Comments || Top||


Economy
Expats' Millions in Life Savings Disappear From Mexican Accounts
[Bloomberg] In late December, Kathy Machir called Marcela Zavala Taylor, her banker of nine years at Mexico’s Monex Casa de Bolsa, to get cash for contractors building her retirement home in San Miguel de Allende. Typically, Zavala would wire money or dispatch her assistant, Juan, on his motorcycle with an envelope full of pesos. Monex, with $5.2 billion in assets and operations in the U.S., was woven into the lives of Machir and the 10,000 other Americans who’ve moved to San Miguel de Allende.

The transfer didn’t happen. Juan didn’t show, Zavala didn’t return calls, and Kathy and Jim Machir discovered that their nest egg was gone. When the Machirs and other San Miguel expatriates met with Monex officials in early January, the bankers told some of them that about $40 million was missing from as many as 158 accounts, many belonging to English-speaking Americans. A dozen people interviewed by Bloomberg News say that bank statements Zavala sent them purporting to show full accounts were apparently falsified. Most say the bank has told them little since they filed complaints, and some say Monex tried to settle for far less than the balances owed. "When they told us we had 6 pesos [32¢] in our accounts, I just felt sick to my stomach," Kathy Machir says. "Since then, they have not dealt with us in good faith."

The scandal has upended the expatriate community in San Miguel, a city of 69,000 about 500 miles south of McAllen, Texas. Mostly retirees, they have to navigate a society with fewer legal and financial protections than they’d get in the U.S. Fraud is becoming more common, says Kevin Carr, founder of financial technology firm Finiden in Washington, D.C., and formerly the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s primary representative in Mexico. "Mexican authorities try to prosecute these cases but often aren’t successful." In 2018 there were 7.3 million complaints of fraud involving 18.9 billion pesos, about $1 billion, according to Condusef, Mexico’s consumer protection agency. That’s more than double the number of claims in 2014
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 08:52 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I wouldn't mind Mexicans coming to this country so much if I could go down there and enjoy the same freedom, rights and security that they enjoy here.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 11:19 Comments || Top||

#2  I guess those articles they read about how their retirement dollars would go farther in Mexico were true. Just not the way they were thinking it was...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/23/2019 12:04 Comments || Top||

#3  Ripping off the foreigners while leaving his own people alone. Ethnic solidarity is great as long as it's not white people doing it.
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/23/2019 15:38 Comments || Top||


Britain
British Steel plunges into insolvency in collapse putting 25,000 jobs at risk
[Mirror] British Steel was plunged into insolvency today in a major collapse that puts thousands of jobs at risk.

Rescue talks with the government broke down in a move the GMB union warned was "devastating for thousands of workers".

The UK's second-biggest steel producer employs 4,500 people mostly in Scunthorpe, and 20,000 more depend on its supply chain.

The government's Official Receiver is set to take control of the company as part of an insolvency process, the BBC reported.

Business Secretary Greg Clark was due to address the Commons urgently this afternoon as he refused calls to nationalise the firm - insisting he could only offer help on a "commercial basis".

Jeremy Corbyn said it was an "outrage" British Steel was allowed to collapse adding: "This government has failed those people and even at this late stage, must step in to save those jobs."

Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 03:10 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Did the union offer any concessions? Or is that just a stupid question?
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 11:46 Comments || Top||

#2  Bethlehem Steel's HQ building in Allentown was imploded over the weekend. Some people never learn...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/23/2019 12:01 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Pelosi says Trump's 'cover-up' could be 'an impeachable offense'
[USA Today] WASHINGTON ‐ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused President Donald Trump of "a cover-up" moments before he broke off infrastructure talks and held an impromptu Rose Garden press conference to attack ongoing investigations involving him.

"We do believe it’s important to follow the facts, we believe that no one is above the law, including the President of the United States, and we believe that the President of the United States is engaged in a cover-up," Pelosi said following a meeting with House Democrats on Wednesday to discuss their investigations of the president.

The president later addressed the speaker's missive, saying, "I don't do cover-ups."

The tense exchange came as a meeting between Pelosi, Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on infrastructure fell apart Wednesday morning. The president told Democrats he would not work with them unless they stopped investigating him.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 03:02 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Far more details at this Daily Mail article!
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 05/23/2019 4:13 Comments || Top||

#2  The president told Democrats he would not work with them unless they stopped investigating him.

Ah... the old rope-a-dope. Get them licking their chops at a 2 trillion dollar graft program, then yank the football away.

He shouldn't work with them. He should have the DOJ and FBI launch all sorts of corruption investigations not only on those that started this mess, but on the rest of the corrupt fuckers as well.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/23/2019 5:24 Comments || Top||

#3  You must have at least two to 'work together'. The Dems have no intention of ever working with the Orange Man.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 8:30 Comments || Top||

#4  Russian conspiracy, collusion, cover-up. Nothing appears to be taking hold.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 8:40 Comments || Top||

#5  Will this woman please close her pie hole and STFU? Will she please start working for the American people for a change?
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 8:57 Comments || Top||

#6  The sad thing is she's one of the more level-heads in the Donk Party as it stands now
Posted by: Frank G || 05/23/2019 9:07 Comments || Top||

#7  Her mouth should be registered as an open sewer and the EPA called to enforce pollution control standards on it.
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 13:00 Comments || Top||

#8  Maybe I'm wrong, but I think her comments actually help Trump. The more she speaks like this, the more all Democrats seem to be the lunatic fringe. No intention of legislating to benefit the country, but just an obsession with Trump. I can't think people in the Upper Midwest, among other places, will be amused.
Posted by: Tom || 05/23/2019 13:35 Comments || Top||

#9  Has any member of the press asked her what exactly Trump is covering up? Yeah, I didn't think so, either.
Posted by: Raj || 05/23/2019 15:16 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Trouble snowballs for man who shot himself in nads
[The Wenatchee World] CASHMERE ‐ A convicted felon accidentally shot himself in the genitals last month at an apartment in Cashmere. His problems didn’t stop there.

Cameron Jeffrey Wilson, 27, had a pistol tucked into his front pocket April 5 when the gun discharged, sending a bullet through his testicles and into his thigh, according to a probable cause affidavit filed April 16 in Chelan County Superior Court.

Instead of heading directly to a hospital, Wilson instructed his girlfriend to first drive to Lincoln Park in Wenatchee, where he gave the pistol to a friend, the affidavit said. A 13-time convicted felon, it is illegal for Wilson to possess a firearm.

As doctors and nurses performed surgery at Central Washington Hospital, a balloon containing marijuana slipped out of his anus, the affidavit said.
"That's not mine!"
Chelan County sheriff’s detectives were notified that Wilson had suffered a gunshot wound and then responded to the hospital. They searched the car and found a bag of methamphetamine inside a pair of blood-stained jeans he’d taken off before entering the hospital.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 02:53 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  A THIRTEEN time convicted felon? At age 27? At least he won't contribute (further?) to the gene pool.
Posted by: Glenmore || 05/23/2019 8:41 Comments || Top||

#2  Snow Balls ! I see what you did there , still funny though.
Posted by: Snavimble Bucket1794 || 05/23/2019 9:31 Comments || Top||

#3  A THIRTEEN time convicted felon?

But, the question is, have his voting rights been restored?
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/23/2019 15:14 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Rep. Mark Meadows: Adam Schiff, Democrats are raging over 'information coming that will curl your hair'
[Washington Examiner] Rep. Mark Meadows said on Wednesday that Democrats are in a panic because "there is information coming that will curl your hair," referring to the expected declassification of key documents related to the Russia investigation.

During an interview on Fox News, the North Carolina Republican said Democrats, and in particular House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, know that when these documents come out it will be trouble for them.

"There is information coming that will curl your hair. I can tell you that the reason why it is so visceral ‐ the response from the Democrats is so visceral right now ‐ is because they know, they've seen documents. Adam Schiff has seen documents that he knows will actually put the finger pointing back at him and his Democrat colleagues, not the president of the United States," he told host Sean Hannity.

Democrats in the House are engaged in a multi-pronged effort to investigate President Trump, his inner circle, and his finances. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News on Tuesday that this is all a "coordinated effort to take down the president."
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 02:47 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Curl your hair or curl your toes depending on what side you're on.
Posted by: gorb || 05/23/2019 4:02 Comments || Top||

#2  I'm overdue for my remaining hair to be curled.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 8:52 Comments || Top||


VDH: Federal Rats Are Fleeing the Sinking Collusion Ship
[Townhall] The entire Trump-Russia collusion narrative was always implausible.

One, the Washington swamp of fixers such as Paul Manafort and John and Tony Podesta was mostly bipartisan and predated Trump.

Two, the Trump administration's Russia policies were far tougher on Vladimir Putin than were those of Barack Obama. Trump confronted Russia in Syria, upped defense spending, increased sanctions and kept the price of oil down through massive new U.S. energy production. He did not engineer a Russian "reset" or get caught on a hot mic offering a self-interested hiatus in tensions with Russia in order to help his own re-election bid.

Three, Russia has a long history of trying to warp U.S. elections that both predated Trump and earned only prior lukewarm pushback from the Obama administration.

It's also worth remembering that President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation had been recipients of Russian and Russian-related largesse -- ostensibly because Hillary Clinton had used her influence as Secretary of State under Obama to ease resistance to Russian acquisitions of North American uranium holdings.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 02:33 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


EXCLUSIVE: How AOC served up cauliflower TACOS at the NYC Mexican restaurant where she worked in 2017 - as she sparks furious row by NOW claiming that it's 'colonial' to grow the vegetable in community gardens
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 02:29 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  There's some sort of disengagement between this young woman's brain and her mouth. What the heck is she even talking about? These neo-socialists don't make any sense. She must be parroting some dribble she heard from left-leaning professors from college.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 8:37 Comments || Top||

#2  She must be parroting some dribble she heard at the bar.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 10:04 Comments || Top||

#3  There's some sort of disengagement between this young woman's brain and her mouth.

That's why they call her occasional cortex.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 10:56 Comments || Top||

#4  Cassava, Cortez of the belly:
"I've conquered, Colon to New Delhi!
My cyanide crystals
Are better than pistols
In Red Venezuela!" "Like, rilly?"
Posted by: Lonzo Dark Lord of the Hemps9338 || 05/23/2019 13:31 Comments || Top||

#5  "Significant things for mi boca?
That stuff that I smoke. Coca mocha.
And when I get pissed
At da man [raises fist],
"Nothin' beats a nice woke tapioca!"
Posted by: Lonzo Dark Lord of the Hemps9338 || 05/23/2019 13:43 Comments || Top||

#6  Nice LD9338.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/23/2019 17:17 Comments || Top||

#7  It appears that AOC IQ is somewhere between 70 to 80.

Which would explain a lot.
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 05/23/2019 18:46 Comments || Top||

#8  Closer to the IQ of a turnip, which explains her new hostility to Colonialist Cauliflower™
Posted by: Frank G || 05/23/2019 19:06 Comments || Top||

#9  Also, Cauliflower Tacos are a crime against humanity. I think that hasn't been mentioned enough here.
Posted by: Vernal Hatrick || 05/23/2019 22:20 Comments || Top||


Freshman congresswoman tells Trump's Homeland Security chief that deaths of migrants were 'intentional'
[USA Today] Rep. Lauren Underwood, a first-term Democratic congresswoman from Illinois, accused the head of the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday of implementing policies that have directly resulted in the death of five migrant children in U.S. Border Patrol custody.

"I feel like, and the evidence is really clear, that this is intentional," Underwood said to audible gasps in the committee room. "It’s a policy choice."

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan called her assertion an "appalling accusation" before the hearing took a recess.

Underwood's comments came as McAleenan was testifying before a House committee to defend his department's budget request, but he was repeatedly questioned about the treatment of migrant children along the border.

That's when Underwood, a nurse, began asking McAleenan about his department's treatment of migrant children, pointing to recent photos of migrants sleeping on the ground outside Border Patrol facilities despite increased funding from Congress to provide humanitarian assistance at the southern border.

Five children from Guatemala have died since December amid a record-setting surge of families and children pouring across the border.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 02:12 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  A lie. The truth is that an ïllegal immigrant from Africa which is where she immigrated from murdered over a dozen white American senior citizens and ïs considered a serial killer.
Posted by: Angairong Flavigum3253 || 05/23/2019 2:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Correction, where freshman Ilhan immigrated from...
Posted by: Angairong Flavigum3253 || 05/23/2019 2:59 Comments || Top||

#3  "No, ma'am, I don't run an inner city gang."
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 05/23/2019 8:24 Comments || Top||

#4  These people either put up or shut up. I have no interest in hearing their twaddle.
Posted by: Dale || 05/23/2019 8:40 Comments || Top||

#5  This is the pattern and desired identity outcome. It's 'one party rule' and referred to as the African National Congress (ANC) in the RSA. I use the term "Republic" loosely.

South African Lawmakers Elect Ramaphosa as Nation's President.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 8:44 Comments || Top||

#6  Assuming there is some truth to this article (and I'm not saying there is), there is no mention of what these kids died from. Where's the responsibility of the parents or that of the recruiters and those behind them who are pushing the illegal invasions?

Since the influx of illegals from south of the border there seems to be a resurgence of diseases that were formerly under control in the U.S. There also seems to be some diseases showing up that are rare to the U.S.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 8:50 Comments || Top||

#7  My nephew is a BP guy. He says there are so many that come through with diseases that haven't been seen in the states since the 19th century.

What makes the symptoms and effects worse are the conditions that they're 'migrating' in. Little or no food. Exposed to some nasty weather in north Mexico. Little or no water (that's the biggest issue).

The ones the BP folks can tell as being ill are transported to medical centers for diagnosis and treatment (on our dime).

And yes, some of them succumb to their illnesses.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 05/23/2019 9:41 Comments || Top||

#8  You're all missing the point! She "feels" it is true therefore it has to be true.
Evidence? Facts? That's so 19th century!
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 || 05/23/2019 11:26 Comments || Top||


AG Barr: Nationwide Injunctions Violate Separation Of Powers And Make District Court Judges Far Too Powerful
[Hot Air] Attorney General Barr gave a speech to the American Law Institute Tuesday on the topic of nationwide injunctions. As Barr pointed out, nationwide injunctions have been used an unprecedented number of times during Trump’s administration. In fact, more national injunctions have been issued under Trump than during the entire 20th century.
Since President Trump took office, federal district courts have issued 37 nationwide injunctions against the Executive Branch. That’s more than one a month. By comparison, during President Obama’s first two years, district courts issued two nationwide injunctions against the Executive Branch, both of which were vacated by the Ninth Circuit. And according to the Department’s best estimates, courts issued only 27 nationwide injunctions­ in all of the 20th century.

Some say this proves that the Trump Administration is lawless. Not surprisingly, I disagree. And I would point out that the only case litigated on the merits in the Supreme Court‐the so-called "travel ban" challenge‐ended with President’s policy being upheld.

Barr went on to say that he wasn’t interested in arguing about specific policies. He wanted instead to argue that the use of such nationwide injunctions violated the separation of powers courts have traditionally observed:
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 02:03 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Agreed, District courts shouldn't have authority outside their district, but there needs to be a mechanism to immediately challenge onerous or un-Constitutional laws and executive decrees with a nation-wide impact such as, oh, let's say, President Kamala outlaws AR's.
Suggest they go directly to Supremes, who can refuse the challenge, or issue a nation-wide stay pending hearing or skip the stay if they think the question needs adjudication but don't think it'll carry the day.
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/23/2019 8:38 Comments || Top||

#2  The Dems have to remember that all that they push so hard now such as impeachment, phony kangaroo courts and political lynchings, and nationawide injunctions will come back to haunt them. I don't see a good ending to this.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 9:05 Comments || Top||

#3  Do as the dims, ignore.
Posted by: Dale || 05/23/2019 9:41 Comments || Top||

#4  phony kangaroo courts and political lynchings, and nationwide injunctions will come back to haunt them

Nope. The conservatives don't play that way, so the Donks will skate.... now if the Libertarians take power you'll see a lot of "balancing" ala R.A.Heinlein.
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/23/2019 10:43 Comments || Top||

#5  this guy Barr is setting things straight
Posted by: 746 || 05/23/2019 14:28 Comments || Top||

#6  Should have had this guy since day 1 instead of Sleepy Sessions.

I just worry there's not enough of Trump's term for him to finish what he starts.
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/23/2019 15:40 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Simple Truths about Abortion
[American Thinker] In order to have a rational discussion about abortion, it is best to begin with areas of agreement. The simple truths presented here are not intended to solve all disagreements about abortion, but to provide the foundation for a rational discussion.

After conception, the life developing inside a pregnant woman is human. It has human DNA. It is not a spider, dog or any other species of animal, other than human. Paul Stark’s article for a pro-life organization provides a fuller discussion. The human is very undeveloped at conception, and some may have arguments about why an undeveloped or partially developed human has a lesser right to life than a fully developed human. However, it is wrong to consider it anything other than human. Whether or not it satisfies the legal definition of "person" as that word is used in the United States Constitution, it is a human life.

The argument that a woman has a right to control her own body does not fully resolve the debate because it ignores the other human body involved. The pre-born human has rights also. Some may have arguments about why the woman’s rights predominate, but a complete resolution of the debate must take account of the rights of the pre-born human.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 01:56 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The argument that a woman has a right to control her own body does not fully resolve the debate because it ignores the other human body involved.

My draft number was 97 out of 365. I didn't have a right to control my own body. There was also a potential for death as well.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/23/2019 8:51 Comments || Top||

#2  The argument that a woman has a right to control her own body does not fully resolve the debate because it ignores the other human body involved.

That has to be one of the most narcissistic and weakest arguments by the pro-killing crowd. The woman should have controlled her body before she engaged in sex. The guy who got her pregnant has a responsibility here too.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 9:02 Comments || Top||

#3  Abortionists will tell you it's just a collection of cells attached to the woman's body like a tumor.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 11:21 Comments || Top||

#4  I once was a baby in my mother's womb. But I have never been my mother, and she has never been me. We are and always have been two very distinct persons.
Posted by: Tom || 05/23/2019 13:32 Comments || Top||

#5  When they start talking about a collection of cells you begin to understand that there is no reasoning with them. They will not let facts get in their way.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 13:36 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Pentagon mulling military request to send 5,000 troops to Middle East: officials
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense is considering a U.S. military request to send about 5,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid increasing tensions with Iran, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

Tehran and Washington have this month been escalating rhetoric against each other, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to try to cut Iran’s oil exports to zero and beef up the U.S. military presence in the Gulf in response to what he said were Iranian threats.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the request had been made by U.S. Central Command, but added that it was not clear whether the Pentagon would approve the request.

The Pentagon regularly receives - and declines - requests for additional resources from U.S. combatant commands throughout the world.

One of the officials said the requested troops would be defensive in nature.

It is unclear if any specific request will ultimately be presented to the White House. The request for 5,000 additional troops was first reported by Reuters.

Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 01:51 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Politix
The Democrats' Alien Voting Strategy
[American Thinker] In a book from the 1950s entitled And Not a Shot is Fired: How Parliament Can Play a Revolutionary Part in the Transition to Socialism, Jan Kozak, a Czech Communist, explains how Czechoslovakia was transformed from a free country into a communist dictatorship in 1948 without armed revolution taking place. They voted the communists in and, once they had a taste of power, they held on to it for 40 years. That would not be possible in the United States, right? After all, President Trump has said America will never be a socialist country. Let’s take a look at something happening now that may make you wonder.

The 1948 Czechoslovakia model uses the voting booth to obtain power. To do that they need voters. Here’s one way to get truckloads of new voters. Immigrants who become citizens vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Table 4 from this Center for Immigration Reform link shows voter changes as immigrant population increases in 25 U.S. cities. It gives a pretty good reason why Democrats want more immigrants. They result in Democratic election wins.

Step one of the plan is to recruit voters. Pueblo Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders for you English speakers out there) is a nonprofit group based in Chicago. Glenn Beck gives a good summary of the group, its primary organizers, and some of its activities in this video if you’d like to know more about them.

PSF advertises in Honduras and Guatemala for people who would be interested in coming to the United States to live. That would be a hard sell, wouldn’t it? They then help organize and finance the "caravans" that march 1000 miles across Mexico and end up at our southern border. And you thought it was all a spontaneous.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 01:34 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Ilhan was voted into Congress with over 70% votes in her favor. The majority of those votes were believed not to be Somali, but were sub saharan africa immigrants in her district. These immigrants are highly organized as members of major local organizations who provide them social services and were influential in her election
Posted by: Angairong Flavigum3253 || 05/23/2019 2:15 Comments || Top||

#2  So the PSF are organized human traffickers posing as a globalist NGO. Can't they be prosecuted for trafficking ?
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/23/2019 10:03 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Trans Activists Silence The Science So They Can Claim It's On Their Side
[The Federalist] According to legend, Galileo defiantly muttered "and yet it moves" after the Inquisition forced him to abjure his Copernican views. Although unverified, this story became a popular anecdote in the history of science, giving voice to the passionate love for inquiry and truth, even in the face of dogmatic threats of violence.

If the transgender movement has its way, we shall soon see many more like Galileo, forced by today’s ideologues and inquisitions to deny the plain truth of science and reason. For example, Ray Blanchard, a leading researcher on human sexuality, was recently suspended from Twitter for the clinically correct statement that "Transsexualism and milder forms of gender dysphoria are types of mental disorder." After an outcry, his account was restored, but the message had already been sent‐thoughtcrime will be punished, even, perhaps especially, if it is true.

This might be dismissed as another Twitter tempest in a teapot, were it not part of a trend of trans activists targeting scientists and researchers who reach politically inconvenient conclusions. Another respected researcher, Kenneth Zucker, was defamed and wrongly fired when trans activists smeared him. Lisa Littman, whose qualitative research identified the phenomenon of rapid-onset gender dysphoria, was vilified and lost a consulting position.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 01:32 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  An individual who either cannot or will not reconcile themselves to physical reality is delusional. END. OF. STORY.
Posted by: Cesare || 05/23/2019 7:57 Comments || Top||

#2  The numerous gifts of identity politics and entitlement beckon.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 8:22 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
Federal Efforts to Secure Key Cities From Mass Terror Attack Found Faulty
[Free Beacon] A federal investigation into a nationwide program to secure America's top cities from a mass terror attack has found that the Department of Homeland Security has not adequately tracked local progress in detecting threats and cannot provide assurances that cities participating in the program can sustain efforts to thwart terror attacks.

Since June 2018, several large cities have received nearly $145 million in federal dollars to purchase detection equipment and other devices that could help local law enforcement detect nuclear and radiological materials, which the federal government has deemed a top national security matter.

However, DHS‐which operates the program‐has not adequately tracked how dollars are spent, nor has the agency developed methods to ensure that these key cities can sustain detection efforts aimed at stopping a weapon of mass destruction if a terrorist deployed it.

With the Trump administration's Justice Department charging would-be terrorists in the United States at a quickening rate, detection efforts have become all the more important for major cities. Federal investigators are now warning DHS that it must make a greater effort to help these cities sustain their threat detection abilities.

"DHS does not have assurance that cities can sustain threat detection and deterrence capabilities gained through the" Securing the Cities program, also known as STC, according to a new report issued by federal oversight investigators. "DHS has not enforced planning requirements for sustaining those capabilities and has taken limited action to help cities do so, although encouraging sustainment is one of its primary program goals."
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 01:29 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Federal Efforts to Secure Key Cities From Mass Terror Attack Found Faulty

...This is my shocked face.

It's all theater, no more and no less. I've said for years that when the next big attack happens, we'll have video of the perp(s) passing right through one checkpoint or another, the emergency gear will be non-functional if it's there at all, and we'll have paperwork showing that lots of people got lots of money to insure otherwise.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 05/23/2019 6:05 Comments || Top||

#2  This is the answer to the perennial question "Where's the graft in that?".

It's also the answer to how do we increase the graft available.
Posted by: AlanC || 05/23/2019 8:12 Comments || Top||

#3  They sort of ignore the principle that if someone does a mass attack you wipe them off the face of the earth to discourage repeat events. Do or do not, there is no try.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/23/2019 8:54 Comments || Top||


-Short Attention Span Theater-
How tough are you?: Man in Italy walks into hospital with arrow through heart, somehow survives
As my grandaddy would have said, "Atsa prooty tough!"
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Practicing for marriage?
Posted by: gorb || 05/23/2019 4:00 Comments || Top||

#2  When I worked at SFGH, the radiology doc kept a file of unbelievable xrays. One showed a man with a 10 inch kitchen knife stuck completely thru his neck - side to side - and he was standing for the xray. Sometimes you get lucky.
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/23/2019 8:31 Comments || Top||

#3  Here, hold my Grappa.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/23/2019 8:43 Comments || Top||


The Grand Turk
Turkey: Security Forces Arrest Ten ISIS-linked Foreigners
[AAWSAT] Ottoman Turkish counter terrorism forces on Tuesday placed in durance vile
Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up!
10 foreigners suspected of links to an ISIS operative in the central province of Kayseri.

Security sources said simultaneous raids were carried in several locations.

Since early 2017, Ottoman Turkish security forces have arrested more than 4,000 members of the terrorist organization, most of whom were foreigners. Hundreds have since been deported.

Ottoman Turkish security forces foiled 347 terrorist attacks in 2018 alone, much less when compared to the 697 terrorist attacks thwarted in 2017. In parallel, recent reports shed light on what seems to be a Ottoman Turkish pro-leniency policy when handling ISIS and al-Qaeda detainees.

These reports showed that most detained foreign snuffies and their accomplices arrested between 2014 and 2016 on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities were released shortly after.

Data released by the Ottoman Turkish Gendarmerie Division covering the period from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016 showed that of the 607 detained, 224 were foreigners.

According to reports, most of the suspects officially arrested on charges of association with ISIS and al-Qaeda in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
were quickly released by court proceedings and that those convicted were a very little few.

The number of foreign snuffies arrested in Turkey and who come from Syria and Iraq rose from only 8 in 2014 to 499 in 2015.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Turkey Orders Arrest of 249 Foreign Ministry Personnel over Gulen Links
[AAWSAT] Ottoman Turkish authorities ordered the arrest of 249 foreign ministry personnel over suspected links to the network of US-based Fethullah Gülen
... a Turkish preacher living in Pennsylvania whom the current govt of Turkey considers responsible for all the ills afflicting Turkey and possibly the entire world...
, who is accused of orchestrating an attempted coup on July 15, 2016.

The Ankara chief prosecutor’s office said it ordered the arrest of the 249 personnel after investigations found that they had committed irregularities in the foreign ministry’s past entrance exams.

It said 78 suspects were tossed into the calaboose so far in operations across 43 provinces and that police were seeking the rest. They are believed to have used ByLock, an encrypted cellphone app used for texting, that the authorities assume was a means of communication among Gulen Movement members before and during the attempted coup.

Authorities have carried out regular operations against the alleged followers of Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. Gulen denies he was behind the failed coup.

More than 77,000 people have been jugged
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
pending trial, while some 175,000 civil servants, military personnel and others have been sacked or suspended from their jobs as part of the post-coup purges.

In another context, the Supreme Election Council (YSK) announced Monday its final decision on annulling the election results in Istanbul’s mayoral race.

Voters will head to ballot boxes again to elect a mayor for Istanbul on June 23 after The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...Qatar's colony in Asia Minor....
’s electoral board scrapped on May 6 the results of the March 31 polls in the country’s largest city.

YSK members ruled in favor of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) objection to the results of the polls, ordering a re-run.

The Ottoman Turkish opposition, whose candidate was stripped of victory in the mayoral race, has expressed dismay at YSK’s decision, seeing it an attempt by the ruling party to keep its grip on the municipality.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Sublime Porte


Britain
Tenfold surge in number of child slavery probes as police warn there are 'just too many predators out there'
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What do those groups have ion common?
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 05/23/2019 4:10 Comments || Top||

#2  Drug gangs led by Pakistani, Albanian and Irish families. The largest employer of children for the drug and sexual slavery trades are gangs.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/23/2019 9:52 Comments || Top||

#3  Child slavery is a scourge; this should not be tolerated in the U.S.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 10:17 Comments || Top||

#4  It's from the land Charles Dickens actually. The only child slavery in the US is Kid's Got Talent.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/23/2019 10:31 Comments || Top||


The Grand Turk
Seven Turkish journalists jailed for ‘terrorist propaganda’
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A Ottoman Turkish court has handed multiple jail terms for editors and journalists from the now-defunct pro-Kurd daily Ozgur Gundem on charges of spreading "terrorist propaganda".

Seven people, including the newspaper’s editors-in-chief Eren Keskin and Huseyin Aykol, were given sentences ranging from 15 to 45 months in prison, the paper said on its Twitter account.

A total of 24 people from the newspaper appeared for Tuesday’s hearing, but only seven were convicted of "disseminating terrorist propaganda," according to the P24 press freedom website.

The newspaper was accused of running propaganda in favor of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the Ottoman Turkish state since 1984.

It was permanently shut in August 2016 following an attempted coup by opponents of President 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...
.

"I don’t believe I have committed a crime. I don’t believe the expression of thought is a crime. I request my acquittal," Keskin told the court.

At least 146 journalists are currently imprisoned in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
, according to P24, most detained under the state of emergency imposed after the attempted coup.

Turkey is ranked 157th in the world for press freedom by Reporters Without Borders, which says the government has increasingly seized control of media outlets and is the world’s biggest jailer of professional journalists.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Sublime Porte


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Christians of Mhardeh help Syrian Army in fight against jihadists
[ALMASDARNEWS] The National Defense Forces (NDF) released a new video this week of their Mhardeh division taking part in the defense of Kafr Naboudeh in the northwestern countryside of Hama.

Mhardeh, one of the largest Christian towns in Syria, has long been targeted by the jihadist and Ottoman Turkish-backed rebel groups (even former US-backed groups) in northern Hama; this prompted them to establish one of the most powerful NDF units in the country.

Along with nearby Sqaylabiyeh, Mhardeh is known for its reliance on their local population to defend their town. For this reason, the jihadist and Ottoman Turkish-backed rebels have often targeted the civil infrastructure of Mhardeh in order to punish the civilians there.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra

#1  Migrants from Mhardeh helped found many Arab-Christian communities in Paraguay and Argentina. They have been strong supporters of the Assad family for rather obvious reasons.
Posted by: Chereting Pelosi1889 || 05/23/2019 9:28 Comments || Top||


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Dramatic video shows a woman being rescued from floodwaters as 22 million people in the central states brace for hail and heavy rain after 22 tornadoes ripped through the Southern Plains, while Colorado sees its latest May SNOW in 44 years
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Daily Mail wins the "Longest Headline" award, every day!
Posted by: Bobby || 05/23/2019 0:09 Comments || Top||

#2  AND they are often difficult to parse.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 2:15 Comments || Top||


#4  The headline is wrong for Colorado. On May 19th, 1990 we got 7 inches dumped on us during our prom. There have been times it has snowed in June as well.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/23/2019 5:11 Comments || Top||

#5  One weekend in April we got 5 feet of snow in Evergreen CO. Light powdery stuff. The truck would drive fine (until the radiator packed) but we had to climb in and out of the windows as the doors wouldn't open.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 10:01 Comments || Top||

#6  It has been interesting; another round today.

Agriculture has been affected badly by the stormy weather. Missouri only has 62 percent of its corn planted, compared to 95 percent a year ago through May 19, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Soybean planting is also delayed, with only 9 percent of fields planted versus 58 percent a year ago.

In Arkansas, only 31 percent of soybeans have been planted compared to 78 percent a year ago.


Wait until the wheat reports come in.

The headline is wrong for Colorado. On May 19th, 1990 we got 7 inches dumped on us during our prom. There have been times it has snowed in June as well.

Yeah, and mountains. Eisenhower tunnel area had a whollop of a crash as I understand it.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/23/2019 11:43 Comments || Top||

#7  Why plant if the Chinese are not going to buy?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/23/2019 12:36 Comments || Top||

#8  So we can have Brexit popcorn.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 15:59 Comments || Top||

#9  The deli. A beard and a commie:
"A kilo of vegan salami!"
"The ruby chard Reuben...
wait, make that a Cuban...
green tea... butter-free Poppamame."
Posted by: Cremp Hatrack8738 || 05/23/2019 17:32 Comments || Top||

#10 

Man made global something or other. ManBearPig Gore must be going apoplectic.
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/23/2019 17:38 Comments || Top||

#11  Maybe I don't travel all the circles, but I found that when Nebraska got (and is still getting) wholloped there was hardly any coverage.

Theory is, is that by ignoring the devastation, there is little 'public sympathy' for the flyovers. Same with last year's Oklahoma fires, and with the 2017 fire outbreak where locally our fire burned 500,000 is less than 24 hours, and some 700,000 over the five days. But shit a helicopter lands in Oprah's back yards because there is mud in her driveway, its on everything to TMZ.

I heard that the Nebraska relief bill got tied into another Puerto Rico relief graff payment; that was during another round of bash Trump over PR.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/23/2019 18:26 Comments || Top||

#12  Successful water rescue, not bad for a ad hoc but that was extremely dangerous. Small diameter rope, poor footing.

Been reviewing water rescue videos, because out here this is a rare event/very dangerous. Dude I've been watching basically sets the stage with,

"Most people are poor swimmers at the best of times. They are cold, in wet clothing, and having the worst moment of their entire life. They may kill both of you, so plan according, and don't forget your gd flotation." I'm paraphrasing, but not by much.

Talking to comrade this morning, was mentioning this, he says he remembers his youth swimmer rescue training. "Come at them from behind, and grab around the chest. If they are fighting, knock them out; an unconscious patient is easier to control. If you can't do that, and if its a guy, punch them in the balls. Hard." I'm not sure how that pans with a female, though I have heard a hit to the woo hoo is also attention getting.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/23/2019 18:37 Comments || Top||

#13  same thing with aid too ppl in southern Ga.. shir keeps getting messed up in other affairs
Posted by: chris || 05/23/2019 18:39 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Pete Buttigieg's father was a Marxist professor who lauded the Communist Manifesto
[Washington Examiner] The father of Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg was a Marxist professor who spoke fondly of the Communist Manifesto and dedicated a significant portion of his academic career to the work of Italian Communist Party founder Antonio Gramsci, an associate of Vladimir Lenin.

Joseph Buttigieg, who died in January at the age of 71, immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s from Malta and in 1980 joined the University of Notre Dame faculty, where he taught modern European literature and literary theory. He supported an updated version of Marxism that jettisoned some of Marx and Engel's more doctrinaire theories, though he was undoubtedly Marxist.

He was an adviser to Rethinking Marxism, an academic journal that published articles “that seek to discuss, elaborate, and/or extend Marxian theory,” and a member of the editorial collective of Boundary 2, a journal of postmodern theory, literature, and culture. He spoke at many Rethinking Marxism conferences and other gatherings of prominent Marxists.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ButtPlug takes after his dad of course.
Posted by: Uleck Spererong9442 || 05/23/2019 4:57 Comments || Top||

#2  As Mike Savage says: Red Diaper Doper Baby.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 05/23/2019 7:13 Comments || Top||

#3  Is it just me, or is there some sort of pattern here ?
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 8:26 Comments || Top||

#4  I don't think this guy has a chance to be POTUS. However, I didn't think a guy whose name sounded too much like Osama bin Laden would ever make it either. The left seems to like to parade out poster boys and girls for what they define as a kind of superficial diversity.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/23/2019 8:55 Comments || Top||

#5  Indeed, Diversity doesn’t tell me a damn thing about your values.
Posted by: Jack Salami || 05/23/2019 9:47 Comments || Top||

#6  Joe Stalin gave communists a bad name so now they call themselves Democrats.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 10:45 Comments || Top||


Europe
Church bells ring out in protest over Afghan deportations
Church bells rang out in several towns and cities in Sweden at noon, Tuesday, as a protest against the continued deportation of Afghan asylum seekers.

Officials behind the movement want an amnesty for young afghans facing deportation from Sweden when they turn 18.

Radio Sweden visited Västerled Church in Bromma which took part in the national demonstration. One of its pastors Hanna Bäckman says, "we can't be silent anymore. ... We want a change."
Sweden is finished. It's just going to take a couple of decades to fall off the cliff. But it's coming for sure, nothing can stop it now. Sad.
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Moslem Colonists

#1  "we can't be silent anymore. ... We want a change."

So move to Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia or Iran or any place else that fits your principles.
Posted by: AlanC || 05/23/2019 7:45 Comments || Top||

#2  or any place else

Except the US!
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 15:53 Comments || Top||

#3  Sweden could always try raising Janissaries. Tell them that they need to join the new Swedish Foreign Legion or the border is over there and don't look back.
Posted by: magpie || 05/23/2019 18:55 Comments || Top||


Africa Horn
Suicide car bomb kills at least nine in Somalia’s capital
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Islamic extremists exploded a suicide car bomb and killed at least nine people, including Somalia’s former foreign minister, near the presidential palace in the capital on Wednesday, police said.

Former foreign minister Hussein Elabe Fahiye, who was an advisor to the current president, was among those killed in the blast.

Capt. Mohamed HusseinIslamic extremists exploded a suicide car bomb and killed at least nine people, including Somalia’s former foreign minister, near the presidential palace in the capital on Wednesday, police said.

Former foreign minister Hussein Elabe Fahiye, who was an advisor to the current president, was among those killed in the blast.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein told The Associated Press another 13 people were wounded and most of the casualties were soldiers.

The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast in Mogadishu, saying it targeted vehicles carrying government officials.

The car bomb exploded at a security checkpoint near the presidential palace as soldiers were conducting security checks on vehicles on the main road.

A white column of smoke rose over the seaside city as gunfire rang out and people scattered.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab frequently carries out such blasts in the capital near the presidential compound and at hotels frequented by government officials and foreigners.

“In the past, I was wounded in this area, and again today my daughter has been killed in this attack which also destroyed my home. This is terrible,” witness Madey Ahmed told the AP.

Amid the crumpled vehicles and tangled metal roofing, a small corps of yellow-vested workers carried bodies and began sweeping the dusty street.

told The Associated Press another 13 people were wounded and most of the casualties were soldiers.

The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast in Mogadishu, saying it targeted vehicles carrying government officials.

The car bomb exploded at a security checkpoint near the presidential palace as soldiers were conducting security checks on vehicles on the main road.

A white column of smoke rose over the seaside city as gunfire rang out and people scattered.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab frequently carries out such blasts in the capital near the presidential compound and at hotels frequented by government officials and foreigners.

“In the past, I was wounded in this area, and again today my daughter has been killed in this attack which also destroyed my home. This is terrible,” witness Madey Ahmed told the AP.

Amid the crumpled vehicles and tangled metal roofing, a small corps of yellow-vested workers carried bodies and began sweeping the dusty street.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab (AQ)


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Russia says Syrian militants launched missile attack on Hmeimim air base
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Syrian government troops on Wednesday morning repelled three big attacks by bully boyz in Syria’s Idlib province, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

It said in a statement that 500 Nusra front bully boys, seven tanks, and about 30 pickups mounted with heavy machine guns had taken part in the attacks.

The ministry said that Syrian bully boyz based in Idlib had also launched a missile attack on Russia’s Hmeymim air base on Wednesday, but that their missiles were either shot down or did not reach their target.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra

#1  Did someone spell Heineken wrong?
Posted by: Omorong Black8889 || 05/23/2019 12:40 Comments || Top||


Air Raids Kill 12 Civilians in Syria's Idlib
[AAWSAT] Airstrikes by Damascus or its ally Moscow killed 12 civilians in a market in Syria's Idlib province, a monitor said Wednesday, as fierce fighting raged for the oppsition-held northwestern region.

Another 18 people were wounded when the warplanes hit the town of Maarat al-Numan around midnight (2100 GMT) on Tuesday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The market was crowded with people out and about after breaking the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

The strikes came as heavy clashes raged in the north of neighboring Hama province after the opposition launched a counterattack on Tuesday against pro-government forces in the town of Kafr Nabuda.

Fresh fighting on Wednesday took the death toll to 52 -- 29 troops and militia and 23 extremists, the Observatory said.

Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for armed factions, says the fighters regained control of Kfar Nabuda on Wednesday in an overnight counteroffensive, driving regime forces from areas they captured earlier this month.

Regime forces had seized Kfar Nabuda on May 8, cutting into rebel-held territory.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra


Europe
France: Europe Will Not Yield to Ultimatums from Iran
[AAWSAT] La Belle France declared on Tuesday that Europe
...also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
will not succumb to ultimatums from Iran and threats to withdraw from the nuclear deal.

"I do not think that Europe will get drawn into this idea of an ultimatum," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told news hounds.

Le Maire said Europeans were facing extremely strong pressure from the United States regarding trade with Iran, and that threats by Tehran to pull out of its nuclear deal with global powers were not helpful in that regard.

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...
withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers. He followed it with severe sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy and oil exports.

Two weeks ago, Tehran said it would relax some of its commitments under the accord it struck with Britannia, China, La Belle France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Iran said this month that cap no longer applied in response to the US withdrawal from the deal.

Under the deal Iran may enrich uranium to 3.67% purity ‐ far below the 90% of weapons grade, and also below the 20% level to which Iran refined uranium before the deal.

Iran has threatened that in 60 days it would resume enrichment beyond the 3.67% level unless remaining signatories of the deal find a way to safeguard its vital oil and banking sectors.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Italian man set free after almost three years of captivity in Syria
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] An Italian man held hostage in Syria for almost three years has been sprung, the Italian prime minister’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement said Italian intelligence, police and the foreign ministry had worked together to secure the release of Alessandro Sandrini ‐ a 32-year-old from the northern city of Brescia.

Sandrini flew to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund....
in October 2016 for a holiday but soon disappeared. A year later, he called his family, telling them he had been seized off a street in Adana, southern Turkey.

His captors released two subsequent videos, including one posted on the Internet last July, showing him dressed in an orange jumpsuit, with two men standing behind him holding guns.

"They say they are fed up with me and that I will be killed if everything is not solved quickly," Sandrini said, asking Italia to reach a deal with his kidnappers.

Sandrini is the second Italian hostage in Syria to be released in the last two months. The first was businessman Sergio Zanotti, who was also from Brescia and was seized in April 2016.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
India claims new first for world’s fastest cruise missile
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] India said the world’s fastest cruise missile passed another key test Wednesday when it successfully hit a land target after being fired from a fighter jet.

India is developing the supersonic BrahMos missile ‐ which has a top speed of 3,450 kilometers per hour ‐ with Russia, and according to media reports wants to soon start selling it abroad.

The missile is one-and-a-half times faster than the old Concorde supersonic jet. The Indian defense ministry said a specially converted Su-30 MKI fighter jet successfully fired the 2.5-tonne missile, which has a range of about 300 kilometers.

"The launch from the aircraft was smooth and the missile followed the desired trajectory before directly hitting the land target," a ministry statement said.

It did not say where the test was staged or give other details apart from saying "very complex" mechanical, electrical and software modifications were made to the Russian-origin fighter jet.

The first test on a sea target was staged in November 2017. India said then it was the first country "to have successfully fired an air-launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this category on a sea target".

"The BrahMos missile provides Indian Air Force a much-desired capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target at sea or on land with pinpoint accuracy by day or night and in all weather conditions," the ministry said.

India has already ordered sea-launched versions of the missile for its navy, and specialist defense media reports have said the BrahMos could start being introduced to the air force from 2020.

BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia and officials from the enterprise have said at recent international air shows that discussions on sales are being held with a number of countries.

Media reports have said Southeast Asian countries have expressed particular interest, which could worry China. India and Russia are reported to be preparing plans for a longer-range version of the missile which could fly at up to Mach 5, or 6,125 kilometers per hour.

BrahMos is named for the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers of India and Russia respectively.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This means they can hit places in Pakistan before Pakistan can organize a response?
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 12:23 Comments || Top||

#2  Can it carry an Indian nuke warhead?
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 12:24 Comments || Top||

#3  It's currently built to carry conventional HE warheads up to 300 kgs. India is still developing the BrahMos II which shall have a Nuclear warhead configuration apart from other innovative configs introduced by the Russians.

Pakistain ? It cannot organize a proper response to even lowly Indian Migs dropping off smart bombs. Their US donated Falcon got shot down by humble Mig27 Bison.

Brahmos are Mach 3 projectiles. The Brahmos was made to overwhelm the Chinese BDM capability. Pakistain poses a threat only if China backs their play. Without China, Pakistain is as good as a crater. Before it changed sugar daddies, India was wary of the US supporting it in conflict. Now it's the Chinese. We develop our capabilities to the specifications of whatever poses the real danger.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/23/2019 14:58 Comments || Top||

#4  The BrahMos is a follow on to the Soviet "Carrier Killer" (SS-N-19 Shipwreck and SS-N-22 Sunburn) missiles and had a simple purpose: "Fire the Missile and who cares if the launching ship gets sunk almost immediately afterwards?" Seems more useful to the Chinese than the Indians...
Posted by: magpie || 05/23/2019 15:32 Comments || Top||


SU cancels Daesh-linked student’s admission
[DAWN] The Sindh University (SU) administration has cancelled provisional admission of Naureen Leghari ‐ a second year MBBS student of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) who had joined proscribed ISIS in 2017 ‐ on the ground that she could be a risk for other students.

Naureen had undergone a rehabilitation treatment after she was jugged
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
in Lahore in the wake of an encounter between some forces of Evil and personnel of the local Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

She had disappeared on Feb 10, 2017 and her father, Dr Jabbar Leghari, an SU teacher, had called for her recovery during a a presser. However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well...
it later transpired that she had joined ISIS.

After being recovered, Naureen underwent rehabilitation treatment under the supervision of law-enforcement agencies. Her family did not share much details after she reunited with them. She resumed her studies at LUMHS until her admission was revoked in March 2019.

LUMHS registrar told Dawn on Tuesday that Leghari had submitted an application on Feb 22 for the cancellation of her admission which was accepted on March 1.

Naureen had also appeared in SU’s entry test for English department and was given provisional admission. She had attended classes until it emerged that it was the same woman who had been trapped by ISIS. When the fact was reported to the SU administration, it moved against her on certain administrative and admission policy grounds.

The SU vice chancellor stated that Naureen’s name did not appear in the final list of admission because she had not submitted certain documents. "Then there was concealment of facts as well; she did not disclose that she was a student of LUMHS," the VC said, adding: "I know that her admission was cancelled after LUMHS academic council disapproved it for her alleged links with a proscribed outfit."

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Army foils major infiltration bid in Gurez
[Daily Excelsior] Army today foiled a major infiltration bid in Gurez sector of North Kashmire’s Bandipora district today while two murderous Moslems were rubbed out in Kulgam district of South Kashmire during an operation.

A senior Army officer said that at about 4 pm, a group of 4 to 5 murderous Moslems attempted to sneak into this side in the general area of Naushahra Nar in Kanjalwan of Gurez.

He said that the soldiers of 36 RR manning the fence challenged them and the murderous Moslems opened fire leading to a brief exchange of fire.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistain Proxies


Explanation sought from jailer over torture of prisoner
[DAWN] An anti-terrorism court has sought an explanation from the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent regarding alleged physical torture on a Christian prisoner facing trial for vandalism and damaging public property following the 2015 suicide kabooms on churches in Youhannabad.

A medical examination report submitted before the court revealed marks of torture on the body of Vikram Masih.

Masih told the court that he was hung upside down before other prisoners in the jail’s lockup for several hours. He claimed that the jail doctor did not perform a complete check up of his injuries. The Lahore High Court granted bail to Masih four years ago, however, he could not come out of the jail for not furnishing two surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.

The lawyer asked the court to order a complete inquiry and registration of cases against the jail staff involved in the torture.

The judge asked the jail superintendent to submit an explanation about the torture incident and also conduct an inquiry in another matter of non-provision of adequate medical facility to Chand Hameed, facing trial in lynching of two Moslem people outside the Youhannabad. Jail’s deputy superintendent appeared and sought time to submit the required reports.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US threatens to take action over HTS claim that Syrian Army troops used chemical weapons
[ALMASDARNEWS] The U.S. State Department has threatened to take action if the claims by the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
are true about the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) allegedly using chemical weapons in the Death Eater stronghold of Kabani.

"We are still gathering information on this incident, but we repeat our warning that if the Assad regime uses chemical weapons, the United States and our allies will respond quickly and appropriately," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

She also denounced Russia, the key ally of Damascus, for what she called a "disinformation campaign" as it tries to blame other parties for chemical attacks.

"The Assad regime’s culpability in horrific chemical weapons attacks is undeniable," Ortagus said.

"The regime’s attacks against the communities of northwest Syria must end," she said.

"The United States reiterates its warning, first issued by President (Donald) Trump in September 2018, that an attack against the Idlib de-escalation zone would be a reckless escalation that threatens to destabilize the region," she said.

What Ortagus, who previously mocked the plight of Syrians suffering from the U.S. blockade of oil to Syria, left out is that these claims came from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and their allies from the foreign jihadist group, the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP).

The Syrian Foreign Ministry denied these claims, as did the Syrian Arab Army, who later stormed the town at the same time of these allegations.

It may prove difficult for OPCW inspectors to investigate these allegations as HTS and TIP are notorious for kidnapping people and activists in northwestern Syria.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Jihadists make new push to capture 2nd strategic town in northwestern Hama
[ALMASDARNEWS] The jihadist rebels launched a new wave of attacks in northwestern Hama on Wednesday, targeting the strategic town of Qal’at al-Madiq near the al-Ghaab Plain.

Led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
, the jihadist rebels launched a heavy attack on the towns of Kurkat and Mustariyah in a bid to reach nearby Qal’at al-Madiq. Intense festivities are now ongoing at these two towns.

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and their Ottoman Turkish-backed rebel allies have already managed to recapture Kafr Naboudeh from the Syrian Arab Army on Wednesday. If they can retake Qal’at al-Madiq, they will have successfully retake the two most important towns in northwestern Hama.

At this time, the Syrian Army is still trying to recapture Kafr Naboudeh from HTS; however, they have only managed to retake a part of the town. HTS has entrenched themselves deep in the northern part of Kafr Naboudeh, which is now making it hard for the Syrian Army to break through their lines.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Swiss men have among the lowest sperm counts in Europe: Scientists warn semen is in a 'critical state' which could damage fertility and raise cancer risk
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  High altitude+solar radiation? Be interesting to compare with High country Peruvian Indians...
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/23/2019 8:25 Comments || Top||

#2  Poss due to AFG immigrants.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 15:57 Comments || Top||

#3  Stupid-ass headline. Looking at the bar chart in the article, the Swiss in are the middle of the pack and about par with Finland. Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be journos.
Posted by: SteveS || 05/23/2019 16:31 Comments || Top||

#4  Journo-Barbie: "Math and statistics is are hard"

Think Alysyn Camerota with long division
Posted by: Frank G || 05/23/2019 18:59 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Egypt refers six Muslim Brotherhood death sentence cases to Grand Mufti
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] An Egyptian court has referred the case of six alleged Muslim Brotherhood members convicted of terrorism to the Grand Mufti, Egypt’s top religious authority, for a non-binding opinion on their execution.

The Cairo Criminal Court said Wednesday the six were found guilty of killing three people, including a policeman, among other charges. The case includes a total of 70 defendants.

The verdict can be appealed and the judge can rule independently of the Grand Mufti. The Brotherhood won a series of free elections after Egypt’s 2011 uprising.

A Brotherhood figure, Mohammed Morsi, was elected president in 2012 but was overthrown by the military a year later amid mass protests against his divisive rule. The group is now branded a terrorist organization.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Muslim Brotherhood


Europe
France threatens journalists with jail time for exposing use of French arms in Yemen

France has threatened three French journalists with potential jail time for using secret documents to reveal the country's involvement in the Yemen civil war. 


In a series of reports published in April, investigative journalists from Disclose and Radio France revealed the number of French arms sold to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 


The documents, authored by France's Directorate of Military Intelligence (DSGI), showed that senior French officials had lied about the role of French weapons in the Yemen War.
More intelligence agencies warmongering and then lying to us about it. Then getting volcanically angry when their wrongdoings are exposed.

Posted by: Herb McCoy || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Man who stole car with 6-year-old boy inside shot by boy's father, deputies say

Probably it was Lamar's serious complexion and grooming problems that drove him to a life of crime.
A man accused of stealing a car with a 6-year-old boy inside in West Palm Beach and crashing it in Lantana early Saturday was shot by the boy's father, deputies said.
[BANG! BANG! BANGETTY BANG!]
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said Lamar Thurman, 29, drove away in the car, which was parked in front of a home on Roberts Lane, while the engine was on and the boy was inside as his father was saying goodbye to friends.
"Ahah! A car! Engine runnin' and everything! I'll just steal it! No one will ever know!"
The boy's father and friends followed the stolen car while calling 911.
"You, there! Miscreant! Halt!"
"Here, Lionel! Let us give chase!"

Thurman soon crashed the car on Loquat Tree Drive in Lantana, Barbera said.
"Ha ha! Youse'll never catch me! [SCREECH!] [CRASH!] Ow!"
As the boy's father and friends tried to rescue the child from the car, Thurman started to drive off again, Barbera said.
"Here, you! Miscreant! You cannot drive a vehicle after the airbag has popped! It is not safe!"
That's when the boy's father, armed with a handgun, shot Thurman several times "in an attempt to stop him from fleeing further with his child in the car," Barbera said.
"Stop or I'll [BANG! BANG! BANGETTY BANG!] shoot!"
Thurman crashed the car again about 200 yards away and was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.
"Aaaiiieee! I am undone!"
The boy wasn't hurt.
"Hooray! I ain't! Get 'im, Pop!"
Barbera said evidence from the scene and witness statements are consistent with the father's account of what happened.
"Ayup. Blood. Bullet holes. Airbag. Skid marks. It all adds up!"
"Barbera! How do you do it?"

"The suspect has no association with the victims," Barbera said.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  grooming problems

Tattooed himself shaving?
Posted by: Squinty Gravick4899 || 05/23/2019 0:19 Comments || Top||

#2  Missed the "Florida Man" lead-in
Posted by: Mercutio || 05/23/2019 8:33 Comments || Top||

#3  West Palm Beach residents sleep more soundly tonight.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/23/2019 8:37 Comments || Top||


Economy
Oil prices drop on swelling US stockpiles, trade war
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Oil prices fell on Wednesday after industry data showed an increase in US crude inventories and on demand concerns linked to a protracted trade war between China and the United States.

However,
by candlelight every wench is handsome...
analysts said oil markets remained tight amid supply cuts led by producer group OPEC and as political tension escalates in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures were down 70 cents at $71.48 a barrel by 0906 GMT and are set for their biggest daily fall in 11 days.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for July delivery were down 68 cents at $62.45.

"Buying pressures are sandwiched between mounting geopolitical disruption risks in the Middle East and jitters over the fallout from the intensifying US-China trade dispute," PVM’s Stephen Brennock said in a note.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Gas prices on the west coast seem to always rise due to “unplanned refinery maintenance. and the switch to the “summer”blend in California. Funny how that seems to always coincide with the busiest driving holiday of the year. Actual crude output seems to have little meaning to a rigged market that hasn’t seen refinery capacity grow for decades it seems. Spiral investments t in increasing capacity doesn’t seem to appeal to a fixed market.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 05/23/2019 12:44 Comments || Top||

#2  As soon as they lower gas prices in California, the government will raise the gas tax.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 14:03 Comments || Top||


Europe
Dutch investigators bust major cryptocurrency launderer
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Dutch Sherlocks said Wednesday they have busted one of the biggest online money laundering services for cryptocurrencies worth hundreds of millions of euros a year.

Tax and federal prosecution officers have confiscated six servers in the Netherlands and Luxembourg, taking the Bestmixer.io virtual currency mixing service offline, the Dutch tax office’s criminal branch (FIOD) said.

Bestmixer.io is one of the three largest online mixing services dealing in bitcoins, bitcoin cash, and Litecoins, the FIOD said. It was started a year ago and has so far generated sales of at least 200 million dollars (25,000 Bitcoin).

So-called "crypto-mixing services" are used by criminals on the Darknet to mask the origin of virtual currency," the FOID said in a statement. Services like Bestmixer.io are paid to "launder" online currency such as Bitcoins for a commission, erasing traces of the money’s origin, it said.

"People use the mixing service apparently to increase their anonymity. Our investigations show that much of the currency has a criminal origin or destination," said FIOD.

"This mixer is suspected of being used in these cases to mask criminal money streams and to launder money," it added. In total, Darknet markets generate some 800 million dollars yearly.

Bestmixer.io’s clients are from all over the world "with the emphasis on the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands," said FIOD. The probe was launched following a report by the US-based cyber security firm McAfee. So far, no arrests have been made, FIOD front man Adriaan Ros told AFP.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Arabia
Arab League Condemns Houthi Attempt to Target Makkah
[AAWSAT] The Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
reiterated Tuesday its condemnation of 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 ...
ballistic missile attacks on Makkah on Monday.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Abul Gheit issued a statement saying these acts pose a serious threat to regional and international security, and not just that of Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, voicing at the same time the Arab bloc's full support for the Kingdom in the face of terrorist threats that trigger regional chaos.

The front man of the Sec-Gen, Ambassador Mahmoud Afifi, affirmed that Abul Gheit reiterated full support to Saudi Arabia in confronting all threats to its national security and supporting the measures taken by the Saudi authorities to confront this threat.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy had come up with a new idea, one that didn't involve kerosene...
Joint forces of the Alliance to Support the Legitimacy in 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...
revealed that Houthi militias tried to target a vital civilian facility in Najran
a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province and a favored target of Houthirocket forces....
with a drone loaded with explosives.

Spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said Iran-backed militias continue to carry out acts of terrorism that pose a real threat to regional and international security by targeting civilian facilities, as well as citizens and residents of all nationalities.

On Monday, Saudi air defense forces intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Makkah, and were able to destroy the missiles 60 km from Makkah.

"The Air Defense Systems spotted on Monday morning the objects and were dealt with accordingly," he said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Shura Council Hadi al-Yami described the Houthi attempt to target one of the vital facilities in Najran as a new episode in the series of frequent abuses and attacks against civilians in Saudi cities.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria insurgents recapture village from government forces
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Syrian opposition fighters said Wednesday they recaptured a village on the edge of their stronghold in northwestern Syria that had been seized two weeks earlier by government forces in an offensive that wrecked a months-old cease-fire in the densely populated area.

The capture of Kfar Nabuda by government forces on May 8 was the most serious challenge to the cease-fire in Idlib province and surrounding areas negotiated by Russia and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
in September.

It was the first ground advance by government forces on the rebel stronghold, which is home to three million people, since the cease-fire averted an earlier offensive.

The area is among the last outside Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
’s control and the last area still held by anti-government rebels in the country’s eight-year civil war.

Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesperson for the opposition fighters, said they regained control of the village on Wednesday following an overnight counteroffensive.

He said they aim to regain control of all the areas seized by the government over the last two weeks.

The Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed government forces were repelled from Kfar Nabuda, adding there were festivities on the outskirts.

The rebel advance was met with intense government and Russian Arclight airstrikes on the enclave. The Observatory said at least 18 were killed since late Tuesday in strikes on four villages and towns, including 12 in an airstrike on a market in Maaret al-Numan.

Syrian first responders, the White Helmets, put the corpse count in the market airstrike at nine.

In Turkey’s capital, Ankara, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said talks with Russia to contain the violence were ongoing.

"We have told (the Russians) the (Syrian) regime must be controlled. The regime’s attacks must be stopped," Akar said. "They said they would work on it."

Russia had said the holy warriors are increasingly directing their missiles toward its military base in the coastal province of Latakia, explaining its participation in the strikes against the rebel stronghold, despite sponsoring the cease-fire.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra


Iranian lawmaker says his country does not want direct or proxy war with US
[DAWN] Iran will "under no circumstances" enter a war either directly or indirectly with the United States, a prominent reformist Iranian politician said Wednesday, as both Washington and Tehran try to ease heightened tensions in the region.

The reported comments by Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh
Gesundheit!
come after the White House earlier this month sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region over a still-unexplained threat it perceived from Iran.

Since that development, Iran has announced it will back away from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, an accord that 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...
pulled America out of a year ago.

Read: How the confrontational US-Iran relationship poses a challenge for Pakistain and the region

The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, alleged that four oil tankers were sabotaged off its coast, and Iranian-allied rebels in 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...
have launched drone attacks into 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...
Falahatpisheh's comments, reported by the semi-official ILNA news agency, carry additional heft as he serves as the chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission.

"Under no circumstance will we enter a war," Falahatpisheh said, according to ILNA. "No group can announce that it has entered a proxy war from Iran's side."

On Monday, Iran announced it had quadrupled its production capacity of low-enriched uranium. Iranian officials made a point to stress that the uranium would be enriched only to the 3.67% limit set under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, making it usable for a power plant but far below what's needed for an atomic weapon.

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  He doesn't talk about asymmetrical war.

Iran has been very successful at imposing its will on the West by asymmetrically applying armed force.
Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 || 05/23/2019 1:36 Comments || Top||

#2  Sorry, the words of the current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene™ of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran are the only ones that are more than a passing breeze.
Posted by: magpie || 05/23/2019 19:00 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Hackers have been holding the city of Baltimore’s computers hostage for 2 weeks
[VOX] Hackers targeted the city of Baltimore on May 7 using a ransomware called RobbinHood, which, as NPR explains, makes it impossible to access a server without a digital key that only the hackers have.

The Baltimore hackers’ ransom note, obtained by the Baltimore Sun, demanded payment of three bitcoins per system to be unlocked, which amounts to 13 bitcoins to unlock all the seized systems. The note threatened to increase the ransom if it wasn’t paid in four days, and said the information would be lost forever if it wasn’t paid in 10 days. Both deadlines have now passed.

"We won’t talk more, all we know is MONEY! Hurry up! Tik Tak, Tik Tak, Tik Tak!" the note said.

The city government is refusing to pay, meaning that the government email systems and payment platforms the attack took down remain offline. The attack has also harmed Baltimore’s property market, because officials weren’t able to access systems needed to complete real estate sales. (The city said transactions resumed on Monday.)

Baltimore Mayor Jack Young, who’s officially been in his office less than a month, said in a statement on Friday that city officials are "well into the restorative process" and have "engaged leading industry cybersecurity experts who are on-site 24-7 working with us." The FBI is also involved in the investigation.

"Some of the restoration efforts also require that we rebuild certain systems to make sure that when we restore business functions, we are doing so in a secure manner," Young said. He did not offer a timeline for when all systems will come back online.

The Baltimore City Council president also plans to form a special committee to investigate this latest attack and try to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

A similar attack using RobbinHood hit government computers in Greenville, North Carolina, in April. A spokesperson for Greenville told the Wall Street Journal that the city never wound up paying, and that while its systems aren’t entirely restored, "all of our major technology needs are now being met."

More than 20 municipalities in the US have been hit by cyberattacks this year alone. And such attacks can be expensive, perhaps especially if targets say they won’t pay. In 2018, hackers demanded that Atlanta pay about $50,000 in bitcoins as part of a ransomware attack. The city refused, and according to a report obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News, the attack wound up costing the city $17 million to fix.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  If this was a professional setup the maximal possible damage should be the loss of data generated between regular backups, i.e. in an interval no larger than a workday.

Is this a more or less clever attempt to destroy records by claiming they were eaten by evil hackers see IRS ?
Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 || 05/23/2019 1:31 Comments || Top||

#2  No. It's Baltimore. I don't think the idea of nightly data backup has caught on yet.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 1:48 Comments || Top||

#3  Some strategies perform one full, then a series of incremental backups over a span of time until the next full backup after which the prior incremental set is deleted.

Full recovery requires restoring one backup plus the incremental set. Much faster to create and restore than a full nightly.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 2:29 Comments || Top||

#4  These attacks are laughably easy to thwart. Automatic backups, separate databases, VMs that can be refreshed quickly, etc.

The fact it has taken so long to recover should speak volumes on how competent the government IT section is.
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/23/2019 5:35 Comments || Top||

#5  #4 These attacks are laughably easy to thwart. Automatic backups, separate databases, VMs that can be refreshed quickly, etc. The fact it has taken so long to recover should speak volumes on how competent the government IT section is.
Posted by: DarthVader 2019-05-23 05:35


Lord Vader,

The difficulty here is that useful, competent IT security was never the point, but getting money to connected political friends was more important.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 05/23/2019 6:08 Comments || Top||

#6  ^
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/23/2019 8:38 Comments || Top||

#7  One clue is the hackers can't spell "tick tock".
Posted by: Bobby || 05/23/2019 8:43 Comments || Top||

#8  #7 - Ballymore Public Skool grads?
Posted by: Frank G || 05/23/2019 9:05 Comments || Top||

#9  Sometimes it is cheaper to pay. It may not be a spelling mistake Bobby, Tik Tak is Dutch.
Posted by: BernardZ || 05/23/2019 9:12 Comments || Top||

#10  Baltimore is just full of Bad Luck.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 05/23/2019 11:35 Comments || Top||

#11  Government IT? Either the lowest bidder or some politician's relative that knows how to turn on a computer.
Posted by: Bob Grorong1136 || 05/23/2019 11:49 Comments || Top||

#12  When the Internet first got going everybody thought it was incredibly cool and everybody wanted to be on it. But the fact is, some sensitive databases have no business on the Internet. Further, if they must be online, they should be protected by multiple firewalls. If regular backups were not being done somebody needs to be fired. But regular backups are not enough. The backups should be tested by restoring them to a spare server and that spare server should be at a remote location and ready to switch over to production at a moment's notice. My experience is that, all too often, failure to implement these measures is a risk that senior management is willing to take for the sake of other, jazzier budget items. All too often, senior management don't know what they don't know and they won't listen to the peons who do know. In Baltimore they are now finding out. But then, it's Baltimore, a blue city.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 05/23/2019 13:57 Comments || Top||

#13  Well, bike paths often have a higher budgetary priority than pumps, levees, or computer security---ya know.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 05/23/2019 17:17 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Libya’s Haftar ruled out ceasefire in talks with France’s Macron
[ARABNEWS] Libyan eastern commander 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...
told French President Emmanuel Macron that conditions for a cease-fire were not in place, although he would be ready to talk if those conditions were met, a French presidency official said.

Macron and French officials have for several weeks called for an unconditional cease-fire in the battle for 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...
.

"The distrust we see between the Libyan actors is stronger than ever today," said a French presidential official after the meeting between Macron and Haftar in Gay Paree.

"When the question of the cease-fire was put on the table, Haftar’s reaction to this was to ask "negotiate with whom for a cease-fire today?" the official said.

He said Haftar considers his rival government in Tripoli "is completely infested by militias and it is not for him to negotiate with representatives of these militias."

The official said Macron had asked Haftar to make a public step toward a cease-fire and Haftar responded by saying that an inclusive political dialogue was necessary and he would be ready for it if the conditions for a cease-fire were in place.

However,
women are made to be loved, not understood...
the official said Haftar had given no indication as to when he would be ready for any potential talks.

Haftar also said neither him nor his army were benefiting from oil sales in the east of the country, the official said.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Algeria Army Chief Says Has ‘No Political’ Ambition
[AAWSAT] Algerian chief of staff General Ahmed Gaed Salah announced Wednesday that he had "no political ambition."

"I have personally committed myself repeatedly... to support the Algerian people" who are protesting "as well as the efforts of state institutions and the justice system," Gaid Salah said in his third speech in as many days.

"We have no political ambition aside from serving our country in accordance with our constitutional roles," Salah said, according to a transcript of the text seen by AFP.

The army has backed the July 4 presidential polls, which were announced following the resignation of ailing leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika
... 10th president-for-life of Algeria. He was elected in 1999 and is currently on his third or fourth term. Maybe it's the fifth....
last month in the wake of mass protests.

A former Bouteflika loyalist, Salah played a key role in his downfall by calling for the president's impeachment just hours before he stepped down.

Protests have continued as Algerians call for transitional bodies to be set up ahead of any election, arguing the existing institutions are too marred by corruption for a legitimate vote to take place.

On Monday, Salah reiterated his support for the elections and said the polls could help Algeria "avoid falling into the trap of a constitutional void, with its accompanying dangers and unwelcome consequences".

Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Arabia
Hate preacher Al-Qaradawi gets ‘best seat in house’ at Qatar emir’s banquet
[ARABNEWS] A notorious hate preacher has been pictured at the top table at a Ramadan banquet thrown by Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
’s emir, pictures on state TV show.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi
...Egyptian Islamic theologian and teevee preacher, well-known for IslamOnline, a website he helped found in 1997 and for which he now serves as chief religious scholar. Al-Qaradawi has also published more than 80 books, including Islam: The Future Civilization. He is considered one of the most influential Moslem Brotherhood scholars living today. Al-Qaradawi is banned from entering the United States, Israel and Great Britain. In 2004, 2,500 Moslem academics from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Paleostine accused him of giving Islam a bad name....
‐ who is known for his extreme views, including justifying suicide kabooms and attacks on Jews ‐ was pictured at the iftar reception hosted by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the current emir of Qatar.

In lengthy footage of the reception, Qatar Television shows al-Qaradawi as apparent guest of honor, sitting next to Sheikh Tamim and chatting cordially with him. Sheikh Tamim apparently kissed al-Qaradawi, who was sitting in a wheelchair, on the forehead.




Al-Qaradawi’s appearance at the iftar came in the same 24 hours in which he published a vile anti-Semitic rant in a Qatari publication.

It quoted claims that "the straight path is a separate way (for the Moslems); it is not the path of the Jews," according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.

David A. Weinberg, Washington Director for international affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, flagged al-Qaradawi’s appearance in a tweet.

"Fact: In the same 24 hours murderous Moslem preacher Yusef al-Qaradawi published his latest dehumanizing slander against the Jewish people, he was also kissed on the forehead by #Qatar’s ruler and given the best iftar seat in the house, by Tamim’s side & ahead of all other preachers," he wrote.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Muslim Brotherhood


India-Pakistan
Bid to revive militancy in Rajouri; 4 AK rifles, 11 pistols seized
[Daily Excelsior] In a major success, police today recovered large quantity of arms and ammunition including four AK rifles and 11 pistols from a hideout of the snuffies in Chatyari forest area of Rajouri and foiled the bully boys’ plot to revive militancy in the border district of Rajouri.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, a little lightbulb figuratively appeared over Bossy's head...
an Army jawan was martyred and two others were maimed in an accidental blast during live training drill with live ammunition in Mendhar sector of Poonch district.

"On a forward post as a part of `Mission Readiness Training, the Army soldiers were carrying out training drill with live ammunition when an incident took place as a live grenade got actuated and resulted in grievous injuries to instructor and minor injuries to two others.

The Instructor later departed this vale of tears. He has been identified as Naik Shreeshailappa Balabatti, a resident of Bagalkot, Karnataka. He is survived by his wife Geetha.

Click here to watch video

"Detailed investigation of the incident is underway so as to take corrective measures. The incident is unfortunate. However,
women are made to be loved, not understood...
training with live ammunition is the risk soldiers take," a Defence front man said.

He added that injured soldiers are out of danger.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, a little lightbulb figuratively appeared over Bossy's head...
police said it was being verified whether the consignment recovered in Rajouri was old or latest one dumped by the snuffies for picking it up and use it at an opportune time. However,
women are made to be loved, not understood...
it could be part of the bully boy plot to revive militancy in Doda, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch districts after Kishtwar.

Recently, police had nabbed
Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'!
two South Kashmire snuffies from Gool in Ramban district along with arms and ammunition while two others had managed to escape. The snuffies were part of the module which was planning to revive militancy in Ramban on the pattern of Kishtwar.

DIG Rajouri-Poonch range Vivek Gupta told the Excelsior that police today conducted search operation in Chatyari forest on the outskirts of Rajouri following specific inputs about an arms dump lying in a natural cave hideout.

During searches, police destroyed the hideout and recovered the consignment that included one AK-56 automatic assault rifle, three AK-47 automatic assault rifles, 11 pistols including two modified, eight magazines of AK rifle, 21 pistol magazines, two modified pistol magazines, 606 AK rounds and 36 pistol rounds.

Police said the hideout was located deep inside the forest area and the consignment of arms and ammunition had been hidden inside it after being wrapped in the bags.

After effecting recoveries, police parties launched massive search operations in Chatyari forests and surrounding areas. However,
women are made to be loved, not understood...
no arrests were made from the spot.

Police was examining the weaponry to ascertain as to when it had been kept in the hideout by the bully boys. During past some time, no infiltration has been reported from the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri sector.

However,
women are made to be loved, not understood...
it appeared that the snuffies had kept the consignment in the hideout to pick it up at a later date for subversive activities. Possibility of the snuffies planning to take consignment of arms and ammunition to Kashmire via Mughal road has also not been ruled out.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies


Arabia
CNN reveals how Houthis turned food aid into a weapon of war
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
, primarily the World Food Program, has been providing aid to millions in need of proper nutrition in 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 according to a new report, a significant part of this has been stolen by the Houthis.

The CNN report says that the Houthis have stolen around 1,200 metric tons of aid in the form of food in the capital alone.

According to the report, this trend has been around for a while, with the UN releasing a report in 2018 claiming that 1 percent of its aid was not going to their allocated areas. But in reality, many families are not being helped."

The Houthis control the aid agency that was appointed by the WFP to distribute the aid. The stealing is only adding to the misery of a country struggling with poverty and conflict.

The UN suspects that the aid is stolen in order to be diverted from children to fighters or Houthis supporters.

CNN said that Issham and the people of Bani Qais did not receive any aid " they have received no grain, cooking oil or other aid supplies" for many weeks.

The Arab Coalition in Yemen has repeatedly said that Houthis have been blocking the passage of aid ships.

Also, the Coalition has said that the Houthis were not pulling out from Hodeidah and its port, and were obstructing the work of the UN mission in Yemen and also blocking the passage of vessels carrying aid to the country's ports.

It asserted in many statements that 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 ...
militias deliberately disable ships and unload their cargo in Hodeidah and Salif ports.

The diverted aid was initially shielded from the WFP by the use of fake records and false thumbprints confirming the handout of the aid, which was being sold in the city rather than being given to those villages in need.

Amira Saleh, a woman whose name has been listed for aid and was even said to have received $440 has claimed that she did not receive any aid for half a year. Other women said that the aid that they were entitled to was denied to them due to lack of records that they had left behind in the cities they had fled. This was another excuse that the Houthis used to divert the aid, selling it to gain political support.

Also, a local NGO worker in Sanaa was questioned by security after speaking to CNN without the presence of the government minder.
Posted by: Fred || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis

#1  it's not like this is the first time this has been done, how did they stop talking about impeaching trump long enough to do this story?
Posted by: chris || 05/23/2019 6:55 Comments || Top||

#2  UN aid diverted? And it took CNN to find out?
Posted by: Bobby || 05/23/2019 8:30 Comments || Top||

#3  Somali Daycare Fraud & Minnesota Political Correctness

Just DNC-DFL governor Waltz-ing away, Omar's and Keith Ellison's Somalis in Minneapolis. And both Feds and the muzzy Minnesota attorney general Ellison are refusing to arrest ANYONE!
Posted by: Woodrow || 05/23/2019 17:34 Comments || Top||

#4  ^ "Mooohammed Noor, where are you?"
Posted by: Chunky Chung7339 || 05/23/2019 18:16 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
Leaked documents reveal NASA's Artemis mission will require 37 LAUNCHES as it prepares to put humans back on the surface in just five years and establish a lunar base by 2028
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Compared to SpaceX's StarShip predicted to be able to refuel and land directly on the surface and take off again without all that crap like a moon station in orbit.
Of course Sen Shelby refused to allow SpaceX to offer that Solution. This is all Shelby's fault.
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 11:49 Comments || Top||

#2 
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 11:53 Comments || Top||

#3  Link to Artemis family photo
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 19:39 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
Ozone hole coming back because of intentional breaking of treaties by NE China
[Axios]
Chinese factories are using banned ozone-depleting chemicals

Scientists have solved an international environmental mystery by pinpointing the source of a troubling uptick in a dangerous, ozone-destroying chemical: factories in northeastern China.

Why it matters: The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is viewed as the most successful environmental treaty ever enacted. However, its success depends on rigorous monitoring and enforcement, particularly regarding the ban on the production and use of ozone-depleting substances from developing countries since 2010.

According to the new study, published Wednesday in Nature, many factories in northeastern China have flouted the ban when it comes to a compound known as trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), which is an efficient destroyer of Earth's protective ozone layer and a far more powerful — albeit less abundant — global warming pollutant than carbon dioxide.

CFC-11 is used to produce foam insulation for refrigerators, air conditioners and buildings, among other uses.
Context: Using data from Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, a 2018 study found that the global concentrations of CFC-11 were not declining at the predicted rate. It also found an uptick in emissions of the synthetic compound and suggested that East Asia was a possible source region.

Subsequent research by the New York Times and the Environmental Investigations Agency (EIA) blamed illicit CFC-11 production and use on the growing Chinese polyurethane market.
However, observational data was too sparse to conclusively show where in East Asia the source was.
What they did: For the new study, researchers utilized high-frequency environmental observations from South Korea, Japan and other areas to investigate CFC-11 emissions patterns.

They also used multiple computer models to trace weather patterns that corresponded to spikes in CFC-11 levels at particular stations, which showed that air blowing from two provinces in northeastern China — Shandong and Hebei —were tied to spikes in CFC-11 concentrations.
What they found: Emissions of CFC-11 from eastern mainland China were about 7 million kilograms per year higher from 2014 to 2017 when compared to 2008 to 2012, the study finds.

This amounts to at least 40%–60% of the global increase in CFC-11 emissions observed from previous research, but this may be an underestimate, the study says.
The study shows the emissions are most likely coming from new production, rather than slow emissions from prior stockpiles.
The big picture: New production and emissions of CFC-11 could delay the healing of the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, by at least a decade.

Stratospheric ozone loss can lead to increased skin cancer rates and harm wildlife, particularly in high latitudes.
The threat: Each molecule of CFC-11 stays in the atmosphere for 52 years, according to the study. "With no emissions, it still lingers on and on and on," says co-author Ron Prinn of MIT.

What they're saying: Avipsa Mahapatra of the EIA tells Axios the new study is "critical because it provides precise scientific measurements that a large magnitude of the global emissions of CFC-11 that were detected before are indeed coming from China and even pinpoints specific provinces in China." Mahapatra was not involved in the new study.

But, but, but: The lack of observing stations to sift through the air for evidence of banned CFCs in China, parts of Africa and elsewhere blinds scientists to possible emissions sources that could also harm the ozone layer.

What's next: It's now up to China to crack down on producers and users of this banned substance, experts tell Axios. "It's up to the Chinese government to fulfill their requirements under the Montreal Protocol," Prinn says.
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  China has shown its dishonest attitude towards contract, treaties and agreements for a very long time. They cheat steal and lie and we keep doing business with them and suddenly Trump actually confronts it and everyone seems shocked. They won’t change so we need to in how we interact commercially. They are the main threat so it’s time to face it.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 05/23/2019 12:55 Comments || Top||


Britain
Anti-brexit group unmasked as set up and funded by greenpeace
Posted by: DarthVader || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Or... it is the EU that employs greenpeace.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 05/23/2019 10:16 Comments || Top||


Angry Mob throws bricks at men, women and chillun in UK..starring Tommy Robinson, Alex Jones and the Balaclava crowd.
[InfoWars on YouTube] Tommy Robinson has released new footage of his campaign being attacked by gangs of young muslim men who go on to throw rocks even at women and children. Alex breaks down this incredible example of radical Islam being accepted as normal in the west.

Police ESCORTED Balaclavians to Robinson's campaign stop.
Posted by: Unosh Hupinelet8756 || 05/23/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Moslem Colonists

#1  This in the same day publication of an article about a man in Florida gunning down a car thief stealing a car his six year old son was in. WTF is wrong with the UK?
Posted by: 3dc || 05/23/2019 12:11 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
31[untagged]
5al-Nusra
3Govt of Iran
2Muslim Brotherhood
2Houthis
2Arab Spring
2Sublime Porte
2Islamic State
2Moslem Colonists
1Taliban
1al-Shabaab (AQ)
1Commies
1Govt of Iran Proxies
1Govt of Pakistain Proxies
1Govt of Pakistan

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

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

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
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Two weeks of WOT
Thu 2019-05-23
  Algeria Army Chief Says Has ‘No Political’ Ambition
Wed 2019-05-22
   'American Taliban' released
Tue 2019-05-21
  8-10 Somali Teens Armed With Hammers Attack Bystanders at East Bank Rail Station in MN
Mon 2019-05-20
  Houthi's launch IRBM at Mecca!
Sun 2019-05-19
  Islamic State in West Africa Forming ‘Jihadist Proto-State’ in Nigeria
Sat 2019-05-18
  Drone strike kills notorious ISIS leader and his fighters in East of Afghanistan
Fri 2019-05-17
  Fighting grips Hodeidah port, complicates peace moves
Thu 2019-05-16
  F-16 with live ordinance crashes in Riverside CA.
Wed 2019-05-15
  Iranian ballistic missile platforms in Basra city directed towards the Gulf, Exxon evacuating, German mil. trainers evacuating
Tue 2019-05-14
  The Latest: Norwegian Tanker's Hull Punctured off UAE Coast
Mon 2019-05-13
  Gunmen kill six during Catholic mass in Burkina Faso
Sun 2019-05-12
  Security guard killed as terrorists storm Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar: ISPR
Sat 2019-05-11
  B-52s in Al Udeid AB Qatar
Fri 2019-05-10
  U.S. revokes citizenship of Portland mosque's imam for ties to ObL
Thu 2019-05-09
  Rotherham abuse scandal: 40 arrests made in last two months

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