Geopolitics, Saudi propaganda set to music, mystery won’t dissipate over plane crash and more: Links 4 on March 25 – 2015

1. Iran’s Houthis to Control Critical Naval Chokepoint

Houthis are a small step from surging south-ward to the Port of Aden, and controlling the Yemeni side of the critical Mandab Strait.

Houthi fighter
Houthi fighter Reuters

Following the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels’ occupation of the mostly Sunni Yemeni city of Ta’izz in south-west Yemen, the Houthis are a small step from surging south-ward to the Yemeni Port of Aden, and effectively controlling the Yemeni side of the critical naval chokepoint of Bab el-Mandeb, or Mandab Strait.

2.  IRGC Chief Says Jordan Is Next Target for Conquest; Iran Erases Evidence

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is denying that Qods Force commander Gen. Qassem Suleimani said that Iran seeks to control Jordan, just as it controls Iraq and Lebanon. Iran has also removed the report of Suleimani’s remarks from the Iranian Students’ News Agency website.

Al Masdar reported on Monday:

Eralier on Sunday some media outlets reported General Suleimani had allegedly said that “Iran can control both of Iraq and Lebanon and also has such ability in Jordan.”

“Reports which recently emerged over alleged remarks by the commander of al-Quds force General Qassem Suleimani are baseless,” the statement said.

“Alleged analysis and remarks by General Suleimani on the situation in the region and Jordan are pure lies.”

3. Germanwings plane crash: A320 pilot says co-pilot can be locked out of cockpit

It is possible for one pilot of an Airbus A320 to lock the other pilot out of the cockpit to the extent that he cannot regain entry, even if the aircraft is in a fatal dive, says an Australian pilot of an A320.

The New York Times has reported, citing an official involved in the Germanwings crash investigation, that the cockpit voice recorder shows one of the pilots had left the flight deck and could not regain entry.

“You can hear he is trying to smash the [cockpit] door down,” the official said.

An Australian A320 pilot, who declined to be named, said the locked flight deck of the aircraft could be entered using an emergency code on a keypad. In the case of the pilot flying the aircraft being incapacitated, the door will automatically open after a set period of time if the correct code is entered.

However, in the event a pilot flying the aircraft does not want the other pilot to enter the flight deck, the one in the cockpit has the ability to block entry if he reacts before the door would be opened automatically.

4. Ottawa: Police: occupants of rented Dodge Charger likely killed known-gang member

Ottawa Police are hoping new images released Wednesday of a rented black Dodge Charger related to the murder of known gang-member Yusuf Ibrahim will help them crack the case.

Ibrahim was shot dead in a row home on Forestglade Crescent around 9:30 a.m. on February 6th.

5. Australia: Why not leave your kids at an islamic run daycare?

6. Saudis had propaganda video ready at time of strikes against Houthis in Yemen.

(And frankly its very good! Top Gun Saudi style. Surprised they used instrumental music though but its a nice break from mind warping tard-chants)

7. Here is a Daniel Greenfield article from a few weeks ago I thought was quite good and really stuck with me. Today, Yucki posted this article about how Obama stiffed his supporters at a meeting in his own home for 9 minutes at the least after he was introduced and people were standing and applauding for him. (Yes, no accounting for taste) I think this event is an excellent data point for Mr. Greenfield’s thesis.

 

Thank you M., Yucki, GoV., Wrath of Khan, Richard, Maria J. Tasha Carr and so many more and some new people. Even Alvin Toffler didn’t see this coming.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

26 Replies to “Geopolitics, Saudi propaganda set to music, mystery won’t dissipate over plane crash and more: Links 4 on March 25 – 2015”

  1. Another hint that authorities are considering the possibility this event was terror related…
    Telegraph, Germanwings crash: why don’t we know who was on board Flight 9525?
    More than 24 hours after the Germanwings flight crashed in the Alps, politicians and the airlines still seem unsure who was on the plane
    “Philip Baum, an aviation security expert, said that residents of Schengen countries could board flights using only national identity cards rather than passports, which could have added to the uncertainty.
    In the UK you can’t do that because we haven’t got a national ID card system, but within the Shengen countries people can use national ID cards. That, however, may be an indicator not of nationality but simply of residency rights, and that may mean it takes longer to work out where each passenger is actually from.”

  2. 6) Great Top Gun type of video. But, my son trained with some of these Saudi pilots in Pensacola and his impression was that they had no sense of humor and found our Navy’s “celebrations” to be disgusting. This is the same US military that has kept their “Kingdom” safe for decades.
    So yeah Saudis, go get some! I will relish in watching your sons bleed for your country.

    I know that sounds harsh but how much more is the US supposed to do for KSA? Go fight your own battles in your own back yard. Send your own men home in body bags…

  3. 5. the sad part is, Joseph that told how the system works will be the only one that is punished.

  4. #3:

    Quick translation from the French article below:

    “According to another source close to the dossier and interviewed in the night of Wednesday to Thursday by AFP, the co-pilote of the plane had joined the German companie, Germanwings, a part of Lufthansa, only recently, at the end of 2013 with a few hundred flying hours on his credit. His “nationality”, according to the same source, was unknown.”

    “…Selon une autre source proche du dossier, interrogée dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi par l’AFP le copilote de l’appareil était entré “récemment dans la compagnie” allemande Germanwings, filiale de Lufthansa, “fin 2013, avec à son actif quelques centaines d’heures de vol”. Sa nationalité n’est par ailleurs pas connue avec précision, a poursuivi la même source…” full article (in French) at the Huffington Post (whom I usually dont trust very much) http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2015/03/26/crash-avion-a320-germanwings-pilotes-cockpit-chute_n_6945016.html?ir=France

    • Quote from Rita’s translated link:

      “nationality”, according to the same source, was unknown.”

      The link above to a Telegraph article exposes the dangers of the travel freedoms afforded by the Schengen Treaty which Fjordman warned us about several years ago:

      ““Philip Baum, an aviation security expert, said that residents of Schengen countries could board flights using only national identity cards rather than passports, which could have added to the uncertainty.”

      In addition, UKMirror: Germanwings plane crash: Did pilot deliberately smash aircraft into mountain in mass murder-suicide?
      09:46, 26 March 2015 By Steve Robson

      Experts say evidence of another pilot knocking on the door, and the lack of distress call, points towards an intentional nosedive

      Mr Wilson [an Australian pilot] said if the pilot did ‘block’ emergency access to the cockpit, then this will be confirmed by the black box data recorder.

      “The cockpit voice recorder is very sensitive,” he said.

      Experts say evidence of another pilot knocking on the door, and the lack of distress call, points towards an intentional nosedive

      Aviation experts say evidence suggests the Germanwings plane crash which left 150 dead could have been the result of a tragic pilot murder-suicide.

      It emerged overnight that the A320 voice recorder apparently reveals one of the pilots unable to re-enter the cockpit and trying to “smash the door down” before the crash.

      It has also been confirmed that no emergency distress signal was emitted during the plane’s eight-minute descent from 38,000ft into the French Alps.

      Aviation expert Ewan Wilson says the evidence so far points to a “very unique event”.

      He confirmed that the cockpit can be accessed with an emergency code if the pilot is incapacitated.

      But if the pilot inside was conscious, it is possible to repeatedly ‘block’ access.

      He said: “If the pilot was conscious in the cockpit, he could keep overriding the emergency code.

      “If the pilot inside was incapacitated, the door should open.

      “If someone wants to, they can block it. It’s a purposeful design feature – for example, if they think the person trying to get in is under duress.”

      “The Germanwings plane made a really deep, but controlled, descent and communicated with nobody.

      “What would cause a pilot to put an aircraft in a nosedive?

      “I think we can rule out depressurization or a fire because there was no declaration of an emergency.

      “If we can believe the reports that there was a pilot trying to get back in but was unsuccessful, then we really do have a nefarious event on our hands.”

      An Australian pilot told the Sydney Morning Herald backed claims that a pilot could stop his colleague accessing the cockpit if he reacts quickly enough.

      “If the person on the other side of the door says ‘no’, you can’t get in,” the Australian pilot said

      Mr Wilson said if the pilot did ‘block’ emergency access to the cockpit, then this will be confirmed by the black box data recorder.

      “The cockpit voice recorder is very sensitive,” he said.

      “It not only picks up conversation between the pilots and other aircraft but sounds within the cockpit.

      “You would be able to hear a pilot getting up and leaving and then knocking on the door.

      “The flight data recorder would record anyone entering the emergency code to enter the cockpit and if it was denied.

      We have just been able to extract a useable audio data file,” said investigator Remi Jouty.

      “We have not yet been able to study and to establish an exact timing for all the sounds and words heard on this file.”

      Jouty expected the first basic analysis in “a matter of days” but warned this read-out could be subject to errors and that more work would be needed for a full interpretation.

      Although he said “words” had been heard on the tape, Jouty would not confirm whether that meant the Airbus A320’s pilots were conscious and he gave no details of the recordings.

      … teams were looking for the flight data recorder which holds key technical information such as pressure altitude, airspeed, heading, acceleration and the time radio transmissions were made by the crew.
      The casing of the flight data recorder has been found but not the device itself.

      • Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot ‘wanted to destroy plane’ (BBC, March 26, 2015)
        http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32063587

        “The co-pilot of the Germanwings plane that crashed into the French Alps on Tuesday appeared to want to “destroy the plane”, French officials said.

        Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the “black box” voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.

        He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.

        Mr Robin said there was “absolute silence in the cockpit” as the pilot fought to re-enter it.

        However, passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added.

        The co-pilot, now named as Andreas Lubitz, 28, was alive until the final impact, the prosecutor said….”

  5. Oil prices rise 6% as Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen rebels (BBC, March 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32062571

    “Oil prices rose by as much as 6% after Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, and its allies launched airstrikes on rebel targets in Yemen. The move has raised concerns that the conflict could spread in the oil-rich Middle East and possibly disrupt production in the region.

    West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the US benchmark, rallied to about $51 (£34) a barrel.
    Brent crude climbed to $59.71 a barrel during trading in Asia.

    Yemen is located along an important international shipping route for global energy producers.
    The Saudi-led airstrikes were launched after Iran-backed rebel groups marched on its southern port city of Aden.

    Aside from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait are also participating in the offensive.

    Recent developments have raised fears that Iran – Saudi Arabia’s regional rival – could be drawn into the conflict.

    Both are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the group that produces about 40% of the world’s oil.”

  6. Saudi Arabia launches military operation in Yemen – envoy (BBC, March 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32061632

    “Saudi Arabia has launched a military operation – including air strikes – in Yemen against Houthi Shia rebels, the Saudi ambassador in the US has said. Adel al-Jubeir said Saudi Arabia acted to “defend the legitimate government” of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Supporters of President Hadi say that they recaptured Aden airport on Thursday after heavy fighting with forces allied to Houthi fighters. The Iran-backed rebels have made rapid gains in recent months. They have forced Mr Hadi to flee the capital Sanaa.

    News footage of the strikes broadcast by Saudi-owned Al-Hadath TV showed flashing lights and apparent machine gun fire. Meanwhile Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi rebel, warned that the Saudi operation amounted to an aggression against Yemen and could set off a “wide war” in the region, according to Reuters news agency. Saudi Arabia is supplying 100 warplanes and 150,000 soldiers for the operation, al-Arabiya television reported on Thursday. In addition the Saudi Press Agency said that the operation had the support of Jordan, Sudan, Morocco, Egypt and Pakistan which were willing if necessary to take part….”

  7. US warns Westerners may be targeted in Uganda’s capital (BBC, March 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32061733

    “The US embassy in Uganda has warned that Westerners – including Americans – may be targeted for terrorist attacks in the capital Kampala. It said it had “received information of possible threats” at city locations where Western nationals gather. An attack “may take place soon” it said, adding that some planned events had been cancelled at Kampala hotels. The embassy gave no further details. Uganda has been attacked in the past by Somalia’s al-Shabab militants….”

  8. Of course there is no reason for celebrations… Why? Because if you keep reading you can expect some old school BS, too.

    Amnesty: Hamas rocket attacks amounted to war crimes (BBC, March 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32053999

    “Rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinian militant groups during last summer’s conflict in Gaza amounted to war crimes, Amnesty International says. Militants displayed a “flagrant disregard” for the lives of civilians during the 50-day war, a report found….”

  9. Delusions Afghan style…

    Ashraf Ghani: Afghan leader praises US sacrifice (BBC, March 25, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32057227

    “Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has told Congress his country owes the US a “profound debt” for its sacrifices. Mr Ghani received a warm reception from both Republicans and Democrats as he addressed both US legislative chambers. He thanked the US for its military contribution to Afghanistan, its aid and its civilian assistance.

    Hours before he spoke, a car bombing in Kabul that killed six people was a reminder of the ongoing security problems hampering the reconstruction. “We owe a profound debt to the soldiers who have lost limbs to buried bombs, to the brave veterans, and to the families who tragically lost their loved ones to the enemy’s cowardly acts of terror,” he said.

    Mr Ghani promised to be a trustworthy partner as his country tries to rebuild after a decade of war….”

  10. 1 Killed in Bomb Attack on Pro-Islamic Magazine in Istanbul (abcnews, March 26, 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/killed-bomb-attack-pro-islamic-magazine-istanbul-29917839

    “Turkish police say a bomb explosion outside the office of a pro-Islamic magazine in Istanbul has killed one person and injured three others.

    Police said Thursday that the device was placed outside the door of the monthly Adimlar magazine, on the third floor of a building, and exploded late Wednesday when the door was opened. Police identified the victim as 45-year-old Unsal Zor, who wrote for Adimlar, a magazine that is close to a Turkish militant Islamic organization.

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility and the motive for the attack was not known. Police were investigating.

    Video from the scene showed that the exterior wall of the office in the low-income Kagithane district had been ripped out from force of the blast.”

    • Heavy.com: Andreas Lubitz: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

      Andreas Lubitz was the co-pilot of Germanwings flight 9525 who reportedly intentionally crashed the plane into the French Alps and killed all 150 people on board.

      Here’s what you need to know:

      1. He Was German

      Lubitz, 28, was German national from Montabaur, Germany.

      2. He joined Germanwings in September 2013.

      3. He had 630-hours logged as a co-pilot.

      4. He allegedly locked the pilot out of the cockpit when the pilot went to use the restroom.

      5. He can be heard calmly breathing on the blackbox as flight 9525 descended and crashed into the French Alps.

      • We only really want to know his state of mind. That he was unable to care for human life beyond his own – like a Muslim.

  11. Three cities come up in the history of this co-pilot so far:
    Marseilles, where he resided with his parents
    Bremen, where he trained for this airline
    Düsseldorf, where he had a flat
    twitter :@BlissTabitha His family lived in Marseilles? That’s the hotbed of radical Islam in EU..in fact, it’s the home office!

    Family of Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz have left Marseille, French prosecutor says

    Demographics of Bremen

    and

    Police closed first IS/ISIS/ISIL Mosque in Bremen, Germany

    wiki: Many inhabitants of Derendorf are immigrants from Turkey, and the borough houses the central mosque of the Muslims in Düsseldorf.

    *****
    Color me skeptical that Islam had nothing to do with this.