Reader supplied links for June 17 – 2015

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In order to preserve the flow of conversation about various posted items, and also in order to make it easier for visitors to find the list of related links being shared by other readers, regulars and interested parties in one place, each day a post is automatically created at a minute past midnight ET.

This way, under the various posts of the day, conversation can take place without as much ‘noise’ on the various links and articles and ideas in the main posts and all the news links being submitted can be seen under these auto-posts by clicking on the comments-link right below these ones.

Thank you all for those that take the effort to assist this site in keeping the public informed. Below, typically people can find the latest enemy propaganda, news items of related materials from multiple countries and languages, op-eds from many excellent sites who write on our topics, geopolitics and immigration issues and so on.

About Eeyore

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

80 Replies to “Reader supplied links for June 17 – 2015”

  1. Boeing Touts The A-10 Thunderbolt For Sale In Mideast As Ideal Warplane To Fight ISIS (yahoo, June 16, 2015)
    http://www.ibtimes.com/boeing-touts-10-thunderbolt-sale-mideast-ideal-warplane-fight-isis-1969656

    “The A-10 Thunderbolt, a relic of the Cold War that’s been flying for the U.S. Air Force since the 1970s and has narrowly escaped retirement as the Pentagon cuts its spending growth, could be about to find itself in demand once again, more than three decades after the final aircraft came off the production line.

    An unexpected appearance by the brutish-looking aircraft at the glitzy Paris Air Show this week showcased the return to the spotlight of the Warthog, as it’s universally known by its crews. Not only has the A-10 found a new lease on life fighting Islamic State group militants in Iraq and Syria, and being deployed to its old hunting grounds in Eastern Europe to deter Russian hostility — it’s now being touted by Boeing as a great aircraft for customers in the Middle East, who would get modernized airplanes dismissed by the U.S. Air Force, which has about 300 left in service.

    Any deal, however, will only happen if the aircraft is retired under proposed plans by the Air Force, according to Paul Cejas, chief engineer for off-Boeing programs in the company’s support division, who said that the idea to sell the A-10 to new customers “is fairly new and not at a point where we can provide more details.” Only the United States has ever operated the plane, a slow and ungainly but heavily armed jet that excels at destroying armored targets on the ground. It was made to hunt Soviet tanks in Europe, a role it never performed in real life, finding instead a new job as a specialized platform for supporting troops on the ground in close combat….”

  2. Taliban warn IS leader not to interfere in Afghanistan (yahoo, June 16, 2015)
    http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-warn-leader-not-interfere-afghanistan-092608230.html

    “The Taliban Tuesday warned the leader of the Islamic State group against waging a parallel insurgency in Afghanistan, after a string of defections and reported clashes with militants loyal to IS.

    The Middle Eastern group, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, has never formally acknowledged having a presence in Afghanistan but fears are growing that the group is making inroads in the country.

    In a letter addressed to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Taliban insisted that “jihad (holy war) against the Americans and their allies must be conducted under one flag and one leadership”.

    “The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) does not consider the multiplicity of jihadi ranks beneficial either for jihad or for Muslims,” said the letter signed by the Taliban deputy leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor.

    “Your decisions taken from a distance will result in (the IS) losing support of religious scholars, mujahideen… and in order to defend its achievements the Islamic Emirate will be forced to react,” it added.

    The letter, published on the Taliban website in Pashto, Urdu, Arabic and Dari, did not elaborate on its threat.

    The statement demonstrates a growing disquiet within the Taliban about the creeping influence and popularity of IS within insurgent ranks, analysts say….”

  3. North Korea says it faces worst drought in a century (BBC, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33160768

    “North Korea says it is facing the worst drought in a century, sparking fears of worsening food shortages.

    State news agency KCNA said main rice-growing provinces had been badly affected and more than 30% of rice paddies were “parching up”.

    Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are believed to have died during a widespread famine in the 1990s.

    This drought is unlikely to be as deadly because of recent agricultural reforms, correspondents say.

    The United Nations World Food Programme says North Korea regularly faces significant food shortages and currently about a third of children in the country are malnourished.

    KCNA said granaries in the provinces of South Hwanghae, North Hwanghae, South Phyongan and South Hamgyong were “badly affected”….”

  4. Nigerian trafficking ‘top priority’, commissioner says (BBC, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33159899

    “Clamping down on the problem of Nigerians being trafficked to the UK is a main priority, the first independent anti-slavery commissioner says.

    Kevin Hyland told the BBC it was “deeply concerning” that hundreds of Nigerians were brought in every year for prostitution or forced labour.

    Mr Hyland said the problem of such exploitation was “enormous”.

    The Home Office said it was “committed to tackling modern slavery” and was addressing specific issues in Nigeria.
    The commissioner, who has only been in post for six months, says he can’t think of anything more worrying than women and children being raped and forced into domestic servitude.
    ‘Current-day slaves’

    Latest figures from the National Crime Agency show that more than 2,000 potential trafficking victims were referred to the authorities in 2014 – 244 of whom were from Nigeria, a 31 per cent increase from the previous year. The highest number of potential victims were identified as being from Albania.

    Campaigners believe the real figure of potential trafficking victims from Nigeria could be much higher, however.

    Mr Hyland, the former head of the Metropolitan Police’s human trafficking unit, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I am extremely concerned about this. And we’re talking about several hundred every year.

    “This isn’t just a one-off – it’s continuous – so the treatment of these people, what they go through, is actually a very serious crime, so for me it’s a big problem.

    “But also I think the fact that there is a demand for this kind of exploitation in the United Kingdom really concerns me, that there are people who will want to buy sex, will want to exploit, will want to have children as what are current-day slaves, so that is a really serious problem.”

    Research published by the Home Office in December estimates that there are between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims of slavery in the UK. Home Secretary Theresa May, speaking last year, described the scale of abuse as “shocking”….”

  5. I was repeatedly told we were all the same… 😉

    Hospitals urge Muslims to donate organs (BBC, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33155326

    “Hospitals in the West Midlands are urging Muslims to consider donating their organs for patients waiting for transplants.

    Muslims needing an organ donation, such as a new kidney or liver, wait on average a year longer than non-Muslims.

    This is due to a lack of donors coming forward from a matching ethnic background.

    As Ramadan begins, doctors are urging Muslims to consider allowing their organs to be used after their death.

    There are just under three million Muslims in Britain, most of them from a South Asian background.

    Migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have tended to settle in major towns and cities – including Birmingham, where more than 21% of the population is Muslim.

    While across Britain, Muslim patients wait on average a year longer than non-Muslims, the wait in Birmingham can be even longer.

    According to consultant nephrologist Dr Adnan Sharif the wait here can take four or even five years…..”

  6. Syria civil war: Regime air force strikes ‘kill 16’ (BBC, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33159343

    “At least 16 people, including 13 children, were killed when Syrian air force jets bombed a town in Deraa province on Tuesday, activists say.

    Those killed were attending lessons on the Koran in Ghariyah, locals told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group.

    Syrian government officials have not commented on reports of the attack.

    More than 230,000 Syrians have died in the civil war, which began after anti-government protests in March 2011…”

  7. Israeli’s Cool Inventions: DoubleTapper from FAB Defense introduces the KPOS G2 – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql726kxSz9Y

    Actor Matt Dillon On Plight Of The Muslim Community in Myanmar – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6MqpkjVtXQ

    Michelle Obama: ‘British Muslim Girls are Struggling like Young Black Girls in America’ – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W1scdolEXA

    First Lady ENCOURAGES UK Muslim School Girls Says’The World Needs More Girls Like You’!!! – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ1JU8G5i3w

    “Jews stole my shoe” Muslim leader a symptom of serious problems – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE41hhzaeU0

    Islamic Immigration by Dr. Bill Warner – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_gUkPzx5kE

    Obama nuclear concession to Iran Accelerating – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yk6RnKCpoo

    Obama sends 450 more troops to Iraq – YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz3eI9F_NM4

    China and Russia Almost Definitely Have the Snowden Docs | WIRED:
    http://www.wired.com/2015/06/course-china-russia-snowden-documents/

    Russia to add 40 new intercontinental missiles this year – Yahoo News:
    https://news.yahoo.com/russia-40-intercontinental-missiles-112910221.html

    Report: Over 300 Hezbollah Operatives Secured Venezuelan Passports After 2007 – Breitbart:
    http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/04/22/report-over-300-hezbollah-operatives-secured-venezuelan-passports-after-2007/

    New Book Reveals Venezuela-Hezbollah Alliance – Defense/Security – News – Arutz Sheva:
    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/194393

    Communism based on belief man is weak, inadequate:
    http://www.wnd.com/2015/06/communism-based-on-belief-man-is-weak-inadequate/

    Articles: Cultural Marxism: Nobel Scientist Sacked for Making Innocent Joke about Women:
    http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/06/cultural_marxism_nobel_scientist_sacked_for_making_innocent_joke_about_women.html

    Immigration Reform 2015: California Health Care For Undocumented Immigrant Children Could Start With New Budget Deal:
    http://www.ibtimes.com/immigration-reform-2015-california-health-care-undocumented-immigrant-children-could-1970319

    Darron Wint, quadruple homicide suspect, retains immigration specialist – Washington Times:
    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/16/wint-retains-immigration-specialist-dc-homicides/

    VIDEO: Recruiting for ISIS: Anjem Choudary getting more airtime – CBS News:
    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/recruiting-for-isis-60-minutes-2/

    U.S. Allies in Syria Cut Islamic State Supply Line – WSJ:
    http://www.wsj.com/articles/kurdish-fighters-allied-rebels-rout-islamic-state-from-syrian-border-town-of-tal-abyad-1434465828

    Taliban Tell Islamic State to Stay Out – WSJ:
    http://www.wsj.com/articles/afghan-taliban-warns-islamic-state-1434482577

    Islamic State kills five policemen near Baiji refinery | Stuff.co.nz:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/69488159/islamic-state-kills-five-policemen-near-baiji-refinery

    U.S. arrests New York man for Islamic State-inspired bomb plot | Reuters:
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-usa-crime-islamic-state-idUSKBN0OW2T520150616

    Creating a nation of fear: Inside story of life under Islamic State – The Times of India:
    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Creating-a-nation-of-fear-Inside-story-of-life-under-Islamic-State/articleshow/47701051.cms

    WTF? Druze Claim Obama Founded The Islamic State And Israel Provides ISIS With Weapons (WJ Exclusive):
    http://www.westernjournalism.com/exclusive-report-druze-claim-obama-founded-the-islamic-state-and-jabhat-al-nusra-and-israel-provide-isis-with-weapons/

    Britain Continues Limited Air-Strikes Against Islamic State With Ageing Strike Aircraft – Breitbart:
    http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/06/17/britain-continues-limited-air-strikes-against-islamic-state-with-ageing-strike-aircraft/

    Tracing a 17-Year-Old’s Path From Britain to an Islamic State Suicide Attack:
    http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/tracing-a-17-year-olds-path-from-britain-to-an-islamic-state-suicide-attack-772370

    Richard Cohen: Obama’s eye on legacy clouds Islamic State vision – San Jose Mercury News:
    http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28323927/richard-cohen-obamas-eye-legacy-clouds-islamic-state

    Ret. Gen. Allen: Population in Syrian town liberated from Islamic State needs to be protected:
    http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/gen-allen-new-fund-will-help-towns-recaptured-islamic-state-group/

    China Stays Coy on Fighting Islamic State | The Diplomat:
    http://thediplomat.com/2015/06/china-stays-coy-on-fighting-islamic-state/

    Islamic State claims Tunisian checkpoint attack | Top News | Reuters:
    http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0OW1RW20150616

    Ramadan 2015: What employers must do to help their fasting Muslim staff:
    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ramadan-2015-what-employers-must-do-help-their-fasting-muslim-staff-1506474

    Egypt court hands Mursi death sentence in blow to Muslim Brotherhood | Reuters:
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-egypt-mursi-idUSKBN0OW0XC20150616

    No apology to Muslim teen denied Japanese home stay | Stuff.co.nz:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/69482547/no-apology-to-muslim-teen-denied-japanese-home-stay

    Missing Bradford sisters ‘are from ultraconservative Muslim family’ | UK news | The Guardian:
    http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/16/missing-bradford-sisters-ultra-conservative-muslim-family

    US Muslims target Charlie Hedbo backlash with ad campaign | euronews, world news:
    http://www.euronews.com/2015/06/16/facing-backlash-us-muslims-counter-with-new-advertising-campaign/

    White House Denies Cutting Ties With Muslim Brotherhood – Breitbart:
    http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/06/12/white-house-denies-cutting-ties-with-muslim-brotherhood/

  8. France’s Le Pen announces far-right bloc of anti-EU MEPs (BBC, June 16, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33147247

    “French National Front leader Marine Le Pen has formed a political group of right-wing nationalist parties in the European Parliament.

    The anti-EU Europe of Nations and Freedom bloc includes Hungary’s far-right Jobbik and the Freedom Party of Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

    The grouping also has the support of UK MEP Janice Atkinson, expelled from UKIP in March over an expenses scandal. Forming the group will give the MEPs more influence in the parliament.

    It will also mean that the new bloc’s members have access to millions of euros in extra funding as well as more staff and speaking time. To be valid, a group needs 25 MEPs from at least seven different nationalities.

    Mr Wilders, whose anti-Islam rhetoric has seen him face legal action, said that the formation was a “historic moment”. “Today it’s the beginning of our liberation, our D-Day,” he told reporters, adding that the new bloc would be the voice of the new “European resistance”, defending their countries’ sovereignty. The anti-Islam leader said the bloc would fight mass immigration as well as “Islamisation”.

    Eurosceptic and far-right parties made gains in last year’s European Parliament elections, in what France’s PM Manuel Valls called a “political earthquake”.

    Until now the far-right National Front (FN) has struggled to find members from enough countries to form a group. But it secured support from MEPs in Italy’s Northern League, Austria’s Freedom Party, Vlaams Belang from Belgium and the Polish Congress of the New Right.

    The new group represented “a political force that will go far beyond our previous situation,” Ms Le Pen told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday. She said it would be “strong, determined, coherent and ambitious”.

    The group could qualify for around €17.5m (£12.6m) of EU money over the next four years, according to calculations by the think tank Open Europe.

    The FN leader was praised by Ms Atkinson, who said Ms Le Pen was “leading the offence” against what was happening in the European Union. Ms Atkinson was expelled by UKIP for “bringing the party into disrepute” amid newspaper allegations that a member of her staff tried to arrange a false receipt for a meal.

    UKIP has previously said it was “not interested in any deal” with Ms Le Pen or her party because of “prejudice and anti-Semitism in particular” in the FN.

    UKIP leader Nigel Farage already heads another anti-immigration alliance in the European Parliament called the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group (EFDD).

    The party responded to Ms Atkinson’s move to join the rival group on Tuesday by saying: “Whatever she does is beyond our control.”

    FN founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was suspended from the party last month over his comments that the Holocaust was “a detail of history”, is not part of the new Europe of Nations and Freedoms group. FN MEP Bruno Gollnisch is also not a member, according to reports.

    Marine Le Pen, who succeeded her father as FN leader, has spent the past year trying to distance the party from his remarks, widely condemned as anti-Semitic.

    Meanwhile the three MEPs from Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn party remain unattached to a political group in the European Parliament.””

  9. Pope criticises nations that close doors to migrants

    Pope Francis on Wednesday called for respect for migrants and suggested that “people and institutions” who close doors to them should seek forgiveness from God.

    The pope’s appeal, made at the end of his weekly general audience, came a growing debate in Europe on how to deal with an immigrant crisis that has included clashes at the French-Italian borer between police and migrants.

    “I invite you all to ask forgiveness for the persons and the institutions who close the door to these people who are seeking a family, who are seeking to be protected,” he said in unscripted remarks delivered in a sombre voice.

    France and Austria have stepped up border controls on migrants coming from Italy, turning back hundreds and leaving growing numbers camped out in railway stations in Rome and Milan.

    In a sign of persisting discord over how to deal with the migrant crisis, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi threatened retaliation if other EU countries did not agree to take their fair share of refugees that land on Italy’s shores.

    The pope said “these brothers and sisters of our are seeking refuge far from their lands, they are seeking a home where they can live without fear.”

    He asked for prayers that their “human dignity always be respected” and urged the international community to “work together and efficiently to prevent the causes of forced migration”.

    France, Italy and Germany agreed on Tuesday to join forces to identify migrants arriving by sea and to swiftly relocate them across the European Union or send them back to their home countries if their claims for asylum in Europe are rejected.

    As they deliberated, police began removing mainly African migrants from makeshift seaside camps on the Italian-French border. Around 300 had collected on the Italian side in hopes of proceeding into France and onwards to northern Europe where relatives live and job chances might be better.

    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/133005/World/International/Pope-criticises-nations-that-close-doors-to-migran.aspx

  10. Hungary to build barrier to keep out migrants (BBC, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33168125

    “Hungary says that it will build a fence along its border with Serbia to keep out migrants. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that officials had been told to prepare a plan for a barrier along the frontier, stretching 175km (109 miles).

    He added that Hungary could not afford to wait for the EU to find a solution to immigration. There has been a sharp rise in the number of migrants and asylum seekers entering Hungary.

    The government said about 54,000 migrants entered the country so far this year, compared to 43,000 people in 2014. Police registered 10,000 people illegally going over the border in January alone. However, tens of thousands of Hungarians have also been leaving the country.

    “Immigration is one of the most serious problems facing the European Union today,” Mr Szijjarto told a press conference on Wednesday.

    “We are talking about a stretch of border 175 km long, whose physical closure can happen with a four-metre high fence. The interior minister received an instruction to prepare that.” Mr Szijjarto said that the fence will not contravene any of Hungary’s international obligations and that the plan will be prepared by next week.

    Critics say that that the announcement is the latest anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Hungarian government. A recent government billboard campaign with messages such as “If you come to Hungary, don’t take the jobs of Hungarians!” has caused controversy – and prompted the UN to prepare its own billboards highlighting refugees who have successfully integrated into Hungarian society.

    The poster campaign is part of the government’s efforts to win public support for tough new immigration laws that are expected soon. Hungarian officials have said that the billboards were part of a voter survey on immigration that was sent to eight million Hungarians.

    The immigration questionnaire asked people whether they agreed that immigrants endangered their livelihoods and spread terrorism.”

    • UNHCR starts poster campaign in Hungary to counter government anti-migrant initiative

  11. Maj. Gen. Mark Stammer, CJTF-HOA commander, extends his best wishes on behalf of service personnel assigned to Camp Lemonnier Djibouti during Ramadan.

  12. ‘Living with fear’: Syrian refugees recall IS-ruled Tal Abyad (yahoo, June 17, 2015)
    http://news.yahoo.com/living-fear-syrian-refugees-recall-ruled-tal-abyad-214348849.html

    “Akçakale (Turkey) (AFP) – Amputations ordered by a sharia court. Black-clad police patrolling the streets. Living in a climate of constant fear.

    Refugees who escaped clashes in the Syrian town of Tal Abyad to find refuge in Turkey recall nervously what it was like to live under their former Islamic State (IS) rulers.

    Kurdish fighters led by the People’s Protection Units (YPG) seized the town from IS after a weekend of fighting, in what was seen as one of the biggest setbacks for the jihadists.

    Carrying sacks of possessions on their heads, or sometimes simply just their children, thousands flooded into Turkey to find sanctuary from the fighting.

    Most are happy to be free of IS. But the mainly ethnic Arab refugees also worry what life will be like under Kurdish rule.

    “It’s horrible to live under sharia rule, which bans pretty much everything,” said Halil el-Ahmed, 55, who fled to Turkey with his family of 15 after spending three nights in the open.

    “It’s horrible to live with fear, dreading it every time the doorbell rings. I hope this war is over soon, but I don’t want to go back to a country ruled by Kurds,” he said.

    “We were not happy with IS, but we at least knew their rules and learnt how to play by their rules,” he said at a park near the Akcakale border point where they crossed over….”

    • “We were not happy with IS, but we at least knew their rules and learnt how to play by their rules,” he said at a park near the Akcakale border point where they crossed over….”

      So why didn’t you stay, creep? Kurds have enough to keep them busy.

  13. Bombs found at Boko Haram camp kill 63 in Nigeria (yahoo, June 17, 2015)
    http://news.yahoo.com/bombs-found-boko-haram-camp-kill-63-nigeria-112301207.html

    “BAUCHI, Nigeria (AP) — A sack of home-made bombs discovered at an abandoned Boko Haram camp exploded, killing 63 people in northeast Nigeria, civilian self-defense fighters said Wednesday.

    Haruna Bukar, a witness to the blast, said the local militia was patrolling the area when they discovered the camp and found the bag of metal objects, which they carried to the nearby town of Monguno.

    As residents gathered around to examine the bag, it exploded, said Bukar.

    Scores of people have been killed this month in suicide and other bombings carried out by Nigeria’s homegrown extremists using these kinds of improvised explosive devices.

    Boko Haram took control of a large swath of northeast Nigeria until a multinational force this year forced them out of towns and villages. Nigeria’s military says the extremists are now confined to the Sambisa Forest.

    Boko Haram denies this and has stepped up bombings and hit-and-run attacks since President Muhammadu Buhari announced at his May 29 inauguration that the command control center for the war against the insurgents is moving to Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeast Nigeria and the birthplace of Boko Haram….”

      • Yeah I can and what I see scares me, without US intervention Taiwan can’t prevent China from conquering their nation, and the longer Obama is in officer the weaker our military becomes. I have met some members of the Taiwanese military and they are good and will make the Chinese pay a heavy price for the Island but they can’t hope to win without help.

      • My husband does a lot of work in Taiwan, and also China. He is leaving for Taiwan this Friday. I worry a little, not a lot, every time he takes a business trip to Taiwan. Not so much China.

        • I don’t know when the attack will come but I am positive it will come, probably when we are tied down in the Middle East and possibly also fighting in Korea.

      • I heard a lot of stories from Korean War veterans. Waves of Chinese kept coming, it was a shattering memory.
        It’s a vision one can easily imagine sweeping away most every country in the South China Sea. Or at least devastating an awful lot of the advanced, productive, peaceful societies of the region.

        • India is the only nation in that region that stands a chance of stopping them, Japan will fight but they are facing a demographic crunch and have limited natural resources.

          • That’ll be on our heads; we own that responsibility. Leftest liars of academe haven’t re-written history fast enough to get us off the hook.

            • They will be sure and blame the US for the violence but will say it was provoked by our military rather then being the fault of the left for pulling our military out.

  14. The Bombathon 2015 has definitely started…

    Yemen crisis: Multiple car bombings hit Sanaa (BBC, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33171366

    “At least three explosions believed to be caused by car bombings have hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, residents and officials say.

    Several mosques and at least one building belonging to Houthi rebel officials were reportedly hit, causing dozens of casualties.

    It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

    In March, attacks by Islamic State (IS) on mosques in Sanaa left more than 130 people dead.”

    • Dozens of casualties as Yemen car bombs hit mosques, Houthi headquarters: official

      Four car bombs targeted three mosques and the political headquarters of Yemen’s dominant Houthi group on Wednesday, killing and wounding dozens of people, a security official said.

      “Four car bombs targeted the political bureau of Ansarullah, the Hashush mosque in the Jiraf district, the Kibsi mosque in the Zira district, and the Qubat al-Khadra mosque, causing the martyrdom and injury of dozens,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

      http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/us-yemen-security-bomb-idUSKBN0OX25620150617

      • Islamic State sympathizers online claim Yemen bomb attacks

        SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Supporters of the Islamic State group have posted an online statement claiming its militants detonated four car bombs targeting two Shiite mosques and two Shiite rebel offices in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

        Security officials had said Wednesday’s bombings were carried out by suicide attackers against offices of the Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who control Sanaa. But the statement online suggests the cars were booby trapped. The Health Ministry said “preliminary” reports indicate the blasts killed four people and wounded 60.

        The claim, if true, would further complicate the ongoing war in Yemen that pits the Houthis and breakaway army units against an array of forces, including local tribesmen, loyalists to the exiled president and al-Qaida militants.

        Yemen also has been under heavy bombardment by Saudi-led coalition since March.

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3127821/Saudi-led-strikes-civilians-fleeing-Yemen-unrest-kill-31.html

  15. UK – Dudley Mosque: Court settlement proposed to end saga

    An out of court settlement has been tabled by Muslim leaders to end the long running saga over controversial plans to build a mosque in Dudley.

    Dudley Muslim Association has offered Dudley Council £325,000 to drop court action blocking plans to build the mosque off Hall Street.

    If the proposal from the DMA is accepted the group would retain ownership of the site and the council would end its bid to invoke its buy back clause.

    Opposition councillors have condemned the proposed deal for losing prime land. Dudley Council has spent £213,000 in legal costs through the courts.

    UKIP and Conservative councillors say spending that money on a legal action only to settle a deal at this stage is wrong.

    Dudley Council leader councillor Pete Lowe said they want the best possible deal for taxpayers.

    It is believed the value of the site, calculated by the court, is around £150,000.

    The proposal will go to scrutiny committees for consideration at a later date.

    “This has been a costly exercise for everyone,” said Councillor Lowe.

    “We have been approached by the Dudley Muslim Association who are keen to avoid any further costly legal disputes for both sides.

    “We are carefully considering that offer in the interests of everyone concerned.

    “As far as the council is concerned this is about the ownership of the land and getting the best deal for the council taxpayers of this borough.”

    More than 80,000 people signed petitions against plans for the mosque, which would replace Dudley Central Mosque in Castle Hill.

    The controversy has sparked five far right protests in five years, including the recent march by 200 protestors last weekend and previously by the English Defence League.

    Councillor Lowe has ruled out staging a local referendum against the plans.

    Opposition Conservative group leader, Councillor Patrick Harley, hit back saying: “This is a shabby deal coming in behind closed doors through the cabinet.”

    UKIP group leader Councillor Brothwood added: “After years of pursuing this matter through the legal process, and winning at great cost it is alarming that a cabinet report has been produced to potentially allow the Mosque to be built without it going to full council.”

    Amjid Raza, spokesperson for Dudley Muslim Association, refused to divulge specifics of the deal, but added: “At this time the DMA is awaiting a response from Dudley MBC which the DMA understands will follow within the next few weeks.”

    Dudley Council’s cabinet will discuss the proposal next Thursday.

    http://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-news/2015/06/17/dudley-mosque-court-settlement-proposed-to-end-saga/

  16. ABU DHABI – Lawyer of ‘Reem Island Ghost’ claims non-Muslim witnesses should be disregarded

    The lawyer representing the woman charged with murdering a teacher in an Abu Dhabi mall has challenged THE TESTIMOMIES OF THE NON_MUSLIM WITNESSES, arguing that they are ‘ INVALID ’ under Sharia Law.

    Abdulqader Al Haithami, who is representing Alaa Al Hashemi, argued that the testimonies of those witnesses who are not Muslim should be disregarded, according to a report in The National newspaper.

    “The law states cases of murder according to Sharia law are not proven unless they are pleaded by the council of judges, testimony of two male witnesses, or by the oath. The oath taken by the witnesses is invalid as they are not Muslim,” he said.

    Emirati Alaa Bader Abdullah Al Hashemi (30) is on trial at the Federal Supreme Court accused of stabbing Ibolya Ryan (37) to death in a toilet cubicle in Boutik Mall on Reem Island on December 1 last year.

    Al Hashemi was also charged with making an explosive device with the aim of harming others, creating an online account to promote terrorist ideas, spreading information that harmed the country and donating funds to a terrorist organisation.

    Her lawyer also argued that the medical reports that say Al Hashemi is not suffering from a mental illness were “contradictory”.

    “The first report shows she is suffering from many emotional and mental issues and said it was crucial to have the defendant referred to an internal mental department under strict notice, while the other found her responsible for her actions,” he said.

    Al Haithami argued that his client was under the influence of her husband and that she was forced to sign the investigation files.

    “She is unaware and weak-willed and I call for her acquittal or a lesser penalty,” Al Haithami said.

    The verdict in the case will be announced on June 29.

    http://www.arabianbusiness.com/lawyer-of-reem-island-ghost-claims-non-muslim-witnesses-should-be-disregarded-596534.html

  17. BREITBART : Gowdy: Blumenthal’s Emails to Clinton Weren’t Unsolicited

    Representative Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, said that Hillary Clinton told Sidney Blumenthal to keep the emails to her coming and that this proves Blumenthal’s correspondence with Clinton was not “unsolicited” on Wednesday’s “America’s Newsroom” on the Fox News Channel.

    Gowdy stated, “he [Blumenthal] was sending emails to Secretary Clinton far before the attack in Benghazi, all the way back to 2011. So, the whole lead-up to the attacks in Benghazi, Blumenthal was sending emails to Secretary Clinton that he never vetted, he doesn’t know anything about the sources. The memos were written by Tyler Drumheller, who may have had a financial interest. And anytime someone has a financial interest, then you need to look at the material, or their objective in the outcome, their interest in the outcome with scrutiny. She couldn’t do it and he couldn’t do it. So, how did they vet the information that was being passed on to our top diplomat?”

    He added, regarding Clinton’s claims that the emails were “unsolicited,” “she and I have very different definition of the word ‘unsolicited.’ You’ll remember when she was asked, she said an old friend sent me unsolicited emails. Well, when you tell somebody to keep it coming or this is good stuff, or good work, then that tells me it wasn’t unsolicited. She flat out said ‘keep these coming.’”

    Gowdy concluded, “In 2012, when he was working for the Clinton Foundation, he was planting negative stories about Mitt Romney and other Republicans. … He was emailing back and forth with Hillary Clinton about planting negative GOP stories in the throes of the 2012 presidential election.”

    http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/06/17/gowdy-blumenthals-emails-to-clinton-werent-unsolicited/

  18. ‘America has taken on a foe 5,000-strong. It has killed 10,000 of them. There are only 20,000 left’

    […]For all the deaths and injuries of top leaders, Al-Qaeda and Islamic State now control more territory than they have ever done. The hydra has simply grown more heads.

    The civil war in Yemen, between the Iran-backed Houthis and the western-backed recognised government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has allowed Wuhayshi’s Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to extend its control.

    Al-Qaeda – through its local affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra – and Isil control more than half of Syrian territory, in terms of raw geography (population is a different matter). Isil controls western Iraq, and parts of Libya.

    Last month, a senior US state department official defended America’s conduct of the various “wars on terror” by claiming that 10,000 Isil jihadis had been killed since last summer.

    That simply recalls the old joke, about engaging in a war against 5,000 foes, killing 10,000 of them, and being so successful that there are only 20,000 left.

    The simple truth is that while aerial bombardment of jihadi camps can in some cases kill leaders with skills that cannot be replaced, more often other, similarly gifted nihilists are available to take their place. […] ( not nihilists — M U S L I M S )

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/11679593/America-has-taken-on-a-foe-5000-strong.-It-has-killed-10000-of-them.-There-are-only-20000-left.html

    • I don’t have time to watch but that sounds like excellent advice.
      Probably good to deeper your perimeter as well. Surround yourself with 2nd Amendment supporters.

    • What other choice do they have? Obama and the left have withdrawn all US support and placed them at the mercy of Iran or ISIS, choosing ISIS gives them the ability to survive without giving up their religion.

  19. Staten Island Man Allegedly Tries to Attack FBI Agents With Knife in ISIS-Related Home Search: Sources

    The FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested a Staten Island man who allegedly tried to attack FBI agents with a knife Wednesday as they attempted to search his home in an ongoing ISIS-related investigation, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell NBC 4 New York.

    A scuffle ensued, but there were no serious injuries, law enforcement officials said.

    Criminal charges are expected to be filed against the man later Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn.

    The arrest comes one day after it was reported a 20-year-old college student from Queens was arrested for allegedly scouting possible targets for an ISIS-inspired attack. Prosecutors in Brooklyn charged Munther Omar Saleh with providing material support for terrorism.

    http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/Terror-Probe-Investigation-Dienst-Staten-Island-New-York-Joint-Terrorism-Task-Force-FBI-Agents-ISIS-al-Qaeda-307916171.html
    ———————————————————————————
    CNN – FBI agent attacked during ISIS investigation

    • Congressman Doug Lamborn questions Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey on U.S. Policy and Strategy in the Middle East.

      • Rep. McSally questions Defense Sec. Carter, Gen. Dempsey about U.S. policy in Middle East

  20. French centre-Right blasts ‘MAD ‘ plan to create 10,500 housing spaces for migrants

    France to create extra housing spaces including 1,500 for illegal immigrants in Calais and Paris, placing them in vacant social housing

    France’s Socialist government is to create 10,500 extra housing spaces for migrants as part of an “unprecedented” plan to deal with the growing numbers reaching France – a move centre-Right critics attacked as “madness” on Wednesday.

    As part of the plan, the French cabinet agreed to create in the next three months 1,500 “emergency housing” spaces for illegal immigrants in a bid to keep them out of “insalubrious” camps. These are mainly situated in Paris and the northern port of Calais – where around 3,000 are living rough as they seek to cross into Britain.

    […] “It’s madness to open welcome centres in Paris or in Nice. It’s absurd,” said Mr Ciotti, an MP for the southern Alpes-Maritimes department.

    “We will only resolve this problem if we adopt an attitude of extreme firmness,” he told Radio Classique.

    Echoing comments by David Cameron, he said most migrants were “economic”, and called for a “blockade of the African and Libyan coast via a military operation”.

    “Europe has asked for it, it’s still not in place. We are wasting time,” said Mr Ciotti.

    Mr Cazeneuve retorted: “It is not the measures we are taking in countries welcoming refugees that is the magnet, but the persecution they suffer (in their home countries)”.

    The minister pledged to crack down harder on illegal immigration and trafficking, make “full use” of underused retention centres, and push for Italy and Greece to create “hotspots” for dealing with asylum requests.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11681873/French-centre-Right-blasts-mad-plan-to-create-10500-housing-spaces-for-migrants.html
    ——————————————————————————————————————-
    France to add 10,500 housing places for migrants: ministry

  21. Obama wishes Muslims a happy Ramadan

    President Obama marked the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday, offering his “warmest greetings” to those celebrating in the United States and abroad.

    “Muslims honor each day of Ramadan as a day of patient endurance through fasting, and each night as a night of gratitude through prayers,” Obama said in a statement. “It is a time to reinforce faith, compassion and forgiveness, and perseverance through adversity.”

    The president added that during Ramadan, “Muslims around the globe reach out to assist those afflicted by conflict, hunger, poverty and disease,” a nod to the violent conflict raging in the Middle East.

    The advance of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and the Syrian civil war have forced millions of people from their homes. A Global Peace Index report found a third of the world’s refugees come from those two countries, according to The Atlantic.

    A U.S.-led coalition is fighting the group, assisting Iraqi ground forces with training, equipment and airstrikes. The Obama administration has also pledged more than $400 million in aid to displaced Iraqis since last year.

    Obama said he will welcome American Muslims to the White House for an annual iftar dinner at the conclusion of the holy month.

    “Here in the United States, American Muslims join their fellow citizens to serve the less fortunate, hosting inter-faith activities that build understanding and remind us that we stand together as one American family,” the president said. “The diversity and patriotism of America’s religious communities give strength to all of us, and our freedom to worship reminds us of the values we share.”

    http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/245338-obama-wishes-muslims-a-happy-ramadan

  22. South Carolina ‘mass shooting’ at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church

    POLICE in Charleston, South Carolina, are responding to a shooting at a local church, according to media reports.

    The Charleston police department on Twitter made the announcement late today that a shooting had occurred at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, on 110 Calhoun St.

    It is understood the shooter has not been arrested yet, but is not actively firing.

    There was no immediate information on potential victims, though early reports suggest there could be eight victims.

    http://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/south-carolina-mass-shooting-at-emanuel-african-methodist-episcopal-church/story-fnh81jut-1227403911783

    Suspect in Charleston, SC, church shooting is white male, slender, about 21-years-old, clean shaven, wearing gray sweatshirt and jeans, police say – @SamInteractive

  23. Chad bans Islamic face veil after suicide bombings (BBC, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33166220

    “Chad has banned people from wearing the full-face veil, following two suicide bomb attacks on Monday. Chad’s government accused Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram of the bombings which killed more than 20 people. The prime minister said the veil was used as a “camouflage” by militants and said the security forces will burn all full-face veils sold in markets. Chad is to host a new regional force set up to tackle Boko Haram….”

  24. China to crack down on Uighurs escaping to Turkey (BBC,+ some propaganda vid, June 17, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33173556

    “The Chinese government has pledged to crack down on Uighurs who, it says, are escaping and signing up with Islamic State. It blames the ethnic minority for a series of attacks on Chinese soil and fears they will be radicalised in Syria and Iraq. Many Uighurs emigrate to Turkey, with or without the consent of Chinese authorities, but those in Turkey say they know of none joining the militant group. Yalda Hakim reports from Istanbul.”