Links from Readers for Aug. 26 – 2015

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About Eeyore

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

60 Replies to “Links from Readers for Aug. 26 – 2015”

  1. Syria’s Bashar al-Assad: ‘We trust the Russians’ (BBC, video, Aug 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34060071

    “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he is confident that his main allies, Russia and Iran, will stand by him. There has been speculation that they might abandon him to allow a settlement to be reached to end the fighting in Syria. Mr Assad said he welcomed Russian officials meeting different factions in the conflict and trusted them to maintain “their great relationship with Syria”.”

  2. The BBCs “wrap up take” on what we already know…

    France train shooting: Attack ‘was well prepared’ (BBC, Aug 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34055713

    “An attempted attack by a heavily armed man on a train in France last week was premeditated and well prepared, according to a French prosecutor. Ayoub El-Khazzani, 25, was carrying 270 bullets for his assault rifle and a bottle of petrol, prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters on Tuesday. The Moroccan’s phone showed that he had watched a jihadist video shortly before launching the attack, Mr Molins added.

    Prosecutors have now filed formal charges against him. Mr Khazzani is accused of carrying out a “targeted and premeditated” jihadist attack. He is also accused of firearms offences and “participation in a terrorist association with a view to organising one or several damaging crimes,” according to prosecutors’ documents quoted by the AFP news agency.

    He was overpowered by passengers on the Thalys express train from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday. No-one died. Three Americans and one Briton who overpowered the gunman were awarded medals for their bravery. A US-born Frenchman, Mark Magoolian, and another unnamed Frenchman will also be given awards later for trying to tackle the gunman.

    “Ayoub El-Khazzani had watched YouTube audio files whilst already on the Thalys train in which an individual called on the faithful to fight and take up arms in the name of the Prophet [Muhammad],” Mr Molins told a news conference. He said a formal terrorism investigation had been opened, adding that other European authorities had passed on information about the suspect’s travels and links to radical Islam.

    “Ayoub El-Khazzani had watched YouTube audio files whilst already on the Thalys train in which an individual called on the faithful to fight and take up arms in the name of the Prophet [Muhammad],” Mr Molins told a news conference. He said a formal terrorism investigation had been opened, adding that other European authorities had passed on information about the suspect’s travels and links to radical Islam….”

  3. 2 NATO soldiers killed in attack in southern Afghanistan (CNN, Aug 26, 2015)
    http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/26/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html

    “Two NATO service members were killed Wednesday in southern Afghanistan after coming under fire from men wearing the uniforms of Afghan security forces.

    NATO service members fired back, killing the attackers, the organization’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan said in a statement.

    It didn’t disclose the identities of the service members who were killed, saying that would be left to the relevant national authorities…”

  4. Hungary Border Fence Proving Futile in Slowing Migrant Flow (abcnews, Aug 26, 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hungary-border-fence-proving-futile-slowing-migrant-flow-33324162

    “The fence being built by Hungary on the border with Serbia meant to stem the rising flow of migrants trying to reach the European Union is being proved futile, as record numbers of migrants keep entering.

    Police said that 2,533 migrants were detained on Tuesday, up from 2,093 on Monday and by far the highest figure of the year. After requesting asylum and registering with authorities, migrants are sent to one of Hungary’s refugee centers but most try to quickly leave for richer EU countries like Germany or Sweden.

    Scores of migrants were seen Tuesday morning by Associated Press journalists near the border town of Roszke, climbing over or crawling under the barbed wire to enter Hungary — just as they had done at the Greek-Macedonia border.”

  5. ISIS Hurls Gay Men Off Buildings, Stones Them: Analysts (nabcnews, Aug 26, 2015)
    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-uncovered/isis-hurls-gay-men-buildings-stones-them-analysts-n305171

    “SIS has released images that appear to show gay men being hurled off buildings and then stoned to death, part of the militants’ self-professed mission to crack down on “sexual deviance.”

    The horrific execution tactic is the latest in a string of brutal punishment methods applied by ISIS under its strict interpretation of Islamic — or shariah — law, from crucifying Christians to stoning alleged adulterers to flogging young men for drinking.

    ISIS featured a lengthy article in the latest version of its propaganda magazine Dabiq, released Thursday, on why it is “clamping down on sexual deviance.”

    The article blamed the advent of the sexual revolution for putting the West onto a “downward spiral” of immorality and said ISIS will continue its efforts to punish any transgressions….”

  6. GERMANY HEIDENAU – German Chancellor Merkel booed by anti-refugee protesters

    Far-right protesters have jeered German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she arrived at a refugee center in Heidenau. Merkel had previously criticized the xenophobic protests against migrants in this small town.

    Some 200 far-right protesters shouted “traitor, traitor” as Angela Merkel arrived at an asylum center in the eastern town of Heidenau near Dresden. DW’s Naomi Conrad was on hand in Heidenau:

    They also honked their horns as they passed by the German chancellor from across a road.

    […]On Monday, Merkel slammed the violence committed by far-right demonstrators and their supporters outside the Heidenau asylum center as “shameful.”

    “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the violent outbursts,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin. “There was an aggressive mood against foreigners there that isn’t acceptable in any way.”

    Merkel also condemned the locals who stood by observing as far-right extremists attacked police trying to ensure the safe arrival of the refugees at the shelter.

    “It’s repulsive how far-right extremists and neo-Nazis are spreading their hollow message, but it’s equally shameful how citizens – even families with children – support this by marching along,” she said.

    http://www.dw.com/en/german-chancellor-merkel-booed-by-anti-refugee-protesters/a-18673078

    • Hungarian police fire tear gas at migrants to prevent them leaving refugee processing centre

      Hungarian security forces have fired teargas to prevent around 200 migrants leaving the country’s main refugee processing centre near the southern border with Serbia, a police spokesman says.

      The spokesman, Szabolcs Szenti, said police used the tear gas to disperse migrants who had refused to be fingerprinted and tried to leave the processing centre at Roszke near the southern border, along which Hungary is erecting a fence.

      “Police are trying to calm the situation, but the migrants are continuing to shout,” Mr Szenti said.

      http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-26/hungarian-police-fire-tear-gas-at-migrants/6727706

      Hungarian police use tear gas against migrants in city of Roszke

      Hungarian police used tear gas to break up a scuffle between some 200 refugees at a migrant reception center on Wednesday. The unrest broke out as migrants grew impatient due to registration delays, caused by an influx of arrivals from Serbia.

      Police rounded up 300-400 migrants at the border area of Roszke and addressed them through megaphones, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene.

      https://www.rt.com/news/313442-hungary-police-teargas-migrants/
      ———————————————————————————–

    • Hungary government weighs using army to stop flood of migrants

      The Hungarian government has considered using its army to secure its southern border against migrants from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia pouring into the country via Serbia, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

      Reuters reported that Zoltan Kovacs said that any decision to send troops to the frontier would have to be approved by Budapest’s parliament, which would discuss the issue next week. On Tuesday, Kovacs said that the migrant flow needs to be better controlled. Hungary is preparing laws to make it a crime to cut through the fence or to enter Hungary illegally and is increasing the penalties for human traffickers.

      “It is in the interest of all of us, Hungarians and Europeans, to develop some kind of order,” Kovacs told the Associated Press, warning that otherwise many European cities could face unsustainable situations.

      Hungary is attempting to build a 13-foot-high fence to keep out the migrants, many of whom are from Syria. However, the Associated Press reported that record numbers are crossing the border in what is being called E.U.rope’s worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II.

      Police said that 2,533 migrants were detained on Tuesday, up from 2,093 on Monday and by far the highest figure of the year. About 140,000 migrants have reached Hungary already this year, over three times as many as in all of 2014. Over the past week, the average was nearly 1,500 people a day.

      After requesting asylum and registering with authorities, migrants are sent to one of Hungary’s refugee centers but most try to quickly leave for richer E.U. countries like Germany or Sweden.

      The so-called Balkan corridor for migrants is becoming increasingly popular as migrants seek to avoid the dangerous boat crossings in the Mediterranean from North Africa to Italy.

      So far, the Hungarian border fence consists of three layers of razor wire, which the government says will be completed this month along the 109-mile border. But there’s no wire over railroad lines and roads and there are doors on the fence where the migrants can enter and formally seek asylum. Once they do, they can easily slip from Hungarian asylum centers and head further west and north.

      http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/08/26/hungary-government-weighs-using-army-to-stop-flood-migrants/

      Hungary scrambles to confront migrant influx, Merkel heckled

      Hungary made plans on Wednesday to reinforce its southern border with helicopters, mounted police and dogs, and was also considering using the army as record numbers of migrants, many of them Syrian refugees, passed through coils of razor-wire into Europe.

      http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/26/us-europe-migrants-hungary-idUSKCN0QV0L720150826

  7. ITALY – VENICE – Gay pride not welcome in Venice, says city mayor

    The mayor of Venice, who this month had a public row with British rock star Elton John over family values, has said he never wants to see a Gay Pride parade take place in the lagoon city while he is in charge.

    Luigi Brugnaro, a businessman who was elected mayor on a centre-right ticket in June, told la Repubblica daily that gay pride marches were the “height of kitsch”.

    “There will never be a Gay Pride in my city,” he was quoted as saying in Wednesday’s paper. “Let them go and do it in Milan, or in front of their own homes,” he said.

    […] Brugnaro sparked a controversy soon after taking office by banning books featuring same-sex couples from the city schools.

    Elton John, who has two children with his partner David Furnish, used his Instagram page this month to condemn the move, calling Brugnaro “boorishly bigoted”.

    The mayor told the singer to keep out of Venice’s business.

    http://news.yahoo.com/gay-pride-not-welcome-venice-says-city-mayor-141518834.html

  8. http://wsls.com/2015/08/26/police-responding-to-incident-at-the-bridgewater-plaza/
    According to Franklin County Sheriff Department’s Spokesperson Phillip Young, the shooting occurred at the Bedford County-Franklin County line in Moneta at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, August 26.
    WDBJ7 says the shooting occurred during their live shot and are asking for your prayers.
    According to Franklin County Sheriff Department’s Spokesperson Phillip Young, the shooting occurred at the Bedford County-Franklin County line in Moneta at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, August 26.
    MONETA (WSLS 10) – Police are searching for a person who they say shot at multiple people Wednesday morning, killing WDBJ7’s Alison Parker and Adam Ward at the Bridgewater Plaza near Smith Mountain Lake.

  9. Mahmoud Abbas Builds Himself a $13 Million Royal Palace

    Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas is building a $13 million palace for himself in Ramallah, the PA governmental seat in Samaria, as revealed in an official website recently.

    The Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR) official website published an announcement of the massive construction project.

    PECDAR, established by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) terror group in 1993 as part of the Oslo Accords, posted “The Presidential Guest Palace in Surda, Ramallah” as a two year project. Abbas often refers to himself as the “president of Palestine,” leaving no doubts that the palace is indeed intended for his luxury.

    The palace is to sprawl over 27,000 square meters of land, and is itself to be 4,700 square meters in size. Along with the palace, a “building for the Presidential Administration and Guards” is also to be built spanning 4,000 square meters.

    Two helipads for helicopter transport are also to be built on the grounds of the palace, which according to architectural sketches on the site – that can be viewed here – is to be nothing short of royal in terms of its design and scale.

    The $13 million for the palace is to be financed by the PLO’s budget, which is deeply debt ridden and largely propped up by US donations.

    According to the PECDAR website, “donor’s funds are disbursed effectively and efficiently and in the most transparent manner. Funds are project oriented in accordance with national priorities.”

    The website adds that PEDCAR is “accountable to a Board of Trustees which is headed by President Mahmoud Abbas.”

    The fact that PEDCAR, which answers to Abbas, found the construction of a $13 million palace for Abbas to be a “national priority” throws into further relief the massive corruption in the PA, where Abbas continues to rule despite his term having expired in January 2009.

    “PA corruption is obvious on the ground”

    Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh wrote an article in the Gatestone Institute last week detailing the corruption, after PLO unity government Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah the same week told visiting Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives, that the US invested $4.5 billion into the Palestinian cause over the last 20 years.

    Abu Toameh pointed out that figure did not include money forked over to the PA, and noted that “Palestinian economic analysts estimate that the PA has received a total of $25 billion in financial aid from the U.S. and other countries during the past two decades,” ever since the PA was established in the Oslo Accords.

    “One does not have to be an expert on Palestinian affairs to see that the billions of dollars have neither created democracy for the Palestinians nor boosted the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.”

    The journalist noted that the PA was “actually a one-man show called Yasser Arafat; he and his cronies were the main benefactors of American and European taxpayers’ money. …At the time, the assumption in the U.S., Europe and other countries was that a corrupt and repressive Arafat would one day make far-reaching concessions for the sake of peace with Israel.”

    Those delusions blew up in the 2000 Camp David talks when Arafat rejected then Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s unprecedented concession offers, and went on to launch the Second Intifada terror war.

    In comments that echo resoundingly given the new palace construction project, Abu Toameh wrote, “one does not need to ask Palestinian Authority officials about the way they spent the American aid money because the reality on the ground is too obvious. The PA took the billions of dollars and continues to operate as a corrupt and undemocratic regime. Democracy is the last thing the Palestinians expect to see from the PA or Hamas.”

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/199934
    pic :
    http://cdn.tabnak.ir/files/fa/news/1394/6/4/523838_635.jpg

  10. They are coming in like in like the proverbial cockroaches…

    Taliban capture key Helmand district of Musa Qala (BBC, Aug 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34062664

    “Taliban fighters have seized control of a strategically-important district headquarters in Afghanistan’s Helmand province despite American air strikes. Musa Qala, once a key Nato position, is the second town in northern Helmand to fall to the Taliban in recent weeks.

    The group also captured Nawzad after intensifying attacks in the region. Musa Qala saw some of the fiercest clashes between Western forces and the Taliban following the American-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

    Three US air strikes on Saturday around Musa Qala reportedly killed up to 40 Taliban fighters but the militants regrouped to push Afghan ground forces back.

    District governor Mohamad Sharif said he fled the district on Wednesday morning as the Taliban attacked….”

  11. Saudi Arabia ‘holds suspect in Khobar Towers bombing’ (BBC, Aug 26, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34064110

    “The main suspect in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia is reported to have been captured.

    Ahmed al-Mughassil was apprehended in the Lebanese capital Beirut and then transferred to Riyadh, the Saudi-owned newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reported.

    There was no immediate comment from the Saudi authorities, but a US official confirmed Mr Mughassil was being held.

    He has been indicted by a US court for the attack, which killed 19 US military personnel and a Saudi citizen.

    The US has accused Iran of being behind the bombing – something it has denied.

    In a report published on Wednesday, al-Sharq al-Awsat said Mr Mughassil, a Saudi national, had been “disguised in a way that made it hard to identify him”.

    The newspaper quoted official Saudi sources as saying Saudi security personnel had received information about the 48-year-old’s presence in Beirut. It did not give further details about when or by whom he was detained.

    Later, a US official told the Associated Press that Mr Mughassil was in custody.

    The US had offered a $5m (£3.2m) reward for information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Mr Mughassil, who it alleges was the head of the military wing of Saudi Hezbollah, also known as Hezbollah al-Hijaz, a branch of the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia Islamist movement that operated in the Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom….”

  12. Bulgaria: Soldiers deployed to block refugees at Macedonian border

    Dozens of heavily armed Bulgarian soldiers and a Humvee were deployed to the Macedonian border near the Gyueshevo checkpoint, Wednesday to prevent refugees and migrants entering the country.

  13. Germany: Smoke billows from refugee housing centre in Berlin

    A fire broke out at a former psychiatric clinic that had been earmarked to house refugees, in Berlin on Wednesday.

  14. Sterling Heights residents display bigotry against proposed mosque

    Sterling Heights – Residents came out in droves to a city planning commission meeting on Thursday, August 13, and to a city council meeting on Tuesday, August 18, to protest a proposed mosque being built on 15 mile and Ryan Road.

    Residents appeared ruffled after learning that a mosque was under construction in the quiet residential area, a plan that has been in the works for close to a year now.

    The city is already home to the American Muslim Diversity Association (AMDA), a mosque located at 4760 Ryan Road.

    Despite this, the city’s Muslim population is smaller compared to other areas in metro Detroit. In recent years, Sterling Heights has seen a booming Chaldean and Jewish community dominate their business districts and neighborhoods.

    However, while many citizens did raise strong points about zoning issues the place of worship could bring to their neighborhood, the shocking number of residents who expressed their bigoted views overshadowed it.

    The city planning commission meeting ran hours overschedule earlier this month after residents expressed their fears and resistance in allowing another mosque to be built in Sterling Heights.

    The mayhem continued the following week at the city council meeting, where more residents turned out to address the city council and Mayor Michael C. Taylor, hoping to put a halt to the plans.

    A video of the city council meeting began circulating on Youtube just days later. The meeting included comments from Chaldean and White residents who strongly opposed a new center being built on 15-mile road.

    “I wish they’d go to Dearborn or somewhere else, just not this area,” resident Saad Antoun told city officials. “I don’t want to be near people like this. This is not humanity. My point is that it’s not right to live with people like this…this is not acceptable at all. These people…they are scaring the public.”

    Antoun proceeded to hold a picture of a woman in a burqa, suggesting that city officials outlaw it and other Islamic attire such as the hijab in Sterling Heights. He tends to see local residents wearing them at the malls and grocery stores, calling it “scary and disgusting.”

    Many residents feared giving their names and addresses during both public meetings, stating that they didn’t want to jeopardize their families for sharing their opinion.

    One local woman questioned whether the proposed mosque would have a name and sign to identify it, stating that “the other mosque on Ryan Road” didn’t have one. However, a simple Google search would reveal the name of that mosque (AMDA).

    Resident Matt Wood echoed those sentiments, stating that the city has become dominated with restaurants and hookah bars that have signage in “a different language.” He suspects that constant gambling occurs in those establishments behind closed doors.

    “If and when it is built, I would ask the city put in the proper policing and ordinances,” Wood said. “People are scared; you as lawmakers, you as the people of the city in leadership positions, need to make sure we police and monitor every citizen, not just laws that allow religious freedoms to take place.”

    A Middle Eastern man with an accent, who strongly opposed the mosque and identified himself as “George John”, displayed the most shocking comment of all.

    He questioned how the leaders of the mosque would be able to raise enough money to build an institution, stating that “all Muslims who live in America are on food stamps. They are killers.”

    A local resident named Xena, who refused to give her last name out of “fear,” was present at both the city council and city planning commission meeting. She displayed her persistency in her stance against the mosque, criticizing city officials for not reaching out to residents in time to inform them of the plans. Residents claim they were alerted through a postcard that was sent to homes in the neighborhood.

    She warned residents that the mosque would be used for more than just Friday prayers, adding that it could be a nuisance to the neighborhood.

    “I refuse to be chased out of my own city and my country,” she told city leaders. “This is suspicious…they are building a mosque but they are only going to be in there on Fridays? Newsflash…Muslims pray six or seven times a day. They aren’t only going to be in there on Fridays, so traffic is going to be an issue. It’s going to be in our face every single day. It doesn’t smell right.”

    Not all residents were protesting the proposal of the mosque. Sterling Heights resident Michael Radtke said he was appalled by the amount of racism and ignorance that has been displayed by Sterling Heights residents in recent weeks.

    “I find the bigotry, hatred and ignorance on display both tonight and last Thursday to be harmful to the reputation of our city,” Radtke said. “The Sterling Heights I know is a welcoming and tolerant place and these people and their views is not reflective of the city population at large, who believe and follow the U.S. constitution. This is a house of worship for residents of our city and nothing else. I find it despicable that citizens of the United States are being discriminated against.”

    The Youtube video that circulated online censored the faces and identity of the citizens who spoke at the city council meeting. It can be viewed here:

    http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/news/id_10956/Sterling-Heights-residents-display-bigotry-in-protest-against-proposed-mosque.html
    ————————————————————————————————-
    OUR RELIGION IS SIMILAR TO CHRISTIANITY :
    ( 3 min 32 )

  15. MEMRI TV – The Muslim Brotherhood Will Rule Syria, Libya, and Yemen –

    Ultimately, the Muslim Brotherhood will rule Syria, Yemen, and Libya. “It’s either ISIS or them,” he added. Saraya also said that former President Mubarak’s only mistake was that he did not strike Hamas.

  16. NYT – Inquiry Weighs Whether ISIS Analysis Was Distorted

    he Pentagon’s inspector general is investigating allegations that military officials have skewed intelligence assessments about the United States-led campaign in Iraq against the Islamic State to provide a more optimistic account of progress, according to several officials familiar with the inquiry.

    […]The prospect of skewed intelligence raises new questions about the direction of the government’s war with the Islamic State, and could help explain why pronouncements about the progress of the campaign have varied widely.

    […]Spokeswomen for both inspectors general declined to comment for this article. The Defense Intelligence Agency and the White House also declined to comment.

    […]There has been very little progress in wresting the group’s hold over large parts of Syria, where the United States has done limited bombing.

    Some senior American officials in recent weeks have provided largely positive public assessments about the progress of the military campaign against the Islamic State, a Sunni terrorist organization that began as an offshoot of Al Qaeda but has since severed ties and claimed governance of a huge stretch of land across Iraq and Syria. The group is also called ISIS or ISIL.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/26/world/middleeast/pentagon-investigates-allegations-of-skewed-intelligence-reports-on-isis.html

  17. CBC – ‘Barbaric’ conditions imposed on former Winnipeg student accused of terrorism: lawyer

    Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, former University of Manitoba student, charged last April

    A former Winnipeg student currently in a New York City jail awaiting trial on terrorism charges is being held in solitary confinement 23 hours a day under treatment his lawyer calls “barbaric,” but the U.S. attorney general calls necessary.

    Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, a U.S. citizen who was studying at the University of Manitoba eight years ago, was charged last April with conspiracy to support al-Qaeda efforts to carry out attacks in the United States.

    […] is denied access to religious texts indispensable to the practice of his religion and is prohibited from praying communally.”

    […]”If Mr. Al Farekh has a nervous breakdown or loses his mental or emotional balance, it will be a direct result of the government’s barbaric treatment of him,” Maher wrote.

    […]’Proclivity for violence’

    “Based upon information provided to me regarding al-Farekh’s proclivity for violence, I find that there is substantial risk that his communications or contacts with persons could result in death or serious bodily injury” to people, or substantial property damage, the memo said.

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/barbaric-conditions-imposed-on-former-winnipeg-student-accused-of-terrorism-lawyer-1.3203816

    • American citizen linked to al-Qaeda is captured, flown secretly to U.S.

      An American citizen who was once thought to be a top operative in al-Qaeda has been detained in Pakistan and secretly flown to New York to face federal terrorism charges, according to U.S. officials.

      Muhanad Mahmoud al Farekh, 29, did not enter a plea during a brief arraignment in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday. Farekh, also known by the nom de guerre Abdullah al-Shami, was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. A judge ordered him held.

      Pakistani forces detained Farekh several weeks ago and recently transferred him to U.S. custody after his identity was confirmed. Officials said he was questioned by members of an interrogation team composed of FBI, CIA and Pentagon officials and then advised of his Miranda rights.

      Little is known about Farekh, who is believed to have been born in Texas but to have moved with his family at a young age to Jordan, where he also has citizenship. He also attended school in Canada.

      He and two other associates were studying at the University of Manitoba when, around 2007, they sold their belongings and left Winnepeg. They then traveled to Pakistan to link up with militants and fight against American forces, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York.

      The three called a friend in Canada when they arrived and told him they intended to become “martyrs,” the complaint says.

      Over the next several years, Farekh rose through al-Qaeda’s ranks, later coming to the attention of U.S. intelligence officials. By 2013, he had been nominated by the Pentagon to a “kill list” of suspected terrorists.

      Senior U.S. officials said consideration of that nomination stalled as the Justice Department examined whether it would be legal to kill him, given his American citizenship. The Obama administration had previously authorized the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical American-born cleric in Yemen who was determined to have presented a continuing and imminent threat to U.S. interests and who could not feasibly be captured.

      Officials said there were questions about how prominent a role Farekh played in al-Qaeda. The decision not to authorize his killing frustrated members of Congress who thought the administration was dithering, officials said.

      If convicted, Farekh faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.

      He is the second terrorism suspect with U.S. ties to be captured or killed in Pakistan in recent months. In December, Pakistani forces killed Adnan el Shukrijumah, a senior al-Qaeda operative on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list. Shukrijumah had been indicted in New York on charges that he played a role in the terrorist group’s failed plan to attack the city’s subways in 2009.

      The move to bring Farekh to the United States to face federal charges is likely to draw criticism from some Republicans in Congress who believe suspected terrorists, even Americans, should not have the same rights as criminal defendants and should be held at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

      President Obama, however, has vowed to close the facility, and no detainee has been sent there since 2008.

      The federal prosecution of terrorism suspects captured overseas has become almost commonplace. Last year, a Russian citizen who was captured in Afghanistan and held there for years was indicted in U.S. federal court and charged with conspiring to murder a U.S. national and with use of a weapon of mass destruction. That case marked the first time a foreign combatant captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan had been brought to the United States to be prosecuted.

      The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York, working with federal prosecutors there, handled the case against Farekh. One of the officials briefed on the case said Farekh was interrogated at length by what is known as a High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group.

      “Today’s arrest demonstrates that there is no escape from the long reach of our law for American citizens who seek to do harm to our country on behalf of violent terrorists,” said U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring such individuals to justice.”

      It is not clear where the interrogations of Farekh took place. In the past, officials have used Bagram air base in Afghanistan or warships to question terrorism suspects who were later brought to the United States.

      Farekh’s capture comes after Pakistan began a long-promised military offensive against militant forces lodged in North Waziristan, part of the tribal areas along the Afghanistan border that are used as safe havens by terrorist groups.

      Pakistan claimed to have killed nearly 1,000 militants as part of the offensive.

      In operations in North Waziristan and nearby regions, as well as in Karachi, Pakistani forces say they have also killed and captured numerous al-Qaeda operatives, including Shukrijumah, who was born in Saudi Arabia and was believed to have been in charge of the group’s external operations.

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/american-citizen-suspected-of-being-al-qaeda-member-captured-brought-to-us/2015/04/02/48e8cc4c-d89c-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html

  18. GERMANY – FRANCE – SAUDI ARABIA – Lürssen subcontracted French shipyard Couach to built 79 Interceptors for Saudi Arabia Coast Guard

    German shipbuilding company Lürssen has subcontracted French Shipyard Couach to built 79 15-meters interceptor vessels for the coast guard of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The information was first revealed by our colleagues from Le Marin, a French weekly newspaper specialized in maritime news.

    According to Le Marin, the information was made official, Monday, August 24, by the French shipyard’s management team during a staff meeting.

    The subcontract awarded by Lürssen is linked to the large contract awarded by KSA Ministry of Interior estimated at 1.4 billion Euros for over 100 vessels, first rumored in the German press in Fenruary last year.

    http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3037

  19. CNN – FDD Senior Fellow Daveed Gartenstein-Ross discusses jihadist rehabilitation efforts in Minneapolis.

  20. Tunisian Government Wants to Bring Syria Jihadists Home

    The Tunisian Government is set to open negotiations with the Assad regime in Syria with a view
    to repatriating prisoners currently being held in the war torn state, according to reports.

    Those involved in the deal are thought to include suspected Jihadists and terrorists along with others involved in non-murder related cases.

    The news comes after Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taieb Baccouche, announced in an interview that the Syrian government had agreed to receive a general consul of Tunisia in its territory and secure the Tunisian diplomatic mission on his land.

    In July, Mr Baccouche was forced to deny reports that Tunisia is upgrading diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime.

    The issue of Tunisian-Syrian relations has caused considerable controversy for months because of uncertainty surrounding the issue.

    Baccouche previously said he was planning to restore diplomatic ties with Syria and would appoint a fully fledged ambassador in Damascus.

    However, the move was opposed by the country’s president Beji Caid Essebsi, who said Tunisia could not breach “Arab consensus” on the Syrian regime.

    More than 3,000 Tunisians are thought to have joined Jihadist groups abroad in recent years with many joining the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

    http://www.tunisia-live.net/2015/08/25/tunisia-syria-jihadists/

    ========================================
    Des “djihadistes” tunisiens en Syrie veulent rentrer au pays

    Selon le ministère tunisien des Affaires étrangères, les «djihadistes» tunisiens ont contacté le Consulat de Tunisie à Istanbul.

    Des «djihadistes» tunisiens en Syrie ont contacté le Consulat de Tunisie à Istanbul pour rentrer au pays, a annoncé, mardi, le ministère tunisien des Affaires étrangères dans un communiqué.

    Le communiqué du ministère intervient en réaction aux informations publiées par des médias locaux selon lesquelles le ministre des Affaires étrangères Taïeb Baccouche, aurait déclaré que «la Tunisie a ouvert les canaux de négociations avec les djihadistes en Syrie avec la possibilité de retour de certains d’entre eux».

    Le ministère se dit “étonné des déclarations imputées à monsieur le ministre”, affirmant que “ses propos ont été déformés” et que “l’information est dénuée de toute vérité».

    «Taïeb Baccouche a déclaré que des djihadistes se trouvant en Syrie ont contacté le Consulat général de Tunisie à Istanbul et exprimé la volonté de rentrer au pays, contrairement au titre de l’article [diffusé par des médias locaux] qui prétend que la partie tunisienne a ouvert les canaux de dialogue avec les djihadistes», nuance-t-il.

    Le communiqué ne précise pas la position du ministère vis-à-vis du retour des djihadistes en question, ni leur nombre.

    Selon des rapports d’organismes internationaux, 3000 Tunisiens combattent pour Daech et d’autres organisations terroristes en Syrie.

    http://www.aa.com.tr/fr/u/581260–des-quot-djihadistes-quot-tunisiens-en-syrie-veulent-rentrer-au-pays

  21. OKLAHOMA –

    OU Architecture dean apologizes for offense caused by attire

    The dean of OU’s College of Architecture issued an apology Monday for wearing clothing associated with Islam at a back-to-school meeting.

    A photo on the College of Architecture’s Facebook page that has since been deleted showed Dean Charles Graham wearing a white thawb and a red keffiyeh on his head at the meeting on Aug. 20.

    In his apology, he said he purchased the garments when he went to Dubai. According to the apology, he asked “a number of [his] Muslim friends around campus and in Norman to see if [his] wearing the attire would be offensive in any religious way,” to which the answers were “all resoundingly ‘no.'”

    OU press secretary Corbin Wallace told The Daily in an email that three or four people anonymously contacted the president’s office regarding Graham’s attire. He said Graham took an appropriate step in emailing the apology to faculty and staff.

    Graham described himself as “always striving to be inclusive and considerate of others in every context” in his apology, and said his Muslim friends thought wearing the attire would be “a nice gesture of diversity and acceptance of other cultures.”

    pic on the page :

    http://www.oudaily.com/news/ou-architecture-dean-apologizes-for-offense-caused-by-attire/article_bb1ca332-4aad-11e5-8080-eb425391db26.html

  22. Nice opportunity for pious Muslims and jihadists to visit Rome and repent

    Rome ‘sprinting’ to Jubilee

    Plans streamlined at premier’s office special session

    Rome, August 25 – Rome’s city council and the central government are “sprinting” to speed up the logistic organisation of the special Jubilee due to take place at the end of the year, officials said Tuesday.

    Mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino may be on holiday but deputy mayor Marco Causi had a meeting with Cabinet Undersecretary Claudio De Vincenti at the premier’s office Tuesday during which they agreed “consensually to re-organise together the ensemble of all the projects decided August 6 in the city council into a new organic and coordinated plan” with “the provisions necessary to reduce the time limits for the experimental public works competitions while remaining within the rules,” Causi said.

    Pope Francis called a special jubilee on the theme of divine mercy to begin on December 8 and continue until November 20, 2016.
    »»»» Millions of pilgrims are expected in Rome. ««««

    A makeover for some of Rome’s outlying suburbs was announced August 6 as part of an urban plan ahead of the Jubilee.

    The city of Rome plans include everything from maintenance to creating cycling paths, and cleaning up archaeological sites.

    “We began again in a positive way the work of the government on how to prepare Rome for the Jubilee,” Causi added.

    “I reported to undersecretary De Vincenti the work carried out by the city administration from August 4 to August 15 to finalise the spending of 50 million euros freed up by the government under the stability pact and he expressed his appreciation and approval”.

    http://www.ansa.it/english/news/vatican/2015/08/25/rome-sprinting-to-jubilee_56c3e9e5-2be8-4643-905d-0fdf2377a835.html

    Not much to celebrate? As Pope Francis declares a Jubilee Year in Rome, Italian capital is being shamed by corruption scandals and chaos in its public services

    Pope Francis has declared a celebratory Jubilee Year in the Italian capital
    »»» Millions of Jubilee pilgrims expected to flock to the Eternal City this year «««
    But the city has been hit by crippling bus strikes and a relentless heatwave
    The announcement also comes against backdrop of corruption allegations

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3179151/Not-celebrate-Pope-Francis-declares-Jubilee-Year-Rome-Italian-capital-shamed-corruption-chaos-public-services.html

    ———————————————————————————–
    Cardinal Tauran weighs in on religious extremism

  23. DAILY MAIL Have ISIS found a sadistic new way to kill? Ominous warning of new video is released featuring prisoners surrounded by Islamists on horseback

    New poster surfaces purporting to show jihadis carrying out execution
    It is claimed the bloodthirsty extremists have developed a ‘new killing style’
    The photograph shows prisoners surrounded by jihadis on horseback

    Warnings have emerged of an impending Islamic State video that will reveal a ‘new killing style’ featuring jihadis on horseback.

    A poster for the forthcoming video shows prisoners wearing orange jumpsuits surrounded by a framework of poles and militants gathered on horses.

    It was posted with a warning the bloodthirsty group are planning to reveal a ‘new killing style’ – in addition to the varying types of executions it already carries out across Iraq and Syria.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3210469/ISIS-introducing-new-killing-style-Ominous-warning-terror-group-s-latest-video-depicting-horrific-murder-released-featuring-prisoners-surrounded-Islamists-horseback.html

  24. FRANCE – Two men jailed after ‘Charlie Hebdo 2’ scare

    Two men have been sent to prison after their “joke” about kicking off a “second” Charlie Hebdo attack while on a train in France saw them arrested.

    The French public were still on high alert on Sunday morning after a terror attack was thwarted on a Paris-bound train on Friday.

    Perhaps with this in mind, two men in their early twenties thought it would be a laugh to threaten a terror attack on another train, this one bound for Mantes-la-Jolie, north west of Paris.

    The men, aged 22 and 23, told passengers on the train that “everything was about to blow up” and that they would kick off a “Charlie Hebdo 2”, referring to the terror attack at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris in January that left 12 dead.

    The pair reportedly asked train passengers if they were Muslim, telling them to clear out quickly if this were the case to be spared.

    One witness told Le Parisien that the men claimed to have put a bomb under one of the seats.

    Terrified passengers alerted the driver, who stopped the train and waited for police.

    The men were promptly arrested, and by Monday evening were sentenced to three years and 18 months of prison respectively for glorifying terrorist acts (apologie d’actes terroriste).

    One of the men, named as Taoufik by the paper, claimed that he was drunk at the time, and didn’t remember a thing. His companion, meanwhile, claimed he wasn’t involved at all. Investigators found that while the men had alcohol in their blood stream, it wasn’t excessive.

    During the court hearing, Taoufik also claimed his actions were sparked after another passenger made a racist remark to him.

    However, the Nanterre judge ignored the men’s pleas in his verdict on Monday, making reference to Friday’s foiled attack.

    “If it wasn’t for the intervention of some young Americans then there would have been a massacre,” the judge said, referring to the foiled terror attack on Friday, reported Europe 1 radio.

    “And by Sunday, you think it’s funny to tell people there is a bomb on the train? Do you have any idea of the trauma that you have caused?”

    http://www.thelocal.fr/20150825/two-men-jailed-after-charlie-hebdo-2-scare