Reader links for Oct. 24 – 2015

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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

44 Replies to “Reader links for Oct. 24 – 2015”

    • Not exactly the latest news, however this time they give room to some analyst, who does admit the connection between (some version of) applied Islam and particular resulting action…

    • The video shows that al Qaeda isn’t finished or even on the ropes, it also shows that while we are focusing on ISIS other terror groups in that region are gaining power. I want to now if Russia is gong after this group next and I want to know if Obama has been arming them.

  1. U.S. patrols to raise stakes with Beijing in disputed South China Sea

    http://news.yahoo.com/u-patrols-raise-stakes-beijing-disputed-south-china-080828322.html;_ylt=AwrC1DGBYitWXmYAlw7QtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByNXQ0NThjBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM1BHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg–

    HONG KONG (Reuters) – U.S. plans to send warships or military aircraft within 12 nautical miles of China’s artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, possibly within days, could open a tense new front in Sino-U.S. rivalry.

    A range of security experts said Washington’s so-called freedom of navigation patrols would have to be regular to be effective, given Chinese ambitions to project power deep into maritime Southeast Asia and beyond.

    But China would likely resist attempts to make such U.S. actions routine, some said, raising the political and military stakes. China’s navy could for example try to block or attempt to surround U.S. vessels, they said, risking an escalation.

  2. U.S. softens view of Malaysia, Cuba in human trafficking report

    http://www.oann.com/u-s-upgrades-malaysia-cuba-in-human-trafficking-report/

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States took Malaysia off its list of worst offenders in human trafficking on Monday, removing a potential barrier to a signature Asia-Pacific trade pact despite opposition from human rights groups and nearly 180 U.S. lawmakers.

    The U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report also upgraded Cuba from its lowest rank for the first time since it was included in the annual report in 2003.

    South Sudan, Burundi, Belize, Belarus and Comoros were downgraded to the lowest rank, Tier 3, where Thailand remained for a second year, alongside countries with some of the world’s worst trafficking records, including Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe.

    Egypt was downgraded, to the so-called “Tier 2 Watch List” status, while Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan were upgraded to “Tier 2 Watch List.”

    Malaysia’s expected upgrade to the “Tier 2 Watch List” from Tier 3 removes a potential barrier to President Barack Obama’s signature 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, or TPP, which Washington hopes to conclude this year.

    Congress approved legislation in June giving Obama expanded trade negotiating powers, but prohibiting “fast-track” approval of a deal that included Tier 3 countries, as Malaysia then was.

  3. Sharif says India arms buildup compels Pakistan countermeasures

    http://www.oann.com/sharif-says-india-buildup-will-compel-pakistan-deterrence-counter-measures/

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday Pakistan would be forced to take “countermeasures” to deter against any attacks, given a major arms buildup by neighboring India and its refusal to resume talks over Kashmir.

    “While refusing dialogue, India is engaged in a major arms buildup, regrettably with the active assistance of several powers,” Sharif said in a speech to the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington.

    “It has adopted dangerous military doctrines. This will compel Pakistan to take several countermeasures to preserve credible deterrence.”

    Sharif charged that a “cancellation” of talks between the nuclear-armed countries had been followed by increased ceasefire violations by India across the Line of Control dividing Pakistani and Indian Kashmir.

    He said there had also been “a stream of hostile statements by the Indian political and military leadership.”

    • This is worrying in many ways, we are seeing a confrontation develop between two nuclear armed powers. Pakistan has been developing tactical nuclear weapons, I don’t iknow for sure but theya r probably nuclear artillery shells, This development plaes India in a precarious position, they are faced with two nuclear armed enemies on both of which are showing belligerence. China is making moves in the South China Sea and India has to worry about that since many of their imports and exports must travel across that body of water. Pakistan and India have been at logger heads ever since Britain pulled out and India is having having a problem with terrorists who are supported by portions of the Pakistani government and intel organization. While I don’t think it will go nuclear that is always a possiblity in this conflict.

  4. DOJ that COLLUDED in IRS targeting of conservatives will bring no charges against Lois Lerner
    Read more at http://libertyunyielding.com/2015/10/23/doj-that-colluded-in-irs-targeting-of-conservatives-will-bring-no-charges-against-lois-lerner/

    It’s becoming pretty final, for those who still had a question in their minds, that the Obama administration is riven with corruption.

    The administration doesn’t really even take the trouble to hide it anymore. Perhaps releasing this announcement on a Friday afternoon indicates that the administration is at least still trying to minimize notoriety in the news cycle. (See Howard Portnoy’s treatment here.)

    The Justice Department, it seems, has decided not to bring any charges against Lois Lerner, the face of IRS misconduct against the large category of “taxpayers who probably didn’t vote for Obama.”

    Read more at http://libertyunyielding.com/2015/10/23/doj-that-colluded-in-irs-targeting-of-conservatives-will-bring-no-charges-against-lois-lerner/

    • This is the Justice Department that will make the first decision about indicting Hillary, it has already shown itself to be a corrupt political arm of the White House.

  5. Greece Sees Record 48,000 Arrivals In Past Five Days Says International Organisation for Migration

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/10/23/greece-sees-record-48000-arrivals-in-past-five-days-says-international-organisation-for-migration/

    Greece has seen a record 48,000 migrants and refugees land on its shores in the space of just five days, the International Organisation for Migration said on Friday.

    “Despite deteriorating weather conditions, approximately 48,000 refugees and migrants crossed from Turkey to the Greek islands, or about 9,600 migrants and refugees in each of the past five days,” the IOM said in a statement, referring to the period between October 17 and 21.

    The number of arrivals peaked on Tuesday when nearly 11,000 people had landed on the Greek islands, the organisation said.
    “The influx has left many local authorities unprepared,” the IOM said.

    More than half of those crossing from Turkey had landed on the island of Lesbos, which saw 27,276 arrivals during the five-day period, it said.

    • SALZBURG – AUSTRIA –
      Tausend Flüchtlinge maschieren durch Salzburg

      In Salzburg haben überraschend rund 1.000 Flüchtlinge das Notquartier in der Bahnhofsgarage verlassen und sich auf den Weg Richtung Grenze gemacht. Ähnliche Märsche sind momentan im Grenzgebiet häufig zu beobachten. Anwohner betrachten diese Massen von Menschen mit gemischten Gefühlen.

  6. The Palestinian Jihad: Lies, Lies and More Lies
    This is Not an “Intifada”

    by Bassam Tawil

    http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6754/palestinian-jihad-lies

    Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are calling it a “peaceful popular resistance.” They are referring, of course, to the latest wave of stabbings, shootings and vehicular attacks against the Jews in Israel.

    In the view of our leaders — and, unfortunately, many in the international community — this is a “peaceful popular resistance,” an uprising, or an “intifada,” like two previous uprisings we had in 1987 and 2000.

    What is happening these days in the Palestinian territories and Israel, however, is anything but a “peaceful popular resistance.” First, we are not seeing anything “popular.” We are not seeing, as before, thousands of Palestinians participating in the violence or protests. These attacks are not protests launched by villagers, residents of refugee camps and members of professional unions in the Palestinian territories.

    What we are seeing are pure terrorist attacks carried out mostly by impressionable young men and women whose hearts and minds have been poisoned by the inflammatory rhetoric and incitement of Palestinian leaders, mosques, the media, Facebook and other social media. The terrorists who carry knives or firearms to murder Jews are usually, it seems, disturbed youngsters, who have been fired up by the pervasive atmosphere of hate poured over them daily by their leaders and these leaders’ media outlets. The current terrorists are not part of an armed group such as the Tanzim or the Fatah Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, nor a “popular resistance,” a street gang, or any organized movement.

  7. This is concerning. Half of Cyprus, in the North, is already occupied. It would take about two seconds for invaders to overrun the island, Syria is literally a hop skip and a jump across the sea. Was it just an accident they washed up in Akrotiri? A British sovereign base? That’s some accident: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/10/23/britain-must-pay-cyprus-migrants-united-nations/

    Solving the Cyprus problem was supposed to be a requisite for Turkey to be allowed into the EU. But now Merkel is desperate, what will she do?

    Not to mention a terrorist cell was recently found (back in May) in Larnaca with 2 tons of ammonium nitrate.
    http://in-cyprus.com/tons-of-explosives-found-in-larnaca-home/

    And now this: Terrorist Arrested in Cyprus,
    Planned to Attack Israeli Targets
    Was apparently working for Hezbollah
    http://www.worldjewishdaily.com/cyprus-arrest.php

  8. Yemen Officials Say Talks to Push Al-Qaida out of Aden Fail (abcnews, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/yemen-officials-talks-push-al-qaida-aden-fail-34703231

    “Yemeni security officials in government-controlled Aden and tribal mediators say talks to persuade al-Qaida militants to give up their weapons or move out of the southern port city have failed.

    Tribal and public figures accepted by both sides, who have been involved in mediation talks, tell The Associated Press the discussions began about three months ago, after government forces pushed Houthi Shiite rebels out of Aden.

    Aden’s governor, Gaafar Mohamed Saad, issued a ban Friday against carrying weapons in the streets. The decree, which goes into effect Saturday, stipulates security forces would immediately confiscate illegal weapons.

    Officials in Aden say al-Qaida held large armed parades in Aden in the past two days.

    The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak to journalists.”

  9. Refugees Flood Into Slovenia; EU Migrant Plan Criticized (abcnews, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/refugees-flood-slovenia-eu-migrant-plan-criticized-34702711

    “A day ahead of a European summit on the migrant crisis, Slovenian officials staggered to cope and tempers flared Saturday at an overcrowded refugee center as thousands more asylum-seekers poured into the tiny Alpine nation.

    European nations have been criticized for being slow to react as hundreds of thousands of people seeking safety pour in through Greece and Italy. But a draft plan submitted to countries coming to the Brussels summit by European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker was already drawing strong opposition.

    Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said the EU plan urges countries not to “wave” asylum-seekers across their borders without consulting with their neighbors.

    “That is impossible, whoever wrote this does not understand how things work and must have just woken up from a months-long sleep,” he said Saturday.

    On the ground across the Balkans, the biggest problems have emerged when the torrent of refugees is bottlenecked at one border or another. And the numbers of those crossing the seas from Turkey into Greece have surged of late, driven on by a fear of cold weather, cold water and more European border closures…”

  10. 4 Women Suicide Bombers Die in Northeast Nigeria, Kill 1 (abcnews, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/women-suicide-bombers-die-northeast-nigeria-34700435

    “Four women suicide bombers blew themselves up in northeastern Nigeria Saturday, killing one other person and wounding 10, when civilian guards prevented them from entering the city of Maiduguri, said an official.

    The women blew themselves up when they were stopped for a body search by self-defense fighters on the outskirts of the city, said Sani Datti, spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency.

    Saturday’s morning’s attack was the latest in a wave of suicide bombings blamed on the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group that have killed hundreds in recent months.

    Suicide bombers killed 42 people Friday in mosques in Maiduguri, the biggest city in the northeast and birthplace of Boko Haram, and Yola, 400 kilometers to the south. Nigeria’s 6-year-old uprising has killed about 20,000 people and driven 2.3 million from their homes.”

  11. Lebanon’s Hezbollah takes aim at Saudi Arabia on Ashura (reuters, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/24/us-mideast-crisis-hezbollah-idUSKCN0SI0HQ20151024

    “Supporters of Lebanon’s Iran-allied Shi’ite group Hezbollah chanted “Death to the Saud family” as their leader railed against Sunni-led Saudi Arabia on Saturday in a sign of deepening hostility towards the U.S.-allied kingdom.

    Speaking on Ashura, the day on which Shi’ites commemorate the death of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah listed the Saudi leadership alongside traditional enemies Israel and the United States.

    His armed group is an important player in the struggle playing out across the Middle East between the conservative Sunni Muslim-led government of Saudi Arabia and the Shi’ite Islamist government of Iran.

    Thousands of its fighters are in Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad, taking part in a new ground offensive also backed by Iranian forces and Russian air strikes against insurgents who have received Gulf Arab backing.

    The Saudi-Iranian rivalry is also playing out in Yemen, where Riyadh is leading a military intervention to try to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government and fend off what it sees as creeping Iranian influence.

    Nasrallah condemned what he called the “U.S.-Saudi aggression” against Yemen. Thousands of black-clad supporters responded “Death to the Saud family! Death to the Saud family!”. The chant is mostly reserved for Israel and America.

    On the war in Syria, Nasrallah forecast victory for Assad and his allies. “Syria will not fall,” he said.

    Tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters marched through the Shi’ite southern suburbs of Beirut. Some beat their chests in a show of self-punishment over the failure of Muslims to help in Hussein in battle against the Islamic ruler at the time, Yazid.

    Nasrallah, who for security reasons typically speaks via video link, delivered the speech in person, the second day in a row he has appeared to address supporters. Security was tight in the area. Roads were closed to traffic.

    Lebanon has also been an arena for Saudi-Iranian rivalry between Hezbollah and its Christian and Shi’ite allies on the one hand, and a rival alliance led by Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri, who is backed by Riyadh, on the other.

    Nasrallah warned rival Lebanese politicians against waiting for Saudi Arabia and Iran to broker an end to a standoff that has paralyzed government and prevented the election of a new president.

    “Don’t wait for Iranian-Saudi dialogue. Matters in the region are getting more complicated,” he said. “Don’t await an American or Western initiative. Lebanon is beyond the concerns of foreign states. Lebanon is today left to its leaders.””

  12. Afghanistan says Taliban fighters marooned on river island (reuters, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/24/us-afghanistan-taliban-idUSKCN0SI0HX20151024

    “Dozens of Taliban fighters were stranded on a river island on the border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan on Saturday after fleeing army troops led by the Afghan vice president, the government said, though the Taliban denied they were stuck.

    Taliban fighters fled on Thursday to the banks of the Amu River, one of the longest in Central Asia, deserting motorbikes and using fishing boats to reach the island, said Sultan Faizy, spokesman for Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum.

    “They have no choice but to surrender or starve,” he said, adding that Afghan troops had not advanced so as not to enter Turkmenistan.

    A Taliban spokesman denied its fighters were marooned, saying they were basing themselves on the Afghan side of the island to stage their fight against government forces…”

  13. Several Yemeni fishermen killed in Saudi-led strikes: witnesses (reuters, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/24/us-yemen-security-idUSKCN0SI07G20151024

    “At least 40 people were killed, including several fishermen, when Saudi-led coalition strikes hit two Yemeni islands on the Red Sea overnight, several locals said on Saturday.

    Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military intervention since March to try to restore Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government, forced into exile by an advance of Houthi fighters allied to Iran. The Houthis are also backed by forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

    The coalition has gained ground in the south, and Hadi’s government is now based in the southern Yemeni port of Aden, but Houthi forces remain in control of much of the country despite the almost daily air strikes.

    Local fishermen told Reuters that coalition helicopters and warships targeted several military locations belonging to the Houthis and forces loyal to Saleh on Aqban and Kadman islands on Friday night. The strikes killed several fishermen who live on the islands and destroyed several fishing boats, they said…”

  14. Thirteen illegal immigrants captured by member of the public after they jumped out of the back of a lorry and he chased them down the streets (dailymail, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3287420/Thirteen-illegal-immigrants-captured-member-public.html

    “Thirteen illegal immigrants were chased and captured by a member of the public after he spotted them jumping out of the back of a lorry.

    Business manager Des Kefford, 31, leaped into action and detained all 13 of the immigrants after they jumped out of a lorry at Ransomes Europark in Ipswich, Suffolk, on Thursday.

    The group, who are believed to have travelled from Iraq, jumped out of the lorry which was delivering goods from Europe to the warehouse of distribution company Debach at about 3.15pm.

    Mr Kefford and his fiancee Kerri Castleton, 26, were visiting Ms Castleton’s father at Security Foiling in nearby Foxtail Road when they saw the group running past the office.

    The couple, from Ipswich, followed in their car as the men, who were all wearing backpacks, headed down the road before Mr Kefford jumped out and gave chase while Ms Castleton called police…”

  15. Refugee children resorting to ‘survival sex’ to pay people smugglers claims UN as record 56,000 migrants land in Greece in just six days (dailymail, Oct 24, 2015)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3287510/Refugee-children-resorting-survival-sex-pay-people-smugglers-claims-record-56-000-migrants-land-Greece-just-six-days.html

    “Refugee children travelling across Europe are resorting to ‘survival sex’ in order to pay people smugglers, the UN has claimed.

    Children are being forced to prostitute themselves to continue their journey, either because they have run out of money or they have been robbed, the UN Refugee Agency has said.

    Over the past six days, more than 56,000 people, mostly Syrians, have made the treacherous Mediterranean crossing from Turkey to Greece.

    And since the start of the year, more than 644,00 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea. Roughly a third are women and children, some of whom are unaccompanied.

    At a news conference in Geneva, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said women and children are at ‘heightened risk of violence and abuse’.

    Calling on governments to take steps to ensure their safety, she said they have been concerned by ‘testimony and reports’ they had received about children forced into ‘survival sex’.

    She said they were particularly vulnerable to sexual attacks in overcrowded reception sites, which are often dimly lit and lack separate spaces for single woman and families with children.

    They are also at risk in other locations including parks, bus and train stations, and roadsides.
    Ms Fleming noted that unaccompanied children can be particularly vulnerable as they lack the protection and care of an adult.

    They may also be placed in detention in some countries, including with adults, posing great risks to them. Finding alternatives to detention should be a matter of urgency for all countries, she said.

    UNHCR has appealed to all authorities in Europe to take measures to ensure the protection of women and girls, including through providing adequate and safe reception facilities…”

  16. UNHCR concerned at reports of sexual violence against refugee women and children

    GENEVA, Oct 23 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said today it was concerned by “credible testimonies” it has received of sexual violence and abuse against refugee and migrant women and children on the move in Europe and called on authorities to take steps to ensure their protection.

    […]”Refugee and migrant children moving in Europe are at heightened risk of violence and abuse, including sexual violence, especially in overcrowded reception sites, or in many locations where refugees and migrants gather, such as parks, train stations, bus stations and roadsides,” UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a news conference in Geneva.

    “From testimony and reports we have received there have been instances of children engaging in survival sex to pay smugglers to continue their journey, either because they have run out money, or because they have been robbed,” she added.

    […]Refugee and migrant women travelling on their own are also at heightened risk as they move through Europe, sometimes at night, along insecure routes or staying in places that lack basic security. Many reception centres are overcrowded, and lack adequate lighting and separated spaces for single women and families with children.

    http://www.unhcr.org/562a3bb16.html

  17. US, Saudi urge international push on Syria

    Riyadh (AFP) – US Secretary of State John Kerry and King Salman of Saudi Arabia on Saturday called for greater international efforts to restore stability to Syria without President Bashar al-Assad at its helm.

    The two countries backed the aim of a “unified, pluralistic and stable country for all Syrians,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

    “Both sides noted the importance of mobilizing the international community to support this goal and reiterated the need for a transition away from Assad.

    They pledged to continue and intensify support to the moderate Syrian opposition while the political track is being pursued.”

    Kerry flew in to Riyadh from Amman where he held separate talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Palestinian-Israeli unrest.

    He first went into a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir before heading out to Dhiraya Farm, the king’s country residence.

    Kerry thanked the king “for Saudi Arabia’s support to multilateral efforts to pursue a political transition in Syria,” Kirby said.

    Washington and Riyadh are part of a US-led coalition that last year launched an air campaign targeting the Islamic State jihadist group which controls swathes of territory in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

    The Saudi talks follow a meeting Friday in Vienna between Kerry and the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia on ways to end the Syria conflict.

    But the Vienna talks failed to make any breakthrough and Kerry said at the time he hoped to reconvene another “broader” meeting on Syria as early as October 30.

    Russia launched its own aerial campaign on September 30 in response to a request from Damascus.

    Washington, Riyadh and Ankara back groups fighting the regime of Russia ally President Bashar al-Assad, while Moscow says it is targeting IS and other “terrorists” in Syria.

    http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-saudi-talks-syria-war-201033286.html
    ==========================================================
    Austria: Assad “regime change” not an option, Syria cannot become Libya – Lavrov

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Western countries are “obsessed” by President Assad’s resignation during a press conference after meeting with his US, Saudi Arabian and Turkish counterparts in Vienna on Friday. The crisis in Syria, particularly how to co-operate on the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) was on the agenda of the meeting.

    SOT, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister (Russian): “The speculations appeared long ago before this meeting. I have heard some rumours that we have agreed or will agree on President Assad’s resignation. It is not true. Our partners have such an obsession by the Syrian President. But we have stated our position once again and it was very clearly stated also by the President [Vladimir Putin] in his latest speeches. If our partners stake on regime change [in Syria] and revolve around the concrete figure of President, than it will happen what we have already experienced in Iraq, in Libya, we know how it has ended. Unfortunately nothing has ended, the deep political crisis continues in these countries. That is why our position has a very simple formula – Syrian people have to decide on their own the future of Syria, the future of Syrian President or other persons and not at the battle-field, not through any revolts or coups, but through political dialogue”

    SOT, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister (Russian): “Our position is the following – to gather at one table Syrians [Syrian government and Syrian opposition] and secondly to provide good representative base for support group which should include more than four countries [Russia, US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey] that have met today in Vienna. We emphasised the role of Iran and Egypt which can influence the situation. The absence of these countries doesn’t help in solving the crisis.”