Reader links for Dec. 8 – 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

100 Replies to “Reader links for Dec. 8 – 2015”

  1. US House targets European jihadists in visa waiver crackdown (DW, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.dw.com/en/us-house-targets-european-jihadists-in-visa-waiver-crackdown/a-18903108

    “The House of Representatives has voted to ban visa waivers for people who have traveled to Iraq and Syria. There’s widespread concern that Islamic State operatives could enter the US on European passports.

    On most days, Congress can hardly agree on anything. Tuesday was different. More than 90 percent of the House of Representatives voted to exclude from the visa waiver program people who have traveled to Iraq and Syria since March of 2011. Only 19 opposed the measure.

    Thirty-eight countries participate in the waiver program, which grants 90 days of travel in the United States without a tourist visa. Thirty of the 38 participating countries are European. Some 20 million tourists receive visa waivers every year.

    In the aftermath of the November 13th terrorist attacks in Paris, concern has grown that operatives from the so-called “Islamic State” (IS, or ISIS) group operatives could enter the United States on European passports. At least six of the Paris attackers were French or Belgian nationals who had spent time in IS-held territory.

    As many as 5,000 Europeans have gone to fight in Syria’s civil war, according to a report published by the Soufan Group, which advises governments and multinational organizations on security matters.

    Paris estimates that 1,800 French nationals have joined jihadist groups worldwide. By comparison, 760 UK citizens, 760 Germans and 470 Belgians have gone to Syria. According to the FBI, 250 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to IS-held territory.

    “This is a common sense way to try and mitigate some of the risk that has risen from the rise of ISIS and the foreign fighter problem,” David Schanzer, an expert on US domestic security at Duke University, said of the new visa waiver restrictions.

    “It would be an overreaction to do something like end the visa waiver program based on the problem of foreign fighters coming from Iraq and Syria back to Europe,” Schanzer told DW.

    Historically, the threat of terrorist operatives manipulating the visa waiver program has been low, according to Brian Jenkins, an expert on US domestic security at the RAND Corporation.

    Over the past 25 years, three terrorist operatives have been arrested after entering the United States through the visa waiver program – Ahmed Ajaj, Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid.

    Ajaj was initially arrested for entering the United States on a forged Swedish passport in 1992. He was later convicted of participating in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

    Moussaoui was arrested on immigration charges a month before the September 11 attacks, having raised suspicion at a flight school in Oklahoma. He was later convicted of plotting terrorist attacks against the United States. Moussaoui entered the country on his French passport.

    Reid, a British citizen, tried to ignite explosives packed into his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami in December of 2001.

    In total, 182 people carried out or were arrested for plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in the United States since 1990, according to Jenkins. The overwhelming majority of them didn’t need visas at all. Ninety-six were American citizens and 19 were legal permanent residents.

    “We can have some confidence that we are able to identify and intercept those who are coming here for purposes of terrorism,” Jenkins said. “It’s easier to do that than identify those who are already here and may be radicalizing themselves. We don’t have an x-ray for a man’s soul.”

    In the case of the attacks in San Bernardino, Syed Rizwan Farook was a US citizen and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, entered the country on a so-called fiancée visa. She was a Pakistani national who lived in Saudi Arabia for an extended period…”

  2. Drone strike leaves 11 Taliban militants dead in Nangarhar province (khaama, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/drone-strike-leaves-11-taliban-militants-dead-in-nangarhar-province-1779

    “At least eleven Taliban insurgents were killed in an airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, local officials said Tuesday.

    The airstrike was carried out by coalition forces in Khogyani district of Nangarhar, provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashriqwal said, adding that the air raid did not incur any casualties to the local residents.

    The Taliban militants group has not commented regarding the loss of their fighters so far.
    Nangarhar is among the relatively volatile provinces in eastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militants are actively operating in a number of its districts, including the restive Khogyani.

    Extremists loyal to the newly emerged Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are also actively operating in a number of Nangarhar districts where periodic terrorist related activities are reported along with clashes between ISIS affiliates and Taliban militants.

    This comes as at least fifteen civilians and seven policemen sustained injuries in an explosion in Surkh Rud district of Nangarhar province earlier on Monday morning.

    The incident took place after a suicide bomber detonated a truck packed with exp
    losives near the district administrative compound.”

  3. Over 50 killed as clashes intensify among top Taliban leaders in Herat (khaama, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/over-50-killed-as-clashes-intensify-among-top-taliban-leaders-in-herat-1778

    “Over 50 Taliban insurgents have died and as much others have sustained injuries as clashes have intensified among the supporters of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor and dissident Taliban leader MULLAH Rasool.

    According to local government officials the incident took place in Zer Koh area of Shindand district and clashes still continue between the two sides.

    Provincial governor spokesman Ehsanullah Hayat said clashes erupted early on Monday morning but intensified on Tuesday.

    Hayat confirmed over 50 militants have been killed so far and around 50 others have been wounded.

    Another security official said scores of militants from the neighbouring provinces have poured into Shindand to support militants engaged in the ongoing fight.

    According to reports Raz Mohammad Nangialy is leading the war in favor of Mullah Rasool while Mullah Abdul Samad is fighting in favour of Mullah Mansoor’.

    The Taliban group has not commented regarding the ongoing clash so far…”

  4. Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan, Sartaj Aziz says (khaama, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/pakistan-wants-peace-in-afghanistan-sartaj-aziz-says-1777

    “Pakistan’s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz said Tuesday that Islamabad wants peace in Afghanistan, insisting on his country will support all endeavours aimed at strengthening peace and security in the country.

    In his remarks ahead of Ministerial Heart of Asia Conference, Azizi said instability in Afghanistan is not in the interest of Pakistan…”

  5. Security Threat Shuts Down U.S. Consulate In Istanbul (nbcnews, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/security-threat-shuts-down-u-s-consulate-istanbul-n476451

    “The U.S. Consulate in Turkey’s largest city announced it would not be handing out visas or providing any other services on Wednesday because of a “possible security threat.”

    The consulate will be operating with only a skeleton crew, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday. But it will be business as usual at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, the consulate in Adana, and the consular agency in Izmir.

    Kirby did not divulge any details about the reported threat. But Turkey borders civil war-torn Syria and has been battling Kurdish separatists for years and. more recently, ISIS….”

  6. Reports: 2 Afghan Trainees Missing From Georgia Air Base (abcnews, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/reports-afghan-trainees-missing-georgia-air-base-35659560

    “Two Afghan nationals being trained at an Air Force base in Georgia have been reported missing.

    Citing a news release from Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta, news media outlets are reporting that the two men did not show up for work Monday.

    A person who answered the telephone at the base Tuesday night said all media representatives were busy and unable to speak to a reporter.

    AJC(.)com http(:)//on-ajc(.)com/1OgWDuA quotes the release as saying that the two men had been assigned for training with the 81st Fighter Squadron since February. According to the newspaper, the squadron eventually will train a total of 30 Afghan pilots.

    News reports quote the release as saying that the men “have trained alongside American counterparts for the entirety of 2015 and do not pose any apparent threat.””

  7. I loved the M&M analogy.

    “keeping them out isn’t going to fix the problem” I didn’t even notice it until he pointed it out. They did admit to Islam as the problem!