Reader links for Dec. 8 – 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

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

  1. The ISIS Trail of Death (nbcnews, Dec 7, 2015)
    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-trail-death-n475861

    “Since October 10, ISIS and its sympathizers around the world have killed at least 525 people in six attacks in six countries outside its so-called caliphate.

    American counterterrorism officials say that of the six attacks, three were directed by ISIS from its territory in Syria and Iraq and another two were so-called “announcement” attacks — local ISIS elements revealing their existence in dramatic fashion…”

    • There will be more attacks, ISIS and the other MB groups are making major moves in the west, I think they would have been better off to wait until warm weather next spring but this move may be driven by events we aren’t aware of.

  2. Afghan intelligence arrest 2 key Taliban group members in Takhar (khaama, Dec 7, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/afghan-intelligence-arrest-2-key-taliban-group-members-in-takhar-9622

    “The Afghan intelligence operatives have detained two key Taliban group members in northeastern Takhar province of Afghanistan.

    The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said Monday that the first suspect was arrested from Taloqan, the provincial capital of Takhar province.

    A statement by NDS said the detained individual has been identified as Merajuddin who was tasked by the Taliban group to provide logistical support to the Taliban fighters, including procurement of weapons and explosives.

    The statement further added that the detained individual confessed that Taliban’s shadow district governor for Yangi Qala transferred AFN 229,000 along with USD 1,700 to him to purchase weapons, ammunition and explosives and transport to Yangi Qala district.

    The second suspect was identified as Mohammad Habib who was given the task of collecting funds (Zakat) from the people, NDS said, adding that the detained individual was previously operating in Khwajah Ghar district.

    NDS also added that the Afghan intelligence operatives seized 1,680 kg of Mung bean along with 98 kg of sesame seeds from the detained individual.

    The Taliban militants group has not commented regarding the reports so far.”

  3. Clash among the supporters of Taliban chief and Mullah Rasool leaves 24 dead (khaama, Dec 7, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/heavy-clashes-reported-among-top-taliban-leaders-in-herat-9623

    “Heavy clashes have been reported among the top Taliban leaders in western Herat province of Afghanistan.

    According to a security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, clashes erupted among the supporters of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor and another Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Rasool.

    The official further added that clashes started around 5:00 am local time in Shindand district and heavy gun fire still continue between the supporters of two sides.

    He said the Taliban shadow district governor appointed by Mullah Mansoor was killed during the clash. Meanwhile, provincial police spokesman Abdul Rauf Ahmadi said at least 24 Taliban militants were reported killed during the deadly gun battle.

    The clashes between the supporters of top Taliban leaders comes amid reports regarding the death of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor who was injured in a gun battle in Quetta city of Pakistan.

    There are no reports regarding the casualties as a result of the clashes and the Taliban group yet to comment regarding the incident.

    Mullah Rasool is a senior Taliban commander belonging to the faction of the Taliban group opposing with the appointment of Mullah Mansoor as Taliban supreme leader.”

  4. Taliban launch coordinated attack on police station in Kandahar city (khaama, Dec 7, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/taliban-launch-coordinated-attack-on-police-station-in-kandahar-city-1772

    “The Taliban militants have launched a coordinated attack on a police station in Kandahar city earlier this evening with eyewitnesses saying heavy clashes are underway between the assailants and security forces.

    Provincial governor spokesman Samim Khpolwak confirmed the incident but did not provide further information.

    The police station is located in Breshna Kot area in the 3rd police district of the city.

    In the meantime, provincial police spokesman, Zia Durani, said two policemen sustained injuries during the attack but no casualties were incurred to the civilians.

    He said the two militants were shot dead by the Afghan security forces during the gun battle.

    This comes as Taliban militants launched a similar attack on Arghandab district government compound three weeks ago, leaving a policeman wounded and five militants dead.”

    • Afghan Taliban fighters ‘attack Kandahar airport’ (BBC, Dec 8, 2015)
      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35043938

      “Fighting has been reported at the airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. It is not clear whether the clashes have resulted in casualties.

      A spokesman for the provincial governor said the attackers had managed to breach the first gate of the complex.

      A pro-Taliban website said the group had launched an attack “against domestic and foreign forces”.

      Militant violence has increased across Afghanistan since the departure of most US and Nato forces last year…”

  5. Russia carefully considering Afghanistan’s request for arms supply: Kabulov (khaama, Dec 7, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/russia-carefully-considering-afghanistans-request-for-arms-supply-kabulov-1773

    “The Russian Presidential to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said Monday that Moscow is carefully considering Afghanistan’s request for the supply of arms to the Afghan national security forces.

    The remarks by Kabulov comes as Afghanistan has stepped up efforts to attract more support for the Afghan national security forces by reaching to regional allies for the supply of weapons and gunship helicopters.

    However, Kabulov has said the task of weapons supply to Afghan forces primarilty goes to the United States and its allies having forces in Afghanistan.

    “There have been requests already and they are being reviewed, but this will be done in stages, with thought and reason,” Kabulov told RIA Novosti.

    The Afghan national security forces took full control of the security from the led coalition security forces last year and are in critical need of air support amid deteriorating security situation across the country.

    The United States delivered the first six Armed MD-530 helicopters to the Afghan security forces earlier this year in a bid to increase the Afghan Air Force aerial fires capability.

    However, the Afghan Air Force officials are saying that the helicopters have proved to be insufficient to meet their demands considering the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan and the effective range of the helicopters.

    Russian-made helicopters have a long history in Afghanistan and are preferred due to their low prices, durability and simplicity.”

    • One of the thing that brought down the USSR was their loss in Afghanistan, now thanks to Obama they are being allowed to go back in, I wonder what the end result is going to be when they don’t have a major power funding and arming the opposition?

  6. ADB approves $1.2 billion in grants to support Afghanistan’s energy security (khaama, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/adb-approves-1-2-billion-in-grants-to-support-afghanistans-energy-security-1774

    “The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $1.2 billion in grants in a bid to reinforce ongoing energy projects in Afghanistan over a period of ten years, starting from the current year to 2025.

    The new funds will also help in boosting the energy supply, improvement of power sector efficiency and promoting cross border trade energy.

    ADB will administer the grants comprised of $750 million from ADB’s Special Funds resources, and up to $450 million from the Afghanistan Infrastructure Trust Fund.

    According to ADB, the funds will be disbursed in multiple tranches with the first tranche of $275 million earmarked for release in 2015. The remaining tranches are expected to follow through to 2025.

    Asad Aleem, Senior Energy Specialist in ADB’s Central and West Asia Department, said “Insufficient energy supplies and a demand–supply imbalance constrain growth and income opportunities and create economic disparities that can fuel ethnic and regional tensions and insecurity.”

    “This assistance will support the government’s national energy supply program of more than $10 billion, which aims to expand power supply to boost economic growth and cut poverty,” Aleem added…”

  7. Palestinian Women Turn To Israel For Abortions, Recount Shock Stories Of Attempting To Kill Fetuses Themselves

    TEL AVIV – An article in Foreign Policy magazine states that 40 percent of women in the West Bank have had abortions even though the Palestinian leadership has outlawed it. Many of the women turn to Israel in order to help them avoid the brutal at-home abortion methods they are forced to use, often to prevent themselves from becoming victims of “honor killings.”

    http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2015/12/06/palestinian-women-turn-to-israel-for-abortions-recount-shock-stories-of-attempting-to-kill-fetuses-themselves/

  8. NYPD: Arson at Jewish homes not a hate crime
    Police say fires at homes of Bukharan Jews in Forest Hills not motivated by anti-Semitism, but opposition to construction on the property.

    The New York Police Department has ruled that a series of arsons targeting a Jewish neighborhood in Queens are not hate crimes, the New York Jewish Week reported.
    Police have identified a suspect believed responsible for at least six of the fires at under-construction homes owned by Bukharian Jews in Forest Hills as a resident of the neighborhood.
    However, the NYPD says the motivation behind the fires was not anti-Semitism, but the arsonist’s opposition to new construction in the area.
    The arsons have not injured anyone, though they caused damage to the homes and also sometimes spread to neighboring houses.
    Forest Hills and its surrounding areas are home to approximately 35,000 Bukharians – Jews who hail from Uzbekistan and Tajikstan.

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/204464#.VmZ_63g-Cgw

  9. Suspect Charged in CAIR’s Anti-Muslim ‘Hate Crime’ Is Named … Mohamed

    The day after Thanksgiving, in the wake of a terrible shooting that left a Muslim cabdriver in Pittsburgh hospitalized, CAIR was screaming ANTI-MUSLIM HATE CRIME! Naturally, left-wing news outlets like the Washington Post and others gleefully accepted those marching orders. Five days later police had a suspect in the shooting. He’s pictured above. His name is Anthony Mohamed.

    http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/07/suspect-charged-in-cairs-anti-muslim-hate-crime-is-named-mohamed/

  10. Donald Trump Calls for Barring Muslims From Entering U.S.

    Donald J. Trump called on Monday for the United States to bar all Muslims from entering the country until the nation’s leaders can “figure out what is going on” after the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., an extraordinary escalation of rhetoric aimed at voters’ fears about members of the Islamic faith.

    A prohibition of Muslims – an unprecedented proposal by a leading American presidential candidate, and an idea more typically associated with hate groups – reflects a progression of mistrust that is rooted in ideology as much as politics.

    Mr. Trump, who in September declared “I love the Muslims,” turned sharply against them after the Paris terrorist attacks, calling for a database to track Muslims in America and repeating discredited rumors that thousands of Muslims celebrated in New Jersey on 9/11. His poll numbers rose largely as a result, until a setback in Iowa on Monday morning. Hours later Mr. Trump called for the ban, fitting his pattern of making stunning comments when his lead in the Republican presidential field appears in jeopardy.

  11. Bank records show $28,500 deposit to Syed Farook’s account two weeks before the shooting, source says

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/12/08/bank-records-show-28500-deposit-to-syed-farooks-account-two-weeks-before-shooting-source-says.html

    A $28,500 deposit was made to Syed Farook’s bank account from WebBank.com on or about Nov.18, some two weeks before he and his wife Tashfeen Malik carried out the San Bernardino massacre, a source close to the investigation told Fox News Monday.

    Investigators are exploring whether the transaction was a loan taken out by Farook, who with his wife killed 14 and wounded 21 when they opened fire at a holiday lunch. He earned $53,000 a year with the county as an environmental health inspector. Investigators are also exploring the possibility that a subsequent cash withdrawal was used to reimburse Enrique Marquez, the man who bought the two AR-15 semiautomatic rifles used in the San Bernardino shootings. Marquez, who could be charged, especially if it is determined that he illegally modified the weapons, is now reportedly answering investigators’ questions.

  12. 1 Christian: 236 of 237 Syrian Refugees Admitted Since Paris Attacks Are Muslims

    http://cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/04-christian-syrian-refugees-admitted-paris-attacks-include-236

    (CNSNews.com) – Since the Paris terror attacks on November 13, the State Department has admitted 237 Syrian refugees into the United States – 236 Sunni Muslims and one Christian (0.4 percent), according to data from the State Department Refugee Processing Center.

    The Christian, a Greek Orthodox individual, is the sole non-Sunni Muslim admitted to the U.S. since the attack, which fueled concerns that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) may move terrorists into Western nations under the cover of refugee resettlement programs.

    According to the CIA World Factbook, Christians accounted for an estimated 10 percent of the Syrian population and Sunni Muslims for an estimated 74 percent when the conflict began in early 2011.

    Of the 237 Syrian refugees permitted to resettle in the U.S. since November 13, 123 are male, 114 are female. Of the 237, 65 (27.4 percent) are men between the ages of 14 and 50, while 55 (23.2 percent) are women aged 14-50.

  13. The ISIS Trail of Death

    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-trail-death-n475861

    Since October 10, ISIS and its sympathizers around the world have killed at least 525 people in six attacks in six countries outside its so-called caliphate.

    American counterterrorism officials say that of the six attacks, three were directed by ISIS from its territory in Syria and Iraq and another two were so-called “announcement” attacks — local ISIS elements revealing their existence in dramatic fashion.

    Though one of the two people who carried out the final attack, the massacre in San Bernandino, swore allegiance to ISIS, officials are still determining the extent of any relationship she and her husband might have had with the terror group

  14. Hillary Clinton’s Right-Hand Woman Takes On Trump: ‘I’m A Proud Muslim’

    http://www.people.com/article/hillary-clinton-vice-chair-fires-back-at-donald-trump

    Donald Trump revealed his radical plan on Monday to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S., and Hillary Clinton’s vice chair, Huma Abedin is taking him head on.

    “I’m a proud Muslim – but you don’t have to share my faith to share my disgust,” Abedin wrote in an email to supporters. “Trump wants to literally write racism into our law books.”

  15. Russian submarine equipped with cruise missiles off Syria coast: Ifax

    https://ca.news.yahoo.com/russian-submarine-equipped-cruise-missiles-off-syria-coast-090933518.html

    MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian submarine equipped with cruise missiles has entered the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and is near the coast of Syria, Interfax news agency quoted a source as saying on Tuesday.

    The submarine is equipped with missiles similar to those used by the warships of Russia’s Caspian flotilla to strike Islamic State targets, the source was quoted as saying.

    (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; writing by Katya Golubkova)

    • Norway is paying asylum seekers to return home as the refugee crisis continues.

      Tens of thousands of kroner are being offered to each person who voluntarily leaves the country. They also have their flights paid for.

      Katinka Hartmann, head of the immigration department’s return unit (UDI), said that many of the people arriving from Syria, Iraq, the Middle East and Africa expect to receive protection quickly and cannot wait the months or even years the process can take.

  16. Chinese investment bankers missing

    One of China’s biggest securities companies has said it has been unable to contact its top two investment bankers after media reports said the pair might be under investigation.

    Citic Securities said in a statement on Sunday evening that it had not been able to get in touch with Chen Jun and Yan Jianlin.
    Gui Minhai: the strange disappearance of a publisher who riled China’s elite
    Read more

    Financial news magazine Caixin said the two men had been taken away by authorities but it was not clear whether they were being investigated or were merely being asked to assist in an investigation.

    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/07/chinese-investment-bankers-missing-citic-securities

  17. Researchers unveil first biologically powered ‘cyborg’ computer chip and say it could be able to taste and smell

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3349792/Researchers-unveil-biologically-powered-chimera-computer-chip-say-able-taste-smell.html#ixzz3tjxx3d6x
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    For the first time, scientist have developed an electronic chip made of both biological and solid-state components.

    It could lead to a new generation of ‘cyborg’ chips blending senses such as taste or smell with traditional electronic components.

    They combined solid-state complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit with an artificial lipid bilayer membrane made of ATP-powered ion pumps to create a ‘biochip’

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3349792/Researchers-unveil-biologically-powered-chimera-computer-chip-say-able-taste-smell.html#ixzz3tjyDNi14
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  18. U.S. campaign rhetoric threatens resettlement of Syrian refugees: U.N.

    http://www.oann.com/u-s-campaign-rhetoric-jeopardizing-resettlement-of-syrian-refugees-u-n/

    GENEVA (Reuters) – Campaign rhetoric in the United States is harming a vital U.S. resettlement program for Syrian and other refugees fleeing war and persecution, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday.

    Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Monday called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. It was the most dramatic response yet by any candidate to last week’s shooting spree by two Muslims who the FBI said had been radicalized.

    UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming, asked about Trump’s remarks, told a news briefing in Geneva: “What (Trump) was speaking of was an entire population but this also impacts the refugee program.

    “Because our refugee program is religion-blind. Our resettlement program selects the people who are the most in need.”

  19. Trump: Banning Muslims in U.S. not unlike FDR’s WWII policy

    http://www.oann.com/trump-defends-proposed-ban-on-muslims-into-u-s-says-no-choice/

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Tuesday likened his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States to policies implemented by former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt against people of Japanese, German and Italian descent during World War Two.

    “What I’m doing is no different than FDR,” Trump said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program in one of a round of heated television interviews where he defended his plan in the wake of last week’s California shooting spree by two Muslims who authorities said were radicalized.

    “We have no choice but to do this,” the candidate seeking the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential race told ABC. “We have people that want to blow up our buildings, our cities. We have figure out what’s going on.”

    Still, Trump said that Roosevelt’s policies were worse.

  20. Syria’s fractured opposition seeks elusive unity against Assad

    http://www.oann.com/syrias-fractured-opposition-seeks-elusive-unity-against-assad/

    RIYADH (Reuters) – Syria’s divided rebel and opposition groups are trying to forge a common stance to oust President Bashar al-Assad but the absence of prominent activists and a main Kurdish force from their talks in Riyadh shows that unity remains elusive.

    Saudi Arabia, a strong supporter of rebels fighting for four years to topple Assad, is hosting the opposition this week in the most ambitious attempt yet to find an agreed platform ahead of talks with the government to end Syria’s conflict.

    Bringing the fragmented opposition together is seen by its backers as a crucial step to end a civil war which started with protests against Assad in 2011 and quickly drew in rival Sunni and Shi’ite Muslim powers across the Middle East.

  21. Militants in Syria attract 31,000 foreign fighters: ex-UK spy chief

    http://www.oann.com/militants-in-syria-attract-31000-foreign-fighters-ex-uk-spy-chief/

    LONDON (Reuters) – Syria has become the pre-eminent global incubator for a new generation of militants after Islamist groups more than doubled the recruitment of foreign fighters to as much as 31,000 over the past 18 months, according to a former British spy chief.

    In the chaos of Syria’s civil war, the majority of foreign fighters end up in militant groups like Islamic State, which uses an extreme interpretation of Islam to justify attacks on its foes and impose highly repressive rule in large swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq that it has captured.

    “The Islamic State has seen success beyond the dreams of other terrorist groups that now appear conventional and even old-fashioned, such as al Qaeda,” said Richard Barrett, who was formerly head of global counter-terrorism at Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI

    • Syria conflict: Number of foreign fighters ‘doubled in 16 months’ (BBC, Dec 8, 2015)
      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35043939

      “The number of foreign fighters in Syria has gone up from 12,000 to at least 27,000 since June 2014, according to a new report by a security consultancy.

      The report from the Soufan Group says Arab countries supply the greatest number of recruits.

      Outside the region, recruitment has risen markedly in Western Europe and Russia and Central Asia, it says.

      The report says the average rate of returnees to Western countries is now at about 20-30%.

      This presents “a significant challenge to security and law enforcement agencies that must assess the threat they pose,” it says…”

  22. Homeland Security Secretary: If You Don’t Know Muslims Want Peace, You Don’t Know Islam

    https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/2015/12/8/homeland-security-secretary-if-you-dont-know-muslims-want-peace-you-dont-know-islamIn a Monday visit to a Northern Virginia mosque, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson declared “anyone who does not understand” that Muslims want peace “does not understand Islam.”

    Johnson dropped in on at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling, Va., the day after President Obama said Americans have a responsibility to respect their Muslim neighbors.

    Johnson said the “new phase” of the terror war — with “terrorist-directed and terrorist-inspired attacks” — requires “a whole new approach to counterterrorism and homeland security,” including Muslim outreach as he’s done over the past couple of years.

    One of the “most meaningful discussions” on his “tour,” he called it, was in June with the ADAMS Center imam, which began with a Boy Scout Troop leading meeting participants in the Pledge of Allegiance. That imam, Mohamed Magid, is a past president of the Islamic Society of North America, an organization linked to the Holy Land Foundation in its terror-financing trial and to the Muslim Brotherhood.

  23. Egypt imposes LE50 000 payment on foreigners who marry Egyptian women ‘if age difference exceeds 25 years’

    According to an expert, the decision was made to protect women rights

    Egypt’s justice minister Ahmed El-Zend issued on Tuesday a decree that obliges foreigners intending to marry Egyptian females to present investment certificates worth LE50,000 (about $6,385) in the wife’s bank account if if the age difference between the two “exceeds 25 years”.

    The decision was issued on Tuesday and was announced in the country’s official gazette.

    The law stipulates that the Group B investment certificates must be deposited at the National Bank of Egypt with a 12.75 percent interest rate to be paid every six months for 10 years.

    Azza Kamel, a female rights advocate and the founder of Egypt’s Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development (ACT), told Ahram Online that she believes the reason behind the law is to protect the rights of Egyptian women, along with addressing the issue of child marriage.

    “While I believe that this law will provide insurance [for Egyptian women], I still believe this is not enough to eliminate child marriage. There have to be some kind of guarantees,” Kamel said.

    Kamel believes that the age restriction imposed in the law is a problem because it covers “specific cases only,” which does not provide the assurance needed.

    In July 2015, then-population minister Hala Youssef saidchild marriage has reached a rate of 15 percent, with a rise in poor governorates.

    Despite Egypt changing the legal age of marriage to 18 in 2008, the marriage of children still continues across the country and especially in deprived places, according to Youssef.

    Forced marriages are common in poor neighbourhoods around Egypt, with some families forcing their girls to marry old suitors from several countries, mainly the Arabian Gulf, according to the US State Department’s 2015 Trafficking in Persons report.

    The report states that individuals from the Gulf “purchase” Egyptian women and girls for “temporary” or “summer” marriages for the purpose of prostitution or forced labour.

    The report added that the arrangements are often facilitated by the victims’ parents and “marriage brokers” who profit from the transaction.

    According to National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) case studies, “Arab marriage” is facilitated through the marriage broker who provides all the facilitative steps and temptations for poor Egyptian families.

    The NCCM says the suitors then desert the young brides, therefore depriving them of their rights.

    Kamel believes that there should be protections from Egyptian embassies abroad that would secure the rights of Egyptian brides “in case the foreign suitor decides to abandon her.”

    Last month, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi withdrew an objection made by Egypt in 1990 to a provision of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child regarding the child marriage issue.

    The article, issued in 1990, reads that minors may not be married or engaged and that African states must take effectual procedures to ban marriage before 18.

    According to the official gazette, the objection made by Egypt will be officially removed in March 2016.

    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/172954/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-imposes-LE–payment-on-foreigners-who-marry-.aspx

  24. France Plans To Shut Down Up To 160 Muslim Mosques

    http://www.dailywire.com/news/1544/france-plans-shut-down-160-muslim-mosques-michael-qazvini?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=120215-news&utm_campaign=benshapiro

    In the wake of the Islamic terrorist attack in Paris, France plans on shutting down up to to 160 mosques in the next few months. French President Francois Hollande announced a state of emergency after the attacks, bolstering security measures across the country. Authorities argue that the mosques pose a threat to national security, operating as hubs of radicalism.

    “According to official figures and our discussions with the interior ministry, between 100 and 160 more mosques will be closed because they are run illegally without proper licenses, they preach hatred, or use takfiri [threats against apostates] speech,” French-Islamic bureaucratic state mediator and Muslim prison chaplain Hassan El Alaoui told Al Jazeera on Wednesday. “This kind of speech shouldn’t even be allowed in Islamic countries, let alone secure countries like France.”

    Despite assuming a security-conscious posture, the Islamic leader still stubbornly refused to acknowledge the glaring fact that the terrorists that attacked Paris were driven by religious motivations. “Those terrorists are a bunch of thieves and drug dealers that wore religious clothing. The whole issue is not about Muslims, but about terrorists. It’s an issue of security for everyone,” snapped El Alaoui.

  25. More Mass Shootings & Mass Murders Occurred Under Hussein Obama than the Previous 4 Presidents Combined
    Read more at http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2015/12/more-mass-shootings-mass-murders-occurred-under-hussein-obama-than-the-previous-4-presidents-combined/

    It’s amazing how much we see and how much we forget. Mass shootings and mass murders are nothing new. However, under Barack Hussein Obama, both have increased exponentially when we view the numbers in light of previous occupants of the Oval Office. In fact, when it comes to mass shootings and mass murders, more have occurred under the Marxist-in-chief than the previous four presidents combined.

    While the administration and the Democrat National Committee Chair have been throwing out overblown numbers regarding mass shootings, the reality, though still disturbing, is nothing like what they have been presenting.

    Using information compiled via a database with incidents, fatalities and injuries from real mass shootings in the united States, take a look at the real numbers under Hussein versus our previous four presidents, and remember, unless Congress does its duty and removes this guy from office, he still has over one year left!

    Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) – saw 11 mass shootings with 101 fatalities
    George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) – saw 12 mass shootings with 94 fatalities
    Bill Clinton (1993-2001) – saw 23 mass shootings with 141 fatalities
    George W. Bush (2001-2009) – saw 20 mass shootings with 158 fatalities
    Barack H. Obama (2009-2015 – 7th Year) – saw 162 mass shootings with 864 fatalities

    Read more at http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2015/12/more-mass-shootings-mass-murders-occurred-under-hussein-obama-than-the-previous-4-presidents-combined/

  26. “After Paris: Anti-Muslim Backlash, What You Need to Know.”

    BU students are told to ‘speak out against Islamophobia’

    Three prominent academics on Monday urged students at Boston University to combat anti-Islam bigotry, hours after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump grabbed headlines with a controversial plan to bar all Muslims from entering the United States.

    “Speak out against discrimination, speak out against Islamophobia,” said Pamela Lightsey, an associate dean and clinical assistant professor in the BU School of Theology, during the forum on Monday night.

    She told more than 100 students who attended the event at the George Sherman Union that much of the anti-Islam rhetoric coming out of the presidential campaign is reminiscent of the anti-black bigotry that prevailed in American politics after desegregation.

    “I think we’re repeating history, or we’re on the cusp of repeating history,” Lightsey said, calling some of the presidential campaign discourse “very fascist.”

    She said there is also a racial component to anti-Islam bias in the United States, since many Muslims are people of color.

    “This is about white privilege and the fear of losing the benefits thereof,” she said. “This is racism 101 that we’re dealing with here.”

    Lightsey was joined onstage by Susannah Heschel, a Jewish studies professor at Dartmouth College, and Stephen Prothero, a religion professor at BU.

    The gathering was dubbed “After Paris: Anti-Muslim Backlash, What You Need to Know.” It was organized to address the “troubling upsurge in anti-Muslim action in the USA and elsewhere” in the wake of recent terror attacks, according to posters for the event.

    The forum was held hours after Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, drew widespread criticism for his proposal to bar all Muslims from entering the country until authorities “can figure out what is going on.”

    The three panelists urged the students to push back against notions that Muslim extremists speak for an entire faith community, noting that Christians, Jews, and others have used religious arguments to justify violence throughout history.

    Heschel said that “it’s not Islam that makes somebody decide, ‘I want to kill someone.’ It doesn’t work that way,” even if some Muslims have “hijacked” the faith to suit their purposes.

    “What kind of a person has a 6-month-old baby and then goes and kills,” said Heschel, apparently referring to the couple who murdered 14 people last week in a terror attack in San Bernardino, Calif., that authorities have linked to Islamic radicalism. “This is a sick person.”

    But during a question-and-answer session, one student said that “we have to be able to criticize [radical] ideas,” and he expressed frustration for what he said was a tendency among liberals to brand anyone who criticizes Islam as a bigot.

    Prothero responded that “the presence of this conversation right now is a refutation of what you just said,” adding that “dangerous” arguments in favor of violence must be rejected by “Muslims and by non-Muslims.”

    Lightsey referenced the massacre in June of nine black members of a South Carolina church who were gunned down by a white assailant and asked, “where are the apologetics [from] white Christians on this?”

    Conversely, she said, she is saddened by a “burden” that Muslims often feel to respond “any time one individual, an individual, [commits] a horrendous act.”

    The panelists also encouraged students to start dialogue groups on campus to speak with people of different faiths and perspectives to promote understanding across cultures.

    In addition, Heschel cautioned attendees to remain on guard against “stupidity” and “falsehoods” in the public arena.

    “A lot of Americans have acquired some kind of, I don’t know, disease and their brains have fallen out,” she said.

    https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/12/07/students-panelists-discuss-bias-against-islam-forum/rtR8JnDMtYx14g1tlwvCbP/story.html

  27. HS vice principal: ‘Only terrorists we need to fear are domestic white Christian men’

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2015/12/07/hs-vice-principal-posts-only-terrorists-we-need-to-fear-are-domestic-white-christian-men/

    The post has been taken down, and Piet Lammert has apologized for sharing on his personal Facebook page his opinion that “the only terrorists we need to fear are domestic white ‘Christian’ men with easy access to guns.”

    And now Maria Libby, the superintendent of the Rockport, Me., school system, which employs Lammert, would like to put the matter behind her. But for some reason, the community isn’t cooperating.

    Parents of children at Camden Hills Regional High School, where Lammert is a vice principal, are perturbed by his “we have met the enemy and it is us” message.

  28. This Counterterrorism Expert Says US Must Treat Terrorism as ‘War’ Rather Than ‘Crime’

    http://dailysignal.com/2015/12/06/this-counterterrorism-expert-says-us-must-treat-terrorism-as-war-rather-than-crime/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRovuqjNZKXonjHpfsX56ugrW6G0lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4AT8plN6%2BTFAwTG5toziV8R7jHKM1t0sEQWBHm

    The Obama administration has “downplayed” the terrorism threat faced by the U.S., leaving law enforcement unprepared and inadequately trained, an expert in counterterrorism said at a Washington panel two days after the massacre in San Bernardino, Calif.

    “The terrorism that’s going on now in this country, this is war. This is not crime,” Katharine Gorka, president of the Threat Knowledge Group, said during a panel discussion convened Friday by The Heritage Foundation.

    Gorka spoke hours before the FBI announced it would investigate the shootings, which killed 14 and wounded 21 others, as an act of terrorism.

    The San Bernardino massacre was carried out by a man and his wife, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, authorities said. The mass murder sharpened scrutiny of the effectiveness of America’s counterterrorism strategy.

    America’s preparedness to deal with the threat posed by ISIS, Gorka said, was in large part degraded after the Obama administration sent a directive to its Justice and Defense Departments in 2011 requiring the review of all counterterrorism training.

    That review included scrutiny of trainers advising the two departments, which, Gorka said, ended up barring—for political reasons—many experts who had spent their careers studying the terrorism threat:

    We lost our best experts on the topic. So our law enforcement is not prepared today to face the threat that we are facing, and that’s a disservice to them and to the American people.

  29. CNN – The truth about Muslims in America

    This report includes facts and figures from various surveys and studies, all of which are hyperlinked in the body of the story.

    Here’s the reality of Muslims in America — and how it smashes stereotypes:

    They are a minuscule portion of the U.S. population

    They’re better educated than most Americans

    They have more gender equality

    They’ve been here since the birth of the nation …

    Scholars estimate about a quarter to a third of the Africans brought to the United States as slaves were Muslims. Most were then forced to convert to Christianity.

    They’re as religious as Christians …

    … but they’re not as dogmatic as they are portrayed

    There have been Muslims involved in terrorism …

    … but they’ve also spoken out against it

    on this page :

    http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/08/us/muslims-in-america-shattering-misperception/

    video CNN – Trump defends Muslim ban proposal (Part 1)

    ( 8 min 28 )

  30. CBC – 4 female students who went to Syria to join ISIS attended Mississauga school

    Al-Huda Islamic Institute’s sister school in Pakistan connected to mass shooting in California

    A girl and three young women left Canada to join ISIS in Syria after studying at the Al-Huda Islamic Institute in Mississauga, Ont. — a school whose sister institution in Pakistan is now connected to the mass shooting in California.

    It’s unclear exactly when the Canadian students travelled overseas, but sources have confirmed they all left in the last two years after attending the school founded by controversial female Islamic scholar Farhat Hashmi.

    Hashmi’s ultra-conservative teachings in lectures and online have faced criticism for promoting an extreme wifely subservience to a husband.

    The school’s founder, however, is not a Canadian resident, despite several media reports to the contrary, sources told CBC News. Hashmi has not been in Canada for three years, those sources said.

    Al-Huda’s Mississauga campus opened in 2004. It’s accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education as a private school, where roughly 160 students in kindergarten to Grade 6 attend classes every day.

    But in the evenings and on weekends, teenagers and adults can take seminars there. It’s those classes the four Canadians, who ranged in age from 16 to early 20s, took in recent years before leaving for Syria.

    The oldest attended for three months in 2012.

    She’s been living in Syria since the summer of 2014, her sister told CBC News. The woman and her family are not identified in this story, because of concerns about their security.

    “It’s really scary and it’s really dangerous — and if she gets caught she will get killed,” the sister said.

    Security officials intercepted the other three Canadians in Turkey after they disappeared in July 2014, according to RCMP.

    The teens were taken into custody and brought back to Canada.

    It’s still unclear how those teens and the other Canadian woman became connected to ISIS and radicalized.

    Tashfeen Malik, one of the San Bernardino, Calif., shooters, attended classes six days a week for more than a year at Al-Huda’s Pakistan campus, a school spokeswoman told The Associated Press. But it is not known how, where or by whom she was radicalized.

    It’s also unclear how much contact, if any, the teens or women would have had with Hashmi.

    But the founder of the school — and the one like it in Pakistan — regularly delivers lectures by audio link to the Mississauga campus, CBC has learned. Lectures can also be found through Hashmi’s website.

    School ‘deeply disturbed’ by allegations

    RCMP officers recently visited the Mississauga school to ask about the former students.

    Al-Huda’s operations manager told CBC News that the school would help with the investigation in any way possible.

    “This is the first that we are learning of such allegations and [we] are as deeply disturbed as anyone,” Imraq Haq said in a statement. “We are very clear that terrorism is against Islamic teachings … and we emphasize that it is both a civic and religious duty to help keep Canada, and the world, safe from violent extremist ideologies.”

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/al-huda-islamic-institute-students-isis-syria-mississauga-1.3354945

  31. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards’ Troubling Transformation
    Obama’s trusted partner in peace becomes more aggressive.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/261039/islamic-revolutionary-guards-troubling-dr-majid-rafizadeh

    Despite the guidelines of the nuclear deal and contrary to President Obama’s claim that Iran will temper its foreign policy, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is actively transforming the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guard Corps’ operation. This will have significant impact on regional geopolitics and US national security.

    The Islamic Republic used to deploy the Quds Force, which has been designated as a supporter of terrorism by the State Department and is a paramilitary arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Its purpose is to engage in irregular warfare operations, extraterritorial interventions, foreign policy missions, and interference in the affairs of other countries. The Quds Force has an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 personnel.

    Recent developments clearly indicate that Iranian leaders are transforming the whole Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into an organization that operates like the Quds Force in order to achieve Iran’s Islamist, ideological, geopolitical and strategic goals, as well as its expansionist objectiv

  32. Iraqi PM asks NATO to ‘use authority’ to urge Turkish withdrawal from N.Iraq

    BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has asked NATO to “use its authority” to urge alliance member Turkey to withdraw its troops immediately from northern Iraq, according to a statement posted on his website on Tuesday.

    “NATO must use its authority to urge Turkey to withdraw immediately from Iraqi territory,” Abadi said in the statement, posted after the expiry of a 48-hour deadline for a withdrawal of the troops set by the Baghdad government.

    Abadi spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg by telephone, the statement added.

    http://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-pm-asks-nato-authority-urge-turkish-withdrawal-174226824.html

    IRAQ PARLIAMENT DEMANDS ACTION OVER TURKEY TROOPS

    The Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee demanded the government to take all measures necessary to end the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq, according to committee member Iskander Watut.

    BAGHDAD (Sputnik) — The Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee has demanded the government to take steps to secure the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the country’s north, committee member Iskander Watut told Sputnik on Tuesday.

    “Today, we held a committee meeting and demanded the government to take all measures necessary to end the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq,” Watut said.

    http://tranceponder.blogspot.ca/2015/12/iraq-parliament-demands-action-over-turkey-troops-in-iraq.html

  33. Russia launches more airstrikes in Syria; 1st time Russian sub launches new cruise missile

    Russia has unleashed another barrage of airstrikes on Syria, including the first combat launch of a new cruise missile from a Russian submarine in the Mediterranean Sea, the country’s defense minister said Tuesday.

    The Kalibr cruise missiles launched by the Rostov-on-Don submarine successfully hit the designated targets in Raqqa, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin. The submarine was in a submerged position during the launch, he added.

    Putin noted that the new cruise missile can be equipped with both conventional and nuclear warheads, adding he hopes that the latter “will never be needed.”

    Shoigu said Tu-22 bombers also took part in the latest raids, performing 60 combat sorties in the last three days. He said the targets destroyed in the latest wave of Russian airstrikes included a munitions depot, a factory manufacturing mortar rounds and oil facilities.

    Shoigu said the Russian military had informed Israel and the United States about the airstrikes before launching them. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly, confirmed that Russia notified the U.S. in advance.

    The U.S. official said at least 10 cruise missiles were launched from Russian surface ships in the Caspian Sea and at least one missile was fired by a Russian submarine in the eastern Mediterranean.

    Shoigu also told Putin that Syrian army forces had overtaken the area near the border with Turkey where a Turkish jet shot down a Russian warplane on Nov 24. He showed Putin the plane’s flight recorder, which he said Syrian and Russian troops had recovered from the crash site.

    Putin ordered the flight recorder to be studied in the presence of foreign experts, adding that the data will show the plane’s flight path.

    Moscow’s relations with Ankara have been badly strained over the downing. Turkey said it shot down the aircraft after it violated Turkey’s airspace for 17 seconds despite repeated warnings.

    Russia has insisted the warplane had stayed in Syria’s airspace, and responded by deploying long-range air defense missiles at its air base in Syria and introducing a slew of economic sanctions against Turkey.

    Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Turkey’s complaint about a sailor on a Russian navy vessel pictured on its deck with a portable air-defense missile while the ship was cruising across the Bosporus.

    Turkey denounced the incident as a provocation and summoned the Russian ambassador to protest.

    Zakharova responded Tuesday by saying the Russian crew had the right to protect its vessel and insisted that the action didn’t contradict the Montreux Convention, which sets international rules for using the Turkish straits.

    Russia’s Foreign Ministry also voiced concern Tuesday about the reported bombing of a Syrian army camp without addressing the U.S. claim that Russia was responsible for the bombing.

    The Syrian government blamed aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition for targeting the army camp in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour on Sunday night, killing three Syrian soldiers and wounding 13. The U.S. denied the claim, and a senior U.S. official military said Washington was “certain” it was a Russian airstrike that had hit the camp. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

    Without commenting on the U.S. claim, Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said it has “serious concerns” about reports of the coalition strike in Deir el-Zour. It said the incident was rooted in the U.S.-led coalition’s reluctance to coordinate with Damascus on its campaign against the Islamic State group.

    The ministry also mentioned a coalition strike in Syria’s province of Hassake that reportedly involved civilian casualties.

    http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/12/08/russia-says-its-concerned-about-bombing-of-syrian-army-camp

  34. Philadelphia Mayor Nutter says severed head left outside mosque is ‘height of insult’; says GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is trying to radicalize Americans against American-Muslims and international Muslims; says Trump is a ‘danger to our society’ –

  35. Turkish citizens may travel visa-free to Europe by 2016

    European visa requirements for Turkish nationals could be removed by October 2016

    Draft conclusions of an EU-Turkey summit stated that the European Union aims to seal a visa liberalization agreement with Turkey in October 2016 instead of the originally planned 2018 if Ankara meets the certain criteria specified in an agreed road map.

    In exchange, Turkey will help the EU to reduce the influx of refugees reaching Europe. The draft stated that 3 billion euros will be given to Turkey to stem the flow of refugees from Turkey to Europe. It is also said that the amount might be adjusted later depending on developments.

    “Both sides will, as agreed and with immediate effect, step up their active cooperation on migrants who are not in need of international protection, preventing travel to Turkey and the EU, ensuring the application of the established bilateral readmission provisions and swiftly returning migrants who are not in need of international protection to their countries of origin, ” the draft reportedly said.

    According to the draft, the EU would also open the next chapter of negotiations with Turkey in its accession talks to the EU in December.

    In December 2013, Turkey and the EU reached an agreement on the “visa liberalization dialogue” in parallel with a “readmission agreement,” that repatriates third-country nationals who are illegally migrating to Europe via Turkey.

    Then, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had agreed to speed up the implementation of the visa-free system for Turkish citizens to the Schengen zone on Nov. 17.

    However the head of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, Hansjörg Haber, said on Nov. 20, a system for visa-free travel between the EU and Turkey is planned to start in 2018, and maybe in 2017, if all goes well.

    http://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/turkish-citizens-may-travel-visa-free-to-europe-by-2016-2349350

  36. The truth about Muslims in America (CNN, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/08/us/muslims-in-america-shattering-misperception/

    “This report includes facts and figures from various surveys and studies, all of which are hyperlinked in the body of the story.

    (CNN)Donald Trump sparked a firestorm of criticism from liberals, conservatives and those in between when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

    But while such a ban is unlikely to be implemented in a country founded by immigrants, the cheers that followed his announcement at a South Carolina rally are telling.

    “I think that we should definitely disallow any Muslims from coming in. Any of them,” supporter Charlie Marzka, 75, told CNN. “The reason is simple: We can’t identify what their attitude is.”

    Indeed, the truth about Muslims in America is perhaps surprising — but not in the way Trump and his supporters might think.

    A look at polls and studies conducted in the last few years shows that Muslims have been crucial in helping law enforcement find terror suspects in the United States. Many have served in the military protecting the country against terrorists. And in many ways, they’re a lot like other everyday Americans.

    Here’s the reality of Muslims in America — and how it smashes stereotypes:

    They are a minuscule portion of the U.S. population
    It’s difficult to come by hard numbers because the U.S. Census doesn’t collect religious data. But the fear of Muslims taking over and imposing Sharia law is unfounded. By some estimates, Muslims make up less than 1% of the U.S. adult population. By 2050, their numbers will grow — to 2.1%. Of all the Muslims in America, 63% are exactly the kind Trump wants banned — immigrants.

    They’re better educated than most Americans
    U.S. Muslims have the second-highest level of education among major religious groups in the country; Jews have the highest. And a greater proportion of them have college degrees than the general U.S. population.

    They have more gender equality
    While in many parts of the Muslim world, women are confined to second-class status, that’s not the case among American Muslims. Virtually all of them, 90%, agree that women should be able to work outside the home. American Muslim women hold more college or postgraduate degrees than Muslim men. And they are more likely to work in professional fields than women from most other U.S. religious groups.

    They’ve been here since the birth of the nation …
    Scholars estimate about a quarter to a third of the Africans brought to the United States as slaves were Muslims. Most were then forced to convert to Christianity.

    … and they’re not just clustered in big cities
    American Muslims live in cities big and small all across the United States. The first mosque built in America was in, of all places, Ross, North Dakota, back in 1929.

    They’re as religious as Christians …
    The general perception of Muslims has one thing right: Most Muslims are very religious. About half say they attend the weekly Friday prayers. But that makes them similar to Christians: About 70% of Christians say religion is important in their lives, and about 45% go to a weekly service.

    … but they’re not as dogmatic as they are portrayed
    Much has been made about fundamentalist Muslims and their strict interpretation of the Quran. But most American Muslims are different. A Pew religious landscape survey found that 57% of American Muslims say there is more than one way to interpret Islam’s teachings. A similar number say many different religions can lead to eternal life.

    There have been Muslims involved in terrorism …
    From September 11, 2001, until the end of 2014, 109 Muslim-Americans plotted against targets in the United States. And terrorism by Muslim-Americans killed 50 in the same time period. Contrast that with the deaths from other mass shootings just last year: 136 — more than twice as many as all the deaths from 13 years of Muslim-American terrorism.

    … but they’ve also spoken out against it
    After every terrorist attack at home and abroad, the refrain rises, “Where is the Muslim condemnation?” American Muslims have spoken out — and done much more. A Duke University study found more terrorism suspects and perpetrators were brought to the attention of law enforcement by members of the Muslim-American community than were discovered through U.S. government investigations. And a Pew survey found that roughly half of U.S. Muslims say their religious leaders aren’t speaking out enough against Islamic extremism.”

    • In a very twisted way that makes sense, of course with so many people packing heat the terrorists will only be able to kill or injure a limited number before going to the virgins.

      • That’s “Preoccupied Territory”.

        Their pieces more often than not aren’t spotted as spoofs. They’re just a shade darker – or maybe more transparent – than what’s actually going down. Or they anticipate tomorrow’s real news that’s just too crazy to believe. It’s eerie.

        The rrrabid rrright Zionist websites that ping back to them put “satire” in bold caps near their link so nobody freaks.

  37. IS conflict: Iraqi forces ‘retake key Ramadi district’ (BBC, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35038983

    “Iraqi government forces have recaptured a key district in the city of Ramadi, which is controlled by the jihadist group Islamic State, officials say.

    The Counter-Terrorism Service said it had cleared the south-western area of Tamim on Tuesday after a fierce battle.

    Soldiers and militiamen have been preparing for months for a final assault on Ramadi, and recently told residents to leave the city centre.

    Ramadi was captured by IS in May in an embarrassing defeat for the Iraqi army…”

  38. Israel seizes thousands of rock-thrower dolls headed for PA

    Some 4,000 plush toys of rock-throwing men dressed in Palestinian garb were intercepted Tuesday at the Haifa port by Israeli authorities, who said the dolls were headed for the Palestinian Authority and were part of an incitement campaign.

    Each toy has its face hidden by a keffiyah, with one arm raised and clutching a tiny toy rock. They hold banners in Palestinian colors proclaiming “Jerusalem is ours” and “Jerusalem we are coming.”

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-seizes-thousands-of-plush-rock-thrower-dolls-headed-for-pa/

  39. Berlin sued over dangerous conditions for refugees (DW, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.dw.com/en/berlin-sued-over-dangerous-conditions-for-refugees/a-18902534

    “Lawyers have filed a lawsuit against Berlin’s social affairs minister over dangerous conditions for refugees waiting at the city’s LaGeSo authority. There have been several injuries, exhaustion and cases of hypothermia.

    The conditions outside the LaGeSo authority in Berlin have been a national embarrassment for Germany for months. Every day, hundreds of refugees crowd along the metal barriers outside the state’s office for health and social affairs, whose courtyard became a giant muddy waiting room sometime in the summer. People’s attention is fixed on a black electronic notice board that flashes up yellow numbers – and there’s a crush and surge in the crowd every time a new number flashes up.

    The scenes at the LaGeSo have produced nothing but bad headlines for the nation’s capital. The early news stories, about people waiting days and weeks to get registered, were replaced in October by reports of physical attacks and neo-Nazi slogans chanted by security guards whom the Berlin government hired to keep order. The security firm in question has now been replaced.

    There have also been intermittent reports of illnesses and injuries: On November 15, for example, volunteers called an ambulance when a man waiting in line showed signs of hypothermia – an emergency medic later measured his temperature at 32 degrees Celsius (89.6F).

    Now a group of 40 lawyers have pressed charges for causing physical injury against Berlin Social Affairs Minister Mario Czaja and LaGeSo chief Franz Allert for allowing these conditions to continue. “Conditions like in Berlin are unique nationwide,” lawyer Christina Clemma said in a statement published Monday by the Union of Democratic Jurists (VDJ), one of the two organizations that brought the charges. “In no other German state have politicians and the administration failed so systematically as here.”..”

  40. EU ups its fight against terrorist financing (DW, Dec 8, 2015)
    http://www.dw.com/en/eu-ups-its-fight-against-terrorist-financing/a-18903083

    “EU member states have agreed to ramp up efforts to combat terrorist financing by cracking down on suspicious wire transfers and prepaid cards. A commission is set to present detailed proposals in the coming weeks.

    In the wake of last month’s terrorist attacks in Paris, EU finance ministers agreed on Tuesday to step up efforts to restrict financial channels which fund terrorism.

    “This is the priority of priorities today, because each of our countries is under the threat of a terrorist act,” said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin ahead of the meeting with his 27 counterparts in Brussels.

    France led the charge during Tuesday’s EU finance minister meeting. The country has proposed measures to improve cross-border cooperation between financial investigators, freeze terrorist assets throughout the EU, more strictly monitor the use of prepaid cards and virtual currencies, and to access data related to suspicious SWIFT wire transfers in Europe.

    Sapin’s fellow finance ministers agreed to speed up action, both on previously agreed measures and the additional steps proposed by France. He said the European Commission will start work immediately on new proposals, set to be finalized at the next EU finance minister meeting in January.

    Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who also chairs the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, said that the new laws couldn’t come soon enough. “We need them quite quickly, and we need to try and speed up the implementation process,” he insisted.

    German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said France delivered “a number of good proposals” during the meeting. He admitted that the EU finance ministers can do little to stop the oil exports of the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS), but he said they can help to stem the sales of weapons and explosives. Schäuble also said that the illegal sale of art and antiques must be better controlled, “because it is an important source to finance terrorism.”

    France was satisfied with the ministers’ response, Sapin said, highlighting that there was a “true willingness … to act, to act fast and to act firmly to avoid overly easy financing of terrorism anywhere on the European Union’s territory.”…”