Reader’s links for Dec. 18 – 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

54 Replies to “Reader’s links for Dec. 18 – 2015”

    • Islamic State: Militants mount first major attack in months (BBC, Dec 18, 2015)
      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35129445

      “Kurdish forces backed by coalition air strikes have repulsed the most serious attack by Islamic State group in Iraq in five months, US officials say.

      IS militants mounted a co-ordinated assault on several locations near the northern city of Mosul on Wednesday.

      About 180 IS fighters were killed in the strikes that continued until Thursday morning, the US officials said.

      Mosul has been under the control of IS since last year.

      Militants began attacking Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga positions late on Wednesday afternoon, using machine guns, car bombs, rockets and armoured bulldozers, Kurdish and US officials said.

      “This was the hardest punch Isil [IS] had thrown since this summer, and the Peshmerga defeated them,” said Col Steve Warren, a US military spokesman, according to the Washington Post.

      Brig Gen Mark Odom, the senior US officer in Iraq, said the assault may have been a “spoiling attack”, the New York Times reported, suggesting it may have been an attempt to disrupt plans to retake Mosul…”

  1. German police raid Stuttgart mosque linked to ‘Islamic State’ (DW, Dec 17, 2015)
    http://www.dw.com/en/german-police-raid-stuttgart-mosque-linked-to-islamic-state/a-18924893

    “Police have raided, closed and banned a Muslim association and mosque in Stuttgart for supporting the “Islamic State” militant group. Several people from the region frequented the center before leaving for Syria.

    Authorities in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg raided and shut down a Muslim association and mosque said to have financially supported and recruited on behalf of the “Islamic State” militant group.

    “We do not tolerate associations that advocate the use of violence to promote religious concerns and collect donations for terrorist goups,” said Baden-Württemberg’s Interior Minister Reinhold Gall.

    “The association supports, in the form of the so-called ‘Islamic State,’ an Islamist group that carries out religiously-motivated attacks against persons and property,” Gall said.

    The Islamic Educational and Cultural Center Mesdschid Sahabe – located in the southwestern city of Stuttgart – was often frequented by Salafist preachers and Islamist fundamentalists from the West Balkans, the minister said….”

  2. US county closes schools after uproar over Arabic calligraphy homework (tribune, Dec 18, 2015)
    http://tribune.com.pk/story/1012156/us-county-closes-schools-after-uproar-over-arabic-calligraphy-homework/

    “A Virginia school district closed all of its schools and offices after an outcry over a high school geography lesson that included an example of Arabic religious calligraphy.

    The lesson, which was part of a world geography class at Riverheads High School, asked the students to copy the Arabic letters that translate to: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (PBUH) is the messenger of Allah.”

    The school district held a meeting on December 11 to discuss the assignment with concerned parents and said the lesson wasn’t to promote Islam but to study “the artistic complexity of the calligraphy.”

    “Neither these lessons, nor any other lesson in the world geography course, are an attempt at indoctrination to Islam or any other religion, or a request for students to renounce their own faith or profess any belief,” the district said in a statement provided to Fox News….”

  3. ISIS loyalists have reportedly launched radio station in Nangarhar province (khaama, Dec 17, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/isis-loyalists-have-reportedly-launched-radio-station-in-nangarhar-province-1818

    “The loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group have reportedly launched a radio station in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

    The radio station – Caliphate Radio, has been launched with an aim to encourage encouraging local youth to enroll in jihadi ranks and airing anti-government Islamic rulings, or fatwa.

    The security officials have not confirmed the launch of the radio by ISIS fanatics so far, however the provincial council officials have said the broadcast has already started using a broadcast band of 90 FM.

    The launch of radio station by ISIS fanatics comes amid growing concerns that the terror group is gaining foothold in Afghanistan with more militants formerly fighting for other militant groups pledging allegiance…”

    • Afghan govt urged to take immediate steps in halting ISIS ‘Radio caliphate’ (khaama, Dec 17, 2015)
      http://www.khaama.com/afghan-govt-urged-to-take-immediate-steps-in-halting-isis-radio-caliphate-1819

      “The Afghan government has been urged to take immediate steps in halting the radio station launched by the fanatics of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

      A media supporting agency issued a statement shortly after reports emerged regarding the launch of the radio station by ISIS loyalists, warning that the launch of the radio station could have a serious negative impact on security situation of the country.

      According to NAI organization the radio station is covering widespread propaganda against the Afghan people and government in Jalalabad city and other districts of Nangarhar province.

      The statement by NAI further added that the launch of media outlets aimed at spreading terror and hatred are against the enforced laws of Afghanistan, urging the Afghan government to use all technical and intelligence facilities in halting the operations of such illegal media outlets…”

  4. Afghan forces retaken control of Khanshin district in Helmand province (khaama, Dec 18, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/afghan-forces-retaken-control-of-khanshin-district-in-helmand-province-1824

    “The Afghan national security forces have retaken control of Khanshin district in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, security officials said Friday.

    The Ministry of Interior (MoI) officials announced earlier today that the Afghan forces seized control of Khanshin district from Taliban militants this morning.

    According to the local government officials, the control of the district was retaken following heavy clashes between the Afghan security forces and Taliban militants.

    The officials further added that the Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers, Afghan National Police (ANP) forces together with the Afghan Public Order and Border Protection forces managed to enter into Khanshin district late on Thursday amid heavy clash…”

  5. India to complete work on new Afghan parliament building by month end (khaama, Dec 18, 2015)
    http://www.khaama.com/india-to-complete-work-on-new-afghan-parliament-building-by-month-end-1823

    “The construction work of the new Afghan parliament building is expected to be fully completed by the end of this month, it has been reported.

    Started in 2009 by India’s premier government-owned construction agency Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the project is in its final stage of completion.

    According to the Indian officials, the new parliament building will be ready along with its other facilities within the next two weeks.

    “It will be ready for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon,” an official in India’s Urban Development Ministry was quoted as saying in a report by Times of India (TOI).

    The construction work of the project was originally scheduled to complete in December 2011, however the officials have said the pace construction increased significantly following years of delays…”

  6. Lorry drivers came under attack from migrants in an “unprecedented” and “organised” disturbance in Calais , British officials said.

    Truckers forced to slow on motorways near the cross-Channel port had their lorries attacked, with locks broken and roofs slashed as migrants tried to climb inside, witnesses said.
    …………
    French police were highly visible and were taking extreme measures to break up the crowds, including using tear gas and closing the motorway in order to control the situation, but appeared to be overwhelmed by the numbers.”
    Mr Yarsley said the migrants appeared to have organised the attacks by creating disturbances in the nearby town centre to act as a diversion.

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/roofs-slashed-locks-broken-migrants-7033124

  7. Denmark Wants To Seize Jewelry And Cash From Refugees

    The bill presented on 10 December 2015 provides the Danish authorities with the power to search clothes and luggage of asylum seekers – and other migrants without a permit to stay in Denmark – with a view to finding assets which may cover the expenses,” Mia Tang, the press spokesperson for the Danish ministry of integration, said in an email to The Washington Post.

    The law would also impact refugees already in the country. It is included in an asylum policy bill which is expected to pass Parliament in January and would be set to take effect by next February. Police authorities would be allowed to seize valuables and cash amounts they deem expensive enough. According to the integration ministry, “the new rule on seizure will only apply to assets of a considerable value.” Foreigners are expected to be able to “keep assets which are necessary to maintain a modest standard of living, e.g. watches and mobile phones.

    http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/denmark-wants-to-seize-jewelry-and-cash-from-refugees-1256310?site=full

  8. Iran: Hundreds rally against Nigerian crackdown on Shia Muslims in Tehran

    Hundreds protested in Tehran after Friday prayers to condemn Nigeria’s military crackdown on Shia Muslims. Protesters were chanting and held placards reading slogans including “Down with USA, Down with Israel, Death to Al-Saoud”.

  9. BREITBART – Congress Votes To Fund Nearly 300,000 Visas For Muslim Migrants In One Year

    […]The most recent available data published by the Department of Homeland Security shows that in 2013, around 118,000 migrants from Muslim-majority countries were permanently resettled within the United States on green cards, as well as approximately 40,000 refugees and asylees from Muslim countries. Additionally, according to data from the State Department, in 2013 the U.S. voluntarily admitted approximately 123,000 temporary migrants from Muslim countries as foreign students and foreign workers.

    On top of those autopilot admissions, which will be funded throughout all of 2016, the House is also funding the President’s plan to add another 10,000 refugees from the Muslim country of Syria. As a result, Ryan’s House-passed omnibus will bring in nearly 300,000 Muslim migrants in the next 12 months alone, including roughly 170,000 who will be permanently resettled within the country. In a December 3rd letter to administration officials, Sens. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) explained that the permeant resettlement of 170,000 Muslim migrants will be on top of the already huge inflow of temporary Muslim migrants:

    Congress is days away from consideration of an omnibus year-end funding bill that would set the U.S. on an autopilot path to approve green cards, asylee, and refugee status to approximately 170,000 migrants from Muslim countries during the next fiscal year. In addition to that would tens of thousands of temporary visas for entry and employment, and the entire sum is added to the rest of the annual autopilot green card, asylee, refugee, and foreign worker flow.

    This means that next year, the U.S. will admit more than two Muslim migrants for every one Iowa Republican primary voter.[…]

    http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/18/congress-votes-fund-nearly-300000-visas-muslim-migrants-one-year/

  10. Migrant crisis: EU needs ‘massive’ resettlement programme (BBC, Dec 18, 2015)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-35130213

    “The head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has urged European leaders to set up a “massive” refugee resettlement programme.

    Antonio Guterres said moves to speed up the processing of asylum seekers in Greece was welcome but “not enough”.

    He was speaking as a new UN report warned that the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide would “far surpass” a record 60 million this year.

    The EU is grappling to deal with an huge influx of migrants…”

  11. Military: 62 Kurdish Rebels Killed in Past 3 Days in Turkey (abcnews, Dec 18. 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/report-54-kurdish-rebels-killed-past-days-turkey-35836153

    “Turkey’s security forces killed 62 Kurdish militants in three days of operations in two mainly-Kurdish towns near the border with Iraq, the military said Friday. One Turkish soldier was killed in the fighting.

    The government has imposed 24-hour curfews in the towns of Cizre and Silopi, allowing troops and police — backed by tanks and armored vehicles — to battle militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, who have moved their fight for autonomy to some towns and city neighborhoods.

    The government says the militants have placed explosive devices, dug trenches and set up barricades in Cizre and Silopi and has vowed to press ahead with the operations until no armed rebel remains in the two towns. Unconfirmed reports have said that thousands of troops have been deployed.

    A military statement on Friday said 56 Kurdish militants were killed in Cizre and six died in fighting in Silopi since Tuesday. The soldier was killed in a battle in Cizre.

    At least eight security force members were wounded, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

    Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party says at least 63 civilians have been killed by security forces’ operations during curfews that have been enforced in 17 locations since August.

    The European human rights body, the Council of Europe, has expressed concern over the curfews that bar residents from leaving homes and prevent observers or journalists from monitoring conditions. Turkey says the curfews aim to prevent civilian deaths.

    Fighting between the government forces and the PKK flared up in July, killing hundreds of people and shattering a fragile peace process with the rebels.”

  12. Jordan Starts Deporting Sudanese Asylum Seekers (abcnews, Dec 18, 2015)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/jordan-begun-deporting-sudanese-asylum-seekers-35836660

    “Jordan on Friday began deporting hundreds of Sudanese asylum seekers, despite warnings by the U.N. refugee agency that they could face danger and persecution in their troubled homeland.

    Jordanian security forces rounded up about 800 Sudanese earlier this week, with the intention of deporting them. Troops tore down their makeshift tent camp in the capital Amman, and detained them at a holding bay near the country’s international airport.

    The deportations epitomized dilemmas faced by many European, Mideast and African countries that have faced a refugee influx in recent years. Jordan has otherwise drawn plaudits from U.N. officials for being more welcoming that most by taking in many Iraqis, Syrians and Palestinians.

    In Geneva, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said the world community had a “huge debt” to Jordan but also noted the incident over the Sudanese.

    “We have been in close contact with the Jordanian government on the Sudanese question,” said Guterres, said UNHCR’s position was that the Sudanese in need of protection should not be deported.

    The deportations began early Friday and most of those slated for deportation were to be flown out of Jordan throughout the day, said government spokesman Mohammed Momani. By noon, three planes with 430 Sudanese on board had left, said Aoife McDonnell, a refugee agency spokeswoman in Jordan. She said the agency is “extremely concerned” about others held at the loading bay…”

  13. The Left’s Muslim Replacement Theology for Jews

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/261127/lefts-muslim-replacement-theology-jews-daniel-greenfield

    Muslims are the new Jews. You can find this offensive claim repeated everywhere in the media. The Jews, a small ethnic minority of millions that was stateless for thousands of years, are a terrible analogy for a global Muslim population of 1.6 billion and around 50 countries that do not comprise a single ethnicity or race. Comparing the two makes as much sense as comparing the Finns to all of Asia.

    The only thing the Muslims and the Jews have ever had in common is that the former conquered, persecuted and enslaved the latter. Any religious similarities are the product of Muslim cultural appropriation of Jewish beliefs and any cultural similarities are the result of Muslim colonization.

    Comparing Jews to Muslims makes as much sense as comparing Jews to Nazis. But the media began making the argument that the Jews are the new Nazis from the very moment that the stateless Jews got their first state since Rome and its allied Arab invaders had destroyed the last one.

    In this twisted historical revisionism, the Jews, a beleaguered minority hanging on to a country slightly bigger than Fiji, who have spent the last 40 years cutting pieces off their small slice of the world to hand over to the region’s massive Muslim majority in the hopes of being left alone, are the new Nazis.

    And the Muslim billion ruling over vast territories where human rights for non-Muslims are rarer than hen’s teeth, where non-Muslim populations decline year after year as they are forcibly converted or are forced to flee their Muslim oppressors, are somehow the new Jews. Orwell would have wept.

  14. Bashar Al Assad on Dutch TV – Dec 17 2015 –

    The only condition the Dutch broadcaster had to agree with, was that the interview would not be edited anywhere, lateron.
    ======================================
    transcript on this page :

    http://sana.sy/en/?p=64343
    ======================================

    ( in English – Dutch subs ) ( 22 min 30 )

    • Barack Obama says Syria’s President Assad has lost legitimacy, needs to leave

      WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said on Friday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had lost legitimacy in the eyes of a majority of his country and needs to depart to open the door to an end of the “bloodletting” there.

      “I think that Assad is going to have to leave in order for the country to stop the bloodletting and for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a non-sectarian way,” Obama said at a news conference at the White House. “He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of a large majority of the country.”

      http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/barack-obama-says-syrias-president-assad-has-lost-legitimacy-needs-to-leave/articleshow/50239840.cms

      Obama on Assad leaving power: ‘I was right’

      (CNN) — President Barack Obama on Friday reiterated his position that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must vacate power in the war-torn country. “Our view has been that you cannot bring peace to Syria, you cannot get an end to the civil war, unless you have a government that is recognized as legitimate by a majority of that country. It will not happen,” Obama said at a White House press conference.

      Obama continued, “This is the argument that I have had repeatedly with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, dating five years ago, at which time his suggestion, as I gather some Republicans are now suggesting, is Assad is not so bad. We’ll let him be as brutal and repressive as he can, but at least he’ll keep order. The problem is that the history of trying to keep order when a large majority of the country has turned against you is not good. And five years later, I was right.”

      http://www.wptz.com/politics/urgent-obama-on-assad-leaving-power-i-was-right/37033352

    • What a stone cold liar.
      The Syrian police were notorious for beatings, rapes, torture and having people just disappear.
      I have it on very good authority from a prominent Syrian that was absolutely the case.
      I do not believe his claim that during the first week of peaceful protest 3 police officers were killed by the marchers. I saw lots of film of those marches and they appeared to be completely peaceful until the police started firing on them.
      In any event, I do not think it a reasonable response to just shoot into a crowd and mow people down indiscriminately.

    • France demands assurances that Assad will leave power

      United Nations (United States) (AFP) – French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Friday demanded that talks on Syria’s future yield assurances that President Bashar al-Assad will leave power.

      “There must be safeguards regarding the exit of Bashar al-Assad,” Fabius told the UN Security Council after the adoption of a resolution endorsing a peace process.

      The resolution calls for a ceasefire and peace talks to begin in early January, but it does not address the contentious issue of Assad’s future.

      France, the United States and other Western powers hold Assad responsible for the killing of civilians during the nearly five-year war in Syria and accuse him of fomenting extremism that led to the rise of the Islamic State group.

      “How could somebody bring together a whole people when he has massacred so many?” Fabius asked.

      As long as Assad remains in power, Fabius said, reconciliation between Syrians and the state will remain “unattainable.”

      http://news.yahoo.com/france-demands-assurances-assad-leave-power-221102003.html

    • USA: ‘Not a choice between Assad or Daesh, but war and peace’ – Kerry on Syria peace plan

      US Secretary of State John Kerry stressed the importance of choosing not “between Assad or Daesh, but between war and peace,” after the UN Security Council passed a resolution on the Syrian crisis following a vote at the UN headquarters in New York, Friday.

  15. Denmark defends plan to strip refugee valuables

    The Danish government on Friday defended plans for police to search asylum seekers’ luggage for valuables and cash after they prompted international outrage and drew comparisons to Nazi Germany.

    http://www.thelocal.dk/20151218/danes-defend-plays-to-strip-refugee-valuables

    Calling the Danes Nazis is ‘nonsense’: Rabbi

    Those comparing Denmark’s plan to strip asylum seekers of their valuables with the measures carried out by Nazi Germany against the Jews, are talking “nonsense,” Denmark’s former Chief Rabbi Bent Melchior has told The Local.

    http://www.thelocal.dk/20151218/comparing-denmark-to-the-nazis-is-nonsense-rabbi

  16. UK – Milaad celebrations lighting up neighbourhoods

    Annual celebrations to commemorate the birth for the Prophet Muhammed are lighting up the region.

    Some readers may be a little curious as to why some homes and mosques are lit-up with decorations at this time of year.

    Shahbaz Hussain, 43 says this year he is delighted to see homes lit-up in this way, “We put our Milaad lights up every year and in recent times the celebrations to mark the birth of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) are coinciding with Christmas time.

    “With all that is going on in the world it is really great to see communities celebrating their own faiths in this way. Our street has both homes celebrating Christmas and those celebrating the Millad.”

    The celebration is also known as Nabi Day, Mawlid, Mohammad’s Birthday or the Prophet’s Birthday. Many Muslims believe in the Milaad but not all will put up lights and celebrate it in this way.

    Younis Khan, 33 said people had asked him at work what these lights were, “People were a little curious at work and thought they were new types of Christmas lights.

    “I explained the significance and exactly why people celebrate the Milaad.

    “It is good though to see lights-up in many neighbourhoods. The children especially love it.”

    As well lights and decorations annual Milaad processions in the UK will take place in the coming month.

    http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/14152182.Milaad_celebrations_lighting_up_neighbourhoods/

    Leeds – Milad procession :

  17. ‘Welcome to Europe! Soros Adding Fuel to the Fire of EU’s Refugee Crisis’

    American business magnate George Soros is making every effort to boost the refugee flow to Europe, by encouraging asylum seekers to travel to the continent and urging the European leaders to fork out, F. William Engdahl notes.

    “The EU should provide €15,000 ($16,800) per asylum-seeker for each of the first two years to help cover housing, health care, and education costs — and to make accepting refugees more appealing to member states. It can raise these funds by issuing long-term bonds using its largely untapped AAA borrowing capacity…” the magnate states in his September article for Project Syndicate.

    http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151218/1031981904/george-soros-exacerbating-refugee-crisis-europe-eu-syria.html

  18. Vetting Obama’s witless vetters at DHS

    http://michellemalkin.com/2015/12/16/vetting-obamas-witless-vetters-at-dhs/

    Gaping holes in the K1 fiance visa interview process. Reckless bans on scrutinizing visa applicants’ social media posts. Ignored alarms over marriage fraud. New details keep seeping out about all the “red flags” Obama’s immigration officials missed in the case of the San Bernardino jihadists.

    Color me unshocked.

    The American public and Capitol Hill politicians should have been more vigilant about vetting Obama’s vetters in the first place. What do you expect when you put crony know-nothings, political hacks and identity politics zealots in charge of our safety?

    n case you’d forgotten (or never paid attention), DHS undersecretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the No. 2 in charge of the department, was also a beneficiary of Reid’s lowered nomination standards. Like Johnson, Mayorkas was an Obama bundler early and often. He slithered into the job in 2013 while still under investigation by the DHS inspector general for his role in facilitating EB-5 foreign investor visa scams over the vehement objections of homeland security staff.

    As my co-author John Miano and I point out in our new book, “Sold Out,” on systemic visa corruption, federal investigators interviewed more than 15 whistleblowers ranging from rank-and-file employees to several senior managers in California and at the D.C. headquarters who accused Mayorkas of bestowing both preferential access and preferential treatment to politically connected EB-5 applicants and stakeholders. They detailed how Mayorkas “created special processes and revised existing policies in the EB-5 program to accommodate specific parties” while serving as director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

    “Their allegations were unequivocal,” the inspector general concluded, and the corruption under Mayorkas was systemic.

  19. Liberal judge who crusaded to outlaw racial profiling is victim of brutal black robbery and beating

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2015/12/16/liberal-judge-who-crusaded-to-outlaw-racial-profiling-is-victim-of-brutal-black-robbery-and-beating/

    There is a perverse temptation to call this karma or cosmic justice or something along those lines.

    I will resist it and simply submit that if it quacks like a duck, etc.

    Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit reports that Judge Susan Dlott, a staunch advocate for banning racial profiling, was a victim last week of a brutal attack by three black men who followed her and her husband home from a restaurant.

    Dlott’s hubby received the brunt of the beating, suffering a broken back and pelvis and sustaining a concussion. Dlott ran a mile in the woods barefoot seeking help. She complains that her feet are now bruised and swollen.

    Dlott’s crusade to outlaw racial profiling came a year after the Cincinnati riots.

    Station WCPO in Cincinnati identifies the suspects as Terry Darnell Jackson, Demetrius Williams, and Darrell Joseph Kinney, all of whom have been indicted and face charges that include aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, assault, and carrying concealed weapons. If convicted on all charges, the three men each face the possibility of more than 100 years in prison.

  20. Poland raids NATO counterintelligence office in Warsaw to oust director

    In an unprecedented move a NATO member, Poland, has conducted a raid in the small hours of Friday morning against the temporary offices of a counterintelligence centre in Warsaw due to be NATO-affiliated.

    The new Law and Justice government, is currently purging Poland’s administration and installing its own people.

    “One does not do such matters in this way. It needs to be negotiated internationally. Everything can be solved by law and not in the night, forcing the door. This is an absolute scandal,” said former Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak.

    Law and Justice had demanded that the centre’s director step down. He did not respond to the demand, so the military police arrived at 1.30 in the morning to let him in, with a duplicate key. The eventual HQ, under construction, will be in Krakow.

    http://www.euronews.com/2015/12/18/poland-raids-nato-counterintelligence-office-in-warsaw-to-oust-director

  21. Greece: Refugees lead International Migrant Day rally in Athens

    housands of protesters marched on the streets of Athens on Friday, to commemorate the International Migrant Day.

  22. CNN – Axelrod: Obama’s first response to Paris terror attacks was ‘tone deaf’

    General Michael Flynn, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency tells Jake Tapper President Obama clearly underestimated how fearful Americans are of ISIS.

  23. At U.N., Turkey accuses Iraq of undermining Islamic State fight

    UNITED NATIONS, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Turkey accused Iraq on Friday of undermining the global fight against Islamic State militants by taking its complaint about the deployment of Turkish troops in northern Iraq to the United Nations Security Council.

    The 15-member council met on the issue on Friday at the request of Iraq and Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari who asked the body to adopt a resolution demanding Turkey withdraw its troops immediately.

    Jaafari signaled the request for council action was a last resort. “Iraq has spared no effort to exhaust all diplomatic channels and bilateral negotiations with Turkey, in order to withdraw its forces that are unauthorized in Iraq,” he said.

    Turkey deployed around 150 troops in the Bashiqa area earlier this month with the stated aim of training an Iraqi militia to fight Islamic State. Turkey withdrew some troops this week, moving them to another base inside Iraq’s Kurdistan region, but Baghdad said they should pull out completely.

    Turkey’s U.N. Ambassador Halit Cevik said the deployment had been taken out of context and that additional troops had been sent to the camp to provide force protection due to increasing threats.

    He said Ankara believed it had taken sufficient measures to de-escalate the situation, so efforts could be re-focused in combating Islamic State militants, who have seized swaths of Iraq and Syria. Islamic State is also known as Daesh.

    “From the outset, we tried to resolve this matter through bilateral channels. Because taking this issue to various international platforms would serve no other purpose than to undermine the solidarity of the international community against Daesh,” Cevik told the Security Council.

    He said Turkey has never had and will never have any interest in violating Iraq’s sovereignty.

    http://www.trust.org/item/20151219010520-3ioe3/

  24. CNN – Rhetoric of “radical Islamic terrorism”

    Fareed gives his take on the GOP candidates’ preoccupation with saying the words “radical Islamic terrorism” instead of offering real solutions [ easy solution = bomb the mosques in Mecca, Medina, Al Azhar, Qom, Karbala, and Najaf for a start ]

  25. DAILY MAIL – Senseless! Why are Syrian refugees being foisted on a remote Scottish island with high unemployment and poverty – then given perks some locals don’t enjoy?

    15 families have arrived on the tiny island of Bute, off the West of Scotland
    Government is resettling 20,000 people who have fled the Syrian civil war
    Families were given free accommodation and can pray five times a day
    Theresa May said all arrivals would be screened for any security threats

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3366575/Senseless-Syrian-refugees-foisted-remote-Scottish-island-high-unemployment-poverty-given-perks-locals-don-t-enjoy.html