Reader’s links for Jan. 18 – 2016

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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.

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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

126 Replies to “Reader’s links for Jan. 18 – 2016”

  1. Evil ISIS fighters yelling Allahu Akbar parade SEVERED HEADS from pick-up truck (express, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/635560/ISIS-Islamic-State-Libya-Bin-Jawad-Severed-Heads-Parade-Terror-Oil-Ras-Lanuf-Sidra

    “SAVAGE Islamic State militants have paraded severed heads from the back of a pick-up truck after seizing another Libyan city.

    The evil jihadis shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they drove through the town of Bin Jawad.

    Horrified residents fled in terror after evil ISIS, known as Daesh, seized the town while others were ordered into a sports stadium by the brutal fanatics – but their fate remains unclear…”

  2. Dressed to kill! SAS heroes don BURKAS for raid on ISIS bunker to take down jihadi chief (express, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/635517/Islamic-State-ISIS-SAS-burkas-raid-headquarters-Syria-Raqqa-jihadi-leader

    “BRAVE SAS heroes dressed up in BURKAS to carry out a daring raid on the Islamic State (ISIS) headquarters in Syria which led to an evil jihadi leader being vaporised, it emerged today.

    Fearless special forces troops donned the full-length Islamic dress to sneak undetected through the terrorists’ de facto capital Raqqa and take down the terrorist commander.

    The eight-man SAS squad also eliminated several jihadi fighters after lifting up their burkas and opening fire on the stunned militants, who had no time to hide from the hail of bullets.

    The group posed as the wives of ISIS chiefs by covering themselves from head-to-toe in the traditional black robes, managing to blag their way through to the group’s headquarters.

    They were driven through the town in a Toyota pick-up truck – the make favoured by jihadi murderers – with the help of local Syrians working with the secret service to help bring down ISIS….”

  3. Teen girl ‘rushed to hospital after she was raped by Afghan migrant on park bench’ (express, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/635559/Teen-girl-hospitalised-raped-Afghan-migrant-park-bench-austria

    “A TEENAGER has been rushed to hospital after she was allegedly brutally raped by an Afghan migrant she met on a train, police have revealed.

    The 18-year-old is believed to have been sharing a drink with the 21-year-old asylum seeker in he early hours of the morning in Prater Park – a popular destination in Vienna, Austria.

    But the friendly exchange between the two strangers then allegedly took a dark turn.

    Park security staff, who heard the teenager’s screams for help, rushed to her aid, investigators said.

    In a police report, the victim said: “We got talking and decided to buy some alcohol to drink at the Prater park.

    “We then sat down on the main avenue through the park on a bench.”

    The man then became violent, attacking the woman from behind, and raped her on the park bench, according to Breitbart.

    The alleged attacker is being held before trial. He is also reported to have been carrying forged money and marijuana at the time of the incident…”

  4. David Cameron says Muslim mothers must integrate to defeat extremism: Migrants who fail to improve their English could be kicked out of the UK under new plans (dailymail, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3404276/David-Cameron-says-Muslim-mothers-integrate-defeat-extremism.html

    “Migrants who fail to improve their English could be kicked out of the country under plans to encourage integration.

    The move is particularly aimed at bringing Muslim women into wider society and is part of a fresh counter-extremism drive.

    The Prime Minister will today unveil a £20million drive to improve English classes for migrants backed by penalties for those who fail to learn the language.

    And he will call on Muslim mothers to become more powerful moderating forces in their communities to help stop young men, including their sons, turning to terrorism.

    A significant minority of women from the Muslim community do not speak English, leaving them isolated from the rest of society, say officials…”

  5. Turkey-Syria: Casualties in shelling near border school (BBC, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35342291

    “At least one person is feared dead and several others have been wounded after a mortar shell landed near a school in south-eastern Turkey, local media reported.

    The shell was reportedly fired from Syria and hit a school garden in the border province of Kilis.
    Television pictures showed the injured being rushed to hospital.

    Cross-border incidents have been frequent as a result of the Syrian conflict.”

  6. Report: Kurdish Militant Attack Kills 3 Turkish Policemen (abcnews, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/report-kurdish-militant-attack-kills-turkish-policemen-36353944

    “Turkey’s state-run news agency says Kurdish militants have killed three policemen and wounded four others in an attack in the southeastern province of Sirnak.

    The Anadolu Agency says the three officers succumbed to their wounds Monday after being hit by a roadside bomb in Sirnak’s Idil district, near the Syrian and Iraqi borders.

    Fighting between Turkey’s security forces and the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, resumed in July, shattering a fragile peace process.

    Turkey has launched numerous airstrikes against PKK positions in northern Iraq and imposed extended curfews in flashpoint neighborhoods and towns in its mainly Kurdish southeast.

    The conflict between government forces and the PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984.”

  7. Airstrike Hits Police Facility in Yemen, 20 Killed (abcnews, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/airstrike-targets-police-facility-yemens-capital-36353138

    “An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition targeted a building used by police in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, killing at least 20 people and wounding about 15, Security officials said on Monday.

    The officials, who are loyal to anti-government Shiite rebels known as the Houthis, said some 30 more people are believed to be still trapped under the debris of the badly damaged building in central Sanaa. Police vehicles parked in the facility’s courtyard were destroyed and nearby homes suffered some damage, they said.

    The dead and wounded were policemen and Houthi rebels, they said.

    Security forces sealed off the area as earth-moving equipment arrived to help with the search for bodies and survivors under the debris.

    The building was partially used as a gathering point for security forces and on occasion used by the Houthis as an assembly point for forces headed to deployment elsewhere in Yemen.

    The airstrike happened shortly before midnight on Sunday, according to the officials, who had no further details. Reporters were barred from approaching the facility, they said, speaking Monday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

    The Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes against the Houthis and their allies in March 2015, siding with the internationally recognized government…”

  8. Was mowing down of French prison guards a terror attack? (thelocal, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.fr/20160118/was-attack-on-french-prison-guards-another-terror-act

    “Unknown assailants crashed a car into two prison guards in Meaux at the weekend, prompting one union head to suggest the attack could have been motivated by terrorism.

    The local prosecutor said that both the guards were hit, one of them being in a serious condition after being dragged “several metres” by the car.

    The guard, aged 56, remains in intensive care with an internal haemorrhage, reported Le Figaro newspaper.

    The other guard escaped with light injuries, but was reportedly shaken from the ordeal. She was unable to identify the model of car, nor how many people were inside it at the time.

    While an investigation for attempted murder has been launched, questions are being asked as to the motive of the assailant…”

  9. Swedish campaigners: Teach refugee children about sex (thelocal, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.se/20160118/swedish-campaigners-teach-refugee-boys-about-sex

    “Sweden’s largest sex education campaign group wants to launch a training programme for young refugee boys arriving in the Nordic nation, including gay rights and gender equality.

    Leading managers at Sweden’s sexual education organization RFSU argued in an opinion piece for newspaper Svenska Dagbladet over the weekend that Sweden should offer sex education classes for refugee boys, with the idea sparking a strong debate that continued into Monday morning.

    “There is an acute need for knowledge about everything from sexually transmitted diseases and condoms to abortion rights, gender equality, legislation and LGBTQ rights,” wrote its chairperson Kristina Ljungros and secretary-general Maria Andersson.

    The proposal follows global discussions about sexual assaults after reports of mass attacks in Cologne, Germany, on New Year’s Eve and Sweden’s summer music festival ‘We are Sthlm’ – the majority of which are said to have been committed by refugees and teens arriving in Sweden alone.

    While rejecting voices in the debate linking ethnicity to sexual violence, Ljungros and Andersson went on to describe the phenomenon as related to gender, masculinity and power, but added Nordic values should be taught….”

  10. Red Cross workers disputes Bild’s claims that starving Madaya residents are ‘regime actors’ (RT, video, Jan 18, 2016)
    https://www.rt.com/news/329269-madaya-actors-bild-rt/

    “German tabloid Bild has accused starving residents of the Syrian town of Madaya of being “actors” in an RT report. But RT’s correspondent believes some media dislike what people suffering from malnutrition had to say about rebels selling off government aid.”

  11. A trip to the ‘Islamic State’
    Writer and journalist Tzur Shezaf traveled through no man’s land, where Syria and Iraq melded into one in the wake of the ruthless campaign of the Islamic State.

    One ISIS captive, Laith Ahmad Mohammed, said: “The sheikhs said all of the Western countries belong to the Jews. They said ‘we’ll finish with Syria and then go to foreign countries and annihilate them.’ We won’t leave any Christians or Jews alive.”
    “They told us: ‘If you catch a Jew, immediately behead him with a sword. Call out Allahu Akbar and behead him.'”

    http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4753534,00.html

  12. Europe struggles to lift global gloom

    At attempted rebound in European stocks quickly fizzled out on Monday after markets around the world and oil prices slumped to multi-year lows amid persistent worries over global growth.

    Middle Eastern stocks plunged overnight, catching up with the fall across global bourses on Friday, while the prospect of a jump in Iranian crude exports after the lifting of sanctions against the country weighed heavily on oil.

    With U.S. markets closed for the Martin Luther King Day holiday, equity bulls were relying on Europe to fight back from the worst ever start to a year. The main European indices have lost as much as 10 percent in just two weeks.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-markets-idUSKCN0UV13E

  13. US recession probability at highest levels since fall 2011: Survey

    The chances of a recession in the United States are at their highest levels since the fall of 2011, according to the CNBC Fed Survey.

    The survey also showed recession fears rising for the sixth straight time among respondents, and are now sitting at 28.8 percent.

    One fairly reliable recession indicator, the spread between the 2-year and 10-year bonds has weakened just about to its lowest level since the last recession. But it tends to signal recession at zero… So at 118 basis points, it’s softer, but not soft enough to signal recession.

    http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/18/us-recession-probability-at-highest-levels-since-fall-2011-survey.html

    • Exclusive: China’s chief stock regulator has offered to resign

      BEIJING (Reuters) – Xiao Gang, the embattled head of China’s securities regulator, has offered to resign, sources said, after perceived mismanagement wiped more than $5 trillion off the value of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets since they peaked last June.

      The 57-year-old chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) tendered his resignation last week after his brainchild – a “circuit breaker” mechanism to limit stock market losses – was blamed for exacerbating a sharp sell-off, a source with ties to the leadership and a financial industry source told Reuters.

      The “circuit breaker” was deactivated on Jan. 7, just three days after its introduction.

      “The (Communist Party) central (leadership) is extremely unhappy with Xiao Gang. It is certain he will change jobs,” the source close to the leadership said, adding it was unclear where he would go next.

      “Xiao Gang handed in his resignation last week,” said the financial industry source.

      Both sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

      It’s unclear whether Xiao’s resignation offer has been accepted by the central government. The CSRC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

      http://www.oann.com/exclusive-china-chief-stock-regulator-xiao-gang-has-offered-to-resign-sources/

    • Europe struggles to lift global gloom

      People are reflected in a stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo
      People are reflected in a stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan January 14, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

      January 18, 2016

      By Jamie McGeever

      LONDON (Reuters) – At attempted rebound in European stocks quickly fizzled out on Monday after markets around the world and oil prices slumped to multi-year lows amid persistent worries over global growth.

      Middle Eastern stocks plunged overnight, catching up with the fall across global bourses on Friday, while the prospect of a jump in Iranian crude exports after the lifting of sanctions against the country weighed heavily on oil.

      With U.S. markets closed for the Martin Luther King Day holiday, equity bulls were relying on Europe to fight back from the worst ever start to a year. The main European indices have lost as much as 10 percent in just two weeks.

      Monday saw early gains for the FTSEuroFirst 300 index of leading shares but it had given up most of them by midday to trade up just 0.1 percent higher. Britain’s FTSE 100 and France’s CAC 40 were flat , while Germany’s DAX was down 0.2 percent .

      “In the absence of major economic data today … risk-off flows are dominating the session,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, market analyst at London Capital Group.

      http://www.oann.com/asian-shares-near-2011-low-as-oil-woes-deepen/

  14. http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=7174

    Portland Community College to devote an entire month to ‘whiteness’-shaming

    Portland Community College has designated April “Whiteness History Month” (WHM), an “educational project” exploring how the “construct of whiteness” creates racial inequality.

    “‘Whiteness History Month: Context, Consequences, and Change’ is a multidisciplinary, district-wide, educational project examining race and racism through an exploration of the construction of whiteness, its origins, and heritage,” PCC states on its website. “Scheduled for the month of April 2016, the project seeks to inspire innovative and practical solutions to community issues and social problems that stem from racism.”

    Whiteness “does not simply refer to skin color[,] but [to] an ideology based on beliefs, values, behaviors, habits, and attitudes, which result in the unequal distribution of power and privilege based on skin color.” Tweet This

    The WHM site makes clear that the project is not a “celebratory endeavor” like heritage months, but is rather “an effort to change our campus climate” by “[challenging] the master narrative of race and racism through an exploration of the social construction of whiteness.” (“Challenging the master narrative,” PCC explains, “is a strategy within higher education that promotes multicultural education and equity.

  15. Saudi Arabia alarmed, in private, at Iran’s sanctions relief

    RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi officials have said little in public, but they fear the end of sanctions on Iran could boost what they see as its subversive activities in the Middle East while also enriching a diverse economy that the oil-dependent kingdom views as a major competitor for regional influence.

    Saudi-Iranian political rivalry has aggravated tumult across the Middle East for years, but has escalated in recent months as Riyadh’s new rulers have taken a harder line and as the nuclear deal has relieved pressure on Tehran.

    Iran’s international rehabilitation also opens the prospect of economic rivalry, with Saudi Arabia facing not only a fellow oil producer in an era of oversupply and low prices, but also a more self-reliant and multi-skilled economy.

    Even without public pronouncements, Riyadh’s private consternation could be discerned in the pages of semi-official media and comments by influential clerics.

    The main cartoon in al-Watan daily simply showed a pencil broken mid-way through writing the word “peace”, while an opinion piece underneath it asked “Will Iran change after the nuclear deal enters implementation?” Its answer: probably not.

    Saudi Arabia, a conservative Sunni Muslim monarchy, sees revolutionary Iran as the paramount threat to the Middle East’s stability, because of its support for Shi’ite militias that Riyadh says have inflamed sectarian violence and undermined Arab governments.

    http://www.oann.com/saudi-arabia-alarmed-in-private-at-irans-sanctions-relief/

  16. End of Europe? Berlin, Brussels’ shock tactic on migrants

    Migrants queue to enter a tent that serves as a waiting room at the the Berlin Office of Health and Social Affairs in Berlin
    Migrants queue to enter a tent that serves as a waiting room at the the Berlin Office of Health and Social Affairs (LAGESO), in Berlin, Germany, January 5, 2016. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

    January 18, 2016

    By Alastair Macdonald and Noah Barkin

    BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) – Is this how “Europe” ends?

    The Germans, founders and funders of the postwar union, shut their borders to refugees in a bid for political survival by the chancellor who let in a million migrants. And then — why not? — they decide to revive the Deutschmark while they’re at it.

    That is not the fantasy of diehard Eurosceptics but a real fear articulated at the highest levels in Berlin and Brussels.

    Chancellor Angela Merkel, her ratings hit by crimes blamed on asylum seekers at New Year parties in Cologne, and EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker both said as much last week.

    Juncker echoed Merkel in warning that the central economic achievements of the common market and the euro are at risk from incoherent, nationalistic reactions to migration and other crises. He renewed warnings that Europe is on its “last chance”, even if he still hoped it was not “at the beginning of the end”.

    Merkel, facing trouble among her conservative supporters as much as from opponents, called Europe “vulnerable” and the fate of the euro “directly linked” to resolving the migration crisis — highlighting the risk of at the very least serious economic turbulence if not a formal dismantling of EU institutions.

    http://www.oann.com/end-of-europe-berlin-brussels-shock-tactic-on-migrants/

  17. A world divided: Elites descend on Swiss Alps amid rising inequality

    File photo of the Swiss mountain resort of Davos
    The Swiss mountain resort of Davos is seen in this January 16, 2012 file photo. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/Files

    January 18, 2016

    By Ben Hirschler and Noah Barkin

    DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Politicians and business leaders gathering in the Swiss Alps this week face an increasingly divided world, with the poor falling further behind the super-rich and political fissures in the United States, Europe and the Middle East running deeper than at any time in decades.

    Just 62 people, 53 of them men, own as much wealth as the poorest half of the entire world population and the richest 1 percent own more than the other 99 percent put together, anti-poverty charity Oxfam said on Monday.

    Significantly, the wealth gap is widening faster than anyone anticipated, with the 1 percent overtaking the rest one year earlier than Oxfam had predicted only a year ago.

    Rising inequality and a widening trust gap between people and their political leaders are big challenges for the global elite as they converge on Davos for the annual World Economic Forum, which runs from Jan. 20 to 23.

    But the divisions go far beyond those that exist between the haves and have-nots. In the Middle East, the divide between Shi’ites and Sunnis has reached crisis point, with Iran and Saudi Arabia jostling openly for influence in a region reeling from war and the barbarism of Islamic extremists.

    The conflicts there have spilled over into Europe, causing deep ideological rifts over how to handle the worst refugee crisis since World War Two and – with Britain threatening to leave the European Union – raising doubts about the future of Europe’s six-decade push towards ever closer integration.

    http://www.oann.com/a-world-divided-elites-descend-on-swiss-alps-amid-rising-inequality/

    • The important thing is not that they “descended on Davos” , and not that there is inequality, the most important thing is what they will be talking about and what kind of decisions they will make. Because their decisions will concern everybody.
      But will we know of them, that’s the question.

  18. Islamic State offensive raises risk for Libya’s oil sector

    Fire rises from an oil tank in the port of Es Sider, in Ras Lanuf, Libya
    Fire rises from an oil tank in the port of Es Sider, in Ras Lanuf, Libya, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

    January 18, 2016

    By Aidan Lewis

    TUNIS (Reuters) – The attacks against Libya’s biggest oil terminals were lethal and sustained. The last two weeks have seen suicide bombings, huge fires at storage tanks, and a hole blown in a major pipeline.

    The oil ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf had been closed for more than a year, and the Islamic State militants advancing on them backed off after three days of shelling and clashes.

    But the escalation of violence in Libya’s coastal “oil crescent” has underscored the threat to an energy industry that, despite the political chaos plaguing the country, still provides vital income to the state.

    Oil is central to Libya’s livelihood and the power struggles following the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi often focused on the industry. The OPEC member’s exports plunged from 2013 as armed groups began shutting down production to press political demands.

    Last year, as two rival governments competed for power from Tripoli and the east, Islamic State gained a foothold in the city of Sirte and launched its first attacks against oil infrastructure.

    The group has not taken control of oil fields, as it has in Syria. But it has pushed along the coast from Sirte, consolidating its presence in towns including Ben Jawad, just 30 km (19 miles) west of Es Sider.

    “I think the danger is very grave, especially in Es Sider,” Mohamed al-Harari, a spokesman for the National Oil Corp (NOC) in Tripoli, told Reuters by telephone. “The area seems to be secure, but nobody can guarantee anything.”

    http://www.oann.com/islamic-state-offensive-raises-risk-for-libyas-oil-sector/

  19. Erdogan sues Turkey’s main opposition leader over dictator remark

    Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the audience during a meeting in Ankara
    Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the audience during a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, January 12, 2016. REUTERS/Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace Press Office/Handout via Reuters

    January 18, 2016

    ANKARA (Reuters) – Lawyers for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan filed a lawsuit against the main opposition leader on Monday for implying that Erdogan was a dictator, presidential sources and the opposition party said.

    Erdogan, Turkey’s most popular politician, is known for his intolerance of criticism and his readiness to take legal action over perceived slurs. Last week he urged prosecutors to investigate scores of academics for signing a declaration criticizing military action in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.

    “Academics who express their opinions have been detained one by one on instructions given by a so-called dictator,” Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said on Saturday, referring to the petition’s signatories, who oppose the military crackdown on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and have urged an end to curfews.

    “You may not agree with the content of the declaration. We also have issues with it, we also have our disagreements. But why limit freedom of speech?” Kilicdaroglu said in comments to his party’s congress in Ankara.

    A prosecutor from the Ankara prosecutors’ office also launched an investigation into Kilicdaroglu’s comments on charges of “openly insulting the president”, local media reports said. The prosecutor was not immediately available for comment.

    http://www.oann.com/erdogan-sues-turkeys-main-opposition-leader-over-dictator-remark/

  20. Russia’s Putin says to discuss Middle East/Syria with Emir of Qatar

    Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani in Moscow
    Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Kochetkov/Pool

    January 18, 2016

    MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would discuss the security situation in the Middle East and the Gulf in talks with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on Monday.

    “We hope … to seek solutions to, and settlement of the most complicated, problematic issues,” Putin said in remarks at the start of the two men’s meeting, clearly referring to regional conflicts including the war in Syria.

    http://www.oann.com/russias-putin-says-to-discuss-middle-eastsyria-with-emir-of-qatar/

    • I’m not crazy about the source of this article, but it’s pretty much the way I see it.
      About all those fine graduates of gold-plated ivy-league, this is worth considering:

      […]Professor Peter Kuznick of American University observed that students in the U.S. rank low on science and math scores, which makes the news, but the area in which their scores are actually lowest is history. He quizzed a class of top students on the Second World War and asked how many Americans died in the conflict. The response was 90,000, which is nearly 300,000 short of the true number. How many Russians? The answer was about 100,000, which is 27,900,000 short. Not knowing something about that number means not understanding what motivates Russia. Kuznick observed that roughly 3,000 Americans died on 9/11. To use the numbers of 9/11 as a basis for appreciating the impact of the Russian war deaths would require the U.S. to experience a 9/11 attack every day for the next 24 years.

      The Distortion of Russia
      http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/why-do-we-hate-russia/

  21. Greek president accuses Turkish port officials of helping people smugglers

    A refugee tries to stand up after falling into the sea as Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive on a raft on a beach on the Greek island of Lesbos
    A refugee tries to stand up after falling into the sea as Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive on a raft on a beach on the Greek island of Lesbos, January 1, 2016. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis

    January 18, 2016

    BERLIN (Reuters) – Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said Turkey was not doing enough to reduce the number of migrants arriving in Europe and accused Turkish port officials of helping people smugglers, drawing a denial from Ankara on Monday.

    Turkey reached a deal with EU officials late last year to keep more refugees inside its borders and stop them traveling onto Europe. Thousands fleeing civil war in Syria have made the perilous journey from Turkey, across the Aegean Sea to Ankara’s long-term regional rival Greece, many of them dying on the way.

    “I greatly fear that Turkish people smugglers are getting support from the authorities,” Pavlopoulos said in an interview with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung published on Monday.

    “In particular, the port authorities act as if they don’t notice anything. There are cases in which smugglers have supposedly been helped. We have evidence for this,” he said.

    A senior Turkish official strongly denied the allegations, saying Ankara was determinedly fighting irregular migration.

    “Allegations that Turkish authorities have closed their eyes to human trafficking and helped smugglers are baseless and slander,” the official told Reuters.

    http://www.oann.com/greek-president-accuses-turkish-port-officials-of-helping-people-smugglers/

  22. Why America needs to get ready for a ‘100-year war’ with radical Islam
    By LU Staff on January 17, 2016 at 10:30 am

    42 Share Tweet Pin

    The war against radical Islamic terrorism could go on much longer than anyone is expecting, and the enemy may not give the U.S. any choice but to fight it.
    Credit: Reuters/Suhaib Salem

    Credit: Reuters/Suhaib Salem

    Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was quite sober in his address Wednesday on the subject of the politics of dealing with radical Islam. Speaking to a room of people packed to the brim on Capitol Hill, Gingrich outlined in a clear and concise manner his belief that combating the terrorist forces within radical Islam will take as many as 100 years. He noted that the choice to go to war had already been made by the enemy, and the U.S. will eventually have no choice but to respond in a massive way.

    Though he certainly had ample criticism for President Barack Obama’s current strategies for countering terrorism, calling the President “delusional,” he was willing to deflect blame for the current situation in multiple directions. “You have to look seriously at why did we fail in Iraq … in Afghanistan.” Gingrich believes that the commission set up to investigate the attacks on September 11, 2001, failed. So too did both Bush and Clinton, and especially Paul Bremer, Bush’s envoy to Iraq after the initial 2003 invasion.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/01/17/why-america-needs-to-get-ready-for-a-100-year-war-with-radical-islam/

  23. In liberals’ fevered imaginations, there’s a white Christian terrorist under every bed
    By Benny Huang on January 17, 2016 at 9:17 am

    49 Share Tweet Pin

    If you got your degree from the University of California, you might want to demand a refund. A newly surfaced video, recorded in October, shows Professor Ross Avilla of UC-Merced teaching his class that 90% of terrorism in this country is carried out by “white Caucasian men.” I think he meant to say “white Christian men,” though it’s possible the professor doesn’t understand redundancy.
    Ross Avilla

    Ross Avilla

    Avilla was trying to demonstrate to his class that people use mental shortcuts when thinking about complex issues such as terrorism. Implied in his statement, of course, is the idea that most Americans’ mental shortcuts amount to blaming religious and racial minorities for what is really, according to Avilla’s made up statistic, a problem confined almost entirely to white men. This nonsense is gospel in left-wing circles.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/01/17/liberals-fevered-imaginations-theres-white-christian-terrorist-every-bed/

    • The ordinary people always find ways to get around the laws corrupt governments impose which leads to chaos and eventually civil war. In this case this is another move by the people in a counter revolution to save freedom in the world.

  24. Morocco arrests Belgian man linked to Paris attackers

    RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Moroccan police have arrested a Belgian man of Moroccan descent linked to the Islamic State group and who had a “direct relationship” to attackers who carried out the Paris attacks just over two months ago, the Interior Ministry said Monday.

    The man had spent time in Syria getting military training and building relationships with IS field commanders, “including the mastermind” of the Paris attacks, and others who threatened attacks in France and Belgium, the ministry said in a statement.

    The statement identified the suspect only by the initials J.A., and didn’t explain his suspected relationship to the Paris attackers. Several of the Islamic extremists who targeted a Paris rock concert, stadium and cafes had Moroccan origins and links to Belgium. The attacks on Nov. 13 killed 130 people.

    The ministry said in a statement that the man was arrested Friday in the town of Mohammedia near Casablanca, after traveling through Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. It said the suspect is under investigation.

    Belgian prosecutors didn’t immediately comment on the arrest.

    At least one of the Paris attackers remains at large.

    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/359af9d3ab7a4555acff49faa58fd93b/morocco-arrests-belgian-man-linked-paris-attackers

  25. Cologne attacks: first arrest over New Year’s Eve sex assaults

    Algerian asylum seeker, 26, becomes first person to be held on sexual offence-related charges, after string of assaults on women during new year celebrations

    Authorities in Germany have arrested a 26-year-old Algerian man on suspicion of committing a sexual assault in Cologne during New Year’s Eve celebrations.

    Prosecutors in the city said the unidentified asylum seeker was arrested at a refugee home in the nearby town of Kerpen over the weekend.

    He is the first person to be held on sexual offence-related charges, after a string of assaults in Cologne that triggered a debate about integration in Germany.

    A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, Ulrich Bremer, said 497 women had alleged sexual assault, including three rapes.

    The suspect in custody is accused of groping a woman and stealing her mobile phone.

    Twenty-one people have been charged with non-sexual offences.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/18/cologne-attacks-algerian-asylum-seeker-arrested-new-years-eve-assaults

  26. Right-wing marchers brutally beaten after WW2 memorial

    A group of ten far right demonstrators were brutally attacked on their way back from a protest on Saturday, with one rushed to hospital for a life-saving operation.

    As they exited the train in Oschersleben a group of around two dozen people who police believe were from the far-left scene attacked them. The assailants were masked and carried baseball bats and metal poles.

    http://www.thelocal.de/20160118/right-wing-demonstrators-brutally-beaten-by-left-wing-gang

  27. David Cameron says BBC use of ‘Islamic State’ causes Muslims ‘despair’

    http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2016/01/18/78957190/

    David Cameron criticises BBC for use of ‘Islamic State’

    Prime minister, who only started using term Daesh for terrorist group last month, chides Radio 4 presenter

    David Cameron has criticised the BBC again for using the term “Islamic State”, saying Muslim people would be holding their heads in despair.

    The prime minister made the comments when he was asked about Islamic State by presenter Sarah Montague during an interview on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Monday.

    “I think Muslim families around the country would have held their heads in despair this morning when once again you just called it Islamic State. You didn’t even say ‘so-called Islamic State’. It’s so important,” he said.

    When Montague said he should take it up with those who set BBC editorial guidelines, he said: “I will.”

    The prime minister only started using the term Daesh on 2 December, having previously talked about Isil (an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). It was a victory for MPs who had frequently pressed him to change his usage, including Angus Robertson, the Scottish National party’s Westminster leader.

    Cameron criticised the BBC last year for its use of Islamic State.

    “It is a perversion of the religion of Islam and many Muslims listening to this programme will recoil every time they hear the words Islamic State,” he said in June. “I wish the BBC would stop calling it Islamic State because it’s not an Islamic State; what it is is an appalling, barbarous regime.”

    A cross-party group of MPs, including the London mayor, Boris Johnson, the Labour chair of the home affairs select committee, Keith Vaz, and the former SNP leader Alex Salmond, urged the BBC and other broadcasters to use the name Daesh for the group.

    The BBC rejected the call, but frequently prefixes references to the terrorist group with the words “so-called”.

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/18/david-cameron-criticises-bbc-for-use-of-islamic-state

    • The Telegraph – David Cameron pledges to confront BBC executives about use of ‘Islamic State’ name during on-air clash

      Prime Minister reprimands BBC live on air for using term and says Muslims across the country will be holding their heads in ‘despair’

      David Cameron has promised to confront BBC executives over the Corporation’s use of “Islamic State” as the name for the terrorist group rather than Daesh after a heated on-air clash with a leading presenter.

      The Prime Minister said Muslims across Britain would be holding their heads “in despair” after hearing the term used on BBC Radio Four’s Today programme.

      The name has caused anger because it is seen by some as legitimising Isil’s attempts to create an Islamist caliphate across the Middle East.

      Number 10 prefers the use of Daesh, which comes from the Arabic phrase “al Dawlah al-Islameyah fi Iraq wal-Sham”.

      It is believed to be seen as mocking by the jihadists as it sounds similar to the word “Daas”, which means to trample or crush something underfoot.

      Despite criticism from Conservatives, BBC news broadcasts often refer to the jihadists as “so-called Islamic State”.

      During an interview with Sarah Montague on the Today programme, Mr Cameron criticised the use of the phrase during a grilling on his policies for tackling extremism in Britain.

      He said: “Can I say again I think Muslim families around the country would have held their heads in despair this morning when once again you just called it Islamic State, you didn’t even say so-called Islamic State. It’s so important this.”

      Ms Montague replied: “You can take that up with the upper echelons of the BBC.”

      Mr Cameron said: “Well I will. It is one of the things that the women [who talked during research] mentioned.”

      In December, Mr Cameron said he would start referring to the group as Daesh rather than Islamic State or Isil after encouragement from other countries.

      He said: “I feel that it is time to join our key ally, France, the Arab League, and other members of the international community in using, as frequently as possible, the terminology ‘Daesh’ rather than Isil.

      “This evil death cult is neither a true representation of Islam nor a state.”

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/12105082/David-Cameron-pledges-to-confront-BBC-executives-about-use-of-Islamic-State-name-during-on-air-clash.html

  28. UK -Police investigation launched after bacon butties thrown at mosque

    POLICE are hunting apparent anti-Islamists who left bacon outside one of Britain’s biggest mosques and abused elderly worshippers.

    An unidentified group gathered outside the Bristol Jamia Mosque, the largest in south west England.

    Bacon sandwiches were thrown at the mosque’s doors and another report claimed bacon was hung outside the mosque.

    Locals tried to intervene and police were called to the scene in Totterdown, Bristol after the incident at around 12.50pm on Sunday.

    This morning, sympathy cards and flowers have been left outside the main entrance.

    Rabia Zaheer, who witnessed the attack, said: “Pig meat was hung outside at prayer time and they hung their flag up.

    “The worst thing is they decided to hang around and hurl abuse at the elderly men trying to pray.

    “The locals did try to intervene and shout the scum down. Police are involved and the CCTV is being checked.

    “Typical – they attack on a day when it’s mostly elderly men at the mosque and no young ones.

    “I’ve lived here all my life and nothing like this has ever happened before.”

    Local community leaders denounced the “cowardly” attack.

    Abdul Raoof Malik, chair of Easton Jamia Mosque and a member of the Council of Bristol Mosques, said he was “very saddened” to hear of the incident.

    “This type of incident is very rare in our wonderful city and we do not feel that this is anything more than a group of opportunists who found a spot to take a photo which indeed reflects their character and offensive cause.

    “This is an isolated incident and we hope the local neighbourhood will help the police in their enquires, which I’m sure are happening right now.

    “We are proud of the unity in our great city and we will not let a few individuals fuel any hatred towards us or allow any individual or group break the bridges it has taken years to make between us.”

    Bristol mayor George Ferguson wrote on Twitter: “I’m disgusted by cowardly attack on members of Jamia #Mosque today and stand with you to show #Bristol does not tolerate such vile behaviour.”

    Police Chief Inspector Kevan Rowlands said: “Behaviour of this kind is totally unacceptable.

    “Our communities have the right to live and worship peacefully without fear of being targeted for their race or religion.

    “We take all hate crime incidents extremely seriously and we are working closely with the mosque to ensure the offenders are held to account for their abhorrent actions.”

    Bristol Jamia Mosque, which can accommodate 840 worshippers, was the first to be opened in the city in 1968.

    Police said two men and one woman were involved in the incident, which they are treating as hate crime.

    A 34 year-old man was arrested and remains in custody.

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/635697/police-hunt-racists-bacon-outside-mosque-abused-worshippers

    DAILY MAIL – Racists who threw bacon sandwiches at one of Britain’s biggest mosques and abused elderly Muslims are hunted by police

    Gang threw sandwiches at the Bristol Jamia Mosque during prayer time
    They also hurled abuse at elderly worshippers who had gathered to pray
    Police said two men and a woman were involved in the ‘hate crime’
    A man has been arrested and was being held in police custody today

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3404777/Racists-threw-bacon-sandwiches-one-Britain-s-biggest-mosques-abused-elderly-Muslims-hunted-police.html

  29. Swiss Muslim group denies wrongdoing over jihadist documentary

    An executive at a Swiss Muslim organization said on Monday that a documentary he had made about jihadists in Syria was intended to shed a harsh light on their activities rather than glorify them as prosecutors have alleged.

    A criminal investigation against Naim Cherni, head of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland’s (ICCS) multimedia department, was launched with the country on high alert after the Islamist State attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 which killed 130 people.

    Speaking at a news conference in Berne, Cherni said his film was “an important contribution in the fight against Islamic State”, the SDA news agency reported.

    He described the criminal investigation against him, announced by federal prosecutors on Saturday, as “rather weak and politically motivated”, SDA said.

    ICCS President Nicolas Blancho accused prosecutors of overreacting and playing into the hands of extremists by launching a frontal attack on what he called mainstream Muslims.

    The Swiss criminal investigation has accused Cherni of violating a ban on jihadist groups.

    Cherni, from Berne but with a German passport, is accused of traveling to Syria in October and interviewing the leader of a jihadist umbrella group as well as the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, which is affiliated with al Qaeda.

    He subsequently released a roughly 40-minute video, in Arabic with German subtitles, documenting their exchange.

    Prosecutors allege he presented his journey to embattled regions of Syria for propaganda purposes without having explicitly distanced himself from al Qaeda activities in Syria.

    ICCS has around 3,500 members, or around 1 percent of the Muslims living in Switzerland, SDA reported.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-swiss-investigation-islamic-council-idUSKBN0U41IC20151221

    The 40 min documentary ( with Eng subs ) :

    • Swiss justice ordered the documentary to be removed from youtube
      ========================================

      Le film documentaire controversé du CCIS toujours sur Youtube

      Un film documentaire controversé du Conseil central islamique suisse (CCIS) est toujours visible sur Youtube. Le Ministère public de la Confédération avait pourtant enjoint le site de le retirer. Le film est simplement assorti d’une limite d’âge de visionnement.

      L’ordre de retirer le film se base sur une procédure pénale ouverte le 9 décembre par le Ministère public de la Confédération (MPC) contre Naim Cherni. La justice lui reproche d’avoir tourné un film de propagande terroriste lors d’un voyage dans les zones de combat en Syrie.

      Naim Cherni, un jeune Allemand domicilié à Berne, s’était rendu sur place en octobre. Il a tourné un film et une interview du chef djihadiste Abdallah al-Muhaysini. Selon lui, il ne s’agit pas d’un film de propagande, mais d’un documentaire, avait-il souligné devant les médias après l’ouverture de la procédure.

      http://www.romandie.com/news/Le-film-documentaire-controverse-du-CCIS-toujours-sur-Youtube_RP/667892.rom

      video – – 38 min Interview – with Dr. Abd Allah al-Muhaysini – «The Islamic State and I»

      This exclusive interview has been recorded by Naim Cherni, the Swiss Islamic Central Council’s person in charge of cultural productions & film back in October 2015 in western Syria. Dr. al-Muhaysini is considered to be a very significant bridge-builder between the various rebel groups in western Syria. According to his own statement, he doesn’t ally himself with a specific rebel group nor does he serve any particular interests. His overall commitment is focused on bringing rebels together in order to gather momentum against the army of Bashar al-Asad. Some have called him the spiritual leader of the latest Islamic rebel coalition “Jaysh al-Fath”.

      He has been one of the first high profile rebels in Syria to speak out against the Islamic State’s theological extremism. Instead of plunging into a partisan rhetoric he tried hard to bring them back on track long before western media took notice of the group. During this interview al-Muhaysini recalls how he roamed around in 2013, trying to persuade ISIS leaders to submit to a unity court in order to prevent blood shed amongst the rebel factions. Failing to change their extreme approach, he couldn’t but speak out clearly, warning the Muslim youth not to get caught in their trap. Al-Muhaysini doesn’t work for the sake of western nor any other intelligence services. His efforts are based on inner convictions, which he gained during his direct contacts with ISIS. Therefore this is an authentic witness. It may be worth to pay attention to what he has to say.

  30. 3 men arrested in Hartford “City Gas” investigation

    HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Hartford police have arrested three men after executing search warrants at two “City Gas” stations.

    Hartford police say they have arrested three men, 50-year-old Shiraj Mohammed
    /strong> of Newington, 33-year-old
    Ahmed Mustak of Hartford, and 51-year-old Mohammed Shaheen of New Britain.

    On Wednesday, Hartford police officers executed two search and seizure/ arrest warrants at two “City Gas” stations. Police say the Hartford PD Vice and Narcotics detectives had two search warrants for intellectual property violations, and the State of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services had several arrest warrants for individuals associated with the businesses.

    While police executed the warrants, they found and seized 663 counterfeit knit winter hats. They also found 37 synthetic marijuana packs and 1022 grams of bath salts, which were hidden in the ceiling tiles. A large amount of untaxed cigarettes and $28,187 was also seized.

    All three men have been charged with counterfeit stamps/ labels, possession of hallucinogenic, and possession with intent to sell.

    Police say the business was closed down and locked after the operation, but after they left, it was burglarized by forced entry. Police are now investigating the burglary.

    http://wtnh.com/2016/01/13/3-men-arrested-in-hartford-city-gas-investigation/

  31. The Democratic Party’s Choice: Lenin or Nurse Ratched

    Two haggard old Democrats took to the stage at a debate hosted by Google, NBC and the non-convicted members of the Congressional Black Caucus to argue over whether America should be run by Vladimir Lenin or Nurse Ratched.

    If looks could kill, the glazed hatred in the eyes of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders would have slain more Democrats than heroin and cocaine. Hillary Clinton’s impossibly immobile yellow helmet of hair and impossibly immobile thin-lipped red smile framed two dead eyes filled with an implacable hatred for all human life on earth and especially in South Carolina. Bernie Sanders ranted at the camera, lips wet with saliva, hair wild, eyes unhinged behind dirty bifocals, spotlights glinting off his polished skull.

    There were more three-point plans and comprehensive plans and the “most comprehensive plans” on stage at any one time since the fall of the USSR. Everyone had the most comprehensive plan for everything which was endorsed by all the experts which couldn’t possibly fail. Just like all their failed plans before which also couldn’t possibly fail, but somehow had.

    Hillary Clinton offered an awkward opening statement comparing herself to Martin Luther King. Bernie Sanders delivered the same rambling soundbite about the 1 percent and a rigged economy that is his only platform. A rigged economy however is just another way of describing Socialism.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/261506/democratic-partys-choice-lenin-or-nurse-ratched-daniel-greenfield

  32. Welcome to the Banana Republic
    With a wave of his wand, Obama defies the law.

    In case you were just enjoying the weekend with your family and not listening to the news, the world changed over the past 48 hours.

    The United States has now officially become a Banana Republic.

    In sweeping moves that gave the lie to repeated assertions by Secretary of State John Kerry that there would be no “comprehensive” deal with Iran, the United States on Saturday gave Iran a clean bill of nuclear health, lifted sanctions on more than 400 Iranian government entities and individuals, and swapped U.S. citizens held hostage by Iran for Iranian nationals convicted of violating U.S. export control laws.

    There was so much news over the weekend that the media has had a hard time keeping up. But not your government, which has been beavering away so they could trade away our sovereignty, our legal system, and our national security interests at the stroke of a pen.

    The Treasury Department has been working for months to draft a package of implementing regulations for Obama’s ill-conceived nuclear deal. The thicket of U.S. sanctions on Iran has become so dense over the years that Treasury had to post a separate web page with a guide to sanctions relief, which was split among eight separate statements.

    • JCPOA-related Designation Removals, JCPOA Designation Updates, Foreign Sanctions Evaders Removals, NS-ISA List Removals; 13599 List Changes
      1/16/2016
      OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL
      Sanctions List Updates:

      The following deletions have been made to OFAC’s SDN List:

      BANK MARKAZI JOMHOURI ISLAMI IRAN (a.k.a. BANK MARKAZI IRAN; a.k.a. CENTRAL BANK OF IRAN; a.k.a. CENTRAL BANK OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN), PO Box 15875/7177, 144 Mirdamad Blvd, Tehran, Iran; 213 Ferdowsi Avenue, Tehran 11365, Iran; Additional Sanctions Information – Not on the SDN List and Not Subject to Secondary Sanctions; U.S. Persons Must Continue to Block the Property and Interests in Property of this Person Pursuant to Executive Order 13599; For more information, please see: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/jcpoa_faqs.pdf [IRAN].

      CENTRAL BANK OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN (a.k.a. BANK MARKAZI IRAN; a.k.a. BANK MARKAZI JOMHOURI ISLAMI IRAN; a.k.a. CENTRAL BANK OF IRAN), PO Box 15875/7177, 144 Mirdamad Blvd, Tehran, Iran; 213 Ferdowsi Avenue, Tehran 11365, Iran; Additional Sanctions Information – Not on the SDN List and Not Subject to Secondary Sanctions; U.S. Persons Must Continue to Block the Property and Interests in Property of this Person Pursuant to Executive Order 13599; For more information, please see: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/jcpoa_faqs.pdf [IRAN].

      https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/updated_names.aspx

  33. 2nd Benghazi Almost Happened Again Last Month

    The aftermath of the illegal Obama/Hillary war in Libya has been a complete and utter disaster.

    ISIS controls entire cities. Al Qaeda has its own major presence on the ground. And Obama’s attempts to continue operating there using special forces almost led to another Benghazi.

    The American Special Operations forces expected a warm welcome when they landed at the Libyan air base where an allied militia was stationed. Instead, armed men from another militia at the base threatened to detain the commandos, forcing the Americans to evacuate.

    The episode, on Dec. 14, highlighted the difficulties faced by the Obama administration as it engages in a search across Libya to find armed groups that can act as a ground force against the country’s increasingly potent branch of the Islamic State… The search carries particular risks for the Obama administration, which once relied on local militias to help protect the American diplomatic compound in the northeastern city of Benghazi. They failed to provide protection when the compound was overrun by militants in September 2012, an attack that led to the deaths of the United States ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans.

    They not only “failed” to provide protection, they appeared to have worked with the attackers. Which isn’t surprising as the local militias involved were all part of the Libyan intersection between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/261516/2nd-benghazi-almost-happened-again-last-month-daniel-greenfield

  34. Is Pope Francis Alienating Devout Catholics?

    It’s an interesting question.

    Certainly his media presence is very high and he’s popular in general, but there are some figures that suggest he might not be that popular with actual practicing Catholics.

    New figures published by the Vatican show that the 79-year-old Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who won election to the papacy in 2013 and rode a groundswell of public support for what were seen as relatively modern views, is drawing smaller crowds and possibly alienating the base of traditional Catholics.

    In 2015, more than 3.2 million pilgrims visited and attended papal events, liturgies or prayer services at the Holy See, the Vatican said at the end of December. That was a sharp drop from the 5.9 million visitors received by Pope Francis in 2014. And it was less than half of the 6.6 million pilgrims who visited the Vatican during the first nine-and-a-half months of his pontificate in 2013.

    Liberal religious leaders often have a media presence that overlooks the fact that they’re not drawing in committed parishioners. They’re always on television, they have book deals and general approval, but people aren’t sticking around. That may be what we’re seeing here.

  35. Obama’s Most Covert War
    The administration believes it is at war with Israel — not a shooting war, but a political war.
    January 18, 2016
    Caroline Glick

    Over the past several weeks, we have learned that the Obama administration believes it is at war with Israel. The war is not a shooting war, but a political war. Its goal is to bring the government to its knees to the point where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses power or begs Obama and his advisers to shepherd Israel through a “peace process” in which Israel will renounce its rights to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.

    One component of this war is espionage. Last month The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is a top target for American espionage.

    The other component of the administration’s war against Israel is political subversion. Over the past week, the administration has campaigned against the NGO bill sponsored by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. If the bill, which was approved by the government, becomes law, it will require political NGOs that are principally financed by foreign governments to identify as foreign agents in their official communications and interactions.

    Last week, State Department spokesman James Kirby lambasted the bill at an official briefing. Among other things, Kirby rejected Shaked’s claim that her bill is less restrictive than the US’s own Foreign Agents Registration Act. Kirby offered no substantiation of his claim.

    Earlier this week, US Ambassador Dan Shapiro met with Shaked. Following their meeting, the US Embassy published two statements attacking the NGO law. In one of them, the embassy sought to substantiate Kirby’s claim regarding FARA. By the embassy’s telling, FARA relates only to agents whose action are directly guided by foreign governments, while Shaked’s NGO bill relates to entities that receive financing from foreign governments whether or not their actions are directed by the government financiers.

  36. Obama’s ‘Novel’ Approach to Reporting on the State of the Union
    Facts are, indeed, stubborn things.
    January 18, 2016
    Michael Cutler

    On January 13, 2015 President Obama delivered his last State of the Union Address. His assessment of the state of the union was nothing less than astonishing.

    As I listening, incredulously, to his address laden with fabrications, boasts and accusations, I found myself thinking back to my days as an INS agent (when I would question individuals who were suspected of committing crimes and being frustrated that they not only lied but that they would often dodge and weave to avoid directly answering my questions).

    I recalled interrogating criminals who seemed delusional, providing supposed justification for committing crimes that ignored the facts or reality or reasonableness. They lived in a parallel universe.

    One of my fellow agents- with whom I worked regularly for many years, would listen to such an individual we were questioning, turn to me as say, “I wonder what the color of the sky is in this guy’s world- because it sure as hell isn’t blue!”

    On Tuesday night, I found myself wondering at the color of the sky in Mr. Obama’s world.

  37. Hijab in the US Navy
    What the Iranians put on the head of the one female among the captured sailors says it all.

    As I look at the photos of the American sailors captured by Iran, many things about the entire incident vie for my attention.

    The shameful postures of surrender that the Iranians demanded of our innocent sailors–is, in and of itself, unacceptably shameful. There they are, on their knees, with their hands clasped on or behind their heads.

    The fact that the Iranians brazenly violated the Geneva Convention which requires Iran to protect prisoners against “insults and public curiosity” is criminal–although again, not surprising, as is their seizure of the American boats’ GPS equipment.

    Iran’s demand–what else could it be?–that at least one American sailor “apologize” on video for their “mistake” and thank their Iranian captors for their great hospitality–is disgusting but so useful for the Iranian propaganda mill. It bears no relation to the truth of the matter.

    The fact that President Obama failed to mention that his sailors were in captivity even as he addressed the nation in his last State of the Union speech–is beyond shameful but alas, is merely more of the same.

  38. The GPS equipment they grabbed is programmed to be more accurate then the civilian models, they can now reverse engineer it and use it as a pin point guidence system for cruise missiles.

    Yes I know it isn’t that easy but reverse engineering programming is a lot easier then building reactors and nuclear weapons.

  39. Minimum Wage Madness
    How the Left hurts those they claim to help.

    Michael Hiltzik, a columnist and Los Angeles Times reporter, wrote an article titled “Does a minimum wage raise hurt workers? Economists say: We don’t know.” Uncertain was his conclusion from a poll conducted by the Initiative on Global Markets, at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, of 42 nationally ranked economists on the question of whether raising the federal minimum wage to $15 over the next five years would reduce employment opportunities for low-wage workers.

    The Senate Budget Committee’s blog says, “Top Economists Are Backing Sen. Bernie Sanders on Establishing a $15 an Hour Minimum Wage.” It lists the names of 210 economists who call for increasing the federal minimum wage. The petition starts off, “We, the undersigned professional economists, favor an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour as of 2020.” The petition ends with this: “In short, raising the federal minimum to $15 an hour by 2020 will be an effective means of improving living standards for low-wage workers and their families and will help stabilize the economy. The costs to other groups in society will be modest and readily absorbed.”

    The people who are harmed by an increase in the minimum wage are low-skilled workers. Try this question to economists who argue against the unemployment effect of raising the minimum wage: Is it likely that an employer would find it in his interests to pay a worker $15 an hour when that worker has skills that enable him to produce only $5 worth of value an hour to the employer’s output? Unlike my fellow economists who might argue to the contrary, I would say that most employers would view hiring such a worker as a losing economic proposition, but they might hire him at $5 an hour. Thus, one effect of the minimum wage law is that of discrimination against the employment of low-skilled workers.

    In our society, the least skilled people are youths, who lack the skills, maturity and experience of adults.

    • As you read this article remember the left wants all of us to be dependent on the government, partially so we will vote to keep them in power to increase the welfare we receive and partially because they want the ability to force us to live the way they want and not the way we want.