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This is pretty terrible:
Palestinian girl tries to stab guard in West Bank, is killed
Initial probe shows that 13-year-old fought with her parents before running away, declaring that she wanted to die
http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-killed-as-she-tries-to-stab-border-cop-in-west-bank/
Question I looked I couldn’t find. During any war throughout history there where always updates of how the war was going.
How is the “war” against ISIS going? Is territorial area growing or shrinking?
Are they still able to recruit more or less then before?
Thank you
Well in Iraq and Syria ISIS is losing ground, and the majority of that is caused by the damage done by Russian air strikes in Syria and a more competent Iraqi army effort with coalition air support.
ISIS set up fortified areas to hold terrain while it sent its main fighters to Europe to attack there 2016 to 2020 their view is not to worry about losing terrain in their existing holdings, the prize is Europe, its weak and they think they can take it. But they never expected to lose as much as they have at this point, the Russians were a game changer they bombed real targets not like the Coalition. Also you had Shi’ite forces on the ground too.
ISIS are setting up a secondary base in Libya, but in affect their main recruitment is from Europe and they are a lot more focussed on that effort at this point, if you sit back any analyse their recent actions in Europe, you will see that their intent is to galvanise the delinquent Muslims and the devout Muslims to start doing stuff and making the currently non-violent but Sharia supporting Muslims think that they are under threat, Iraq and Syria are just holding actions at this point.
The prize is Europe, that is their target now, they want our hare brained politicians to send troops to the Middle East, thankfully it seems even our brain dead leaders have not fallen for that one.
Libya is next. Big time.
US, et al. and Russia have to get serious. Maybe a marine assault that’ll feel like 1952 Korea.
It’s impossible to stop the invasion of Europe unless the Mediterranean coast is controlled. Otherwise millions of Sub-Saharan Africans will find their way to Calais and Mother Merkel.
Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco are cooked if we don’t wipe IS out of Libya. Did you see those Tunisia riots? Too precarious – North Africans make up about 50% of IS now. Not much time to waste.
For this to occur we need a President and Congress that will do a mass emergency rebuild of the military and a set of ROEs that are free fire in the invasion and occupation areas.
First you win the war, then you win their hearts and minds.
It won’t wait.
We’ll be distracted by the European Front and oil-rich Libya with all those North African emirs, experience and state of the art weaponry will make Syria look like a playpen.
Wreckage found in Thailand unlikely to come from missing Malaysian jet
January 24, 2016
By Orathai Sriring
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A piece of suspected plane wreckage found off the east coast of southern Thailand on Saturday was unlikely to belong to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which vanished nearly two years ago, said aviation experts and Thai officials.
A large piece of curved metal washed ashore in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Tanyapat Patthikongpan, head of Pak Phanang district, told Reuters. Villagers reported it to authorities for identification, he said.
“Villagers found the wreckage, measuring about 2 meters wide and 3 meters long
(6.6 by 9.8 feet),” he said.
The find fueled speculation in the Thai media that the debris could belong to MH370, which disappeared with 239 people on board during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. A piece of the plane washed up on the French island of Reunion in July 2015 but no further trace has been found.
Experts said that while powerful currents sweeping the Indian Ocean could deposit debris thousands of kilometers away, wreckage was extremely unlikely to have drifted across the equator into the northern hemisphere.
The location of the debris in Thailand “would appear to be inconsistent with the drift models that appeared when MH370’s flaperon was discovered in Reunion last July,” said Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor at Flightglobal, an industry publication.
“The markings, engineering, and tooling apparent in this debris strongly suggest that it is aerospace related,” said Waldron. “It will need to be carefully examined, however, to determine it’s exact origin.”
http://www.oann.com/plane-wreckage-found-in-thailand-fuels-talk-of-missing-malaysian-jet/
Document: Iran held Robert Levinson in 2011, wanted U.S. to delay IAEA report for his release
By J.E. Dyer January 23, 2016
According to negotiators who tried to get former FBI investigator Robert Levinson released by Iran in 2011, the Iranians acknowledged he was in the country in October of that year.
The New York Times reported this on Friday, 22 January. The information contradicts Iran’s subsequent public claims that the regime doesn’t know where Levinson is, but fears he may have been abducted by a criminal group or tribal militia.
Levinson’s whereabouts came up during the recent prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iran, concluded just as Obama lifted sanctions on Iran in response to the IAEA sign-off on Iran’s initial compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the so-called nuclear “deal.”
Levinson went missing while conducting investigative work on Iran’s Kish Island in March 2007. Iran has claimed for years to not know where he is, and made the same claim when the U.S. was negotiating last week’s release of four other Americans held prisoner by Iran. NYT noted this in the article on Friday:
http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/01/23/document-iran-held-robert-levinson-in-2011-wanted-u-s-to-delay-iaea-report-for-his-release/
Reminder: Obama DOJ is hedging its bets by not working with the FBI on Hillary investigation
By J.E. Dyer January 23, 2016
If you’re like most people, your mental concept of the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s Emailgate has probably involved a hazy idea that standard things are being done. I know that’s been the image in my head — to the extent I’ve given it any thought.
The story line goes: Department of Justice has the FBI investigate something, with the idea that a grand jury may be convened and an indictment may be sought. A federal prosecutor is at the helm. His or her office would at some point be talking to us, explaining decisions about charges and prosecution.
That’s the normal way of things. It’s how our system works. But it hadn’t really registered with me that we have not heard from a federal prosecutor.
Andrew McCarthy has a must-read piece at NRO today, pointing this out. His fine-tuned prosecutor’s radar keyed on this point from the wording of a recent New York Times article on the investigation of Hillary’s rogue email server. The article was, as he puts it, unusually careful to stress the following:
Yet, in reporting the story, the Times’ Mark Mazzetti took pains to stress: “The government has said that Mrs. Clinton is not a subject of the investigation.”
McCarthy recognizes that it seems kind of crazy to anyone with common sense, to stress that Hillary Clinton is not a subject of an investigation that’s all about something she did.
But that’s the clue that there’s no standard DOJ process going on. In a formal sense — a prosecutor’s sense — there can only be a “subject” if there’s a judicial process being pursued. And there isn’t one.
http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/01/23/reminder-dojs-not-working-with-the-fbi-on-hillary-investigation/
Why the Justice department won’t cooperate with the FBI
Another day, another double-take reading the New York Times. The latest shoe in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s scandalous mishandling of classified information dropped heavily this week. It had already been reported that, contrary to her denials, hundreds of secret intelligence communications were transmitted over the private, unsecured e-mail system on which the former secretary of state recklessly conducted government business. It is now clear that some of these contained “top secret/SAP” information. (SAP is “special access programs.”) This indicates defense secrets of the highest order, the compromise of which can destroy vital intelligence programs, get covert agents killed, and imperil national security. Yet, in reporting the story, the Times’ Mark Mazzetti took pains to stress: “The government has said that Mrs. Clinton is not a subject of the investigation.” Really? Well, to put it in Clintonian terms: It all depends on what the definition of “subject” is.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/430211/hillary-clinton-email-fbi-department-justice-obama
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/430211/hillary-clinton-email-fbi-department-justice-obama
Two Men Jailed After ‘Despicable’ Sex Attack On Birmingham Woman With Learning Difficulties
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/24/two-men-jailed-after-despicable-sex-attack-in-birmingham/
Wives With Benefits: Immigrants With More Than One Spouse Win EXTRA Payments Under New Reforms
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/24/wives-with-benefits-uk-immigrants-with-more-than-one-spouse-get-extra-payments-under-new-reforms/
Muslim School Praised by Ofsted Excludes Pupil for Talking to Opposite Gender
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/24/2848105/
My brutal attack by knife gang in The Jungle… egged on by BRITISH anarchists: Camerawoman who filmed Calais migrants mugging her colleague before they turned on her relives her horrifying ordeal
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3413881/My-brutal-attack-knife-gang-Jungle-egged-BRITISH-anarchists-Camerawoman-filmed-Calais-migrants-mugging-colleague-turned-her.html#ixzz3yAzUu5gR
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
KashmirObserver: Morocco conference to focus on non-Muslim rights January 23, 2016, 07:38 PM
Morocco is to host a first conference in Islamic history championing the rights of religious minorities living within Muslim-majority territories.
The World Conference on Religious Minorities is scheduled to take place in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, from January 25 to 27, according to the Morocco World News website.
The event is expected to attract around 300 Muslim personalities from Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and the host country itself; religious authorities from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, and other non-Muslim religious communities will also be present.
Iranian Shia cleric and scholar Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad will be participating at the conference.
The conference aims to release its first declaration, laying emphasis on the rights of non-Muslims inside Muslim lands since the Constitution of Medina.
Also known as the Charter of Medina, the document was drafted by the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) in 622 CE and is hailed as the world’s first written constitution as well as the first Muslim constitution.
The charter stipulates that non-Muslim members of the community should be entitled to the same political and cultural rights as those of Muslims.
“The Prophet was religiously persecuted, so he knew first-hand what it was to experience religious persecution,” Sheikh Hamza Yousuf, the co-founder of Zaytuna College, the first Muslim liberal arts college in the United States, who is to attend the conference, was quoted by The Washington Post as saying.
The conference wants to counter “the idea that Muslims and non-Muslims can’t live together,” he added. “This is not who we are or who we want to be.”
The Moroccan Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs will host the conference together with the UAE-based think tank Forum for the Promotion of Peace in Muslim societies.
Two British women soldiers fighting ISIS alongside the SAS in Iraq shoot their way out of jihadi ambush
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3414203/Two-British-women-soldiers-fighting-ISIS-alongside-SAS-Iraq-shoot-way-jihadi-ambush.html#ixzz3yB0SWURf
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Age SIX and groomed for jihad in British suburbia: Shocking image of UK extremism, taken by little boy’s Muslim convert father
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3413806/Age-SIX-groomed-jihad-British-suburbia-Shocking-image-UK-extremism-taken-little-boy-s-Muslim-convert-father.html#ixzz3yB1Wdjft
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Jordan border guards open fire on three dozen suspected Syrian smugglers after discovering 2 million narcotics pills
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3413808/Jordan-border-guards-open-fire-three-dozen-suspected-Syrian-smugglers-discovering-2-million-narcotics-pills.html#ixzz3yB4Gmk1H
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
French army should be deployed in Calais, UK haulage boss says (BBC, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35394673
“French authorities should deploy soldiers in order to secure the port of Calais, a UK haulage boss has demanded following fresh incursions by migrants.
The port in northern France was closed on Saturday and services were disrupted overnight after about 50 migrants briefly boarded a UK-bound P&O ferry.
The incident happened during a protest at the port in favour of migrants.
Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, called for authorities to back “decisive action”.
He said the incident was the latest in a string of recent incursions in Calais, warning it was “only a matter of time before our worst fears become a reality and a UK-bound truck driver is killed”….”
Iran eyes Boeing plane purchases as sanctions end (BBC, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35394835
“Iran is considering buying planes from US manufacturer Boeing as it moves to upgrade its fleet following the removal of UN sanctions.
Iran’s deputy transport minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan told Reuters that Iran is interested in buying 100 aircraft.
UN sanctions were lifted a week ago, allowing Airbus to negotiate a deal to sell 114 aircraft to Iran.
US trade sanctions on Iran remain in place, but Boeing could apply for a special waiver.
However, last week Boeing said there are “many steps” before it decides to sell aircraft to Iran.
The Airbus deal will have an official signing when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visits Paris on Wednesday, according to Iranian media….”
The Latest: Iraqi Christian Refugees Arrive in Prague (abcnews, Jan 24, 2016)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-activists-greece-migrants-cross-border-36483188
“… The first of a total of 153 Iraqi Christians who have been offered asylum in the Czech Republic have arrived in Prague.
The government approved the group’s request for help because they were threatened by the aggression of Islamic State extremists. They originally used to live near Mosul in Iraq.
Ten of them landed at Prague’s international airport on Sunday and were to be taken to a hotel near the central city of Jihlava, where they will spend a couple of months.
The government will share the expenses for their move to the Czech Republic with NGOs, and religious institutions will help them settle in the country.
They will be allowed to stay after the current conflict is over.
The Czechs oppose an EU mandatory plan to redistribute 120,000 asylum-seekers among the bloc’s 28 nations but say they want to help on a voluntary basis…”
Syria conflict: Major rebel town ‘seized’ in boost for Assad (BBC, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35395328
“Syrian government forces say they have seized the last major town held by rebels in western Latakia province.
State TV said Rabia, in rebel hands for four years, was overrun by the army and “popular defence” forces.
The province is a stronghold of the Alawite community to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.
Russian forces played a key role in the recapture of Rabia, according to the UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The head of the Syrian Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP that President Assad’s forces had surrounded the town from three sides in the space of 48 hours by capturing several villages.
Russian air strikes played “an essential role”, he said…”
Migrants handed cartoons to show them it’s okay to kiss in public (metro, Jan 24, 2016)
http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/24/migrants-handed-cartoons-to-show-them-its-okay-to-kiss-in-public-5641784/?
A cartoon is being handed out to migrants to help them differentiate between good and bad behaviour.
The cartoons show a woman being slapped by a man with a red cross through it. Next to it is a picture of two men kissing and two women kissing.
It was reported by the Mail on Sunday that the cartoons were being handed out as a result of migrant sex attacks across Europe.
In Lucerne, Switzerland, they’re planning on handing them out during a carnival.”
Algeria summons Morocco envoy, detains Moroccans headed to Libya – sources (reuters, Jan 24, 2016)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-algeria-morocco-idUKKCN0V20MZ?rpc=401
“Algerian authorities have detained over 200 Moroccans at Algiers airport and summoned the Moroccan envoy to explain an “unusual” increase in the number of Moroccans apparently trying to cross into Libya, airport and government officials said on Sunday.
The foreign ministry and sources at the airport did not confirm why the Moroccans had been held, but diplomatic relations between Algeria and Morocco are often strained over their regional influence and cooperation.
Libya in particular has become a regional concern since Islamic State militants gained ground there and called for foreign recruits, especially from North Africa. Tunisia, sandwiched between Algeria and Libya, is building a security wall along its boundary with Libya in an attempt to halt the flow of jihadi recruits crossing over.
“The question about the massive and unusual flow of Moroccans from Casablanca heading for Libya through Algeria in the last weeks was the reason for discussions with the ambassador,” Algeria’s foreign ministry said in a statement published on APS state news agency.
The current “particularly delicate” security situation required more vigilance and cooperation, the statement said without giving details…”
People gotta get serious and take Libya NOW.
We should but what are we going to use for the invasion force? We have fewer ground forces then we had at the beginning of WWII and then we didn’t have enough navel or ground forces to send a relief force to Bataan.
Jihadi Jack: Son of middle class organic farmer named as ‘first white British man to join ISIS in Syria’ (mirror, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/jihadi-jack-son-middle-class-7236145?#kFykhkosvTmzTgVw.97
“The first white British man to have joined ISIS in Syria has been identified as the 20-year-old son of a well-respected organic farmer, it is reported.
Jack Letts, now called Ibrahim or Abu Muhammed, grew up as a talented student and a Liverpool football supporter in Oxford.
But when he turned 18, he secretly travelled to the war-torn city of Raqqa after telling his parents he was going to Kuwait to study Arabic, it is claimed.
Now, two years on, ‘Jihadi Jack’ – who converted to Islam in his teens – is reportedly a frontline fighter for the terror group…”
Czech president says planned EU border force too small (reuters, Jan 24, 2016)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-border-czech-president-idUKKCN0V20N4?rpc=401
“The European Union’s planned border patrol will be too small and member states should contribute soldiers to build up a force to protect the bloc’s external frontier, Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday.
The EU has plans to create a European Border and Coast Guard with 1,500 personnel as part of measures to tackle its migration crisis, with leaders expected to agree details at a summit in June.
More than a million people arrived in Europe last year, mostly fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and north Africa, and the numbers show little sign of falling.
“I fully support the idea of a European border guard,” Zeman said in an interview with Prime television channel on Sunday.
“But it seems to me to be comical if it has 1,500 members. If every single EU country sent 500 people to this, then you have 14,000 soldiers.”
Zeman said there were 20 times more smugglers than planned border personnel. He also said setting up the new force will take six months and that half a million refugees could reach the EU by the time it was in place…”
Pegida meets with European allies in the Czech Republic (DW, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.dw.com/en/pegida-meets-with-european-allies-in-the-czech-republic/a-19000895
“Germany’s anti-immigration movement Pegida has signed a declaration with like-minded groups from 14 European countries, agreeing on joint protests in February. The associations warn of “Islam conquering Europe.”
The leading Pegida activist Tatjana Festerling criticized Berlin’s policies while meeting representatives of several European anti-Islamic movements on Saturday.
Germany was a cautionary tale for the EU, showing to other states what could go wrong when a country open its doors to migrants, Festerling said at the conference in Roztoky, near Prague.
“(German Chancellor Angela) Merkel is growing a massive surplus of men in Germany,”
Festerling added, referring to the fact that most of the 1.1 million migrants arriving to Germany last year were male.
The Roztoky meeting was hosted by the Czech Usvit (Dawn) party and university lecturer Martin Konvicka, head of the local far-right group Bloc Against Islam.
The anti-immigration groups from different EU states have agreed on international protests on February 6, dubbed the “Day of the European Patriots.” The protests are to be held in the Pegida’s stronghold of Dresden as well as in Prague, Warsaw and other European cities.
“Our basic message will be: Europeans won’t give up Europe,” Konvicka said in reference to the protests.
The leader of Bloc Against Islam also accused political elites of “suicidal and stupid politics.”
The representatives of the far-right movements signed a joint “Prague declaration,” warning that the “history of Western civilization could soon come to an end through Islam conquering Europe.”
The English-language document also states that its creators “refuse to submit to the Central European Government” and consider it their duty to stand up against “political Islam, extreme Islamic regimes and their European collaborators.”….”
German euroskeptic AfD party reaches 10 percent in polls for first time (DW, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.dw.com/en/german-euroskeptic-afd-party-reaches-10-percent-in-polls-for-first-time/a-19001248
“Alternative for Germany, a populist party known for its anti-migrant views, has seen its popularity grow in a recent poll. Many leaders have called for the party to be banned from televised debates.
The German daily “Bild am Sonntag” reported on Sunday that the populist right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has reached 10 percent for the first time in a recent poll.
According to the article, 17 percent of men would vote for AfD while only 2 percent of women would do so.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, saw its support fall by 2 percentage points to 36 percent. The Social Democrats (SPD), the CDU’s coalition partner, came in at 25 percent.
A majority of Germans, meanwhile, said they disagreed with the decision to bar the AfD from televised debates in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.
Of those polled, 53 percent of Germans polled said the party should be able to participate in the debates, while 34 percent said it shouldn’t.
The state premiere of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Deyer (SPD), refused to participate in a debate with the AfD, therefore putting pressure on regional broadcaster Südwestrundfunk to ban the party.”
Coalition partners: Merkel weak on refugees (DW, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.dw.com/en/coalition-partners-merkel-weak-on-refugees/a-19001466
“Left-wing coalition partners the SPD has slammed Chancellor Merkel’s CDU for infighting over her refugee policy. The conservatives have countered that the SPD is blocking new legislation.
Coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD) issued a challenge to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday to demonstrate stronger leadership. Criticizing the conflict within Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) over refugee policy, the SPD warned that she was creating an atmosphere of “no confidence” in the government.
“Angela Merkel cannot allow the government’s capacity to suffer because of the infighting in the CDU,” SPD Secretary General Katarina Barley told the “Welt am Sonntag” newspaper.
“Continuous new and impractical suggestions from the CDU and [Bavarian sister party] the CSU create no confidence,” she added.
“We need clarity and a rapid implementation of the already agreed upon decisions,” Barley said.
Chancellor Merkel has been under fire from all sides, even within her own party, for her open-door refugee policy that some say led to the violence seen in the city of Cologne on New Year’s Eve. Large crowds of men are alleged to have molested hundreds of women, and revelations continue to emerge of similar incidents all across the country.
Merkel has backtracked somewhat, such as trying to strengthen border controls, particularly at the country’s frontier with Austria, but has continued to receive flak for her inaction, at times from within her own cabinet.
Responding to Barley’s criticism, the “Welt am Sonntag” reported that CDU Secretary General Peter Tauber said he would “recommend the SPD stop huffing and puffing and then shirking their duty when it comes to making promises.”
Tauber slammed the SPD for their “blockade of the asylum legislation” and “finally join our initiative to have Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco declared safe countries of origin.”
Considering many of the suspects from the Cologne assaults were of North African origin, the push to curtail refugees from these countries has taken on renewed steam.”
Three security personnel killed in Egypt’s Delta governorate of Sharqiya (ahram, Jan 24, 2016)
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/185785/Egypt/Politics-/Three-security-personnel-killed-in-Egypts-Delta-go.aspx
“Three security personnel were killed and two civilians injured earlier Sunday when unknown assailants attacked a checkpoint located in the Lower Egypt Delta governorate of Sharqiya, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.
Police investigations revealed that the assailants, riding two motorcycles, attacked a security checkpoint located in Sharqiya’s town of Fakous, leaving three low ranking policemen killed and two passersby injured, Al-Ahram reported.
The incident comes hours before the fifth anniversary of the 25 January Revolution and amid tight security measures nationwide imposed by the interior ministry and armed forces…”
Sweden’s Social Democrats hit record low in poll (thelocal, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.thelocal.se/20160124/swedens-social-democrats-hit-record-low-in-poll
“The Sifo poll, commissioned by the newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten and published on Sunday, gives the ruling Social Democrats 23.3 percent of the electorate, the party’s lowest rating since the poll began in 1967.
The Social Democrats’ losses were the conservative Moderate Party’s gains, as main opposition party regained their position as Sweden’s largest party at 25.6 percent.
The Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, and their Green coalition partners, as well as the Left Party, have 37.2 percent, compared to 42.8 percent for the four centre-right Alliance parties of the former government.
The poll also shows the opposition Christian Democrats nudging just above the 4 percent threshold necessary for representation in parliament.
However, the steady gains by the anti-immigration nationalist Sweden Democrats seem to have come to a halt, with its rating dipping slightly to 18.2 percent.
Analysts say the shifts in the poll likely reflect the problems the ruling parties are having dealing with the recent major increase in refugees…”
Pakistan can and must do more to dismantle terrorist networks: Obama (tribune, Jan 24, 2016)
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1033362/obama-urges-serious-action-against-extremists-in-pakistan/
“US President Barack Obama has urged Pakistan to show it is “serious” about crushing extremist networks operating on its territory, saying the latest mass killing of students underlined the need for more decisive action.
In an interview with the Press Trust of India published on Sunday, Obama praised recent crackdowns by Pakistani security forces but said more should be done to eradicate violent groups.
“Pakistan has an opportunity to show that it is serious about delegitimising, disrupting and dismantling terrorist networks,” Obama told the news agency in Washington….”
Armed and ready: Teachers to get gun licenses post BKU attack (tribune, Jan 24, 2016)
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1033021/armed-and-ready-teachers-to-get-gun-licenses-post-bku-attack/
“The massacre at the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda has once again sowed the idea of arming teachers at schools and the K-P administration has decided to issue free weapons’ licences for government educational institutes’ employees.
On Saturday, the provincial home ministry confirmed free licences would be issued after an official shows the necessary authority letter.
A day earlier, Bacha Khan University faculty members met the vice chancellor and demanded they be allowed to carry weapons on the premises of the university. The meeting came in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack on the varsity which left 22 people dead.
The home department said government educational institutes would get free licences, while private entities have to pay a fee….”
ISIS has reportedly executed 3 Afghan commanders in Iraq (khaama, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.khaama.com/isis-has-reportedly-executed-3-afghan-commanders-in-iraq-0043
“The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in Iraq has reportedly executed three of it’s commanders hailing from Afghanistan.
According to the local media reports, the three men were executed after they escaped from the city of Mosul, 405 km north of Baghdad.
The execution comes almost a month after the terror group burned a number of its fighters alive for abandoning the city of Mosul.
“Today, ISIS executed three of its Afghan leaders in Mosul who tried to escape across the Syrian borders,” a local media quoting an official source reported.
The source speaking on the condition of anonymity further added “The execution was carried out by firing squad in front of a crowd of citizens in the center of the city of Mosul.”..”
16 Daesh militants killed in Nangarhar air strikes (khaama, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.khaama.com/16-daesh-militants-killed-in-nangarhar-4507
“16 loyalists of the terrorist group of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that is locally known by its Arabic name Daesh have been killed in newest air strikes in eastern Nangarhar province.
Officials say two air strikes were conducted on Daesh positions in Abdulkhil and Bandar areas of Achin District leaving six militants killed.
One of those killed is identified as Qari Wahab, a commander of the terrorist group.
The third airstrike was carried out on a Daesh position in Gurguri area of Haska Mina District leaving 10 militants killed. Qari Hafizullah, a commander of the group is reportedly among the dead ones.
Two motcycles, ammunition and weapons belonging to the terrorist group were also destroyed in the air strikes.
There was no harm to civilians.
Nangarhar has turned into a hotspot of Daesh where it is trying to establish a regional command.”
Those kinky Iranians!
The Iranian Penetration of Iraqi Kurdistan
1- Iran has made deep inroads in the Kurdish region that the United States, Israel and allied countries see as a nascent ally, pro-Western and largely democratic.
2- While some details of the Iran-Kurdistan relationship remain vague, it is clear that Iran has positioned itself as a reliable military backer of Iraqi Kurdish forces, filling a vacuum the West has left as a result of its tepid support.
3- Iranian motivation is based on its goals of exporting its revolution and challenging the West.
4- Iranian penetration of Kurdistan allows Tehran to render it less likely that its major adversaries, including Israel and the United States, will gain a secure foothold in a region that has a 400-mile border with Iran.
5- The expectations of Kurdistan becoming an ally of Israel, America, and Europe may be in danger if the West continues to prioritize Iraqi and Turkish interests over those of the Kurds.
6- As Kurds continue to be disappointed by Western military and political support, Iran has found numerous opportunities to expand its political, economic, and military influence in Iraqi Kurdistan.
http://jcpa.org/article/the-iranian-penetration-of-iraqi-kurdistan/
Another result of Obama’s withdrawal from the Mideast and his destruction of the US military.
Not good news, but Kurds are savvy enough to keep all their options open. Israel factors that in to any professions of undying love and loyalty. Countries generally have interests, not friends.
Within those countries there may be diaspora communities that can change things considerably.
You can see the Kurds in Germany using their weight there to influence Germany’s policy toward the Turk. Denying him access to information he’d use to hit Kurdish targets more effectively, as that seems to be his contribution to the “US-led Coalition against ISIL”.
Greece: EU flag set alight at pro-refugee protest on Greek-Turkish border
Several hundred people gathered near the Greek-Turkish border crossing in Kastanies, Sunday, to protest against the construction of a border fence along the Evros River. This was the second instalment of a two-day protest organised in the Greek Evros region against border fences and EU countries’ stricter migration policy.
The protesters set an EU flag alight as they marched through the street of Kastanies before being stopped by police some 200 meters from the border. Only four activists were allowed to pass through, where they stood with a banner reading “Refugees in, nazis out, open borders, Frontex out.”
One of the organisers, Petros Constantinou, coordinator of the Movement Against Racism and the Threat of Fascism (KEERFA), denounced the “policy of the European Union, the policy of bombing, the policy of racism and islamophobia.”
Two terrorists arrested before planting landmines in Kandahar (khaama, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.khaama.com/two-terrorists-arrested-before-planting-landmines-in-kandahar-4508
“The National Directorate of Security (NDS) – Afghanistan’s intelligence agency has arrested two terrorists before planting landmines in southern Kandahar province.
According to a statement released by NDS, the terrorists were rounded up red handed with three landmines and bomb-making devices.
They are identified as Abdul Wali S/O Peer Mohammad, a resident of Helmand’s Marja District, and Salih Mohammad S/O Sayed Mohammad, a resident of Kandahar city. A pistol and a motorcycle were also confiscated from the terrorists.
NDS statement further states that the group had been involved in several deadly attacks in Kandahar city in the past.
Saturday’s press release does not specify the exact date of the arrests but it is normal that the agency releases statements after recent activities.”
Unidentified gunmen attack female police officers in Herat (khaama, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.khaama.com/pakistans-coas-says-taliban-must-be-removed-from-un-blacklist-4508
“Unidentified gunmen attacked two female police officers in the capital of western Herat province on Sunday.
Abdul Rawouf Ahmadi, spokesperson for the police headquarters of Herat said the two policewomen were on their way home in the 3rd sector of the city when unknown gunmen riding on a motorcycle opened fire on them.
According to Ahmadi, the policewomen sustained injuries in the attack and transported to Herat Regional Hospital for treatment.
The gunmen who had silencers on their pistols fled the area following the attack but security agencies are looking for them.
In the past, Taliban have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks on security forces in Herat but the group has not yet commented about today’s attack.”
Drone strike kills IS-Khorasan commander, five others in Nangarhar (khaama, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.khaama.com/drone-strike-kills-is-khorasan-commander-five-others-in-nangarhar-4509
“A commander of the terrorist group of the Islamic State (IS), locally known as Daesh, has been killed along with five his companions in a drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday.
A statement released by the ministry states that the air strike was conducted on a position of the group in Achin District yesterday.
“A coalition Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) targeted militants of Daesh in Nargusi village of Achin District yesterday. As a result, Maiwand, a commander of Daesh and five of his men were killed,” states the press release.
UAVs are being used by NATO to assist Afghanistan in counter-terrorism operations.
They have been reportedly targeting militants without any distinction. But Pakistan still asks US to target Mullah Fazlullah, leader of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that Islamabad claims is hiding inside Afghanistan
Sources have told Pakistan’s The News that Washington has been conveyed through its Islamabad mission that it must play its role in targeting the TTP terrorists. Pakistan claims the group plans attacks for Pakistan from inside Afghanistan but Kabul says it does not allow its soil be used against any one.”
Germany: Berlin police caused ‘rebellion’ in case of alleged sexual abuse of 13 y/o – lawyer
The lawyer of a 13-year-old girl alleged to have been the victim of sexual abuse said the recent “rebellion” of her family against the Berlin police is the result of the “inappropriate conduct” of its officers. He made the comments as he explained the Russian-German family’s point of view during an interview in Leipzig, Sunday.
The 13-year-old told the police that she was sexually abused by three “foreigners” earlier in January, but police stated that there was no evidence of an abduction or rape following the accusations. Lawyer Alexej Danckwardt stated however that “she was sexually abused by several men and she was beaten.” He added that police responded in a way “you absolutely cannot do with victims of sexual abuse,” by allegedly saying they did not believe the girl’s version of events.
SOT, Alexej Danckwardt, lawyer of the family of 13-year-old girl (German): “The victim is definitively the victim of an offence. According to the investigations thus far, she was sexually abused by several men and she was beaten. This could be rape, this will have to be established by a court.”
SOT, Alexej Danckwardt, lawyer of the family of 13-year-old girl (German): “So there is a description. According to this description, it could have been Arabs or people from the Maghreb region, but it could also be a German with correlating roots or just a German with darker skin. It is so far totally unclear who it is and of course speculations have grown undulously. But urge against speculation.”
SOT, Alexej Danckwardt, lawyer of the family of 13-year-old girl (German): “The whole problem, the whole rebellion, was caused by the very inappropriate conduct of the police. One of the investigating officers told the parents of the girl to their face – what you absolutely cannot do with victims of sexual abuse – ‘we don’t believe your daughter, she is a liar.’ And on this basis the parents of course could think that the police wanted to cover up, that they don’t want to investigate. That is why they made it public.”
SOT, Alexej Danckwardt, lawyer of the family of 13-year-old girl (German): “We will in any case constructively accompany the police investigations and depending on the outcomes of these investigations we will take a position in later proceedings towards the public prosecutor’s office and the court.”
Is the girl named Lisa? If so the Germans of Russian origin had a demonstration yesterday in Berlin against migrant’s behaviour. And the direct cause of the demonstration was the alleged rape of that girl.
Netherlands: Hundreds of pro-Kurds protest against Turkey, ISIS in Amsterdam
Poland: Protesters rally against proposed refugee centre near Warsaw
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Gora Kalwaria, south of Warsaw, Sunday, to oppose a proposal to locate a refugee centre in the town. The Polish government has agreed to accept a total of over 7,000 refugees from the Middle East who arrived in Europe last year.
The European Union has been riven with divisions over how to handle the mass of refugees entering the economic union fleeing conflicts in the Middle East. Germany and other northern states have faced difficulty convincing eastern European governments to accede to a resettlement programme that would distribute the refugees across member states.
Netherlands: Hundreds of pro-Kurds protest against Turkey, ISIS in Amsterdam
N Y T – U.S. Relies Heavily on Saudi Money to Support Syrian Rebels
WASHINGTON — When President Obama secretly authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to begin arming Syria’s embattled rebels in 2013, the spy agency knew it would have a willing partner to help pay for the covert operation. It was the same partner the C.I.A. has relied on for decades for money and discretion in far-off conflicts: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Since then, the C.I.A. and its Saudi counterpart have maintained an unusual arrangement for the rebel-training mission, which the Americans have code-named Timber Sycamore. Under the deal, current and former administration officials said, the Saudis contribute both weapons and large sums of money, and the C.I.A takes the lead in training the rebels on AK-47 assault rifles and tank-destroying missiles.
The support for the Syrian rebels is only the latest chapter in the decadeslong relationship between the spy services of Saudi Arabia and the United States, an alliance that has endured through the Iran-contra scandal, support for the mujahedeen against the Soviets in Afghanistan and proxy fights in Africa. Sometimes, as in Syria, the two countries have worked in concert. In others, Saudi Arabia has simply written checks underwriting American covert activities.[…]
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/world/middleeast/us-relies-heavily-on-saudi-money-to-support-syrian-rebels.html
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Turkey alarmed by Russian troop build up in northern Syria
Turkish President Erdogan voices concern as Russian forces mass on the Syria-Turkey border
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed alarm over reports of a build-up of Russian troops in northern Syria near the Turkish border, saying such movements would not be tolerated.
“We have said this from the beginning: we won’t tolerate such formations (in northern Syria) along the area stretching from the Iraqi border up to the Mediterranean,” Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul.
Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had said that Russia had sent a number of engineers to the Syrian border town of Qamishli to strengthen the runway and increase the capacity of an airport there.
Russia’s reported move into Qamishli comes as Ankara and Moscow are experiencing their biggest crisis in years over the shooting down of a Russian war plane by Turkey on November 24.
“We maintain our sensitivities on this issue,” added Erdogan, citing reports that Russia had deployed some 200 soldiers and stating that he would raise the issue Saturday in talks with visiting US Vice President Joe Biden.
Observers have said that Russia, which has for years been at loggerheads with Turkey over the Syrian conflict, may want to refit the airport as a Russian base, as happened in Hmeimim in Latakia province. […]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/12116807/Turkey-alarmed-by-Russian-troop-build-up-in-northern-Syria.html
This is one of the things that give Saudi so much influence in our foreign policy.
Those purse-strings are going to become the noose around the ragheads’ necks.
This is the news from 19th, however I am not sure if it has been posted here
Turkish and Arab heritage security guards hired by the German state to protect migrant camps stand accused of turning a blind eye while the Christian refugees in their care are abused by their fellow inmates, and even of taking part in the beatings..
The sudden growth in the number of migrant camps in Germany over the past year, and the severe manpower shortages faced by the Federal and state police have left the German government hiring private security.
As has been the case in the rapidly expanding migration agencies of other European countries, this has provided an important source of income for migrants and the children of migrants, who are preferred for their language skills and cultural knowledge.
This policy is backfiring in Germany, where genuine refugees find themselves at the mercy of the very people they fled in their homelands, given uniforms and authority by the German state.
Die Welt reports on the horror experienced by persecuted Christians who managed to escape autocratic Islamist regimes only to be beaten half to death by Muslim camp guards in Germany
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/19/christian-refugees-abused-in-migrant-camps-while-arab-origin-guards-look-the-other-way/
UN’s new refugee agency head says Europe could do more (BBC, Jan 24, 2016)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35396027
“EU states could take more genuine refugees from Syria if they worked together better, the new head of the UN refugee agency has told the BBC.
Italian diplomat Filippo Grandi, who took over the post from Portugal’s Antonio Guterres this year, was speaking on a visit to Lebanon.
Mr Grandi also urged the EU to do more for Syrian refugees outside Europe.
EU leaders have warned of a crisis after more than a million migrants entered illegally last year.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told the BBC this week: “If Europe can’t protect its own borders, it’s the very idea of Europe that could be thrown into doubt.”
On Friday, his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, warned: “When spring comes and the numbers quadruple, we cannot as the EU cope with the numbers any longer.”
The new UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been meeting refugees in camps in Lebanon and Jordan.
Speaking to the BBC’s Quentin Somerville, Mr Grandi said: “Europe can absorb more genuine refugees if it would be better organised among the different member-states.
“However, we understand the predicament. It is a social and political predicament which is very serious.”
The EU is drawing up plans to share the “burden” of refugees more evenly among member states, scrapping a controversial rule that means they must claim asylum in the first country they arrive in.
Hungary, one of the most vocal critics of migration policy, has dismissed the crisis as a “German problem” since Germany is where those arriving in the EU “would like to go”.
Mr Grandi also urged the EU to “do more for the countries of first asylum” so there would be “less motivation for people to flee further away”.”
Britain First carries out Christian Patrol in Islamist hotspot Bury Park, Luton
Bury Park in Luton is an area notorious for Islamic extremists, ISIS fanatics, hate preachers and terrorists.
It is perhaps the worst hotspot in the whole country for Islamists.
In response to the recent imprisonment of an ISIS supporter (who is from Bury Park) Britain First carried out a “Christian Patrol” along the High Street and encountered ferocious hostility from local Muslims.
What followed was a shocking look into the Islamisation of our beloved country.
Our activists were attacked and pelted with eggs. Verbal abuse was rife. Muslims claimed they have “taken over” Luton and the UK. This is the future of Britain.
Greece: Farmers hold mock ‘ISIS’ execution to protest austerity taxes
A group of farmers organised a mock execution in which pretend-ISIS militants wore face masks depicting members of the Greek government as they ‘executed’ men in orange jump suits who represented the farmers themselves. The protest took place in Kefalovriso near the town of Mesolongi, Sunday.
The face masks depicted members of the government including Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, while the wearers ‘cut’ the farmers’ heads off with fake swords. The sketch was part of ongoing protests against a proposed increase in taxes on farmers and a rise in their contributions to the national insurance scheme. The measures are mooted by the Syriza government as part of possible austerity policies demanded of Greece by its international lenders.
RT -Germany: Migrants arrested following swimming pool ‘masturbation’ allegations – reports
Several migrants and refugees were reportedly arrested in connection with allegations that a male urinated and masturbated in a hot tub at a swimming baths in Zwickau, local media reported on Sunday. The incidents in question are believed to have taken place on Friday, January 15, and were reportedly caught on CCTV.
Local newspaper MOPO24 wrote on Friday, January 22 that lifeguards had removed the suspect from the swimming pool following the incidents, but that he then came back with friends to take a ‘selfie’ at the same spot.
Algeria summons Morocco envoy, detains Moroccans headed to Libya: Sources
Algerian authorities have detained over 200 Moroccans at Algiers airport and summoned the Moroccan envoy to explain an “unusual” increase in the number of Moroccans apparently trying to cross into Libya, airport and government officials said on Sunday.
The foreign ministry and sources at the airport did not confirm why the Moroccans had been held, but diplomatic relations between Algeria and Morocco are often strained over their regional influence and cooperation.
Libya in particular has become a regional concern since Islamic State (ISIS) group militants gained ground there and called for foreign recruits, especially from North Africa. Tunisia, sandwiched between Algeria and Libya, is building a security wall along its boundary with Libya in an attempt to halt the flow of militant recruits crossing over.
“The question about the massive and unusual flow of Moroccans from Casablanca heading for Libya through Algeria in the last weeks was the reason for discussions with the ambassador,” Algeria’s foreign ministry said in a statement published on APS state news agency.
The current “particularly delicate” security situation required more vigilance and cooperation, the statement said without giving details.
The ministry did not mention the detentions. But a security source at Algiers airport said 270 Moroccans had been arrested on Saturday night. The source said the Moroccans were considered suspect because they did not have legal residence in Libya, though it was unclear if they had ties to militant groups.
Moroccan officials were not immediately available to comment on the detentions.
Algeria has become a pivotal partner in the Western fight against Islamist militancy in north and west Africa after its own 1990s war with armed Islamists that killed more than 200,000 people. Morocco has also helped French and European intelligence agencies after the Islamist attacks on Paris last year.
More than 3,000 Tunisians and hundreds of Moroccans have left to fight for Islamic State and other groups in Syria and Iraq. But experts say Libya has become an increasing magnet for North Africa Militants, partly because of the country’s porous border controls and internal lawlessness.
ISIS group in Libya has steadily increased its presence, taking over Sirte, attacking oil installations and carrying out suicide attacks as the country has slipped into chaos with two rival factions and their armed groups fighting for control.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/185800/World/Region/Algeria-summons-Morocco-envoy,-detains-Moroccans-h.aspx
Germany: Hanover protesters rally in solidarity with alleged 13 y/o victim of sexual abuse
Germany: Cologne residents rally in solidarity with alleged 13 y/o sexual abuse victim
Around 300 people rallied in front of Colgone Cathedral and the city’s main train station, Sunday, in solidarity with the 13-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually abused by three “foreigners” earlier in January. Police stated that there was no evidence of an abduction or rape following the accusations.
SOT, Protester (German): “We all saw what happened on New Year’s Eve, I consider what happened here unacceptable. The police say there were not enough police officers deployed, and I understand that. But those people who came here, we know who they were by the way, have to follow the rules just like we do. We do not arrive on New Year’s Eve and grope all the women around here. It cannot happen. Or steal, or whatever. Do you understand? This is why we are out here.”
SOT, Protester (Russian): “Today we, the Russian speakers from Germany, from Cologne and others from the neighbourhood, have gathered here, on January 24, 2016. Today we are holding a demonstration because of the rape of the 13-year-old girl in Berlin and we stand here and protest so that this will not happen again in Germany, that we will find peace again here and our families will know the peace that has been above all, that there is protection again. And that is why we are all standing here, but today we were met by the police and they said that we wanted to make a fuss, but no one came here with this purpose. We came only with peaceful intentions, to show that this should not be allowed in Germany any more, to show the police that if they do not help us, we will help them.”
UK – Show of love and solidarity at Bristol Jamia Mosque one week after bacon attack
HUNDREDS of people have come together to show solidarity in the wake of a cowardly hate attack.
People of all ages, backgrounds and religions joined forces at the Bristol Jamia mosque in Totterdown today.
Visitors packed in to the building and spilled out on to the street keen to share messages of support and tuck in to homemade tea, coffee, cake and samosas.
The community tea party took place exactly one week after worshipers were subjected to a racial attack which saw bacon and a St George flag hung outside the mosque and racist jeers during prayers.
Zaheer Shabir, a spokesperson for the mosque, said: “We are overwhelmed by the support of the Totterdown and wider Bristol community.
“Seven days ago we suffered a very cruel and cowardly attack, but from that act of hate has come a incredible celebration of love and togetherness.
“The outpouring of support here shows that as a whole we are a united community and it is only a minority who have a hateful agenda.
“The incredible experience here today will be remembered and cherished in the hearts of everyone, it is a very special moment.”
For many people it was their first time inside the mosque.
Eric Green said: “It is an incredible turn out. I came here just to support the community and show our solidarity.
“Also to stand up to the principal that we do not give in to hate and violence. People should be free to belive in whatever they want without fear of retribution or violence.”
Many worshipers at the mosque said the show of unity was heart-warming.[…]
+ pics :
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/love-solidarity-Bristol-Jamia-Mosque-week-bacon/story-28594484-detail/story.html
vomit bucket – please
Because it’s Sunday,
and we all need a giggle just to keep sane,
here is a “Just for laughs” vid with a Sharia twist,
enjoy.
Just what I need, now if the weather would calm down so I can get rid of this headache.
This week in stupid
24/01/16
Sargon of Akkad (Has gone on hoilday but this week it’s done by a friend of his)