Reader’s links for Feb. 8 – 2016

Daily Links Post graphic

In order to preserve the flow of conversation about various posted items, and also in order to make it easier for visitors to find the list of related links being shared by other readers, regulars and interested parties in one place, each day a post is automatically created at a minute past midnight ET.

This way, under the various posts of the day, conversation can take place without as much ‘noise’ on the various links and articles and ideas in the main posts and all the news links being submitted can be seen under these auto-posts by clicking on the comments-link right below these ones.

Thank you all for those that take the effort to assist this site in keeping the public informed. Below, typically people can find the latest enemy propaganda, news items of related materials from multiple countries and languages, op-eds from many excellent sites who write on our topics, geopolitics and immigration issues and so on.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

86 Replies to “Reader’s links for Feb. 8 – 2016”

  1. RT- France: EXCLUSIVE – Gen. Piquemal speaks out on arrest, delayed trial, and hospitalisation

    General Christian Piquemal, a former French Legion commander, was to stand trial at the High Court of Boulogne-sur-Mer on Monday for his participation in an anti-Islam rally in Calais. However the trial was postponed on health grounds when the 75 year old was hospitalised on Monday morning.

    SOT, General Christian Piquemal, former French Legion commander (French): “It wasn’t me who organised the demonstration. It was organised by others.”

    SOT, General Christian Piquemal, former French Legion commander (French): “I had already called for a dispertion and I left. And it was afterwards that I was taken in.”

    SOT, General Christian Piquemal, former French Legion commander (French): “The police custody lasted two days. I was going to spend this afternoon at the High Court of Boulogne, and then following the state of my health this morning, I was hospitalised.”

    SOT, General Christian Piquemal, former French Legion commander (French): “The doctor had explained to the prosecutors that he knew that my state of health did not allow me to assume I would be in a good condition, and assure my defence. So my detention was lifted.”

  2. Migrant crisis: ’27 dead’ off Turkey as boat sinks (BBC, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35523235

    “At least 27 migrants have died off the Turkish coast trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos, Turkish media say.

    The victims, including 11 children, drowned when their boat capsized after setting off from Balikesir province.

    About 400 people have died crossing into Europe in 2016, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says.

    Most were travelling to Greece on their way to northern Europe. Recent fighting in Syria has sent thousands of people fleeing towards the Turkish border.

    The sea route from Turkey to Greece was the most popular way for migrants trying to enter Europe in 2015…”

  3. Internet breeds verbal aggression: Are attacks next? (DW, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://www.dw.com/en/internet-breeds-verbal-aggression-are-attacks-next/a-19034383

    “The prevailing tone in many Internet forums is rude, often aggressive. A dangerous group dynamic is developing, and conspiracy theories are circulating: This is the classic breeding ground for real physical violence.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel cannot enjoy looking at her Facebook page these days. For months now it has been plastered with criticism of her asylum policy – criticism often expressed in words that are far from friendly. “The barefaced cheek, the arrogance, the lies, the smugness with which Merkel is doing this to Germany is extreme cold-heartedness, not philanthropy,” a user identified as Dieter Naussed wrote.

    “The foreigners are laughing at us,” another comment read. “Merkel doesn’t get it.”

    The tone is getting rougher, on Facebook and elsewhere. Refugees is the topic that most arouses people’s ire. Commenters often use such uninhibited language that Justice Minister Heiko Maas has repeatedly called on Facebook to delete posts that he considers incitement.

    The Munich Digital Institute has published a study in which 1,271 Facebook users were asked for their impressions of the language used on the site. Almost 70 percent said political discussions on Facebook had become more aggressive and/or emotional. Only 2 percent of the responders described the language used as “objective.” Seventy-four percent, on the other hand, saw an increase in extreme political views being expressed on Facebook. Fifty-three percent said they intended to report inflammatory posts in the future.

    More and more people now post online under their real names. However, they still have the protection of anonymity if they wish. The journalist and Islam scholar Thorsten Gerald Schneiders told the broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that this encourages verbal aggression:

    “Anonymity on the Internet is still a kind of experimental laboratory where you can test your own extreme remarks and see how they are received – where you can live out your frustration, your anger, without putting yourself in too much danger of being punished for it in real life.”

    Ominous group dynamic

    Schneiders told the broadcaster that the Internet had long ago become the nucleus of rude, uncouth and extremist speech. “It’s easy for people to find each other,” he said in the interview.

    “They can easily express extremist views and get instant feedback. When people get approval, their confidence grows.”

    Schneiders, who keeps a particular eye on websites critical of Islam but also monitors Salafist sites, is familiar with the mechanisms that lead people to write without inhibition. “Every time a person clicks Like, someone’s ego is boosted,” he said. “This is how groups of like-minded people come together and get bigger and bolder.”

    The social psychologist Catarina Katzer has observed that people are more likely to behave badly online, dispensing with the rules that cover interactions in real life. On the Internet, people congregate in insular communities with little diversity of opinion: “The more I want to belong to a group,” she told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, “the greater my social engagement.”

    äbbig#

    ‘Experimental laboratory’

    North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Ralf Jäger recently warned that the aggressive language used online had led to physical violence. “Hate on social networks is fueling a climate of fear and violence,” the Interior Ministry’s website reports. “It is inciting people to acts of violence against refugees and setting fire to refugee hostels.”

    Susan Benesch, a US lawyer and the director of the Dangerous Speech Project, has researched the connection between verbal and physical violence. She found that incidences share certain factors, such as influential posters in various circles who encourage other users to match their verbal diatribes. Furthermore, she found that the leap from hate speech to physical attacks requires a fearful audience, wording that can be read as a call to arms, earlier outbreaks of violence and an influential platform. According to Benesch, the more these factors coalesce, the easier it is for verbal aggression to present a genuine threat.

    The perceived unanimity of groups of posters also encourages violence. It is increasingly unusual for opposing political views to encounter one another in online forums. Instead, people often seek out groups that will affirm their existing prejudices. Worldviews narrow as the group dynamic takes hold; opinions that differ from the forums’ agreed truth no longer get through. Conspiracy theories grow in such a petri dish, which further facilitates the step from verbal to physical.

    In many user forums, objective reporting and plurality scarcely exist any more – yet they are so important for civilizing the discourse and for stopping the violence.”

  4. Suicide blast leaves six killed, nine wounded in Paktika (khaama, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/suicide-blast-leave-six-killed-nine-wounded-in-paktika-4561-4562

    “Six people have lost lives and nine others sustained injuries in a suicide bomb blast in Paktika province.

    The blast took place in front of a baker in the capital city of Yahyakhil District around 11:30 am this morning.

    The apparent target of the suicide bomber was Musa Khan Kharotai, the district governor, who just drove through the area before the blast took place.

    Kharotai said all of the victims of the blast are civilians.

    No group has so far said it was behind the explosion but it came after a suicide bomber of Taliban targeted a mini-bus of Afghan National Army (ANA) in northern Balkh province this morning.

    Three soldiers lost lives and 20 people, most of them soldiers, sustained injures in the attack.”

  5. Taliban execute woman on adultery charges in Ghor (khaama, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/taliban-execute-woman-on-adultery-charges-in-ghor-4559

    “Taliban militants have executed a woman on adultery charges in Dolina District of central Ghor province.

    Spokesperson for the governor of Ghor province said the execution was carried out based on the order of a desert-court of Taliban in Zanu village yesterday.

    According to Abdul Hai Khatibi, the man who is accused of the immoral relationship with deceased Zahra is also detained by Taliban.

    The accused is waiting for his sentence in the custody of Taliban.

    The militant group has not yet commented on the report.

    Ghor is one of the provinces of Afghanistan where some remote areas are either under the control of Taliban or not in government control.

    People in those areas refer to Taliban or local Shuras (councils) for their matters instead of government.

    In April last year, three civilians were shot dead in another remote area of Ghor province by the orders of a local Shura (council).

    They were allegedly responsible for the killing two civilians. Among them, one was son of the director of the education department of Ghor province.”

  6. Presidential Palace guard gunned down in Nangarhar (khaama, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/presidential-palace-guard-gunned-down-in-nangarhar-4558

    “Unidentified armed men have gunned down a guard of the Presidential Palace ‘ARG’ in eastern Nangarhar province.

    Ataullah Khogyani, Nangarhar governor’s spokesperson said the incident took place in Behsood District in the wee hours of Monday morning.

    He said gunmen attacked Salahuddin’s house around 03:30 am killing him and wounded his mother.

    Khogyani added that motive behind the incident is unknown but an investigation has been initiated into the case.

    Nangarhar had been among the safe provinces of Afghanistan but the province is now going through some of its worst security.

    Security situation worsened in Nangarhar after the loyalists of the terrorist group of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) emerged in remote areas of the province about 14 months before.

    At the meantime, Taliban have also increased their activities in this province.”

  7. MoD: 34 militants killed, 30 wounded in Afghan army operations (khaama, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/mod-34-militants-killed-30-wounded-in-afghan-army-operations-0096

    “At least 34 anti-government armed militants were killed in the latest counter-terrorism operations conducted by the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces.

    The Ministry of Defense (MoD0 said the operations were conducted during the past 24 hours in the vicinity of Dangam district of Kunar, Maiwand district of Kandahar, Herawud district of Uruzgan, Dand-e-Ghori district of Baghlan, and Marja and Musa Qala districts of Helmand.

    A statement by MoD said at least 30 anti-government armed militants were also wounded during the opertions and 4 others were arrested.

    The statement further added that various types of weapons, ammunition along with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) were confiscated by the security forces during the operations.

    MoD also added that three Afghan soldiers were also martyred during the same operations.

    The Afghan national security forces have stepped up counter-terrorism operations amid deteriorating security situation across the country.

    The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant during the recent months despite efforts by the Afghan government and its international allies to end the ongoing violence through a peaceful settlement.”

  8. 3 killed, 20 wounded in suicide attack near Mazar-i-Sharif (khaama, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/jalalabad-predators-provide-247-overwatch-in-afghanistan-0095

    “Three people have been killed and 20 others wounded in a suicide attack near Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of northern Balkh province, this morning.

    Abdul Razaq Qadiri, Deputy Police Chief of Balkh province said the blast took place in Nawabad area of Dehdadi District around 7 am.

    He said the suicide bomber was waiting in the area and when the mini-bus of 209 Shaheen Corps of Afghan National Army (ANA) reached to him he detonated his explosives.

    Including officers, 18 army personnel sustained injuries in the blast, the Deputy Police Chief added.

    However, chief doctor of the regional hospital in Balkh province said that three dead bodies and 20 wounded have been brought to them from the attack site.

    Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack through a post on the twitter account of the group’s spokesperson.”

  9. Intel agencies had hints of ISIS plot before Paris attacks, source says (CNN, Feb 8, 2016)
    http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/08/world/intel-warnings-paris-attacks/index.html

    “Intelligence obtained by Western security agencies before the November 13 Paris attacks indicated as many as 60 ISIS fighters had been deployed by the group to Europe to carry out attacks on five cities and had already reached European soil, a senior European counterterrorism source told CNN.

    The intelligence indicated the target cities included Paris, London, Berlin and a major population center in Belgium, according to the source. It also indicated Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the head of ISIS’ external operations efforts, was the key figure behind the ambitious plan, the source said. There was no indication the plan was to attack the cities simultaneously.

    The source cautioned the threat stream was based on intelligence which was fragmentary and difficult to verify, and it was too vague to act on. In addition, there was no specific intelligence prior to the Paris attack on any moving parts of the plot.

    “In terms of ambition, it also just pointed towards something we already knew. ISIS had hardly made it a secret it sought to target Europe,” said the senior European counterterrorism source….”

  10. France: Police suppress pro-Kurdish demo after clashes grip Paris
    Clashes erupted between police and pro-Kurdish protesters near Place de la Republique, after law enforcement attempted to disperse a protest against the Turkey government’s treatment of Kurds and its campaign against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

    After several protesters were tear-gassed outside the Turkish embassy in Paris on Monday, they moved to Place de la Republique were spats of violence went out. Police chased several protesters in the area around Paris’ famous square, making forcible arrests.

    Earlier in the day, police used teargas and batons disperse the activists from near the Turkish embassy compound. After the clashes at the embassy, 17 of the activists were reportedly arrested.

    • TURKEY -“We Can Put Refugees On Buses”: Leaked Memo Shows Erdogan Blackmailed Europe For Billions

      If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past twelve months it’s that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is prepared to employ all manner of nefarious tactics in order to preserve his grip on power in Ankara.

      Following unfavorable election results last June, Erdogan plunged the country into civil war be restarting a long simmering battle with the PKK and proceeded to crack down on journalists and anyone else critical of the ruling AKP. Ultimately, new elections were called and AKP put up a stronger showing, effectively paving the way for Erdogan to rewrite Turkey’s constitution and install an executive presidency.

      But Erdogan’s bullying isn’t confined to his domestic political agenda. Greek media has obtained an internal memo which suggests the Turkish strongman effectively blackmailed the EU by demanding cash payments in exchange for efforts to curb the flow of migrants into Western Europe. “We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and we can put the refugees on buses,” Erdogan allegedly said, on the way to demanding $3 billion per year in aid.

      In internal EU memo obtained by Greek media reveals the blatant Turkish blackmail on the refugee crisis. The memo contains a summary of the dialogue between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with European Commissioner Jean Claude Juncker and President of the European Council Donald Tusk on 16th November 2015 during the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey. The three Presidents were discussing the Action Plan to tackle the Refugees and Migrants Crisis.

      According to the memo, the bargain was hard and Turkey demanded 30 billion euro from the European Union in order to refrain from sending refugees and migrants to Europe through Greece.

      EU’s offer was 3 billion euro in two years, but Erdogan demanded 3 billion euro per year.

      In addition, Ankara threatened, that if the EU does not link the refugee issue to Turkey’s EU accession then it would:

      1. Send buses full of refugees to Europe via Greece and Bulgaria and will let 10,000-15,000 refugees drown on its shores.

      2. Turkey does not accept the 3 billion euro for two years he had agreed with and wants 3 billion a year at least, otherwise there will be no agreement.

      3. Requests opening all accession funds soon and non instructions from the European Commission.

      4. The European Commission deliberately delayed the publication of Turkey’s progress report, at the same Erdogan’s request to help him win the election.

      Overwhelmed with arrogance Erdogan complains that the EU treated Turkey like a fool for 53 years and did not allow it to become full EU member, he compares a country like Luxembourg with the size of small Turkish town.

      He also claimed that “Greece received 400 billion euro from Europe” during the economic crisis and that in fact Turkey should get a huge amount of money too. The two EU Officials told him, not to compare the Greek economic crisis with the refugee crisis. He claimed that the 3 billion euro will go for the refugees and not for Turkey.

      The three-party meeting ended without an agreement.

      What is worth noting is that neither Juncker, nor Tusk informed the other EU-member states about Turkey’s approach. Also the media covering the G20 summit were apparently told that “the ball was rolling”. but in fact there was a total media blackout on the EU-Turkey negotiations.

      And at the end of the EU-Turkey agreement and Action Plan …what? The EU is expected to start pouring to Turkey -as it seems – part of the 3 billion euro as of end of February or beginning of March.

      All we can do is to wait and see how Ankara will deal with the refugees and migrants.

      I suppose, the EU leaked this internal memo to the Greek media, after Turkey complained that it has not received any more yet.

      Copies of internal EU memo in English uploaded here.

      Official EU statement on EU-Turkey Agreement 29. Nov 2015 here. As we all know meanwhile, official statements tell half the truth. The other half is been revealed little by little. That’s why there is no transparency which time frame these 3 billion euro cover.

      PS I also suppose that Erdogan’s mind is stuck at the old US aid formula and (Truman Dogma) for Turkey and Greece. And he believes that Brussels operates in the same geopolitical way. But the red danger is gone and there is no Communist Russia anymore so that Turkey & Greece will need protection from.

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-08/we-can-put-refugees-buses-leaked-memo-shows-erdogan-blackmailed-europe-billions