Reader’s links for Feb. 22 – 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.

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

148 Replies to “Reader’s links for Feb. 22 – 2016”

    • Someone should really DO something about this calendar. Make a kind of digital Advents Calendar of it. My digital knowledge is very similar to what I know about cars: I drive them but wouldn’t know where you put the water in. So: Calling all Geeks: get creative!

      I LOVE the number 3 being a tad on the superstitious side…. so 333 can only be good…..on the other hand have you seen how the latest revealed Hilary Clinton email records reveal that Israel….aka DA YOOOS are mentioned even more often then in the Koran and we know they were mentioned more often in that instruction book than even in the “Mein Kampf”. So: would she be worse for Israel than Adolf Erdogan’s toy boy?

      Socialist Brownshirt Sanders is Jewish I hear, but WOW do you want him? So:
      What is your “dream team”?

      • I remember a case back in the early 1960s where the second in command of some American Nazi group was a Jew.

      • 333 – Struck a note: half the Beast down, now less than half every second.
        ~ ~ ~
        A good president of the US will be good for Israel. The commonalities aren’t identical, but they’re close enough.

        American Jews better pay attention to America – that goes for both the USA and Canada. Israelis are increasingly worried about them, as for all Diaspora Jews.

        I’m thinking of your “Jewish Mama” video, Rita. Every time I watch it I cry, so does everyone I show it to.

        A child grows up – a fragile little thing, but good bones and rough living, does the folks proud.

        Then something happens – maybe loses her savings to a con-man, or a slip-and-fall, or hit-and-run.

        The child looks back – all of a sudden Mom’s the one who seems to need a little help. She’s forgetting things – how to protect herself, sometimes she doesn’t even recognize her own children.

        Am Israel Chai – the people of Israel live.
        Not for the sake of the Diaspora remnant, although that’s certainly been part of the modern Zionist enterprise. Sometimes in spite of the American who self-identifies as ‘Jew’ to burnish liberal credentials.

        Israel will be there and continue to thrive. G-d willing. That’s what really matters, anyway.

    • Do you two still want to watch X-Files on the net? If so here is a place where you don’t have to know much about computers to be able to:

      http://www.vumoo.ch/tv/play/watch-the-x-files-86914

      This starts with Season 1 Episone 1 and goes through to the latest, after a new one airs wait a couple of days and it will be posted.

      If you want to know more have Eeyore send me your email addresses.

      • Sensational! Great!
        ^u^
        OT: A Treat for You – some of the back story I must’ve told you already, but here’s a quick pass.

        Franco and Salazar had a deal with Mussolini and Hitler to give visas to Sephardim who could prove Iberian descent. Those who had sojourned in Turkish lands – the vast majority – were specifically excluded.

        An Italian cousin found evidence from 12th century court documents. They’d been diplomats of some sort, perhaps having come to Iberia as citizens of the Roman Empire. Spain was delighted to welcome him and his entire extended family.

        Especially since they brought much of their considerable fortune in gold.

        After the war they met their Yankee family, a touching reunion after a separation of hundreds of years. Religious scholars amongst them had exchanged letters arguing abstruse theology for much of that time.

        Here’s the “first in a new series showcasing the stories of Sephardic refugees during the 20th century”. This one brings together Hungary, Rhodes, Seattle and more.

        The Tale of Sephardic Seattle’s Refugee Rabbi

        Born in Hungary in 1887, Isidore Kahan embarked on a successful rabbinic career, eventually taking a position as rabbi of Gorizia, Italy. His subsequent peregrinations reflect the rapidly changing fate of Italian Jewry between the world wars, as Ty Alhadeff writes:

        In December 1928, the governor [of the isle of Rhodes, then under Italian rule], Mario Lago, established the Collegio Rabbinico. Mussolini personally intervened to ensure that funds [originally] directed to the [rabbinic] seminary in Rome went to Rhodes in order to spread Italianità, Italian culture, to the Italian colonies—even among Jews. Within months, Rabbi Kahan was recruited by the Italian government to be the administrator and head teacher of the Rhodes [rabbinic] seminary. . . .

        The school educated approximately 25 to 30 students who came from Izmir, Aleppo, Beirut, Sarajevo, Cairo, and Ethiopia to study in this modern yeshiva. . . .

        Kahan served in the Rhodes seminary until 1933, when he was hired as a pulpit rabbi in Rome, a position he held until 1939. However, as the tide in Europe turned, Kahan worked tirelessly to save his family from impending doom.

        With the help of American Jewish contacts, Kahan fled to Seattle, where he became the rabbi of a Rhodesli synagogue.

        http://jewishstudies.washington.edu/digital-sephardic-treasures/seattle-refugee-rabbi/

        • The next time Eeyore and I start refering to the UFO believers ideas you can click on home and find ancient laiens (all 8 years of it) that at some point will talk about everything we have commented on. Warning these shows are composed of 90 to 99% Bull S—.

  3. Amid Gang Rapes, Europeans Unsure: Blame Victims Or Israel? (Satire)

    As a trend of sexual assaults on women continues, perpetrated by groups of immigrant men from Muslim countries, disagreement has arisen among European politicians, journalists, and pundits regarding whom to blame for the phenomenon: the victims themselves or Israel.

    Sharp differences of opinion have surfaced in recent months over the triggers for the many dozens of rapes – several of them gang rapes – across Western Europe at the hands of the Muslim immigrants. Strident assertions that the women could have avoided being raped had they dressed more modestly are competing with a powerful, reflexive desire to blame Israel or Jews for all ill phenomena.

    A survey of media and commentary on the Continent and in Britain found no statistically significant difference in size between the two schools of thought, though certain industries were more likely to blame one or the other, said Dutch political observer Dr. Skejp Goot. “Among politicians, the trend overwhelmingly favors blaming Israel,” he explained. “That holds true in Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, and Britain, and to a slightly lesser extent in France and Belgium.”

    “By the same token,” he continued, “journalists, social activists, and commentators are much more prone to accuse the women of inviting or provoking the rapes by not dressing according to the mores of the societies in which the perpetrators were raised. That trend was more pronounced across Scandinavia, but less so elsewhere.”

    http://www.preoccupiedterritory.com/amid-gang-rapes-europeans-unsure-blame-victims-or-israel/

  5. Bangladesh Police Raid Dhaka Homes, Find at Least 20 Bombs (abcnews, Feb 22, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bangladesh-police-raid-dhaka-homes-find-20-bombs-37106066

    “Bangladesh police seized at least 20 bombs and bomb-making materials and arrested two suspected members of a banned radical Islamist group in a series of weekend raids, an official said Monday.

    Authorities have been under pressure to crack down on radical groups after attacks on foreigners and minorities last year raised concern about rising extremism in the secular South Asian nation.

    The deputy inspector general of Dhaka police, Monirul Islam, said police arrested two members of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team group during raids on at least four homes in the capital and its outskirts. He said some people were seen fleeing from the houses.

    The raids yielded information that led officers to another home in the capital where they found 20 “powerful bombs” and bomb-making materials, he said. Most of the bombs were later defused.

    Islam said the bombs likely belonged to Ansarullah Bangla Team members who used the top floor of the home as an arsenal. However, two other police officers said on condition of anonymity that it was unclear who used the home and who possessed the explosives.

    Police did not allow reporters to enter the raided homes.

    Ansarullah Bangla Team is accused of killing several secular bloggers. The government banned the group in 2015.”

  6. Turkish Court Charges 14 in Connection With Ankara Attack (abcnews, Feb 22, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkish-court-charges-14-connection-ankara-attack-37106134

    “Turkey’s state-run agency says a court has charged 14 people in connection with last week’s suicide car bombing in Ankara and ordered them jailed pending trial. Seven others were released without charge.

    Anadolu Agency said Monday the 14 are suspected of aiding a terror organization, forging official documents and fraud. It wasn’t immediately clear what part they had in the Feb. 17 attack, which targeted buses carrying military personnel and killed 28 people.

    A Turkey-based Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government insists it was carried out by a U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia group in collaboration with Turkey’s own Kurdish rebels.

    Turkey is pressing the U.S. to halt support to the group, which is a key force in the battle against the Islamic State group.”

  7. EUROPE DISINTEGRATES: Now Germany threatens SANCTIONS against EU states over migrant chaos (express, Feb 22, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/645778/European-Union-EU-Germany-Angela-Merkel-migrants-Brexit

    “A CAVERNOUS division opened up between Germany and the rest of Europe after Angela Merkel’s right-hand man threatened sanctions against EU members who fail to control the migrant influx.

    Germany’s interior minister Thomas de Maiziere vowed revenge on fellow states over their part in the refugee chaos, accusing the rest of Europe of trying to “shift the collective problem onto our back”.

    The extreme outburst highlighted the huge rifts opening up between European countries as the Brussels project lurches closer to collapse under the pressure of unprecedented migration.

    Europe has been paralysed by indecision and bitter infighting over who should take the blame for the current refugee crisis, which has seen millions of people from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa arrive in the continent.

    And yesterday Germany – which has descended into chaos after taking in by far the most migrants – finally snapped and issued an extraordinary rebuke to fellow member states.

    In a furious outburst Mr de Maiziere said: “We will continue to fight for a European way out of the refugee crisis as long as it also promises to be successful in diminishing the number of refugees.

    “However, should some countries try to unilaterally shift the collective problem onto the back of Germany, it would be unacceptable and would not be without consequences from our side in the long term.”

    His comments could be construed as a thinly-veiled swipe at neighbours Austria, which has introduced a highly controversial cap on the number of asylum seekers it will accept each day.

    Most migrants arriving in Europe via Greece or Italy immediately travel north, heading towards Germany, Austria, Sweden and Britain…”

  12. Russia to request permission to fly planes with enhanced digital cameras over US
    Published February 22, 2016 Associated Press
    Facebook59 Twitter0 livefyre51 Email Print

    WASHINGTON – Russia will ask permission on Monday to start flying surveillance planes equipped with high-powered digital cameras amid warnings from U.S. intelligence and military officials that such overflights help Moscow collect intelligence on the United States.

    Russia and the United States are signatories to the Open Skies Treaty, which allows unarmed observation flights over the entire territory of all 34 member nations to foster transparency about military activity and help monitor arms control and other agreements. Senior intelligence and military officials, however, worry that Russia is taking advantage of technological advances to violate the spirit of the treaty.

    Russia will formally ask the Open Skies Consultative Commission, based in Vienna, to be allowed to fly an aircraft equipped with high-tech sensors over the United States, according to a senior congressional staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the staff member wasn’t authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

    http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/02/22/russia-to-request-permission-to-fly-planes-with-enhanced-digital-cameras-over-us.html

  13. Crowd CHEERS as German migrant hostel is burned out – and even try to stop firefighters battling the blaze

    A crowd is reported to have cheered as a building designated to house migrants in Germany was burnt out in a suspected arson.

    The blaze in the town of Bautzen early this morning caused serious damage to the former hotel which was being converted.

    Cops claim onlookers tried to prevent firefighters from tackling the blaze.

    Officers said members of the crowd took “unashamed delight” in watching the fire.

    Two drunken men were arrested after they refused to leave the scene, the BBC reports.

    The converted hotel was supposed to house 300 migrants.

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/crowd-cheers-german-migrant-hostel-7413632

    • German government condemns ‘cowardly’ anti-migrant mob

      The German government Monday condemned the “cold-hearted and cowardly” mob that tried to stop a bus from taking migrants to a shelter for asylum seekers, calling the ugly episode “deeply shameful”.

      About 100 people in the Saxony town of Clausnitz shouted “We are the people” and tried to block the bus carrying about 20 asylum-seekers on Thursday night.

      The images captured on video, which show some terrified migrants crying, have gone viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage.

      “I want to say on behalf of the chancellor and the entire government that what happened in Clausnitz is deeply shameful,” said Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert.

      “How cold-hearted and cowardly one must be to stand in front of a bus with refugees and shout with the aim of frightening the passengers, including women and children,” he said, calling for a “clear response from government institutions and the majority of citizens”.

      Seibert also said that individuals must stand up against racism and xenophobia.

      “This is not something that we can solve with rules from Berlin. It is something that we must, as a society, take a clear stance on. That’s something that we can do. That’s something that each of you can do,” he told a press conference.

      Germany, which received 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, has recorded a rise in the number of attacks against migrant shelters.

      The former communist east in particularly has seen a disproportionate number of far-right hate crimes.

      http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/188240/World/Region/German-government-condemns-cowardly-antimigrant-mo.aspx

  14. Across Europe, gay migrants face abuse in asylum shelters

    BERLIN (AP) — Alaa Ammar fled Syria to escape not just civil war but also the threat of persecution as a gay man. Yet when he arrived in The Netherlands last spring, he did not find the safe haven he craved.

    He and four other gay travelers had to face newly arrived asylum seekers at a migrant center in the remote northern town of Ter Apel.

    “After five minutes, they started looking. After 10 minutes, they started to talk. After one hour, they came to us,” said Ammar, a slender 28-year-old in tight jeans and with a diamond-like stud in each ear. “After three hours, they started fighting with us.”

    Across Europe, gay, lesbian and transgender migrants say they suffer from verbal, physical and sexual abuse in refugee shelters, and some have been forced to move out. The AP found out about scores of documented cases in The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, with the abuse usually coming from fellow refugees and sometimes security staff and translators.

    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9eece103e37c43fba6593e9fc97f1413/across-europe-gay-migrants-face-abuse-asylum-shelters

    • Shelter for 120 gay refugees to open in Berlin

      Berlin (AFP) – Germany will on Tuesday open a shelter for homosexual refugees with space for more than 120 people, the association behind the project said.

      Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Marcel de Groot, who runs the Schwulenberatung advisory centre which is responsible for the project, said the Berlin shelter will house gay, lesbian and transsexual migrants.

      Many gay asylum seekers come from countries where their sexual orientation “is considered a crime,” de Groot said.

      The discrimination, with verbal and physical violence, often continues in Germany as they are targeted by other refugees or even security personnel, he said.

      “There are stories of violence in shelters in Berlin,” which are often crowded and offer little privacy, he said, stressing that people must be able to “live without fear of violence or discrimination”.

      A smaller centre with space for eight gay refugees opened on February 1 in the southern city of Nuremberg, the first of its kind in Germany.

      Many gay asylum seekers do not report insults or attacks to police out of fear “it will have a negative influence on their asylum process,” said Stephan Jaekel, one of the project leaders.

      “The fear is unbearable — I know, I’ve been there,” said Mahmoud Hassino, a Syrian journalist and gay rights activist who now works for the advisory centre.

      The gay and lesbian association of Berlin and Brandenburg said it received 95 reports of assaults on gay and lesbian migrants in the capital and surrounding state of Brandenburg between August and December last year.

      Germany keeps no national statistics on crimes against sexual minorities in migrant centres.

      http://news.yahoo.com/shelter-120-gay-refugees-open-berlin-173802005.html

      • Historical note, the Brown Shirts grew out of the German Marching societies which were gay groups much like NAMBLA except for the adults being in much better shape. They evolved into the Brown Shirts who were over 90% homosexual and were suppressed because theit leader Ernst Rhom was a political threat to Hitler and not because of their sexual preference. Many of the Black Shites (the SS) officers were also homosexual. Their was a large percentage of the camp guards that were homosexual also, the only homosexuals that were put into the camps were the lesbians and the feminine males. The camp guards pulled as many young boys out of line to be used as sex toys as they did teen and younger girls.These are facts of history the left doesn’t want us to know.

          • Once I was in an Army Surplus store looking for something and some collage kids were in there commenting on Hitler had hatred for the Homosexuals. I started my lecture on the Brown Shirts, the kids objected and the owner of the store told them to shut up they were being taught real history as opposed to politically correct bull.

          • Speaking of degenrate scum most people don’t know that it was the Nazi’s that started the free love movement. They did this to ensure more births of “Aryan” babies.

  15. The Obama Administration Wants to Make Sure Non-Citizens Vote in the Upcoming Election

    Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/431676/obama-administration-enabling-noncitizen-voting

    Several well-funded organizations — including the League of Women Voters and the NAACP — are fighting efforts to prevent non-citizens from voting illegally in the upcoming presidential election. And the United States Department of Justice, under the direction of Attorney General Loretta Lynch, is helping them. On February 12, these groups filed a lawsuit in D.C. federal court seeking to reverse a recent decision by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The Commission’s decision allows Kansas and other states, including Arizona and Georgia, to enforce state laws ensuring that only citizens register to vote when they use a federally designed registration form. An initial hearing in the case is set for Monday afternoon, February 22. Under federal law, the EAC is responsible for designing the federal voter-registration form required by the National Voter Registration Act, or Motor Voter, as it is commonly called. While states must register voters who use the federal form, states can ask the EAC to include instructions with the federal form about additional state registration requirements. Some states are now requiring satisfactory proof of citizenship to ensure that only citizens register to vote.

  16. U.S. Scrambles to Contain Growing ISIS Threat in Libya

    THIES, Senegal — The Islamic State’s branch in Libya is deepening its reach across a wide area of Africa, attracting new recruits from countries like Senegal that had been largely immune to the jihadist propaganda — and forcing the African authorities and their Western allies to increase efforts to combat the fast-moving threat.

    The American airstrikes in northwestern Libya on Friday, which demolished an Islamic State training camp and were aimed at a top Tunisian operative, underscore the problem, Western officials said. The more than three dozen suspected Islamic State fighters killed in the bombing were recruited from Tunisia and other African countries, officials said, and were believed to be rehearsing an attack against Western targets.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/world/africa/us-scrambles-to-contain-growing-isis-threat-in-libya.html

  17. China signals no South China Sea backdown as foreign minister goes to U.S.

    BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, striking a combative tone ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the United States this week.

    The United States last week accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island, a move China has neither confirmed nor denied.

    Asked whether the South China Sea, and the missiles, would come up when Wang is in the United States to meet Secretary of State John Kerry, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Washington should not use the issue of military facilities on the islands as a “pretext to make a fuss”.

    “The U.S. is not involved in the South China Sea dispute, and this is not and should not become a problem between China and the United States,” Hua told a daily news briefing.

    China hopes the U.S. abides by its promises not to take sides in the dispute and stop “hyping up” the issue and tensions, especially over China’s “limited” military positions there, she said.

    “China’s deploying necessary, limited defensive facilities on its own territory is not substantively different from the United States defending Hawaii,” Hua added.

    http://www.oann.com/china-signals-no-south-china-sea-backdown-as-foreign-minister-goes-to-u-s/

    • China wants the US to shut up and let them take over the far east, the problem they have is that both Japan and India have martial traditions that are thousands of years old. Also India has nuclear weapons and Japan has the capabilities of producing nuclear weapons in a rather short time (under statement) and both have launch vehicles that can reach all of China and all of the disputed Islands and reefs. They think they can overpower both and probably at the same time if the US stays out of the fight. What they aren’t sure of is what ill the US high command do if there is no clear order from DC to do nothing. Even they have to worry about some Admiral going rogue and defending our friends even when ordered not to.

        • China is getting ready for a major showdown one that many in the US see coming but one that we aren’t ready for. This is why I keep saying we will have a crash rebuild of the military and will probably reinstate the draft.

  18. TURKEY – Daily: Turkish border officers cooperate with ISIL

    Wiretapped telephone calls between a leading figure from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and several members of the Turkish military reveal cooperation between ISIL and the Turkish military in letting smugglers cross the Turkey-Syria border, a report by a Turkish daily has alleged.

    Documents prepared by a prosecutor’s office contain a large number of transcripts of “friendly” telephone communications between military officers and Mustafa Demir, the ISIL member in charge of Turkey’s Syria border, the Cumhuriyet daily said on Monday.

    The prosecutor’s documents reportedly say Turkish military officers also met with Demir on the border. The ISIL leader is indicated in the documents as the person behind the transportation of bombs from Syria to Turkey.

    “The transcripts and the documents in the investigation revealed that Demir received money — purportedly for zakat [alms] — from smugglers at the border and cooperated with the officers as far as [border] crossings are concerned,” the report stated.

    The Turkish government has long been accused by the opposition of turning a blind eye to ISIL’s activities in Turkey as well as of having helped ISIL in fighting against the Syrian government.

    According to the report, the documents in question are from a file in an ongoing court case on ISIL at the Ankara 3rd High Criminal Court.

    The issues alleged in the case came to light because of an investigation launched following information given by six Turkish citizens whose relatives joined ISIL, the report said.

    Upon the application by the relatives, monitoring of the communications of 19 people started, and a prosecutor named Derda Gökmen reportedly filed a claim against 27 suspects.

    Demir, who is currently in Syria, and Ilhami Bali, another leading ISIL figure, are among the suspects, the daily said.

    Noting Bali is the person who gave the order for Turkey’s deadliest ever suicide bomb attack in Ankara in October of last year, the report said Demir had also previously come to public attention due to his close links to Bal?.

    According to the report, the prosecutor, on the grounds that the transcripts also indicated a crime other than the one he was pursuing, launched yet another investigation on the link between ISIL terrorists and the Turkish military.

    The prosecutor then reportedly, due to legal incompetence, referred the new investigation file to the prosecutor’s office of the Gaziantep 5th Armored Brigade Command.

    The report also said the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office had previously claimed, after some reports appeared in media outlets such as Cumhuriyet, that the phone calls are between military officers and smugglers, not ISIL members.

    Below are transcripts of some phone calls Demir reportedly had with members of the Turkish military based on the investigation file.

    Date: Nov. 25, 2014; 8:26 p.m.

    A.A.: Was that you, the ones with a torch?

    Mustafa: Well, with a little torch, where are you big brother? At the place where I told you to be?

    A.A.: Yeah. We also saw you, your men…

    Mustafa: Is it possible for you to arrange that I talk with the commander here, regarding the business here? What if we could establish a contact here as we helped you…

    A.A.: Okay. If there are any needs [as far as your request is concerned], [tell them] to inform me here.

    Mustafa: If it will be enough to contact you [to settle the issue], no problem.

    A.A.: I’ll pass this now. I have two military posts [at the border] there. If worse comes to worst, I’ll tell that to the commander of the station and have him take a look…

    **** ****
    Time: 7:12 p.m.

    Communication made by the telephone registered in the name of A.B.

    A.B.: We’re where you gave [him] the vehicle, we are in the mine [field]. We’ve put on a light. We have stuff; come here from that side, the men are here…

    Mustafa: Okay, big brother, [I’m] coming.

    A.B.: Come urgently; I’m in the mine [field] with a torch. Come running.

    Mustafa: Well, big brother, is it the place where I gave First Lieutenant Burak a car?

    A.B.: Yeah, just a little further down from that place. Our two vehicles are on the Turkish side [of the border].

    Mustafa: Okay.

    A.B.: We are also in the mine.

    Mustafa: I’ll right be there, big brother.

    http://www.todayszaman.com/national_daily-turkish-border-officers-cooperate-with-isil_412973.html

    • Turkish, Saudi defense firms form joint venture

      State-owned Turkish and Saudi defense companies have founded a joint company to work on the field of defense electronics.

      The Saudi Arabian Defense Electronics Company was founded with the joint efforts of ASELSAN, a Turkish Armed Forces Foundation company, and TAQNIA Defense and Security Technologies (DST), a subsidiary of Saudi development and investment company.

      The sides have an even share of 50 percent over the company established in Saudi Arabia as a limited company which will work to operate in the field of radar, electronic warfare and electro-optic technologies.

      The joint venture will enable for the design, development, production and sales of products in these fields and thus will supply not only Saudi Arabia’s but also the region’s needs.

      The agreement to found the Saudi Arabian Defense Electronics Company was undersigned by Hamad al-Yousefi, the chief executive officer of TAQNIA DST, and Mustafa Murat Seker, the chairman of ASELSAN.

      Saudi Arabia’s Prince Dr. Turki bin Saud bin Mohammad al-Saud, president of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), and Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) head ?smail Demir also signed the agreement as witnesses for the joint venture. High-level state officials were also present during the signing of the company’s foundation.

      Commenting on the foundation of the joint company, the KACST president said, “We are making an important investment for the establishment of this world class facility which will improve our country’s human resources, economic growth and development.”

      “The important cooperation between the two countries over defense industries will contribute to the development of Saudi Arabia’s technologic innovation capacity,” he added.

      Stating that the formation of the company would contribute to the strategic cooperation between the two countries, Demir said it would also help enhance regional peace and stability.

      “This agreement will contribute significantly to the strategic cooperation the two countries are conducting in the fields of defense, economics and investment,” Demir said.

      “The important partnership established between Turkey and Saudi Arabia will play a serious role in enhancing the region’s security, stability and peace,” he added.

      Turkey and Saudi Arabia have recently increased their cooperation on defense issues.

      Lastly, Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar’s visit to Saudi Arabia coincided with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s official visit to the country late January.

      Four F-16 fighter jet belonging to Saudi Arabia were reportedly sent to Turkey to provide support in the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fight, Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz said on Feb. 14.

      http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-saudi-defense-firms-form-joint-venture.aspx?pageID=238&nID=95490&NewsCatID=345

  20. IS frees Syrian Christians held since 2015 for ransom

    BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday released the last of some 230 Assyrian Christians kidnapped a year ago in Syria after the receiving millions of dollars in ransom, Christian officials said.

    Younan Talia, of the Assyrian Democratic Organization, told The Associated Press that about 40 remaining Christian captives were released early Monday and are on their way to the northeastern town of Tal Tamr.

    Younan said the release came after mediation led by a top Assyrian priest in northern Syria.

    The extremists captured the Assyrians, members of an ancient Christian sect, last February after overrunning several communities on the southern bank of the Khabur River in northeastern Hassakeh province.

    Kidnapping for ransom is a main source of income for the extremists. In November, IS said it killed a Norwegian and a Chinese captive after demanding ransom for their release two months earlier.

    Talia said IS demanded a ransom of $18 million for the Assyrian Christians. He said the figure was later lowered following negotiations. He said he did not know the final amount.

    Osama Edward, director of the Stockholm-based Assyrian Human Rights Network, said 42 Christians, mostly young women and children, were released. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said 42 were released, including at least 17 women.

    A Syrian Christian figure said the worldwide Assyrian community launched a campaign for the captives’ release shortly after they were abducted. He said a bank account was opened in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and donations began to flow in from around the world.

    “We paid large amounts of money, millions of dollars, but not $18 million,” said the man, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the sensitive mediation. “We paid less than half the amount.”

    The official added that the fate of five Assyrians who went missing during the abductions was still unknown.

    IS attacked a cluster of villages along the Khabur River, sending thousands of people fleeing to safer areas and capturing the Assyrians over a period of three days. Over the next two days, the extremists picked up dozens more from 11 communities near Tal Tamr.

    The Hassakeh province, which borders Turkey and Iraq, has become the latest battleground in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria. It is predominantly Kurdish but also has Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians.

    On Friday, the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces captured the IS stronghold of Shaddadeh in Hassakeh, where some of the kidnapped were once believed to have been held.

    Many Syrian Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Syria’s pre-war population of 23 million, left for Europe over the past 20 years, with the flight gathering speed since the country’s conflict began in March 2011.

    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fb20f22a578e4902a36dd583fce58555/frees-last-group-syrian-christians-abducted-2015

  21. The police respond

    When a Violent Gang Terrorized Their Community, These Cops Sent a Message –

    In the last few months, the news cycle has been chock full of stories about police being targeted and killed in the line of duty. The good men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us have too often paid with their lives.

    One Louisiana Police Department is letting criminals know they won’t be victims. Via The Radicals:

    In Louisiana, a violent street gang called the “Gremlins” has been terrorizing local residents.

    The police department has had enough and they decided to put together a video to be shared online that reaffirms the fact that these criminals have nowhere to hide.

    – See more at: http://americanactionnews.com/articles/when-a-violent-gang-terrorized-their-community-these-cops-sent-a-message#sthash.OLzUhoyh.dpuf

    video at site, in my opinion this is a must see video. Especially if you think the real men have left the nation.

    • Christians Under Threat in German Refugee Centers
      Clergy members in Germany warn that Christians in asylum centers are under assault by Muslim migrants.

      Clergy members in Germany are warning that Muslim migrants are threatening Christians in asylum centers.

      “Concern is growing that politicians and the authorities might not be taking such threats seriously enough. Christian persecution is not a topic of bygone ages,” Archbishop of Cologne Cardinal Rainer Woelki said in a speech on Febraury 20. He supports German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “Open Door” immigration policy.

      Woelki demanded Germany speak out for religious freedom rights. Last month, Woelki, along with a long list of well-known Cologne citizens, signed and published a “Letter from Cologne,” accusing German authorities and politicians of deliberating covering up the origins of the immigrant gangs who sexually harassed, assaulted and stole from German women on New Year’s Eve in front of Cologne’s central train station, as well as numerous other locations.

      http://www.clarionproject.org/news/christian-under-threat-german-refugee-centers

  23. Up to 5,000 Trained Jihadis Slip Back Into Europe
    Meanwhile, in Hungary, the central bank purchased 112 handguns and 200,000 rounds of ammunition for its security forces.

    As many as 5,000 trained jihadis are believed to be living freely in Europe today, according to the head of the European Union’s policing agency Europol.

    Agency head Ron Wainwright said between 3,000 and 5,000 jihadis who have trained with the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in the Middle East have been able to slip back into Europe.

    “Europe is currently facing the highest terror threat in more than 10 years,” Wainwright said, speaking to the Germany newspaper Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung. “We can expect [ISIS] or other religious terror groups to stage an attack somewhere in Europe with the aim of achieving mass casualties among the civilian population.”

    However, Wainwright said reports that the Islamic State is using the refugee/migrant crisis to sneak jihadis into Europe have been exaggerated.

    “There is no concrete evidence terrorists are systematically using the flow of refugees to infiltrate Europe,” he commented.

  24. Hundreds of migrants cut through Hungary’s border fence over past days

    Police detained 501 migrants over the weekend who cut their way through Hungary’s steel border fence, the highest number since Hungary sealed off its southern borders in mid-October.

    Prime Minister Viktor Orban has boosted his public support with a tough stance on migration. His right-wing government has put up a fence on the borders with Serbia and Croatia to keep out the mostly Middle Eastern migrants.

    The fence diverted the flow of migrants away from Hungary toward Croatia and Slovenia last year when hundreds of thousands crossed the Balkans en route to Austria and western Europe.

    However, as the weather improved in recent weeks, the number of migrants increased, and more began to cut through the fence despite a heavy police presence.

    Not everyone jumps the fence, which is a crime in Hungary. On Monday a group of 20 to 30 migrants approaching from Serbia ran into dozens of police and soldiers patrolling the border near the town of Morahalom.

    The migrants just headed to the nearest border station along the fence’s Serbian side, shadowed by police in Hungary.

    After a while, they sat down and asked for water, cigarettes and food across the fence.

    “We don’t find a job,” said a man who said he was Moroccan.

    “Six days no food, three days no water, four days no sleep,” added another one, from Algeria.

    Orban said Hungary would not let in any migrants who are not eligible for asylum. Those who are caught cutting the fence go to court and are expelled.

    Orban told parliament on Monday that the biggest achievement of last week’s EU summit was that European leaders finally said external borders of the Schengen Area had to be protected.

    “The protection of the southern borders (of the EU) became possible… and if the Austrians keep their word, and other countries on the Balkans route also act as they announced, it will be also easier to protect Hungary’s southern borders.”

    Orban reiterated Hungary would strengthen its fence and may extend it towards Romania if needed.

    Austria has set a daily limit of 3,200 migrants arrivals and 80 asylum claims. Slovenia has erected a fence on its southern border with Croatia to ensure that migrants can only enter the country through official border crossings.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-hungary-fence-idUSKCN0VV1ES

  25. Child Survivors: Eye Witnesses to the ISIS Massacre at Sinjar
    We translate a CNN Arabic video documenting a massacre of Yazidi women and children by the Islamic State in the city of Sinjar in northern Iraq.

    WARNING: There are graphic images in this item:

    The following is a translation of a CNN Arabic video documenting the massacre of Yazidi women and children by the Islamic State in the city of Sinjar:

    Nearly two months after the liberation of Sinjar, the way to the city is still heavily guarded.

    The mayor of Sinjar escorted us, to see what is left of his city

    When the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) invaded the Yazidi area, this way was filled with men, women and children, which were gathered from nearly villages.

    The mayor took us to the other side of the sand dunes, where ISIS massacred so many Yazidis.

    http://www.clarionproject.org/news/child-survivors-eye-witnesses-isis-massacre-sinjar

  26. ‘Anti-Racism’ Campaigner Gets Taste of His Own Medicine
    Prominent UK “anti-racism” campaigner Nick Lowles was branded an “Islamophobe,” a tactic he himself used to smear The Clarion Project.

    Nick Lowles, the director of Hope Not Hate, claims to have been denied an invitation to speak at a conference on anti-racism on the grounds he is “Islamophobic.”

    Hope Not Hate bills itself as having the remit to “investigate, expose and campaign against the activities of the far right and other promoters of hate in Britain and Internationally [sic],” seeking to achieve this via “engagement plans, training and educational services.”

    Lowles says he was “no-platformed” by the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK. He posted an angry rant on his Facebook page stating a group called ‘Black Students’ within the NUS opposed a prospective invitation to speak at an anti-racism conference on the grounds of his being “islamophobic [sic].”

    This is the latest in a string of high-profile, “no-platforming” incidents in the UK.

    “Now we have a culture in which allegations with little or no evidence silence people,” the executive director of non-partisan think tank Agora, Robbie Travers told Clarion Project. “This is not helpful for tackling prejudice, nor does it tackle hateful ideas, which proliferate without us being able to honestly tackle them.”

    http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/uks-nick-lowles-falls-his-own-tactics-branded-islamophobe

  27. Five Short Stories: The Terror of Being a Christian in Pakistan
    Christians in Pakistan can face horrific abuse and discrimination by their Muslim neighbors as well as the authorities.

    Christians in Pakistan can face horrific abuse and discrimination by their Muslim neighbors as well as the authorities. Common tactics included making false charge of blasphemy, a crime for which, if convicted, entails the death penalty. Christian women are often abducted, raped and/or forcibly married. Their families usually never see them again. The following are a sample of incidents that illustrate the perils of being a Christian in Pakistan today:

    Blasphemy Charges Condemn Parents to Death

    A Christian couple, parents of four children, was booked on charges of sending blasphemous text messages to an Islamic cleric. Both have been given the death sentence. Authorities Shagufta Kausar (left) and her husband Shafqat Emmanuel Masih who were accused of blasphemy in PakistanShagufta Kausar (left) and her husband Shafqat Emmanuel Masih who were accused of blasphemy in Pakistanclaim the number on the SIM card was registered to the husband.

    However, the couple says the phone, along with the SIM card, was lost in early 2013. An official with World Vision in Progress, an organization defending the couple, says the only evidence of the “crime” the authorities have is a bill for a SIM card from an unknown shop.

    The husband, who is paralyzed from the waist down, admitted to the crime under severe torture. “There is no man who can stand to see his wife being tortured by police, so to save my wife, I confessed,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the husband has developed live-threatening bed sores in the jail where he is being held and fears that he may not survive the ordeal.

    http://www.clarionproject.org/news/pakistan-today-perils-and-terror-being-christian

  32. The Rise of Intolerant Liberals

    Why have liberals become so intolerant? They think nothing of denying someone as prominent as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from speaking on a college campus. They embrace activists who shut down speakers. They publicly shame people for the slightest deviation from liberal orthodoxy.

    Their mindset is the very definition of closed-mindedness.

    For them everything from science to the law is “settled” once they get into power. Progress is a one-way street. Their mindset is the very definition of closed-mindedness.

    The easy answer would be “they are all bad people.” But frankly that’s a cop-out. Not all liberals are bad people, any more than all conservatives are angels. No doubt among the fevered minions of liberal activists there are people with, shall we say, psychological issues, but that doesn’t explain why so many otherwise reasonable people are so beholden to liberalism as an ideology.

    http://dailysignal.com/2016/02/18/the-rise-of-intolerant-liberals/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonu6zLe%2B%2FhmjTEU5z16u0pX6WwgIkz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTcdjMrzYDBceEJhqyQJxPr3NLtQN191pRhLiDA%3D%3D

  33. No, Women Should Not Be Included in the Draft

    The question of drafting America’s young daughters is finally making the average voter consider the real implications of fully integrating the combat arms. The large majority of the population may have little or no connection to the military and therefore no concept of what’s at stake, until now. They’ve simply supported the idea because they support women generally, and think it’ll be their choice.

    The question of drafting America’s young daughters is finally making the average voter consider the real implications of fully integrating the combat arms.

    Drafting women is a bad idea because putting women into combat units is a bad idea on a myriad of fronts from degraded combat readiness to skyrocketing injuries, risk, expense, and danger to the long-term medical bill and increased casualties. We always need men to fight whereas drafting women is totally unnecessary.

    Justifying a policy with such wide-ranging negative impacts based on the performance of a couple of women like the ones who graduated Ranger School is ludicrous. Having equal natural rights under the law does not mean men and women are the same. Combat is not an equal opportunity for women because they don’t have an equal opportunity to survive.

    http://dailysignal.com/2016/02/19/no-women-should-not-be-included-in-the-draft/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonu6zLe%2B%2FhmjTEU5z16u0pX6WwgIkz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTcdjMrzYDBceEJhqyQJxPr3NLtQN191pRhLiDA%3D%3D

    • When women are captured bearing arms by any nation other then European ones they are sexually molested generally by a gang rape.

      • If a woman want to serve in military she must be prepared for that. She must be prepared for the consequences of her decision. And many, if not the majority, of women who want to be in military do not understand that fact. They probably read too many “wonder woman” comics/manga

        • That is quite possible, another thing they don’t consider is that when you put healthy young men and healthy young women together the hormones flow, sexual triangles form and unit cohesion falls apart. This increases causalities on our side and can cost us the war. The feminists place all the blame on the men and say they should learn not to lust after women.

          • Ironically men are learning not to lust after women, mostly because of feminism. Lots and lots of men just cant be bothered. They get good jobs and buy cool stuff and do what they want with their lives. The only problem is it means total extinction for our culture. Other than that it works out fine.

            • There are a bunch of women who are opting out of the marriage, mommy tract and just find some man to have sex with when they feel the urg. Another track to the destruction of the culture, the good thing is that if we hang on long enough their philosophy will lead to its own destruction while those who stick to the traditional values will survive. This is how the abortion culture is disappearing from the US (slowly) because the non abortion people are out breeding and are passing their values on to the kids. Rush calls it the Roe effect.

  34. The Growing Threat of ISIS Unleashing a Weapon of Mass Destruction

    The apocalyptic ideology that propels the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) is by now well known. Much less widely known are the use of chemical weapons by ISIS in Iraq and Syria and the disappearance of radioactive materials in Iraq that could be used in a “dirty bomb,” a radiological weapon of mass destruction (WMD).

    Reuters reported the disappearance of 10 grams of a “highly dangerous” radioactive isotope used to test oil and gas pipelines in southern Iraq, which Iraqi authorities fear may have fallen into the hands of ISIS. The Iridium-192 material, classified as a Category 2 radioactive source, could permanently injure people exposed to it for only a few hours, or kill people exposed to it longer.

    The radioactive isotope was stolen in November from a storage facility in the southern city of al-Zubair, which is more than 300 miles away from ISIS-controlled territory. But ISIS has launched attacks nearby.

    Ten grams of radioactive material is not very much. But it could be added to other materials previously seized by the terrorist group. ISIS already had enough radioactive materials to arm a dirty bomb, according to Australian intelligence reports last June.

    http://dailysignal.com/2016/02/19/the-growing-threat-of-isis-unleashing-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonu6zLe%2B%2FhmjTEU5z16u0pX6WwgIkz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTcdjMrzYDBceEJhqyQJxPr3NLtQN191pRhLiDA%3D%3D

    • The missing radioacrtive material mentioned in the article has been found with the container unopened.

  35. Anti-Israel Poster Campaign Targets London Underground
    Anti-Israel activists have targeted the London Underground for a poster campaign marking what they call ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’.

    The self-described “wave of truth” alleges British-made arms were used to “massacre” Palestinians during Israel’s last operation against Hamas. An estimated 500 posters appeared on the transport network over the course of Sunday night under the banner ‘Apartheid is Great Britain’.

    Images circulating on social media reveal it is part of a four-poster campaign that is operating without official sanction from London Underground or Transport for London.
    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/02/22/anti-israel-poster-campaign-targets-london-underground/

  38. Iran has eaten Lebanon:
    Saudi Arabia Cancels $3 Billion Aid to Lebanon

    Saudi Arabia has suspended a $3 billion aid package to the Lebanese Army to buy French weapons, according to statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The kingdom also cancelled the remainder of $1 billion in aid it had earmarked for Lebanon’s internal security service.

    “This shows that there is a consideration from the kingdom that the Lebanese government has very little control over the country’s affairs, with Hizbullah and Iran having the majority control over affairs in Lebanon,” said Riad Kahwaji, CEO of the Institute for Gulf and Near East Military Analysis, a Dubai think tank. He also noted “Lebanon’s lack of support to Saudi Arabia in the international political arena like the Arab League where Lebanon has refused to support the Arab unanimous position condemning the attack on the Saudi Embassy in Iran.”

    Over the past eight and a half years Lebanon has received U.S. military aid worth $1 billion, said David Hale, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.

    http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2016/02/19/saudi-arabia-cancels-3b-aid-lebanon-french-weapons-deal-held/80602784/

  39. Martyrs? Desperate? Crazy? Palestinians struggle to define Palestinians who attack Israelis

    After five months of near-daily attacks against Israelis, Palestinian society struggles with how to describe the wave of knife, gun and vehicular attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Are the attacks helping the Palestinians get a state – or lose one?

    The aging, unpopular leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization are careful to neither openly support nor oppose the attacks. The Palestinian political class is wary of offending the international community, which has universally condemned the attacks. Palestinians struggle to explain how a Jewish mother of six stabbed to death in her kitchen is the same value target as an Israeli soldier with a gun at a checkpoint.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/martyrs-desperate-crazy-palestinians-struggle-to-define-palestinians-who-attack-israelis/2016/02/20/13dbf108-a364-11e5-8318-bd8caed8c588_story.html?postshare=6251456075556416&tid=ss_tw

  40. USA – State department – Cessation of Hostilities in Syria

    Press Statement
    John Kerry
    Secretary of State
    Washington, DC
    February 22, 2016

    I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms. If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people.

    Today’s agreement results from the committed diplomacy of many countries and groups, and I want to thank all those who worked diligently to bring it about, including the U.S. and Russian delegations and other members of the International Syria Support Group.

    We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead. Over the coming days, we will be working to secure commitments from key parties that they will abide by the terms of this cessation of hostilities and further develop modalities for monitoring and enforcement.

    This is a moment of promise, but the fulfillment of that promise depends on actions. All parties must meet their commitments under this agreement, ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and cease attacks on each other, including aerial bombardments. And all parties must remain committed over a period of time to make possible a political end to this conflict.

    As we move forward, we will remain vigilant to ensure that implementation achieves what we set out to do, which is to stop the violence and provide the space and the opportunity for a negotiated political transition, consistent with the Geneva Communique of 2012, that unites all Syrians who reject dictatorship and terrorism and want to build a new future for their country.

    http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/02/253117.htm

    ===============================================================

    • Joint Statement of the United States and the Russian Federation, as Co-Chairs of the ISSG, on Cessation of Hostilities in Syria

      Media Note
      Office of the Spokesperson
      Washington, DC
      February 22, 2016

      The United States of America and the Russian Federation, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and seeking to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis with full respect for the fundamental role of the United Nations, are fully determined to provide their strongest support to end the Syrian conflict and establish conditions for a successful Syrian-led political transition process, facilitated by the UN, in order to fully implement the Munich Statement of the ISSG on February 11th, 2016, UN Security Council Resolution 2254, the 2015 Vienna Statements and the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.

      In this regard, and in furtherance of the February 11th decisions of the ISSG, the United States and Russia, as co-chairs of the ISSG and ISSG Ceasefire Task Force, announce the adoption on February 22, 2016, of the Terms for a Cessation of Hostilities in Syria attached as an Annex to this statement, and propose that the cessation of hostilities commence at 00:00 (Damascus time) on February 27, 2016. The cessation of hostilities is to be applied to those parties to the Syrian conflict that have indicated their commitment to and acceptance of its terms. Consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the statements of the ISSG, the cessation of hostilities does not apply to “Daesh”, “Jabhat al-Nusra”, or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council.

      Any party engaged in military or para-military hostilities in Syria, other than “Daesh”, “Jabhat al-Nusra”, or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council will indicate to the Russian Federation or the United States, as co-chairs of the ISSG, their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on February 26, 2016. In order to implement the cessation of hostilities in a manner that promotes stability and protects those parties participating in it, the Russian Federation and the United States are prepared to work together to exchange pertinent information (e.g., aggregated data that delineates territory where groups that have indicated their commitment to and acceptance of the cessation of hostilities are active, and a focal point for each side, in order to ensure effective communication) and develop procedures necessary for preventing parties participating in the cessation of hostilities from being attacked by Russian Armed Forces, the U.S.-led Counter ISIL Coalition, the Armed Forces of the Syrian government and other forces supporting them, and other parties to the cessation of hostilities. Military actions, including airstrikes, of the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Russian Armed Forces, and the U.S.-led Counter ISIL Coalition will continue against ISIL, “Jabhat al-Nusra,” and other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council. The Russian Federation and United States will also work together, and with other members of the Ceasefire Task Force, as appropriate and pursuant to the ISSG decision of February 11, 2016, to delineate the territory held by “Daesh,” “Jabhat al-Nusra” and other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council, which are excluded from the cessation of hostilities.

      In order to promote the effective implementation of the cessation of hostilities, the ISSG Ceasefire Task Force, co-chaired by the United States and Russia, has been established under UN auspices, including political and military officials from the co-chairs and other Task Force members; the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Syria (OSE) serves as secretariat. The primary functions of the Task Force are, as provided in the ISSG Statement of February 11, to: a) delineate the territory held by “Daesh”, “Jabhat-al-Nusra” and other terrorist organizations designated by the United Nations Security Council; b) ensure communications among all parties to promote compliance and rapidly de-escalate tensions; c) resolve allegations of non-compliance; and d) refer persistent non-compliant behavior by any of the parties to the ISSG Ministers or those designated by the Ministers to determine appropriate action, including the exclusion of such parties from the arrangements of the cessation of hostilities, and the protection it affords them.

      The United States and Russia are prepared, in their capacities as co-chairs of the Ceasefire Task Force and in coordination with other members of the ISSG Ceasefire Task Force as appropriate, to develop effective mechanisms to promote and monitor compliance with the ceasefire both by the governmental forces of the Syrian Arab Republic and other forces supporting them, and the armed opposition groups. To achieve this goal and to promote an effective and sustainable cessation of hostilities, the Russian Federation and the United States will establish a communication hotline and, if necessary and appropriate, a working group to exchange relevant information after the cessation of hostilities has gone into effect. In addressing incidents of non-compliance, every effort should be made to promote communications among all parties to restore compliance and rapidly de-escalate tensions, and non-forcible means should be exhausted whenever possible before resorting to use of force. The United States and Russia as co-chairs of ISSG Ceasefire Task Force will develop such further modalities and standard operating procedures as may be necessary to implement these functions.

      The United States and the Russian Federation together call upon all Syrian parties, regional states and others in the international community to support the immediate cessation of violence and bloodshed in Syria and to contribute to the swift, effective and successful promotion of the UN-facilitated political transition process in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254, the February 11 Statement of the ISSG, the 2015 Vienna statements of the ISSG, and the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.

      ANNEX

      TERMS FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN SYRIA

      The nationwide cessation of hostilities is to apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities against any other parties other than “Daesh”, “Jabhat al-Nusra”, or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council.

      The responsibilities of the Syrian armed opposition are set out in paragraph 1 below. The responsibilities of the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, and all forces supporting or associated with the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic are set out in paragraph 2 below.

      1. To take part in the cessation of hostilities, armed opposition groups will confirm – to the United States of America or the Russian Federation, who will attest such confirmations to one another as co-chairs of the ISSG by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on February 26 2016 – their commitment to and acceptance of the following terms:

      To full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted unanimously on December 18, 2015, ? including the readiness to participate in the UN-facilitated political negotiation process;

      To cease attacks with any weapons, including rockets, mortars, and anti-tank guided missiles, against Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, and any associated forces;

      To refrain from acquiring or seeking to acquire territory from other parties to the ceasefire;

      To allow humanitarian agencies, rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained access throughout areas under their operational control and allow immediate humanitarian assistance to reach all people in need;

      To proportionate use of force (i.e., no greater than required to address an immediate threat) if and when responding in self-defense.

      2. The above-mentioned commitments will be observed by such armed opposition groups, provided that the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, and all forces supporting or associated with the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic have confirmed to the Russian Federation as co-chair of the ISSG by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on February 26, 2016 their commitment to and acceptance of the following terms:

      To full implementation of UN Security Resolution 2254, adopted unanimously on December 18, 2015, including the readiness to participate in the UN-facilitated political negotiation process;

      To cease attacks with any weapons, including aerial bombardments by the Air Force of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation, against the armed opposition groups (as confirmed to the United States or the Russian Federation by parties to the cessation of hostilities);

      To refrain from acquiring or seeking to acquire territory from other parties to the ceasefire;

      To allow humanitarian agencies, rapid, unhindered and sustained access throughout areas under their operational control and allow immediate humanitarian assistance to reach all people in need;

      To proportionate use of force (i.e., no greater than required to address an immediate threat) if and when responding in self-defense.

      The Russian Federation and the United States, as co-chairs of the ISSG and ISSG Ceasefire Task Force, are prepared to work together to ensure effective communications and develop procedures necessary for preventing parties participating in the cessation of hostilities from being attacked by Russian Armed Forces, the U.S.-led Counter ISIL Coalition, the Armed Forces of the Syrian government and other forces supporting them, and other parties to the cessation of hostilities.

      All parties further commit to work for the early release of detainees, particularly women and children.

      Any party can bring a violation or potential violation of the cessation of hostilities to the attention of the Task Force, either through the OSE or the co-chairs. The OSE and Co-Chairs will establish liaison arrangements with each other and the parties, and inform the public generally about how any party may bring a violation to the attention of the Task Force.

      The United States and the Russian Federation as co-chairs confirm that the cessation of hostilities will be monitored in an impartial and transparent manner and with broad media coverage.

      http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/02/253115.htm

    • GERMANY – Refugees – Somalian knifes Senegalese in Dorfen –

      Somalier gesteht Messerstiche in Asylbewerberunterkunft

      In einer Asylbewerberunterkunft in Dorfen (Lkr. Erding) hat in der Nacht ein 38 Jahre alter Asylbewerber einen Mitbewohner erstochen. Der aus Somalia stammende Mann hat inzwischen gestanden. Die beiden Männer, die sich ein Zimmer in der Containerunterkunft teilten, waren in Streit geraten.

      In einer Asylbewerberunterkunft im oberbayerischen Dorfen hat in der Nacht auf Sonntag ein 38 Jahre alter Asylbewerber einen Mitbewohner erstochen. Der aus Somalia stammende Mann war mit dem 20-jährigen Senegalesen offensichtlich in Streit geraten. Im Verlauf der Auseinandersetzung attackierte der 38-Jährige seinen Kontrahenten mit einem Klappmesser und versetzte ihm mehrere Stichverletzungen am Oberkörper. Das Opfer starb noch am Tatort.

      Der Tatverdächtige ließ sich vor der Unterkunft widerstandslos festnehmen und hat bei einer Vernehmung durch die Kriminalpolizei Erding inzwischen gestanden. Jetzt sollen die übrigen Bewohner der Unterkunft mit Hilfe von Dolmetschern vernommen werden. Der festgenommene Somalier wird am Montag dem Ermittlungsrichter vorgeführt.

      http://www.br.de/nachrichten/oberbayern/inhalt/dorfen-asylbewerber-erstochen-100.html

      =======================================================
      Übergriff auch in Prien am Chiemsee

      Wegen eines versuchten Tötungsdeliktes ermittelt die Polizei auch gegen einen Bewohner einer Asylbewerberunterkunft in Prien am Chiemsee. Dieser hatte ebenfalls in der Nacht auf Sonntag einem Mitbewohner mehrfach einen Stein auf den Kopf geschlagen. Das Opfer musste in ein Krankenhaus eingeliefert werden. Der Täter konnte in der Unterkunft festgenommen werden. Es liegen noch keine Personalien der beiden Beteiligten vor.

      Somalier (31) schlägt mit Stein auf Landsmann (21) ein

      Prien – Ein Somalier griff am Samstagabend in einer Asylbewerberunterkunft in Prien einen Landsmann mit einem Stein an. Dieser erlitt leichte Verletzungen, der Angreifer wurde festgenommen.

      Gegen 22 Uhr ereignete sich der Angriff des 31-jährigen somalischen Asylbewerbers auf seinen Landsmann. Nach den jetzt vorliegenden Erkenntnissen schlug der 31-Jährige mit einem Stein auf den sitzenden 21-jährigen Somalier ein. Andere Asylbewerber gingen dazwischen, um Schlimmeres zu verhindern und riefen umgehend den Sicherheitsdienst der Unterkunft. Die Security-Männer hielten daraufhin den Angreifer fest und verbrachten ihn ins Freie. Beamten der Polizeiinspektion Prien wurde er dort übergeben, sie konnten ihn widerstandslos festnehmen.

      Die Kriminalpolizeiinspektion Rosenheim hat noch am Abend die Ermittlungen übernommen. Die Hintergründe des Angriffes sind derzeit noch völlig unklar. Das 21-jährige Opfer des erlitt Kopfplatzwunden und wurde ambulant behandelt.

      www ( dot ) rosenheim24 ( dot ) de/rosenheim/chiemgau/prien-am-chiemsee-ort46683/prien-somalier-greift-asylbewerber-unterkunft-landsmann-stein-6142811.html

      ==========================================
      – Mass brawl in Poing near Munich

      22. Februar 2016, 19:03 Uhr
      Poing
      Massenschlägerei in Poinger Flüchtlingsheim

      In der Nacht zum Montag ist es im Poinger Asylbewerberheim zu einer Massenschlägerei gekommen. Nach Polizeiangaben kam es gegen 2.30 Uhr zu einer Auseinandersetzung zwischen 40 bis 50 Bewohnern. Nach bisherigen Kenntnissen habe ein 20-jähriger Iraker den Feuermelder in der Turnhalle betätigt, weshalb die Freiwillige Feuerwehr Poing alarmiert wurde. Brandgefahr habe laut Polizei jedoch nicht bestanden. Kurze Zeit später gingen 20 afghanische Bewohner auf den Iraker los. Schließlich eilten ihm zwischen zehn und 20 Landsmänner zur Hilfe. Bei der Schlägerei musste der Mann, der den Alarm ausgelöst hatte, mehrere Schläge einstecken, er zog sich Kratzer im Gesicht und eine Kopfplatzwunde zu. Drei weitere Bewohner wurden leicht verletzt, ehe die Polizei die Parteien beruhigten. Anzeigen wegen Missbrauch von Notrufen und gefährlicher Körperverletzung wurden durch die Polizei Poing aufgenommen. Weitere Ermittlungen und Vernehmungen der Beteiligten mit Dolmetschern sind erforderlich.

      http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/ebersberg/ebersberg-massenschlaegerei-in-poinger-fluechtlingsheim-1.2875881

  42. UofM Q&A #3 Milo Yiannopoulos and Christina H Sommers on why the Left puts people into categories

  46. Libya’s NOC warns of more Islamic State attacks on oil facilities

    Libya’s oil facilities are likely to suffer further attacks unless a United Nations-backed unity government is approved, the head of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

    Mustafa Sanalla also said suspected Islamic State militants had staged their latest attack against Libya’s oil infrastructure last Thursday or Friday, setting fire to one production tank and damaging another at the Fida oil field.

    Fida lies south-west of the oil terminals of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, where militants launched repeated assaults and inflicted major damage last month.

    “If there is no new government I think the situation will get worse. I believe there will be more attacks on the oil facilities,” Sanalla said.

    […]Islamic State militants have taken advantage of the security vacuum to establish a foothold in Libya, seizing Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte and launching attacks in several other cities.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-oil-idUSKCN0VV0QZ

    NYT – U.S. Scrambles to Contain Growing ISIS Threat in Libya

    THIES, Senegal — The Islamic State’s branch in Libya is deepening its reach across a wide area of Africa, attracting new recruits from countries like Senegal that had been largely immune to the jihadist propaganda — and forcing the African authorities and their Western allies to increase efforts to combat the fast-moving threat.

    The American airstrikes in northwestern Libya on Friday, which demolished an Islamic State training camp and were aimed at a top Tunisian operative, underscore the problem, Western officials said. The more than three dozen suspected Islamic State fighters killed in the bombing were recruited from Tunisia and other African countries, officials said, and were believed to be rehearsing an attack against Western targets.

    […]Islamic State leaders in Syria are telling recruits traveling north from West African nations like Senegal and Chad, as well as others streaming up through Sudan in eastern Africa, not to press on to the Middle East. Instead, they are being told to stay put in Libya. American intelligence officials, who described the recent orders from Islamic State leaders, say the organization’s immediate goal is to carve out a new caliphate in Libya, and there are signs the affiliate is trying to establish statelike institutions there.

    “Libya has become a magnet for individuals not only inside of Libya, but from the African continent as well as from outside,” John O. Brennan, the director of the C.I.A., told a Senate panel this month.

    […]The Senegalese authorities recently reported that 30 men had gone to Libya to fight with the Islamic State there, trends that officials in Niger, Nigeria and Mali have also noticed.

    As the Islamic State pushes closer to some of the poorer countries of the Sahel region, like Niger and Mauritania, the authorities here believe there will be no shortage of unemployed young men who are eager to join the fight.

    To help fight that trend, Special Forces from 30 African and Western countries are participating in a three-week counterterrorism training exercise here on this sprawling army encampment 35 miles outside Dakar that is also home to Senegal’s military academy.

    On several shooting ranges, dotted with massive baobab trees, American, Canadian, Dutch and Belgian trainers worked with soldiers from Niger and Nigeria.

    Some troops were practicing first aid; others were shooting at close-range targets. The Belgians were leading a more difficult training exercise in which the African soldiers approached fortified targets from afar, and then assaulted the targets from several different directions — as they would in an actual raid.

    With help from Dutch Marines and American Special Forces, Senegal is also training a new force to patrol its watery northern border with Mauritania, and it is deploying troops to neighboring Mali to help a United Nations force stymie Qaeda and other militant fighters there.

    “ISIS is spreading even to here,” said Col. Guirane Ndiaye, a Senegalese zone commander. “If we do not have a multinational effort, ISIS will spread even more.”

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/world/africa/us-scrambles-to-contain-growing-isis-threat-in-libya.html?_r=0

  47. Israel busts Gaza-bound shipment with drones hidden inside toys
    Israeli intelligence has thwarted an attempt to smuggle in multicopter drones for “terrorist elements” in Gaza as they seized a shipment of toys. Shin Bet operatives intercepted the truck, said the defence ministry.

    The operation was jointly carried out by Shin Bet and the Transfer Authority, which monitors the transfer of aid supplies and other goods into Gaza. The ministry said upon inspection of a vehicle at the Kerem Shalom frontier, commercial drones in a range of sizes and styles were found inside the truck. The unmanned aerial vehicles, which can be operated remotely, were equipped with high-quality cameras.
    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/israel-busts-gaza-bound-shipment-drones-hidden-inside-toys-1545187
    *************************************
    It should be noted that Hamas has already developed their own drones based mainly on civilian models available on market. It seems, however tht permanent Israeli- Egyptian blocade hinders the acquisition of spare parts for a new machines created in the Gaza Strip. Hence the repeated attempts to get civilian drones from outside The importance of prevention of this kind of attempts is evidenced by a combined task force composed of police officers, Shabak (shin bet), border police and IDF troops.
    Drones are not only problem for the Israel, but also for Egypt. In one case the egyptian radar tracked the trajectories of three machines lauched from Gaza Strip that operated over Sinai. However lack of adequate anti-aircraft weapons in the hand of the Egyptian border guard prevented shooting down the drones. The drones at that time had an altitude of 750 meters.

  48. BBC – Yemen conflict: Al-Qaeda joins coalition battle for Taiz

    The BBC has found evidence in Yemen that troops from a Saudi-led coalition force and al-Qaeda militants are both fighting Houthi rebels in a key battle.

    On a visit to the frontline near the city of Taiz, a documentary maker filmed jihadists and pro-government militiamen, supported by UAE soldiers.

    The coalition of 10 mostly Sunni Arab states is backing Yemen’s government in its war against the Shia rebels.

    But it denies co-operating with Sunni extremists also opposed to the Houthis.

    The coalition’s member states consider al-Qaeda a terrorist organisation, and the jihadist network’s local affiliates have attacked coalition forces and Yemeni government personnel.

    At least 6,000 people have been killed in Yemen since March 2015, when the coalition launched a military campaign to defeat the Houthis and allied army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and restore the government.
    ‘Spreading the message’

    Pro-government forces have been battling the rebels for control of Taiz, about 205km (123 miles) south of the rebel-held capital Sanaa, for months.

    The Houthis control all routes into and out of the city, and are besieging a Sunni Islamist-dominated alliance of local forces holding the city centre, while coalition-led forces are attacking the rebels on several fronts to the south and west.

    Taiz has suffered huge destruction as a result, and the UN says some 200,000 civilians are trapped inside the city without critical medical supplies or food.

    During a visit to the frontline outside Taiz late last year, documentary maker Safa AlAhmad spoke to pro-government militiamen attacking Houthi fighters on a key hilltop with the support of troops from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who were providing tactical advice.

    While there, Ms AlAhmad was warned by one group participating in the battle not to film them.

    She was told they were members of Ansar al-Sharia, an affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and that they were angered by the presence of a woman.

    Ms AlAhmad said it appeared that AQAP – which has exploited the chaos and seized parts of southern Yemen, including the port city of Mukalla – had sent fighters to Taiz to increase the group’s influence and spread its message.

    Several reports of coalition forces and AQAP militants battling the Houthis in the same areas in southern Yemen have emerged over the past 11 months, despite the jihadists’ long-standing violent opposition to US-allied coalition governments.

    Some have alleged that the Yemeni government is avoiding direct confrontation with AQAP, which in turn has avoided attacks on government targets.

    The Houthis have claimed that Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies are more concerned with checking the influence of Shia power Iran, which has denied providing military support to the rebels, than combating al-Qaeda.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35630194

  49. Suicide attack leaves at least 13 dead in Parwan province (khaama, Feb 22, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/suicide-attack-leaves-at-least-13-dead-in-parwan-province-144

    “At least 13 people including members of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) forces lost their lives in a suicide attack in northern Parwan province of Afghanistan.

    According to local security officials, the target of the suicide bomber was a commander of the ALP forces who survived the attack.

    Provincial police chief, Gen. Zaman Mamozai, confirmed that nine civilians and four policemen lost their lives in the attack and seventeen others were wounded…”

  50. Pakistani, Tajik militants among 37 killed in Kunduz operations (khaama, Feb 22, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/pakistani-tajik-militants-among-37-killed-in-kunduz-operations-143

    “At least 37 militants including Pakistani and Tajik nationals were killed during clearing operations in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.

    A statement by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the operations were conducted in the vicinity of Dasht-e-Archi district.

    The statement further that two Pakistani nationals and three other belonging to Tajikistan were among those killed and at least 25 others were wounded…”