Reader’s links April 13 – 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

84 Replies to “Reader’s links April 13 – 2016”

  1. Russia pushes back ‘Putin’s bridge’ to annexed Crimea by a year

    TUZLA SPIT, Russia (Reuters) – Russia has pushed back the completion date of a showcase multi-billion dollar bridge to link the Russian mainland with annexed Crimea by one year, saying the original plan had to be adjusted to take account of the weight of the trains that will cross it.

    The Kremlin sees the bridge, which will span the Kerch Strait, as vital to integrating Crimea, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014. President Vladimir Putin has called the project an historic mission.

    Extending 19 km (11.8 miles), the project, which will be two separate parallel structures – one for road and another for train traffic – will be the longest bridge Russia has ever built and the longest such dual-purpose span in Europe.

    Construction of the road part is on schedule, but Reuters has learned that the rail segment deadline has been put back by a year, giving the contractor – a firm controlled by Putin’s former judo partner with no experience of building bridges – more time to complete the 212-billion-rouble ($3.2 billion) project.

    The delay underscores the huge logistical, financial and political challenges the Kremlin faces trying to breathe life into the economically deprived Black Sea peninsula at a time when it cannot draw on Western expertise due to sanctions imposed on Russia.

    http://www.oann.com/russia-pushes-back-putins-bridge-to-annexed-crimea-by-a-year/

  2. U.S. defense chief visits Philippines amid sea dispute with China

    MANILA (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday to highlight strong and growing military relations with a crucial Southeast Asian ally as China assertively pursues its claims in the South China Sea.

    Carter’s visit comes as the two countries conduct joint military exercises and on the heels of an agreement that allows a U.S. military presence at five Philippine bases, one of which Carter plans to visit on this week’s trip.

    While the initial agreement allows for five bases, Carter told reporters while on the way to the Philippines that there would be more in future.

    Defense officials from the Philippines and Vietnam will also meet this week to explore possible joint exercises and navy patrols, military sources said, shoring up a new alliance between states locked in maritime rows with China. [L3N17G2XK]

    China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the waters, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year.

    The U.S. defense chief’s visit also takes place weeks before a ruling is expected on an arbitration case the Philippines has brought against China in The Hague.

    http://www.oann.com/u-s-defense-chief-visits-philippines-amid-sea-dispute-with-china/

  3. European Parliament declares democracy in Poland under threat

    STRASBOURG (Reuters) – The European Parliament declared on Wednesday that an “effective paralysis” of Poland’s top constitutional court posed a threat to democracy in the biggest eastern EU state, joining critics of the eurosceptic government in Warsaw.

    In January, the EU launched an unprecedented rule of law procedure against Poland over changes to the constitutional court and public media introduced since the Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power late last year with its combination of conservative social values with left-wing economic policies.

    European Parliament lawmakers adopted a resolution on Wednesday, agreeing they were “seriously concerned that the effective paralysis of the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland poses a danger to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

    The resolution passed with 513 votes for, 142 against and 30 abstentions.

    PiS enacted a law increasing the number of judges required to make rulings on the Constitutional Tribunal and changing the order in which cases are heard.

    Critics say the changes have made it difficult for judges to review new legislation, let along challenge it. The court itself has struck them down as unconstitutional. The government has refused to recognize that ruling, effectively putting it in legal limbo.

    http://www.oann.com/european-parliament-declares-democracy-in-poland-under-threat/

  4. Apologies, I hope I’m doing this right – first time commenter. It is my translation from German, please feel free to edit and correct my English. What is described there now – the rape of a child, the multiple identities and unclear ages of the offenders – has become daily business in Germany and now and I do not expect any major newspapers will even mention it.
    What makes it relevant is the final two sentences.

    Solinger Bote April 11 2016

    Solingen – refugees rape 12 year old boy

    Solingen/ As the prosecutor Wuppertal confirmed our editorial office’s query, already on April 3rd a “sexual offense to the harm of a tewelve year old” occurred in the facility Halfeshof, according to prosecutor Wolf Tilman-Baumert.

    According to this, three under aged refugees of 15, 16 and 17 years of age, who according to their own statements came to Germany as unaccompanied minors, sexually abused the twelve year old.
    The deed surfaced when a caretaker confided in the police.
    The suspects have been arrested, appeared before the committing magistrate, and are in custody now.

    It is being investigated into whether or not the data provided by the accused are true at all. “We have already registered one of the offenders under a different name and different date of birth. Currently we are investigating into whether the given ages are true”, says state attorney Baumert.

    The twelve year old victim is looked after in facility Halfeshof.
    The prosecution is not providing information as to the motif of the crime.
    It remains unclear why police and prosecution did not on their own accord provide information about this incident.
    Only by an informant, our editorial office has been informed of this incident.

    http://solinger-bote.de/nachrichten/2016/04/11/solingen-fluechtlinge-vergewaltigen-12-jaehrigen-jungen/

    • Apologies, I noticed two English mistakes in my first translation (this one) and submitted a corrected version below

      • Bless your heart, Egri!
        It’s a treat to read translations of vital material like this. So much is covered up so fast.
        I know it isn’t easy and I’m grateful for your work.

  5. Solinger Bote April 11 2016

    Solingen – refugees rape 12 year old boy

    Solingen/ As the prosecutor Wuppertal confirmed our editorial office’s query, already on April 3rd a “sexual offense to the harm of a tewelve year old” occurred in the facility Halfeshof, according to prosecutor Wolf Tilman-Baumert.

    According to this, three under aged refugees of 15, 16 and 17 years of age, who according to their own statements came to Germany as unaccompanied minors, sexually abused the twelve year old.
    The deed surfaced when a caretaker confided in the police.
    The suspects have been arrested, appeared before the committing magistrate, and are in custody now.

    It is being investigated into whether or not the data provided by the accused are true at all. “We have already registered one of the offenders under a different name and different date of birth. Currently we are investigating into whether the given ages are true”, says state attorney Baumert.

    The twelve year old victim is looked after in facility Halfeshof.
    The prosecution is not providing information as to the motif of the crime.
    It remains unclear why police and prosecution did not on their own accord provide information about this incident.
    Only by an informant, our editorial office has been made aware of this incident.

    http://solinger-bote.de/nachrichten/2016/04/11/solingen-fluechtlinge-vergewaltigen-12-jaehrigen-jungen/

  6. Bono: Send Amy Schumer to Tackle Extremism

    Speaking on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, U2’s Bono called on members of Congress to use comedy to fight extremist groups. (April 13)

    • It’s an important point: we don’t have to get into tactics. These aren’t things civilians can evaluate as abstractions. We’ve got to have confidence in the training and the selection process of our military professionals. Then let them do the job.

      • Thank you Yucki, this is something that way too many people don’t understand. Second guessing the man/men/women on the sharp end is always a real big mistake. We will have ample time to decide what is the best response but the personal on the spot have seconds at most. They have to rely on training and their evaluation while praying the civilians won’t put them in the pen.

        • Problem now is to catch-up on 0-era training inadequacies and deliberate misdirection.
          In terms of career-trajectory of personnel affected, that’s an awful lot of people. They’re sitting in mid- to -upper level management by now.

          What are we going to do with them?

            • They are also changing the training so woman can pass the training programs. This has proved a disaster for every nation that has tried it.

          • We need to 1) recall most of those Obama purged and 2) test the officers and NCOs he kept. If the tests show PC people they need to be separated from active duty, or at least transferred to positions where they have no authority and very little chance of getting any. Then we have to retrain the personal as fast as we can, this will take 6 to 12 months depending on what they do. The last time we have to rebuild this fast was at the beginning of the Korean War and the people called back were all WWII vets which cut training time. A better example would be the crash build up during WWII. It took 1 full year to enlist and draft the people and get them trained for combat. Given the way Obama has destroyed the US military figure on that as the minimum time needed.

            FYI after 911 the Special Forces were used the way they were suppose to be used but that was because they were the only combat ready units we had to send.

            • It’s paper-pushers too. They don’t know which papers to push.
              Desk-job incompetencies are a serious problem too.

  7. ‘Great, captured on Thanksgiving Day, killed on my Mom’s birthday’: ISIS hostage John Cantlie reveals the final words of beheaded fellow captive James Foley
    ISIS hostage John Cantlie has revealed James Foley’s haunting final words
    The quote was published in ISIS’s latest English propaganda magazine
    However, Mr Cantlie is likely to have written the article under duress

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3537829/Great-captured-Thanksgiving-Day-killed-Mom-s-birthday-ISIS-hostage-John-Cantlie-reveals-final-words-beheaded-fellow-captive-James-Foley.html#ixzz45iTOgZgk
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  8. Fears German army is riddled with jihadist sympathisers amid warnings 29 former soldiers may have travelled to to fight with ISIS
    29 former German soldiers have joined ISIS in Syria or Iraq, report says
    Country’s defence ministry is proposing better screening of new recruits
    65 active soldiers ‘are being investigated over alleged jihadist sympathies’

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3537681/Fears-German-army-infiltrated-jihadist-sympathisers-amid-warnings-29-former-soldiers-travelled-Iraq-Syria-fight-ISIS-extremists.html#ixzz45iZ9C5Tf
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  9. Saudi Arabia’s religious police ordered to be ‘gentle’ (BBC, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36034807

    “The Saudi authorities have moved to curb the powers of the notorious religious police, or “mutawa”.

    Members of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice will no longer be permitted to chase suspects or arrest them.

    They must instead report observations to security forces personnel.

    Religious police officers, who roam the streets enforcing strict standards of social behaviour, are frequently accused of abusing their powers.

    Several were reportedly arrested in February for allegedly assaulting (YouTube video) a young woman outside a shopping centre in the capital, Riyadh.

    In 2013, four officers were accused of causing a fatal car crash when they pursued two brothers who had refused to turn the radio down in their vehicle. However, a court subsequently acquitted them.

    ‘Gentle and humane’

    The new law governing the religious police was approved by the cabinet on Monday, but was not published by the official Saudi Press Agency until Tuesday.

    Officers will continue to help enforce strict segregation of the sexes, an absolute prohibition of the sale and consumption of alcohol, a ban on women driving and many other social restrictions.

    But the new law stipulates that their mission has been amended to “carrying out the duty of promoting virtue and preventing vice in a gentle and humane way, after the model set in this regard by the Prophet [Muhammad] and his rightful successors”.

    They will also be obliged to display clear identification, showing their names, posts, jurisdictions and official working hours.

    The law stipulates that officers will no longer be permitted to pursue suspects, arrest them or ask for identification – only report suspicious behaviour to regular police and anti-drug units, who will decide whether to take the matter further.”

  10. Germany Islam: CSU head Scheuer calls for German in mosques (BBC, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36034916

    “Senior German conservative politician Andreas Scheuer has said German must become the language of the country’s mosques and that foreign funding from Turkey and Saudi Arabia must stop.

    The general secretary of the CSU, sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU, said political Islam was undermining integration.

    His remarks came amid a German freedom-of-speech row involving Turkey.

    The Turkish president has filed a legal complaint against a German satirist…”

  11. Land mine blast in northern Mali kills three French soldiers (BBC, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36033622

    “A landmine in Mali has killed three French soldiers on an operation in the north of the country, the French presidency says.

    One soldier died immediately from the explosion on Tuesday while the others died later from their wounds.

    A convoy of vehicles had been heading north from Gao to Tessalit when the mine exploded under the lead vehicle.

    France has had troops in Mali since 2013 when it led an operation to oust jihadists who had seized the north…”

  12. Kashmir protests death toll rises to four (BBC, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36032477

    “The death toll in clashes between security forces and protesters in Indian-administered Kashmir has risen to four, officials say.

    Two men and a woman were killed in firing in Handwara on Tuesday.

    A teenage boy, who was hit by a tear gas shell in nearby Drugmula, died in ho
    spital on Wednesday.

    The victims were protesting against the alleged molestation of a teenage girl by a soldier in Handwara. A curfew has been imposed in Handwara and Srinagar.

    The army and police have ordered investigations into the deaths.

    The BBC Urdu’s Riyaz Masroor in Srinagar says hundreds of protesters had thronged the town square in Handwara following allegations that a soldier had attempted to molest a schoolgirl…”

  13. Jordan shuts down Muslim Brotherhood headquarters (BBC, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36035089

    “Police in Jordan have shut the headquarters of the main opposition movement, the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood (MB), group officials say.

    The building in the capital, Amman, was sealed on the city governor’s orders, an MB leader told Reuters news agency.

    No reason was given for the closure, the official added.

    The MB has a strong support base in urban areas and its political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), is Jordan’s largest opposition party.

    The group split in 2014 into the old movement and a new, more moderate, officially licensed branch. The headquarters of the original movement were targeted in Wednesday’s raid.

    “We were surprised by this move from the Public Security Department,” spokesman Badi al Rafaiah told Reuters.

    “Many policemen and gendarmes came… broke the door down and threw out all the staff with an order to close down the main centre, which they sealed off without giving any explanation.”

    The rise in militant Islam in the region has increasingly strained relations between the Brotherhood and the authorities.

    The IAF has boycotted parliamentary elections, alleging the system marginalises the party, while authorities have sporadically cracked down on the group.

    Last year, a Muslim Brotherhood leader was jailed for criticising Jordan’s ally the UAE, in the first such case involving a top opposition figure in Jordan for years.”

  14. Mosques experiencing growth in U.S.
    By Sinclair Broadcast Group

    WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) —

    The religious landscape in the United States is changing.

    Islam is now among the fastest growing religions in America and it has led to a construction boom of mosques.

    Mosques are not as ubiquitous as Starbucks or Mcdonald’s but they are now sewn into America’s landscape.

    Religion expert Dan Cox says surveys show few Americans, three out of ten have met a person of the muslim faith.

    “That represents something new and I think for some people, represents a threat,” he said.

    Construction of mosques is soaring, especially in America’s suburbs. The number has more than doubled since 2000, up from about 1200 houses of Islamic worship to an estimated 2600 today.

    The census bureau does not ask questions about religion. We can’t say if the number of mosques is growing faster than the muslim population.

    According to a rough estimate from Scott Thumma with the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, there’s one mosque for every 1,562 Muslims as compared to about one Christian church for every 524 christians, but again these are rough numbers.

    Counterterrorism expert Kyle Shideler says some mosques in America are connected by financial ties or influence to groups like the Muslim brotherhood, which the State Department does not list as a terrorist organization.

    “I become concerned when we are looking at large mosques that are raised with money coming from overseas and typically you see that with the large mosques,” Shideler said.

    Rabbi Jonah Pesner sees mosques as a deterrent to terrorism. “They are Americans and they are seeking a better life for their families just like you and I.”

    Muslims are held in a favorable view by the majority of Americans according to a Sadat Chair poll taken in late 2015. But at the same time, the majority of American’s 61 percent to 37 percent hold an unfavorable view of Islam.

    http://mynews4.com/news/nation-world/mosques-experiencing-growth-in-us

  15. Munich lawyer: Erdogan wants full legal recourse (DW, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.dw.com/en/munich-lawyer-erdogan-wants-full-legal-recourse/a-19183046

    “A Munich lawyer has said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to press charges against satirist Jan Böhmermann through to a final ruling before Germany’s courts. Police are guarding the Cologne-based comic.

    Lawyer Michael-Hubertus von Sprenger told the German ZDF public broadcaster that Erdogan intended to press his case to Germany’s highest court if necessary.

    “If I’m mandated to take the case, then I’ll proceed through to the end,” Sprenger said, adding that Erdogan wanted to get Böhmermann “back on the right path, to produce satire and not gross insults.”…”

    • Anadolu ( Turkish Press Agency )Erdogan determined to punish German comedian: lawyer

      German lawyer von Sprenger says defamation suit against comedian Bohmermann is necessary to stop similar insults in future

      Turkish president’s defamation suit against a German comedian aims to prevent any similar abusive insults in the future, lawyer for the president has said.

      German comedian Jan Bohmermann sparked an uproar in Turkey with his sexually crude and insulting poem about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which he read two weeks ago on the public broadcaster ZDFneo.

      Michael-Hubertus von Sprenger, the president’s Munich-based lawyer, told ZDF Tuesday night that he would use all legal means to pursue the case.

      “The president is determined that the person concerned will be punished and also that he will not repeat what he had said in future,” von Sprenger said.

      “That was necessary to bring him back to the right path, create satire and not make crude insults anymore,” he added.

      Bohmermann claimed his poem only wanted to highlight the supposed lack of human rights in Turkey; however, several critics saw the poem as racist and abusive remarks, which exceeded the limits of freedom of expression.

      Eventually, the German public broadcaster removed it from its web page on April 1 and also deleted it from its archive.

      Apart from Erdogan’s personal criminal complaint against the comedian, Turkish Foreign Ministry also protested against his show and demanded prosecution in a diplomatic note sent to the German Foreign Ministry last week.

      According to a little-used legislation, Article 103 of the German penal code, any German citizen who insults a foreign head of state can face imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine, but in case of a slanderous insult, imprisonment can be between three months and five years.

      Article 104a of the same law states that such offences can only be prosecuted if the foreign government concerned makes a request to the federal German government, and it accepts this request.

      German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Wednesday that the government was still examining Turkey’s request, and would conclude its assessment within days.

      Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized the comedian’s poem as a “deliberate insult” to Erdogan, but also underlined the great importance her government attaches to freedom of expression and media.

      Merkel has come under growing criticism for not rejecting Ankara’s request to open a court case against Bohmermann, and shying away from criticizing Turkey due to Ankara’s key role as a partner in solving the refugee crisis.

      On Wednesday, her spokesman dismissed growing criticism against the government by the opposition and several media outlets.

      “Yes, for us the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement on the refugee issues is very important. Both Germany and Turkey have an interest in the success of this agreement,” Seibert told a press conference in Berlin.

      “But completely independent from all these, we are clearly committed to Article 5 of our constitution, to freedom of thought, freedom of science and artistic freedoms. As our chancellor made it clear yesterday, this is non-negotiable both at home and abroad,” he said.

      http://aa.com.tr/en/world/erdogan-determined-to-punish-german-comedian-lawyer/554492

    • GERMANY – Journalist posts fake interview with satirist who insulted Erdogan

      The publisher of widely-read German tabloid Bild unleashed mass confusion on social media Wednesday when he posted an interview with Jan Boehmermann, the satirist facing criminal proceedings for insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

      “I see no boundary between the man and the satirist,” Kai Diekmann cited Boehmermann as saying in an interview he posted on Facebook, before revealing it was a work of fiction. “All of life is satire. One just has to recognize it.”

      Boehmermann, the host of late night talk show Neo Magazin Royale, cancelled all public appearances after authorities said they had launched a preliminary investigation into him for a video in which he accused the Turkish leader of watching child porn and performing sex acts with animals.

      Prosecutors in the western city of Mainz said they were probing whether Boehmermann’s poem, aired with Turkish subtitles on March 31, violates a law criminalizing insults against foreign heads of state. The government still needs to officially authorize the proceedings.

      Erdogan has since filed a defamation complaint against Boehmermann, prompting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday to defend freedom of speech in Germany and downplay Ankara’s political influence over Berlin as the two work together on implementing a controversial EU-Turkey migration deal.

      Diekmann’s fake interview has garnered more than 4,000 likes and 1,500 shares in the four hours since being posted on Facebook.

      https://about.hr/news/europe/journalist-posts-fake-interview-satirist-who-insulted-erdogan-17580

      https://www.facebook.com/kai.diekmann.77/posts/827840744026758

    • No link between refugees, satire, says Juncker

      EU free speech freedoms will not be trimmed to save a deal with Turkey on migrant flows, says European Commission President Juncker. Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wants a German satirist prosecuted.

      ean-Claude Juncker told the European Parliament Wednesday that dialogue was the only way to resolve issues with Turkey, including Ankara’s demand that satirist Jan Böhmermann be prosecuted in Germany for insulting Erdogan.

      “One thing is clear to me – no matter how important the work for refugees may be, our values on press freedoms and fundamental values do not change,” Juncker said in Strasbourg, referring to fallout from two satirical inserts about Erdogan on German public television channels NDR and ZDFneo.

      “I cannot understand at all that a German ambassador is summoned for an admittedly difficult satirical song,” said Juncker, referring to the first German broadcast that lampooned Erdogan.

      Böhmermann delivered his crude poem about Erdogan on ZDFneo on March 31, saying his intention was to test legal limits on free speech in the wake of the satirical song on NDR.

      Only dialogue would help resolve such issues with Turkey, Juncker told parliament.

      Merkel not going to Turkey

      According to German law, the government can decide whether or not to prosecute for insulting foreign leaders.

      The German Social Democrats called for the law to be scrapped, describing it as “antiquated” and limiting to freedom of speech. At the same time, the chancellor’s spokesman said that decision on Erdogan’s case “will be made” regardless of whether the law is changed.

      Spokesman Steffen Seibert also denied Ankara’s claims that Chancellor Merkel was planning a trip to Turkey to open a new refugee camp on the Syrian border.

      “I have been asked a half dozen times in the last days and weeks about this trip on April 16 and never confirmed this trip, this appointment, and that is still the case,” Seibert told reporters.

      On March 18, the EU and Turkey concluded a deal to ease Europe’s largest arrivals of migrants since World War II.

      http://www.dw.com/en/no-link-between-refugees-satire-says-juncker/a-19183715

  16. EXCLUSIVE: ISIS now calls for jihadists to slaughter British Muslim IMAMS (express, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/660645/ISIS-now-calls-jihadists-slaughter-British-Muslim-imams

    “ISLAMIC State (ISIS) extremists are calling for the deaths of Muslim leaders who criticise their murderous regime.

    In the latest issue of its propaganda magazine Dabiq, ISIS calls on its jihadi followers to arm themselves with “knives, guns and explosives” and kill anyone who disagrees with them – including Islamic leaders called imams….”

    • I thought they would wait a while before they did this, now we have to wait and see how long it takes before one of them is killed.

  17. Fundamentalist preacher faces terrorism charges (thelocal, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.de/20160413/sven-lau-sharia-police-fundamentalism-salafism-islam-isis-jamwa

    “A fundamentalist Muslim preacher who started a “sharia police” force in western Germany has now been charged with aiding a terrorist group in Syria, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

    Sven Lau, whose religious enforcement group in the Rhineland city of Wuppertal caused national and international outrage in 2014, is accused of obtaining night-vision equipment for a Syrian jihadist group known as Jamwa, which has been linked to Isis.

    He was a “point of contact for those willing to fight and travel abroad, especially from the Salafist [fundamentalist] scene in the Düsseldorf metropolitan area,” a statement from federal prosecutors in Karlsruhe read.

    Lau, a German convert to fundamentalist Islam, also allegedly supplied the Jamwa group with three night-vision devices in 2013.

    He made several trips to Syria himself and aided two men in their travels to the war-torn country, the statement continues….”

      • Good question, possibly in the hopes of making people think this is not about Islam.

        They are also calling him a preacher and not and Imam.

  18. Paris and Brussels attack network is a ‘supercell’ of ISIS extremism with dozens of members moving unnoticed in Europe’s criminal underworld
    New names added nearly daily to list of supporters of the ISIS attack cell
    Computer abandoned by Brussels suicide bomber is giving up new details
    Includes audio file showing cell was getting its orders directly from Syria

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3534382/Paris-Brussels-attacks-network-supercell-extremism.html#ixzz45icTlWTL
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  19. Swedish police hold terror suspect wanted in Germany (thelocal, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.se/20160413/swedish-airport-police-hold-man-wanted-in-germany

    “A man wanted in Germany is being questioned by Swedish security police after he was arrested at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport.

    The man, who was on an international arrest warrant list, had just been about to board a plane to Turkey when he was arrested by Swedish police at around 8.30am, Sweden’s Aftonbladet tabloid reported.

    His nationality has not been confirmed, but prosecutor Ronnie Jacobsson told Expressen he is suspected of terror offences…”

  20. Germany fears return of Turkish-Kurdish violence on its soil (reuters, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-turkey-kurds-idUSKCN0XA18Y

    “As Germany scrambles to contain a diplomatic row with Turkey over a comedian’s mocking of President Tayyip Erdogan, officials are growing worried about another byproduct of their Faustian migrant pact with Ankara: an upsurge in violence between nationalist Turks and militant Kurds on German soil.

    Germany is home to about 3 million people of Turkish origin. Roughly one in four are ethnic Kurds who came to Germany to work in the 1960s and 70s, or as refugees fleeing violence in the 1980s and 90s.

    Intelligence officials estimate that about 14,000 of these Kurds are active supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the militant group whose armed struggle against the Turkish state has escalated following the collapse of a 2-1/2 year ceasefire last July.

    Clashes between Turks and Kurds in Germany are not new. At the height of the conflict between Ankara and the PKK in the early 1990s, Kurdish militants overran the Turkish consulate in Munich and launched arson attacks against Turkish facilities across Germany. This led Germany to outlaw the PKK in 1993.

    But the combination of rising violence in Turkey and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s controversial refugee deal with Ankara has raised the risk of a new wave of clashes, government and intelligence officials worry.

    “When you have a full blown civil war there, then there is the risk of direct transmission to German cities,” said a senior German diplomat on condition of anonymity. “This is the other side of Merkel’s refugee deal. It makes it all the more difficult to manage.”…”

  21. EU sees ‘alarming’ migrant buildup in Libya, warns Italy (reuters, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-eu-idUSKCN0XA1EO

    “”Alarming” numbers of migrants are reaching Libya to cross the Mediterranean, a senior EU official said on Wednesday, adding a warning that Italy must be ready for them to avoid new border chaos inside Europe.

    “The numbers of would-be migrants in Libya are alarming,” European Council President Donald Tusk told the European Parliament a day after Austria said it planned tighter controls on its Italian border in anticipation of a summer migrant surge.

    Noting that anarchy in Libya ruled out for now the kind of deal made with Turkey to block what was last year’s main route into Europe via Greece, Tusk said EU allies must be ready to help manage new arrivals within Italy, as well as on Malta…”

  22. Program to Train Youths to Defend Moroccan Stance on Sahara Accepting Applications (moroccoworldnews, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/04/184099/program-to-train-youths-to-defend-moroccan-stance-on-sahara-accepting-applications/

    “Through the end of April, the government will be accepting applications from Moroccans residing in the country and the diaspora for a program that will train 5,000 young patriots techniques in digital advocacy so that they can defend the North African country’s position in the Western Sahara dispute online.

    Morocco’s Ministry of Communication and the National Commission for Youth and Democracy signed an agreement to develop the training program in late February of this year. According to a recently released statement, Moroccans between the ages of 20 to 40-years can submit an application to become a candidate for the program until April 30th at 4 p.m.

    “Young Moroccans who are affiliated with a political party in Morocco, are currently living abroad, or are simply interested in the position are invited to apply to be a candidate,” the statement reads….”

  23. Taliban convene key meetings in their safe havens in Pakistan: CoAS (khaama, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/taliban-convene-key-meetings-in-their-safe-havens-in-pakistan-coas-0638

    “The Taliban group leaders are convening key meetings in their safe havens inside the Pakistani soil, a top Afghan defense official said Wednesday.

    The Chief of Army Staff General Qadam Shah Shaheem told reporters in Kabul that the Taliban gatherings, including meetings to pledge allegiance are taking place in Pakistan.

    Gen. Shaheem also criticized the cross-border shelling by Pakistani military in eastern provinces and said the Afghan leadership is hopeful that the provocative acts are immediately stopped….”

  24. Afghan forces air and ground raids leaves 31 militants dead: MoD (khaama, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/afghan-forces-air-and-ground-raids-leaves-31-militants-dead-mod-0639

    “At least 31 militants were killed and 30 others were wounded in air and ground raids of the Afghan national security forces in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.

    According to a statement by MoD, the operations were conducted in the past 24 hours in seven different provinces of the country.

    The statement further added that 7 militants were killed in Chardara district of Kunduz and 10 others were killed and 23 more wounded during separate raids in Sayad district of Sar-e-Pul, Qosh Tapa district of Jawzjan and Chahar Bolok district of Balkh province.

    At least 11 militants were killed in a separate operation in Qarabagh district of Ghazni, MoD said, adding that 2 militants were killed in Shindand district of Herat.

    A commander of the militants group identified as Samiullah was killed during clashes with the Afghan forces in Tangi Abresham area of Laghman province, MoD added.

    According to the Ministry of Defense, at least 2 Afghan soldiers also lost their lives during the same operations.

    The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban militants have not commented regarding the reports so far.”

  25. Takhar PC member killed as clash erupts among ex-Jihadi commanders (khaama, Apr 13, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/takhar-pc-member-killed-as-clash-erupts-among-ex-jihadi-commanders-0647

    “A provincial council member has been killed as clash erupted among the ex-Jihadi commanders in northeastern Takhar province of Afghanistan.

    The local security officials have confirmed that clashes erupted among Mullah Perum Qul and Ainuddin Rustaqi supporters earlier this evening.

    The officials further added that Mullah Qul was also a former Afghan lawmaker in the parliament and his supporters have killed Rustaqi during the gun battle.

    At least two others have also lost their lives during the gun battle, the officials said, adding that security forces were deployed to bring the situation under the control.

    The main reason behind the bloody clash among the two ex-Jihadi commanders has not been ascertained so far.”

  26. Soviet Immigrants to Sanders Supporters: “Have You Ever Lived Under a Revolution?”

    Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov made headlines when he dismissed the Sanders campaign last month.

    I’m enjoying the irony of American Sanders supporters lecturing me, a former Soviet citizen, on the glories of Socialism and what it really means! Socialism sounds great in speech soundbites and on Facebook, but please keep it there. In practice, it corrodes not only the economy but the human spirit itself, and the ambition and achievement that made modern capitalism possible and brought billions of people out of poverty. Talking about Socialism is a huge luxury, a luxury that was paid for by the successes of capitalism.

    Now the Atlantic’s Olga Khazan took a look and saw that immigrants from the USSR are not into Sanders and Socialism.

    Janna Sundeyeva still remembers life in the Soviet Union, where stores in remote regions would lack meat for months at a time and toilet paper had to be snatched up quickly on the rare occasions it appeared.

    “I don’t like big government,” Sundeyeva said. She made two circles with her thumbs and forefingers and pressed them against each other so they touched, like binoculars. This Venn diagram represents the interests of people and government, she said. “They don’t have very much in common.”

    To Sundeyeva, left-wingers seem to yearn for a workers’ revolution. “I would ask them: Have you ever lived under a revolution?” she said. “Do you know what it’s like? When someone comes and takes your family member in the night?”

    For the hard left though that’s a feature, not a bug. What’s the point of a revolution if you don’t get to line up anyone against the wall?

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/262492/soviet-immigrants-sanders-supporters-have-you-ever-daniel-greenfield

    • I hear it all the time. Russian friends are certain Sanders’ is part of a conspiracy, he can’t be for real.

      • Sadly he could be either, Saunders like so many American leftist are so arrogant they think they can make Marxism work. Or he could be both, never underestimate the arrogance of the leftists (I know you would really have to work hard to over estimate it) they have never matured intellectually and are still stuck in the Teenage meme of let the government do everything to make people happy.

        • They should be forced to listen to stories my Russian friends tell. And present a signed certificate proving they have before going into the voting booth.

          • They wouldn’t believe them, if the stories don’t fit the lies they have been told they will ignore the stories.

  27. CIA Syrian ‘Plan B’ would give rebels MANPADs to fight ‘Russia-backed regime’ – report

    • This sounds like something that Obama would do, the rebels already have Russian Manpads captured by various groups in Libya and now Obama is going to give them more. We are going to lose airplanes and people to the weapons that Obama is giving to ISIS.

  28. BBC -Macedonian protesters ransack president’s office

    Protesters enraged by the Macedonian president’s pardoning of top political figures involved in a wire-tapping scandal have ransacked his office.

    Thousands took to the streets of the capital Skopje demanding the resignation of President Gjorge Ivanov.

    Some smashed windows and set fire to furniture at his offices.

    On Tuesday Mr Ivanov gave 56 government and opposition figures, including former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, a blanket amnesty.

    The scandal began when opposition leader Zoran Zaev accused Mr Gruevski of wiretapping about 20,000 people, including politicians and journalists.

    They appear to show ministers plotting vote-rigging and even the cover-up of a murder.[…]

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36041381

    RT- Macedonia: Presidential office ransacked as anti-Ivanov protest continues

  29. REBEL MEDIA – Giant wind turbine “leaning over,” being held up by ROPES, is “safe”?