Reader’s links for June 15

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

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

About Eeyore

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

109 Replies to “Reader’s links for June 15”

  1. DHS whistleblower speaks out about jihad in America

    Philip Haney claims agency scrubbed records

    skip te beginning – go to —–> 1 min 25

  2. Five suspects involved in planned attacks

    “When questioned about the other four people involved in the plot, Howell was only familiar with the first names of three of the alleged suspects, naming his contact in LA – Dan and two of the three contacts in Florida, Omar and Brandy.

    Speaking of the suspect killed in the Pulse Bar massacre in Florida, Howell stated, “Omar was not suppose to be killed. They lied to us – Omar and Brandy were suppose to get away.”

    When Howell was questioned about how he and his conspirators knew each other, he said that,

    “We were all familiar with each other through an online fundamental Islamic knowledge seminary course[1] – we were recruited through the course and trained together at a camp in Virginia – we were taught how to shoot and make bombs – everyone knew their part – something went wrong….”

    More at link
    This has a distinct odor reminiscent of this administration’s prior amateur hour gun grabbing ‘false flag operations’ (Benghazi trade of blind sheik for ambassador & blame a movie nonsense, the gun running fast & furious, etc.)
    ***************Note:
    As early reports came in, an ABCNews Exclusive Twitter interview of a surviving witness mentioned details worth repeating & appear to corroborate the above report..

    Twitter videoABCNews EXCLUSIVE/#ABC2020 visible on video clip….”Man says he played dead to keep Orlando shooter from killing him.”2:15 length video interview reveals the shooter made calls during massacre…ff:0:43

    “…then he called somebody else that he knew and he mentioned that he was the 4th shooter and there was three others and he mentioned, I believe, a female name and was playing dead…he’s saying she has a bombing vest and he has one too.”

    • Given the current US political administration’s affinity with limiting, if not, repealing the second amendment, here are a few more ‘not-so-easy-to-dismiss’ coincidences occurring conveniently in the same time line as the Orlando massacre and CA gay parade threat of mass assault – both of which serve as ‘weapons issues’ for progressives:
      6-10 June 2016, NY “The UN Programme of Action (PoA) on small arms and light weapons envisages the convening of Biennial Meetings of States “to consider the national, regional and global implementation of the Programme of Action.” BMS6 will be the last meeting before the 2018 3rd Review Conference (RevCon3).

      *****
      Americans for Responsible Solutions announced on Friday prior to Orlando shootings…
      MARK KELLY, DAVID PETRAEUS, STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL,
      MICHAEL HAYDEN, THAD ALLEN, WESLEY CLARK AND OTHER VETERAN LEADERS LAUNCH NEW “VETERANS COALITION FOR COMMON SENSE” TO URGE ELECTED LEADERS TO DO MORE TO PREVENT GUN TRAGEDIES

      The coalition is focused on engaging other veterans and elected leaders by:

      *Urging our elected leaders to close the loopholes in our background check laws that let felons, domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill buy guns without a criminal background check.
      *Strengthening existing laws and ensuring lawmakers and stakeholders have the resources and training they need to prevent gun tragedies.
      *Partnering with other groups in the veterans community on suicide prevention and mental health.

      ——————————————————————————–
      Also consider the detail that the Orlando shooter’s father Visited Congress, the State Department and met political leaders during a trip to Washington, DC, in April
      He also attended a hearing on Afghanistan security while in the capital
      Pictures from 2015 show Mateen meeting Reps Charlie Rangel, Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce

  3. Bergoglio denounces “indifference and hostility” toward refugees at the general audience

  4. AUSTRIA – [ Muslim ] Migrant who brutally raped boy, 10, because of ‘sexual emergency’ jailed for six years

    AN Iraqi asylum seeker who had not had sex for four months and said it was a “sexual emergency” when he raped a 10-year-boy at a swimming pool has been jailed for six years

    The 20-year-old [ Muslim ] paedophile who fled to Austria via the Balkan refugee route in September last year was sentenced today by a court in the Austrian capital of Vienna after being found guilty of serious sexual assault and rape of a minor.

    The [ Muslim ] paedophile had gone to the swimming pool with a 15-year-old helper, who was teaching him how to integrate by acting as a translator and showing him about life in Vienna.

    The 20-year-old, who has not been named by the Austrian authorities, dragged the child into a cubicle and attacked him.

    The sex attack was so violent, the boy needed to be treated at the Children’s Hospital

    A lifeguard immediately called an ambulance after the child went to him in floods of tears, while the Iraqi was so unconcerned he had not even left the swimming pool.

    Police found him jumping off the three-metre diving board when they arrived to arrest him

    He said he had not had sex for four months after leaving his wife behind to go to Austria as an asylum seeker.

    Court Psychiatrist Gabriele Woergotter confirmed the 10-year-old is suffering from massive traumatic stress disorder, which could be compared to a serious injury. He suffers frequent panic attacks.

    The victim is the son of an immigrant family from the Balkans who has grown up in Austria with his Serbian mother.

    Despite facing up to 15 years behind bars, the [ Muslim ] paedophile was sentenced to six years in jail apparently due to his age and previous good behaviour.

    The [ Muslim ] paedophile’s lawyer Roland Kier asked for time to consider the sentence which can still be appealed and the victim was awarded £3,750 in compensation.

    The mother of the boy, who arrived in Austria herself as an immigrant from Serbia during the Civil War that saw the breakup of former Yugoslavia said she had always taught her five children to offer the same hospitality to new arrivals that she had herself received.

    She said: “I now regret that.”

    She added her son can only sleep at night with the aid of Trazadone tablets which act as a sedative and he suffers from panic attacks.

    She said: “Often he wakes up in the night screaming and crying.”

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/679876/Iraqi-migrant-raped-boy-10-because-of-sexual-emergency-swimming-pool-jailed-Vienna-Austria

  5. The U.S. Air Force Lost 12 Years Of Investigations Thanks To A Corrupted Computer File

    The U.S. Air Force Inspector General tracks all their investigations on fraud, abuse, and everything else down to office disputes in a database maintained by Lockheed Martin. Now it looks like somebody broke it, destroying data collected since 2004.

    Defense One and others are reporting that the USAF lost its records of 100,000 investigations in their Automated Case Tracking System due to some kind of file corruption that neither Lockheed Martin or the Air Force have been able to figure out.

    Apparently Lockheed Martin spent two weeks trying to fix the problem before informing the Air Force, but had to own up to their failure when the issue proved insurmountable. The Air Force was said to have been informed on June 6th, and has since requested the help of the Pentagon’s cybersecurity operators as well as private contractors.

    Some of the information, like investigations into possible sexual assaults, may have been backed up elsewhere, a service spokeswoman told Defense One, though the entirety of the data was not so safe.

    “The Air Force launched an immediate investigation to determine the cause and is aggressively leveraging vendor and DoD capabilities to attempt to recover the lost data and determine the severity of the loss,” read a statement cited by C4ISRNet.

    Since ACTS is where all the Air Force Inspector General records regarding “IG complaints, investigations, appeals and Freedom Of Information Act requests” are kept, the service expects “significant delays” in responding to inquires from the Inspector General, Congress and everyone else using the system.

    “The Air Force is assessing the immediate impact of the data loss, but at this time we are experiencing significant delays in the processing of inspector general and congressional constituency inquiries,” the service said in a statement cited by Defense One and others.

    So far nobody has reported suspicion of intentional disruption, but the investigation is ongoing. Pentagon Air Force Spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Defense One “[W]e’re doing our due diligence and checking out all avenues within the investigation to find out if there’s anything that we’re not aware of.” But regarding malicious intent; “[r]ight now, we don’t have any indication of that.”

    If nobody can figure out how to bring the data back, the Air Force Inspector General and its collaborators might be able to comb outlying bases for backups of some things. But obviously the loss of the database will be a significant hinderance to current investigations and future references to any that have taken place since 2004.

    http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-u-s-air-force-lost-12-years-of-investigations-than-1781974200

    U.S. Air Force computer crash wipes out a decade of data

    WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) — The Air Force has lost thousands of inspector general’s records after a database crash.

    The database, run by Lockheed Martin, was corrupted about a month ago. The company spent two weeks trying to recover information before informing the service of the loss on June 6.

    The Automated Case Tracking System, holds the entire inspector general records for complaints, investigations, appeals and Freedom of Information Act requests dating back to 2004.

    “We estimate we’ve lost information for 100,000 cases dating back to 2004,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told The Hill in an email. “The database crashed and there is no data,” he said. “At this time we don’t have any evidence of malicious intent.”

    Air Force officials have partnered with Pentagon cybersecurity professionals at the Pentagon in order to possibly save some information.

    “We are aware of the data corruption issue in the Air Force’s Automated Case Tracking System (ACTS) and are working with the Air Force to identify the cause, and restore the lost data,” a Lockheed Martin spokesperson told CNET.

    http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/06/15/US-Air-Force-computer-crash-wipes-out-a-decade-of-data/7811465966707/

  6. Saudi Arabia Has Funded 20% Of Hillary’s Presidential Campaign, Saudi Crown Prince Claims

    As MEE notes, the Petra News Agency published on Sunday what it described as exclusive comments from Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which included a claim that Riyadh has provided 20 percent of the total funding to the prospective Democratic candidate’s campaign.

    The report was later deleted and the news agency has not responded to requests for comment from Middle East Eye. However, the deletion took place too late, and luckily the Washington-based Institute for Gulf Affairs managed to capture the report and has re-published the original Arabic Petra report,which quoted Prince Mohammed as having said Saudi Arabia had provided with

    http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2016/06/saudi-arabia-has-funded-20-of-hillarys-presidential-campaign-saudi-crown-prince-claims-3368934.html

  7. Arab nations’ donations to Clinton Foundation: Curing world’s ills or currying favor?

    Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article24782695.html#storylink=cpy

    Four oil-rich Arab nations, all with histories of philanthropy to United Nations and Middle Eastern causes, have donated vastly more money to the Clinton Foundation than they have to most other large private charities involved in the kinds of global work championed by the Clinton family.

    Since 2001, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates gave as much as $40 million to the Clinton Foundation. In contrast, six similar non-governmental global charities collected no money from those same four Middle Eastern countries; the International Committee of the Red Cross was given $6.82 million. Since 2001, these global foundations have raised a staggering $40 billion to $50 billion to fund their humanitarian work.

    The existence of foreign donors to the Clinton Foundation has been well-documented in the media. What hasn’t been revealed, however, is the disparity in donations by these four nations, all of which have been criticized by the State Department over the years for a spate of issues ranging from the mistreatment of women to stoking ethnic discord in the flammable Middle East.

    Moreover, the level of Arab support for the Clinton Foundation, which occurred during the time Hillary Clinton was a U.S. senator, was seeking the Democratic nomination for president against Barack Obama, and was serving as secretary of state, fuels questions about the reasons for the donations. Were they solely to support the foundation’s causes, or were they designed to curry favor with the ex-president and with a potential future president?
    ADVERTISING
    Mideast nations favor contributions to Clinton Foundation

    Between 2001 and 2014 Middle Eastern countries gave $18 million to $50 million to the Clinton Foundation, accounting for 1.4 to 4 percent of contributions over the period. In contrast, the same nations gave about $6.82 million to the

    Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article24782695.html#storylink=cpy

  8. Food riots kill one more in Venezuela: legislator

    CARACAS (Reuters) – A man was shot dead on Tuesday during looting and food riots proliferating round crisis-hit Venezuela, an opposition legislator said, bringing to at least four the number of fatalities from this month’s wave of unrest.

    Milagros Paz said that as well as the fatality, another 27 people had been injured during a day of chaos and violence in the eastern Caribbean coastal town of Cumana that she represents for the Justice First party.

    “It was all very confusing. There were simultaneous lootings in different parts of Cumana. They looted more than 100 establishments,” she told Reuters from the National Assembly in Caracas, basing her information on contacts with constituents.

    There was no confirmation from President Nicolas Maduro’s government, though videos and photos on social media purporting to be from Cumana showed National Guard troops confronting crowds swarming round damaged shops.

    With crowds baying “We want food!” and security forces struggling to keep order, protests and melees at shops have been spreading around the recession-hit South American oil-producing nation in recent weeks, fueled by shortages of basic foods.

    Three other people were shot dead in the past week. A policeman and a soldier have been arrested.

    https://ca.news.yahoo.com/food-riots-kill-one-more-venezuela-legislator-013553636.html

  9. Spain’s once mighty socialists succumb to populist rage

    The PSOE tells the story of European social democracy’s demise

    It is hard not to feel some sympathy for Pedro Sánchez these days.

    The leader of Spain’s Socialist party is busy travelling the country, giving speeches and interviews, smiling, rallying, hugging and doing all the other things politicians do in an election campaign. Yet the confidence is gone, as is the requisite optimism. If the polls are right, Mr Sánchez is on course to lead his party to yet another painful defeat on June 26.

    This time, however, Spain’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) looks likely to be beaten not just by the centre-right Popular party but also by the far-left Unidos Podemos movement. According to recent surveys, the once mighty PSOE will come a distant third in this month’s general election, with just 20 per cent of the vote. Not only will it not lead the next government. Barring an unlikely late surge, it will not even lead the Spanish left.

    The decline of the PSOE is, of course, part of a broader story. In Germany, the Social Democrats are polling around historic lows, as are the French Socialists under their unpopular president. Pasok has turned into a splinter group in the Greek parliament. In the UK, meanwhile, the venerable Labour party has undergone something of a reverse takeover, and is currently led by a politician who spent his entire career on the party’s leftist fringe. With few exceptions — Italy being the most obvious — the European centre-left finds itself in the midst of a long and painful retreat.

    https://next.ft.com/content/1265561c-3215-11e6-ad39-3fee5ffe5b5b

  10. Spain’s public debt surpasses 100% in 20-year high

    Madrid (AFP) – Spain’s public debt rose above 100 percent in the first quarter to its highest level in 20 years, the central bank said Wednesday as Madrid faces an EU sanctions threat for public overspending.

    Debt as a proportion of economic output hit 100.5 percent in the first quarter up from 99.2 percent at the end of 2015, the bank said in a statement.

    It had already surpassed the symbolic 100-percent mark in the first quarter of 2015, when it hit 100.2 percent.

    Spain’s public debt stood at 1.09 trillion euros ($1.23 trillion) at the end of March.

    The debt, as well as Spain’s public deficit, are contentious issues as general elections approach at the end of the month, particularly after acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy promised tax cuts.

    His conservative government has promised to bring the public debt down to 99.1 percent of economic output by the end of 2016 and reduce the public deficit to 3.6 percent.

    Despite the return to growth Spain’s public deficit came in at 5.0 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) last year, far higher than the target of 4.2 percent Madrid agreed with Brussels.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/spains-public-debt-surpasses-100-20-high-103208805.html?ref=gs

  11. France threatens ban on union protests after “unbearable violence”

    PARIS, June 15 (Reuters) – French leaders told the hardline CGT labour union on Wednesday it would be denied permission for further street rallies unless it rooted out troublemakers, a day after violent battles between masked youths and police during protest marches in Paris.

    Prime Minister Manual Valls accused the CGT of doing little to rein in hundreds of rioters who ransacked shopfronts, tore up street paving and smashed the windows of a children’s hospital during running battles on Tuesday. The police responded with teargas and water cannon and dozens were hurt on both sides.

    President Francois Hollande told ministers street rallies that the CGT has been organising in protest against a labour law reform would not be permitted unless the union provided better security guarantees, a government spokesman said.

    In a grim assessment of the broader climate in France, Valls said terrorists would inevitably strike again, that police were also working overtime to avert fan violence during a month-long European soccer championship and that the anti-reform protests had now degenerated into “unbearable violence”.

    He was speaking two days after a police officer and his wife were knifed to death by a Frenchman pledging allegiance to the Islamic State militant group.

    http://news.trust.org/item/20160615125508-vonha

    • Al jazeera Plus Gay And Queer Muslims Dismiss GOP Attempts To Woo Them After Orlando

    • WNY Muslims founder reacts to Orlando shooting and Trumps proposed ban on Muslims

    • Local TV station: Orlando shooter called during the attack

      A local TV station in Orlando says the man who killed 49 people at a LGBTQ nightclub early Sunday called the station to claim responsibility for the attack before he died in a shootout with police.

      The caller, who claimed to be the gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, told the producer he spoke to that he committed the attack in the name of the terrorist group ISIS.

      News 13 producer Matthew Gentili said he took the call about 45 minutes after the shooting started.

      “It was at 2:45 a.m. when I had just received the phone call of someone claiming to be the Orlando shooter,” Gentili told News 13. “I answered the phone as I always do: ‘News 13, this is Matt.’ And on the other end, I heard, ‘Do you know about the shooting?'”

      The caller then told Gentili: “I’m the shooter. It’s me. I am the shooter.”

      He said he attacked the nightclub for ISIS. He then reportedly started speaking in a foreign language, thought to be Arabic, in which he sounded fluent, according to Gentili.

      Gentili asked the caller to speak in English. The man then said, “I did it for ISIS. I did it for the Islamic State.”

      When Gentili asked the caller who he was, the man replied that it was “none of [Gentili’s] [expletive] business.”

      Gentili asked if there was anything else the caller wanted to say, and the man responded “no,” and then hung up.

      After his shift ended, Gentili was interviewed by the FBI, he said. News 13’s managing editor reportedly traced the phone number the call came from back to Mateen.

      Mateen also reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS (also known as the Islamic State, ISIL, or Daesh) in a 911 call placed during the attack. He reportedly expressed support for terrorists with Al Qaeda affiliations as well.

      While Mateen claims he carried out the attack in ISIS’s name, it’s unclear whether he actually had communicated with the terrorist group. But it still fits in with ISIS’s strategy of inspiring its supporters to mount attacks in Western countries without any support from the group’s leadership.

      http://www.businessinsider.com/orlando-shooter-tv-station-call-2016-6
      ========================================================
      Mateen to News 13 producer: ‘I’m the shooter. It’s me.’

      ORLANDO —

      In the midst of the chaos early Sunday morning at Pulse nightclub, the team at News 13 in downtown Orlando was covering the story when a producer took an ominous phone call.

      “News 13, this is Matt,” is how Matthew Gentili, a producer at News 13, answered the phone.

      Gentili knew something wasn’t right.

      “I was receiving phone calls from viewers saying, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening? What’s happening in Orlando?” Gentili recalled Tuesday.

      Sharing with viewers the horror taking place just a few blocks down the street became Gentili’s first priority — until a phone call made him pause.

      “I will never forget the words he said to me,” Gentili said.

      About 45 minutes after the shooting began, the phone rang inside the News 13 newsroom.

      “It was at 2:45 a.m. when I had just received the phone call of someone claiming to be the Orlando shooter,” he said. “I answered the phone as I always do: ‘News 13, this is Matt.’ And on the other end, I heard, ‘Do you know about the shooting?’ ”

      Gentili said he was aware of the shooting. “Yes, I’m getting calls. I am hearing reports of a shooting,” he replied to the caller, who then cut him off.

      “I’m the shooter. It’s me. I am the shooter,” the person on the other end said.

      Gentili said he didn’t know what to say. The caller then started to say he committed the shooting for the Islamic State (militant group).

      “He did it for ISIS, and he started speaking Arabic,” Gentili said of the early morning phone call. “At the time, I didn’t know what he was saying. He was speaking so fast. But it was … he was speaking fluently. Whatever language he was speaking, he knew it. And he was speaking it very quickly. And that is when I said to him, ‘Sir. Please. Speak in English, please.'”

      Gentili said the caller stopped and said: “I did it for ISIS. I did it for the Islamic State.”

      Gentili said he asked where the caller was, but the caller said it was “none of my (expletive) business.”

      Sitting at his desk in the newsroom, Gentili said there was a long pause before he asked one final question.

      “It was silent for a while. I asked him: ‘Is there anything else you want to say?’ ” Gentili said. “He said no and hung up the phone.”

      Gentili sat and replayed in his head what had just happened. He heard nothing in the background.

      After completing a 12-hour shift, Gentili was interviewed at home by the FBI.

      Agents won’t confirm whether Gentili spoke to the gunman, but News 13’s managing editor was able to research the phone number from which the call came, and it matched to Omar Mateen.

      “I’m definitely changed,” Gentili said. “When you get a phone call like that, I’m never going to be able to answer the phone again without thinking this is the most serious call I’ll ever get in my life.”

      http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2016/6/14/orlando_shooting_oma.html

    • France, Belgium Alerted to Possible Arrival of Fighters (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
      http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/french-police-alerted-arrival-fighters-39869419

      “Police have been alerted to the possibility that small groups of extremists have left Syria for France and Belgium with plans to stage attacks, but have not raised threat levels, as authorities work to determine how credible the information is.

      Belgian intelligence services sent a note to French counterparts about the possible groups, and it was sent to police and anti-terrorism forces across France on Tuesday, a French security official said Wednesday.

      French authorities remain “very cautious” about the information because they receive such notes routinely, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to be able to discuss sensitive security information. Belgian officials are cautious too, as the information is believed to be from a single intelligence source and hasn’t been confirmed elsewhere…”

  12. Berlin Police Seize Heroin Haul Worth $3.6 Million (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/berlin-police-seize-heroin-haul-worth-36-million-39871738

    “Berlin police say they’ve arrested two men on narcotics charges and are seeking a third after finding 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of heroin worth an estimated 3 million euros ($3.6 million).

    Police said Wednesday the heroin was brought in from outside Germany. It was found Friday in suitcases and stashed inside rolls of industrial plastic wrap in the back of a car.

    A 36-year-old Lebanese man suspected of importing the drugs was arrested, along with his 23-year-old German-Lebanese accomplice who is accused of being responsible for the storage and trafficking of the heroin. A 46-year-old Lebanese man is still on the run.

    No names were released in line with German privacy laws.”

  13. Iranian-British Woman Held in Iran Faces Coup Charge (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iranian-british-woman-faces-alleged-coup-charge-iran-39870068

    “An Iranian-British woman detained in Iran faces charges of trying to cause the “soft toppling” of the government, a state-run news agency reported Wednesday, the latest in a series of cases in which dual nationals have been detained since last year’s nuclear deal with world powers.

    IRNA’s report marks the first official acknowledgment of the detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency.

    The foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Reuters previously reported that the organization does not operate in Iran…”

  14. 2 Get Conditional Jail in Kurdish Terror Finance Case (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/conditional-jail-kurdish-terror-finance-case-39872307

    “A Danish appeals court has given conditional jail sentences of four and five years to two men who had been found guilty of terror financing for providing millions to a Kurdish separatist group.

    The Eastern High Court on Wednesday said the sentences were made conditional because the actions had taken place more than a decade ago and one of the defendants is 75 years old.

    Last week, the court overturned their previous acquittal while upholding the exoneration of eight others charged with transferring at least 130 million kroner ($20 million) to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, via Kurdish organizations. The PKK, which seeks Kurdish autonomy in southeastern Turkey, is labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union.”

  15. US Said to Be Taking 2nd Look at Afghan Troop Reduction Plan (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/diplomat-nato-poised-extend-afghanistan-mission-39868778

    “U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has told NATO allies that the U.S. will take another look at withdrawing thousands of American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year, a British official said.

    British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said “Carter told us the troop numbers and the dispositions are being looked at again.”

    The current U.S. plan is to reduce the number of troops from 9,800 to 5,500 by the end of 2016. But Carter told reporters that President Barack Obama has indicated his willingness to re-examine force levels based on the intensified fight against the Taliban, and Carter expects Obama will do that as the year goes on.

    Carters’ comments came as NATO allies agreed to extend the Afghanistan training mission and keep troops in all four sections of the country in 2017.

    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the allies “will have what we call a flexible regional approach, meaning that we will continue to be of course in Kabul but also out in the different regions.”

    The alliance also is “now working on the final decisions for our exact force numbers into 2017. So that’s something we will decide later on this year,” Stoltenberg said.

    The U.S. troop-cutting plan is facing renewed scrutiny in light of the Taliban’s resurgence. Former U.S. commanders have urged Obama to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan into next year…”

  16. More Gunfire at Pakistan-Afghan Border, Afghan Guard Killed (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/gunfire-pakistan-afghan-border-afghan-guard-killed-39866423

    “Renewed clashes overnight at a Pakistani-Afghan border crossing killed an Afghan border guard and wounded five, an Afghan official said Wednesday, as Islamabad dispatched more troops to the volatile boundary amid an escalation between the two neighbors.

    Pakistan and Afghanistan have traded blame for the latest violence while calling for a peaceful resolution. However, intermittent shooting continued throughout the day Wednesday, according to two Pakistani officials…”

  17. Anti-gay preacher linked to Orlando leaves Australia (BBC, June 15, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36431916

    “An Islamic preacher who has said homosexuals should be put to death has left Australia.

    British-born Shia cleric Sheikh Farrokh Sekaleshfar lectured near Orlando, Florida in April and was being widely quoted in the wake of Sunday’s killing.

    He was visiting Australia as a guest of Sydney’s Imam Husain Islamic Centre.

    Media reports on Wednesday said Sheikh Sekaleshfar left the country after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered a review of his visa…”

  18. Islamic Terrorism Is Not Domestic Terrorism
    The Orlando massacre is not “homegrown extremism.”
    June 15, 2016
    Daniel Greenfield

    Obama described the massacre carried out by Muslim mass murderer Omar Mateen as “an example of the kind of homegrown extremism that all of us have been concerned about.” But there’s nothing “homegrown” about Omar Mateen. Omar was fighting for a foreign ideology. He just happened to be born in this country. Being born in America does not make him a domestic terrorist.

    One of our biggest errors in the fight against Islamic terrorism has been to treat it as a domestic terrorism problem. Islamic terrorism is not domestic terrorism. Not even when its perpetrators, like Omar Mateen or Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood killer, are born in the United States.

    What distinguishes domestic terrorism from international terrorism is not the perpetrator’s place of birth.

    One of the worst foreign terrorists in American history was Anton Dilger, who, like Hasan, was born in Virginia. As part of the German terrorist campaign against the United States during WW1, which included attacks such as the Black Tom explosion that damaged the Statue of Liberty and was heard in Philadelphia, Dilger plotted a biological warfare campaign that would decimate American horses. Working out of a laboratory near the White House, he experimented with anthrax on animals and his fellow operatives worked to infect as many horses as they could.

    This entire episode of history has been largely forgotten. As have its lessons.

    Anton Dilger was an international terrorist, despite being born to a Civil War hero, because his agenda was foreign, not domestic. Domestic terrorists seek political change in the United States. International terrorists seek to damage the United States. They are interested in domestic politics only to the extent that it serves their larger agenda for damaging the United States.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/263162/islamic-terrorism-not-domestic-terrorism-daniel-greenfield

  19. Huma Abedin, Daughter of Jihad
    Roger Stone says it’s time to focus on the Hillary Clinton aide whose family has ties to Osama bin Laden.
    June 15, 2016
    Matthew Vadum

    Hillary Clinton longtime lieutenant Huma Abedin’s exhaustively documented connections to Islamic terror are receiving renewed attention thanks to a new column written by political gadfly Roger Stone.

    Abedin, now vice-chairman of Clinton’s campaign, is the person “closest to the most powerful woman in American politics and perhaps the next President,” Stone writes at Breitbart. “Huma has been described variously as Hillary’s ‘body woman,’ a sort of glorified go-to personal maid, gentle confidant, and by others as an Islamic spy.”

    “She may be all of these things,” writes Stone, who is close to GOP presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump.

    “Abedin was deeply involved with the establishment of Hillary’s private email server, which was used for all of her work as Secretary of State. Now, since we know Hillary had hundreds of classified or top-secret documents on her vulnerable server (despite her early lies saying she did not), any faith in Huma’s judgment — at the very least — has been demolished. You will soon ask yourself, ‘how did this woman get a security clearance?’”

    Abedin’s background, including her suspect ties to Saudi Arabia, was previously examined by FrontPage but sounding the alarm about her connections to the Islamist underworld takes on a heightened urgency now that polls suggest Clinton is dangerously close to assuming the presidency. Abedin has been joined at the hip to Hillary for decades and would probably be a major figure such as policy director or chief of staff in the White House if she wins.

    The power this daughter of jihad could — once again — wield over Americans and world affairs is truly frightening. For all we know, Abedin may have played a role in shutting down cou

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/263183/huma-abedin-daughter-jihad-matthew-vadum

  20. Orlando Wasn’t About “Gun Violence” or “Homophobia”. It’s About Islam.
    June 15, 2016
    Daniel Greenfield

    Muslim terrorists have killed thousands of Americans. They have focused on targeted populations that Islam particularly hates, such as Jews, Christians or gays. But they have also killed us in huge numbers without regard for our race, religion or any other factor.

    They have killed us with guns. But they have also killed us with bombs and with airplanes and box cutters.

    The media would like to stay in its cozy echo chamber and blame the Orlando killings on homophobia or lack of gun control. But that fails to address the largest Muslim massacre of Americans, which wasn’t in Orlando, but which took place on 9/11. Americans, straight or gay, died that day. The weapons of choice were box cutters. We imposed the TSA on travelers and Muslim terrorism did not stop.

    Gun control will not stop Muslim terrorism. Islam hates gay people, but it also hates everyone who isn’t a Muslim.

    We can stand against Islamic Supremacism together or we can stand together against this threat. We can reinforce the old political divisions or we can deal with the fact that Muslim terrorists want to kill you no matter if you’re a Bernie supporter or a Trump supporter, if you’re gay or straight, Jewish, Christian, atheist, Buddhist or just don’t care.

    Muslim terrorism is not a subsidiary issue of gun violence or gay rights or anything else. It is its own threat. It has been around for over a thousand years and we either deal with it or die.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/263197/orlando-wasnt-about-gun-violence-or-homophobia-its-daniel-greenfield

  21. Gay Activist: After Orlando Attack, I’m Switching My Vote To Trump

    The massacre of at least 49 people at a gay nightclub early Sunday morning has once again shined a light on the ugly reality of radical Islam’s persecution of homosexuals. The tragedy at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub proved to be a turning point to one self-described “gay activist,” who penned an anonymous piece published by PJ Media on Monday stating that he/she now sees “with brutal clarity” that “in the progressive hierarchy of identity groups, Muslims are above gays.” For that reason, the activist announces, “in November I will vote for Trump.”

    “This is the saddest day of my life. I can’t even wrap my mind around the horror of what happened last night in Orlando, where 50 joyful dancing queers were murdered by a religious extremist,” begins the activist, who published the piece anonymously for fear of being “harassed and doxxed and shunned” by the Left.

    http://www.dailywire.com/news/6545/gay-activist-after-orlando-attack-im-switching-my-james-barrett?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=061416-news-title&utm_campaign=dwbrand

  22. Some Gay Men Say They Will Support Trump After Orlando Shooting

    Breaking News at Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/gay-men-support-trump/2016/06/13/id/733650/#ixzz4Bfyzrlxu
    Urgent: Rate Obama on His Job Performance. Vote Here Now!

    Some gay men are saying that they are moving their support in the presidential election to likely Republican candidate Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Orlando gay club shootings, according to Red Alert Politics.

    On a pro-Trump message board site on Reddit, a user whose screen name is 4yyy wrote, “I’m American, I’m gay. I used to think Trump was full of [expletive]. Today everything changed. My friend was one of the victims in Orlando, I’ve never been more ready for Trump to take office.”

    Breaking News at Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/gay-men-support-trump/2016/06/13/id/733650/#ixzz4BfzLvOv3
    Urgent: Rate Obama on His Job Performance. Vote Here Now!

  23. FBI agent calls Orlando shooting both ‘hate crime’ and ‘act of terrorism’

    ORLANDO, Florida — FBI Special Agent Ron Hopper said the mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub was both a hate crime and an act of terrorism. “This was an act of violence born out of hate that inflicted terror on an entire community,” he said Wednesday. “I would call it a hate crime, I would call it terrorism. It’s both.”

    Florida gunman Omar Mateen called a friend to say goodbye as he carried out his shooting rampage at a gay nightclub in Orlando, two law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

    The FBI has interviewed the recipient of that call, the sources said. Mateen also made calls to 911 and a producer at News 13 in Orlando, identifying himself as the shooter and saying he was acting out of allegiance to ISIS.[…]

    The FBI is working to access data from the phone used by the gunman, law enforcement officials said. Investigators have obtained significant amounts of data from service providers, including email.

    The Samsung phone was damaged after it became submerged in water and blood when SWAT officers severed a water main while tearing down a wall to the nightclub to rescue hostages, officials said.

    Sources: Mateen visited gay chat rooms

    Days after the attack — the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history — law enforcement officials revealed Mateen visited gay chat rooms and also frequented the same nightclub he would eventually terrorize despite reportedly expressing outrage over the sight of two men kissing and making derogatory comments about gays to others.

    Investigators don’t know whether he visited the chat rooms for personal reasons or for surveillance before carrying out the brutal attack.

    FBI agents are interviewing people who claim they met the gunman on gay dating apps, a law enforcement official told CNN’s Pamela Brown. Those claims “certainly change the perspective,” the source said.

    No men have publicly come forward claiming to have had sexual contact with him.

    Father denies son had ISIS ties

    Mateen’s father, an Afghan native, on Wednesday denied his son, who was born in New York, had any connection to ISIS.

    “He is born here,” Seddique Mateen told CNN.[…]

    […]What was gunman’s motive?

    Authorities are investigating multiple angles to understand what led Mateen to target people at a gay nightclub.

    Was the mass shooting fueled by homophobia? Was he struggling with his sexuality? Or was he inspired by the terror group ISIS, like he said in a 911 call during the rampage?

    In the 911 call, he pledged allegiance to ISIS, a U.S. official said. He also mentioned the Boston Marathon bombers.

    An analysis of his electronic devices showed searches for jihadist propaganda, including videos of ISIS beheadings, an official said.[…]

    http://myfox8.com/2016/06/15/fbi-agent-calls-orlando-shooting-both-hate-crime-and-act-of-terrorism/

    • Orlando Gunman’s Father Says Nightclub Shooting Also Made His Son A Victim Of Terrorism

      The father of Orlando killer Omar Mateen said Wednesday that his son was also a victim of terrorism and called for President Barack Obama as well as leaders in Europe to defeat the Islamic State group.

      “Today I was thinking why this happened and for what reason this happened,” Seddique Mateen told reporters at a news conference Wednesday outside his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida. “My thought is that my son, the people that passed away, they are my family, and the other people that got injured, were are all victims of terrorism,” he said.

      He said that if the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, did not exist, the tragedy would not have happened. His son killed 49 people and wounded 53 more, many seriously, at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, early Sunday morning.

      While the shooter claimed allegiance to ISIS during the attack, he is also thought to have been motivated by anti-gay feelings. Before the crime, the younger Mateen had used gay phone apps and frequented the Pulse nightclub where his attack took place, CNN reported. His father has denied his son was gay, but the killer’s ex-wife said she was not sure about his sexuality.

      On Wednesday, the shooter’s father focused on the threat of terrorism and how ISIS affected his son and other young people.

      “I want to get my message out to youngsters there: Don’t fall in the trap of this ISIS killer group, they are anti-family, anti-community, anti-religion killer group,” the father said. “I want especially the wonderful President Obama and the heads of the governments in Europe all over the world to destroy and eliminate this group because they frame youngsters all over the world. It’s a very sad group. If there was no ISIS group, probably, I would have my son.”

      The elder Mateen also condemned his son’s actions again, saying that he did not know his son had been radicalized and he “would have informed on him.”

      After the slaughter Sunday, many news outlets reported that the gunman’s father had posted videos about Afghan politics on his Facebook page and had expressed anti-homosexual views. In one post, he wrote: “God will punish those involved in homosexuality,” and added that it is “not an issue that humans should deal with.”

      http://www.ibtimes.com/orlando-gunmans-father-says-nightclub-shooting-also-made-his-son-victim-terrorism-2382547?rel=rel1

      • Best comment there:
        “INSTEAD OF investigating the Wife, INVESTIGATE THE FBI:
        the FBI has contact with The Boston Marathon Bombers and The Orlando Nightclub shooter.”

  24. UN backs naval crackdown on Libya arms smuggling (BBC, June 15, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36537748

    “The United Nations Security Council has approved a crackdown on arms smuggling in the waters off the Libyan coast.

    Under the resolution, European Union boats charged with seizing migrant-smuggling vessels in the Mediterranean Sea will also be asked to stop vessels suspected of smuggling arms.

    The UN had become concerned that arms trafficked to the country were being used by so-called Islamic State (IS).

    There are 20m weapons in the country of 6m people, the UN envoy to Libya said.

    “These weapons do not fall from the sky, but come increasingly through illegal shipments by sea and by land.

    “The arms fuel the conflict. These shipments must end if there is any serious hope of bringing peace to Libya,” said Martin Kobler…”

  25. Iran Files Suit Against US in World Court Over Frozen Assets (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iran-files-suit-us-world-court-frozen-assets-39881871

    “Iran has filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice to recover $2 billion worth of frozen assets the U.S. Supreme Court awarded to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran.

    In remarks broadcast Wednesday on state TV, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the claim had been filed the day before.

    The Supreme Court ruling, issued in April, directly affects more than 1,300 relatives of victims, some who have been seeking compensation for more than 30 years. They include families of the 241 U.S. service members who died in the Beirut bombing.

    Iran has denied any role in the attacks and rejected the court ruling, saying it amounted to theft.

    The ICJ, a U.N. body that adjudicates disputes between states, confirmed that Iran had initiated proceedings based on a 1955 Treaty of Amity with the United States.

    It was not immediately clear whether the ICJ would have jurisdiction over the case.”

  26. UAE Says ‘War Is Over’ for Emirati Troops in Yemen (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/fighting-yemen-kills-48-past-24-hours-39874957

    “The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday that the “war is over” for its troops in Yemen, though it may continue to keep them there for counterterrorism operations.

    Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan carried the announcement on his official Twitter account late Wednesday. He was quoting the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, who had given a speech saying the “war is over for our troops.”

    An Arabic version of his comments was worded slightly differently than the English one, saying the war is “practically” over.

    The statement left open the likelihood that Emirati troops would remain in Yemen, where they operate in the southern province of Hadramawt and the port city of Aden. The Saudi coalition’s spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment…”

  27. Iraq Says Senior Military Commander Killed While Fighting IS (abcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iraq-senior-military-commander-killed-fighting-39866656

    “Sniper fire by Islamic State militants killed a senior Iraqi commander near the northern IS-held city of Mosul, the extremist group’s main bastion in Iraq, as the U.N. refugee agency warned that thousands of civilians have been newly displaced from that area.

    Iraq’s Defense Ministry said late Tuesday that Brig. Ahmed Badr al-Luhaibi, the commander of Brigade 71st of Division 15, was killed by a sniper during an operation to retake a village south of Mosul.

    The statement lauded al-Luhaibi as a “knight” and said his death would “increase our determination to clear” the entire province of Nineveh, where Mosul is the provincial capital, of IS militants…”

  28. Too few migrant relocations from Italy – EU (ansa, June 15, 2016)
    http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2016/06/15/too-few-migrant-relocations-from-italy-eu_d35ad8a6-9bc8-49e1-b53c-c662b2e20d0d.html

    “Migrant relocations from Italy are still too low in the face of rising requests, European Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said Wednesday.

    Urging Italy to “do more”, he said, there were “positive signs” because relocations “almost doubled” since May 18 to 2,280 – 1,503 from Greece and 777 from Italy – but the pace was still too low compared to an objective of 6,000 a month and 160,000 by September 2017…”

  29. New judicial powers for president stir row (hurriyetdailynews, June 15, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/new-judicial-powers-for-president-stir-row.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100526&NewsCatID=338

    “President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an could soon be free to choose 24 members of the 96-seat Council of State all on his own if a judicial reform package is adopted, making him the first-ever president to assign one fourth of a high court.

    The 38 article-draft that would restructure the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State was recently introduced by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to the parliament speaker’s office with plans to have it passed before parliament goes to recess at the end of June.

    The draft has resulted in irritation in the high judiciary, with some members of the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State considering resignation in protest at what they say is an unconstitutional proposal…”

  30. Turkey’s HDP calls for end to demolitions, sieges, ‘illegal’ round-the-clock curfews (hurriyetdailynews, June 15, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-hdp-calls-for-end-to-demolitions-sieges-illegal-round-the-clock-curfews.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100529&NewsCatID=338

    “Holding both the president and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) responsible for “destruction and suffering,” the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has called for an urgent end to “illegal round-the-clock curfews” in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish-populated provinces of the country.

    “As part of a larger war policy, round-the-clock curfews are still going on in Kurdish provinces despite their illegality. Hundreds of civilians have lost their lives in months-long curfews in the ??rnak city center and 22 other districts. While armed clashes have stopped in all these districts, curfews are still in effect for full days in some districts, while at night in some others,” Selahattin Demirta? and Figen Yüksekda?, the co-chairs of the HDP, said in a joint statement dated June 14 and released on June 15.

    “[President Recep Tayyip] Erdo?an-AKP rule is directly responsible for all this destruction and suffering. The crimes against humanity committed by them are piling up with every passing day. The main reason behind the government’s refusal to lift round-the-clock curfews is its aim to completely destroy these civilian settlements,” Demirta? and Yüksekda? added.

    “The ongoing round-the-clock curfews, blockades and destruction in Kurdish cities and towns should be immediately stopped. All the obstacles that prevent residents from safely returning to their homes should be removed,” stated the two leaders of the Kurdish-problem focused HDP, the third largest party at Turkey’s parliament…”

  31. Libyan forces say Daesh attacks repelled in battle for Sirte (gulfnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://gulfnews.com/news/mena/libya/libyan-forces-say-daesh-attacks-repelled-in-battle-for-sirte-1.1846973

    “Tripoli: Forces backed by Libya’s unity government said on Wednesday they had consolidated positions on the edge of Sirte, repelling sniper, tank and mortar attacks as they seek to oust Daesh from its North African stronghold.

    Fighting resumed on Wednesday near Sirte’s port, which government-backed forces captured last week. There have also been intense clashes in the ‘700’ neighbourhood and around the Ouagadougou conference hall, just south of a 5km by 5km area still controlled by Daesh, security sources said…”

  32. 490 soldiers, 3,500 militants killed in Operation Zarb-e-Azb so far: DG ISPR (tribune, June 15, 2016)
    http://tribune.com.pk/story/1123356/dg-ispr-addresses-press-conference-afghanistan-pakistan-border-clashes/

    “Director General Inter-Service Public Relations Lt-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa addressed a press conference on Wednesday, marking the second anniversary of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.

    “June 15 is a historic day for us. Before Zarb-e-Azb, the country, including North Waziristan was plagued with terrorism.”

    “Over a period of two years, an area of 3,600sq km in North Waziristan has been cleared of terrorists,” DG ISPR said.

    “This includes 900 terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Islam.”

    “As promised, these operations including Operation Kinetic have been conducted without any biasness. Shawal has also been cleared of terrorism.”‘

    “Pakistan Army has recovered modern weapons from these terrorists, which they had stolen from American troops,” he told the media.

    “The army successfully seized 253 tons of explosives- enough to make IEDs from for at least 15 years,” he said while adding that 7,500 bomb making factories were closed down in Shawal.

    In the past two years, a total of 3,500 terrorists were killed, leaving 992 hideouts destroyed, DG ISPR stated.

    Referring to the loss faced by the Pakistan Army during Zarb-e-Azb, Bajwa said, 490 soldiers have been killed thus far.

    “Pakistan is not harbouring any terrorists on its soil,” he added…”

  33. USA: ‘Stop making threats on Muslim community’ – US attorney addresses Orlando shooting

    Orlando city officials and US Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Lee Bentley briefed media on the process of investigation of the Orlando attack, Wednesday.

  34. U S A : ‘Stop making threats on Muslim community’ – U S attorney addresses Orlando shooting

    • FOX News – Trump: People using PC terms against us to not report terror
      ( 8 min )
      Presumptive GOP nominee goes ‘On the Record’ on whether he still supports his temporary ban on Muslims proposal, says he suspects the father of the Orlando gunman has beliefs against US interests and that he could have known about the attack beforehand

    • FOX News – Trump: ‘I’m going to make this country safe again’

      ( 6 min 17 )

    • <strongOrlando terrorist's chilling Facebook posts from inside club revealed`

      Investigators widen probe in search for a reason for the shooting

      EXCLUSIVE: In the hours after he blasted his way into an Orlando gay nightclub, and with his victims lying dead or wounded around him, Omar Mateen took to Facebook to pledge his loyalty to ISIS and threaten more attacks on the civilized world, a key lawmaker privy to the gunman’s posts told FoxNews.com Wednesday.

      Mateen, who killed 49 people and wounded 53 inside Pulse early Sunday, died when a SWAT team stormed the club. But in the roughly four hours between his initial rampage and his death, the 29-year-old radicalized Muslim broadcast his twisted message of hate on social media, according to Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wisc.

      “I pledge my alliance to (ISIS leader) abu bakr al Baghdadi..may Allah accept me,” Mateen wrote in one post early Sunday morning. “The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west” …“You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes..now taste the Islamic state vengeance.”

      Mateen’s social media accounts were taken down before they could be widely viewed by the public, but Johnson’s committee investigators have uncovered some or all of them. The senator has also written a letter to Facebook executives expressing concern about Mateen’s postings and asking for more information on his activities.

      “It is my understanding that Omar Mateen used Facebook before and during the attack to search for and post terrorism-related content,” read Johnson’s letter. “According to information obtained by my staff, five Facebook accounts were apparently associated with Omar Mateen.”

      The posts uncovered by Johnson’s committee shed light on Mateen’s actions in the hours that followed his 2 a.m. raid on the nightclub. Mateen, armed with an assault rifle and a handgun, shot his way past an off-duty cop and sprayed bullets throughout the club, which was packed with more than 300 revelers when he arrived. Some escaped, many died or were wounded and scores more waited out the horrific ordeal, knowing each moment could be their last.

      As survivors cowered in darkened rooms, praying and texting police and relatives, Mateen accessed his Facebook account to search for media reports, using search words such as “Pulse Orlando” and “Shooting.” An FBI source told FoxNews.com he also made 16 phone calls from inside the club after the bloody spree began. Investigators are tracking down each of the recipients of those calls.

      Mateen proclaimed his hatred for Westerners in one Facebook post uncovered by Johnson’s committee.

      “America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state,” Mateen wrote.

      In his final post, Mateen made an ominous prediction.

      “In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa.”

      Besides looking for information on himself, Johnson noted Mateen used Facebook to search for information on the jihadist couple behind the Dec. 2 San Bernardino attack, used the search term “Baghdadi Speech,” and scouted for posts by local law enforcement and FBI, Johnson told FoxNews.com.

      Johnson called on Facebook to hand over all information the company has on Mateen for review and to brief his committee on all of Mateen’s activity logs, Facebook timeline information, Facebook messages, photos, and posts by June 29.

      Facebook officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

      http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/15/orlando-terrorists-chilling-facebook-posts-from-inside-club-revealed.html

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

      Letter from Sen. Ron Johnson to Facebook regarding Orlando shooter’s posts

      June 15, 2016

      Mr. Mark Zuckerberg
      Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer
      Facebook, Inc.
      1601 Willow Road
      Menlo Park, CA 94025

      Dear Mr. Zuckerberg:

      The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is examining the June 12, 2016 terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida. It is my understanding that Omar Mateen used Facebook before and during the attack to search for and post terrorism-related content. I appreciate Facebook’s support of the law-enforcement investigation into this attack and previous attacks. While Facebook is not a target of the Committee’s inquiry, I respectfully request your assistance with the Committee’s inquiry.

      According to information obtained by my staff, five Facebook accounts were apparently associated with Omar Mateen. On June 12, 2016, Mateen apparently searched for “Pulse Orlando” and “Shooting.” Mateen also apparently posted “America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state..I pledge my alliance to abu bakr al Baghdadi..may Allah accept me.” He then posted “The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west” and “You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes..now taste the Islamic state vengeance.” In a final post, Mateen apparently wrote, “In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa.”

      In addition, my staff learned that in May 2016, Mateen used Facebook to search for information on the San Bernardino terrorists and on June 4, 2016, Mateen apparently searched “Baghdadi Speech.” My staff has also learned that Mateen apparently used Facebook to conduct frequent local law enforcement and FBI searches, including searching for specific law enforcement offices.

      As the Committee examines the attack and considers legislative proposals to address homegrown extremism, I respectfully request your assistance with the Committee’s inquiry given Mr. Mateen’s use of Facebook. I ask that you please provide all Facebook data on Mr. Mateen’s activities on his account and any affiliated Facebook accounts, including but not limited to activity logs, Facebook timeline information, Facebook messages, photos, and posts. In addition, I request that appropriate company staff arrange a briefing with Committee staff on the information available to Facebook prior to and during this terrorist attack. Please provide this briefing and material as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 29, 2016. When delivering production sets, please produce to Majority staff in room 340 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building and to Minority staff in room 613 of the Hart Senate Office Building.

      The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized by Rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate to investigate “the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of Government.”[1] Additionally, S. Res. 73 (114th Congress) authorizes the Committee to examine “the efficiency and economy of operations of all branches and functions of the Government with particular reference to (i) the effectiveness of present national security methods, staffing and processes….”[2] For purposes of this request, please refer to the definitions and instructions in the enclosure.

      Sincerely,

      Ron Johnson
      Chairman

      http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/15/letter-from-sen-ron-johnson-to-facebook-regarding-orlando-shooters-posts.html

  35. Hacked Documents Allege DNC Attack Plan on Donald Trump (nbcnews, June 15, 2016)
    http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/hacked-documents-allege-dnc-attack-plan-donald-trump-n593301

    “A hacker has leaked a trove of documents purportedly stolen from the Democratic National Committee, including a 200-page opposition research book detailing aspects of the party’s battle plan against Donald Trump.

    The dossier is mostly filled with previously reported on public comments and biographical information about the presumptive GOP nominee. But it also provides insights into where Democrats may view Trump most vulnerable, including the possibility of reviving his ex-wife’s rape allegation.

    The DNC confirmed Tuesday that its computer networks had been breached by hackers apparently working for the Russian government. A day later, Gawker and the Smoking Gun published the research book, leaked to them by someone calling themselves “Guccifer 2.0.”

    The hacker posted additional material on their own website, including email addresses of major donors and a talking points memo marked “secret” the hacker claims to have swiped from DNC servers. Much of the information was already available publically from the Federal Election Commission and other sources.

    The DNC did not respond to a request for comment…”