Reader’s links for July 14 – 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

82 Replies to “Reader’s links for July 14 – 2016”

  1. ‘Space Plane’ which could fly anywhere in the world in four hours secures €10,000 development contract

    Could we soon be saying goodbye to long-haul flights? One company has taken an important step in making this dream come true.

    Oxford’s Reaction Engines Ltd (REL) announced it has received a €10,000 development contract with ESA, so it can work on its revolutionary Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE).

    This technology can work both in the Earth’s atmosphere and in space – which is crucial to space planes.

    The grant will add to the UK Government’s commitment to invest £60 million in SABRE.

    The project has also seen investment from defence company BAE Systems and the US Air Force.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/14/space-plane-which-could-fly-anywhere-in-the-world-in-four-hours/

      • If it works. Lots of ideas for cheap one-stage to orbit, if only the engine technology were there. NASA & USAF always on the look out for the ‘Holy Grail’ of rocket motors; so far, no dice.

        • There is some engine tech from the black programs, aka the top secret airel vehicles, the newest one is suppose to be capable of over 5,000 mph.

  2. NAACP leader: Dallas cop-killer was ‘defenseless,’ and his killing by police was ‘racist’

    On Saturday, Howard Portnoy presented an alternate theory to the shooting deaths in Dallas of five police officers as presented by a Black Lives Matter activist. The theory, shared in a series of tweets by Johnetta Elzie, was that the entire incident was a setup by police to make Black Lives Matter look bad.

    On Sunday, another theory of the case was posted on a different social media site. This time it was Facebook, and the author was Rev. Curtis Everette Gatewood, a director of the NAACP’s North Carolina branch.

    In the post, which follows, Gatewood submits that in the absence of any recorded statement by cop-killer Micah X. Johnson expressing his desire to kill whites and police the only reasonable conclusion that can be drawn is that Johnson — not the police he murdered — was a “defenseless” victim. The manner in which he was killed, moreover, was “racist” and amounted to a lynching.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/07/13/naacp-leader-dallas-shooter-defenseless-lynched/

    (And the conspiracy theories start, this is being done to try and stop people from understand the truth about the BLM movement)

    • Tweet of the Day: The REAL story behind the Dallas ambush, as told by Black Lives Matter

      What fools we’ve been! It was all a setup! There was no sniper who shot and killed five Dallas policemen in cold blood. Or worse still, there was a sniper, and the five cops who died were all sacrificial lambs.

      Whichever way it went down, the whole shebang on Thursday was a frame-up designed for the express purpose of make the Black Lives Matter movement look bad.

      For my money, BLM doesn’t need any help looking silly (by, for example, shutting down major traffic arteries as a form of protest that has as an antecedent holding one’s breath during the toddler years). Nevertheless, the above conspiracy theory has been advanced on Twitter by the group’s own Johnetta Elzie:

      http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/07/09/tweet-day-real-story-behind-dallas-ambush-told-black-lives-matter/

  3. LYBIA – BENGHAZI – Libyan defence minister unharmed after Benghazi car bombing

    JULY 14 – Colonel Mahdi al-Barghathi, defence minister in Libya’s UN-backed unity government, escaped unharmed after he was the target of a car bomb that exploded Thursday in Benghazi, said news website Alwasat.

    The minister said the car bomb exploded near the headquarters of his 204 Tanks Brigade and left one soldier injured as well as several cars damaged

    http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2016/07/14/libyan-defence-minister-unharmed-after-benghazi-car-bombing_46777e1a-6af2-4936-8a39-c6ff781a4038.html

    A car bomb targeting Defence Minister designate of Libya’s UN-backed government Mihdi Baraghati was detonated in Benghazi on Wednesday night. Baraghati escaped unhurt, but one of his bodyguards, a bystander, and his two daughters were injured.

  4. Syria: Shouldn’t U.S. policy on terrorist subgroups change? 13 July 2016

    US wont let UN call “Ahrar al Sham” + “Jaish al-Islam” “terrorists” then says they are not terrorists because UN says so

    • The left has been creating problems and then blaming them on others for years, this is just a play on that tactic.

      • If we want Putin on our side all we have to do is stop trying to replace Assad. I think that is a good idea, he hasn’t done anything to the US or any ally.

    • SAUDI ARABIA -US-Russia cooperation in Syria must help end Assad rule: Saudi FM

      Saudi Arabia warned Thursday that any military cooperation between the United States and Russia in Syria must help advance a political transition to end the war without Bashar al-Assad in power.

      Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters he was ready to welcome US-Russian cooperation as US Secretary of State John Kerry headed to Moscow for talks on ending Syria’s five-year war.

      “With regards to the Russian-American cooperation in the fight against terrorism: this is something we had asked for,” Jubeir told reporters following meetings at the United Nations.

      But he added: “The key is really to move the situation in Syria along a political process.”
      The Washington Post reported that Kerry will propose setting up a joint command and control center to direct air strikes against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups, during his talks with President Vladimir Putin.

      The Saudi foreign minister said Syria must move forward on a political transition that provides for an interim governing council with full power to manage state affairs and “lead to a new Syria without Bashar al-Assad in it.”

      “Anything that helps move the process in that direction is something that we would welcome,” he added.

      Russia had repeatedly called on the United States and other countries to cooperate more closely to defeat the Islamic State group and other jihadists in Syria.

      Cooperation with Moscow has long been viewed with suspicion, as it would amount to acceptance of Russia’s backing for the Assad regime.

      Saudi Arabia is supporting various rebel groups fighting the Damascus regime, some of whom have close ties with the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front and are not considered moderates.

      Under a UN plan, the political transition in Syria is to begin on August 1, with the formation of an interim body followed by the drafting of a new constitution and elections 18 months later.

      But the fate of Assad remains unresolved, with the opposition demanding that he must leave power immediately.

      http://m.gulf-times.com/Story/502455

      Saudi Arabia: US-Russia cooperation in Syria must end Assad

      Saudi Arabia warned Thursday that any military cooperation between the United States and Russia in Syria must help advance a political transition to end the war without Bashar al-Assad in power.

      Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters he was ready to welcome US-Russian cooperation as US Secretary of State John Kerry headed to Moscow for talks on ending Syria’s five-year war.

      “With regards to the Russian-American cooperation in the fight against terrorism: this is something we had asked for,” Jubeir told reporters following meetings at the United Nations.

      But he added: “The key is really to move the situation in Syria along a political process.”

      http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/364720

    • Syrian rebels stunned as Turkey signals normalisation of Damascus relations

      Apparent policy shift could spell end to rebellion against Bashar al-Assad’s rule in Syria

      More than five years into Syria’s civil war, Turkey, the country that has most helped the rebellion against the rule of Bashar al-Assad, has hinted it may move to normalise relations with Damascus.

      The suggestion made by the Turkish prime minister, Binali Y?ld?r?m, on Wednesday, stunned the Syrian opposition leadership, which Ankara hosts, as well as regional leaders, who had allied with Turkey in their push to oust Assad over a long, unforgiving war.

      “I am sure that we will return [our] ties with Syria to normal,” he said, straying far from an official script that has persistently called for immediate regime change. “We need it. We normalised our relations with Israel and Russia. I’m sure we will go back to normal relations with Syria as well.”

      […]Syria’s Kurds recently declared the territory they had clawed back from Isis control, with American backing, to be part of an autonomous zone that neither the Turkish nor the Syrian governments recognise, and which Ankara fears will accelerate the ambitions of the PKK.

      If a solution to Syria’s war is to be found, Ankara will not allow this new reality to stand. Moving the Kurds out of the way would be a small price to pay for an Assad victory. Turkey, meanwhile, may well have flagged that it is prepared to pay a much bigger price for a return to the pre-2011 status quo.

      https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/13/turkey-pm-greatest-goal-is-to-improve-relations-with-syria-and-iraq

    • al jazeera – Syria war: Assad says Russia not pressuring him to quit

      Syrian leader confident in TV interview as US State Secretary heads to Moscow amid reports of military cooperation.

      http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/syria-war-assad-russia-pressuring-quit-160714134442469.html

      Assad on Trump: Obama, Clinton, Bush had no foreign policy experience, either

      http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/assad-nbc-225510
      =============================================
      July 14 2016 Syria

      Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad: Exclusive Interview NBC Nightly News

      (44 min )

  5. BBC – Boris Johnson: Brexit vote does not mean ‘in any sense’ leaving Europe

  6. Could Italy Bring Down the Euro?

    The eurosceptic Five Star Movement (M5S) has overtaken Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Democratic Party (PD) in several opinion polls and is now the most popular political party in Italy.

    The poll results represent a significant shift in Italy’s political landscape and have potentially far-reaching implications for the future of the European Union.

    M5S, which would win national elections if they were held today, has called for a referendum on whether Italy, which is facing the collapse of its banking system, should keep the euro, the single currency of the European Union, or bring back the Italian lira.

    A move by Italy — the third-largest economy in the eurozone — to abandon the euro could strike a potentially fatal blow to the currency and to the bloc itself.

    An Ipsos poll, published by the newspaper Corriere della Sera on July 5, gave M5S 30.6% of the vote, up from 28.9% in April, while Renzi’s center-left PD fell to 29.8% from 31.1%.

    A Demos poll, published by La Repubblica on July 1, gave M5S 32.3% of the vote, compared to 30.2% for the PD. An EMG Acqua poll for TeleGiornale La7 television on June 28 gave M5S 31.7%, compared to 31.2% for the PD.

    http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8468/italy-euro

    • This one looks interesting, a third nations is getting ready to rebel at the ballot box, the left is going down the tubes because people are seeing through their failed policies.

    • Rita you know more about the European political climate then I do, in your opinion what will Italy pulling out of the Euro do to the EU?

  7. Beloved DNC Staffer Seth Rich Shot Dead in the Back in DC, Just Hours After Calling For Dallas Unity; Conspiracy Theories Abound

    A young idealist who worked for the Democratic National Committee was murdered early Sunday as he walked home in the Bloomingdale neighborhood in affluent Northwest Washington D.C.

    Seth Rich, 27, was shot multiple times including twice in the back. His mother Mary Rich told the local NBC station that her son was found with bruises on his face, knees and hands – signs that he fought for his life.

    “Worst nightmare,” she told News4.

    According to Mary Rich, Seth was talking on the phone with his girlfriend at the time of the attack and she heard noise on his end of the line. He told her not to worry about it.

    http://heatst.com/politics/dnc-staffer-seth-rich-shot-dead-conspiracy-theories/

    Liberty unyielding headline and line follows

    DNC election fraud whistleblower found murdered

    [Ed. – Do the Clintons have an alibi?]

    A young idealist who worked for the Democratic National Committee was murdered early Sunday as he walked home in the Bloomingdale neighborhood in affluent Northwest Washington D.C.

    Seth Rich, 27, was shot multiple times including twice in the back. His mother Mary Rich told the local NBC station that her son was found with bruises on his face, knees and hands – signs that he fought for his life.

    “Worst nightmare,” she told News4.

    According to Mary Rich, Seth was talking on the phone with his girlfriend at the time of the attack and she heard noise on his end of the line. He told her not to worry about it.

    “They never took anything,” she said of her son’s mysterious murderer.

    As recently as Friday, Rich (pictured above) had taken to Twitter to call for peace and unity following the racially charged Dallas massacre Thursday night.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/07/13/dnc-election-fraud-whistleblower-found-murdered/

    • I recall when Allard P. Lowenstein was shot dead, the immediate speculation in the MSM was that maybe guns rights activists had done the dirty deed.

  8. New details show eerily similar incident involving Sterling, police

    BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) –

    The 9News Investigators obtained a police report that details a previous arrest of Alton Sterling that is eerily similar to the incident that ultimately led to his death.

    Sterling, 37, was recently killed in a shooting involving two Baton Rouge police officers on July 5.

    http://www.walb.com/story/32431300/the-investigators-new-details-show-eerily-similar-incident-involving-sterling-police?clienttype=generic&sf30845882=1

    video at site.

    Sources close to the investigation said that if the killing of Sterling makes it to trial, Sterling’s past record could certainly be introduced.

    It turns out Sterling has struggled with police in the past. Documents show, in May 2009, Sterling fought with cops outside of a convenience store on Rosenwald Road, where he was selling CDs, while carrying a gun.

    In the report dated May 29, 2009, the officer said he was dispatched to a convenience store after getting a complaint about a subject “on the corner selling CDs” and that the subject had pulled a gun on someone.

    According to the officer’s report, when he arrived to the store, he spotted the suspect, who he later identified as Alton Sterling, carrying a crate of CDs.

    The officer asked Sterling to put his hand on the hood of his police car and asked if Sterling had any weapons on him. The report says Sterling did “not answer” and as the officer continued to pat him down, Sterling started reaching for his pocket.

    The officer went on to say in the report that Sterling suddenly spun around and the two began to struggle. The officer and Sterling hit the ground. The officer said he was able to call for backup as Sterling tried to push him off.

  9. DAILY MAIL – ISIS savages shoot down Syrian fighter jet… then mock dead pilot with a model jet as they crucify his corpse

    ISIS fighters shot down a Syrian government jet over Deir Ez-zor today
    The pilot’s body was then strung up and ‘crucified’ under a model plane
    Most of eastern Deir ez-Zor province is controlled by ISIS, or Daesh

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3690261/ISIS-savages-shoot-Syrian-fighter-jet-mock-dead-pilot-model-jet-crucify-corpse.html

    video ( 48 sec ) crucifixion ——> 0:38

    http://video.aamqagency.pw/v/dj14072016.mp4

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

  10. CNN – 28 pages on alleged Saudi ties to 9/11 to be released

    The long-classified pages detailing alleged ties of the Saudi Arabian government to the 9/11 hijackers will be released by Congress as early as Friday, sources told CNN.

  11. FRANCE – NICE –

    Witnesses report vehicle crashed into Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France; people seen running from area

    Crowds running in Nice, France, after reports of vehicle crashing into Bastille Day crowd

    Crowd runs from scene of incident in Nice, France; witnesses report truck crashed into crowd celebrating Bastille Day

    Several witnesses report a truck has crashed into a crowd during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France.

    2 videos on twitter :

    https://twitter.com/yvnnick/status/753691735302238209

    https://twitter.com/harp_detectives/status/753692774885621760

    • Truck crashes into Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France

      France’s national holiday turned ugly for revelers Thursday night in the southern city of Nice, as a truck reportedly crashed into a crowd of Bastille Day revelers and fears of terrorism spread.

      Multiple videos posted on BreakingNews.com showed people fleeing in panic, though the crash itself wasn’t shown.

      There also were reports of gunshots, though fireworks are often set off on Bastille Day, making such early witness accounts questionable.

      Islamist terror groups, sometimes using native-French Muslims, have targeted France repeatedly in recent years and the use of vehicles and car bombs are among their known tactics.

      There was no immediate claim of responsibility or news of carnage beyond an ordinary traffic accident.

      But a terror attack on July 14 would be symbolic as one in the U.S. on July 4. Bastille Day is France’s biggest public holiday, celebrating a Parisian mob’s storming of a royal prison on that date in 1789, kicking off the French Revolution — the founding event of modern France.

      http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/14/truck-crashes-bastille-day-crowd-nice-france/

      • ‘Many dead’ as lorry hits crowd in Nice (BBC, July 14, 2016)
        http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36800730

        “A lorry has struck a crowd during Bastille Day celebrations in the southern French city of Nice, with reports of many dead.

        The incident took place on the famous Promenade des Anglais during a firework display, media reports say.

        One image on Twitter showed about a dozen people lying on the street, some being tended to.

        The local prefecture has urged people in the area to remain indoors, calling the incident “an attack”.

        Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said that “a lorry driver appears to have killed dozens of people”.

        A local official was later quoted as saying that at least 30 people were dead.

        The mayor and police urged residents to stay indoors.”

    • Attack In Nice: ’60 Dead’ As Truck Hits Crowd

      At least 60 people are reported to have been killed after a truck ploughed into a crowd in an apparent attack in the French city of Nice.

      A further 100 people have been injured, according to French television station BFM TV.

      One eyewitness reported seeing the driver slam the lorry into revellers celebrating Bastille Day on the city’s famous Promenade des Anglais.

      He then emerged from the vehicle and started shooting, local resident Wassim Bouhlel told news agency AP.

      “There was carnage on the road,” he said. “Bodies everywhere.”

      Local newspaper Le Parisien is reporting that shots were exchanged with police.

      “According to our information the driver of the lorry has been killed. A possible accomplice fled the scene,” the newspaper said.

      A image appears to show the front of a white lorry riddled with bullet holes.

      The incident took place as revellers gathered to watch a Bastille Day fireworks display on city’s waterfront.

      Dramatic footage shows dozens of panicked people running from the scene.

      “People are running. It’s panic. The lorry mounted the prom, he drove over everyone,” a journalist on the scene for local newspaper Nice Martin reported.

      “Everyone is bleeding – there are loads of people injured, without doubt.”

      President of the Nice Cote d’Azur region, Christian Estrosi, has tweeted: “The driver of a lorry seems to have killed dozens of people. Stay in your homes. More information to follow…”

      Le Parisien has graphic images of bodies strewn across the promenade.

      http://www.964eagle.co.uk/news/world-news/2040284/nice-attack-truck-drives-into-crowd-reports/

    • Earlier today :

      France’s state of emergency will be lifted, Hollande says

      PARIS (AP) — France’s state of emergency in place since attacks in January claimed by the Islamic State group will be lifted July 26, the president said Thursday, but he stressed that the threat continues.

      Francois Hollande spoke after presiding over the traditional Bastille Day parade with thousands of members of the military marching in meticulous formation, fighting machines rumbling down the Champs-Elysees and fighter jets overhead.

      “We cannot prolong the state of emergency eternally … Is the threat there? Yes,” Hollande said.[…]

      http://www.breitbart.com/news/frances-state-of-emergency-will-be-lifted-hollande-says/

    • ’73 dead’ after truck crashes into crowd at Bastille Day celebrations in Nice ‘terror attack’

      The death toll has risen to 73, according to Le Figaro quoting a police source.

      A gunman reportedly got out of the lorry and fired into the crowd on the seafront Promenade des Anglais, an area popular with tourists in the Riviera resort, leaving dead and injured people lying in the street.

      He was shot dead by police but there were reports that an accomplice had fled and that guns and grenades were found in the lorry.

      an interior ministry spokesman, Pierre-Henry Brandet, said it was too early to be certain of the killers’ motives.

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/14/truck-crashes-into-crowd-at-bastille-day-celebrations-in-nice2/

    • Bastille Day attack: Nice lorry driver identified by French media as 31-year-old Tunisian

      Driver was 31-year-old from Nice’

      The local newspaper, Nice-Matin, reports that the man driving the truck was a 31-year-old Nice resident of Tunisian origin.

      According to an eyewitness report cited by BFM, the driver of the truck shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” before the attack.

      https://www.rt.com/news/351086-panic-nice-france-crowd/

  12. Greece: Migrant Dies After Clashes at Camp (abcnews, July 14, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/greece-migrant-dies-clashes-camp-40590606

    “Police say an Afghan migrant has died and two others were injured following clashes at a camp near Athens, in the latest outbreak of violence involving migrants stranded in the European Union country.

    Police said the man died in a hospital late Thursday after clashes involving dozens of mostly Afghan men at the camp where the city’s international airport and a sporting complex for the 2004 Olympics were previously located…”

    • Greece: Thousands take to streets to show solidarity with refugees

      Thousands rallied outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Thursday, in protest against migration policies that impede refugees from leaving the country and reaching their desired destinations.

  13. AP EXCLUSIVE: Militant With US Bounty Walks Free in Pakistan (abcnews, July 14, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ap-exclusive-pakistan-militant-warns-kashmir-violence-40571472

    “The United States has put a $10 million bounty on his head, labeling him a terrorist. He is one of the most wanted men in India. Yet, Hafiz Saeed walks free in his home country of Pakistan, denouncing Washington and New Delhi in public speeches.

    Now the man identified by the U.S. as a founding member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group is weighing in on the flare-up of violence in Kashmir, the mountainous region divided between Pakistani and Indian control, where dozens have died in clashes with protesters after Indian security forces killed a top rebel leader.

    In an interview with The Associated Press, Saeed accused the U.S. of giving India a free hand to crush the anti-India protests in its Himalayan territory, warning that will only lead to an escalation of violence…”

  14. Cameroon Boko Haram suspects ‘dying in Cameroon jails’ (BBC, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36793560

    “Suspected Boko Haram militants in Cameroon are dying in jail of disease, malnutrition and in some cases torture, Amnesty International says.

    More than 1,000 suspects are being held in horrific conditions, with at least eight dying each month, the rights group’s said in a report.

    Cameroon’s government has dismissed the report as false and misleading…”

  15. Jihad recruiter sentenced to 20 years in Austria (thelocal, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.at/20160714/jihad-recruiter-sentenced-to-20-years-in-austria

    “A Muslim preacher at the centre of an Austrian jihad propaganda network was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Wednesday for recruiting young fighters to the Islamic State group.

    The 34-year-old “brainwashed” dozens of people aged between 14 and 30, according to the public prosecutor, and recruited a number of them to fight for the jihadist organisation in Syria.

    A court in the southern city of Graz found the preacher, who goes by the name of Ebu Tejma, guilty of belonging to a terrorist organisation and of inciting terrorist attacks following a trial that has been running since February.

    Tejma fled from Bosnia to Vienna following the break-up of Yugoslavia and preached in various Austrian and southern German cities, becoming a “key figure” in pushing IS propaganda, the prosecution said.

    He was arrested during a far-reaching crackdown on Austrian jihadist networks in 2014 and denies the charges against him.

    A second accused was sentenced to 10 years for his involvement in recruiting fighters, as well as taking part in IS attacks in Syria.

    Several trials are currently under way in Austria for involvement in or incitement to jihad.

    Authorities suspect some 250 people of jihad-linked activities, the majority of them from Chechnya or Bosnia. At least 40 people who travelled from Austria have died fighting alongside ISIS, according to the interior ministry.”

  16. Morocco Dismantles ISIS-Linked Terror Cell (moroccoworldnews, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/07/191258/morocco-dismantles-isis-linked-terror-cell/

    “Morocco’s security services dismantled, on Thursday in the cities of Agadir, Amezmez, Chichaoua, Ait Melloul and Laqliaâ (central prefecture of Inezgane-Ait Melloul), a six-member terror cell related to the so-called Islamic State (ISIS).

    A statement of the Interior Ministry said that preliminary investigations showed that this cell, one of whose members had stayed in Libya, planned to secretly join the ISIS branch in this country, through the borders of the Sahelo-Saharan region…”

  17. Countries Impose Forced Anal Exams to Determine “Evidence” of Homosexuality (moroccoworldnews, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/07/191277/countries-impose-forced-anal-exams-to-determine-evidence-of-homosexuality/

    “Rabat – Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on July 12 indicating that at least eight countries around the world, including Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Zambia, debase the human dignity of homosexuals and transgender women by forcing anal examinations as part of prosecutions for homosexuality, a practice the report describes as “humiliating.’’

    HRW called upon all involved countries to ban this practice, pointing out that some countries use anal examination tests in mutual consent homosexuality prosecutions. HRW urged international and domestic human rights and health institutions vigorously and vociferously to oppose their use…”

  18. Italy beefs up security on terror concerns (ansa, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2016/07/14/italy-beefs-up-security-on-terror-concerns_8008bdeb-96e1-4828-b0ad-c93120b2cb8c.html

    “(ANSA) – Rome, July 14 – Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Thursday that Italy has upped its security measures amid heightened concerns about terrorism. He pointed to “a resurgence of jihadist threats” and said preventive action is ongoing in gathering places, railway and other public transport terminals, at airport and maritime borders, and any other locations deemed to attract outgoing or returning foreign fighters…”

  19. One-ton bomb unearthed at Turkish customs gate to Iran (hurriyet, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/one-ton-bomb-unearthed-at-turkish-customs-gate-to-iran-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=101623&NewsCatID=341

    “Citizens and customs officials managed to prevent a terror attack at Turkey’s Gürbulak customs gate to Iran, after noticing a cable under the ground that turned out to be part of a bomb mechanism tied to one ton of explosives.

    Customs and Trade Minister Bülent Tüfekçi said on July 14 that the border gate in the eastern province of A?r? was reopened after the mechanism was dismantled.

    Acting upon a notice by citizens, gendarmerie units in the province first closed the gate in both directions and inspected the area, finding a mechanism tied to two hidden propane cylinders.”

  20. Main opposition leader ordered to pay Erdo?an 50,000 liras over ‘insult’ (hurriyet, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/main-opposition-leader-ordered-to-pay-erdogan-50000-liras-over-insult.aspx?pageID=238&nID=101589&NewsCatID=338

    “The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party was on July 14 ordered to pay President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an compensation for calling him a “sham dictator.”

    An Ankara civil court ruled Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), should pay 50,000 Turkish liras ($17,200) on charges of insulting the president.

    K?l?çdaro?lu made the remarks at the party’s 35th Ordinary Convention on Jan. 16 and in a parliamentary group meeting on Jan. 19. His lawyer denied the allegation.

    Erdo?an’s lawyer argued that K?l?çdaro?lu’s comment constituted “extraordinarily weighty insults” with the intention of attacking his client’s image.

    According to the Turkish Penal Code’s Article 299, it is also a criminal offense to insult the president. The offense carries a jail sentence of between one and four years.

    The CHP is the biggest opposition party in Turkey, with 133 seats in the 550-member Turkish parliament. Kilicdaroglu has led the party since May 2010.”

  21. ‘May God lead him back to the right way,’ says Turkish PM on Boris Johnson (hurriyet, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/may-god-lead-him-back-to-the-right-way-says-turkish-pm-on-boris-johnson.aspx?pageID=238&nID=101586&NewsCatID=510

    “Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m has said he wishes newly-appointed British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson would be “led back to the right way” after his controversial references to Turkey during the recent referendum campaign to leave the EU.

    In an interview with the BBC’s HARDtalk program, Y?ld?r?m said Johnson should make an effort to have good relations with Turkey.

    “What can I say to him? May God lead him back to the right way. God willing, he will not make such mistakes from now on and he will endeavor to win the hearts of Turks,” he said when asked about the former London mayor’s references to Turkey during the Brexit campaign.

    Johnson was criticized for using Turkey and the country’s EU accession process during the campaign…”

  22. Saudi officials in missions abroad asked to wear national dress (saudigazette, July 14, 2016)
    http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/saudi-officials-missions-abroad-asked-wear-national-dress/

    “Instructions have been issued to all officials representing the Kingdom abroad to wear the formal Saudi dress consisting of the thobe (garment), qutra, (head dress), iqal (head ribbon) and mishlah (traditional overcoat).

    Official sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that officials should be in their national dress while attending conferences, participating in meetings or giving TV interviews.

    The sources said all senior Saudi officials have received these instructions to carry them out while representing their country abroad. They said similar instructions were previously issued…”

  23. Pakistani military courts order execution of 12 militants (gulfnews, July 14, 2016)
    http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/pakistan/pakistani-military-courts-order-execution-of-12-militants-1.1862533

    “Islamabad: Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday confirmed death sentences awarded to 12 more “hardcore terrorists’ by military courts.

    The convicts were involved in committing heinous offences, the military’s public relations wing said in a statement. Their crimes related to terrorism, killing civilians, attacking armed forces and law enforcement agencies and destruction of schools and communication infrastructure, it said.

    Three convicts identified as Mohammad Asif, Shahadat Hussain and Yasin are from the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group.

    The other nine – Mohammad Qayyum Bacha, Mohammad Tayyab, Said Akbar, Mohammd Ayaz, Barkat Ali, Aziz Ur Rehman, Hussan Dar, Ishaq Sher and Behram Sher – were acting on behalf of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan…”

  24. Yemen slides closer to famine as frozen bank funds curb food imports (gulfnews, July 14, 2016)
    http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/yemen-slides-closer-to-famine-as-frozen-bank-funds-curb-food-imports-1.1862463

    “Many areas of Yemen are close to famine partly because importers are unable to buy new food stocks from abroad as over $200 million (Dh734.4 million) is stuck in banks due to the civil war disruption, trade and aid, sources say.

    Western banks had already cut credit lines for traders shipping food to Yemen, fearing they would not be repaid due to the security chaos and fragile financial system. Now, they are increasingly unwilling to offer letters of credit, which guarantee sellers will be paid on time. They are reluctant to offer guarantees because the banking system has seized up…”

  25. Al Azhar condemns Pokemon ‘mania’ (gulfnews, July 14, 2016)
    http://gulfnews.com/news/mena/egypt/al-azhar-condemns-pokemon-mania-1.1862458

    “Al Azhar, Egypt’s top Islamic institution, on Thursday condemned the craze about Pokemon Go as “harmful mania”, in the first comment by authorities in the mostly Muslim country on the top-rated mobile phone game.

    “This game makes people look like drunkards in the streets and on the roads while their eyes are glued to the mobile screens leading them to the location of the imaginary Pokemon in the hope of catching it,” said Abbas Shuman, deputy head of Al Azhar.

    “If such a game can deceive youngsters, I do not know where have gone the minds of adults, who can be hit by a car while being busy searching for Pokemon,” the cleric added in press remarks.

    Pokemon Go was launched earlier this month by Niantic for iPhone and Android devices. The game infuses the virtual and real worlds, allowing the player to explore surroundings to find and catch as many as possible of the imaginary Pokemon characters.

    “Will we find some lunatics walk into mosques, churches, prisons and military units in search of the missing [Pokemon]?” said Shuman. “Will people neglect their work and earning their living and devote themselves instead to hunting for Pokemon?”

    Although Pokemon Go has not been officially launched in Egypt, many mobile users in the country reported that they have been able to download it on their phones…”

  26. Pakistan uses terrorism as a tool for its strategic needs: US lawmaker (khaama, July 14, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/pakistan-uses-terrorism-as-a-tool-for-its-strategic-needs-us-lawmaker-01487

    “A US lawmaker has said Pakistan is using terrorism as a tool for its strategic needs as a handful of US lawmakers sought additional measures against Pakistan insisting that the country has failed to take action against terrorist groups.

    Keating is a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade.

    He said Pakistan used terrorism as a tool for its strategic needs and there was no reason to believe that it would change its policies.

    Two of the top al-Qaeda leaders have been killed in Pakistan, Keating said, adding that the arms supply to Pakistan would be used against India.

    The subcommittee held a hearing on the Pakistan-US relations and had invited former diplomats and experts.

    In his testimony, the former top American diplomat, Zalmay Khalilzad, said “Pakistan now is a state sponsor of terrorism. There is no question that it supports the Haqqani Network, which we regard as a terrorist network.”

    “It is also clear that it provides sanctuary and support to the Taliban,” he said while asking the administration to change its policy towards Pakistan.“We also need to suspend all military and non-education assistance,” he said in his testimony during the hearing titled ‘Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism?’

    “Patience is growing very thin,” Congressman Matt Salmon, Chairman of the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said.

    Congressman Brad Sherman, ranking member of the subcommittee, said “Those who suggest giving aid to Pakistan need to give justification for using the tax payers’ money.”

    This comes as the Afghan officials have long been raising concerns regarding the presence of the Taliban group and Haqqani network leadership councils in Pakistan.

    They are saying that the two groups are having leadership councils based in both Quetta and Peshawar cities of Pakistan from where they launch attacks in Afghanistan.”

  27. Myanmar: Anti-Muslim monk now faces defamation charge

    […]The police complaint alleges that Wirathu showed “disrespect to Buddhism” in a January 2015 address to protesters at Tarmwe’s Kyaikkasan Grounds. Addressing the demonstration, Wirathu singled out UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee for a burst of vituperative criticism, referring to her as a “bitch” and a “whore”.

    “Don’t assume that you are a respectable person because of your position. For us, you are a whore,” Wirathu told the crowd to enthusiastic applause, in a speech later widely shared on social media.[…]

    http://frontiermyanmar.net/en/news/wirathu-faces-possible-court-case-as-fortunes-turn-for-ma-ba-tha

    vidoe – Wirathy – a Buddhist BinLaden

    • Intemperate remarks, perhaps. He was provoked and misspoke. Maybe a translation error? overly literal?

      Regardless, the fact that she’s a whore pimped by the despicable UN is intuitively self-evident to the most casual observer. Goes without saying.

      Wirathu is a populist. He speaks to his people and for them. Myanmar isn’t a colony of the UN. This Buddhist nation won’t be cowed by the Mohammedan gangsters – or shamed by the whores – who are running the UNHRC.

      Check out the current member-nations on this committee. Such paradigms of free expression and respect for minority rights.

  28. DHS Official: We Should Use ‘Every Opportunity We Get’ To Say Islam Has Nothing To Do With Terrorism

    • State Department: ISIS Sympathy In Middle East Due To High Unemployment, ‘Market Of Unhappiness’

      The State Department’s Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Rick Stengel, said that in many of the countries where ISIS is searching out sympathizers, “there’s high unemployment, there’s lack of education, there are governments that don’t necessarily value free speech — so there is this market of unhappiness that exists already.”

      Stengel was testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday about the State Department’s efforts to counter the terrorist group’s online messaging. “I think now, because the digital caliphate is shrinking, they are looking for people who have mental health issues, who are psychotic, and they are trying to pinpoint those,” he added of the group’s recruitment efforts. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) quoted Stengel’s testimony that ISIS is already “tapping into an already existing Muslim market,” and asked, “What did you mean by that, that already existing market?”

      “I don’t think it will come as a surprise to you, congressman, or anyone on the committee, that in many of these places where they’re searching out sympathizers, there’s high unemployment, there’s lack of education, there are governments that don’t necessarily value free speech,” said Stengl. “So there is this market of unhappiness that exists already.”

      Brooks said, “Well, there are lots of places around the planet that have high unemployment, some degree of lack of education, some degree of unhappiness.” — “What is it about Islam in particular that causes you to assert that that’s an already existing market for terrorism,” said Brooks, “as opposed to all these other places around the planet that have those similar characteristics but are not adherents to Islam?” Stengel responded “there’s terrorism that goes by many different flags around the planet — not all terrorism is ISIL based.”

      “One of the things we’ve seen with the metastasization of ISIL is that it’s become a brand of convenience for people who have grievances, who have not anything necessarily to do with ISIL’s ideology,” said Stengl. “Where in the world is there the kind of terrorism that we’ve seen associated with Islam,” Brooks responded, “because you mentioned that there’s terrorism around the planet. Can you name anything that competes with or does as much damage as what we’ve seen with the Islamic State in particular, or say in America, Orlando, Boston, Chattanooga, San Bernardino, and so forth. What other area of the world is so inspired to engage in these sorts of organized, terrorist, barbaric acts of murder?” — “No, I would, I certainly agree with you that ISIL’s terrorism and the effect that they’re having is having the largest share of the market and the largest share of concern,” Stengel replied.

      Brooks then asked Stengel if he had read the Quran.

      Stengel said he has not read the entire Quran but has “certainly read pieces of the Quran and have studied the Quran, yes.” — “Let me share with you why there might be an already existing Muslim market for this kind of terrorism that you referenced early on, and these are quotes from the Quran,” Brooks said, reading three passages of the Quran. “Is that what you mean by an already existing market for terrorism?” Brooks asked in conclusion. “One of the things that I have seen that Islamic scholars say about a version of ISIL’s ideology about Islam is they cherry-pick passages from the Quran and the from the Hadith, which as you know, there are 200,000 Hadiths and it’s pretty easy to find Hadiths or parts of the Quran that may contradict each other and you have to look at it in in context,” Stengel replied. “I don’t know the larger context of the passages that you mentioned but one of the issues is that mainstream Islamic scholars say is that ISIL perverts Islam by cherry-picking these passages that seem to support its ideology,” he added.

  29. Newt Gingrich: ‘We should…test every person here who is of a Muslim background and if they believe in Sharia they should be deported’ – Fox News

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

    Newt Gingrich: US should run ‘Sharia’ test on ‘every person here of Muslim background’

    Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for every American Muslim on Thursday to be “tested” in the wake of the fatal attack in Nice, France.

    “Western civilization is in a war,” Gingrich told Fox News host Sean Hannity. “We should, frankly, test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Sharia, they should be deported. Sharia is incompatible with Western civilization. Modern Muslims who have given up Sharia? Glad to have them as citizens. Perfectly happy to have them next door. But we need to be fairly relentless about defining who our enemies are.”

    Gingrich, who is reportedly being considered as a running mate for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, did not offer any specifics as to the nature of the “test.” The interview aired a day after CNN reported that Hannity provided the private jet Gingrich used to meet with Trump in Indianapolis.

    Officials in France have not identified the parties responsible for the Bastille Day attack, which killed 80 people and caused critical injuries to 20 others.

    But Gingrich directed his remarks toward the Islamic State terrorist group, blaming the Nice assault on President Barack Obama and “Western elites who lack the guts to do what is right.”

    “I am sick and tired of being told that the wealthiest, most powerful civilization in history — all of Western civilization — is helpless in the face of a group of medieval barbarians,” he told Hannity.

    Watch Gingrich’s remarks, as posted online on Thursday, below.

    http://www.rawstory.com/2016/07/newt-gingrich-us-should-run-sharia-test-on-every-person-here-of-muslim-background/

    • Newt: Deport Everyone Who Agrees With Sharia Law

      Newt Gingrich, a finalist in Donald Trump’s search for a presidential running mate, echoed a comment that got the GOP presumptive nominee in hot water in December.

      Talking about the terror attack in Nice, France that left at least 80 dead, Gingrich told Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity every Muslim in America should be checked for adherence to Islamic law.

      “Western civilization is in a war,” he said. “We should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in sharia, they should be deported. Sharia is incompatible with western civilization.”

      Modern Muslims who reject sharia should be welcomed as citizens, Gingrich said, but added, “We need to be fairly relentless about defining who our enemies are. Anybody who goes on a website favoring ISIS or al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, that should be a felony, and they should go to jail. Any organization which hosts such a website should be engaged in a felony. It should be closed down immediately.”

      Every Internet-based source should be shut down, but it shouldn’t stop there, Gingrich said.

      “We should destroy them with kinetic power, using various weapons starting with Predators [drones] and frankly just killing them. I am sick and tired of being told that the wealthiest, most powerful civilization in history, all of Western civilization, is helpless in the face of a group of Medieval barbarians who, for example, recently burned 20 young women to death – burned them to death because they wouldn’t have sex with them.”

      http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/newt-gingrich-deport-everyone-agrees/2016/07/14/id/738770/