Reader’s links for February 20 – 2017

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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

88 Replies to “Reader’s links for February 20 – 2017”

  1. ALPS TERROR FEARS: Police hit the slopes amid fears jihadis are targeting SKI RESORTS (express, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/769470/alps-ski-resort-anti-terror-police-jihadis-france-will-geddes-holiday

    “SECURITY has been bolstered at ski resorts in the Alps amid fears of a terror attack in the mountains.

    Anti-terror police are patrolling airports, bars and restaurants as part of a major security procedure to try and protect holidaymakers at popular resorts.

    Dubbed Operation Sentinel, the measures are designed to allay fears of another terror incident in France following attacks in Paris and Nice in recent months…”

  2. MISSION SAS: Special British troops SPEARHEADING Islamic State obliteration in Mosul (express, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/769446/SAS-ISIS-IS-Mosul-Iraq-Kurdish-forces-Green-Beret-Delta-force

    “SAS troops are spearheading an all out assault on depraved Islamic State jihadis in Mosul as they plan to free 650,000 civilians and remove ISIS from it’s last stronghold in the country.

    The elite special forces have mastered the killing of suicide car bombers and have acted as ground spotters for coalition air strikes.

    They also backed up at least 50,000 Iraqi soldiers, police and paramilitaries advancing on the city from the south and west. Four US troops have died in combat in Iraq since they were deployed there in 2014…”

  3. Muslim schoolboys ‘EXCUSED from shaking hands with women’ (express, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/769447/muslim-schoolboys-excused-shaking-hands-women-sydney-hurtsville-boys-campus-australia

    “A PUBLIC school has allowed Muslim schoolboys to refuse to shake hands with women, according to reports.

    Students at the Hurstville Boys Campus of Georges River College shunned the handshakes of female presenters at a recent awards ceremony, instead opting to place a hand across their chest.

    The practice reportedly comes from the Islamic hadith teaching, which states: “It is better to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle than to touch the hand of a woman who is not permissible to you.”

    The New South Wales Department of Education appeared to support the measures, claiming this was an “agreed protocol” following considerable consultation with staff, parents and students.

    A spokesman for the department said: “At the school’s 2016 presentation day, the principal explained to invited guests making awards that some Muslim students may place their hand across their chest instead of shaking hands…”

  4. Bonanza for arms dealers as UAE defence expo opens (alaraby, Feb 20, 2017)
    https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/2/20/bonanza-for-arms-dealers-as-uae-defence-expo-opens

    “The four-day International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) kicked off Sunday in Abu Dhabi with the United Arab Emirates announcing 21 deals worth more than $1.2 billion.

    IDEX spokesman Brigadier-General Rashid Mohammed Al Shamsi told reporters the Emirates struck deals with 15 local companies and six international firms to bolster its land and naval forces.

    The UAE is a key partner in the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels stormed the capital Sanaa and advanced on second city Aden.

    It is also seen as an important regional ally in the US-led coalition’s fight against the jihadist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

    International contracts announced on Sunday included one with French firm Thales Underwater Systems SAS to buy sonars for the navy worth more than $23 million, and another with Britain’s HESCO Group for defensive fortifications worth more than $24 million…”

  5. Loud Muslim Call To Prayer In Times Square As Muslims Protest Trump, Shout ‘Allahu Akbar!’ (VIDEO)

    In Sarsour’s speech, she reminded people about the executive order that Democratic President FDR passed which put Japanese Americans in internment camps implying that Muslims and minorities could possibly suffer the same fate under a Trump presidency.

    There was also a loud Arab call to prayer during this protest in NYC. In an Islamic call to prayer (adhan), the Muslim is shouting Allahu Akbar which translates to ‘God is greater’ or ‘God is greatest’. They mean that their ‘god’ is greater than your God and or the government. This is a blatant act of Islamic supremacy.

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/02/loud-arab-call-prayer-times-square-muslims-protest-trump-shout-allahu-akbar-video/

  6. Thousands chant ‘Allahu Akbar’ for Farrakhan in Detroit

    The Nation of Islam had its annual gathering in Detroit over the weekend and thousands of attendees chanted “Allahu Akbar” as Louis Farrakhan made his way onto the stage.

    During his appearance at Joe Louis Arena, Farrakhan denounced Jews and told them they are not God’s “chosen” people.

    “I want to disabuse the Jews today of the false claim that you are the chosen of God — that Israel or Palestine belongs to you,” he said.

    “I want to disabuse you of that. I’m going to tell you about your future. You that think you have power to frighten and dominate the peoples of the world. I’m here to announce the end of your time,” Farrakhan said, slamming his hand on the podium.

    He blamed the world’s ills on white people.

    “For 6,000 years, the people of the earth have suffered under a mischief-making rule. Bloodshed and war, hatred and strife, all because a man with a new color — or the lack thereof — thought that he was better than all of those who inhabited the earth before he was even a thought,” Farrakhan said.

    “But I am here to announce today the end of his world and the beginning of a brand new reality that all human beings will enjoy peace, freedom justice and equality under the rule of Allah.”

    Farrakhan said he wants to work with Barack Obama to curb Chicago’s out-of-control violence.

    http://www.theamericanmirror.com/thousands-chant-allahu-akbar-farrakhan-detroit/

  7. Even Norway Is Riding the Populist Wave of Politics

    During its 96-year-old history, the Center Party has courted both conservatives and progressives while remaining steadfastly opposed to centralization, wolves and foreign cheese.

    Now, the political party of choice for Norway’s farmers is riding the populist wave.

    In the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union and the ascendancy of Donald Trump, the Center Party is surging in the polls and aims to play a pivotal role in ousting the Conservative-led minority government in September’s general election.

    At stake is Norway’s decades-old relationship with the European Economic Area. The agreement, which grants non-EU members like Norway access to the bloc’s single market, was often cited as a possible model for Britain in connection with Brexit.

    “I hope that Brussels sees the need to decentralize more and have more trust in local and nationally elected officials,” party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, 39, said in an interview at his office in Oslo in which he emphasized his party isn’t seeking “drastic change.”

    https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-19/elite-bashing-resonates-as-richest-scandinavians-prepare-to-vote

  8. This is the propagamda media so the facts may be opposite from what the article says

    Right-wing fringe group building multimedia empire near Detroit

    FERNDALE, Mich. — Inside a plain, two-story brick building in Ferndale hums the nerve center for a growing, Catholic fringe group hoping the forces that elected President Donald Trump will tear down the wall between church and state.

    Church Militant broadcasts pro-life, anti-gay, anti-feminist, Islam-fearing, human-caused-climate-change-denying orthodox Catholic news on its website churchmiltant.com and through social media using high-tech, professional production studios that rival those at local TV news stations. It has 35 full-time employees (and is hiring more) who publish about 10 stories and three videos every weekday.

    Its leader, Michael Voris, has compared Trump with Constantine, the Roman emperor whom he says was “not a moral man” but a “power-hungry egomaniac,” but who saw it desirable to end the persecution of Christians. He was a human vessel who elevated Catholicism to the state religion, Voris said.

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/02/19/right-wing-fringe-group-building-multimedia-empire-near-detroit/98132374/

  9. CNN loses first round of court battle over accusations it reports ‘fake news’
    By Rusty Weiss February 19, 2017

    An impartial federal judge has issued a ruling in a defamation lawsuit that essentially alleges that CNN is a purveyor of “fake news.”

    The case involves a claim brought by a hospital CEO over spurious allegations in CNN reporting that inflated infant mortality rates at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

    The former CEO of that facility, Davide Carbone, asserted that the cable news network had manipulated statistics and ignored data that painted a different picture of the true rates at the hospital.

    The attorney for Carbone said that “the case against CNN certainly fits the description of media-created ‘Fake News.’”

    In an 18-page order allowing the case to move forward, the judge agreed, saying, “The Court finds these allegations sufficient to establish that CNN was acting recklessly with regard to the accuracy of its report, i.e., with ‘actual malice.’”

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/02/19/cnn-loses-first-round-court-battle-fake-news-reporting/

  10. Victor Davis Hanson: “The End Of Identity Politics”
    This essay makes important reference to Samuel P. Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations”. For convenience, here are two additional links to this important reference:
    Audible version of Clash of Civilizations on YouTube http://i.imgur.com/iFyOmD0.png
    Samuel Huntington on the “Clash of Civilizations http://i.imgur.com/VNajtjX.png

    Interesting commentary at link:
    http://i.imgur.com/P8zv2Qn.jpg

      • We are probably at the beginning of the end of identity politics, the left is getting desperate because they have lost the workers they claim to represent and their monopoly of news distribution. Things are reaching the end game which is why the left is getting violent, violence is all they have left and they are hoping to tear down out society in their collapse.

  11. Blind Sheikh Dead But His Network Lives On in America
    The Blind Sheikh’s jihadist collaborators continue to be active enough for the NYPD to gather intelligence on some of them.

    The “Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, best known for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, has just died in prison, but his “work” lives on. He was not only a U.S.-based leader of the Gamaa Islamiyya terrorist group, but part of the connective tissue of an interconnected jihadist network that still operates today.

    The “Blind Sheikh” and his U.S.-based network were like a cornucopia of jihadist offerings. His Gamaa Islamiyya, Al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood/Hamas, Jamaat ul-Fuqra (now known as Muslims of America) and other jihadist entities all overlapped “in a sort of terrorist ‘Internet,’” as one congressional testimony explained. It is through this “Internet” that the Blind Sheikh’s work lives on.

    The best example is Jamaat ul-Fuqra, now known as Muslims of America, which is best known for its “Islamberg” headquarters in New York and its claim to having 22 such “Islamic villages” across the country. The Clarion Project has launched a comprehensive website about the organization at FuqraFiles.com.

    A section of the Fuqra Files website documents the close ties between Fuqra and the Blind Sheikh. It is an odd match considering Fuqra’s ideology as a Sufi cult but was useful to the Blind Sheikh due to the group’s criminal experience and

    https://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/blind-sheikh-dead-his-network-lives-america

  12. France’s Muslim Demographic Future

    by Yves Mamou
    February 20, 2017 at 5:00 am

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9964/france-muslim-future

    From time to time, France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) offers a glimpse of the ethnic composition of French society. The study, “Being born in France to an immigrant parent” (Être né en France d’un parent immigré), published in February 2017, is one of them.

    Like few other glimpses, the Insee study offers a partial view of the ethnic composition of the French population. A statistical breakdown — with the answer to the perennial question: how many Muslims in France? — would be perceived as discriminatory and outrageous. Given France’s “integration model,” nobody should dare identify people by their origins, religion, color of skin and so on. A Frenchman is a Frenchman, whatever the color of his skin or his religion, and any measurement of the sub-Saharan population — for example, their level of education, that of their children, the type of jobs their parents are doing, how many times they go to mosque or if they have spent time in prison — is illegal, discriminatory and racist. Sub-Saharan populations must disappear in aggregate data about French people.

    The study, however, provides some telling information. In 2015, 7.3 million people born in France had at least one immigrant parent (11% of the population). Of these 7.3 million people, 45% are of European origin, most of whom are children of immigrants who arrived in France from Spain (8%) or Italy (12%) as early as the 1930s, or from Portugal in the 1970s onwards. One can assume, although it is not written in the study, that these people are of Christian origin.

  13. SPAIN – Hundreds of migrants cross into Spain’s Ceuta in second wave in 3 days

    Some 359 African migrants broke through the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta early on Monday, in a second mass push after about 500 migrants breached the fence on Friday.

    More than 1,400 migrants are now waiting in the North African enclave to be processed, Ceuta authorities said, adding that tents had been requested to house the latest arrivals.

    They must now wait to be transferred to the mainland to have their papers processed. Most are likely to be returned to Morocco or their country of origin.

    Ceuta authorities said around 600 people had attempted to break into the enclave on Monday using wire cutters and blunt weapons, at the same location as on Friday.

    Three people were hospitalized with serious injuries, including two police officers, after the rush to jump the six-meter, barbed-wire fence that surrounds Ceuta, the authorities said.

    Spain’s two North African enclaves, Ceuta on Morocco’s northern point off the Strait of Gibraltar, and Melilla, which lies further to the east and closer to the Algerian border, are often the focus of attempted illegal border crossings.

    African migrants attempt to climb fences or swim around the border along the coast as they seek an entry point into Europe.

    More than 1,100 migrants attempted to cross into Ceuta in January, but most were turned back

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-spain-idUSKBN15Z0PL

    • The blow up on Trump’s remarks last Friday has been a thing to behold.
      Anyone that reads CJ sites regularly knows that Sweden has a big problem pertaining to muslim immigration. As does Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, France and Germany (did I leave anyone out)?
      Was it last spring and summer when someone got a hold of hand grenades and were throwing them around in Malmo and Stockholm? It caused me to wonder how many come in a case… Wasn’t it just within the last 2 weeks that a Swedish police chief spoke out about the crime/murder rate and claimed that the vast majority of crime is being committed by muslim immigrants?
      The evidence is overwhelming and anyone that doesn’t want to acknowledge this is a fool.

          • EVERYTHING tastes like chicken…
            …if you don’t let yourself think too much about it.
            -dogs barking in cages in the kitchen
            -kidnappers force-feeding you

      • The left is speaking to the fools who get their news from the propaganda sites.

        Number of grenades in a case? I don’t remember exactly but it is probably around 24.

  14. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps test missile systems

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) held military drill to test missile system. The drill, aimed to ‘demonstrate power and enduring stability’, was broadcasted on state TV

    • Defying Washington, Iran to Begin “Grand Prophet 11” Missile Tests

      On Monday, Iran will begin a three-day military exercise called Grand Prophet 11 which will reportedly include firing missiles, despite warnings from America concerning its missile program.

      General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard force’s ground units, announced the upcoming military exercise on Iranian media on Saturday, saying the exercises were aimed at demonstrating Iran’s “complete preparedness to deal with the threats” and “humiliating sanctions” from Washington. It was not revealed what type of missiles will be used in the exercise.

      The military exercise comes at a time when tensions are high between the US and Tehran. Two weeks ago, the US government placed economic sanctions on more than two dozen companies and people involved in Iran’s missile program in response to a ballistic missile test that violated international agreements. In a manner that seemed intended to test newly inaugurated President Trump, days after the sanctions were installed, Iran test-fired short range missiles.

      https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/83811/despite-us-warnings-iran-run-military-exercises-missiles/

      Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Start Military Drills With ‘Advanced’ Rockets

      Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted the first stage of the large-scale drills called “Payambar-e Azam 11 (The Great Prophet)” with the use of the so-called advanced rockets, according to local media.

      MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) started the first stage of its large-scale military exercises on Monday with the use of the so-called advanced rockets, local media reported.

      The large-scale drills called “Payambar-e Azam 11 (The Great Prophet)” will be conducted in two stages and will involve artillery, air defense, drone, infantry and air force units, the Tasnim news agency reported.

      The first phase of the exercises includes hitting enemy positions by “advanced and smart rockets,” the media said, without proving any further details.

      On Saturday, the commander of the IRGC Ground Force, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, announced two-phase military drills to be staged in east and northeast Iran, as well as test-fires of advanced rockets in the central areas of the country, according to media reports.

      On January 29, Tehran conducted a ballistic missile test, which the United States claimed to be a violation of UN resolutions and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Shortly thereafter, the United States called on Iran to refrain from nuclear-capable missile activity. Iran has refuted the allegations that any resolution was violated.

      https://sputniknews.com/military/201702201050860031-military-exercises-iran/

      • Thing is, the IRGC isn’t in this to bring on the Mahdi.
        Sure, they sing hosannahs to baby mass-murderer-martyrs, but their own kids are learning Empire-management skills in the best schools in the world.
        That’s an important distinction for those coping with twisted-raghead enemies.

  15. Video at site

    ‘I will not submit!’ Marine Le Pen REFUSES to grovel to Merkel and EU in swipe at elite
    MARINE Le Pen delivered a rousing speech last night promising that as French President she will not take instructions from Angela Merkel nor beg for her approval.

    Marine Le Pen continued her fight for the French Presidency, as she laid her policies to put her country’s sovereignty first and foremost.

    In a rallying cry to a crowd in Clairvaux-Les-Lacs, Ms Le Pen said she will not bow down to Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Juncker.

    She said that for too long nationals leaders had to ask for permission from the German Chancellor before announcing any action.

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/769025/Marine-Le-Pen-Angela-Merkel-French-presidential-elections

  16. Le Pen Gains in French Polls as Security Concerns Win Voters

    Marine Le Pen gained ground on her rivals for the French election as she benefits from concerns about security while other candidates trained their fire on independent front-runner Emmanuel Macron.

    Monday’s daily OpinionWay poll showed that first-round support for anti-euro candidate Le Pen rose 1 percentage point to 27 percent, with Macron and Republican Francois Fillon unchanged at 20 percent each. While no surveys so far have shown Le Pen even close to a victory in May’s run-off, she’s quickly narrowing the gap to her rivals. OpinionWay showed Macron would defeat Le Pen by 58 percent to 42 percent in the second round. His advantage has halved in less than two weeks.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-20/le-pen-advances-in-french-polls-as-security-concerns-sway-voters

    • BREITBART – Le Pen Closing Gap in Second Round of French Presidential Poll

      French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is closing the gap on her rivals in a poll that suggests momentum is building behind her campaign.

      Ms Le Pen has consistently polled ahead for the first round, but has fallen far behind her rivals in the second-round runoff.

      However, an Opinionway poll published Monday shows her catching up with both potential rivals in the second round, increasingly speculation she could pull off an upset in May and take the Élysée Palace.

      The poll gives her a seven-point lead in the first round with 27 per cent, up one since Friday, while both establishment conservative François Fillon and independent socialist Emmanuel Macron are tied on 20 per cent.

      In a run-off between Ms Le Pen and Mr Macron, the Front National leader now has 42 per cent compared to 58 per cent for Mr Macron. The represents a substantial narrowing from earlier in the month, when Mr Macron was on 66 per cent and Ms Le Pen 34 per cent.

      Meanwhile, if the run-off is between Ms Len Pen and the embattled Mr Fillon, the Front National leader would take 44 per cent, a six-point rise since the start of the month, while Mr Fillon drops from 62 per cent to 56 per cent.

      Breitbart London reported last week how an investment firm’s artificial intelligence programme has predicted a shock win for Ms Len in the second round of the election.

      Arun Kant, chief executive and chief investment officer of Leonie Hill Capital, said: “If she wins the first round, this dynamic will change.” He said the momentum built during the first-round campaign could continue building and lead to an election victory equivalent to that of Donald Trump in the United States.

      Supporters of conservative François Fillon would be unlikely to rally behind left-liberal Emmanuel Macron and could flock to Ms Le Pen, he added.

      http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/02/20/poll-le-pen-closing-gap-second-round-french-presidential-poll/

  17. NORWAY – Convicted hairdresser argues ruling should be overturned as Muslim woman takes off hijab

    A HAIRDRESSER who was convicted of discrimination after ordering a Muslim woman out of her salon for wearing a hijab has argued the ruling should be overturned as it emerged the victim has stopped using the clothing.

    Merete Hodne was initially given an £800 fine by police in October, 2015, after she refused to serve Malika Bayan in her establishment in Bryne, southwest Norway, because she was wearing a hijab.

    However the 47-year-old businessman, who said she was fully within her rights to not colour Ms Bayan’s hair, refused to pay the fine and was taken to court.

    The case has already been heard twice, as Ms Hodne appealed the ruling in September which initially found she had discriminated against the 24-year-old.

    Contesting the ruling, the hairdresser claimed the court was unduly influenced by her previous membership of an anti-Islamic organisation.

    However, in January the courts upheld the first conviction and the businesswoman has now said she is ready to challenge it in Norway’s highest court.

    The case has now taken another turn as it emerged Ms Bayan, who converted to Islam in 2011, has decided to stop wearing the clothing which sparked the landmark court case.

    Speaking out about her decision, Ms Bayan said it was due to personal reasons and dismissed accusations she had only worn the hijab as a provocation.

    The 24-year-old told Jærbladet: “Yes, I have made that decision. I need a new start and I’m doing it due to personal reasons I don’t want to address now. I am still a Muslim.

    “It is voluntary decision to wear the hijab and I am free to take it off if I wish to do so.

    “[The court case] has nothing to do with this. I’m going to continue to fight for the cause and for the right of those who wear a hijab.

    “Some will probably argue it was all just an act and a cry for attention, but I have to stand my ground.”

    However Ms Hodne, who as previously compared the hijab to an Islamic State flag, said it would be shameful if the ruling against her was not overturned.

    She added: “Even though I am hurt over having been sued, I’m glad she [Ms Bayan] has finally come to her senses.”

    Ms Bayan’s decision to stop wearing the hijab comes as she has taken out a second lawsuit against the hairdresser over defamatory remarks Ms Hodne allegedly posted on social media.

    The 24-year-old’s lawyer, Sulman Hussain, said: “The background for the lawsuit are two statements on Hodnes’ Facebook pages which are about Bayan’s private life and which in our opinion go beyond the frame on free speech.

    “That Malika Bayan now has taken off the hijab is of no relevance in the case against Merete Hodne.

    “The lawsuit is about is about statements about her as a persona and her private life and the use of hijab, therefore has no relevance or significance.”

    Ms Hodne has vowed to take the case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights if the Norwegian courts uphold her conviction for religious discrimination as she argues it is a political issue.

    Speaking to Tv2 in September, the hairdresser said: “I fear the totalitarian symbol of the hijab which says that I should be killed, and for me it is quite unnatural to provide good service in my situation.

    “I’m not afraid to lose, but I won’t pay for something that is wrong. I’ll appeal to the court of human rights.

    “I have dedicated my life to this. I’m not a racist. I am a political activist fighting against Mohammedanism of Europe. It’s not Muslims I’m critical of.”

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/769547/Convicted-hairdresser-ruling-overturned-Muslim-woman-stops-wearing-hijab-Norway

  18. BREAKING: Marine Le Pen’s headquarters RAIDED by police in ‘scandal’ investigation (express, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/769783/Marine-Le-Pen-Offices-Raided-Police-Jobs-Scandal-Fake-Investigation-Front-National

    “MARINE Le Pen’s offices have been raided by police investigating an alleged fake jobs scandal.

    A team of anti-fraud officers entered the building in Nanterre, the Paris suburb, while the 48-year-old Front National leader was on her first ever official visit abroad, in Lebanon.

    An investigating source said at 4pm: “A raid is underway. Its aim is to find evidence related to the ongoing enquiry.”

    A spokesman for Ms Le Pen immediately accused them of carrying out a “media operation whose goal is to disturb the course of a presidential campaign”.

    Ms Le Pen is said to have set up a fake job in the European parliament for her ex-paratrooper bodyguard nicknamed ‘The Gorilla’.

    The alleged scandal could see Ms Le Pen jailed, along with other party officials involved.

    A previously confidential report by Olaf, the European Anti-Fraud Office, contains allegations of a criminal scam worth up to £300,000 received by the FN, all of which are reportedly supported by leaked documents.

    They show how Ms Le Pen, who is an MEP, made Thierry Legier – the 6ft 2ins, 16 stone former soldier who revels in his ‘Gorilla’ nickname – a ‘parliamentary assistant’ on £6,000 plus per month.

    Mr Legier, 51, is currently in Beirut with Ms Le Pen and has previously protected Hollywood celebrities ranging from Charles Bronson and Mel Brooks to Sean Penn…”

  19. Defense Secretary Mattis: US will stay in Iraq a while (abcnews, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-defense-secretary-mattis-plan-seize-iraqi-oil-45605215

    “Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday he believes U.S. forces will be in Iraq and in the fight against Islamic State militants for a while, despite some rocky times between the two nations.

    Speaking at the end of a day of meetings in Baghdad with military commanders and Iraqi political leaders, Mattis said he is open to any request from his military commanders to aid the battle to retake Mosul and launch a major battle to oust IS from the base of its so-called caliphate in Raqqa, Syria. He would not provide details.

    Despite President Donald Trump’s past threats to take Iraq’s oil and his attempt to impose a travel ban that includes Iraqi citizens, Mattis said his meetings with Iraqi leaders underscored the partnership the U.S. has with the Iraqis.

    He said there’s no doubt that “the Iraqi people, the Iraqi military and the Iraqi political leadership recognize what they’re up against and the value of the coalition and the partnership, in particular with the United States.”

    His optimistic words come on the heels of his earlier declaration that the U.S. does not intend to seize Iraqi oil, distancing himself from comments made by President Donald Trump that has rattled Iraq’s leaders…”

  20. Eastern Libya ban women from traveling without male guardian (abcnews, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/eastern-libya-ban-women-traveling-male-guardian-45610639

    “Eastern Libyan authorities have issued a ban forbidding women from traveling outside the country without a male guardian, sparking mockery.

    The decision was issued Thursday by the Libyan Chief of Staff Abdel-Razek al-Nadhouri, the military ruler of eastern Libya. He was appointed by army chief Khalifa Hifter who is allied with the internationally recognized parliament.

    Airport authorities said the decision hasn’t been put into effect.

    “It is ridiculous that in 2017 we discuss if it is ok for women under 60 years to travel without a guardian male who might be 20,” activist Imam Bugaighis tweeted.

    One satire made a song called “I can be your Mahram baby” a Libyan version of Enrique Iglesias “I can be your Hero baby.” Mahram is a religious term that refers to male guardian.”

  21. Russia says 4 soldiers killed in roadside bombing in Syria (abcnews, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russia-soldiers-die-syria-roadside-bombing-45608603

    “Four Russian servicemen were killed last week in Syria when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb, the Russian military said Monday, raising the total Russian combat casualties so far in Syria’s war to 27.

    The four died when they were travelling as part of a Syrian military convoy to the central city of Homs on Thursday from the Tiyas air base, which is close to the ancient town of Palmyra held by the Islamic State group.

    The Russian Defense Ministry said the bomb was detonated by remote control. Two other servicemen were wounded in the blast…”

  22. Pakistan says airstrikes have killed ‘dozens’ of militants (abcnews, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pakistan-airstrikes-target-militants-afghan-border-45605212

    “Pakistani airstrikes killed “dozens” of militants on Monday in a tribal region along the Afghan border, the military said.

    Pakistan had vowed to fight back after a series of suicide bombings last week killed more than 100 people, including 88 worshippers gathered at a famed Sufi shrine. The attacks were claimed by various Islamic militant groups, which have long operated in the porous border region.

    The warplanes targeted militant hideouts in the Wucha Bibi area of North Waziristan, the Pakistani army said in a statement. The information could not be independently confirmed, as media access to the region is heavily restricted.

    Pakistan carried out a blistering artillery assault on suspected terrorist camps in Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday after giving the Afghan government a list of 76 alleged Pakistani terrorists it said where sheltering there. The artillery assault displaced nearly 200 families, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

    On Monday, the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan handed Islamabad a list of 85 suspected terrorist leaders that Kabul says have found refuge in Pakistan as well as the locations of 32 insurgent centers it wants Pakistan to destroy, an Afghan Foreign Ministry statement said.

    “The initial response of the Pakistani authorities (to) the list this morning was positive and we are hopeful that practical measures should be taken,” it said.

    In a meeting with fellow officers on Monday, Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, ordered his troops to cooperate with their Afghan counterparts in preventing militants from crossing the border…”

  23. Islamic State vows more attacks on Egypt’s Christians (abcnews, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/islamic-state-vows-attacks-egypts-christians-45607266

    “An Islamic State group affiliate in Egypt released a video Monday showing the suicide bomber who killed nearly 30 people when he attacked a packed church in December and vowing more attacks on the country’s Christian.

    A narrator says in the 20-minute video that the Egyptian Christians are the extremist group’s “favorite prey.”

    The video shows footage of Egypt’s Coptic Christian Pope, Christian businessmen, judges and priests who either speak of the need to protect the minority or use derogatory terms to refer to Egypt’s Muslim majority. The narrator says Christians were no longer “dhimmis,” a reference to non-Muslims in Islam who enjoy a degree of state protection. Instead, the group describes the Christians as “infidels” who are empowering the West against Muslim nations.

    “God gave orders to kill every infidel,” one of the militants carrying an AK-47 assault rifle says in the video.

    Egypt’s Coptic Christians, who make up around 10 percent of the population, have been always a favorite target of Islamic extremists. Attacks on churches by Muslim mobs increased since the 2013 military overthrow of an Islamist president. Christians overwhelmingly supported the army chief-turned-president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and extremists have used such support as a pretext to increase attacks against them.

    The video shows footage of Abu Abdullah al-Masri, the militant who blew himself up at the central Cairo church in December. The attack, says the narrator, was “only the beginning.”

    “Oh worshippers of the cross … the soldiers of the state are watching you,” another masked militant identified as Abu Zubair al-Masri says…”

  24. Le Pen’s Party Says HQ Raided in Parliamentary Aides Case

    French investigators searched the headquarters of the National Front as part of a probe into whether party leader Marine Le Pen used European Parliament money to pay for jobs related to domestic politics.

    In a statement, the party characterized the search as “a media operation whose only goal is to disrupt the smooth operation of” Le Pen’s presidential campaign “at a moment when she’s made major advances in the polls.”

    The European Parliament has ordered Le Pen to repay the amount, estimating the improper payments at 336,146 euros ($357,000). She has refused to give the money back, saying the jobs weren’t fictitious, and has appealed the decision. French prosecutors who got a report from the EU’s anti-fraud office, OLAF, have opened a legal probe of their own.

    A year ago, the FN’s offices in Nanterre, a few kilometers west of Paris, were raided as part of the same probe opened by Paris prosecutors in March 2015.

    Meanwhile, Monday’s daily OpinionWay poll showed that first-round support the for anti-euro, anti-immigration Le Pen rose 1 percentage point to 27 percent, with independent Emmanuel Macron and Republican Francois Fillon unchanged at 20 percent each.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-20/le-pen-s-party-says-hq-raided-in-parliamentary-aides-case-izecv9rt

  25. CNN – Amanpour’s full interview with Iran’s Javad Zarif

    Amanpour speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, in Munich, Germany.

    ( 27 min )

  26. BREAKING NEWS: Five people injured after two people on motorcycles attack Istanbul cafe (express, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/769858/Istanbul-attack-cafe-Turkey

    “AT least five people have been injured after two people on motorcycles fired at a cafe in Istanbul today.

    The attack happened at the Faith district of the Turkish city, with emergency services rushed to the scene.

    Police are currently investigating the incident.

    More to follow…”

  27. Trump selects Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as national security adviser

    President Trump on Monday tapped Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, a warrior-scholar deemed an expert in counter insurgency, to be the director of the White House’s National Security Council.

    The 54-year-old McMaster replaces retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as the president’s national security adviser. Flynn was forced to resign after lying about talking to Russia, before he officially took the NSA post, about recently imposed sanctions.

    “He is a man of tremendous talent and experience,” Trump said in announcing McMaster’s appointment. “He’s highly respected in the military, and we’re lucky to have him.”

    Trump also announced that Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg will remain as the NSC’s chief of staff.

    “I’m proud to continue my service to the nation,” said McMaster, sitting next to Trump inside the president’s Florida resort home Mar-a-Lago.

    Trump on Sunday interviewed several NSC candidates, in an attempt to solidify the intelligence team, days after calling for Flynn’s resignation.

    McMaster is a Philadelphia native and West Point graduate who fought in the Persian Gulf War and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    “This is a great team,” Trump said. “The country is honored to have two people like this, and after having met so many people in the military, we’re lucky to have all of them.”

    Said Kellogg: “I’m honored and privileged to serve alongside Gen. McMaster. He’s a great statesman.”

    Trump also thanked the others he interviewed this past weekend including former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.

    The president said Bolton has “a good number of ideas that I agree with very much” and that he will work for him in a “different capacity.”

    McMaster is currently director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center. He joined the Army in 1984 and distinguished himself seven years later during the Gulf War in what would become known as the Battle of 73 Easting.

    As captain of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment’s Eagle Troop, McMaster led a force of just nine tanks that took out more than 80 Iraqi Republican Guard tanks and armored vehicles.

    He is the author of the 1997 book, “Dereliction of Duty,” which criticized the U.S. government’s handling of the Vietnam War.

    In his latest role, McMaster was tasked with gauging the U.S, military capability against future threats. When he addressed lawmakers in April of last year, he warned that years of military cuts have left the U.S. vulnerable.

    “We are outranged and outgunned by many potential adversaries,” McMaster said. “[And] our army in the future risks being too small to secure the nation.”

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/20/trump-selects-lt-gen-h-r-mcmaster-as-national-security-adviser.html

  28. Danish Jihadists still receive “disability benefits”
    Posted on February 20, 2017 19:00
    By David Frankenhuis

    Denmark wants to halt handing out social benefits relating to ‘sickness’ or ‘disabilities’ to Muslim citizens who headed for the Middle East in order to join the ranks of the Islamic State terror group. A bill that, among others, aims to prevent Danes that are funded by the Danish state from fighting overseas, where their actions undermine the interests of Denmark, has therefore been presented in parliament this morning.

    The legal initiative was accompanied by a report from the Police Intelligence Service (PET) proving that state-funded Danish nationals were fighting for IS in Syria and Iraq, BT reports. Employment minister Troels Lund Poulsen commented on the issue:

    “It is simply an outrage that we’re spending public welfare money on people traveling to Syria or elsewhere in the world and undermine the democracy that we in Denmark for hundreds of years have been fighting for.”

    Poulson, who himself acknowledged the absurdity of the situation, has now announced that he’s going to stop the payments as soon as possible. He will also examine possible legal loopholes which enable the jihadists to live off Danish tax payer money:

    “Residing in a war zone and directly or indirectly taking part in military operations is in no way in line with receiving disability payments. Those benefits are meant for persons who cannot work.”

    https://gatestone.eu/danish-jihad-benefits/

  29. Turkish PM speaks in Germany, crowd chants “Allah Akbar” and demand reinstatement of death penalty
    Posted on February 20, 2017 14:00

    10,000 supporters of Turkey’s president Erdogan gathered in the König-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, on Saturday to attend a speech by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Yildirim was campaigning for a “Yes” vote to Erdogan’s constitutional reform which is set to abolish the office of prime minister and strengthen Erdogan’s one-man rule. “Those who love their country say yes” was the slogan of Saturday’s event.

    Three million Turkish citizens live in Germany. 60 percent of those who cast a vote in Turkish elections support Erdogan and his Islamist party. Campaign stops by Erdogan and other senior figures of the ruling AK Party in Germany have become a political tradition in recent years. In 2010, Erdogan held a rally in Cologne in which he called assimilation a “crime against humanity“.

    In other news, Deniz Yücel, a journalist with dual German and Turkish citizenship and a correspondent for the newspaper Die Welt is still in Turkish police custody after he was arrested in Istanbul on February 17th for alleged “support of a terrorist organisation“. German chancellor Angela Merkel reacted swiftly and demanded a “fair and lawful treatment” – a statement which surely will send shockwaves through the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

    Just a few days ago, homes of clerics of the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (Ditib) in Germany were searched by the police after it had become known that they work as secret agents and are spying on Turkish citizens in Germany.

    https://gatestone.eu/turkey-pm-germany/

  30. EU

    Watch! Trump’s EU remarks are a “non-military declaration of war,” says former German US ambassador

    Wolfgang Friedrich Ischinger, the man in the clip, was a German diplomat. After being Deputy Foreign Minister (1998-2001), he has been Germany’s ambassador to the US and UK until 2008. In the same year, he became Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, while also serving as Global Head of Government Relations of Allianz SE until 2014. He now sits on the Supervisory Board of Allianz, the Advisory Board of Investcorp and the Governing Board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. He is also Honorary Professor at a university and Senior Professor at to the private Hertie School of Governance, where he teaches a seminar on Crisis Diplomacy and Security Policy and Diplomatic Practice, respectively.

    One can only wonder, if calling the remarks of a close ally, who also happens to pay for your defence and security, “a non-military declaration of war,” is an example of good crisis management.

    https://gatestone.eu/trump-eu-war/

  31. Canada’s border sees surge in families, others crossing illegally from US (abcnews, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/canadas-border-sees-surge-families-crossing-illegally-us/story?id=45608777

    “A family of seven with small children; a woman who was taken to a hospital after falling on ice; a Nigerian man who had to have fingers amputated due to frostbite. These are among a growing number of asylum-seekers and other migrants trekking on snow and ice to cross over the United States border into Canada, according to an attorney and Canadian network CTV.

    They come from a range of countries, like Iraq, Syria, Sudan, as well as nations in Latin America — many of them places without harsh winters like Canada’s.

    “Unfortunately, some individuals who are illegally entering Canada are not aware of the extreme weather conditions and geography they may encounter which can have dire effects to their well-being,” a Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson said in an email to ABC News…”

  32. Italy’s anti-discrimination chief quits after gay sex club scandal (reuters, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-discrimination-idUSKBN15Z23A

    “The head of Italy’s anti-discrimination office resigned on Monday after accusations that government funds meant to promote diversity projects and tackle racism had been earmarked for gay sex clubs masquerading as cultural centers.

    Francesco Spano quit just hours after an investigative TV program showed his department had authorized funding of up to 55,000 euros ($58,400) each for at least three such clubs.

    The TV show, called The Hyenas, visited the three businesses and found they housed male prostitutes and offered their members so-called “dark rooms” for sexual encounters.

    Opposition parties called on the government to explain its funding program, while rightist leader Giorgia Meloni said the anti-discrimination office (UNAR) should be shut immediately.

    “Not one more euro of tax payers’ money should be thrown away on paying their salaries,” she wrote on her Facebook page.

    The government said in a statement that while UNAR would stay open, Spano had resigned “out of respect” for the work his office was carrying out.”

      • feh.
        5-Star is neo-Nazi; the Pope is pushing dhimmi-tude; the rest are commies and leftist degenerates.
        Give up on Italy. Let’s evacuate the good guys, claw it back later. Corsica’s good, they’ll fight back.

        • If we had more people in the military I would say fight but with the current levels your idea would work.

  33. Nigel Farage: ‘Malmo Is Now The Rape Capital Of Europe’ (lbc, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nigel-farage/nigel-farage-malmo-sweden-rape-capital-of-europe/

    “Nigel Farage passionately defends President Trump’s allegations that immigration in Sweden is something to worry about.

    Nigel Farage has defended President Donald Trump’s claims that immigration in Sweden had caused “problems like they never though possible”.

    Mr. Trump made the comments at the a rally in Florida and has since sparked outrage and confusion as people failed to understand what exactly he was referring to.

    However, Farage believes that although there wasn’t a specific incident that occurred in Sweden, what Mr Trump was saying was “valid”.

    He said: “Sweden has taken in more young male migrants than any other country in Europe and there has been a dramatic rise in sexual crime in Sweden.

    “So much so, that Malmo is now the rape capital of Europe, and some argue that perhaps it is the rape capital of the world.

    “And there is a Swedish media who frankly just don’t report it.””

  34. 9 Iraqis gang rape German woman, trial starts this week
    Posted on February 20, 2017 09:30
    By David Frankenhuis

    In Austria, this Tuesday a court case will start against 9 Iraqi men for drugging, kidnapping, and gang raping a female tourist from Germany nearly 14 months ago in the capital of Vienna. The attack, during New Year’s Eve of 2015, was aimed at Julia S., a 29-year-old teacher who had come to visit her friend Mechthild H., 28, who lived in the Austrian city. Together, they were going to celebrate the New Year.

    The women headed into town for drinks and, after becoming slightly tipsy, decided to visit a restaurant because they “felt cold,” Julia tells Kronen Zeitung. She was soon joined at her table in the diner by a group of men that started serving her vodka. Via the drinks, the later victim was possibly drugged.

    Mechthild then lost track of her friend in the restaurant, where Julia had been carried away by four of the men to an apartment inhabited by two of them plus some female relatives. There, 5 more men were waiting. After Julia had been stripped of her clothes the gang rape took place, lasting for over two hours. According to the charges, some of the Iraqi migrants violated Julia more than once.

    https://gatestone.eu/gang-rape-trial-vienna/

  35. Swedish Fox News cops hit out at filmmaker: ‘He is a madman’ (thelocal, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.thelocal.se/20170220/swedish-fox-news-cops-hit-out-at-filmmaker-ami-horowitz-he-is-a-madman

    “Two Swedish police officers interviewed in a news report referenced by US president Donald Trump about crime and immigration say their quotes were taken out of context.

    The controversial segment from a film by filmmaker Ami Horowitz, which was shown on Fox News on Friday and claimed immigration had led to a rise in crime in Sweden, made headlines after Trump (much to the surprise of Swedes) used the Nordic country as a cautionary tale in a speech on Saturday.

    But two Stockholm-based police officers featured in the clip, talking about crime and the accessibility of weapons, have sharply criticized how they were portrayed and how their quotes were used in the interview.

    “I don’t understand why we are part of the segment. The interview was about something completely different to what Fox News and Horowitz were talking about,” one of the police officers, Anders Göranzon, told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper on Monday. “It was supposed to be about crime in high risk areas. Areas with high crime rates. There wasn’t any focus on migration or immigration.”

    He said neither he nor his colleague Jacob Ekström recognized the image painted of Sweden in the report, which has been criticized in Sweden for being riddled with inaccuracies and false claims.

    “We don’t stand behind it. It shocked us. He has edited the answers. We were answering completely different questions in the interview. This is bad journalism,” Göranzon told Dagens Nyheter, which said it had attempted to contact Horowitz for a comment…”

      • I do. They must’ve gotten too much heat.

        They’re soft as sick-puppy poo. Both in response to crimes- filmed beating a quick retreat- and professional ethos. Our cops put their lives on the line for us. Swedish cops are time-servers, cowards by standards elsewhere. It’s a whole different gestalt.

  36. Four arrested for allegedly smuggling migrants into Switzerland (thelocal, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.thelocal.ch/20170220/four-arrested-for-allegedly-smuggling-migrants-into-switzerland

    “Four Ghanaians living in Italy have been arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 200 migrants across the Italian-Swiss border.

    The arrests were the result of a joint operation between Swiss and Italian police investigating people smuggling from the Italian city of Como into the Swiss canton of Ticino, reported news agencies.

    The four suspects, aged from 21 to 39, are legal residents of Italy…”

  37. Iran Foreign ministry summons Turkish ambassador (ansamed, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/syria/2017/02/20/turkey-iran-foreign-ministry-summons-turkish-ambassasor_be797bd5-70aa-40ae-83cd-da8d56067353.html

    “Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Turkish ambassador in Tehran Raza Hakan Tekin on Monday over recent anti-Iran remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and the country’s President Recep Tayyep Erdogan. IRNA news agency reports.

    Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour conveyed Iran’s complaint to the Turkish ambassador.

    Earlier today Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said that Iran considers yesterday’s remarks of Turkey’s foreign minister in Munich “unconstructive”, and believes that nobody is guilty for instability and insecurity in the region but certain regional countries and foreign states.

    ‘Those who wishfully think of returning to their ancient empire and take interventionist, illegal, and illegitimate measures have caused bloodshed in the region,’ Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

    According to IRNA, Cavusoglu in his speech on Sunday accused Iran of ‘sectarianism’ and promotion of Shi’ism in Iraq and Syria. Countries that support terrorist groups and heighten tensions and instability in the region cannot evade their resposabilities by putting blame on others, Qasemi added.”

  38. US Senator McCain meets Turkish leaders (hurriyetdailynews, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-senator-mccain-meets-turkish-leaders-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=109969&NewsCatID=358

    “U.S.’s Senior Republican Senator John McCain, who serves as a chairman for the Senate Armed Services Committee, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m on Feb. 20.

    McCain, who has been an ardent promoter of U.S.-Turkey relations, was expected to discuss the Syrian crisis in Ankara.

    His visit came after U.S. Senate on December 2016 passed a defense policy bill that allows supplying portable surface-to-air missiles to Syrian opposition groups.

    An original text sponsored by McCain prohibited the supply of Man Portable Air Defense Systems, or MANPADs, to the Syrian opposition. But the U.S. Conference Committee, which prepared the final version of the bills, has amended the provision…”

  39. Minister told to fix date for implementing selective tax (saudigazette, Feb 20, 2017)
    http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/minister-told-fix-date-implementing-selective-tax/

    “The Council of Ministers on Monday authorized minister of finance to fix the date for imposing selective tax in the Kingdom.

    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Cabinet at Al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh.

    Last month, the Cabinet approved the uniform agreement on Value Added Tax (VAT) and selective taxes.

    Saudi Arabia’s 2017 state budget recommended a five percent VAT from 2018, without any change in the prices.

    Other Gulf countries are also expected to implement VAT by the beginning of next year…”