Reader’s links for February 27 – 2017

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

About Eeyore

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

106 Replies to “Reader’s links for February 27 – 2017”

  1. Iran holds naval war games amid rising tensions with U.S.

    DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran launched naval drills at the mouth of the Gulf and the Indian Ocean on Sunday, a naval commander said, as tensions with the United States escalated after U.S President Donald Trump put Tehran “on notice”.

    Since taking office last month, Trump has pledged to get tough with Iran, warning the Islamic Republic after its ballistic missile test on Jan. 29 that it was playing with fire and all U.S. options were on the table.

    Iran’s annual exercises will be held in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, the Bab el-Mandab and northern parts of the Indian Ocean, to train in the fight against terrorism and piracy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said, according to state media.

    Millions of barrels of oil are transported daily to Europe, the United States and Asia through the Bab el-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz, waterways that run along the coasts of Yemen and Iran.

    Navy ships, submarines and helicopters will take part in the drills across an area of about 2 million square kilometers (772,000 square miles) and marines will showcase their skills along Iran’s southeastern coast, the state news agency IRNA said.

    The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based in the region and protects shipping lanes in the Gulf and nearby waters.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/iran-holds-naval-war-games-amid-rising-tensions-093029968.html

    • Iran: Navy test-fires new anti-ship missile on 2nd day of drills

      The Iranian Navy successfully test-fired an advanced guided ‘Dehlaviyeh’ missile on the second day of the country’s drills in the north of the Indian Ocean, Monday.

      Footage captured Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari leading the maneuvers, which are code-named ‘Velayat 95’.

      The domestically-manufactured missile is specialised in targeting vessels and ships. A wide range of the naval equipment, including submarines and helicopters, was also deployed in the drills.

  2. Iran’s Ahmadinejad writes open letter to Trump

    ehran (AFP) – Iran’s ex-president Mahmud Ahmadinejad published Sunday an open letter to Donald Trump, welcoming his criticism of the US political system but taking issue with his visa ban and attitude to women.

    Many Iranians see the new US president as cut from the same cloth as Ahmadinejad, who shocked the establishment with his sudden rise to power in 2005, combining hardline rhetoric and populist economic policies to win a powerful following among Iran’s lower classes.

    At times in the long and rambling letter, published in English and Farsi on his website, he appears to find a kindred spirit in Trump.

    “Your Excellency (Trump) has truthfully described the US political system and electoral structure as corrupt and anti-public,” he writes.

    But much of the letter is spent exhorting Trump to end interventions in the Middle East and ditch the “arrogance” of past US administrations.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/irans-ahmadinejad-writes-open-letter-trump-112819125.html

  3. Yes, Le Pen could win in France

    Paris (AFP) – With the polls narrowing and one of her main rivals embroiled in an expenses scandal, far-right leader Marine Le Pen could feasibly become French president in May, senior politicians and commentators say.

    At the headquarters of her National Front (FN) party in Nanterre outside Paris, officials believe the same forces that led to the Brexit vote in Britain and Donald Trump’s victory in the United States could carry Le Pen to power.

    Even some of her rivals concede a victory for the far-right firebrand is possible.

    “I think Madame Le Pen could be elected,” former conservative prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said this month.

    Another former premier, the Socialist Manuel Valls, has also warned of the “danger” of assuming that Le Pen cannot win.

    Polls show that support for the 48-year-old anti-immigrant and anti-EU candidate has been consistent for four years now.

    Since 2013, surveys have shown she will progress through the first round to reach the runoff stage in France’s two-stage presidential election.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/yes-le-pen-could-win-france-025411227.html

  4. French farmers hope Marine Le Pen will free them from EU ‘straitjacket’

    Bertrand Hourdel proudly pats one of his plump pigs, but the Brittany farmer is painfully aware that when he sells them, his profits, if any, will be slim.

    He blames the European Union’s “straitjacket” of regulations and inaction by politicians from establishment parties for French farming’s deepest crisis since the Second World War.

    Brittany’s verdant pastures and ancient stone farmhouses are a picture of bucolic bliss, but anger and desperation in France’s leading agricultural region, and other rural areas, are shifting the political winds in favour of Marine Le Pen’s anti-EU Front National.

    “If France left the EU, I hope things would get better,” said Mr Hourdel as he watched pregnant sows bedding down on straw.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/25/french-farmers-hope-marine-le-pen-will-free-eu-straitjacket/

  5. EU lawmakers, in unusual move, pull the plug on racist talk

    BRUSSELS (AP) — With the specter of populism looming over a critical election year in Europe, the European Parliament has taken an unusual step to crack down on racism and hate speech in its own house.

    In an unprecedented move, lawmakers have granted special powers to the president to pull the plug on live broadcasts of parliamentary debate in cases of racist speech or acts and the ability to purge any offending video or audio material from the system.

    Trouble is, the rules on what is considered offensive are none too clear. Some are concerned about manipulation. Others are crying censorship.

    “This undermines the reliability of the Parliament’s archives at a moment where the suspicion of ‘fake news’ and manipulation threatens the credibility of the media and the politicians,” said Tom Weingaertner, president of the Brussels-based International Press Association.

    After Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, the rising popularity of anti-immigrant candidates like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands or far-right Marine Le Pen in France is worrying Europe’s political mainstream. Le Pen, who is running for the French presidency this spring, has promised to follow Britain’s lead.

    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/5605b21292ac4232a6b50724e410a53e/eu-lawmakers-unusual-move-pull-plug-racist-talk

  6. New DNC chair Tom Perez’s problems with email, ethics, racism, and the truth
    By Jeff Dunetz February 26, 2017

    Well, the results are in, and the DNC has chosen its new leader. In the proxy battle between the Sandernistas and the Clintonites, Democratic National Committee voted Clintonite favorite Tom Perez the choice to be the next chairman. Perez received 235 votes, only 17 more than the necessary 218 majority.

    The Sandernistas choice was the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel Rep. Keith Ellison, who has strong ties to Muslim Brotherhood affiliated organizations, and had the endorsement of the party’s far-left wing typified by Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren ?
    18%
    , and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer among others.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/02/26/new-dnc-chair-tom-perezs-problems-with-email-ethics-racism-and-the-truth/

  7. EXCLUSIVE: Why I Nearly Bombed London
    Former extremist Sohail Ahmed reveals why he nearly carried out a terror attack in his home town of London.

    What drives Muslims born and raised in the West to carry out terrorist attacks against their countries of birth? We asked Sohail Ahmed, a former extremist who grew up in a strict household in London, why he had once considered carrying out a terrorist attack against the UK.

  8. Anti-Trump Women’s Movement Teams Up With Islamist Terrorist
    The liberal left has teamed up with extremist and violent Islamists in its next salvo against newly-inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump.

    The liberal left has teamed up with extremist and violent Islamists in its next salvo against newly-inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump.

    On March 8, International Women’s Day, a follow-up event to the January 21 Women’s March on Washington, will be staged.

    One of the co-authors of the “militant” manifesto behind the nationwide event is convicted Palestinian terrorist Rasmea Yousef Odeh.

    Odeh was convicted in Israel in 1970 for being involved in two fatal bombings. Odeh spent 10 years in jail before she was released in a prisoner exchange in 1980.

    She moved to the U.S. by omitting her terror conviction on her immigration papers and served as the associate director of the Arab American Action Network in Chicago and later as an ObamaCare navigator. In 2014, she was convicted in the U.S. for concealing her past and thus illegally obtaining U.S. citizenship.

    http://www.clarionproject.org/news/anti-trump-women%E2%80%99s-movement-teams-islamist-terrorist

  9. New DNC Chair Perez Engaged Islamists, Ignored Reformers
    By ignoring Muslim reformers, Perez’s actions serve to make Islamist groups into the sole representatives of Muslims in the United States.

    Tom Perez has defeated Rep. Keith Ellison in the race to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee, but don’t rest easy: Perez also has a concerning record and chose Ellison as his deputy chairman.

    When he was the assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, he included Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups and their allies in discussions about counter-terrorism training and investigations and laws punishing alleged “hate speech” against the religion of Islam. Muslim and non-Muslim critics of such Islamist groups were not a part of Perez’ outreach on these issues.

    Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor responsible for locking up the “Blind Sheikh” behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, rightly pointed out at the time that the result of excluding the Islamist groups’ rivals is that officials like Perez “are making these Islamist groups into the representatives of Muslims in the United States.”

    In 2012, Perez wouldn’t answer what should have been a very easy question posed by Rep. Trent Frank (R-AZ) while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution :

    “Will you tell us here today that this Administration’s Department of Justice will never entertain or advance a proposal that criminalizes speech against any religion?”

    His answer was a series of stammers and assertions that it was hard to answer. (See shocking video below:)

    https://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/new-dnc-chair-perez-engaged-islamists-ignored-reformers

    • This guy is poison, worse than the semi-retarded tard-favorite of the jew-hating jew. This is a total MB tool. GoV has more than you need to know.

      On the plus side, we see a Congressman who knows what’s what. He’s won’t tolerate the polite equivocation Muslims and their apologists expect when dealing with credulous infidels.

  10. 83 Arabs Accused of Belonging to ISIS, Detained in Israel (aawsat, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://english.aawsat.com/2017/02/article55368271/83-arabs-accused-belonging-isis-detained-israel

    “Tel Aviv- At least 83 Palestinians and Israeli-Arab prisoners or detainees are currently held in Israeli prisons on suspicion of activities or links to Salafist jihadist groups, marking a sharp increase from the 12 prisoners held on such charges at the end of 2015.

    Most of those arrested were influenced by either ISIS or al-Qaida, and the detainees included both Arab citizens of Israel and some Palestinians from the West Bank, and in most cases, were arrested over Internet contact with ISIS agents abroad or for planning attacks thwarted by Israeli security services.

    In other cases, suspects were arrested while attempting to travel to Iraq or Syria to join the ranks of ISIS abroad, while in a handful of other cases, suspects were arrested upon their return to Israel after fighting alongside the group.

    Despite the sharp rise in the number of suspects arrested over links to ISIS, Israeli defense officials say only a minority of them have any true connections to the terrorist group.

    Most of them are rather thought to be sympathizers with the Salafi jihadist ideology, which advocates for armed struggle and draws inspiration from ISIS, but which has no connection to ISIS leadership in Syria and does not receive direct orders from the group.

    Such is thought to have been the case in a truck ramming attack on a popular tourist promenade in east Jerusalem in January, killing four soldiers…”

  11. US ‘considers withdrawing from UN Human Rights Council’ (independent, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-un-human-rights-council-donald-trump-aides-consider-quitting-a7601771.html

    “America is considering leaving the United Nations Human Rights Council, it has been reported.

    A former State Department official who claims to have been briefed on the discussions told Politico there have been questions from the Secretary of State about the effectiveness of the Human Rights Council and said the targeting of Israel by the body was likely to be part of the debate.

    The former official told the publication: “There’s been a series of requests coming from the secretary of state’s office that suggests that he is questioning the value of the US belonging to the Human Rights Council.”

    The final decision on whether the US would withdraw from the council or not would likely be made by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, as well as the President…”

  12. Russia, Tajikistan agree to bolster guarding of Tajik-Afhgan border (reuters, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-tajikistan-idUKKBN1661KJ?rpc=401&

    “Russia and Tajikistan agreed to bolster guarding of the former Soviet republic’s border with Afghanistan to prevent a spillover of the conflict there, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

    “We have agreed to make an effort on the protection of the Tajik-Afghan border, including using the existing Russian military base in Tajikistan,” Putin said after meeting his Tajik counterpart Imomali Rakhmon in the capital Dushanbe.

    Last year Tajikistan boosted troop numbers on its frontier with Afghanistan, due to security threats from armed smugglers, kidnappers and Islamist insurgents.”

  13. Feminism, Hijabs and Hypocrisy
    Defending the rights of women to wear the hijab while failing to support women who do not wish to wear it is patently hypocritical.

    Earlier this week, Dorsa Derakhshani, an 18-year-old female chess master, was banned from Iran’s national team for appearing without the Islamic headscarf (hijab) in a tournament in Gibraltar she competed in independently.

    Considering it’s illegal for women in Iran to appear in public without properly covering their hair or bodies, I hardly found this story shocking.

    What did surprise me was the deafening silence from all the “feminists” who took to the streets last month to participate in an unprecedented display of virtue signaling and hypocrisy better known as the “Women’s March.”

    Then there was Sweden’s “first feminist government” – the one that mocked President Trump’s “misogyny” – surely they had something to say about Derakhshani’s ban, right? Silence.

    But what could the Swedes say after delegates of their “feminist government” traveled to Iran earlier this month and all dutifully donned hijabs, obeying the misogynistic legislation requiring them to cover up.

    https://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/feminism-hijabs-and-hypocrisy

  14. Iraq 101: Christians and Other Groupings
    The latest in Clarion’s series explaining the situation in Iraq. This time a look at the religious groupings with a focus on the Christians.

  15. ‘Let’s not pretend!’ LBC host says Muslim communities are NOT integrating in Britain (express, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/772544/Muslims-Britain-integrating-LBC-Maajid-Nawaz

    “LBC host Maajid Nawaz has insisted there is a “huge problem” when it comes to Muslim communities integrating in Britain.

    The founder of counter-extremist think tank Quilliam Foundation claimed it did not serve British Muslims for the country to pretend there was not a problem for fear of being labelled racist or xenophobic.

    Speaking on his LBC show, the radio host underlined problems with integration could not be ignored and cited employment, education and prison rate issues.

    The 38-year-old said: “The problem we’ve had in this country is that for so long we’ve been pretty paralysed from being able to speak about it.

    “Those who have spoken about integration, those who have questioned the multiculturalism policies of the 90s have been usually tarnished, by either being racists, or bigots, or xenophobes, and the truth is that the very communities that those people, who are using words, who are deploying words such as racists, bigots, and xenophobes, are the very communities they were trying to defend, minority communities.

    “And in this case, for this question, Britain’s Muslim communities, were the same communities that were falling behind due to those policies, the multiculturalism policies of the 90s. On every conceivable metric.

    “Whether it’s being disproportionately represented in prisons, whether it’s being under employed, whether it’s being disproportionately represented in our country’s higher education institutions.

    “Whether it is looking at the level of English language qualifications in this country, whether it’s looking at female and gender rights, whether it’s looking at opinions toward sexuality, and gay marriage in particular, or blasphemy and free speech.

    “Whether it’s a values based metric, or an economic success based metric, any possible metric you could come up with, British Muslims are disproportionately falling behind.

    “Nobody, whether Muslim or otherwise, can come up with statistics or facts to show, because they don’t exist, to show that this country is…succeeding when it comes to integrating my own Muslim communities.”

    Nawaz added other migrant communities had experienced more “success” in thriving in Britain and referred to education statistics as a major indication of how far behind Muslims in Britain were…”

  16. Palestinians: Why a “Regional Peace Process” Will Fail

    by Khaled Abu Toameh
    February 27, 2017 at 5:00 am

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9983/regional-peace-process

    Here is a fundamental misapprehension: Arab countries can help achieve peace in the Middle East by persuading, or rather pressuring, the Palestinians to make concessions to Israel.

    This misapprehension is both misleading and baseless.

    Recently, officials in Israel and Washington started talking about a “regional approach” to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this view, as many Arab countries as possible would be directly involved in the effort to achieve a lasting and comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Advocates of the “regional approach” believe that Arab countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have enough leverage with the Palestinians to compel them accept a peace agreement with Israel.

    The Palestinians, however, were quick to dismiss the idea as yet another American-Israeli-Arab “conspiracy to “liquidate” their cause and force them to make unacceptable concessions. Chief among these “unacceptable concessions” are recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and giving up the demand for a “right of return” for millions of Palestinian refugees into Israel.

    What the recent Washington-Israeli notion misses is that Palestinians simply do not trust their Arab brothers. The Palestinians consider most of the Arab leaders and regimes as “puppets” in the hands of the US and its “Zionist” allies. Worse, Many Palestinians sometimes refer to Arab leaders and regimes as the “real enemies” of the Palestinians. They would rather have France, Sweden, Norway and Belgium oversee a peace process with Israel than any of the Arab

  17. Seoul says North Korea executes 5 senior security officials

    SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea executed five senior security officials with anti-aircraft guns because they made false reports that “enraged” leader Kim Jong Un, South Korea’s spy agency said Monday.

    The comments by the National Intelligence Service in a private briefing to lawmakers come as Malaysia investigates the poisoning death of Kim’s estranged elder half brother, Kim Jong Nam. That investigation is still going on, but South Korea says it believes Kim Jong Un ordered the assassination, which took place Feb. 13 at Kuala Lumpur’s airport.

    The spy agency told lawmakers that five North Korean officials in the department of recently purged state security chief Kim Won Hong were executed by anti-aircraft guns because of the false reports to Kim, South Korean lawmaker Lee Cheol Woo said. It’s not clear what false reports they allegedly made, and the NIS didn’t say how it got its information.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/seoul-says-north-korea-executes-5-senior-security-084003066.html

  18. Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea

    US NAVY READIES MORE FREQUENT MISSIONS

    A U.S. administration official said the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group in the South China Sea, less than a month after President Donald Trump took office, signaled U.S. intent to have a more active naval presence in the region.

    The Pentagon says that the Carl Vinson, accompanied by a guided-missile destroyer and aircraft, began “routine operations” in the South China Sea on Feb. 18. It last deployed to the Western Pacific in 2015 when it conducted an exercise with the Malaysian navy and air force.

    The official declined to comment on whether the Carl Vinson would undertake a freedom of navigation operation, but noted that senior administration figures have spoken about the importance of asserting that right. The official expected such operations to be undertaken frequently by U.S. vessels.

    The official requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to journalists on the administration’s policy.

    US NAVY READIES MORE FREQUENT MISSIONS

    A U.S. administration official said the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group in the South China Sea, less than a month after President Donald Trump took office, signaled U.S. intent to have a more active naval presence in the region.

    The Pentagon says that the Carl Vinson, accompanied by a guided-missile destroyer and aircraft, began “routine operations” in the South China Sea on Feb. 18. It last deployed to the Western Pacific in 2015 when it conducted an exercise with the Malaysian navy and air force.

    The official declined to comment on whether the Carl Vinson would undertake a freedom of navigation operation, but noted that senior administration figures have spoken about the importance of asserting that right. The official expected such operations to be undertaken frequently by U.S. vessels.

    The official requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to journalists on the administration’s policy.

  19. ‘Let’s revive Europe!’ European leaders call for ‘FEDERAL UNION’ to save crumbling EU (express, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/772465/Europe-leaders-Bartolone-Boldrini-Lammert-Di-Bartolomeo-EU-Brexit-Verhofstadt-MEP-Fox

    “FOUR European leaders have called for a European “Federal Union” to strengthen the relationship between states as Brussels approaches its first “divorce settlement” on its 60th anniversary…”

  20. North Korea spy agency runs arms operation out of Malaysia, U.N. says
    By James Pearson and Rozanna Latiff,Reuters 16 hours ago

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    By James Pearson and Rozanna Latiff

    (Reuters) – It is in Kuala Lumpur’s “Little India” neighborhood, behind an unmarked door on the second floor of a rundown building, where a military equipment company called Glocom says it has its office.

    Glocom is a front company run by North Korean intelligence agents that sells battlefield radio equipment in violation of United Nations sanctions, according to a United Nations report drafted for the Security Council seen by Reuters.

    Reuters found that Glocom advertises over 30 radio systems for “military and paramilitary” organizations on its Malaysian website, glocom.com.my.

    Glocom’s website, which was taken down late last year, listed the Little India address in its contacts section. No one answers the door there and the mailbox outside is stuffed with unopened letters.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-korea-spy-agency-runs-arms-operation-malaysia-232213216.html

  21. MIGRANT CRISIS: Hungary risks EU’s wrath as it starts building ANOTHER border fence (express, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/772646/migrant-crisis-hungary-border-fence-serbia-european-union

    “HUNGARY has begun building a second line of fence along its southern border with Serbia – a move likely to exacerbate criticism from some of the country’s European Union partners.

    Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing government considers migration to be one of the largest threats to the status quo in the EU.

    But officials in Brussels and some other EU centres are distressed by some of his go-it-alone policies.

    A European Parliament committee, for example, was due on Monday to discuss the state of fundamental rights in Hungary…”

  22. Germany: Govt. to counter ‘fake news’ in Baltic states with Russian-language media

    The German government will aid Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in setting up Russian-language media outlets in order to counter alleged “systematic disinformation” from Russian channels in the region, spokesperson for the German Foreign Office Martin Schaefer announced from Berlin, Monday.

    SOT, Martin Schaefer, spokesperson of the German Foreign Office (German): “During his trip, Mr. Gabriel will also employ what we already started last year in the Baltic states, which is – as we say in new German – handling Russian ‘fake news’ together with appropriate partners. We want to help our partners in the Baltic states to fight systematic disinformation.”

    SOT, Martin Schaefer, spokesperson of the German Foreign Office (German): “We are helping to found Russian radio and TV and to make it attractive to the many Russian speakers who live in the three Baltic states, in order to report in a different way about news of the world and the region than that from Russian TV for example.”

  23. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels clash with army in north (reuters, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-clash-idUSKBN1660PU?il=0

    “Turkey-backed Syrian rebel groups clashed with government forces near a city in northern Syria that the rebels recently captured from Islamic State, sources on both sides said, the second such confrontation in the region this month.

    The fighting late on Sunday took place in an area where the sides are waging separate campaigns against Islamic State.

    Russia, which backs the Syrian government, mediated to bring an end to the confrontation, according to a source in the military alliance fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia also intervened to halt the previous clash.

    The latest incident occurred near the city of al-Bab, which Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels captured last week from Islamic State. Syrian government forces on Sunday announced the capture of the town of Tadef, 4 km (2.5 miles) to the south.

    A rebel official in touch with one of the FSA groups taking part in the Turkey-backed campaign in northern Syria said rebels had opened fire on Sunday in response to an attempt by government forces to advance closer to al-Bab.

    An FSA statement said “22 regime members” were killed.

    A Syrian military source said the rebels had “targeted our forces in Tadef with artillery and machine guns”. The source, who described the FSA factions as “terrorist groups that belong to Turkey”, gave no casualty toll…”

  24. Philippines condemns ‘barbaric beheading’ of German hostage (reuters, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-militants-german-idUSKBN16613A?il=0

    “The Philippines on Monday condemned the “barbaric beheading” of a German captive by Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, who posted a video of the killing after a deadline for a $600,000 ransom passed.

    The video showed a machete-wielding militant behead the elderly German hostage, Jurgen Kantner, who had appealed for help twice in short video messages, saying he would be killed if ransom was not paid.

    Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the Philippine peace process, said officials had exhausted all efforts to save Kantner, who was held on the tiny southern island of Jolo, but to no avail.

    “We grieve as we strongly condemn the barbaric beheading of yet another kidnap victim,” Dureza said in a statement.

    “…Terrorism has no place in a country like ours and we as a people must confront violent extremism every time it rears its ugly head. There must be a stop to this killing of the innocent and the helpless.”

    He did not mention the demand for ransom…”

  25. Daesh-linked Indonesian shot dead after bomb attack (gulfnews, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/daesh-linked-indonesian-shot-dead-after-bomb-attack-1.1985140

    “Indonesian police shot dead a man linked to Daesh group during a firefight at a government office Monday after a small bomb was set off nearby.

    No one apart from the attacker was hurt in the incident in the city of Bandung on Java island, which started with a pressure cooker bomb exploding in a park before the gun battle erupted in the office opposite…”

  26. Gülenists escape to Greece by concealing themselves as Syrian refugees (hurriyetdailynews, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/gulenists-escape-to-greece-by-concealing-themselves-as-syrian-refugees.aspx?pageID=238&nID=110220&NewsCatID=341

    “Suspected members of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), widely believed to have orchestrated the July 15, 2016 failed coup, are attempting to cross into Greece by concealing themselves as Syrian refugees….”

  27. Turkey sends address of Gülen property in Canada to US upon request (hurriyetdailynews, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-sends-address-of-gulen-property-in-canada-to-us-upon-request.aspx?pageID=238&nID=110222&NewsCatID=510

    “Turkey has sent Washington information regarding the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen’s property in Canada following a request from U.S. authorities, daily Yeni ?afak reported on Feb. 27.

    The information sent to the U.S. includes the address of the property, when it was bought and who purchased it, the daily reported.

    Justice Minister Bekir Bozda? recently said Gülen might be considering leaving the U.S. for Canada after purchasing land in the country.

    The talks on Gülen’s extradition, believed to have masterminded the failed July 2016 coup, gained speed after Donald Trump was elected as U.S. president. According to the daily, because the new U.S. administration is leaning toward Gülen’s extradition more than the administration of former President Barack Obama, Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) members have bought property in Canada for Gülen.

    There is no agreement between Turkey and Canada regarding the extradition of criminals, meaning that if Gülen moved to Canada from Pennsylvania, his extradition would become more difficult.

    The Turkish Justice Ministry sent the files regarding Gülen’s possible escape to Canada to the U.S. on Feb. 24. The buyers of the property are Turkish citizens, but their identity remains hidden.

    The extradition of Gülen remains a long-standing issue between Turkey and the U.S. Bozda? said last week that the prolongation of Gülen’s extradition would harm relations between Washington and Ankara…”

  28. Turkey condemns Armenian attacks against Azerbaijan (hurriyetdailynews, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-condemns-armenian-attacks-against-azerbaijan.aspx?pageID=238&nID=110212&NewsCatID=510

    “Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has condemned Armenia for committing “heavy weapon attacks” against Azerbaijan early on Feb. 25.

    The ministry issued a written statement late on Feb. 26, offering condolences to fallen Azerbaijani soldiers’ families and the people of Azerbaijan.

    “Armenia has been keeping one-fifth of Azerbaijani territory under occupation for a quarter century,” the statement said. “We invite Armenia to follow the cease-fire rules and expect that heavy clashes will not occur again.”…”

  29. We stand fully behind Islamic causes: King Salman (saudigazette, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/stand-fully-behind-islamic-causes-king-salman/

    “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman said that the Kingdom would stand behind the Islamic causes across the world.

    “We emphasize that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with all its capabilities behind the Islamic causes in general and we are fully ready for support and cooperation with your sisterly country with regard to any effort or initiative that serves issues of Muslims,” he said.

    King Salman made the remarks in a speech on Sunday during a dinner banquet hosted in his honor by Malaysian King Muhammad V at the Royal Palace…”

  30. Egypt’s army says six militants killed in latest North Sinai raids (ahram, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/258971/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-army-says-six-militants-killed-in-latest-No.aspx

    “Egypt’s army said Monday it has killed six militants during several raids in North Sinai, only a few days after a number of Coptic families fled the governorate following a spate of killings of Christians by militants.

    In an official statement, army spokesman Tamer El-Refai said security forces in North Sinai conducted several raids on terrorist hideouts, killing six and arresting 18 suspects.

    Two storehouses used to hide explosives and eight improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were seized and deactivated by the forces.

    “Law enforcement forces will continue carrying out their mission with determination to extract the roots of terrorism and eliminate terrorist elements,” the statement read…”

  31. Egypt parliament rejects abolition of death penalty (ahram, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/258922/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-parliament-rejects-abolition-of-death-penalt.aspx

    “The human rights committee of Egypt’s parliament said it will never recommend that the death penalty be abolished, responding to repeated calls from foreign rights groups to end capital punishment.

    “Western human rights organisations that lobby for the abolition of the death penalty should know that this goes against both Islamic Sharia and the country’s constitution,” read a statement by the human rights committee on Sunday.

    Alaa Abed, head of the committee, told reporters that the abolition of the death penalty would violate Islamic Sharia, which is based on the “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” doctrine.

    “As long as Egypt’s constitution states that Islamic Sharia represents the main source of legislation in Egypt, parliament can never accept that the death penalty be abolished,” he said.

    “The imposition of the death penalty in Egypt takes place only after all legal measures are pursued and after the mufti of Egypt gives final approval.

    “Not to mention that the death penalty primarily targets murderers who shed the blood of citizens on purpose, and as a result should be sentenced to death in accordance with Islamic Sharia.”

    Abed indicated that “parliament also stands against Western organisations which demand that homosexuals and gay marriage be allowed in Egypt.”

    “Again, I state that this neither goes in line with Islamic Sharia nor with the deep-rooted religious traditions of the Egyptian people,” he added…”

  32. Turkey’s Erdogan ‘not welcome’ to campaign in Austria (thelocal, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.thelocal.at/20170227/turkeys-erdogan-not-welcome-to-campaign-in-austria

    “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “not welcome” to hold campaign events in Austria ahead of April’s referendum on strengthening his powers, the foreign minister in Vienna said on Monday.

    Sebastian Kurz said that Erdogan campaigning over the controversial referendum would “increase friction” in Austria and “hinder the integration” of the country’s 360,000-strong Turkish origin minority, which includes 117,000 Turkish citizens.

    “Campaign events are not welcome. Of course the Turkish president, like other senior politicians, can make bilateral visits to Europe and Austria for talks with top officials,” said Kurz.

    “But we clearly reject bringing the Turkish campaign and polarisation to Austria,” Kurz was quoted as saying in a foreign ministry statement…”

  33. Violent scenes in Bern as police clash with protestors (thelocal, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.thelocal.ch/20170227/violent-scenes-in-bern-as-police-clash-with-protestors

    “Eleven people, including ten police officers, were injured in Bern on Saturday night in a clash between police and protestors demonstrating against the eviction of squatters from a building in the Swiss capital last week.

    Around 200 people joined with the group RaumRaub in an unauthorized demonstration in the Schützenmatte area of Bern on Saturday evening, reported Swiss media.

    The protest began at around 8.40pm, with police blocking off the area to prevent the demonstration moving any further, Bern police said in a statement.

    A violent confrontation then ensued between protestors and police, who used teargas and water cannons to combat the various missiles, including stones and fireworks, thrown by protestors.

    Police were also blinded by laser beams.

    Protestors erected burning barricades, set fire to a van and damaged several cars, before the demo eventually disbanded at around 10.30pm. Some protestors retreated to the alternative arts centre Reitschule, said police.

    Eight police officers and two members of the transport police were injured, along with one demonstrator.

    The protest was the third violent clash with police since a group of squatters were evicted from a house in Bern on Wednesday morning…”

  34. Man arrested for ‘refugee espionage’ in Sweden (thelocal, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.thelocal.se/20170227/man-arrested-for-refugee-espionage-in-sweden

    “Sweden’s security police Säpo has arrested a man suspected of spying on refugees in the country.

    Säpo arrested the man on February 26th on suspicion of aggravated unlawful intelligence activities in the country. He is believed to have illegally obtained intelligence about people related to Tibet in Sweden on behalf of another country.

    “The security police has been able to see over time how the man acted in and collected information about the Tibetan group in Sweden. This information is suspected to have then been passed on to intelligence operatives working for a foreign power,” Säpo said in a press release.

    The man has now been detained by a prosecutor at the Swedish Prosecution Authority’s National Security Unit (Riksenheten för säkerhetsmål), and a decision on whether he is to be remanded in custody will be made in the coming days, after hearings have taken place.

    The arrest is the result of ongoing work against illegal intelligence activities in the Nordic nation, Säpo said.

    “The man has lived in Sweden for several years, and had a mission, as we see it, from a foreign power,” Säpo press head Nina Odermalm Schei told news agency TT.

    “In general you can say that the countries which carry out refugee espionage in Sweden are states which do not like both human rights and freedom of speech,” she added….”

  35. Police foil attempted suicide attack in Algeria (france24, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.france24.com/en/20170227-police-foil-attempted-suicide-attack-algeria

    “A policeman managed to foil an attempted suicide attack in eastern Algeria on Sunday, opening fire on the bomber and triggering the explosives belt he was wearing, officials said.

    The national police force said the attacker had been approaching a police station in the city of Constantine when he was shot by the officer.

    “An officer who was in front of the police headquarters, underneath a building that is home to a dozen families, responded energetically and heroically after several warnings, targeting with precision the explosive belt worn by a terrorist,” police said in a statement cited by APS news agency…”

  36. Militants marry for four times but use children as suicide bombers: Ghani (khaama, Feb 27, 2017)
    http://www.khaama.com/militants-marry-for-four-times-but-use-children-as-suicide-bombers-ghani-02990

    “President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani slammed the anti-government armed militants for their stance and their so-called holy war, saying the Afghan forces are facing enemies who are using children for suicide attacks but they themselves marry for four times.

    Speaking during a gathering to mark the national day of the Afghan forces, Ghani said the insurgents are being used as tools by the foreigners to do heroin smuggling and loot the natural resources of the country.

    He also added that the militants are planting roadside bombs and kill clerics, teachers, engineers, and those people who are working for the betterment of the country.

    Questioning Taliban’s stance to conduct insurgency under the name of Islam, President Ghanis said “Are Taliban ready to sit with Ulemas and offer justifications? Is rebellion allowed in Islam? Is it justified to wage war in a soil where Sharia is enforced in courts or the law of Taliban and their masters are superior to Islamic law?”

    The remarks by President Ghani came as the United Nations in a report earlier last year said they have recorded at 48 children recruited by the parties involved in the conflict.

    The report also expressed concerns regarding the use of seminaries in the tribal regions along Durand Line for recruitment of children.”

  37. the gateway pundit – SHOCK: German Parade Float Shows Beheaded President Trump

    The Left (European and American) and Islamist terrorists promote the same methods for their shared enemy: Beheading. A parade float in the annual Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) Carnival parade in Düsseldorf, Germany on Monday showed a representation of the Statue of Liberty emblazoned with the words, “America Resist!”, holding the severed head of President Donald Trump in the same manner that Islamist terrorists do with beheading victims in propaganda videos.

    The float was the second of a two part float display. The first part showed Trump raping the Statue of Liberty from behind.

    Another float showed Trump as Darth Vadar and his cabinet officials as storm troopers from Star Wars while yet another compared him with Adolph Hitler.

    […]Blond is the new brown–cfloat likens Trump, Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders with Adolph Hitler.

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/02/shock-german-parade-float-shows-beheaded-president-trump/

    Pics :
    https://www.thelocal.de/20170227/in-pics-german-carnival-floats-show-trump-no-mercy