Reader’s links for March 6th 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

114 Replies to “Reader’s links for March 6th 2017”

  1. 5 soldiers killed as militants attack check posts in Mohmand Agency (tribune, Mar 6, 2017)
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/1346993/5-pakistan-army-soldiers-killed-militants-attack-check-posts-mohmand-agency/

    “Five Pakistan Army soldiers were killed in cross fire as militants from Afghanistan attacked three border posts in Mohmand Agency on Sunday night.

    “Last night terrorists from across the border attempted physical attack on three Pakistan border posts in Mohmand Agency,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said…”

  2. Pakistan warns Trump’s generals: ‘Sort out Afghanistan mess or Russia will intervene’ (tribune, Mar 6, 2017)
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/1346882/pakistan-warns-trumps-generals-sort-afghanistan-mess-russia-will-intervene/

    “Pakistan’s military has warned Donald Trump’s new generals that they face a ‘total mess’ in Afghanistan unless the US and UK can halt the advance of IS and the Taliban.

    In an interview with the Telegraph, a senior Pakistani army source said the collapse in security since the draw-down of Western troops from Afghanistan meant the West now faced ‘losing control’.

    If IS and the Taliban continued to gain strength, he added, it could tempt Russia to stage a Syrian-style intervention, this time on the pretext of protecting its ‘backyard’ in Central Asia.

    The source within the Pakistani army said that in recent weeks, high-level discussions had taken place with both Resolute Support Mission commander Gen John Nicholson and James Mattis, the retired US general appointed by Mr Trump as Secretary of Defence…”

  3. Suspected extremists kill at least 5 gendarmes in Niger (abcnews, Mar 6, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/suspected-extremists-kill-gendarmes-niger-45949248

    “Niger’s defense ministry says at least five gendarmes have been killed in an attack near the country’s western border with Mali.

    The ministry says the attack by armed suspected extremists early Monday in Wanzarbe in the Bankilare department also left one gendarme wounded. The ministry says on television that forces are in the zone to combat any suspected extremists still there. No further details have been released.

    Two weeks ago Islamic extremists killed at least 15 soldiers along that border in the Tillaberi region.

    The attacks follow a February agreement among the presidents of five countries in Africa’s vast Sahel region to set up a joint counterterrorism force.

    Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad have been targeted by numerous extremist groups, including Boko Haram and others linked to al-Qaida.”

  4. The Christian Dimension of Russia’s Middle East Policy

    Abstract: Orthodox Christianity arguably constitutes the foundation of the entire Russian cultural spectrum. The majority of Russians feel close to the eastern Christian tradition and identify with it to varying degrees. Thus, Orthodoxy inevitably has a profound influence on society. On the other hand, the Russian Orthodox Church does not officially position itself as an active political power; on the contrary, its position is that churches are spiritual institutions alien to big politics. Nevertheless, it still has a significant impact upon the political elite.

    In this context, the “Orthodox question” has been steadily growing in post-Soviet Russia, becoming a convenient tool for the Russian government to use to encourage ideological values clearly reflecting their domestic and foreign policy among the Russian population. Syria has now become the most suitable platform from which to make use of the “Orthodox factor”.

    This analysis will not comment on whether or not the real purpose of the Russian military operation has been the protection of the Christian population in Syria. This is not the point. There is no doubt, however, that the protection of the Orthodox population in Syria is actively being used by the Kremlin to justify Russia’s military operation in the eyes of its own population. Hence, Orthodoxy in its role as a fundamental element of modern Russian identity is being used as a way of legitimizing the actions of the Russian leadership in Syria.

    http://sharqforum.org/2017/03/02/the-christian-dimension-of-russias-middle-east-policy/

  5. The Politics of Oil: How Russia Pursues Its Energy Dream in the Middle East

    Abstract:
    Against the backdrop of instability in the global energy industry, Moscow is seeking to consolidate its share of the oil and gas markets as well as ensure that its revenue stream from the oil trade does not thin out. With that in mind, Russia pursues a policy of engaging its natural rivals in the industry from the Middle East with the aim of dividing up the markets fairly and on mutually beneficial principles.

    Moscow negotiated an almost-impossible deal with Saudi Arabia to cut oil output and made peace with Turkey against all odds in order to protect its interests in the European gas market. These steps show that despite remaining ‘frenemies’ Russia and its regional counterparts find ways to maintain a balance in the global energy market.

    http://sharqforum.org/2017/02/24/the-politics-of-oil-how-russia-pursues-its-energy-dream-in-the-middle-east/

  6. The Trump Administration Views on Radical Islamic Jihadism: an interview with Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President [Interview + Transcript]

    Among the following national security and foreign policy issues addressed in the 1330amWEBY interview with Dr. Gorka were:

    1. Why the Trump Administration is concerned about the threat from radical Islamic Jihadism?
    2. Who are the ‘self-styled’ counterterrorism experts criticizing the Administration for exposing the ideology behind Radical Islamic Jihadism?
    3. The dangerous threat of Iran’s nuclear and missile development, state support for global terrorism and hegemonic aspirations in the Middle East.
    4. Importance of Israel, Jordan, Egypt as allies in support of US national security interests in the Middle East.
    5. Possible formation of a NATO-type regional military alliance composed of Sunni Arab Monarchies, Emirates and states with possible links to Israel.
    6. Administration views on Turkey and the Kurds in the war to defeat ISIS.
    7. Global spread of Radical Islamic Jihad especially in Sudan, Nigeria, Niger and Mali in Africa.
    http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/65833

  7. Désislamiser l’Europe : le général Piquemal sur la loyauté des musulmans

  8. Mullahs’ Nightmare: Huge Demonstration Breaks Out In Tehran

    Iran’s rulers are attempting to end their country’s international isolation. But there are innumerable obstacles for them, beginning with the goon-like activity of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) along with its expeditionary arm, the al-Quds Force. There are also problems with Iran’s proxiees, the Iran-allied Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon, all of which are meddling in neighboring countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. And “state-sponsored terrorism” remains as policy, as strong as ever. But the most important obstacle is the political unrest inside Iran.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/03/mullahs_nightmare_huge_demonstration_breaks_out_in_tehran.html

  9. Iran in Crisis

    The recent dust storms that wreaked havoc in southwest Iran signaled only one of the many crises the mullahs are facing less than three months before critical elections. Tehran has been hit with severe blows during the Munich Security Conference, contrasting interests with Russia, the recent escalating row with Turkey, and most importantly, a new U.S. administration in Washington.

    These crises have crippling effects on the mullahs’ apparatus, especially at a time when Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sees his regime facing a changing balance of power in the international community, and is faced with a major decision of selecting the regime’s so-called president.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/03/iran_in_crisis.html

    • Iran may have a lot of problems but barring outside help I don’t see how the people can mount a successful revolution. The sad fact is that as long as the dictator is willing to use massive force and terror against the dissidents they can remain in power. It is only when the military refuses to fire on their fellow citizens or the dictator refuses to give the order that a successful revolution can occur.

  10. Business Insider – Former CIA Director Michael Hayden slams pro-Trump media for peddling ‘illegitimate’ and ‘non-fact based world view’

    Former CIA Director Michael Hayden on Monday criticized the pro-Donald Trump bloc of conservative media for advancing what he deemed to be an “illegitimate” world view.

    “There are some outlets that have incredibly powerful lenses by which they view the facts they collect,” Hayden told Business Insider in a sit-down interview. “I think the Breitbart and the likes are off the chart in terms of shaping data to meet the preconceptions.”

    Hayden’s comments came after it was reported a conservative radio host’s comments aggregated by Breitbart inspired Trump to accuse former President Barack Obama of bugging phones at Trump Tower, a claim reportedly rejected as false by the FBI.

    “You have a Breitbart news story essentially launching the Starfleet of the federal government about one of the most horrible political scandals in American history, if true,” Hayden said, adding that it was “very troubling” the president seeming to value Breitbart reports over data compiled by intelligence agencies.

    “Breitbart doesn’t do any creative journalism, it just moves the parts around,” Hayden continued. “And I haven’t done this personally, but I’ve heard others say, when you dig into the Breitbart sources, the articles don’t really say that.”

    Hayden concluded: “It’s kind of scary — a post-fact world. How does intelligence survive in a post-fact world?”

    The former four-star Air Force general said too that “there’s an amazing consistency” on a number of subjects between the information disseminated by Russian outlets and conservative sources like the Drudge Report, radio and television host Sean Hannity, and Breitbart.

    “There are powerful parallels between the Russian narrative and things being said,” Hayden said, adding that the president also uses similar talking points.

    Hayden stopped short, however, of making a “moral judgment” on whether such outlets are intentionally misleading the public.

    “They have a world view and they are playing with it,” he said. “I think it’s an illegitimate worldview and I think it’s a non-fact based world view. It’s a world view in which pre-existing visions seem to be being used to distort the fact pattern that exists.”

    http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-hayden-trump-media-non-fact-based-world-view-2017-3

  11. Alexander G. Markovsky
    Trump, NATO, and the Burden of the Past

    In his first speech to members of NATO, American Secretary of Defense Mattis said, “Americans cannot care more for your children’s future security than you do.” This echoes his boss Donald Trump’s campaign statement, “Number one it (NATO) was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago.” Normally, a new president can count on the backing of his own party, but on this issue there is a rare consensus on both sides of the aisle in support of the existing policies.

    The core divergence of geopolitical views is this:
    Supporters of NATO see American commitments as implicitly limitless and irreversible. They insist that the arrangements have worked well for the United States, and any attempt to challenge them is not in America’s national interests. Ideologically, adherence to existing commitments defines our national interests.

    Driven by effectiveness, not ideology, Trump believes the existing commitments are not eternal and are limited by resources. Therefore, we must define our national interests in order to shape our commitments — not allow existing commitments to define our interests.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/03/_trump_nato_and_the_burden_of_the_past.html

    • I have to laugh every time I read Markovsky’s blurb. It sounds so absurdly quaint, though my own Russki pretends to be offended at my lack of respect:

      Alexander G. Markovsky is a Soviet émigré. He holds degrees in economics and political science from the University of Marxism-Leninism and an MS in structural engineering from Moscow University. He resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife and daughter, where he owns a consulting company specializing in the management of large international projects.