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.
Turkey: Protesters throw eggs, wave nooses at Erdogan assassination suspects
Protesters pelted eggs and waved nooses at the 44 suspects accused of plotting to assassinate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they arrived at court in the southern city of Mugla on Thursday.
Julian Assange Press Conference and Q&A on Vault 7, Year Zero and the CIA (03-09-2017)
Lauren will be one to watch in the comming months. This is her channel,
enjoy.
‘Ghost ships’ in European waters spark terror fears
Hundreds of ships are sailing into European waters after suspicious manoeuvres near terrorist hotspots, prompting fears that they are smuggling people and weapons with impunity.
An investigation by The Times has uncovered how cargo ships and other large vessels routinely switch off GPS tracking so they can disappear, falsify their identification or veer off their usual course.
Figures compiled by Windward, a maritime data and analytics company, revealed that in January and February 40 ships entered Europe from Libya, close
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/ghost-ships-in-european-waters-spark-terror-fears-hkdbffdv5
Russian police detain prominent Putin critic after his prison release
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Police in Moscow detained prominent anti-Kremlin activist Ildar Dadin on Friday, less than two weeks after he was released from prison, when he staged a one-man demonstration outside Russia’s prison service.
Dadin, 34, was freed from a Siberian prison last month after becoming the first person to be jailed under new rules that made some forms of non-violent protest a criminal offence.
He was sentenced to three years in prison – reduced to two and a half on appeal – in December 2015 for a series of peaceful one-man protests against the Kremlin. The Supreme Court quashed his conviction on Feb. 22.
Dadin’s wife, Anastasia Zotova, confirmed he had been detained on Friday as did eye witnesses. Law enforcement sources told Russian news agencies he had been taken into custody for failing to show his passport when asked.
“Ildar again is arrested,” Zotova wrote on social media. “His first picket (since his release), his first detention.” Zotova, who afterwards herself staged a similar protest in the same spot, said her husband had later been released.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/russian-police-detain-prominent-putin-critic-prison-release-085643092.html
Defiant Iran Conducts More Ballistic Missile Tests; This Time From Naval Vessel
As tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to mount, the semi-official news agency Tasnim is reporting that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has successfully conducted yet another ballistic missile test, this time from a navy vessel. Called the Hormuz 2, these latest missiles are designed to destroy moving targets at sea at ranges up to 300 km (180 miles).
Reports on the latest test quotes Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, who confirmed that “the naval ballistic missile called Hormuz 2 successfully destroyed a target which was 250 km away.”
The missile test is the latest event in a long-running rivalry between Iran and the United States in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which guards the entrance to the Gulf. About 20% of the world’s oil passes through the waterway, which is less than 40 km wide at its narrowest point.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-09/defiant-iran-test-fires-naval-ballistic-missile
Jeff Sessions may investigate Obama-era abuses at the Dept. of Justice
By LU Staff March 10, 2017
Attorney General Jeff Sessions told conservative radio personality Hugh Hewitt that he is open to hiring outside counsel to investigate internal practices at the Obama-era Department of Justice.
Hewitt asked Sessions if he would bring in an independent investigator to probe the Justice Department’s handling of controversies related to alleged bias at the IRS against conservative political groups seeking tax-exempt status, and the gun-running “Fast and Furious” scandal, in which federal law enforcement allowed gun dealers to sell firearms to illegal straw buyers. Those weapons were subsequently recovered at crime scenes in the United States and Mexico.
“Well I’m going to do everything I possibly can to restore the independence and professionalism of the Department of Justice,” Sessions said. “So we’ll have to consider whether or not some outside counsel is needed. Generally, a good review of that internally is the first step before any such decision is made.”
He did not indicate that such an internal review is currently underway.
http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/03/10/jeff-sessions-may-investigate-obama-era-abuses-dept-justice/
UN accuses Turkey of ‘serious’ abuses in Kurdish region (france24, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.france24.com/en/20170310-un-accuses-turkey-serious-abuses-kurdish-region
“The UN on Friday accused Turkish security forces of committing serious abuses during operations against Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey after a regional ceasefire collapsed in July 2015.
A report from the United Nations’ rights office details evidence of “massive destruction, killings and numerous other serious human rights violations committed between July 2015 and December 2016 in southeast Turkey”.
“Government security operations” have targeted more than 30 towns and displaced 355,000 to half a million people, mostly Kurds, the report said.
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984, though the violence was contained during the truce agreed in 2013.
But fighting resumed when the ceasefire fell apart in summer 2015.
Satellite images of areas affected by the latest unrest “indicate an enormous scale of destruction of the housing stock by heavy weaponry”, the report said, with some neighbourhoods “razed to the ground”.
In Cizre, a mainly Kurdish town on the Syrian border, residents described the devastation of neighbourhoods as “apocalyptic”, the UN said.
In early 2016, nearly 200 of the town’s residents, including children, “were trapped for weeks in basements without water, food, medical attention and power before being killed by fire, induced by shelling,” it said.
– No accountability –
The allegations come at a delicate time for Ankara, which is gearing up for an April referendum on whether to create an executive presidency that would expand President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.
UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein criticised Erdogan’s government directly, saying he was “particularly concerned by reports that no credible investigation has been conducted into hundreds of alleged unlawful killings.”
“Not a single suspect was apprehended and not a single individual was prosecuted,” Zeid said in a statement.
The UN rights office said it had been seeking access to areas affected by the anti-PKK operations for more than a year, but Erdogan’s government had not approved a visit.
Zeid also denounced Ankara for challenging the “veracity” of the report’s findings while refusing to give his investigators access.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict between the military and the PKK, which seeks greater rights and autonomy for Turkey’s Kurdish minority.
The insurgent group is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
– Coup’s aftermath –
A broad crackdown by the Turkish authorities after a failed coup attempt last July has led to further abuses in the southeast, the report said….”
Ohio bookstore engages in equivalent of book burning in honor of Women’s History Month
By Howard Portnoy March 9, 2017
Looking for a copy of “Slaughterhouse 5” or “The Great Gatsby” or “Nicholas Nickleby”? You won’t find one at Loganberry Books in Cleveland during the month of March. Correction: You won’t find one easily.
That’s because these books are written by (ugh!) men. March is Women’s History Month, and to give the fairer sex its due, owner Harriet Logan has turned every book by a man with its spine facing the back of the shelf.
A congratulatory article at ABC News explains that Logan’s goal is “to highlight the disparity between men and women in publishing,” adding:
Fine. Men are published more than women. But is this the result of some conspiracy to avoid publishing great literature written by women. Logan seems to thinks so. She told ABC News that men’s greater prominence “in the professional world of letters … is not by talent, choice, or even popularity, but mostly through industry favoritism, social opportunity, and habit.”
http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/03/09/ohio-bookstore-engages-virtual-equivalent-book-burning-honor-womens-history-month/
Richard: How long is it going to take before the literal book burning starts? The radical left is once again showing its fascist roots and those roots and the new shoots are scary.
Richard: How long is it going to take before the literal book burning starts?
Remember:
“Wherever they burn books, they will also burn people at the end.”
— Heinrich Heine —
German soldiers as a domestic security force? (DW, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.dw.com/en/german-soldiers-as-a-domestic-security-force/a-37881989
For the first time in postwar Germany, the military and police have conducted joint counterterrorism exercises at home. Constitutional law expert Joachim Wieland explains why the Bundeswehr is seldom deployed in Germany.
DW: Germany’s Basic Law is very strict about the domestic use of the military. Article 35 permits the deployment of German soldiers only “under extreme circumstances.” That has so far only been interpreted as natural disasters. Now the German military is training with the police for the first time against terrorism. What is the constitutionality of this?
Joachim Wieland: The Basic Law has a very reluctant view of domestic military operations due to Germany’s history. In principle, the police should be responsible for domestic security. In 2012, the Federal Constitutional Court expanded how the relevant article is interpreted: Extreme circumstances can include those brought about by an intentional act – a terrorist act in this case. The court ruled that the armed forces may lend support not only after the fact but also in advance as a preventative measure. This is a considerable expansion of Article 35. The court said the article is not clear on this point and decided that the armed forces may, within strict parameters, support police operations in the event of an intentionally committed act….”
Things are getting tense over there for the government to prepare to use the military.The question is who are they planning on using the military against? Are they going to crack down on the counter jihad? Is the rest of the west going to start getting large number of native Germans as refugees?
German Bundesrat says Maghreb states not safe for refugees (DW, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.dw.com/en/german-bundesrat-says-maghreb-states-not-safe-for-refugees/a-37882572
“The German parliament’s upper chamber rejected a law that would have allowed quicker deportations to Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. The decision deals a blow to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee strategy.
In the end, the vote wasn’t even close. Led by federal states with left-leaning governing coalitions, a wide majority the Bundesrat shot down a law written by the government and passed by Germany’s lower parliamentary chamber, the Bundestag. It would have declared the Maghreb states – Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria – “safe” and thus allowed for expedited deportations of failed asylum seekers there.
Representatives of the federal government and the conservative-led state of Bavaria argued that the law was needed to prevent people wishing to migrate to Germany for economic reasons from misusing Germany’s asylum legislation. They said only a tiny fraction of asylum applications by people from the three Maghreb states have been approved.
But Dieter Lauinger of Thuringia, which is governed by the Left Party and the Social Democrats, countered that such poor prospects for approval alone didn’t mean that Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria should be considered safe. He added that the number of asylum applications from those countries had dwindled to very low levels – 268 in February 2017.
Refugee organizations, including Pro Asyl and Amnesty International Germany, welcomed the decision…”
Germany: Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia remain “unsafe” countries of origin – votes Bundesrat
The German Federal Council (Bundesrat) in Berlin voted against a bill passed by the Bundestag reclassifying Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia as safe countries of origin, Friday.
Basel killings: police rule out terrorism (thelocal, Mar 10, 2017)
https://www.thelocal.ch/20170310/basel-killings-police-rule-out-terrorism
“The killing of two people in a Basel cafe on Thursday night was not terrorism-related, police have said.
On Friday morning the public prosecutor released a description of the two perpetrators. The pair are described as between 30 and 40 years old, with black hair and about 175cms tall. They are thought to be of Eastern European origin.
They both wore dark clothes, one of them a brown or black leather jacket.
The men have been on the run since shooting two people dead and injuring a third at Cafe 56 in the Kleinbasel area at around 8.15pm on Thursday night. They then fled towards Badischer train station.
Basel public prosecutor said it “assumes that the perpetrators have targeted the cafe”.
Their motive has not been established but terrorism has been ruled out, said the statement.
Spokesman Peter Gill told the media investigators suspected the gunmen had specifically chosen the cafe.
“It is not a terrorist attack,” he said.
Police also released details of the victims. Two men aged 28 and 39, both Albanian, were killed. A 24-year-old, also Albanian, was seriously injured but his life is now out of danger…”
Migrants: Strasbourg rejects EU long-detention proposal (ansamed, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/europe/2017/03/09/migrants-strasbourg-rejects-eu-long-detention-proposal_d70c713b-7b9c-4ffd-b738-ec102339af2b.html
“The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, said on Thursday that the European Commission (EC) recommendation to extend and prolong migrant detention “leads to the violation of human rights without obtaining other results, such as facilitating asylum request processing or incentivising dignified repatriations”.
Muiznieks called on the leaders of the EU, meeting on Thursday in Brussels, to not follow the EC’s directions. He urged EU governments to concentrate on “alternative, more humane measures, which don’t deprive migrants of their freedom and respect families and minors”, calling the EC’s new recommendations “worrisome from many points of view”.
Muiznieks singled out the fact that the new recommendations could encourage EU member states to extend detention past 12 months and to select detention for minors as well.
He suggested that EU leaders search for valid alternatives, such as requiring regular check-ins with police and document confiscation.”
Ruling AKP official wounded, his brother killed in attack in Turkey’s southeast (hurriyetdailynews, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ruling-akp-official-wounded-his-brother-killed-in-attack-in-turkeys-southeast.aspx?pageID=238&nID=110650&NewsCatID=341
“A local official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was wounded and his elder brother was killed in a gun attack in the southeastern province of Hakkari late on March 9, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.
A group of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants reportedly attacked Tayfun Ayhan, the AKP head of the Esendere town in the Yüksekova district, and his elder brother Murat Ayhan in the district’s center…”
Six attackers of security men arrested in Jeddah (saudigazette, Mar 10, 2017)
http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/six-attackers-security-men-arrested-jeddah/
“Police arrested six people in connection with the attack of two security men in Jeddah Corniche on Tuesday. Col. Aati Al-Qurashi, spokesman of Makkah region police, told the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday that the security forces started an intensive manhunt to catch the remaining one assaulter who has been identified. All the attackers were under the ages of 18 and 28.
The spokesman said that the arrested attackers include one Saudi, three Africans and two Yemeni nationals. They are 18-year-old Saudi citizen Siddique Majed Al-Rashidi, Hussain Muhammed Abdulkarim and Hassan Ali Musa from Chad, Yaaqub Ahmad Abdul Fattah and Wajdi Nassir Ali Basabrin of Yemen, and Haroun Adam Kubar of Nigeria. The absconding attacker is Akram Broufa, a Chadian national…”
Indo-Pak conflict could escalate into ‘nuclear exchange’: US Centcom commander (tribune, Mar 10, 2017)
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1351538/indo-pak-conflict-escalate-nuclear-exchange-us-centcom-commander/
“A top US general on Thursday warned the Indo-Pak conflict could escalate into a “nuclear exchange.”
“India’s public policy to ‘diplomatically isolate’ Pakistan hinders any prospects for improved relations,” General Joseph Votel said at a hearing on the US Central Command before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The US general informed, “This is especially troubling as a significant conventional conflict between Pakistan and India could escalate into a nuclear exchange, given that both are nuclear powers.”
General Votel said the US continues to see “ongoing tensions between Pakistan and India” as “India remains concerned about the lack of action against India-focused militants based in Pakistan.”
“[India] responded militarily to terrorist attacks in India-held territory earlier this year,” he added. “These types of attacks and the potential reactions, increase the likelihood for miscalculation by both countries.”…”
The problem isn’t that simple, there are also Pakistan focused groups in India and they are the ones doing the killing. Pakistan gets upset when India tries to protect themselves and makes noises about full scale war, which if it occurs will (probably) grow into a nuclear exchange. If it does grow into a nuclear exchange the big question is will it remain an exchange between India and Pakistan? Personally I doubt that it will, once the nukes are flying both nations will probably launch all of their nuclear tipped missiles on the idea use them or lose them. This means those aimed at Iran and China will be launched.
What makes all of this ridiculous is that Pakistan could fling its entire nuclear arsenal at India and the Hindus would open their shops come daybreak.
If India lobbed in just half of its inventory, Pakistan would become a 24 hour, glow-in-the-dark parking lot for the next several centuries.
It brings to mind the old Cold War adage about two lunatics sitting in a powder magazine arguing over who has the most matches.
US disburses $550 million under CSF to Pakistan (tribune, Mar 10, 2017)
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1351303/us-disburses-550-million-csf-pakistan/
“ISLAMABAD: The United States has disbursed $550 million under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) grant to Pakistan, rekindling Islamabad’s hopes for a better external account position that had come under stress due to delay in release of the money.
The Trump administration transferred the funds this month with a fresh tranche of $200 million coming early this week, said an official of the finance ministry. However, despite the beginning of the process of release of CSF funds, it is unlikely that Islamabad will get $1.65 billion in CSF disbursements before the end of June.
The finance ministry had projected $1.65 billion receipts from Washington on account of CSF when making the budget for the current fiscal year. The government expects to receive at least another $400 million but there is no surety that Washington will disburse this amount on time.
Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to the US Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry met Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday before his departure for Washington. Dar asked Chaudhry to put efforts for further augmenting Pak-US economic cooperation and trade. Although the $550 million appears a small sum for a $300 billion economy, it still matters a lot due to Islamabad’s dependence on external dole-outs…”
No lasting actions taken by Pakistani military against Haqqani network: Gen. Votel (khaama, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.khaama.com/no-lasting-actions-taken-by-pakistani-military-against-haqqani-network-gen-votel-02365
“The commander of the United States Central Command General Joseph L. Votel has said the Pakistani military and security services have not taken lasting actions against the notorious Haqqani terrorist network inside its soil so far.
In his statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Votel said “Pakistan remains a critical partner in the counter-terrorism fight. Twenty U.S-designated terrorist organizations operate in the Afghanistan-Pakistan sub-region; seven of the 20 organizations are in Pakistan.”
Gen. Votel further added “So long as these groups maintain safe haven inside of Pakistan they will threaten long-term stability in Afghanistan. Of particular concern to us is the Haqqani Network (HQN) which poses the greatest threat to coalition forces operating in Afghanistan.”
“To date, the Pakistan military and security services have not taken lasting actions against HQN. We have consistently called upon the Pakistanis to take the necessary actions to deny terrorists safe haven and improve security in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region,” he added…”
Wilders’s Identity Politics Cast Long Shadow Over Dutch Vote (bloomberg, Mar 10, 2017)
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-10/wilders-s-identity-politics-cast-long-shadow-over-dutch-vote
“Dutch populist Geert Wilders may not be in the next government, but a part of his agenda might be.
With less than a week to go before the March 15 vote, Dutch party tactics make it all but certain that Wilders won’t be part of the new coalition government no matter how well he fares. Yet a more tepid version of his anti-immigration, anti-European Union stance has seeped into the campaign platforms of the other established parties, making them issues for the next government to contend with.
“Geert Wilders’ populist Party for Freedom remains unlikely to enter government, but its increased influence on mainstream politics is clear to see,” Lars Lundquist, an analyst for Roubini Global Economics, wrote in a report Wednesday. “The election illustrates the increasing xenophobia in Europe, and is perhaps a sign that the Netherlands will play a more obstructionist role in European decision-making,”
A strong showing for Wilders — who has said that calling for a referendum to leave the EU would be one of his first acts if he becomes prime minister — would put pressure on whichever governing constellation ends up in power to adopt a more skeptical stance toward the bloc. The outcome would risk souring ties between the EU and one of its founding members, fanning the flames of anti-EU sentiment from France to Germany.
“There is a ‘contamination effect’,” said Joost van Spanje, associate professor in the Communications Science Department of the University of Amsterdam. “The electoral success of anti-immigrant parties such as the Freedom Party precedes the copying of their most important issues by other more mainstream political parties.”
No Immigrants
Not unlike his fellow populist Marine Le Pen in France, which votes in a two-round election in April and May, Wilders is unabashedly opposed to what he sees as the growing “Islamization” of Europe. He has said he would bar immigrants to the Netherlands from Muslim countries, close all mosques and ban the Koran. He also wants to withdraw from the EU, close the borders, and spend more on defense and police and less on international aid.
About 5 percent of the Netherlands’s population is Muslim, and most of its Muslim immigrants come from Turkey and Morocco. Wilders’s vehement opposition to Islam has led to him being given round-the-clock police protection. Last year a court found him guilty of inciting discrimination with comments about Moroccan immigrants, but the judges imposed no penalty. The court case boosted his poll numbers at the time.
The other parties have taken note and have been drawing liberally from Wilders’s playbook. In January, Prime Minister’s Rutte’s campaign veered sharply to the right, publishing a full-page advertisement warning immigrants “to be normal or be gone.” The ad said people who come to the Netherlands for freedom but then “reject our values” don’t belong in the country.
While all the established Dutch parties, including the Liberals and Labor, have excluded governing with Wilders, they haven’t been coy about courting his followers. Immigration featured in a televised debate among party leaders on Feb. 26, with Labor and the opposition Christian Democrats both arguing for a halt to new arrivals.
Wilders has also taken to voters his gripe about what he calls the intrusion of Brussels in Dutch life.
“The European Union is a political bureaucratic organisation that took away our identity and our national sovereignty,” he has said. “So, I would get rid of the European Union and be a nation-state again.”
The mainstream parties have scrambled to get their own stances on the EU ironed out to address the frustration with institutions in Brussels…”
Germany surveillance: Security trumps privacy as video bill passed (BBC, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39231046
“Public video surveillance appears set to become more commonplace in Germany after the lower house of parliament approved a package of new measures.
Security concerns will now be given greater weight against privacy when venues such as shopping centres apply for permission to install cameras.
Only now will federal police get systems to scan car license plates.
Bad memories of Communist-era state snooping have made Germans wary of extending surveillance powers.
But mass sexual assaults on women in Cologne on New Year’s Eve in 2015, and a string of attacks on civilians in July, prompted Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere to introduce the bill of measures in August.
Pressure for more effective security measures increased further after December’s lorry attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.
The measures were approved by the Bundestag in a marathon session on Thursday which began at 09:00 (08:00 GMT) and concluded at 01:39 local time on Friday, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports.
“The attack on the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, as well as the attempted attack in Ansbach and the shooting spree in Munich in the summer, have shown quite clearly: terrorists and offenders choose frequently crowded public areas for attacks to inflict the greatest possible damage.
The Federal Government therefore wants to amend the regulation on video surveillance in the Federal Data Protection Act. The protection of life, health or freedom of people should be regarded as a ‘particularly important interest’ in video surveillance by private operators in publicly accessible areas. Data protection authorities are to take particular account of this statutory assessment when examining video surveillance.”…”
BREITBART – Report: More Citizens of Saudi Arabia Have Joined Islamic State Than Any Other Country
The Sunni Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has boasted that key U.S. Middle East ally Saudi Arabia is the top provider of terrorists for the jihadist group in Iraq, reports Fox News, citing Iraqi military sources.
Sunni Saudi Arabia shares an estimated 500-mile-long border with war-ravaged Iraq.
Nevertheless, Fox News reports that the Saudi jihadists crossed into Iraq over the border the country shares with both Turkey and Syria.
The news outlet learned from unnamed Iraqi intelligence sources that jihadist from the Saudi kingdom comprise nearly one-third (up to 30 percent) of all ISIS terrorists in Iraq, adding that “Saudis comprise the largest single contingent of ISIS fighters, with Russian Chechens making up the second-largest contingent.”
Speaking to the news outlet on condition of anonymity, a high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer said, “The Saudi presence in ISIS is very large. What we have left are mainly Iraqis and Saudis.”
“The Saudis make up a large number of suicide bombers, as they already have the ground work of radicalization installed in their minds from radical sheikhs in Saudi [Arabia]. And we’ve caught important ISIS commanders,” he added.
Fox News points out that it has seen various ISIS-linked photographs and documents showing identification and credit cards of Saudi terrorists.
The report comes nearly a month after an article by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) revealed that President Donald Trump’s administration is considering forming a military alliance with major Middle East allies, including the Sunni Saudi kingdom, to combat Shiite Iran.
President Trump’s anti-Iran coalition would bring together Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.
The Sharia law-compliant kingdom Saudi Arabia is regarded as a hotbed and top global exporter of radical Islamic thought, namely the Sunni extremist ideology of Wahhabism, adhered to by ISIS and various other jihadists groups.
Saudi Arabia imposes extremely strict Islamic laws on its citizens.
“Wahhabism was born in Saudi Arabia. Saudi is leading those extremist organizations like ISIS,” an anonymous Iraqi official told Fox News. “They have high-ranking officials and fighters among their ranks. Saudi is nothing without U.S. protection; it is only a bite for Iran to eat.”
Sunni Saudi Arabia considers Shiite Iran its regional rival. Iran exerts tremendous influence over the Shiite-led government of Iraq where militias backed by the Islamic Republic are fighting ISIS.
Saudi Arabia is part of the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The Sunni kingdom, which has cracked down on the jihadist group within its borders, has also suffered attacks carried out by ISIS.
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/03/09/report-key-u-s-ally-saudi-arabia-no-1-jihadist-supplier-for-islamic-state/
Syria urges “immediate” withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Syria
DAMASCUS, March 10 (Xinhua) — The Syrian Foreign Ministry urged the UN Security Council on Friday to push Turkey to withdraw its forces from northern Syria, state news agency SANA reported.
The ministry branded the Turkish forces as “invading forces” of Syrian territory in the north, saying they should halt aggression “immediately.”
The condemnation came a day after the Turkish army fired on Syrian military positions west of the city of Manbij in the northern province of Aleppo, leaving an undisclosed number of military personnel killed or wounded.
The shelling targeted the Syrian border corps, which has recently been deployed in the western countryside of Manbij to separate the Turkish forces and the Kurdish-led groups, which are in control of the city.
Russia and the Kurdish groups in northern Syria recently agreed that the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council (MMC) should hand over areas in the western countryside of Manbij to the Syrian army, as the Turkish forces and allied rebel groups were closing in on Manbij to dislodge the MMC from the city.
Ankara has recently said it has no problem with the Syrian army taking over Manbij as long as the Kurdish-supported groups are not involved.
Still, the Russian-Kurdish agreement was to give areas west of Manbij to the Syrian army only, as part of what appeared to be a Russian plan to save the area from a Turkish-Kurdish confrontation.
The statement also said many soldiers were killed in the attack, which it described as an attempt to undermine the progress of the Syrian army near Manbij in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo.
It stressed that the war on terror will continue and the Syrian forces will restore peace and stability to Aleppo countryside and all Syrian territories.
The Syrian army is carrying out a crushing offensive against the Islamic State positions in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, and recently reached the town of Khafseh, where water stations feeding Aleppo with drinking water are located.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-03/10/c_136119376.htm
Syrian army unearths 300m long tunnel for Nusra in Harasta – Damascus Suburbs
‘Don’t hand Damascus to Assad’ – Sen. Graham
Trump orders dramatic recalibration of US posture in Syria
Russia: Full territorial integrity of Syria is ‘indispensable condition’ for settlement – Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the preservation of the territorial integrity of Syria is a key condition for the implementation of a full political settlement in the country, speaking during a joint press conference alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow, Friday.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russian Federation (Russian): “As a result of the coordinated actions of Russia, Turkey and Iran, the truce in Syria is generally respected. The level of violence has significantly decreased. We agreed with our Turkish counterparts to further actively cooperate in the fight against terrorist groups, primarily with ISIS, working together through the military and special services.”
Vladimir Putin, President of Russian Federation (Russian): “I want to express a kind of cautious optimism, that by joining forces and drawing other solid players, including the United States, we will effectively contribute to strengthening the ceasefire and on this basis move to a full-scale political settlement.”
Vladimir Putin, President of Russian Federation (Russian): “Of course, in order to preserve peace and tranquility in the region and to start the process of rebuilding Syria and other countries of the region, the principle of territorial integrity of states, must be respected, and in this sense the restoration of the territorial integrity of Syria is, in our view, an indispensable condition for a full-formatted settlement in this country.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey (Turkish): “I want to note the Operation Euphrates Shield that we started on August 24 against the ISIS terrorist organisation. We cleared the area of 2,200 square kilometres. If today we can calmly talk about the destruction of ISIS, then we can say that Turkey has shown great energy here. On the other hand, in terms of providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, it is necessary to note the efforts of Turkey and Russia. I believe that our humanitarian assistance will greatly assist the people of Syria.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey (Turkish): “Undoubtedly, in order to complete the Geneva process, all parties must work selflessly but it must also be understood that one terrorist organisation cannot be destroyed by another terrorist organisation.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey (Turkish): “Today there is a process in Manbij. As you know, both Turkey and Russia want to cooperate with the coalition forces, and as a result of this cooperation the owners of this territory, namely the residents of Manbij, sheltered in Manbij. In order not to occupy these territories, our desire is for the residents themselves to be fortified there.”
euronews -James Franey asks François Hollande the question no one else dared
Judge Jeanine takes on Comey, Trump’s wiretap claims
Dennis Kucinich on President Trump’s wiretap claims
Former UK agent breaks silence over Trump dossier
The former British intelligence officer behind a dossier of allegations about Donald Trump has broken his silence.
Christopher Steele, 52, who runs London-based Orbis Business Intelligence, said he was returning to work and thanked people for their support.
Speaking outside his firm’s offices in Belgravia, the former MI6 agent told the Press Association: “I’m really pleased to be back here working again at the Orbis’s offices in London today.
“I’m now going to be focusing my efforts on supporting the broader interests of our company here.
“I’d like to say a warm thank you to everyone who sent me kind messages and support over the last few weeks.
“Just to add, I won’t be making any further statements or comments at this time.”
Mr Steele, who was forced into hiding when he was named in January, read a prepared statement and did not wish to answer any further questions.
His company said it remains committed to the “secure provision” of services to clients.
The contents of the politically explosive dossier became public on January 10 when the entire 35-page file was published by BuzzFeed.
It contained claims that Russia was in possession of compromising information – known in Moscow as “Kompromat” – on Mr Trump, which could be used to blackmail or exert pressure on the new president.
The file also detailed allegations that the Trump team had multiple contacts with Russian officials during the election campaign, and that the billionaire tycoon had been cultivated by Moscow over a number of years as a possible presidential candidate, with the aim of encouraging splits within the West.
Among its more lurid allegations was a claim that the Russians held evidence of Mr Trump hiring prostitutes during a visit to Moscow to urinate on a hotel bed which he believed to have previously been slept in by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Mr Trump denounced the document as “fake news”, and its veracity has been widely questioned, with Vladimir Putin himself saying it contained “obvious fabrications”.
It is understood that the contents of the dossier had been shared with a number of Washington journalists but it was not published as outlets were unable to confirm the allegations.
While the existence of the report was mentioned in US media in the run-up to the election, it only became public knowledge when it was reported president-elect Mr Trump and then-president Obama had been briefed on the claims by intelligence chiefs.
Despite efforts by UK authorities to protect Mr Steele’s identity, he was named the following day by the Wall Street Journal and quickly fled his home in Surrey with his family – leaving his cats in the care of a neighbour.
Orbis, which was founded by Mr Steele and another retired intelligence officer in 2009, is d escribed on its website as a corporate intelligence consultancy which combines “a high-level source network with a sophisticated investigative capability”.
The Trump dossier reportedly arose from an investigation initially funded by Republicans who were seeking to block him from becoming the party’s presidential candidate, before being taken over by Democrats after his nomination.
Orbis is understood to have been hired to look into Mr Trump’s alleged links with Russia after sources in the country were blamed for hacking the Democrat National Committee website.
Mr Steele is said to have passed his findings onto both US and UK intelligence in the run-up to the election due to concerns about national security for both countries.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the company said: “Orbis Business Intelligence has an established track record of providing strategic intelligence, forensic investigation and risk consulting services to a broad client base.
“The nature of our business, and our high standards of professionalism, dictate that we would not disclose to the public information on any specific aspects of our work. We remain fully committed to the secure provision of our services to our clients and partners worldwide.
“We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the generous support we have received from clients and colleagues over recent weeks.”
The Trump administration has been rocked by a series of disclosures about links to Russia in the months since news of the dossier broke, with Michael Flynn forced to resign as national security adviser after giving misleading information about his meetings with Moscow’s ambassador before the inauguration.
Mr Steele has also been approached by the US Senate Intelligence Committee to testify in its investigation into the president’s alleged links with Russia, according to reports.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/former-uk-agent-breaks-silence-over-trump-dossier-35509802.html
Stockholm requests reinforcements
Police in the Swedish capital Stockholm, have requested reinforcements after five murders in recent days. Police also say they can not rule out more killings, reports NRK.
Police held a press conference Thursday, after two men were found shot dead in a car outside Stockholm on Wednesday evening. Both had been shot in the head.
On Tuesday, a couple were stabbed to death, and the woman decapitated:
http://speisa.com/modules/articles/index.php/item.3798/stockholm-requests-reinforcements.html
…a couple were stabbed to death, and the woman decapitated
Sounds like the work of those dastardly Esquimaux.
Jihadis Living on Support Payments from the Europe They Vowed to Destroy
by Giulio Meotti
March 10, 2017 at 5:00 am
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10022/jihadi-welfare
Four years ago, the British liberal newspaper, The Guardian, ran a story about the “survivors of Guantanamo”, the “victims of America’s ‘icon of lawlessness'”, “Britain’s survivors of the detention centre that has been called the ‘gulag of our times'”. The article featured a photograph of Jamal al Harith.
Al Harith, born Ronald Fiddler, a Christian convert to Islam, returned to Manchester from detention at Guantanamo Bay thanks to activism of David Blunkett, Home Secretary of then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Al Harith was immediately welcomed in England as a hero, the innocent victim of the unjust “war on terror” after September 11. The Mirror and ITV gave him £60,000 ($73,000) for an exclusive interview about his experience at Guantanamo. Al Harith was also compensated with one million pounds by the British authorities. The victim of the “gulag of our times” bought a very nice house with the taxpayers’ cash.
A few weeks ago, al Harith made his last “journey”: he was blown up in Mosul, Iraq, on behalf of the Islamic State. Al Harith had also been recruited by the non-governmental organization “CAGE” (formerly known as “Cageprisoners”) as part of its testimony advocating the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
Celebrities such as Vanessa Redgrave, Victoria Brittain, Peter Oborne and Sadiq Khan appeared at CAGE’s fundraising events. The NGO has been funded by the Joseph Rowntree Trust, a fund created by the chocolate magnate, and by the Roddick Foundation, the charity of Anita Roddick. Al Harith was also invited to the Council of Europe, to give testimony against retaining
Maryland police arrested a man reported to be a Washington Post IT employee on charges of impersonating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
The IT engineer for The Washington Post, Itai Ozderman, is reported to be in possession of an ICE badge, a Baltimore County police badge, a working police radio, body armor, tactical vests, and a variety of handguns, rifles, and shotguns according to WJLA ABC7 who first reported the story. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Baltimore County Police Department confirmed to the Washington, D.C. outlet that Ozderman has never worked in law enforcement.
The WJLA report states that court records confirmed Ozderman’s employment with the Washington Post. The newspaper published an Associated Press article about Ozderman’s arrest but made no mention in this article of his affiliation with the company. Another article published by the newspaper did mention the IT engineer’s employment status.
Court records obtained by ABC7 revealed that the 35-year-old IT engineer impersonated an ICE officer in the Falls Church, Virginia, area on multiple occasions. Witnesses reported seeing the man wearing a bulletproof vest with an ICE patch attached.
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/03/07/wapo-staffer-charged-impersonating-ice-agent/
Cuba: 60 Years Later
by Alan M. Dershowitz
March 10, 2017 at 1:20 pm
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10038/cuba-60-years-later
I finally made it to Cuba — nearly 60 years after first trying. It was Christmas Vacation during my senior year at Brooklyn College. Five members of Knight House – the poor folks version of a live at home fraternity at my commuter college –decided to visit Havana. Our motives were not entirely pure. Yes, we wanted to see the old City of Havana and its cultural gems. But we had also wanted to participate in its notorious nightlife. We were 20 years old and seeking post-adolescent adventures of the sort we couldn’t experience back in Brooklyn.
We never made it. When we got to the Miami airport for the half-hour, $50 flight, we were greeted by a State Department Travel advisory. It seems like another young man – just a dozen years older than we were – was also trying to get to Havana. He had been trying for several years and finally – on the very day we were departing Miami for Havana — Fidel Castro and his revolutionary army were at the outskirts of the city
Disappointed, we returned to Miami Beach where we had to be satisfied with Jai Alai and crowded beaches. Years later I learned that members of a rival house plan, undeterred by a mere “advisory,” had taken the flight to Havana and partaken of its vices – vices which were soon to end, or be driven underground by Castro’s revolution.
The disappointed young man who didn’t make it to Cuba in 1958 is now an old man, with different tastes and tamer vices, such as an occasional cigar and a Cuba Libra drink. Among my passions now are art and music, and Cuba excels at both. So my wife and I, with three other couples, set out on an age-appropriate adventure as part of a “people-to-people” cultural group. Travelers still need an acceptable “justification” to visit the long-boycotted destination. Mere tourism or the love of beaches won’t do. It has to be cultural, religious, educational or some other broad category of virtuous pursuit. You still can’t go there for the reasons we had in mind back when Castro had kept us involuntarily virtuous.
Palestinian killed in clashes near Lebanon’s capital (abcnews, Mar 10, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/palestinian-killed-clashes-lebanons-capital-46049605
“Lebanon’s state news agency says one Palestinian has been killed and others wounded during intense clashes that erupted in one of the capital’s crowded southern suburbs.
The National News Agency says calm has been restored Friday to Burj al-Barajneh area in south Beirut after clashes that lasted hours. The agency says the army has deployed in the area that houses a Palestinian refugee camp and Lebanese families. The suburb’s population is predominantly Shiite Muslims.
The agency says the clashes erupted after a personnel dispute between a Palestinian and Lebanese family. Videos posted online showed heavily-armed men roaming the squalid suburb amid intense clashes. The agency says the clashes involved machine guns and mortars, and left residences and cars severely damaged”
African Union force in Somalia needs troop surge, chief says (abcnews, Mar 10, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/african-union-force-somalia-troop-surge-chief-46047924
“The head of the African Union mission in Somalia is seeking a surge in troops to help the country’s military control areas won back from extremist group al-Shabab, saying the Somali National Army has been unable to take charge as expected.
Francisco Caetano Madeira’s request for an unspecified number of extra AU troops comes amid widespread concern that Somalia’s military won’t be ready to take over the country’s security as the 22,000-strong AU force prepares to withdraw by the end of 2020.
“It’s time we made it known that AMISOM is not going to stay forever,” Madeira told a high-level AU meeting Thursday.
Al-Shabab continues to carry out deadly attacks in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere. Its deadly attacks on military bases in the past two years have slowed joint AU-Somali offensives against the group.
Madeira’s comments came the same day the head of the U.S. Africa Command made a similar warning to the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington…”
Egypt archaeologists discover massive statue in Cairo slum (abcnews, Mar 10, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/archeologists-egypt-discover-massive-statue-cairo-slum-46039074
“Archaeologists in Egypt discovered a massive statue in a Cairo slum that may be of Ramses II, one of the country’s most famous and longest ruling ancient pharaohs.
The colossus, a large portion of whose head was pulled from mud and groundwater by a bulldozer and seen by The Associated Press on Friday, is around eight meters (26 feet) high and was discovered by a German-Egyptian archaeological team…”
Belgian police question 2 in terror financing probe (abcnews, Mar 10, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/police-hold-belgium-terror-financing-probe-46038391
“Belgian authorities say that they have detained two people after launching raids in two locations in connection with a terror financing probe.
Federal prosecutors said the two were picked up during the searches in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht and the city of Ghent. Both were released after questioning…”
Suspected rebel-planted mine hits Yemeni ship, kills 2 (abcnews, Mar 10, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/suspected-rebel-planted-mine-hits-yemeni-ship-kills-46042656
“A naval mine suspected to have been planted by rebels has hit a Yemeni coast guard vessel in the Red Sea, killing two sailors.
Yemeni security officials say eight personnel were also wounded in the blast, which wounded the ship’s captain.
It was the first such explosion by a naval mine since Yemen’s civil war began. Saudi-led coalition forces combating Yemen’s Shiite rebel forces, known as Houthis, had previously warned of the presence of naval mines planted by Houthi militants in the Red Sea…”
Turkish minister to defy Dutch request not to come for rally (abcnews, Mar 10, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkish-minister-defy-dutch-request-rally-46039714
“Turkey’s foreign minister says he will go to the Netherlands to address Turkish citizens despite Dutch authorities’ demands that he not show up for a rally there on the upcoming Turkish referendum.
Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would travel to Rotterdam on Saturday despite “all obstacles and despite all the racist speeches.” His comments, made late Thursday following a telephone call with his Dutch counterpart, were reported in the Turkish media on Friday…”
Swiss region blocks Turkey referendum campaign rally (france24, Mar 10, 2017)
http://www.france24.com/en/20170310-turkey-switzerland-block-referendum-campaign-rally
“Swiss police blocked a rally Friday supporting a referendum in Turkey, amid uncertainty over whether the Turkish foreign minister would be allowed to host a similar event planned for Zurich this weekend.
“Police in the canton of Argau have blocked the meeting,” police spokesman Samuel Helbling told AFP, citing security concerns.
The rally featuring Hursit Yildirim, the vice president of the Istanbul chapter of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), had initially been scheduled to take place in Zurich on Friday evening.
Organisers were pressed to change the venue and announced earlier Friday that it would take place at the Swiss headquarters of the Union of European Turkish Democrats in Spreitenbach in the northern canton of Argau.
But Argau police have blocked that event as well…”
Police call off pro-Erdogan rally in Austrian town over ‘disorder’ fears (thelocal, Mar 10, 2017)
https://www.thelocal.at/20170310/police-block-erdogan-rally-hoerbranz
“An Austrian town on Friday banned a rally which a senior official from Turkey’s ruling AKP party was set to attend, in a growing international row over the country’s referendum campaign.
The gathering was due to take place in the western Austrian town of Hörbranz but police said it was called off over “risks of public disorder” ahead of Turkey’s controversial April 16th referendum on expanding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.
Turkish ministers have been heading to Europe to whip up support for a “yes” vote among millions of Turkey’s voters who live abroad. Some 360,000 people of Turkish origin call Austria home, including 117,00 Turkish citizens…”
CBC – MONTREAL – Suspect in Concordia bomb threat hoax released on bail
Hisham Saadi charged with carrying out a hoax related to terrorist activity, uttering threats, mischief
Hisham Saadi, the man charged in connection with a bomb threat hoax that shut down much of Montreal’s Concordia University, has been granted bail with strict conditions.
Quebec court Judge Nathalie Fafard released the 47-year-old man on Friday following a hearing that lasted several days this week.
Saadi is charged with carrying out a hoax related to terrorist activity, uttering threats and mischief.
On March 1, several media organizations in Montreal received emails complaining about Muslim students at Concordia and threatening to detonate small bombs inside several buildings on the downtown campus.
Three buildings were evacuated and classes were cancelled as police conducted a sweep.
Crown prosecutor Lucie Martineau had objected to Saadi’s release, arguing he poses a danger to the public.
She also argued that the public’s confidence in the justice system would be undermined if he were freed.
Fafard disagreed, and instead granted bail with a number of conditions.
Saadi must keep the peace, avoid communication with Concordia, and only use the internet when under supervision.
He must avoid being within 100 metres of any university except if he is in a Metro car travelling underneath a campus.
A friend and a cousin will also each give the court a $5,000 deposit to ensure that he abides by his bail conditions.
Saadi will undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the Philippe-Pinel Institute in Montreal.
The next court appearance is April 20.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/hisham-saadi-concordia-suspect-bail-granted-1.4019908
Accused in alleged bomb threat at Concordia University gets bail
A man accused in an alleged bomb threat against Muslim students at Concordia University was granted bail Friday under a lengthy list of conditions.
Hisham Saadi, 47, faces three charges stemming from the March 1 incident: mischief, uttering threats and inciting fear of a terrorist-related attack.
Quebec court Judge Nathalie Fafard handed down her bail ruling at the Montreal courthouse after hearing from both sides.
The evidence and testimony presented were subject to a publication ban.
Three university buildings in the downtown area were evacuated for several hours after Concordia received what it called bomb threats targeting Muslim students last week.
A police sweep of the buildings found no explosive devices.
Saadi must abide by 16 conditions, including financial guarantees totalling $10,000 to secure his release.
Two acquaintances of the accused will each have to put up $5,000.
In addition, Saadi is forbidden from communicating with or coming within 100 metres of any university, unless he is in the subway.
Saadi is prohibited from using the Internet except under the supervision of his two guarantors and must report to a police station once a week. He is also subject to a curfew.
He must meet with a psychiatrist, take medications as required and have a criminal responsibility evaluation done as an outpatient at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Saadi is forbidden from possessing weapons and cannot consume any illegal drugs.
The accused, who has been detained since his arrest the day after the incident, had to surrender his passports to authorities before his release.
A friend who didn’t want to be identified for security reasons told reporters those close to Saadi are ready to give him all of their support.
“Morally, it was very difficult for him,” the friend said. “It was very hard, it’s the first time he has so many people pointing the finger at him.”
Crown prosecutor Lucie Martineau, who’d opposed Saadi’s release, said outside the courtroom she accepted the judge’s decision.
The case will resume April 20.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/accused-in-alleged-bomb-threat-at-concordia-university-gets-bail/article34273371/