Reader’s links for April 21 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

60 Replies to “Reader’s links for April 21 2017”

    • First the explosions were either M80s or Cherry Bombs, the smoke gives that away, the stun gernades don’t make leave as much smoke.

      Second it you watch the Lauren Southern videos you will see that the violence started well before the smoke gernade was thrown, in fact there is evidence that the gernade was thrown to cover the retreat (rout) of antifa because they were losing the fight. I don’t know who Joey Salads is but his video looks like an antifa supporter or member trying to get the Berkeley Police punished because they didn’t help antifa.

    • Sorry no. it was ANTIFA all the way. There is overwhelming evidence that ANTIFA instigated all the fighting and violence and had planned to do so from days before.

      Also this was the worst conspiracy movie I think I have seen. there is no evidence that the police did anything. Just photos and claims.

  4. ****** A women’s mosque opens in Berkeley, only second in the United States ******

    http://www.berkeleyside.com/2017/04/14/womens-mosque-opens-berkeley-second-united-states/

    in-depth article, worth reading in its entirety, (also bookmark the Berkeleyside home page for local accounts of the ongoing troubles)

    excerpts:

    ********************************************

    The first women’s mosque in Northern California opened today in Berkeley with a dedication ceremony and prayers at its home at Starr King School for the Ministry, a graduate school and Unitarian Universalist seminary on LeConte Avenue.

    Perhaps fittingly for a place of worship that is breaking with tradition, its founder is not a faith leader but an activist.

    Rabi’a Keeble, who describes herself as a writer, speaker and poet, as well as an activist, says it is time for Muslim women to step up and challenge the patriarchal norms of the Islam faith.

    “Just like Rosa Parks said she couldn’t take one more day on the back of the bus, we need to bring women’s lib to Muslim women,” said Keeble, who lives in Oakland.

    ********

    The women-led mosque will welcome everyone, not just women, according to Keeble: new converts, lifelong Muslims, non-Muslims, people of all genders and of all colors. And unlike at many other mosques, there will be no segregation by gender at Qal’bu Maryam. Women may lead prayers, and everyone prays together.

    ********

    “For 13 years I have sat in separate rooms with no windows, often with no means of seeing the imam,” she told Berkeleyside. “I have had enough of the idea that men are God-like and that they make decision about my life as a female Muslim — women are policed and judged and denied certain rights.”

    Keeble cites examples of prohibitions such as associating with men, wearing make-up, which she does, and even plucking one’s eyebrows.

    She points to the role of a mosque and its leader in supporting the community it serves, but feels that many imams are ill-equipped to play that role.

    “Lots of imams come from small villages and are not educated,” she said. “They recite the Quran and can read Arabic, but they don’t necessarily have the skills in dealing with broad aspects of society.”

    Some imams won’t even look her in the face, she added, speculating they are afraid.

    ********

    Keeble’s own activist roots include a campaign she led, in 2015, to boycott a Whole Foods in Oakland after a security guard beat up an African-American customer. She also took on the grocery chain over the fact that its security guards carried guns.

    ********

    Qal’bu Maryam will hold services every Friday at 12:30 p.m. and, Keeble says, she is actively looking to recruit a female imam. Down the line she would also like to be able to declare the new place of worship a sanctuary mosque for people who are being targeted by immigration officials.

    ***********************************************

    my notes:

    the building hosting this mosque belongs to:
    https://www.sksm.edu/

    and is right next door to:
    https://www.zaytuna.edu/academics/faculty/
    (I linked to the faculty page in hopes someone might recognize these names, and can tell us their affiliation)

    • “The women-led mosque will welcome everyone, not just women, according to Keeble: new converts, lifelong Muslims, non-Muslims, people of all genders and of all colors. And unlike at many other mosques, there will be no segregation by gender at Qal’bu Maryam. Women may lead prayers, and everyone prays together..”

      This is a commendable start but one is obliged to speculate as to just how cognizant Rabi’a Keeble is with regard to the way that Islam designates blasphemy as a capital crime and makes her marked for canonically sanctioned death.

      It is also of concern that she does not seem to recognize just how cut-in-stone Islamic doctrine happens to be. The cynic in me dearly wants to squawk about how Berkeley continues to be a hotbed of delusional politics and philosophy. Be that as it may, I would be remiss to omit some measure of respect for her efforts. Sadly, the only reason why they have a snowball’s chance in hell is because she is launching them in a country that (until recently) protected Free Speech with force-of-arms.

      Put another way, Rabi’a Keeble is sheltering beneath a protective umbrella that simply DOES NOT EXIST throughout a majority of the Islamic world. Ergo, by preaching from a pulpit in the very inner-most Liberal heart of the Great (American) Satan, she starts with a seriously minimal degree of credibility. That said, I can only wish her well.

      If Rabi’a Keeble is serious about overturning Islam’s misogynist apple cart, then she had best be outspoken and clear about what parts of the Koran require reconfiguring within this supremely toxic doctrine.

      NOTE: I say “reconfiguring” because the entire concept of “reformation” is utterly inapplicable to Islam as a whole. Beginning with Muslim Brotherhood founder, Sayyid Qutb, Islam already has undergone a major “reformation” that has only seen it become more violent, more intolerant, more misogynistic, more terrorist, more genocidal, more brutal, more truculent, more corrupt and, more hypocritical.

  5. I have to share this video, to counter-balance the gloomy news and cheer up all you smart and civilized people. This is the machine shop complex where the one-off equipment is made for atomic and space research:

  6. After Jakarta showdown, hardliners say Bandung mayor is ‘the next Ahok’ (asiancorrespondent, Apr 21, 2017)
    https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/04/jakarta-showdown-hardliners-say-bandung-mayor-next-ahok/#zwRIRAoxVkMTlcYC.97

    “RIDWAN KAMIL, mayor of Indonesia’s second largest city Bandung, says Islamic hardliners have told him “you are the next Ahok”, following the just-concluded Jakarta poll that saw incumbent Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama lose his coveted post as governor.

    At the Economist Indonesia Summit 2017 in the capital on Thursday, Emil as he is known was asked for his thoughts on the tumultuous Wednesday contest while speaking on a panel about infrastructure in Indonesia.

    “I have already felt the heat,” said Emil, “Some hardliners have already pointed the finger to me that ‘you will be the next Ahok’.”

    “I said, let’s see what happens. I’ll take a chance,” he said…”

  7. Saudi malls to hire locals only: ministry (alaraby, Apr 21, 2017)
    https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2017/4/21/saudi-malls-to-hire-locals-only-ministry

    “Foreigners will no longer be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia’s numerous lavish shopping malls, the labour ministry announced Thursday, in the latest measure to boost employment among the kingdom’s local population.

    The Gulf state has intensified efforts to develop more jobs for its citizens under a wide-ranging drive that began last year in an attempt to diversify the oil-dependent economy.

    Known as Vision 2030, the plan calls for development of non-oil industries, small and medium enterprises, and a broader investment base…”

    • “Foreigners will no longer be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia’s numerous lavish shopping malls, the labour ministry announced Thursday, in the latest measure to boost employment among the kingdom’s local population.”

      Fecking priceless. These lazy-@ss Gulfies have ZERO desire to work retail jobs. Why else are there so many Foreign Guest Workers?

      Let’s see what happens when no one is available to sell them astronomically overpriced French fragrances and Eye-talian supercars.

      This is akin to threatening Poland and the Czech Republic with exclusion from the EU if they don’t resettle more thugs, rapists, predators, terrorists, rapefugees, pedophiles, gangsters, tax cheats, welfare addicts, termites, jihadis, ISIS veterans, “economic tourists“, murderers, juvenile offenders, goat fµ¢?er$, social parasites, car-be-que artistes, child molesters, traitors, thieves, arsonists, vandals, chronically unemployable, pickpockets, hijackers, imams, ISIS recruiters, muggers, anti-Semites, bomb-vest killers, vehicular attackers, saboteurs, agitators, human traffickers, infiltrators, termites, racists, disease vectors, non-assimilators, blasphemers, idolators, takfiris, cartoonists, uppity wimmen, non-Muslims, anyone-else-who-just-doesn’t-manage-to-fit-into-the-previous-categories, whoever-we-managed-to-forget-or-still-need-to-add-to-our-list-at-the-last-minute, YOU TOO!

  8. Turkey’s Erdogan to visit Trump in US in May (alaraby, Apr 21, 2017)
    https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/4/21/turkeys-erdogan-to-visit-trump-in-us-in-may

    “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would meet US counterpart Donald Trump in May, a month after he won a contested referendum that will tighten his grip on power.

    The US meeting – the first since Trump took office – will be a key chance for Erdogan to build a strong alliance with Trump as Ankara’s relationship with the European Union goes through one of its worst ever crises.

    “The date has been fixed,” Erdogan told A News in an interview on Thursday, saying the trip would happen after he concludes a visit to China on May 15.

    “I hope and pray that this tete-a-tete meeting in the United States in May will lay the foundation for a stronger cooperation.”

    The announcement came after Trump surprised many observers by phoning the Turkish leader to congratulate him for winning a controversial weekend referendum on enhancing his powers.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin also called his Turkish counterpart to offer congratulations…”

    • Erdogan’s relationship with Putin is why President Trump called him to congratulate him, Obama drove most of our allies away and gave Putin a free hand in the Middle East. That destroyed almost all of the work the previous administrations had done to remove all Russian influence from that region. The last thing Trump wants to do is give Putin a stronger hand. Until Erdogan attacks one of our other allies we have to treat him as if he is a legitimate national leader.

      • Richard,
        There is also a question of NATO bases in Turkey. If Trump wants to fight ISIS the NATO bases are very important for the war. If there are no NATO bases in Turkey, the US (and NATO) presence in Iraq and in Syria may become seriously undermined.

        • True. I have mixed feelings about the NATO bases, they are necessary to fight ISIS but they are also giving Erdogan hostages to use against us in the future. What we have to do is look beyond ISIS and think about what Erdogan is going to do in the near and medium future. His future actions may make the continuing use of the NATO bases too high a price to pay. However when you throw Putin and his new influence into the mix and not opposing Erdogan is one again a price we have to pay.

          When looking at what we are doing in the Middle East look at everything not just the fight against ISIS, an organization that is giving cover to the MB and Erdogan in their work to recreate the Ottoman Empire. Erogan with MB backing is in a position to make ISIS look like a small irritant.

  9. Babies of the IS caliphate languish in limbo, prison (abcnews, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/babies-caliphate-languish-limbo-prison-46929807

    “Hundreds of children fathered by the Islamic State’s foreign fighters or brought to the self-proclaimed caliphate by their parents are now imprisoned or in limbo with nowhere to go, collateral victims as the militant group retreats and home countries hesitate to take them back…”

    • ““Hundreds of children fathered by the Islamic State’s foreign fighters or brought to the self-proclaimed caliphate by their parents are now imprisoned or in limbo with nowhere to go, collateral victims as the militant group retreats and home countries hesitate to take them back…”

      I realize that this seems, sounds, IS totally heartless, but it’s time to saddle Islam with every last “Palestinan” crippled infant and starving child that they so conveniently continue to create.

      The Gulf Petro-Dynasties have bazillions of dollars to throw at this problem. Allowing them to squeal like the stuck pigs that they so clearly are, without them tossing a d@mned dime into the “refugee” pot isn’t just unacceptable, it allows these hypocritical swine to fund even more terrorism whilst continuing to flood the EU with all of the economic flotsam that they privately scorn.

      Basta Ya!

  11. Revealed: ISIS terrorist who shot dead cop in Paris attack was a known extremist arrested TWO MONTHS ago for threatening to kill police and served 15 years for trying to murder two officers

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4429938/Paris-terror-attack-video-shows-police-shoot-gunman.html#ixzz4etG8p300
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    French security services are today facing troubling questions as to how they failed to prevent an ISIS gunman from slaughtering one policeman and wounding two other officers in Paris when he was already on a terror watch list and was arrested as recently as February.

    Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old, was known as a threat to the country and described as an ‘extremist’ by authorities, who had placed him on a watch list. It’s believed he was radicalised while serving a 20-year jail sentence for attempting to kill two officers in 2001, before his release last year.

    In February, the terrorist tried to obtain weapons and made threats to kill police officers, but was let go in early March due to lack of evidence.

    Last night, the fanatic was killed by police after he got out of his Audi and opened fire at police stopped at a red light on Champs Elysees. His car was packed with more weapons, including a pump action shotgun and knives.

    An note declaring allegiance to ISIS was discovered on the Champs Elysees and is being investigated by police.

    Traffic officer Xavier Jugele, 37, died instantly with a shot to the head, while the other two were hurt before Cheurfi himself was gunned down by nearby armed police. A ricocheting bullet fired by the terrorist also wounded a female foreign tourist passing by.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4429938/Paris-terror-attack-video-shows-police-shoot-gunman.html#ixzz4etGJzjjB
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  12. Analyst Who Predicted Trump’s Ascendancy Bets on Le Pen Win
    by Sid Verma
    April 21, 2017, 3:41 AM CDT April 21, 2017, 5:42 AM CDT

    Don’t bank on a relief rally in the euro area anytime soon.

    Markets are underpricing the prospect of Marine Le Pen emerging victorious in the French election as a sea of undecided voters throws into sharp relief pronounced apathy for center-leftist Emmanuel Macron — the front-runner by a whisker — and the backlash against the European Union project.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-21/analyst-who-predicted-trump-ascendancy-is-betting-on-le-pen-win

  13. South Korea on heightened alert as North readies for army celebration

    South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang.

    U.S. officials said there was a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers, signaling a possible heightened state of readiness by Beijing, reclusive North Korea’s sole major ally, although the officials played down concern and left open a range of possible reasons.

    In Russia, a Kremlin spokesman declined to comment on media reports that Russia was moving military hardware and troops toward the border with North Korea, the RIA news agency quoted him as saying.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-idUSKBN17N0CE?il=0

  14. US official: With eye on North Korea, China puts bombers on ‘high alert’

    Washington (CNN)Chinese air force land-attack, cruise-missile-capable bombers were put “on high alert” on Wednesday as the US sees evidence that the Chinese military is preparing to respond to a potential situation in North Korea, a US defense official tells CNN.
    The official said the US has also seen an extraordinary number of Chinese military aircraft being brought up to full readiness through intensified maintenance.

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/politics/us-north-korea-china/

  15. Russia flexes muscle from Alaska to Japan

    Washington (CNN)US defense officials are calling recent sightings of Russian bombers off the Alaskan coast “nothing out of the ordinary” — itself an indication that both nations are toeing the line between routine military posturing and escalating provocation.
    On Monday, US F-22 fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers in international airspace 100 miles from Kodiak Island, Alaska. A US military official called the interaction “safe and professional.

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/21/politics/russian-bombers-tensions-trump/index.html

  16. Europe: Making Itself into the New Afghanistan?

    by Giulio Meotti
    April 21, 2017 at 5:00 am

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10208/europe-afghanistan

    Maastricht, in the Netherlands, is the picturesque city that gave its name to the famous treaty signed in 1992 by the twelve nations of the European Community at the time, and which paved the way for the foundation of today’s European Union and the single currency, the euro.

    Maastricht, however, is also the home of “Tefaf”, the most important art and antiques fair in the world. The art work “Persepolis” by the Italian artist Luca Pignatelli was already scheduled when the commission ordered it removed. The work, built in 2016, combined a Persian Islamic rug and a female head. “We are all humbled and speechless”, Pignatelli declared, pointing out that his work had initially aroused the enthusiasm of the commission. The fair’s explanation was that Pignatelli’s work was “provocative”.

    The officials of fair presumably did not want to offend Islam and possible Muslim buyers with Pignatelli’s combination of the mat (used by Muslims for prayer) with the woman’s face. “We are shocked, this is the first time this has happened and I think it is legitimate to talk about it”, Pignatelli said. “If in Rome it can happen that you decide to veil art works to avoid offending foreign visitors, well, I do not agree”. The reference is at the Italian government decision to veil the antique Roman statues to avoid offending Iran’s visiting President Hassan Rouhani.

  17. Obama’s Chickens Coming Home to Roost
    Ticking time bombs from Syria to North Korea.

    Democrats inherit the foreign policy crises of a thousand Republican presidential fathers, but the foreign policy crises inherited by incoming Republicans in the White House are always orphans.

    Or at least that’s how the media likes to spin it.

    If you believe your random mainstream media outlet of choice, North Korea and Syria were crises freshly spawned by this administration with no prior history. But these ticking time bombs are the direct result of the two terrible terms of his predecessor.

    The Nobel Peace Prize winner’s years in the White House were the most dysfunctional, schizophrenic and senseless eight years of our national foreign policy. His domestic policy was a disaster, but it was a radioactive toxic waste dump with clear and consistent goals. ObamaCare, the abuses of the Justice Department, the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency were the naturally terrible outcome of left-wing policies being implemented with inevitably terrible results.

    But Obama’s foreign policy was a wildly inconsistent mess. The Nobel Peace Prize winner couldn’t quite decide if he was a humanitarian interventionist or a pacifist non-interventionist. He couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to take the side of the Sunnis or the Shiites in their Islamic unholy war. He didn’t know if he wanted to appease Russia or sanction it, to pivot to Asia or run the other way, to play another round of golf or replace his defense secretary for the fifth time.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/266460/obamas-chickens-coming-home-roost-daniel-greenfield

  18. I just have to say it:
    Prayers for all the bombs that lost their mother on April 14th.

    For the cost of that bomb we dropped on Afghanistan, we could have given 100000 needy muslim families much smaller bombs.

    • That comes later. The smaller bombs don’t have as great an emotional impact as the MOAB, although their cumulative damage can be greater. They also don’t do as much damage to the underground facilities as the MOAB does.

  22. “Ever see this? When the “Holy Ghost’ is mentioned, Al Roker goes into a trance! lol” – Trumpet News – April 20, 2017

  24. Syria chemical weapons: ‘No doubt’ Damascus retains stocks (BBC, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39668313

    “The US Defence Secretary James Mattis has said there can be “no doubt” that Syria retains chemical weapons.

    Gen Mattis also said the Syrian government had moved its warplanes in recent days, speaking during a visit to Israel.

    He said Syria would be “ill-advised” to try to use chemical weapons again, after the alleged attack on 4 April which killed more than 80 people.

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the attack claims are 100% fabricated…”

  25. Egyptian soldiers accused of killing unarmed Sinai men in leaked video (BBC, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39670873

    “A video has emerged which allegedly shows Egyptian soldiers shooting dead unarmed detainees in the northern Sinai region, where the military is carrying out an anti-terror offensive.

    The footage, which is unverified, appears to show military officers staging the killings to look like a gun battle had taken place.

    Soldiers are shown apparently placing weapons beside the dead bodies.

    A pro-government news site has said that the 2016 video is a fabrication…”

  26. Far-Left Presidential Candidate Blames ‘Discrimination’ and ‘State’ for Islamist Paris Attack (breitbart, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/04/21/far-left-presidential-candidate-blames-discrimination-and-state-for-islamist-paris-attack/

    “Far-left presidential candidate Philippe Poutou is blaming French politics for the deadly attack on Paris’ Champs-Elysees, in which a police officer and the attacker were killed.

    Poutou, a car-factory worker backed by anti-capitalist party NPA, says the roots of extremist attacks are neither in mosques nor migrant camps. He said: “They are in the situation of external and internal war maintained by the state, and in the injustice and discriminations maintained in the suburbs.”

    Poutou says the French state has to share the blame for attacks because it discriminates against people living in impoverished suburbs because of “their skin color or origins,” takes military action in Africa and the Middle East and sells arms to dictatorships.”

  27. Serb Officials Warn Of Another War In The Balkans (breitbart, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/04/21/serb-officials-warn-another-war-balkans/

    “Serbian officials warned on Friday of another war in the Balkans if Albanians try to form a joint state with Kosovo in the war-weary European region and the West does not reject such a plan.

    The angry reactions from the Serbs came after Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said an interview with Politico journal that a union between Albania and ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo cannot be ruled out if European Union membership prospects for the Western Balkans fade.

    Serbian government minister Aleksandar Vulin said he expects the EU and NATO to denounce such statements, otherwise there could be another war in the Balkans…”

  28. Google Launches Anti-‘Fake News’ and ‘Hate Speech’ Workshops for Teens (breitbart, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/04/21/google-launches-anti-fake-news-hate-speech-workshops-teens/

    “Google has launched a new series of workshops which aim to teach teenagers how to tackle “fake news” and “hate speech.”

    “Internet Citizens” will be run by Google’s YouTube in cities across the United Kingdom for those between the ages of 13 and 18. The workshops “are intended to raise awareness around issues such as tolerance, empathy and abuse online,” according to The Guardian.

    “Nearly all of us will have come across comments or content online that shocked or even offended us, sometimes leaving us feeling isolated or powerless to change the conversation,” said YouTube’s head of public policy, Naomi Gummer. “And for young people in particular, this sense of vulnerability can be heightened if it’s difficult to judge whether a piece of content is real, especially when something is shared on social media by a trusted friend. That’s why we’re launching Internet Citizens.”…”

  29. Kenyan army says it kills 52 al-Shabab fighters in Somalia (abcnews, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyan-army-kills-52-al-shabab-fighters-somalia-46936150

    “Kenya’s military said Friday it killed 52 fighters with the extremist group al-Shabab during an early morning attack on a camp in neighboring Somalia.

    The army destroyed the camp in Badhadhe region of Lower Jubba using ground troops and artillery fire, said military spokesman Col. Joseph Owuoth. An assortment of weapons was recovered at the scene, he said…”

  30. Italy gives first of 10 boats to Libya for migrant rescues (abcnews, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/italy-10-boats-libya-migrant-rescues-46936631

    “Italy on Friday gave the Libyan coast guard the first two of 10 boats to rescue migrants from foundering smugglers’ boats, as part of a strategy Rome hopes will reduce the huge numbers of rescued migrants from reaching Italian shores.

    The motorboats boats were handed over at a ceremony in Gaeta, Italy, where an initial group of 20 Libyan coast guard members completed training, including in migrant rescue operations, at the naval school in that southern port town.

    Human rights advocates, however, fear if the migrants are returned on Libyan boats to the largely lawless northern African country, they will again risk torture, sexual abuse and exploitation as laborers. Many migrants have reported months of suffering while waiting for smugglers to put them aboard boats…”

  31. Afghan official: Army compound attacked by gunmen (abcnews, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-official-army-compound-attacked-gunmen-dead-46934772

    “Gunmen wearing army uniforms stormed a military compound in the Balkh province, killing at least eight soldiers and wounding 11 others, an Afghan government official said Friday.

    A spokesman for U.S. Central Command later told reporters in Washington that the attack near Mazar-i-Sharif left dozens of “friendly” Afghan casualties.

    Daulat Waziri, spokesman for the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense, said gunmen entered the compound manned by members of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army with a military vehicle. There, they began shooting at soldiers as they prayed in a mosque in the compound, Waziri said.

    Eight soldiers were left dead and 11 were wounded, he said…”

  32. Delicate bargain frees 26 hostages, including Qatar royals (abcnews, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iraq-officials-26-hostages-including-qatari-royals-freed-46932860

    “After nearly a year and a half in captivity, Qatar on Friday secured the release of 26 hostages, including members of its ruling family, in what became possibly the region’s most complex and sensitive hostage negotiation deal in recent years.

    Several people with knowledge of the talks and a person involved in the negotiations said the hostage deal was linked to one of the largest population transfers in Syria’s six-year-long civil war, and was delayed for several days due to an explosion one week ago that killed at least 130 people, most of them children and government supporters, waiting to be transferred.

    The transfer of thousands of Syrian civilians was also tied to another deal involving 750 political prisoners to be released by the Syrian government.

    The complexity of the talks highlights Qatar’s role as an experienced and shrewd facilitator in hostage negotiations — this time involving members of the Gulf Arab state’s ruling family.

    It also raised allegations that the tiny energy-rich nation paid millions of dollars to an al-Qaida-linked group to facilitate the population transfer in Syria that led to the hostages’ release in Iraq.

    Qatar is home to Centcom’s regional headquarters and is where the U.S. has its largest military base in the Middle East. It is also a member of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria…”

  33. ISIS leader who planned Istanbul nightclub attack killed in US ground raid (abcnews, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/isis-leader-planned-istanbul-nightclub-attack-killed-us/story?id=46939626

    “A “close associate” of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S. ground raid in Syria on April 6, U.S. Central Command said today. The raid targeted him for his role in planning the deadly New Years Eve nightclub attack in Istanbul, which killed 39 civilians.

    “Abdurakhmon Uzbeki, an ISIS operative, was killed by U.S. forces working on operation near al Mayadin Syria to kill him,” Colonel John Thomas, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told Pentagon reporters in phone briefing today.

    Al Mayadin is southeast of Dayr Az Zawr in the Euphrates River Valley.

    Thomas described Uzbeki as “a close associate” of al-Baghdadi who “was known to interact with him in various ways over time.” Centcom has confirmed over the past two weeks that Uzbeki was killed in the raid.

    The spokesman described him as facilitating the movement of ISIS foreign terror fighters and funds. Uzbeki played a key role in ISIS external terror attack plotting and Thomas said he was “clearly linked” to the deadly Istanbul nightclub shooting attack on New Year’s Eve…”

  34. SHOCK REPORT: Desperate child migrants selling sex to fund journeys to Britain (express, Apr 21, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/794767/Child-migrants-selling-sex-Greek-refugee-camps-Harvard-University-report

    “CHILD refugees are so desperate to reach Britain they are being forced to sell their bodies in order to pay smugglers to help them with their journeys, according to a new report from Harvard University.

    The report, from Dr Vasileia Digidiki and Prof Jacqueline Bhabha at the university’s centre for health and human rights, reveals what they describe as a “growing epidemic of sexual exploitation and abuse of migrant children in Greece”.

    It says child refugees from conflict zones including Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan trying to make their way across Europe are being stranded in Greece, unable to afford the fees charged by smugglers to move them.

    As a result, some of the children are turning to selling sex to try to fund their journeys.

    Dr Digidiki said: “This emergency can no longer be ignored. We can no longer sit idle while migrant children are abused and forced to sell their bodies in broad daylight and plain sight in the heart of Athens simply to survive.

    “It is our responsibility as human beings to face this emergency head on and take immediate action at every level to put an end to this most heinous violation of dignity and human rights.”

    The report found that the average price of a sexual transaction with a child was £12.50 and the largest group of children selling sex are Afghani boys along with Syrians, Iraqis and Iranians.

    Most customers are men aged 35 and over, according to the shocking study.

    Smugglers often charge thousands of euros to move people across Europe and so despite selling sex many children find that the fees charged by smugglers are still beyond their reach.

    Greek child protection agencies received referrals for 5,174 unaccompanied migrant children in 2016 but only 191 of them had been transferred to other European countries by the end of the year.

    The Harvard report says: “What these numbers underscore is the reluctance of many European countries to provide refugee children with a safe and permanent home.”…”

  35. CANADA – Man charged with threatening Quebec mosque shooting suspect ordered to leave Canada

    QUEBEC — The man who pleaded guilty to uttering death threats against the Quebecer charged in the mosque shootings earlier this year has been ordered to leave Canada for three years.

    Mohamed-Amine Ben-Faras, 33, is the nephew of one of the men allegedly killed by Alexandre Bissonnette in January.

    Quebec court Judge Alain Morand agreed Friday to the joint recommendation by Crown and defence lawyers.

    Ben-Faras will not be allowed come to Canada for three years unless he is accompanied by a peace officer or a border agent and he is also prohibited from trying to contact Bissonnette or his relatives.

    Ben-Faras, who is of Moroccan descent and has Italian nationality, pleaded guilty Thursday to uttering death threats against Bissonnette.

    He told the judge he arrived in Quebec from London and headed to the mosque to try to understand the circumstances surrounding the shooting deaths.

    It was members of the city’s Muslim community who signalled to police that Ben-Faras could be trouble.

    http://www.cp24.com/news/man-charged-with-threatening-quebec-mosque-shooting-suspect-ordered-to-leave-canada-1.3379543

    more details in French :

    Selon le récit de la Couronne, il a traversé l’Atlantique la semaine dernière pour se rendre sur les lieux de la tuerie. Une fois à la mosquée, Ben-Faras a demandé où était emprisonné Bissonnette et où habitait sa famille, les a menacés de mort, en ajoutant que ça lui était égal de faire de la prison.

    Il avait de la difficulté à comprendre pourquoi personne n’avait vengé les victimes, selon la Couronne.

    Des membres de la communauté musulmane de Québec qui ont détecté chez Ben-Faras une «haine dirigée vers les Occidentaux de façon générale»

    http://journalmetro.com/actualites/national/1122228/mohamed-amine-ben-faras-recoit-sa-peine/

  36. French Presidential Favourite Macron: Terrorism ‘Part of Our Daily Lives for Years to Come’ After Paris Shooting

    Emmanuel Macron, the current favourite to win the French presidential elections, has described terrorism as an “imponderable problem” which will be “part of our daily lives for the years to come”.

    Speaking in a French radio interview reported by The Guardian newspaper, the centre left En Marche! candidate appeared to echo former Prime Minister Manuel Valls’s controversial statements following the Nice lorry attack on Bastille Day 2016, in which a Tunisian migrant mowed down 434 men, women, and children, killing 87.

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/04/21/macron-terrorism-part-daily-lives-years-paris-shooting/

  38. Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin is personal friends with the organisers of Antifa group By Any Means Necessary. What a surprise.

  39. Here is a very interesting article in French how media, politicians, police & others disseminated false news about recent attack in Paris.

    Les fausses infos qui ont circulé sur l’attentat des Champs-Élysées

    L’attentat sur les Champs-Élysées a fait l’objet de nombreuses fausses informations et divers dérapages. L’Express démêle le vrai du faux.

    Jeudi soir vers 21h, un homme ouvre le feu sur un véhicule de police sur les Champs-Élysées à Paris. Un policier est tué, deux autres blessés, ainsi qu’une passante. L’assaillant, un Français âgé de 39 ans qui faisait déjà l’objet d’une enquête antiterroriste, est abattu lors de la fusillade.
    L’attentat sur les Champs-Élysées a fait l’objet de nombreuses fausses informations et divers dérapages. L’Express démêle le vrai du faux.

    Jeudi soir vers 21h, un homme ouvre le feu sur un véhicule de police sur les Champs-Élysées à Paris. Un policier est tué, deux autres blessés, ainsi qu’une passante. L’assaillant, un Français âgé de 39 ans qui faisait déjà l’objet d’une enquête antiterroriste, est abattu lors de la fusillade.

    Les incroyables ratés de Reuters

    L’agence de presse internationale Reuters a diffusé de fausses informations tout au long de la soirée de jeudi. Citant “des sources policière”, elle a d’abord expliqué que l’attaque sur les Champs-Élysées était liée à un braquage, puis a évoqué un deuxième tireur et une deuxième fusillade dans une rue adjacente, avant d’annoncer la mort d’un second policier et que l’assaillant était fiché S.
    D’habitude fiable, l’agence a induit de nombreuses personnes en erreur. Reuters a également indiqué qu’un complice était en fuite. A ce stade, les autorités n’ont pas confirmé ou infirmé cette information.

    L’erreur du syndicat SGP police

    La mort d’un second policier a également été annoncée sur Twitter par Unité SGP. Le syndicat de police, qu’on pourrait croire particulièrement bien informé dans ce genre de situation, a également induit de nombreuses personnes en erreur. Le tweet a ensuite été effacé, sans plus d’explication, quand l’information a été démentie directement par le ministère de l’Intérieur.
    Si deux policiers ont été “sérieusement blessés”, selon le ministère de l’Intérieur, leur pronostic vital n’est pas engagé.
    L’intox de Jean-Paul Ney

    Régulièrement épinglé pour accuser à tort des innocents et pour diffuser de fausses informations, également condamné pour avoir divulgué l’identité des frères Kouachi en pleine enquête policière, Jean-Paul Ney, qui se fait passer pour un journaliste, a récidivé jeudi soir.

    Vers 21h30, il diffuse un tweet: “Attentat sur les Champs, urgent la police recherche #YoussoufElOsri est arrivé depuis la Belgique avec le Thalys”. Puis un autre: “Comme je vous l’ai annoncé, #YoussoufElOsri est arrivé depuis la Belgique avec le Thalys”.
    Cette information a également été relayée par Reuters vers 23h, l’agence de presse indiquant pour sa part que Youssouf el Osri est un complice de l’attentat. L’information a depuis été démentie par les médias belges.

    Pourquoi le nom de Youssouf el Osri a-t-il évoqué? Son domicile a en fait été perquisitionné le matin-même par la police belge dans le cadre d’une enquête de stupéfiants. Les forces de l’ordre y retrouvent des armes, une cagoule et un billet de train Thalys pour Paris, daté du 20/04 à 6h. L’homme n’est pas sur place. Un avis de recherche est alors émis par la police Belge et est transmis à la police française. Le document indique qu’un individu dangereux nommé Youssouf el Osri serait “en chemin vers Paris”.

    Mais l’homme en question s’est rendu ce vendredi dans un commissariat d’Anvers, en Belgique. Selon son avocat, il travaillait jeudi soir dans une station-service Total d’Anvers. Il a clamé son innocence, niant avoir quelque chose à voir avec les événements à Paris. Pour se défendre, Jean-Paul Ney a indiqué qu’il s’était contenté de “faire suivre l’information”, sans la vérifier.
    Imbroglio autour du communiqué de Daech

    Si cette dernière fausse information concernant Youssouf el Osri a pris du poids, c’est que Daech a très rapidement revendiqué l’attentat. Dans un communiqué diffusé via vers 23h par son agence de propagande Amaq, l’organisation terroriste indique que l’auteur des faits était “Abu Yusuf le Belge”. auf que les autorités françaises ont formellement identifié l’assaillant des Champs-Élysées. Il s’agit de Karim C., un Français de 39 ans bien connu des service de renseignements, même s’il n’était étonnamment pas “fiché S”. Selon des sources proches du dossier contactées par L’Express, il n’avait aucun lien avec la Belgique.

    Les deux identités ne coïncident donc pas du tout. L’organisation terroriste a-t-elle menti et recopié ce qu’elle a vu sur les réseaux sociaux? S’est-elle trompée de terroriste? A-t-elle alors compromis l’identité d’un autre djihadiste prêt à passer à l’acte? La rédaction du communiqué et la rapidité de la revendication, très inhabituelles de la part de Daech, n’ont pas manqué d’interroger.
    D’autant que des canaux non officiels de l’État islamique sur Telegram ont diffusé la photo d’un prétendu “Abu Yusuf al-Baljiki” [Abu Yusuf le Belge] vers 1h30 du matin vendredi 21 avril, deux heures après la revendication officielle d’Amaq, ont indiqué des activistes anti Daech à L’Express.
    La photo de ce “Yusuf al-Baljiki” ne correspond ni à celle de Karim C. Ni à celle de Youssouf el Osri. Pour l’instant, personne ne sait qui est l’homme sur cette photo.
    Une perquisition a été menée jeudi soir à Chelles, en banlieue parisienne, au domicile de l’assaillant. Selon les premiers éléments, Karim C. semble avoir agi seul, mais l’enquête doit déterminer s’il a bénéficié de complicités, a précisé le procureur de la République de Paris, François Molins.
    Les dérapages des politiques

    Des politiques n’ont pas manqué, eux aussi, de répandre des fausses informations. C’est notamment le cas de Christophe Girard, le maire socialiste du 4e arrondissement de Paris, qui a suggéré dans un tweet -depuis supprimé- que le président russe Vladimir Poutine serait impliqué dans l’attentat des Champs-Élysées.
    Denis Truffaut, conseiller municipal FN de la ville d’Arcueil, a lui payé Twitter pour “sponsoriser” un de ses tweets dans lequel il affirme que “seule Marine Le Pen propose d’agir” contre le terrorisme. Une publicité mal venue.

    En plein direct sur France 2, lors du débat entre les candidats à la présidentielle, François Fillon a lui relayé des rumeurs faisant état “d’autres événements en cours à Paris”, alors que le porte-parole du ministère de l’Intérieur avait démenti cette rumeur un peu plus tôt.
    http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/les-fausses-infos-qui-ont-circule-sur-l-attentat-des-champs-elysees_1901059.html