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Muslim campaign groups publish key demands ahead of UK election (middleeasteye, May 17, 2017)
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-muslim-advocacy-groups-publish-key-demands-ahead-june-elections-1352453825
“Organisations representing Muslims in the UK this week launched their manifestos ahead of the 8 June general election in an attempt to lobby potential parliamentarians on the issues they believe matter most to Muslim communities across the country.
Addressing concerns over the rise of Islamophobia and counter-terrorism strategies, as well as calling for more engagement with a range of representatives from Muslim communities, were on top of the lists of demands made by the various advocacy groups.
In its manifesto published on Tuesday, the anti-Islamophobia advocacy group Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) called on the UK’s leading political parties to focus on “key areas of concern to Britain’s Muslim community” which include the rise of Islamophobic hate crime post-Brexit, anti-Muslim discrimination in the workplace and preserving access to halal meat and the freedom to wear religious dress.
“We’ve sent it [the document] out to all the political parties nationally and also locally we are approaching all the potential parliamentary candidates,” said Azad Ali, head of community development and engagement at MEND.
“The idea is to target widely all the different constituencies across the countries, but because we are focusing on the Muslim community, we are focusing on some of those key areas where the Muslim vote is perhaps higher,” he told Middle East Eye, mentioning places like Birmingham, Bradford and East London.
According to MEND, “The UK’s Muslim community could potentially have a decisive outcome in over 80 seats” at the upcoming elections.
“In 83 parliamentary constituencies, Muslims make up an estimated 10 percent or more of electoral voters… making the Muslim vote significant in determining key battleground seats in June’s upcoming elections,” the group said in a statement.
Concerns over counter-terrorism
The group’s manifesto also called on political parties to take British Muslims’ concerns over counter-terrorism strategies in the UK more seriously.
The launch of the document came as Muhammad Rabbani, the international director of human rights group Cage, was charged after being arrested during a Schedule 7 examination at London’s Heathrow Airport last year. Rabbani said that he declined to disclose passwords for a phone and a laptop to protect the confidentiality of a client.
Since the war in Syria started in March 2011, between 700 and 850 British citizens are estimated to have travelled there to fight with anti-government militants.
“Within the current climate on radicalisation and Syria, listening to the voices of young British Muslims is therefore crucial if the UK government, the police and other key stakeholders are serious about preventing the escalation of young people going out to fight in Syria,” wrote Imran Awan, Associate Professor in Criminology and an expert on issues related to Islamophobia.
As a means to facilitating these demands, MEND also called on British Muslims to refer to a list of hustings’ questions which the group had produced to help voters raise their concerns when interacting with candidates.
In the run up to the May 2015 general elections, MEND had built links with both major parties – and been chosen as an “official partner” by the Electoral Commission for the poll – after claiming to promote “democratic engagement” by Muslims.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) also published a document listing eight key issues of importance to British Muslims, which overlapped with MEND’s manifesto.
“We [MEND and MCB] have similar interests in the areas of Islamophobia, concerns with the counter-terrorism legislation and the protection of human rights… that kind of stuff we share similar asks,” Ali told MEE.
The MCB’s document included a list of demands asking potential parliamentary candidates to commit to defending the right of Muslims to observe their faith, to combat Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, to increase the participation of minorities in public life as well as develop an inclusive national curriculum reflecting the diverse religious and ethnic identities of the British community.
Harun Khan, Secretary General of the MCB, said: “As the election approaches, we hope that all the main parties engage with Muslim communities and Muslim communities themselves engage in the democratic process. We have seen many arrange hustings, Q&A sessions and even go out campaigning for their local candidate – it is an important election – make your voice heard.”
The MCB is a national representative umbrella body of the Muslim community in the UK with over 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations including mosques, charities and schools.
The group also made more international demands including a call on potential parliamentarians to recognise Palestine as an independent state and to uphold principles of poverty alleviation and justice in UK foreign policy.”
‘Don’t enter Baghdad’: Wave of murder-kidnappings grips Iraq capital (alaraby, May 17, 2017)
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/5/17/dont-enter-baghdad-wave-of-murder-kidnappings-grips-iraq-capital
“A wave of sectarian murder-kidnappings has gripped the Iraqi capital with over a dozen bodies appearing in Baghdad’s side streets and rubbish skips.
The killings reportedly carried out by the powerful Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilisation Forces] militias seem to target mainly Sunni residents of the city, according to security and medical sources.
A Baghdad police chief told The New Arab on Tuesday that 17 dead bodies had been found over the past two days in various districts in the city.
“The majority of the victims were documented being abducted by armed groups dressed in the uniform of the security forces,” the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
“Four of the bodies were found near a school in the al-Saidiya neighbourhood with notes attached to them, reading: ‘Do not enter Baghdad’,” he said.
A medical source said that among the of the victims were two brothers who had reportedly been abducted from their homes in southern Baghdad by armed men wearing Iraqi military garb.
Human rights groups have long accused the Shia militias of carrying out abuses against Sunnis during the ongoing battle against the Islamic State group [IS]…”
“‘Don’t enter Baghdad’: Wave of murder-kidnappings grips Iraq capital”
‘Don’t enter Baghdad’: Wave of TMB (Typical Muslim Behavior) grips Iraq capital
There, fixed that.
Refugees only 2% of population in EU, 1/3 in Lebanon – UN chief
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/italy/2017/05/17/migrant-crisis-manageable-with-more-eu-solidarity-un-chief_348b822f-081f-4b47-b063-3b3ec3bc0a70.html
“For Europe, the migrant crisis would have been manageable from the very beginning if it had been dealt with by all member states with a sense of solidarity, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday in a press conference at the European Parliament. He added that refugees account for only 2% of the population in Europe, compared with countries like Lebanon, where they are a whopping ”one-third of the population”.
Guterres did not want to discuss the mechanism for the redistribution of refugee quotas among EU countries. The migration crisis is a serious problem for Europe, he added, saying he was aware of the fact that Italy is the country under the most pressure from it. He went on to praise the work of the Italian Financial Police and the Italian Coast Guard, which have saved thousands of lives.”
UNICEF: Number of unaccompanied refugee children reaches ‘record high’ (DW, May 18, 2017)
http://www.dw.com/en/unicef-number-of-unaccompanied-refugee-children-reaches-record-high/a-38881924
“The number of refugee children traveling alone has increased fivefold since 2010, UNICEF has said. The UN body warned that the alarming trend has forced many young refugees and migrants into prostitution and slavery…”
Turkey cannot be left out of Syria plans: Erdo?an (hurriyetdailynews, May 18, 2017)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-cannot-be-left-out-of-syria-plans-erdogan.aspx?pageID=238&nID=113235&NewsCatID=352
“The United States will be beating a path to Turkey’s door regarding upcoming moves in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an said after a meeting with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Washington on May 16, noting that Turkey cannot be excluded from the Syrian table.
“Turkey cannot be excluded as a decision-maker,” Erdo?an told journalists at the Turkish Embassy in Washington.
“We are determined to carry bilateral relations to a further point and strengthening economic ties,” Erdo?an also said following his nearly three-hour meeting and lunch with Trump.
“I believe that they will also knock on our door on the Syria issue,” he said.
Coalition forces have already surrounded Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria, the president noted.
“Let’s see what will happen. But Turkey will be in the field in the region – both in Iraq and Syria,” Erdo?an said…”
Residents of Makkah district decry persistent power cuts (saudigazette, May 18, 2017)
http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/residents-makkah-district-decry-persistent-power-cuts/
“Power has been cut from Al-Sharaie 2 neighborhood in Makkah since Wednesday, residents said criticizing the temporary solutions introduced by the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).
The residents said electricity supply was severed as a result of a default in one of the cables supplying the current to the ground connections.
They said, in addition to the scorching heat, the absence of electricity has adversely affected all their electric equipment and damaged foodstuffs stored in refrigerators…”
Saudi Arabia launches national company for arms manufacturing (saudigazette, May 18, 2017)
http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-launches-national-company-for-arms-manufacturing/
“The state-owned Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced on Wednesday the launch of a national state company for arms manufacturing that will also create thousands of jobs in the Kingdom.
The new company, the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), is part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the sovereign wealth fund PIF said in a statement.
The Vision 2030 is a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil and to diversify its income.
PIF said the new company is expected to create more than 40,000 jobs — mostly in the hi-tech and engineering sectors — and more than 30,000 indirect opportunities as well as the creation of hundreds of small and medium size companies.
To fulfill the agenda of this company, Saudis will be trained, it added. By partnering with universities, SAMI will provide students with apprenticeships and careers in cutting edge technologies which were previously unavailable in the Kingdom…”
Two Pakistani diplomats detained by Afghan spy agency (tribune, May 18, 2017)
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1412622/islamabad-protests-detention-two-diplomats-kabul/
“Pakistan lodged a strong protest with Afghanistan after two of its diplomats posted in Kabul were reportedly detained by Afghan security agencies on Wednesday — in a latest incident suggesting simmering tensions between the two neighbours.
The diplomats were abducted by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) when they were purchasing stationery from a market in Kabul, and kept in detention for three hours, according to sources.
There was no immediate reaction from the Afghan government.
In Islamabad, the Afghan Deputy Head of Mission was summoned to the Foreign Office to lodge Pakistan’s strong protest over the incident.
An official statement said the two diplomatic officials in Kabul were detained, reportedly by Afghan security agencies…”
9,885kg of heroin, 1,440kg of hashish seized from educational institutions since 2016: ANF (tribune, May 18, 2017)
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1412588/drug-abuse-colleges-vasities-alarming-anf/
“Drug abuse data presented by the national anti-narcotics watchdog in the country’s educational system is alarming, to say the least. Since last year, at least 9,885 kilogrammes of heroin, 1,440kg of hashish and 33kg of opium were seized in special raids conducted in educational institutions.
The Anti-Narcotics Force compiled a report on its campaigns, stating that it launched a four-phased anti-drugs campaign between April last year and March this year.
According to the report, the ANF personnel arrested as many as 412 accused (drug peddlers) involved in distribution of drugs in 339 raids across the country’s educational institutions.
During these raids, the report stated, the ANF personnel also seized a kilogramme of cocaine.
Another report identifies public, private schools, colleges and universities in various cities.
Neither of the reports specified if students were among the arrested persons…”
23 militants killed, 4 of their hideouts destroyed in US airstrikes in Helmand (khaama, May 18, 2017)
http://www.khaama.com/23-militants-killed-4-of-their-hideouts-destroyed-in-us-airstrikes-in-helmand-02767
“At least twenty three militants were killed in airstrikes conducted by the US forces in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan.
The provincial government in a statement said at least four hideouts of the militants were also destroyed in the airstrikes.
The statement further added that the airstrikes were carried out in the vicinity of Garamser district of Helmand.
The first airstrike targeted two vehicles of the militants carrying nine militants and were travelling in the vicinity of Kamarbandi (Kharko) area, leaving all nine militants dead and the two vehicles totally destroyed, the statement said.
The statement also added that the second airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Omarzo area as the personnel of the 215th Maiwand Corps of the Afghan army were busy conducting counter-terrorism operations.
The provincial government said at least 14 insurgents including five Pakistanis were killed in the airstrike and 8 others were wounded and four of their hideouts were destroyed.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.”
Michigan Senate votes to outlaw female genital mutilation (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-michigan-mutilation-idUSKCN18D2Z0
“The Michigan Senate approved legislation on Wednesday making genital mutilation of girls a state felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, both for doctors who perform the procedure and parents who transport a child to undergo the surgery.
The legislation, which now goes to the state House of Representatives, was spurred by the case of an emergency room physician charged last month under federal law with performing genital mutilation on two 7-year-old girls at a suburban Detroit medical clinic…”
Erdogan says Turkey will act if Syrian Kurdish militia attacks: media (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-turkey-erdogan-idUSKCN18E0H6?il=0
“President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to Washington this week that Turkey would act “without asking anyone” if it faced any sort of attack from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, Turkish media reported on Thursday…”
Bradford Election Event Barring Non-Muslim Candidates Attended by Former Labour MP (breitbart, May 18, 2017)
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/bradford-election-event-barring-non-muslim-candidates/
“A Muslim Labour Party candidate standing in Bradford West has agreed to attend an election campaign event slammed for allegedly excluding non-Muslim and/or male candidates.
Tory candidate George Grant, a Christian, and an independent who is Muslim both spoke out against the event which they called “undemocratic” and “totally dividing communities”.
The event’s Facebook page insists it is “open to men and women”, but non-Muslim and/or male candidates were allegedly not invited to speak.
It was organised by the Muslim Women’s Council (MWC) and is described as “an audience with” independent candidate Salma Yaqoob and Labour’s Naz Shah.
Ms. Shah was suspended from the Labour Party last year due to allegations of anti-Semitism. Ms. Yaqoob, previously of George Galloway’s Respect party, was forced to deny supporting terrorism in 2011.
Conservative candidate George Grant called the premise of the event “unprogressive, undemocratic and deeply unhelpful”….”
Identitarians Block Pro-Migrant NGO Ship in Sicily (breitbart, May 18, 2017)
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/identitarians-block-pro-migrant-ngo-ship-sicily/
“Several members of the hipster-right, anti-mass migration Identitarian youth movement blocked one of the ships of a pro-migrant NGO which was setting sail for Libya to pick up migrants and ferry them to Europe.
The activists blocked the passage of the ship Aquarius from the pro-migrant NGO SOS Mediterranee as it was leaving the port in the Sicilian city of Catania, reports the Salzburger Nachrichten.
Members of the group, in a small boat, held up flags bearing their lambda symbol and flares and were eventually taken into custody by the Italian coastguard.
On the group’s Facebook page, they gave the reasons for the action saying: “With this action, we point to the criminal smuggler madness in the Mediterranean. For months hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants are dragged through to Europe by donation funded NGOs and do not flinch but cooperate with criminal traffickers.”
Co-leader of the Austrian branch of the Identitarian movement, Martin Sellner said: “The media and politicians need to look at this madness. We have, however, decided to act. It is our duty and our responsibility to actively intervene here and to do our part to ensure that these criminal activities come to an end.”
Italian prosecutor in Sicily Carmelo Zuccaro has accused the pro-migrant NGOs of directly working with people smugglers.
“We have evidence that there are direct contacts between certain NGOs and people traffickers in Libya,” he said.
“We do not yet know if and how we could use this evidence in court, but we are quite certain about what we say; telephone calls from Libya to certain NGOs, lamps that illuminate the route to these organisations’ boats, boats that suddenly turn off their (locating) transponders, are ascertained facts.”
As following the action, the Identitarians have formed a new website for their new mission they are dubbing “Defend Europe”. The group said in their mission statement they are looking to gather a crew, a larger ship, and to disrupt as many of the pro-migrant NGO vessels as possible in the coming weeks and months.
The Identitarian youth movement, which started in France under the name Generation Identitaire (GI), have been active in many countries across Europe including Germany, Austria, and Italy. Most known for their often high profile protests, the group opposes mass migration and Islamisation.
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart London earlier this month in Paris, GI member and Paris leader Pierre Larti described why many, including himself, become active in the organisation and the effects of mass migration on young people in Europe.”
Portugal seizes 10 metric tons of hashish in Mediterranean (abcnews, May 18, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/portugal-seizes-10-metric-tons-hashish-mediterranean-47481846
“Portuguese police say they have seized about 10 metric tons (11 U.S. tons) of hashish from a vessel in the Mediterranean after a yearlong investigation that involved five European countries and two pan-European agencies.
A police statement says the Portuguese Navy and Air Force were involved in the operation, as were European Union police agency Europol and the Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics, which includes seven EU countries.
The statement Thursday says the drug was in 333 bales and was being taken to a North African country from where it was to be distributed to other countries in Europe and elsewhere.
Two Portuguese men and four foreigners were arrested and were to be brought before a judge.
The operation included Spanish, French, Dutch and Greek authorities.”
IS fighters attack government-held areas in central Syria (abcnews, May 18, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/fighters-attack-government-held-areas-central-syria-47481848
“The Islamic State group has launched an offensive against government forces in central Syria near the highway that links the capital Damascus to the northern city of Aleppo.
Thursday’s attack comes as government forces are on the offensive against the extremists in other parts of Syria.
Syria’s state news agency SANA said troops and pro-government gunmen repelled the IS attack on villages in Hama province.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS captured several army positions in the area and killed nine troops. It said troops launched a counteroffensive under the cover of airstrikes.
State TV said two people were wounded in IS shelling on the nearby town of Salamiyeh.
The IS-linked Aamaq news agency confirmed an attack is ongoing in the area without giving details.”
Couple stoned to death in northern Mali, accused of affair (abcnews, May 18, 2017)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/couple-stoned-death-northern-mali-accused-affair-47483367
“A local official says a couple has been stoned to death in northern Mali after extremists accused them of conducting an extramarital affair.
The official says Tuesday’s killing of a Tuareg couple in Taghlite was ordered by the former mayor of Aguel’hoc, who is now a jihadist. The official spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, saying the stoning was carried out by Ansar Dine extremists.
The group is mostly composed of ultraconservative Tuareg tribesmen.
Kidal National Assembly deputy Aicha Belco Maiga on Thursday confirmed the killing but had no details…”
Trump assails ‘witch hunt’ after naming of special counsel
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump lashed out at the appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations that his campaign collaborated with Russia to sway the 2016 election, tweeting Thursday that it is “the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!”
The Justice Department on Wednesday appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to lead the investigation. Mueller will have sweeping powers and the authority to prosecute any crimes he uncovers.
The surprise announcement to hand the probe over to Mueller, a lawman with deep bipartisan respect, was a striking shift for Trump’s Justice Department, which had resisted increasingly loud calls from Democrats for an outside prosecutor. It immediately escalated the legal stakes – and the potential political damage – for a president who has tried to dismiss the matter as partisan witch hunt and a “hoax.”
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TRUMP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-05-18-08-00-56
The Dems have got their Special Prosecutor and they need to wake up and smell the roses, they know that the Special Prosecutor will now shut down the Congressional investigations and can run around and investigate anything he says is connected to the Russia probe. This had better include Hillary, Obama, Lynch, Rice and many others who committed real crimes instead of being put before a kangaroo court for opposing the Swamp.
The Conservatives fighting back at Berkely should have been a warning to the left about the feelings of the peop[le who own this nation. It wasn’t, the actions of the Dems prove this they are still ignoring the rule of law and the will of the people. This is a very big mistake, so far the owners of this nation have been working to do this peacefully using the law instead of using direct action. This patience is running out, we are sick and tired of the left destroying our nation.
New territory: DOJ appoints special counsel for counterintelligence investigation of Russia
By J.E. Dyer May 17, 2017
n Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, acting on behalf of the DOJ because Jeff Sessions earlier recused himself from all aspects of the Russia probe, appointed former FBI director Robert S. Mueller as special counsel to conduct the investigation of “the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.”
According to the DOJ appointment order (link from the DOJ page here), Mueller’s investigation is defined as follows:
This is an ambiguous development. The Bloomberg report (top link) indicated that “It isn’t clear if Trump had a role in the decision.”
http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/05/17/new-territory-doj-appoints-special-counsel-counterintelligence-investigation-russia/
Richard: This one ties in with the Special Counsel because it is the Dems against Trump.
Dems plan ‘summer camps’ to teach fellow liberals how to ‘resist’
By Onan Coca May 17, 2017
When the Tea Party was born during the Obama era when the majority of America tried to fight back against the tyranny of Obamacare, the movement was a bottom-up phenomenon that swept many new politicians into Washington, D.C. Sadly, many of them were quickly corrupted. Nevertheless the birth of the Tea Party stands in stark contrast to the unrest currently being fomented by the Left, where shady billionaires like George Soros and Tom Steyer funnel their money toward professional agitators and the Democratic Party holds meetings to help train people on how to protest things they know nothing about. (Click here, here and here to see liberal protesters who can’t actually explain what they’re protesting.)
Democrats are hoping to avoid more of these embarrassing situations so they’re planning to hold “summer camps” in an effort to train protesters about what they’re protesting (because it makes total sense for you to be angry about stuff but not actually know what you’re angry about).
Far-left Democratic leader Keith Ellison ?
29%
(D-Minn.) tried to explain (in a less embarrassing way than admitting that their protesters were idiots) why the Democrats would be holding these fun summer camps.
http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/05/17/dems-plan-summer-camps-teach-fellow-liberals-resist/
Richard: There will be special classes on how to maintain contact with the Soros paid rioters and other criminals in the pay of the Dems with out leaving tracks for the police to follow.
The distraction has worked, a Special Counsel has been appointed to investigate the President (look for a years long investigation taht goes no where) and the Rich Murder is off the radar. We can hope that Mueller will investigate this along with other crimes of the Dems that semi tie into the Russia meme, we can hope but don’t hold your breath. If I repeat if Mueller does move into investigation rhe Rich murder, Hillarys crimes or the other crimes of the Dems under Obama he will be trashed and there will be calls for him to be fired and tried for some imagined crime.
OT/
Day before yesterday I hit my head.
Better today, but only semi-sensible. May take a couple days.
Not to worry!
yk
Take care of yourself, your friends and the world needs you.
Thank-you!
Tame little ibuprofen is an unexpected miracle drug, Q4H. Took down the inflamation fast, black eye w/o concussion – and I still get two days off!
Good luck with the bad.
politico –7 questions that explain the special counsel
A closer look at how Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump and Russia will play out.
The Justice Department’s decision to name former FBI Director Robert Mueller to investigate possible collusion with Russia by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign rocked an already reeling capital Wednesday.
While there are a variety of investigative arms available in Washington, the specific provision Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein used to tap Mueller has been dormant for nearly two decades.
The rarely invoked rules provide answers to some key questions about Mueller’s new, high profile post.
1) What powers does Mueller have?
Mueller will have all the authority of a typical U.S. attorney to convene grand juries, issue subpoenas, file criminal charges and pursue those charges to trial, if he deems it appropriate. In practice, he’ll probably have more control over the FBI agents involved in his probe than most prosecutors do.
The regulations under which Mueller was appointed oblige him to “comply with the rules, regulations, procedures, practices and policies of the Department of Justice.” However, he could seek Rosenstein’s approval to shortcut or waive some of those procedures. Past special counsels have sometimes bypassed certain procedures, like internal reviews for subpoenas directed to journalists.
2) What is the scope of the investigation and could Mueller expand it?
Mueller has been assigned to probe Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election, which the FBI had been pursuing, with Justice Department approval. Mueller’s authority specifically includes “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.” Rosenstein’s directive also says Mueller can pursue “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation,” including crimes like perjury or obstruction of justice.
Mueller’s mandate seems broad enough to capture matters like Trump’s alleged entreaties to Comey to end the inquiry into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. If Mueller wants more clarity on whether a matter is in his purview he could come back to Rosenstein and ask. But past outside investigators have been criticized for expanding the scope of their investigation.
3) Who does Mueller report to and can Trump fire him?
Normally, a special counsel would report to the attorney general, but because Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the Russia-election probe, Rosenstein is acting in that role. He’ll supervise Mueller, although the rules state: “The Special Counsel shall not be subject to the day-to-day supervision of any official of the Department.”
According to the regulations, Rosenstein can block major investigative steps by Mueller, but must report to Congress if that happens. Rosenstein can fire Mueller “for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause.” Trump can’t fire Mueller directly, but in theory could order Rosenstein to dismiss Mueller and could fire Rosenstein if he didn’t comply. The president could then seek out someone who would dismiss the special prosecutor.
This is the scenario that played out during Watergate in 1973 in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre.
Trump could also tell Sessions to repeal the regulations under which Mueller was appointed, freeing officials of any limits on firing him.
4) What sort of budget does Mueller get, and what does his operation look like?
Mueller has 60 days to propose a budget, which will be worked out with Justice Department finance officials and is subject to approval by Rosenstein. The special counsel must return by July of each year with a new budget plan. Mueller may hire some of his own lawyers and staff on a temporary basis, but typically many of those involved are “detailed” from other Justice Department offices. He’ll have access to the same FBI investigators already working on the probe, but can seek more resources if he wants them.
5) Is there a set length of time for the inquiry?
There’s no fixed duration for the investigation. It’s probable that getting Mueller and his team into place will cause some delay as they hire staff and get up to speed on work that’s already been done. Given the sensitivity of the intelligence matters, those newly-assigned to the case will need special security clearances and approvals.
The investigation could well enter a relatively quiet period for a while until Mueller decides whether to take steps likely to draw public attention, like summoning witnesses to a grand jury.
6) What impact will there be on Congressional investigations?
Mueller is likely to be given effective control over what information the Justice Department shares with Congress about the probe and what requests it makes to Congressional committees to defer questioning sensitive witnesses or avoid publicizing potential leads in the investigation.
In the short term, the decision to tap Mueller could slow down or freeze such cooperation as he tries to get read in on the various aspects of the investigation. Ultimately, Congress can do what it wants to demand witnesses and evidence, but lawmakers are typically leery of taking steps that could jeopardize the criminal probe.
“The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will continue its own investigation and to the extent any deconfliction is required, we will engage with Director Mueller and our expectation is that he will engage with the Committee as well,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) said in a joint statement Wednesday night.
7) Will Mueller issue a final report?
Yes, but it may not be made public. The regulations call for Mueller to prepare a report for Rosenstein on the reasons for decisions to prosecute or not prosecute. The rules also say the Justice Department must report to Congress on the grounds for closing the investigation.
Rosenstein can decide whether or not to make that report public, but it may be a moot point since official notifications to the Hill are often promptly leaked.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/18/donald-trump-special-prosecutor-questions-238536
twitter @AnnCoulter :
MCCARTHY ONLY ACCUSED THE GUILTY. See “Treason.” Stop calling this “McCarthyism.” It’s more like Dreyfus-ism
TomFitton fantastic on LouDobbs right now. Washington LOVES Mueller — that should tell you something.
https://twitter.com/AnnCoulter/status/865031569110708228
the gateway pundit – FLASHBACK: Special Counsel Mueller Conspired With Radical Islamic Groups During FBI Tenure
Back in 2013, Judicial Watch exclusively obtained records documenting how the FBI, under Mueller, removed all anti-terrorism training material that was seen as “offensive” to Muslims.
This occurred following secret meetings between the FBI Director and Muslim organizations.
Judicial Watch sued to get the records and published two in-depth reports, one in 2013 and a second and lengthier updated follow-up in 2015.
According to Judicial Watch, Mueller spent a lot of his time as FBI Director “bent over backwards” to make surequestionable Muslim groups felt comfortable and happy. He caved to their demands on numerous occasions.
Mueller met with CAIR and Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), both of whom were unindicted co-conspirators in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorist financing case.
CAIR has been a terrorist front group for quite a while and was founded in 1994 by radical Middle Eastern extremists who ran the “American propaganda wing of Hamas, known then as the Islamic Association for Palestine”.
The following is an excerpt from Judicial Watch:
The records obtained as part of Judicial Watch’s lawsuit show that Mueller, who served 12 years as FBI chief, met with the Islamic organizations on February 8, 2012 to hear their demands. Shortly later the director assured the Muslim groups that he had ordered the removal of presentations and curricula on Islam from FBI offices nationwide. The purge was part of a broader Islamist operation designed to influence the opinions and actions of persons, institutions, governments and the public at-large. The records obtained by Judicial Watch also show similar incidents of Islamic influence operations at the Departments of Justice and State, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Obama White House.
Here are some of the reasons provided by Mueller’s FBI for getting rid of “offensive” training documents: “Article is highly inflammatory and inaccurately argues the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization.” It’s crucial to note that Mueller himself had previously described the Muslim Brotherhood as a group that supports terrorism in the U.S. and overseas when his agency provided this ludicrous explanation. Here’s more training material that offended the terrorist groups, according to the FBI files provided to Judicial Watch: An article claiming Al Qaeda is “clearly linked” to the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing; The Qur’an is not the teachings of the Prophet, but the revealed word of God; Sweeping generality of ‘Those who fit the terrorist profile best (for the present at least) are young male immigrants of Middle Eastern appearance;’ conflating Islamic Militancy with terrorism. The list goes on and on.
Read the full report by Judicial Watch here:
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2017/05/russia-special-counsel-mueller-conspired-radical-islamic-groups-fbi-chief/
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/flashback-special-counsel-mueller-conspired-radical-islamic-groups-fbi-tenure/
Makes my head REALLY hurt!
Mine too and I haven’t hit mine recently.
the gateway pundit – Wikileaks: FBI’s Mueller Delivered Highly Enriched Stolen Uranium to Russia in 2009
Wikileaks posted a cable from 2009 showing that then FBI Director, Robert Mueller delivered highly enriched stolen Uranium to Russia.
Background to the story via Wikileaks cable:
Background: Over two years ago Russia requested a ten-gram sample of highly enriched uranium (HEU) seized in early 2006 in Georgia during a nuclear smuggling sting operation involving one Russian national and several Georgian accomplices. The seized HEU was transferred to U.S. custody and is being held at a secure DOE facility.
In response to the Russian request, the Georgian Government authorized the United States to share a sample of the material with the Russians for forensic analysis. Director Mueller previously planned to deliver the sample in April (Ref A), but due to a scheduling conflict the trip was canceled.
Embassy Moscow LegAtt informed the FSB prior to Mueller’s intended April delivery and received confirmation that the FSB would take custody of the sample after the Director’s plane landed. EST Moscow also informed Rosatom of the planned transfer and that the U.S. placed a high priority on completing this transfer (Ref B). Once the LegAtt told FSB counterparts the April trip had been canceled, Ambassador Beyrle informed Igor Neverov (Ref C), who said that he understood but was disappointed the trip was postponed.
Mueller’s trip to Moscow was rescheduled for September 21, 2009:
Why aren’t the Democrats up in arms over Mueller’s visit to Russia? After all, according to the deranged Democrats, any contact with the Russians creates a cloud of suspicion and must lead to an investigation.
http://16004-presscdn-0-50.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/DAETg41XgAQPLIm-575×281.jpg
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/wikileaks-fbis-mueller-delivered-highly-enriched-stolen-uranium-russia-2009/
Rep. King shares concerns over special counsel appointment
Rep. Jordan: A major interaction I had with Mueller was ‘disappointing’
Rep. DeSantis: There is no crime to investigate
U.S. conducts military drill to counter N. Korea’s WMDs
SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) — U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea have recently conducted an exercise aimed at destroying North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by practicing a ship-to-shore air assault from a South Korean warship, the infantry division said Thursday.
The U.S. Army forces carried out the exercise, called “Warrior Strike 7” at Camp Stanley in Euijeongbu, just north of Seoul, and the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex near the inter-Korean border, it said.
“The exercise is designed to enhance the battalions’ skills in counter-WMD operations,” according to a Facebook account on the 2nd Infantry Division. It did not reveal when the exercise took place.
The drill involved the Dokdo, the South Korean warship, and was the first ship-to-shore air exercise mobilizing a South Korean naval vessel, it said.
Aboard a helicopter, U.S. soldiers practiced an infiltration into a mock facility of the enemy in a bid to strengthen their capability to destroy the WMD in a speedy manner, it said. South Korean servicemen are known to have taken part in the drill.
The move came as North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are advancing, posing a threat to peace and security on the divided peninsula.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2017/05/18/90/0401000000AEN20170518003000315F.html
N.K preparing for cruise missile strikes: RFA
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2017/05/18/98/0401000000AEN20170518004600315F.html
SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) — The North Korean army is repairing protective walls for gallery positions to brace for possible cruise missile strikes after witnessing such U.S. attacks on Syria last month, a U.S. broadcaster said Thursday.
The North’s armed forces ministry ordered the army to take steps to protect gallery strongholds from air raids in mid-April, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing the Osaka-based North Korea specialist news organ Asia Press.
Early last month, the U.S. military launched over 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield in response to the Bashar al-Assad regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians.
“North Korea seems to be very aware of the U.S. attack on Syria,” Jiro Ishimaru of Asia Press said, adding that the media outlet’s North Korean source clearly said “preparations against cruise missiles.”
In particular, the ministry’s instruction called for the army to remove strongholds made of stones as they can cause additional casualties when they are broken into pieces by missiles and instead make them with gunnysacks filled with earth or sand, Ishimaru said.
China, ASEAN agree on framework for South China Sea code of conduct
BEIJING (Reuters) – China and Southeast Asian countries agreed on Thursday to a framework for a long-mooted code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea, China’s foreign ministry said, as both sides step up efforts to ease tension in the strategic waterway.
China and the members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had been hoping to this year agree on the framework, 15 years after committing to draft it.
Some ASEAN diplomats have expressed concern about whether China is being sincere, or whether ASEAN has enough leverage to get China to commit to a set of rules.
Some Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as the United States, have expressed concern at what they see as China’s militarization of the South China Sea, including building air strips on man-made islands.
After a meeting between Chinese and ASEAN officials in the Chinese city of Guiyang, China’s foreign ministry said the framework had been agreed upon, although it gave no details of its contents.
The talks had been candid and deep and made positive achievements, it added in a statement.
All parties “uphold using the framework of regional rules to manage and control disputes, to deepen practical maritime cooperation, to promote consultation on the code and jointly maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea”, it added.
http://www.oann.com/china-asean-agree-on-framework-for-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct/
Tommy Robinson ambushed for confronting Muslim councillor
Rebel Media
Rebel Media
Further up this thread of comments, Wrath of Khan posted a link (Rochford/ Bradford – not sure how close these two communities are):
Bradford Election Event Barring Non-Muslim Candidates Attended by Former Labour MP (breitbart, May 18, 2017)
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/bradford-election-event-barring-non-muslim-candidates/
Dems plan ‘summer camps’ to teach fellow liberals how to ‘resist’
By Onan Coca May 17, 2017
When the Tea Party was born during the Obama era when the majority of America tried to fight back against the tyranny of Obamacare, the movement was a bottom-up phenomenon that swept many new politicians into Washington, D.C. Sadly, many of them were quickly corrupted. Nevertheless the birth of the Tea Party stands in stark contrast to the unrest currently being fomented by the Left, where shady billionaires like George Soros and Tom Steyer funnel their money toward professional agitators and the Democratic Party holds meetings to help train people on how to protest things they know nothing about. (Click here, here and here to see liberal protesters who can’t actually explain what they’re protesting.)
Democrats are hoping to avoid more of these embarrassing situations so they’re planning to hold “summer camps” in an effort to train protesters about what they’re protesting (because it makes total sense for you to be angry about stuff but not actually know what you’re angry about).
http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/05/17/dems-plan-summer-camps-teach-fellow-liberals-resist/
Bill Ayers would be sooo proud – if he wasn’t burning in hell.
I really wish I could believe in hell.POLAND – Taking in refugees ‘much worse’ than EU sanctions – Polish interior minister
Accepting refugees under the EU relocation scheme would “certainly be much worse” than Brussels’ penalties for not doing so, Poland’s interior minister said, following an EU commission warning to Poland and Hungary to implement quotas or face action.
“We mustn’t forget the terror attacks that have taken place in Western Europe, and how – in the bigger EU countries – these are unfortunately now a fact of life,”Mariusz B?aszczak said in an interview on Polish radio.
“Remember that the now very numerous Muslim communities (in western European countries) started out as relatively small numbers,” B?aszczak added.
B?aszczak also said the current migrant crisis is solely a western European problem. “These countries had colonies back in their time, they benefited from Asia’s and Africa’s riches,” he said. “This is an attempt to shift the repayment of those debts on Poland, as well.”
His statement echoes Prime Minister Beata Szyd?o’s earlier claims that the country “cannot accept refugees.” This comes as the European Commission issued another progress report on the relocation scheme, singling out Poland and Hungary as the only countries which have not taken in a single person, “in breach of their legal obligations.”
Meanwhile, Blaszczak believes that the EU relocation plan “only intensifies illegal migration,” since would-be migrants are aware that they would get refuge in EU states other than Greece and Italy, where there are currently 12,400 and 2,500 asylum-seekers awaiting relocation.
He then added that the refugee quota system “risks the lives of people who are trying to reach Europe [on boats].”
According to figures from the International Organization for Migration, this year has so far seen around 54,000 people arriving in Europe by sea, with the death toll in the Mediterranean route currently standing at 1,316. Compared to 2016, the number of fatalities through May has dropped slightly, down from 1,382. Although there has been a significant decrease in arrivals since last year, almost 190,000 made their way to Europe through May 2016.
Both Poland and Hungary have been given until June “to start pledging and relocating immediately,” or see “the opening of infringement procedures.” The relocation system was approved by the majority of EU member states in September 2015, with Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia staunchly opposing it. Under the plan, bloc members pledged to relocate 160,000 refugees from Italy and Greece within two years.
Hungary, too, remains adamant about its stance on immigration. The country is determined to erect a border fence, despite Brussels’ calls on Budapest to repeal legislation tightening asylum rules. On Wednesday, the European Parliament condemned “recent developments in Hungary” which “have led to a serious deterioration in the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights.”
https://www.rt.com/news/388826-polish-minister-refugees-sanctions/
Poland’s Prime Minister says country will accept no refugees as EU threatens legal action over quotas
Right-wing government holding ground after reversing commitment to resettle thousands of migrants
Poland’s Prime Minister has claimed the country “cannot accept refugees” as the EU threatens legal action against nations failing to comply with quotas.
Alongside Hungary and Austria, it is one of only three countries not to have relocated a single refugee, “in breach of their legal obligations” and commitments.
“This cannot be the responsibility of just a few member states – this must be shared be all,” said Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European Commissioner for migration.
But Prime Minister Beata Szyd?o told a press conference there had been no formal agreement to compulsory quotas, which Hungary and Poland voted against.
“A critical attitude towards the mechanism of migrant relocation is becoming increasingly widespread in the European Union,” she claimed, according to a translation by state broadcaster Poland Radio.
“Poland cannot accept refugees.”
Austria has finally pledged to accept eligible asylum seekers from Italy, but the EU has warned Poland and Hungary that they have until June to start accepting refugees or face sanctions.
“I call on Poland and Hungary who have not relocated a single person … to start doing so right now,” Mr Avramopoulos told reporters.
“If no action is taken by them before the next report in June, the Commission will not hesitate to make use of its powers under the treaties and to open infringement procedures.”[…]
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/poland-no-refugees-eu-legal-action-infringement-quotas-resettlement-beata-szydlo-commission-a7741236.html
You really have to admire the Polish people.
It’s a comfort to know that major genetic reservoir of blue eyes can handle this and a lot more.
Czech Republic: Thousands march against President Zeman and FinMin Babis in Prague
Around 7,000 people took to the streets of Prague in protest against the Czech president Milos Zeman and the end of the influence of the current finance Minister Andrej Babis, demanding democracy and freedom.
The protesters marched from Wenceslas Square to Prague castle, the office of president, holding banners reading “He is not my president” and chanting “Zeman, leave.” They demanded the president’s dismissal of billionaire Babis, who has been accused of tax avoidance, and for the resignation of Zeman.
Babis has promised to step down from his position and has already nominated his replacement as finance minister, the former Microsoft executive Ivan Pilny, a fellow member of the ANO party. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka accepted Pilny’s nomination on Wednesday, however, President Zeman is yet to accept the dismissal of Babis.
SOT, Mikulas Kroupa, director of NGO Post Bellum (Czech): “History teaches us what freedom is and how freedom engages with us. Because our grandfathers and grandmothers were dying for freedom and human rights and our parents know very well what dictator regime is.”
SOT, Matyas Borovsky, student (Czech): “These two gentlemen [Zeman and Babis] whose words cause nausea to big part of society, and for who the constitution is just a piece of paper, are very average politicians. They just are able to get into good positions, destroy, discredit, attack or not give fair opportunities to people around.”
SOT, Elva Frouz, priest (Czech): “We are here to show that we are not interested in stability coming from fear, manipulation and lies.
Hmm, not sure about these “democracy and freedom” they demonstrate for. In some way this demonstration looks like anti+government, pro+EU demonstrations in Hungary and in Poland.
“Babis is primarily a businessman, he is the owner of Agrofert, a large agro-food company. The success of Agrofert allowed him to consolidate several leading press and television titles. Since 2011 Babis is a leader of the ANO party. The party bases its message on two slogans: “The country has to be ruled like a business company,” and “I am so rich that I do not have to steal.” Babis have not professed any specific ideology.” however “The Slovak equivalent of the Institute of National Remembrance revealed that Babisz was a collaborator of the State Security(StB), secret police in communist Czechoslovakia.. It is also said that he embodies the threat of “Ukrainianisation” of the Czech state “(the above is description of Babis taken from the article Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita)
Tennessee Bans BLM And Antifa On Campuses
As originally reported on news media watchdog and Breitbart, All across America, public universities are shutting down free speech in keeping with the fascist policies of the democratic party. If a conservative speaker wants to speak to a campus, where they have been invited, liberal university officials merely canceled their appearance based on “making some students uncomfortable” or “for the safety of the students.” That is no longer the case in Tennessee, where BLM and Antifa will be expressly forbidden by law to shut down conservative speakers. School officials cannot cancel speakers they don’t agree with, nor can they punish professors who mention conservative ideals as long as they conform to the class that is being taught.
http://www.nygazette.us/tennessee-bans-blm-and-antifa-on-campuses/
Channel 4 – UN Chief: “Climate change is the defining element of our time” (interview)
Antonio Guterres has been the world’s top diplomat for just a few months – but the new United Nations chief has delivered a robust defence of international co-operation, while admitting his institution does need reform. Antonio Guterres gave his first speech in London last week since his appointment… saying he still had to deal with doubts about the UN’s value from its most important funder – the United States. We asked him then whether he thought the world appeared in a more perilous state than at any time since its foundation.
German prosecutors charge two nationalists with planning attacks on refugees (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-attacks-nationalists-idUSKCN18E21C?il=0
“Two German nationalists plotted a nail bomb and petrol bomb attack on Muslims and asylum seekers, German prosecutors said on Thursday when they charged the men with terrorism and being part of an organized cell.
The pair, Daniel A., 41, and Marcel L., 29, were also charged with explosives and firearms offences in connection with their activities in a far-right group, which went by the English name of the Oldschool Society (OSS).
Far-right ideology is gaining popularity in poorer, eastern parts of Germany, and, on Thursday, a report on radicalization commissioned by the economics ministry said xenophobia and right-wing extremism were a serious threat to social peace and economic development in the region…”
Islamic State kills villagers as fighting with Syrian army rages near highway (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-islamic-state-idUSKCN18E1K2
“Islamic State attacked a village near the main road between Aleppo and Homs on Thursday, killing many residents, Syrian state media and a war monitor said.
The jihadist group has lost large swathes of territory recently in Syria after expanding rapidly in 2014 and 2015, and is under assault from a U.S.-backed coalition of Arab and Kurdish militias as well as by the army, backed by Russia.
However, it still mounts occasional counter attacks including a swift advance in December to capture Palmyra, which it held for several weeks before the army retook the city.
The insurgents said on a social media feed it had captured the village of Aqarib al-Safi, but the government-run SANA news agency reported that the attack had been repulsed.
SANA said Islamic State fighters had killed 20 people in the village before the army and allied militia drove them away. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that clashes were still going on there and in the village of al-Saboura…”
Top senator calls for removal of Turkey’s U.S. ambassador (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-turkey-protests-idUSKCN18E1OT?il=0
“U.S. Senator John McCain, one of the leading foreign policy voices in Congress, on Thursday urged the expulsion of Turkey’s U.S. ambassador after violence erupted between protesters and Turkish security personnel during President Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit.
“We should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America … This kind of thing cannot go unresponded to diplomatically,” McCain, the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told MSNBC in an interview on Thursday, adding that legal action could also be pursued.”
Turkey wants U.S. envoy on Islamic State removed over Kurdish policy (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-turkey-erdogan-idUSKCN18E0H6?il=0
“Turkey said on Thursday the U.S. special envoy in the battle against Islamic State should be removed because he supported Kurdish militants, and warned that Ankara would act unilaterally if it faced attack from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.
The comments, which followed a White House meeting on Tuesday between President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump, reflected Turkish anger at Trump’s decision to arm YPG fighters who are part of a force aiming to recapture the Islamic State-held Syrian city of Raqqa…”
Iran says new U.S. sanctions on missile work show ‘ill will’ (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-usa-sanctions-idUSKCN18E1WS?il=0
“Iran said on Thursday that new U.S. sanctions targeting its ballistic missile program show Washington’s “ill will” and could undermine the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, state television reported.
The U.S. Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned two senior Iranian defense officials, an Iranian company, a Chinese man and three Chinese firms for backing ballistic missile development in Iran. Separately, however, Washington also extended wider sanctions relief for Iran called for under the nuclear accord…”
Saudi Arabia says Trump visit will bolster cooperation, trade: foreign minister (reuters, May 18, 2017)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-gulf-idUSKCN18E203?il=0
“U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia will reinforce the partnership between the two countries in combating militancy and in bolstering trade and commercial agreements, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Thursday.
Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference his country was very supportive of the policies the Trump administration was pursuing on Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and global counter-terrorism.
Saudi Arabia will also increase cooperation with countries countering Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Al-Jubeir said.”
DAILY MAIL – AUSTRALIA – ‘They’re taking us for fools’: Pauline Hanson ‘disgusted’ six Iranian refugees were allowed to stay in Australia despite being caught holidaying in Iran
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has blasted six Iranian refugees who lied
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton cancelled their visas but that’s overturned
The Queensland senator took aim at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
She said the deceptive refugees caught holidaying in Iran had ‘taken us for fools’
Pauline Hanson has blasted six Iranian refugees for fooling Australia after they were caught holidaying in the Islamic theocracy they had fled.
The One Nation leader was weighed into the controversy involving half a dozen men who arrived in Australia from Iran between 2009 and 2014.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton cancelled their visas however the Administrative Appeals Tribunal has overturned his decision and allowed them to stay.
Senator Hanson has blasted the tribunal’s former member Duncan Kerr, a former Labor attorney-general whose term expired this week.
‘I’m disgusted and I’m fed up with this,’ she said in a Twitter video.
The former small business owner from Queensland said the six refugees had fooled Australia.
‘They’re taking us for fools. That’s right, fools,’ Senator Hanson said.
‘And when we have these people in these tribunals who are overturning decent, common sense decisions, what hope is there?.’
Senator Hanson said the refugees had showed their deceit and taken advantage of Australian taxpayers.
‘They couldn’t have been too concerned about their life because they have gone back to Iran to visit for holidays or family, and actually one got married,’ she said.
‘We don’t need these legal refugees that are coming to our country. They’re getting on disability pensions. They’re not working.
‘They’re in public housing. They’re being looked after, their health – all the rest of it.’
The senator said Australia should brace for a ‘flood of refugees’ if Labor won the next election.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4517600/Pauline-Hanson-slams-Iranian-refugees-lied-visa.html
Turkey calls on Donald Trump to sack US diplomat co-ordinating war with Isil
Turkey has called on Donald Trump to sack the US diplomat responsible for co-ordinating the international coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), accusing him of backing Syrian Kurdish fighters that Ankara insists are terrorists.
The Turkish government blames Brett McGurk, a US diplomat who served under both George W Bush and Barack Obama, for the recent US decision to supply arms to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, which Turkey considers a front for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist group.
“Brett McGurk is definitely giving support to PKK and YPG. It would be useful if this person was replaced,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told NTV television.
Last year, Mr McGurk visited YPG members who controlled the Syrian town of Kobane and was awarded a plaque, which drew Turkey’s wrath. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan angrily told Washington at the time to choose between Ankara and “terrorists”. There was no immediate reaction from the US.
The latest demand from Turkey came two days after Erdogan’s bodyguards appeared to attack a crowd of Kurdish protesters who gathered outside a Turkish diplomatic residence in Washington DC.
Attacking the small group of protesters with their fists and feet, men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled on a sidewalk. Another wrenches a woman’s neck and throws her to the ground. A man with a bullhorn is repeatedly kicked in the face. In all, nine people were hurt.
The Turkish embassy blamed the protesters for the violence saying they were “aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet” President Erdogan during his visit to America. But the US State Department said it was it was raising its concerns with the Turkish government over the violence.
“Violence is never an appropriate response to free speech, and we support the rights of people everywhere to free expression and peaceful protest,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. “We are communicating our concern to the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms.”
Mr Erdogan met Trump at the White House on Tuesday, with the two leaders pledging to improve ties between the NATO allies – even as Erdogan gave a stern warning about Washington’s arming of Kurdish militia in Syria.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to take the YPG-PYD into consideration as partners in the region, and it’s going against a global agreement we reached,” Mr Erdogan said in Washington, referring to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, whose armed wing is the YPG.
The United States sees the YPG as the most effective force on the ground in the fight against Islamic State militants.
Turkey is keen to join a future battle to recapture the de facto Isil capital of Raqqa in Syria, but only if Kurdish militia forces do not participate.
US officials told Ankara that the YPG would not constitute a threat for Turkey and that arms supplied by Washington would be used in Raqqa and in the south, not against Turkey, Mr Cavusoglu said.
Speaking to reporters at the Turkish embassy in Washington, Erdogan said he told Trump that if there were a YPG attack, Mr Ankara would act unilaterally.
“We clearly told them if there is any attack by the YPG against Turkey, we will apply the rules of engagement without asking anyone,” he was quoted as saying by the Hurriyet newspaper on Thursday.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/turkey-calls-donald-trump-sack-us-diplomat-coordinating-fight/
Turkey Demands US Anti-Terror Envoy Firing in Latest Trump-Erdogan Spat
The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has called for an anti-terror US envoy to be removed from his post. Mr. Cavusoglu claimed that Brett McGurk — the US special envoy to the coalition against Daesh — supports Kurdish militants.
The spat comes after a bruising few days for Turkish US relations after Turkish President Erdogan’s visit to Washington.
In the Oval Office, President Donald Trump smiled warmly at Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
“We’ve had a great relationship and we will make it even better,” Trump insisted. “We look forward to having very strong and solid discussions.”
However, such bonhomie was short-lived. The US-Turkish relationship is strained and has become more so since Erdogan’s high-profile visit to Washington.
On Thursday, May 18, Erdogan’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called on President Trump to fire Brett McGurk, Trump’s US special envoy to the coalition against Daesh.
The bullish demand from a Turkish official comes just days after President Erdogan told President Trump that Turkey has the right to take military measures if it is attacked by the Syrian Kurdish militia People’s Protection Units (YPG) without holding consultations with the US in advance.
The furor over bloody violence by President Erdogan’s security detail against anti-Erdogan US protesters outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington is also still festering.
The negative public relations diplomatic situation between the US and Turkey leaves President Trump in a difficult situation.
The US relies on Turkish support in the Middle East as part of their regional anti-terror strategy.
However, Ankara regards the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which it has been locked in a deadly decades-old insurgency in southeast Turkey. The US, meanwhile, views the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia as an ally in the fight against Daesh.
President Trump has also faced public derision at home for not officially condemning President Erdogan’s human rights record and for congratulating Erdogan on winning a mid-April referendum, which was widely seen as an authoritarian power grab.
The fight against Daesh is likely to be on the agenda for when President Trump embarks on his first international trip as president, which will take him to the Middle East, specifically, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201705181053745092-turkey-us-envoy-spat/
DECEMBER 2015 – BBC Newsnight –
‘They have to be destroyed’: Brett McGurk on fighting IS militants
Brett McGurk, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, tells Evan Davis how the group can be destroyed, and what he thinks of David Cameron’s 70,000 moderate rebels estimate.
“David Dawes won the Euromillions jackpot with his wife Angela in 2011, but was taken to court by his son, an Afghanistan veteran, Michael Dawes, 32, who said he was ‘ungenerous in spirit’.
But a judge has ruled the millionaire father does not need to keep bailing out his son, who burnt through £1.6million in two years, and came back for me, failing to heed his stepmother’s advice to stop eating at the Ritz and go to McDonald’s instead.
He comprehensively dismissed Michael and partner James Beedle’s claim, ruling: ‘There was no basis on which any rational or normal human being could conclude that they could go back for more money whenever they wanted”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4518356/Ex-Navy-sailor-sues-101m-EuroMillions-winner-father.html
“no basis on which any rational or normal human being could conclude”
Islam, Socialism, Sexantasy.
Made in the UK
The Anonymous Sources of Washington Post and CNN Fake News
How fake news gets made.
May 18, 2017
Daniel Greenfield
Media fake news is everywhere.
No, the new health care bill does not treat rape as a pre-existing condition and Republicans did not celebrate its passage with beer.
The latest media outrage is driven by a Washington Post story about intelligence disclosures based on claims by anonymous sources. The Post’s big hit pieces are mainly based on anonymous sources.
Its latest hit piece runs a quote from, “a former senior U.S. official who is close to current administration officials.” That’s an anonymous source quoting hearsay from other anonymous sources.
This isn’t journalism. It’s a joke.
Last week, the Washington Post unveiled a story based on “the private accounts of more than 30 officials at the White House.” The fake news story falsely claimed that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein threatened to resign.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/266714/anonymous-sources-washington-post-and-cnn-fake-daniel-greenfield
Socialist Elite of Venezuela Parties While the People Starve
May 18, 2017
Daniel Greenfield
In Venezuela, the people are starving. Schools are deserted. Hospitals have no medicine. There are food riots and the streets are full of people protesting the Socialist regime. While people starve, the kids, mistresses and assorted elite camp followers are living the good life.
That’s what the VVsincensura Twitter account exposes by harvesting social media. Here are the rich kids of Venezuela’s Socialist elite.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/266744/socialist-elite-venezuela-parties-while-people-daniel-greenfield
The Iran Election Farce
President Trump must close Iran’s illegal election sites.
May 18, 2017
Kenneth R. Timmerman
Iranian voters go to the polls on Friday to select a new president from a list of the regime faithful chosen for them by the Supreme Leader and his aptly-named Guardians Council.
Many opposition groups, both inside Iran and in exile, have called for a boycott on these sham elections, which are a masquerade of democracy.
Regime supporters whined when the leftist government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shut down polling stations set up by the Islamic State of Iran’s embassy in Toronto, arguing that Western governments should want more voting by Iranians, not less.
But these elections are as free as those held by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, or by Saddam Hussein in Iraq in the 1980s. Stalin’s famous dictum – it’s not the people who vote who count, it’s the people who count the votes – is nowhere more true today than in Islamic Iran.
And while incumbent president Hassan Rouhani is trying to position himself as an election-eve convert to moderate policies, his supporters cannot name a single political prisoner who owes his or her freedom to Rouhani’s intervention, or to a single political execution Rouhani helped to block.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/266742/iran-election-farce-kenneth-r-timmerman
Here’s Who’s Responsible for the Sharp Rise in Cop Killings
Read more at http://trumptrainnews.com/articles/here-s-who-s-responsible-for-the-sharp-rise-in-cop-killings#1FTLSgvg0kWOyQ70.99
Is Black Lives Matter responsible for a dramatic increase in cop killings?
According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the number of police killed in the line of duty has skyrocketed 39% in 2017.
So far, 50 police officers have been killed in 2017—including 16 who were killed due to gunfire. At this time in 2016, just 36 officers had been killed.
A likely reason for the increase is the wave of Black Lives Matter protests over the past year—protests that revolved around a handful of incidents where white cops shot unarmed black men. The protests have had the effect of demonizing police officers.
President Trump highlighted police killings during a speech at a memorial ceremony on Monday for fallen police officers, at the start of National Police Week in Washington.
“We are living through an era in which our police have been subject to unfair defamation and vilification, and even worse… hostility and violence,” Trump told the crowd. “More officers were slain last year in ambushes than in any year in more than two decades.”
Trump, who has repeatedly praised law enforcement and criticized President Obama’s lack of commitment to police, also had the White House lit up in blue lights—in honor of the men and women keeping America’s streets safe.
Read more at http://trumptrainnews.com/articles/here-s-who-s-responsible-for-the-sharp-rise-in-cop-killings#1FTLSgvg0kWOyQ70.99
One woman is dead and 23 others injured after a car sped on to a pavement in New York City’s Times Square, the fire department says.
The 26-year-old driver, a former US armed service member and US citizen, is in custody.
“There is no indication that this was an act of terrorism,” said New York Mayor Bill De Blasio.
The red Honda jumped the kerb at 45th Street and Broadway during lunch hour.
Photos showed the sedan partially on its side on the pavement with smoke and flames spewing from the bonnet.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39968710
Looks like this may be a drunk driver….
And then again, may be not:
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/865288289208676353
Man who helped subdue driver in NYC says he believes it was an intentional attack
https://twitter.com/Rambobiggs/status/865286625944891393
BREAKING: Another incident just happened on Staten Island. 5 People struck by vehicle: 1 dead, 3 very critical.
https://twitter.com/TEN_GOP/status/865248418414854144
Roger Ailes fell and hit his head days before he died, 911 call report shows
‘There is serious bleeding’
http://www.fox4now.com/news/national/roger-ailes-fell-and-hit-his-head-days-before-he-died-911-call-report-shows
Seth Rich was the young DNC staffer who leaked emails to WikiLeaks and was murdered for it.
Is this just a coincidence?
Set (Seth, Setekh, Sut, Sutekh, Suty) was one of ancient Egypt’s earliest gods, a god of chaos, confusion, storms, wind, the desert and foreign lands. In the Osiris legends, he was a contender to the throne of Osiris and rival to Horus, but a companion to the sun god Ra. Originally worshiped and seen as an ambivalent being, during the Third Intermediate Period the people vilified him and turned him into a god of evil.”
Set, Being Worshiped by Aapehty
Depicted as a man with the head of a ‘Sut animal’ (or a ‘Typhonian animal’ because of the Greek identification with Typhon), or as a full ‘Set animal’ the god is unrecognizable as any one particular animal today. He was also identified with other animals, such as the hippopotamus, the pig and the donkey, which were often abhorred by the Egyptians. These animals were sacred to him. Set’s followers took the form of these animals, as well as crocodiles, scorpions, turtles and other ‘evil’ or dangerous creatures. Some fish were sacred to Set, too – the Nile carp, the Oxyrynchus or the Phagrus fish – because they were thought to have eaten the phallus of Osiris after Set chopped him to pieces.
Seth is the replacement for Cain and Abel.
Genesis 5:3-8
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.
****
Parents who survived concentration camp but lost their children, often named their first “replacement” child, “Seth”.
Jerusalem Post Arab-Israeli Conflict
ISRAEL INDICTS GAZAN FOR SMUGGLING HAMAS EXPLOSIVES IN MEDICAL SUPPLIES
BYYONAH JEREMY BOB MAY 18, 2017 12:51
Muta, 59, was arrested in April after attempting to smuggle explosive materials into Israel within medical supplies on behalf of Hamas.
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Gaza-woman-indicted-for-smuggling-Hamas-explosives-in-medical-supplies-492110
P.S. – wait for the corporate media to report that Israel just arrested a Palestinian humanitarian who was transporting medical supplies…
Math, German, violence The timetable of anxiety at Berlin’s schools
More brutal fights, more students coming to school with a knife. And even more students who are victims of sexual assaults. Berlin schools are increasingly dangerous. This can be seen from the current statistics on the educational administration for the past school semester.
Accordingly, the number of reported serious incidents of violence rose to 430. This is clearly more cases than in previous years for the entire school year. In 40 cases, students used weapons, mostly knives, but also bludgeons or peppers. A value that was reached only a few years ago only during the entire school year.
In addition, 45 sexual assaults were reported in the first half of the year – this also represents a significant increase. “Here, Internet access is also taken into account,” emphasized Beate Stoffers, spokesperson for the education administration.
The use of weapons is also worrying: 13 cases were reported, mostly stabbing…… (google translated)
http://www.berliner-kurier.de/berlin/kiez—stadt/mathe–deutsch–gewalt-der-stundenplan-der-angst-an-berlins-schulen-26921632
YALE DEAN IS PLACED ON LEAVE OVER OFFENSIVE YELP REVIEWS
BY PAT EATON-ROBB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beehive Thief Busted By Fresno Authorities
AP
Tulsa Officer Not Guilty in Man’s Shooting Death
AP
First Look Inside Atlanta’s $1.5 Billion Stadium
AP
Beehive Thief Busted By Fresno Authorities
AP
Tulsa Officer Not Guilty in Man’s Shooting Death
AP
More videos:
Tulsa Officer Not Guilty in Man’s Shooting Death
First Look Inside Atlanta’s $1.5 Billion Stadium
Beehive Thief Busted By Fresno Authorities
Tulsa Officer Not Guilty in Man’s Shooting Death
First Look Inside Atlanta’s $1.5 Billion Stadium
Beehive Thief Busted By Fresno Authorities
Tulsa Officer Not Guilty in Man’s Shooting Death
First Look Inside Atlanta’s $1.5 Billion Stadium
Beehive Thief Busted By Fresno Authorities
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Yale University dean has been placed on leave over offensive reviews she made on Yelp, including one in which she refers to customers of a local restaurant as “white trash.”
Pierson College Dean June Chu issued a public apology Saturday after reviews from her personal Yelp account began circulating at the Ivy League school.
Pierson Head Stephen Davis sent an email Thursday informing members of the residential college that Chu had been placed on leave after he discovered there were numerous “reprehensible posts,” not the two he had been led to believe existed.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_YALE_DEAN_YELP_REVIEWS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-05-18-10-45-28
Car drives into crowd in Times Square
NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement official says driver who plowed into crowd in Times Square is in custody, being tested for alcohol.
A car traveling through Times Square has driven into a crowd of pedestrians, injuring several people.
Television images taken at the scene midday Thursday showed people being taken away on stretchers.
The car came to rest with two of its wheels in the air, leaning on a lamppost and steel barriers intended to block vehicles from getting onto the sidewalk.
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=24593?omhide=true
VATICAN – Les Églises allemandes encouragent l’accueil des migrants
Les représentants allemands des Églises catholiques, évangéliques et orthodoxes ont signé un document commun pour dénoncer la xénophobie. Car la xénophobie ou toute autre attitude de rejet liée à la diversité des ethnies et des cultures ne sont pas compatibles avec la foi chrétienne, ont affirmé les leaders religieux peut-on lire dans l’Osservatore Romano du 18 mai.
Ce texte rédigé en vue de la 42è semaine interculturel qui se tient du 24 au 301 septembre prochain sur le thème « la diversité unit », a été présenté mi-mai par l’archevêque de Munich et Freising et président de la Conférence épiscopale allemande, le Cardinal Reinhard Marx, par l’évêque Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, président du Conseil de l’Eglise évangélique, et par le métropolite orthodoxe Augustinos.
Au centre du document commun, principalement la question très épineuse en Allemagne de l’accueil des migrants et des réfugiés arrivant du Moyen-Orient et d’Afrique. « Comme les Églises chrétiennes l’affirment très clairement: la politique qui alimente la xénophobie, qui soutient la peur de l’aliénation des intérêts nationaux,, qui maintient une connaissance culturelle nationaliste et remet en doute les libertés fondamentales, est une approche incompatible avec le chrétien » ont écrit les représentants des Églises, en soulignant la croyance que l’Allemagne en dépit d’être très occupé à l’avant de l’accueil des réfugiés, peut faire beaucoup plus.
Ainsi, ils appellent l’Allemagne à aller encore plus loin dans l’accueil des migrants, car le pays « a vu sa société se développer dans la vie de tous les jours avec les couleurs des générations d’immigrés », et « aujourd’hui leurs fils ou leurs neveux font naturellement partie de notre société » ont-ils estimé. Ils ont enfin salué et remercié pour leur travail les « centaines de milliers de volontaires dans les paroisses et les associations qui ont joué un rôle fondamentale pour promouvoir la culture de l’intégration ».
http://fr.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/05/18/allemagne_catholiques,_%C3%A9vang%C3%A9liques_et_orthodoxes_encourage_l%E2%80%99accueil_des_migrants/1313244
Hungary is ready to battle it out with Brussels over Article 7 proceedings
János Lázár, head of the Prime Minister’s Office, has said that the latest developments will only bring Hungarians closer together and ensure that Hungary will fight for its survival
Hungary has said that it will contiune its long and unnecessarily drawn out battle with Brussels after the European Parliament initiated Article 7 proceedings against the nation yesterday.
János Lázár, head of the Prime Minister’s Office, has said that the latest developments will only bring Hungarians closer together and ensure that Hungary will fight for its survival.
One of the principal issues of the next general election will be to determine how much Hungary will have in deciding its own fate. He added that there are more and more events which call for increased national unity, and it is therefore important that more than the already submitted 1.5 million people answer the national consultation questionnaire.
Lázár added that new law on higher education meets European norms, therefore Hungary is ready to undergo all assessments and was surprised by the latest developments.
The minister said that the draft resolution proposing Article 7 represented a “threat and an attempt to pressurize” Hungary.
It will be the umpteenth assessment by the EP about Hungary so “there is nothing new about it,” he said.
He added that he believed all universities operating in Hungary should be affected by equal regulations, including US financier George Soros’s Central European University. Soros has a strong lobby in Brussels and he has “huge influence on the left wing,” Lázár said. Hungary will not yield to pressure, he added.
Lázár said that the EP passed judgment on Hungary “in a way that suits George Soros’ taste” because Hungary wants to withdraw the privileges of the Soros university. Those that voted for the stricter resolution voted against Hungary and “we cannot accept that,” he said.
The EP’s resolution calls on the Hungarian government to suspend the deadlines included in the new higher education bill and undertake the obligation that the CEU can stay in Budapest as a free institution.
In regards to immigration, Lázár said that the problems should not be solved within European boundaries, but locally, from where they originate. Hungary wishes to spend its money on Hungarian people, rather than on relocated migrants, he concluded.
http://abouthungary.hu/news-in-brief/hungary-is-ready-to-battle-it-out-with-brussels-after-the-eps-unnecessarily-initiating-article/
======================================================
Hungary is ready to face investigation of European Parliament
May 18, 2017 11:04 AM
The new higher education legislation conforms to the relevant European legal norms, and Hungary is therefore ready to face all investigations, János Lázár said in response to the Wednesday resolution adopted by the European Parliament with respect to the situation in Hungary after his forum held with the participation of members of the public in the locality of Kiszombor in Csongrád County.
The Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office described the motion for resolution seeking preparations for the launch of the procedure under Article 7 as “a threat and an exertion of pressure”. He remarked: this will be the umpteenth investigation in the European Parliament against Hungary, „there is nothing new about this”. He stressed that, in his view, the same rules must apply to every university operating in Hungary, including György Soros’s Central European University.
Mr Lázár said: György Soros’s lobby in Brussels is strong, “Soros has enormous influence over the left”. Hungary will not yield to the exertion of political pressure, he stated.
At the forum, Mr Lázár said in the context of the decision of the European Parliament adopted on Wednesday: the European Parliament condemned the country “in a manner that is pleasing for György Soros” because it intended to withdraw the privileges formerly enjoyed by the Soros university. Those who voted for the more stringent resolution voted against Hungary. “We cannot accept this”, the Minister said.
In its Wednesday resolution, the European Parliament called upon the Hungarian Government, inter alia, to suspend the deadlines stated in the new higher education legislation and to assume an obligation to ensure that the Central European University may remain in Budapest as a free institution.
http://www.kormany.hu/en/prime-minister-s-office/news/hungary-is-ready-to-face-investigation-of-european-parliament