Reader’s links June 26, 2017

Posted on by

Daily Links Post graphic

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

113 Replies to “Reader’s links June 26, 2017”

  1. Fake News: Washington Post Claims Thomas Jefferson Held White House Iftar Dinner to ‘Celebrate Ramadan’ (breitbart, Jun 25, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/06/25/fake-news-washington-post-claims-thomas-jefferson-held-white-house-iftar-dinner-celebrate-ramadan/

    “The establishment media became upset this weekend after President Donald Trump canceled the “White House Muslim Iftar Dinner tradition started by Thomas Jefferson.” But the media is wrong in every respect. Thomas Jefferson never held any Iftar dinner and only three out of 45 presidents ever hosted one, so there is no such “tradition” to cancel.

    Amy B. Wang of the Washington Post led the pack with this nonsense that Thomas Jefferson held the “first Iftar dinner” with a June 24 piece entitled, “Trump just ended a long tradition of celebrating Ramadan at the White House.”

    The often-used claim that Thomas Jefferson held the first Iftar dinner at the White House was trotted out by the Post’s Wang. She recounted the time when the diplomatic envoy from the Bey of Tunis, Sidi Soliman Melli Melli, visited Washington during Ramadan in 1805.

    Jefferson invited the envoy to the White House for dinner at 3:30 PM—the time most Washingtonians had dinner in those days. But after he sent the invitation he was told that Melli Melli could not partake of a meal until after sunset because of Ramadan. Thomas Jefferson was faced with two choices: cancel the dinner entirely or simply have the meal later in the evening at a time when his guest could attend. As a good host and a decent person, Jefferson chose the latter.

    In fact, all Jefferson did was change the time of his meal. He had no intention of honoring Islam. Jefferson simply was not honoring the religion of “the Musselmen”—as he termed Muslims at the time—when he changed the time of the meal. Also, there is no evidence that Jefferson asked Melli Melli what sort of food a “Musselman” would eat, so no special food was prepared to suit a Muslim’s religious needs. Jefferson neither inquired about religious accommodations nor was any made. All he did was move the time of the meal as a courtesy.

    Further, Jefferson sent no letters containing proclamations about the meal being an Iftar dinner nor mentioning Islam, he never mentioned such honors in his private papers, and there is no record that he spoke to anyone about his intentions to honor the Muslim practice of an Iftar dinner.

    To the Post’s Wang, that Jefferson had a dinner at all was somehow proof positive that he invented a “tradition” of some sort. As “proof” that it was an Iftar dinner, Wang quoted the words of liberal historian John Ragosta who gave the scintillating argument, “Yeah, it sounds to me like an Iftar dinner.”

    Wang went on to insist there has been a “modern tradition” of having an Iftar dinner at the White House. But in truth, only three presidents in all of American history ever held an Iftar dinner.

    Bill Clinton held the first one, a politically motivated dinner aimed at peeling Muslim voters away from the GOP, since at the time the growing Muslim-American community leaned toward becoming a Republican constituency.

    George W. Bush, in a diplomatic effort, followed Clinton’s practice of holding Iftar dinners because he wanted to prove that the U.S. wasn’t looking to go to war with all of Islam in the wake of the attacks on 9/11/2001 and the subsequent implementation of the war on terror.

    Naturally, Barack Obama held them because he had a personal connection to Islam through his childhood, growing up in Indonesia and raised during that time as a Muslim.

    But three presidents out of 45 does not make a “tradition.”

    In her ahistorical article, Wang also quotes John Quincy Adams who expressed “with an air of fascination” his dinner with the Tunisian envoy, but quotes Adams without also noting that the president thought Islam was a terrible and brutal creed.

    What Adams thought about Islam is instructive. For instance, he described Islam as a religion of hate in a piece he wrote in the late 1820s:

    The natural hatred of the Mussulmen towards the infidels is in just accordance with the precepts of the Koran. … The fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion is the extirpation of hatred from the human heart. It forbids the exercise of it, even towards enemies. … In the 7th century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab … spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. … He declared undistinguishing and exterminating war as a part of his religion. … The essence of his doctrine was violence and lust, to exalt the brutal over the spiritual part of human nature.

    Other prominent Americans at the time also disparaged Islam.

    The father of American jurisprudence, Justice Joseph Story, throughly slammed Islam:

    Mahomet aimed to establish his pretensions to divine authority, by the power of the sword and the terrors of his government; while he carefully avoided any attempts at miracles in the presence of his followers, and all pretences to foretell things to come. His acknowledging the divine mission of Moses and Christ confirms their authority as far as his influence will go while their doctrines entirely destroy all his pretensions to the like authority. … And now, where is the comparison between the supposed prophet of Mecca, and the Son of God; or with what propriety ought they to be named together? …The difference between these characters is so great, that the facts need not be further applied.

    Other founders agreed. Both Ben Franklin and John Quincy’s famed father, John Adams, criticized Islam as a doctrine of war, not a religion.

    It is true, of course, that the founders intended that Americans should be allowed to practice Islam if they wanted to. There was no thought to outlaw Islam. In fact, some even wrote that Muslims should be allowed to attain political office. After all, we did start the country on the ideal of religious freedom. But no founder felt that Islam was something we should emulate. None felt that Islam had ideas that could be incorporated into the American ethos. And Islam played no part at all in our founding. Those who say it did, such as Barack Obama, are bending over backwards — and illegitimately so — to try and shoehorn Islam into our founding.

    After all, it should also be remembered that one of our earliest military actions was against Muslims when Jefferson fought the Barbary Pirates. But historical facts do not seem to enter into the liberal world view.

    During several of his Iftar dinners, Barack Obama also regurgitated the nonsense that Islam is part of our founding and that Jefferson held the “first Iftar dinner in the White House.”

    No better example of this garbling of the truth can be seen than that in the words of Barack Obama. For his 2012 Iftar dinner celebration, for instance, Obama said the following:

    As I’ve noted before, Thomas Jefferson once held a sunset dinner here with an envoy from Tunisia—perhaps the first Iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago. And some of you, as you arrived tonight, may have seen our special display, courtesy of our friends at the Library of Congress—the Koran that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. And that’s a reminder, along with the generations of patriotic Muslims in America, that Islam—like so many faiths—is part of our national story.

    The reference to Jefferson’s so-called Iftar dinner in the 2012 speech was at least a step closer to reality than in the past when he was less equivocal. In 2010 Obama said straight out that Jefferson’s was the first Iftar dinner:

    Tonight, we are reminded that Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity. And Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America. The first Muslim ambassador to the United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by President Jefferson, who arranged a sunset dinner for his guest because it was Ramadan—making it the first known Iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago.

    But it is historical revisionism to say this. Jefferson’s dinner is neither a sure thing nor a “perhaps.” President Thomas Jefferson simply did not hold any Iftar dinner in the White House, nor did he intend to honor Islam that day. To claim that the very first president to authorize war against Muslims would have hosted a dinner to honor Islam is an absurdity of the first order.”

    • “And now, where is the comparison between the supposed prophet of Mecca, and the Son of God; or with what propriety ought they to be named together? …The difference between these characters is so great, that the facts need not be further applied.”

      Yet for Socialists and Homosexuals, Muhammad is Greatly Preferred.

      For the one who touches up little girls and other men’s wives, robs from the wealthy, and crushes souls so they are not able to look at him; has no light of conviction to share. Therefore, No sin, no shame. Just Halal and Haram. The crushing blows of Do, and Don’t Do.

      And like Ron Grant also wrote to reinforce the place in his underbelly called Moderate Islam,
      “The West likely has as many Islamophobes as it does Islamic Fundamentalists.”

      To which NorseRadish replied “INSANE. NO HOPE OF RECONCILIATION.”
      https://vladtepesblog.com/2017/06/24/black-pigeon-on-the-layers-of-illegality-of-tenants-of-the-burned-tower/#comment-365027

      So good, it should be on a t-shirt. Except, I’ve already got the t-shirt.

      • Islam will not allow any peaceful co-existence their cult was designed to destroy all who oppose it, Christianity on the other had was designed to be spread peacefully. And don’t bring up the Crusades, they were attempts to liberate Christian lands that the Moslems have stolen through military conquest. Islam and Marxism are both based of forced conversion to their twisted ideologies, neither is willing to peacefully co-exist with any other religion of political ideology.

      • Thank you, Perfectchild.

        Grant’s libel that, “The West likely has as many Islamophobes as it does Islamic Fundamentalists.” is so offensive and irrational to where the only option was pulling the plug. Apologists like Grant have the blood of innocents on their hands.

        • Yes, the blood of innocents and ignorants who do not see what’s coming to them in the expanding company of intolerants who seduce their prey in the name peace and harmony. They accuse their agreeables of being Phobes if they don’t join in.
          https://youtu.be/WzIS-NexJG4

    • I heard the statements of Mr. Obama in 2012 and, not being the most astute pupil of American history while in High School, even then a red flag went up. What I knew was that Islamic pirating in the Med. led to the expansion of the American Navy and the institution of the American Marines, the “leather necks.”
      So, I looked into it.
      What I found out, in a somewhat short survey, was that the Muslim that was in D.C. was actually there to negotiate the muslim ships that the US Navy had captured in exchange for the many western prisoners of the Islamic state. This man, Melli Melli , was quite a sensation in the US as no one had ever seen or heard from the Musselman before. He was the darling of cocktail parties…
      So, Thomas Jefferson invited him to the White House and the envoy from the Islamic state said he couldn’t make it until sunset.
      Just stopping there in this ridiculous story would be enough but no, Mr. Obama needed to go further and claim that Islam has a long history in the US. Well, from what I could find out the earliest history of Islam in the US dates to the discovery in Jamestown of a slave owning a Koran… So an African, captured and sold to Arab slave traders and then sold on to the western slave trade owned a Koran? What could that mean?
      The question of Jefferson’s Koran also comes into question. What I learned was that prior to Thomas Jefferson’s entry to political life he was studying law. Several people told him that there was a different kind of law practiced in other parts of the world called the Koran. The sources I read claim that Jefferson wrote to a publisher in Germany and obtained a copy of the Koran. Some say he annotated it, I don’t know.
      But the entire idea that Islam has been a positive presence in the US is pure bunk made up by ignorant people that have an agenda they are willing to enforce at all costs. Even someone like me can refute that premise with just a little bit of inquiry.
      The only positive result of Islam in our society was the institution of the Marines and the beefing up of our Navy to free thousands of American mercantile sailors from Islamic torture. The truth is that paying the jizya to Barbary in order to let our trading ships go unmolested would have bankrupted the fledgling country once we removed ourselves from British protection..
      So many people want to believe Mr. Obama’s myth. I actually wonder if Mr. Obama doesn’t know that what he said is a myth. I, an inattentive school girl, was able to dispute that myth within an hour.
      Just as an aside, I wouldn’t shut up about it I was so outraged that our President would say such a thing. I remember going over this with my sons and some visitors and seeing the look in their eyes. Oh God, here goes mom about Islam and the Barbary pirates… Most people don’t want to hear an opposing view, the myth is so handy. But I think my children heard me and were forced to consider it.

      • Halal can’t be kosher
        Shechita aside (BIG aside], tards pray over the animal before they slaughter it. Allah has nothing to do with Hashem. Food offered up to strange gods is not kosher.
        So halal is haram, not kosher.

    • The useful idiots will never believe him even if the propaganda media would broadcast his statement.

  3. A woman suffered ‘life changing’ burns after she had acid thrown at her while out celebrating her 21st birthday.

    Resham Khan was left with damage to one eye and extensive burns after being attacked as she drove through Beckton, east London, with her cousin Jameel on Wednesday morning.

    A man ran up and threw acid at both Ms Khan and her cousin through the open car window as they stopped at traffic lights.

    http://www.itv.com/news/london/2017-06-25/21-year-old-attacked-with-acid-on-birthday/

    • It was Ramadan. They were disrespectful. What else should the Sharia Police do?

  5. Sweden has faced one of the most tumultuous and climatic Muslim integration of any open borders nation. They’ve allowed their culture and heritage to be destroyed by savage Muslim invaders who wish to destroy them.

    As refugees continue to pour in the crime has reached catastrophic levels and the Swedish government not only condones the surge of problematic violence they even cover it up.

    Law enforcement in Sweden is fed up with the deception of the masses and they’re speaking out. In fact, they’re not only speaking out but they’re begging for help.

    A recently leaked report came to the conclusion that the number of lawless areas known as “no-go zones” in Sweden now totals 61. That is up from 55 in just one year’s time. This increase includes not only the total number but also the geographical size and radius of each of these areas.

    Sweden’s National Police Commissioner, Dan Eliasson, went onto national television and pleaded for any assistance for not only the Swedish people but the law enforcement agencies which have lost control of their country.

    http://thegoldwater.com/news/4317-Swedish-Civil-War-Imminent-Police-Commissioner-Begs-for-Help

    • “Justin Trudeau Wears Islam-Themed Ramadan Socks to LGBT Pride Parade”

      It’s difficult to believe that even a vacuous git like Trudeau 2.0 can be so utterly clueless. Eff knows that the Pride marchers just lurved his footwear.

  12. EXCLUSIVE-U.S. warship stayed on deadly collision course despite warning-container ship captain

    TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) – A U.S. warship struck by a container vessel in Japanese waters failed to respond to warning signals or take evasive action before a collision that killed seven of its crew, according to a report of the incident by the Philippine cargo ship’s captain.

    Multiple U.S. and Japanese investigations are under way into how the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald and the much larger ACX Crystal container ship collided in clear weather south of Tokyo Bay in the early hours of June 17.

    In the first detailed account from one of those directly involved, the cargo ship’s captain said the ACX Crystal had signalled with flashing lights after the Fitzgerald “suddenly” steamed on to a course to cross its path.

    The container ship steered hard to starboard (right) to avoid the warship, but hit the Fitzgerald 10 minutes later at 1:30 a.m., according to a copy of Captain Ronald Advincula’s report to Japanese ship owner Dainichi Investment Corporation that was seen by Reuters.

    The U.S. Navy declined to comment and Reuters was not able to independently verify the account.

    The collision tore a gash below the Fitzgerald’s waterline, killing seven sailors in what was the greatest loss of life on a U.S. Navy vessel since the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen’s Aden harbour in 2000.

    http://news.trust.org/item/20170626101937-6xsul

  13. Great recession fears as bankers warn next global crash could arrive ‘with a vengeance’

    Next major recession could be brewing in countries like China, a new report warns

    A new financial crisis is brewing in the emerging economies and it could hit “with a vengeance”, an influential group of central bankers has warned.

    Emerging markets such as China are showing the same signs that their economies are overheating as the US and the UK demonstrated before the financial crisis of 2007-08, according to the annual report of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

    Claudio Borio, the head of the BIS monetary and economic department, said a new recession could come “with a vengeance” and “the end may come to resemble more closely a financial boom gone wrong”.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/global-financial-crash-central-bankers-warn-back-with-a-vengeance-china-debt-gdp-ratio-a7807811.html

  15. JAPAN ON NUKE ALERT Japan issues warning over North Korea nuclear missile strike with residents told to seek shelter or lie on ground in terrifying TV broadcast

    In the event of a missile attack – the Japanese government will inform members of the public though speakers across the country
    By Hannah Crouch

    RESIDENTS in Japan have been told to seek shelter or lie on the ground in the event of North Korea missile strike in a terrifying new nationwide television broadcast.

    The half a minute announcement also states people should stay away from windows and protect their heads if they are inside a building should a missile be fired in the direction of Japan from North Korea.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3885014/japan-north-korea-nuclear-missile-strike-warning-tv-broadcast/

    Richard: This reminds me ot the way people in Britain and France were told what to do in case of German bombing attacks, personally if caught out like that laying down in a ditch would be better then just laying down.

      • WWII, there were warnings posted in the papers giving the instructions and instructions given on the radios of how to where to take shelter, this started a month or so before the fighting started. The instructions were given not just in the big cities but in the small towns.

          • That’s OK I tend to forget people don’t know as much about some subjects as I do, and I tend to not watch videos to the end so at times I will post ones that have nasty stuff at the end. But you know I do that because you have caught me on a couple of videos.

  16. Missile Threats Are Surging Worldwide, U.S. Defense Study Finds

    Technology for ballistic and cruise missiles is advancing in countries from North Korea and Iran to Russia and China, increasing potential threats to the U.S. even if they don’t carry nuclear warheads, according to a new Pentagon report.

    “Many countries view ballistic and cruise missile systems as cost-effective weapons and symbols of national power,” defense intelligence agencies said in the report obtained by Bloomberg News in advance of its release. “Many ballistic and cruise missiles are armed with weapons of mass destruction. However, numerous types of ballistic and cruise missiles have achieved dramatic improvements in accuracy that allow them to be used effectively with conventional warheads.”

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-26/missile-threats-are-surging-worldwide-u-s-defense-study-finds

  17. Portland mayor demands to know why cops detained Antifa activists after being pelted with urine, feces
    By Thomas Madison June 25, 2017

    On June 4, there was a confrontation between Trump supporters in Portland, Ore., and Antifa members. Police formed a barrier between the two groups to prevent escalation of an already very intense situation.

    The Antifa thugs began pelting the police, in riot gear, with balloons filled with feces and urine, as well rocks and pieces of brick. That would seem to be more than ample justification for arrests and charges for rioting and/or assaulting police officers.

    Not in Portland, where liberalism is king. Keep in mind, these criminal anarchists were not actually arrested. They were simply detained and allowed to go free within an hour.

    That logic appears to have escaped Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who demanded in a May 13 letter to Chief of Police Mike Marshman an explanation for, among other things, why his officers donned “protective gear,” which might be seen by the protesters as provocative. From the letter:

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/06/25/portland-mayor-demands-know-cops-detained-antifa-activists-pelted-urine-feces/

    Richard: There are some pictures of the weapons taken from antifa at the “peaceful protest” but I doubt if the Mayor cares about that, he is more concerned that antifa wasn’t able to break up the protesters for freedom.

  18. Prof calls for the banning of ‘wealthy white’ frats by colleges, pauses on banning black frats
    By LU Staff June 25, 2017

    All fraternities are created equal, but some are more equal than others. So argues a professor at California’s Occidental College — one of Barack Obama’s alma maters — who militates in favor of colleges banning fraternities that “hoard power and influence.” And which frats might those be? You guess it: the one “specifically for white men.”

    In a Time op-ed discovered by Campus Reform Friday and again on a recent radio show, Lisa Wade, who teaches sociology, argued that the alternative — reform — is “simply not possible.”

    But Wade when addressing black frats Tuesday on Twitter.

    In her op-ed, Wade wrote:

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/06/25/prof-calls-banning-wealthy-white-frats-colleges-pauses-banning-black-frats/

  19. Vile masked Islamists use sledgehammers to destroy graves of British war heroes (express, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/821116/ISIS-Islamists-destroy-British-grave-war-hero-masked-sledgehammer-rampage

    “BARBARIC ISIS militants have desecrated the graves of British war heroes with sledgehammers and crowbars while on a senseless rampage.

    A dozen masked militia ripped apart a cemetery in the former British colony of Aden, Yemen.

    Nearly two thousand graves were vandalised in the spree of destruction and St Joseph Church, which overlooks the graveyard, was razed to the ground.

    Wielding their tools, the fanatics smashed 1,927 graves and monuments at the Hafoon Cemetery in Maal.

    They contain the remains of British military personnel who served in the forces between 1839 and 1967…”

  20. REVEALED: Ten fines issued to hauliers every day after migrants found hiding in lorries (express, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/821391/migrants-hiding-lorries-ten-fines-every-day-hauliers

    “TEN fines are issued to hauliers every day after migrants are found hiding in lorries, figures reveal.

    Home Office data shows 3,522 civil penalties were handed to drivers or their employers in 2016-17 after “clandestine entrants” were discovered – a 12 per cent rise on the tally of 3,151 in the previous year.

    A total of £7.8million worth of fines were issued in the most recent year.

    Fines of up to £2,000 can be imposed for each stowaway if reasonable measures are not taken.

    But the Home Office said “fines are designed to ensure that all drivers take reasonable measures”.

    It said in a statement: “It is in all our interests to combat attempts to enter the UK illegally, which can damage the haulage industry financially and place the safety of drivers at risk…”

  21. ISIS jihadi blows up OWN LEADERS after fighter blows himself up in Mosul (express, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/821399/ISIS-Mosul-Iraq-jihadi-kill-commander-suicide-bomb-attack

    “ISLAMIC State (ISIS) commanders have been wiped out in a suicide bomb attack by one of their own terrorists.

    The jihadi detonated explosives at a meeting in ISIS-controlled Qaim district in Mosul, Iraq, killing a number of leaders and himself.

    It comes as bloodthirsty militants lose ground in their stronghold in Iraq, with their reign of terror confined to an area of about 1km square in Mosul.

    Lieutenant Colonel Salam al-Obeidi believes only “a few hundred Daesh fighters” are left in the Old City…”

  22. London protests over man’s death leave 4 police hospitalized (abcnews, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/london-protests-mans-death-leave-police-hospitalized-48278343

    “Four police officers have been hospitalized and two others less seriously injured following a series of protests in London over the death of a 25-year-old man.

    Activists claim Edir Frederico Da Costa’s neck was broken during a police stop. He died six days later, on June 21.

    The Independent Police Complaints Commission said a preliminary investigation did not indicate spinal injuries caused by police.

    Fires were started and bricks thrown at police as protesters marched through east London. Many carried Black Lives Matter signs and placards reading “Justice for Edson How Many More???”

    Four protesters were arrested on suspicion of arson and criminal damage.

    The protest ended early Monday morning.”

  23. Germany: don’t expect Turkish bodyguards at G-20 (abcnews, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/germany-expect-turkish-bodyguards-20-48277996

    “The German government says it doesn’t expect to see Turkish security agents accused of attacking protesters in Washington during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Hamburg.

    Germany is hosting the leaders of the G-20 powers July 7-8. Police in Washington have issued arrest warrants for a dozen Turkish agents accused in last month’s incident.

    German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said Monday he could “assume with a good conscience that these people who have been incriminated by American judicial authorities won’t set foot on German soil in the foreseeable future, including during the G-20 summit.”

    Schaefer wouldn’t confirm or deny an unsourced report in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that his ministry made clear to Turkey the bodyguards weren’t welcome.”

    • Germany: 12 Turkish presidential bodyguards not permitted at G20 summit after DC visit

      Twelve members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security team accused of alleged involvement in assault on protesters in Washington D.C. last month won’t be allowed to enter the German territory “in the foreseeable future” including for the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg. The announcement was made by German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Schaefer during a press conference in Berlin, Monday.

      SOT, Martin Schaefer, German Foreign Ministry spokesperson (German): “I don’t want to assess what has happened in Washington during the visit of the Turkish president, but have to take note of the fact that apparently several members of the Turkish delegation, seemingly people who were assigned to be the Turkish president’s bodyguards, are subject to international warrants. And I believe, and also have reason to believe, that I can assume that these people who are incriminated by the American criminal justice, will not enter the German territory soon, including during the German G20 summit.”

  25. Philippine army foils militant plot to attack Cotabato City – report (RT, Jun 26, 2017)
    https://www.rt.com/news/394066-philippine-army-militant-plot/

    “The Philippine army has reportedly foiled a plot by militants to take advantage of the military focusing on its battle in Marawi to launch a similar siege on Cotabato City, the Manila Standard reports, citing an intelligence paper.

    The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) raided villages on the island of Mindanao, where fighting against Islamic State-aligned militants has entered its fifth week. However, the army prevented BIFF from attacking Cotabato City, which is home to around 300,000 people.

    “The BIFF was able to mobilize maybe about 200 men plus, more than 100 men from different private and criminal armed groups, to launch a siege in Cotabato City. But they could not cross military lines so they just terrorized communities in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato,” a military commander told the Manila Standard on condition of anonymity.

    Last Wednesday, some 50 armed militants tried to capture a militia outpost in the village of Malagakit. Though they were pushed back, they managed to take dozens of hostages, including children. The situation was resolved after a day-long confrontation with government troops.

    Captain John Arvin Encinas revealed on Sunday that six BIFF fighters, a militiaman, and a farmer were killed in that attack. The militants also desecrated the San Jose Chapel before being repelled…”

  26. US-Led Coalition Launches 12 Strikes Near Syria’s Raqqa – Joint Task Force (sputniknews, Jun 26, 2017)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706261054980229-coalition-strike-raqqa/

    “The US-led coalition against Daesh carried out 21 strikes consisting of 75 engagements against the terror group in Syria and Iraq on Sunday, including 12 strikes near Raqqa that destroyed tactical positions, Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release.

    WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Six additional strikes near Abu Kamal, Al Shadaddi and Deir ez-Zor in Syria destroyed oil storage tactics, buildings and other facilities held by Daesh.
    “Near Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged 12 ISIS [Daesh] tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, four vehicles and a tunnel system,” the release stated on Monday.

    The coalition carried out three strikes consisting of 52 engagements near Mosul and Samarra. One strike near Samarra engaged a Daesh tactical unit, while the Mosul strikes destroyed 20 fighting positions and other targets, including weapons, supplies, buildings and command and control nodes.

    The US-led coalition of 69 members is conducting airstrikes, ground-based and rocket-propelled artillery fire against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. The strikes in Iraq are conducted in support of the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the UN Security Council or the government of President Bashar Assad.”

  27. Islamic State Supporters Hack Local U.S. Government Websites with Jihadist Propaganda (breitbart, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/06/25/islamic-state-supporters-hack-local-u-s-government-websites-with-jihadist-propaganda/

    “Local government agencies in Ohio, New York, and Maryland had their websites hacked by pro-Islamic State cyberattackers Sunday, who replaced the sites with jihadist propaganda.

    “You will be held accountable Trump, you and all your people for every drop of blood flowing in Muslim countries. I Love Islamic state,” was the message blasted on the Howard County, Maryland, government website by a pro-ISIS hacking group called Team System Dz, Fox 5 DC reports.

    Fox 5 published a response from the Howard County government following their report on the hacking, which read:

    Thank you to those who noticed that the Howard County Government website may have been hacked. Our IT team was alerted to the problem, has identified the issue and expects to have it resolved shortly. We apologize for any inconvenience.

    The same organization uploaded the same message on a number of Ohio government websites as well, including the state government’s main website and Governor John Kasich’s website. The websites’ original content was completely replaced by the radical Islamist messages, reports WOSU Public Media.”

  28. German Police: Asylum Seekers Are Taking over Illegal Drug Trade (breitbart, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/26/german-police-worried-asylum-seekers-taking-drug-trade/

    “Police in the northern German region of Schleswig-Holstein have expressed concern over finding more and more asylum seekers involved in peddling illegal narcotics and fear the drug gangs could take over the area using violence.

    Lübeck police are noticing a rise in the number of mass brawls in the city, some of which have seen the use of knives and involving 20 people at a time. Police say there have been 12 such incidents since May and many involve asylum seekers who have links to the illegal drug trade, Schleswig-Holsteinische Zeitungsverlag reports.

    “Regarding some of the brawls, we know they definitely had a drug background,” said Stefan Muhtz, spokesman of the Directorate of Lübeck. Though the men involved are asylum seekers from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and North Africa, Muhtz said: “We are not aware of ethnic conflicts.”

    “The consumption of hard drugs and drug trafficking are increasing,” Muhtz added.

    Traditionally, it has been Germans and Russian-Germans who have been behind illegal drugs trafficking, but police say they have noticed more and more asylum seekers involved.

    Lübeck is not the only place to see mass brawls involving asylum seekers and drugs. In Eutin, four men were injured after a group of 15 asylum seekers fought each other with bats and knives. The market square where the brawl occurred was later declared a “dangerous place” by local police.

    In the German capital of Berlin, police are also noticing an increase of asylum seekers becoming involved in the drug trade. Arab gangs in the city are said to be actively recruiting low-level dealers in asylum homes by enticing them with quick and relatively easy cash.

    In neighbouring Austria, authorities have noticed more and more asylum seekers becoming active in peddling drugs, especially in Vienna. The influx of Nigerian migrants, who make up a vast proportion of those selling drugs on the streets, has driven up drug crime by 10 per cent.

    Another worrying trend that emerged during the investigation into the Berlin Christmas market terror attack has been the increased connection between the drug trade and radical Islamic Salafists. The man responsible for the attack, failed Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri, was known to have been involved selling drugs in Berlin.

    In late May, police in Berlin arrested nine asylum seekers thought to be dealing drugs. They later found out that four of the men were not only radical Islamists but had direct links to the Islamic State terror group.”

  29. Report: Muslim Extremists Drive Anti-Semitic Violence in Western Europe (breitbart, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2017/06/26/report-muslim-extremists-drive-anti-semitic-violence-europe/

    “Individuals of Muslim background stand out among perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence in Western Europe, according to a new report by the University of Oslo Center for Research on Extremism. The next highest offending group was found to be left wing extremists.

    The survey is titled Antisemitic Violence in Europe, 2005-2015, Exposure and Perpetrators in France, UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Russia. It looks at the rate of anti-Semitic attacks in a range of countries, finding Jews’ exposure to anti-Semitic violence appears to have been highest in France in the period surveyed, lower in Sweden and Germany, and lowest in the United Kingdom.

    The survey found that “Russia clearly stands out with a very low number of incidents considering Russia’s relatively large Jewish population. Russia is also the only case in which there is little to indicate that Jews avoid displaying their identity in public.” It adds “attitude surveys do suggest that antisemitism is particularly widespread among those most hostile to Israel.”

    As for who was behind the reported acts, the survey concluded that Muslim extremists clearly lead the way.

    The survey examines the key drivers of anti-Semitic violence and found that religion and anti-Israel sentiment combined to drive most attacks. Attitude surveys corroborate this picture in so far as anti-Semitic attitudes are far more widespread among Muslims than among the general population in Western Europe. It ruled out any link between events in Europe and rising tensions in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict as causal effects. The report said:

    “The number of reported attacks on Jews does not always increase when the conflict in the Middle East flares up… even though some attacks on Jews in Europe do occur in the wake of events in the Middle East, there is no direct causal link between Israeli government actions and subsequent attacks on Jews in Europe. Antisemitic attitudes and violence propensity are likely necessary conditions to trigger such attacks. In other words, events in the Middle East provide individuals in Western Europe who hold antisemitic views and are prone to violence with an occasion to attack Jews.”

    The report’s release comes just two weeks after Franco-German broadcasters were accused of censorship when they shelved a documentary film about European Jews facing persecution by Muslim migrants, saying it was not “balanced” and the topic was “very sensitive”.

    Chosen and Excluded — The Hate for Jews in Europe highlighted anti-Semitism on the continent and depicts the violence Jews experience from Muslim communities in cities such as Paris.

    The socialist mayor of the Paris suburb of Saracelles, François Pupponi, interviewed for the documentary, said pro-Palestinian groups had encouraged hatred of Israel.

    “For a certain number of young people ‘Jew’ and ‘Israel’ are one and the same so if you’re against Israel, you’re also against synagogues,” Mr. Pupponi said.”

  30. After Terror Attacks, Paris Steps up Plans for Eiffel Tower Protection Wall (breitbart, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/26/after-terror-attacks-paris-plans-eiffel-tower-protection-wall/

    “French officials have announced that construction of an eight-foot high bulletproof glass wall around the Eiffel Tower will begin in September, after revelations that the most recent jihadist attacker may have been targeting the iconic Parisian monument…”

  31. Turkey says liberal German mosque ‘incompatible’ with Islam

    Turkey’s religious affairs agency has expressed distaste over a new mosque in Berlin where men and women mingle freely, saying it was incompatible with the principles of Islam.
    Diyanet, which oversees religious activity in Turkey, said that such ideas were in line with projects led by the group of Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey blames for the July 15th failed coup.

    Men and women pray side by side at the mosque that opened earlier this month in Berlin, which has female imams and where Muslims of all sects of the faith are welcome to worship together.

    Supporters of the Ibn Ruschd-Goethe mosque said it would allow liberal Muslims to worship freely but in a tough statement Diyanet took a different stance.

    It said that the mosque “neglects” the basic principles of Islam and was “incompatible with the worship, knowledge and methodology” accumulated since the faith was founded by the Prophet Mohammed 14 centuries ago.

    “It is clear that this has been a project carried out for many years by FETO and other ill-gotten structures for the engineering of religion,” it added.

    “We are convinced that all fellow believers will keep their distance from such provocations and show wisdom in the face of this,” Diyanet said in the statement published late Tuesday.

    Turkey says that the failed coup was carried out by the Fethullah Terror Group (FETO) led by the US-based Gulen. Gulen denies leading any terror organisation and rejects having any hand in the coup bid.

    Diyanet has influence over Muslim worship among the Turkish diaspora through the Ditib organisation controlled by Ankara that manages some 900 mosques or religious communities in Germany. Diyanet sends clerics to work in its mosques.

    Earlier this year, a furore erupted when German police raided the homes of four Turkish Muslim clerics working for Ditib suspected of spying for the government on the movement of Gulen.

    Diyanet later said it had recalled six clerics from Germany for exceeding their authority but lashed out at German police for raiding the homes of the preachers.

    https://www.thelocal.de/20170622/turkey-says-liberal-german-mosque-incompatible-with-islam

    Liberal mosque founder vows to keep it open despite Egyptian fatwa and death threats

    Pro-Erdogan newspaper calls practices ‘prayer of the perverse’

    The founder of a new liberal mosque in Berlin has vowed to keep the building open in the face of death threats and heavy criticism from religious conservatives.

    Seyran Ates told The Guardian she was sent “3,000 emails a day full of hate” about the Ibn-Rushd-Goethe Mosque which allows men and women to pray side by side, instead of segregating them.

    But the 54-year-old remained defiant. “The pushback I am getting makes me feel that I am doing the right thing,” she said.

    Open to both Sunni and Shiite worshippers, as well as members of the LGBTQ community, the mosque shares its premises with a protestant church.

    But Ms Ates said no-one wearing a niqab or burqa is allowed entry, claiming the garments are a political statement.

    The mosque’s foundation was condemned by Egypt’s state-run Islamic organisation, Dar al-Ifta al-Masriyyah, which said that men and women praying side by side was incompatible with Islam

    The country’s al-Azhar university responded to the new institution by issuing a law banning the foundation of liberal mosques.

    Diyanet, Turkey’s religious authority, also criticised it.

    It said that its practices “do not align with Islam’s fundamental resources, principles of worship, methodology or experience of more than 14 centuries, and are experiments aimed at nothing more than depraving and ruining religion”.

    The religious association linked the mosque to the network of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkish authorities have accused of being behind last year’s failed coup.

    Ms Ates has denied any connection to Mr Gulen.

    Turkey’s pro-government Sabah newspaper said the mosque practices “the so-called prayer of the perverse”.

    Ms Ates, who moved from Turkey to Germany as a child, has criticised the oppression of women in certain Muslim communities and called for liberal values to be upheld.

    The German government called Turkish criticism of the new mosque, an interference in freedom of religion and opinion.

    “I want to be very clear in rejecting all comments that clearly intend to deprive people in Germany of their right to freely exercise their religion and to limit the right to free expression of opinion,” said Martin Schaefer, spokesman for the country’s Foreign Ministry

    Germany, which is home to an estimated 4 million or more people of Turkish origin, is already at loggerheads with Turkey on a number of issues.

    Turkish politicians were barred from campaigning in Germany for a referendum on expanding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.

    Turkey’s arrest of a German-Turkish journalist working for a German paper also caused friction between the two nations, as did Turkey’s refusal to let German parliamentarians visit an air force base hosting German planes.

    Mr Schaefer said it was not for the government to determine how people practiced their religion and that it would protect freedom of worship just as it protected freedom of opinion and press freedom.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/liberal-mosque-founder-ibn-rushd-goethe-fatwa-berlin-seyran-ates-death-threats-egypt-turkey-islam-a7808106.html

  32. Iran: Ayatollah Khamenei leads Eid al-Fitr prayers at Tehran’s Great Musalla

    The leader of the Islamic Revolution and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei delivered the Eid al-Fitr prayers at Tehran’s Great Musalla, on Monday, to the thousands of people.

    SOT, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iranian Supreme Leader (Farsi): “Our nation can be the supporter of this great movement in the Islamic world. Also, we expressly announce our position for friends and enemies, adversaries and opponents and especially the Islamic world intellectuals and especially the Islamic world’s scholars should follow this method and take a position on important issues.”

    SOT, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian supreme leader (Farsi): “Above all, revolutionary forces should be more vigilant about the order of the country, peace in the country, and be vigilant about not allowing enemies to take advantage of our country’s situation.”

  33. Italy: Police use tear gas as refugees try to cross French border

    Refugees clashed with police near Ventimiglia on Sunday night, as they tried to break through the French border.

    Police deployed tear gas against the refugees who retreated to the Roja River in Roverino village seeking to bypass the police barricade.

    • Italy: Migrants wade through river in resistant journey towards blocked French border

      Dozens of migrants marched through the Roya River across the border town of Ventimiglia, Monday, in a bid to reach the neighbouring French borders. The migrants’ journey came following an attempt by Italian authorities to evict the group from a makeshift camp on the river banks.

      SOT, Sudanese migrant (Arabic): “We have decided to come all the way here because we were subjected to inhumane treatment in Ventimiglia. We didn’t have any rights. We live under the bridge.”

      SOT, Sudanese migrant (Arabic): “Some people have tried to enter France about 50 times. The French police would then take them back, and return them to Italian cities here. For a second time, they would try to get to France again, and again they [the police] would take them [migrants] back. Generally, people around here have repeatedly tried to enter France. Their goal is to enter France [Journalist interrupts] Yes, 50 times. They would try and the police would retaliate. Now, all the people want is to reach the French territories. They want this so that they can find humanitarian organisations, human rights organisations. The people’s ambitions are not to stay in Italy.”

  34. Questioning Qatar’s Terror Financing? Here Are the Facts

    At least 43 Al-Qaeda operatives in Qatar have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department over the years, according to a list provided to the Clarion Project. The important research arrives as four Arab countries issued 13 demands to Qatar over its support of terrorism, extremism, Iran and Turkey.

    The list is available at the end of this article.

    “The long list of Treasury Department’s specially-designated terror financiers has a common denominator: the most prolific, wide ranging, and dangerous financial and logistical facilitators tend to have a Qatar connection,” said Oubai Shahbandar, who compiled an analysis of the operatives and is an international security program fellow for New America and a former Defense Department foreign affairs adviser.

    Shahbandar said, “Most disturbingly, some of the most top-ranking Al-Qaeda financiers had recent relationships with the Qatari central bank. The sheer volume of Qatari-linked designated terror financiers indicates that Doha has done next to nothing to curb the flow of cash into the hands of Al-Qaeda cells from Pakistan to Syria to North Africa.”

    https://clarionproject.org/questioning-qatars-terror-financing-facts/

  35. Richard: Read the full article, if the facts are as reported they have dire implications for the short term future. Greece is one of the entry ways into Europe from the Middle East and according to the report one of the most powerful men in Greece is not only smuggling oil from Iran but also heroin in multi-ton shipments. This man also controls most of the media sources in Greece.

    Greece: A Drug-Smuggling Case with Global Implications

    by Maria Polizoidou
    June 26, 2017 at 4:00 am

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10577/greece-drug-smuggling

    New details surrounding a three-year-old drug-smuggling case in Greece are causing a political storm that could have global implications.

    In June 2014, the Greek Coast Guard uncovered and seized 986 kilograms of heroin stashed in a warehouse in a suburb of Athens, and another 1,133 kilograms in two other locations, claiming that the more than two tons of drugs — valued at $30 million — had been smuggled on a tanker, the “Noor 1,” from the “territorial waters between Oman and Pakistan.”

    As was reported by Gatestone last December, the heroin, which was to be distributed throughout Europe — in addition to 18 tons of oil also smuggled on the Noor 1 — originated in Iran. Two years later, in August 2016, a criminal court in Piraeus sentenced five of the defendants, two Greeks and three foreign nationals, to life imprisonment. Among these was the (now former) owner of the Noor 1, Efthimios (Makis) Yiannousakis.

    The Noor 1 case, and particularly Yiannousakis’s role in it, has hit the headlines again, due to a leaked recording of a telephone conversation he had with Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos. In the conversation, Kammenos allegedly asked Yiannousakis to turn state witness against a certain businessman connected to the heroin smuggling, in exchange for amnesty.

    After coming under fire from members of the opposition, Kammenos claimed that it was Yiannousakis who had requested — through journalist Makis Triantafyllopoulos — judicial protection in exchange for testimony. “As it was my duty to do, I immediately informed the prosecutor and the responsible minister,” Kammenos said.

  36. Channel 4 – What is the secret of Putin’s appeal, explained

    The Russian president Vladimir Putin enjoys approval ratings Western leaders can only dream of, even as they dismiss him as an isolationist and authoritarian leader. What is the secret of Putin’s appeal?

  37. Europe Is Still Ailing
    A glimpse into the dark malaise behind the EU project.
    June 26, 2017
    Bruce Thornton

    Europe Is Still Ailing
    A glimpse into the dark malaise behind the EU project.
    June 26, 2017
    Bruce Thornton

    Recent elections in France, the Netherlands, and Austria, in which Eurosceptic populist and patriotic parties did poorly in national elections, suggest to some that the EU is still strong despite Britain’s vote to leave the union. Yet the problems bedeviling the EU ever since its beginnings in 1992 have not been solved. Nor are they likely to be with just some institutional tweaks and adjustments. “More Europe,” that is, greater centralization of power in Brussels at the expense of the national sovereignty of member states, is not the answer. The flaws in the whole EU project flow from its questionable foundational assumptions.

    Those problems have been identified and analyzed for decades. EU economic growth and per capita GDP consistently lag behind those of the U.S., in part because of over-regulated dirigiste economies, over-generous social welfare transfers, expensive retirement benefits, restrictive employment laws, and higher taxes. Some countries have addressed these problems, most importantly Germany. But Germany’s economic success has exacerbated the stark contrast with the poorer performing Mediterranean countries. They are still struggling with debt and deficits, and suffering double-digit unemployment rates, particularly among the young, which range from 15 to 25 percent. Germany’s current dominance makes the EU look less like a union of sovereign states and more like a German economic empire

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/267095/europe-still-ailing-bruce-thornton

  38. CNN’s Fake News Scandal is What Happens When Conspiracy Theories Become News
    June 26, 2017
    Daniel Greenfield

    Someone in the media finally went too far even for his own colleagues. And that’s saying something.

    CNN is reportedly implementing strict new rules for the network’s stories regarding Russia.

    The new restrictions come after CNN on Friday retracted a story that connected Anthony Scaramucci, a prominent ally of President Trump, to a Russian investment fund managed by a Kremlin-controlled bank.

    CNNMoney executive editor Rich Barbieri sent out an email Saturday regarding the network’s new rules after the network a day earlier issued a retraction on one of its stories.

    “No one should publish any content involving Russia without coming to me and Jason [Farkas],” said the email, obtained by BuzzFeed News.

    “This applies to social, video, editorial, and MoneyStream. No exceptions,” the email added. “I will lay out a workflow Monday.”

    Sadly, I doubt the Washington Post would have retracted, And we know the New York Times would not have. They proved that recently when they defended a discredited fake news story.

  39. Gruesome ISIS video from Afghanistan: Kids forced to execute prisoners of war

    The Islamic State has released a brand new propaganda video covering its activities in Afghanistan, a war-torn Asian country where Islamic State forces have made their presence felt since early 2015, winning over a series of eastern tribes, thereby allowing them to take on the Taliban and Afghan Army.

    The footage shows skirmishes with government forces, widespread sharia crackdown and summary executions, many of which were carried out by children indoctrinated by ISIS.

    Viewer discretion is advised – the video is highly graphic:

    https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/gruesome-isis-video-afghanistan-kids-forced-execute-prisoners-war/

    • YouTube tightens measures to remove extremist content

      Alphabet Inc’s Google will implement more measures to identify and remove terrorist or violent extremist content on its video sharing platform YouTube, Kent Walker, Google’s general counsel said in a blog post on Sunday.

      The company also announced it’s taking a “tougher stance” on videos that don’t clearly violate their policies, and will make it more difficult for users to find videos containing “inflammatory religious or supremacist content.”

      Google already has thousands of people worldwide who “review and counter abuse” on its platforms, and engineers have developed technology to prevent re-uploads of known terrorist content.

      http://www.observer.com.na/index.php/component/k2/item/8264-youtube-tightens-measures-to-remove-extremist-content

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=8BMbhzV8pYE

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=rJj7NPRjT6k

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=Qg0uHpcwdrM

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=bg9P_ZB24jE

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=6th0bHnDVhc

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=I4PoErT7MC4

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=_tO4Ryf2hbg

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=xi8Tod1Q0a4

      www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=jCHZb4TkX7E

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfqqEzSNtls

  40. Israel in the Syrian Civil War
    Seeking quiet and peaceful northern borders.
    June 26, 2017
    Joseph Puder

    On a recent visit to the Golan Heights, this reporter described the border area stretching from Majdal Shams through Quneitra as “quiet and peaceful.” A clear reason for the relatively quiet border is that the forces behind the border line with Israel are those of the Syrian rebel group called The Nights of the Golan or their Arabic name, Fursan al-Joulan. With a buffer zone manned by fighters of Fursan al-Joulan, Israel is able to keep away its mortal enemy, Iran and its terrorist arm, Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as Iraqi Shiite militias also doing Iran’s bidding. Naturally, it includes the Assad regime forces.

    The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on June 19, 2017 that “Israel Gives Cash and Aid to Rebels in Syria.” This headline is somewhat misleading since Israel is not inside Syria, but simply creating a buffer zone next to its border. According to the WSJ, “Israel has in the past acknowledged treating some 3,000 Syrians, many of them fighters, in its hospitals since 2013, as well as providing humanitarian aid such as food and clothing during winter. But interviews with half a dozen rebels and three people familiar with Israel’s thinking reveal that the country’s involvement is much deeper and more coordinated than previously known, and entails direct funding of the opposition fighters near its border for years.”

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/267083/israel-syrian-civil-war-joseph-puder

  41. YouTube Regularly Leaves Islamic State Videos Up for Days, Weeks

    According to a Motherboard analysis of over 150 videos shared in pro-Islamic State groups, while YouTube is quick to remove offending clips in some cases, the social network is still making serious errors in policing extremist content.

    Slumped on the floor wedged between a filing cabinet and a large wooden desk, a man lies motionless, blood oozing from his torso. One gunman, perhaps the killer, walks past the body carrying a rifle.

    This visceral footage was taken by Islamic State terrorists during their attack on Tehran’s Parliament building earlier this month. Pro-Islamic State social media accounts quickly disseminated the video, spreading it as quickly as possible. YouTube, where many copies of the clips were hosted, started to remove them. Some disappeared within 24 hours. But at least one video remained on YouTube for over a week, available to anyone to watch.

    That clip is just one included in a Motherboard analysis of over 150 YouTube videos recently shared by Islamic State supporters. The analysis found that YouTube’s approach to policing extremist content is, although sometimes swift, scattered and often ineffective, raising serious questions about whether the social network has done enough to stop the proliferation of pro-Islamic State videos. YouTube knows there is a problem: On Sunday, the company announced several updates to how it will try to curb extremist material.

    In all, Motherboard kept tabs on 164 unique YouTube URLs which were shared in pro-Islamic State media channels, noted the videos’ content, and recorded how long YouTube took to remove the clips or take other action. Our analysis found:

    A video including an alleged audio message from an Islamic State spokesperson calling for attacks during Ramadan is still online, a week after being uploaded.
    Several battlefield and street battle clips branded by the Islamic State’s de facto news agency Amaq are still online, two weeks after being uploaded.
    A gruesome video of the Tehran attack remained on YouTube for nine days.
    The findings come as the UK government says social media sites, including YouTube, need to do more to remove extremist content from their networks, or potentially face being fined.

    “These videos, which may contain graphic imagery and urge for attacks in the West, often remain for months at a time,” Rita Katz, the director and co-founder of terrorism analyst firm SITE Intelligence Group, told Motherboard.

    Hours, Days, Weeks

    Over a two week period, Motherboard monitored channels on Telegram—a social network and messaging app popular with Islamic State supporters—used to spread extremist propaganda. These included channels that shared material from Amaq; outlets such as Nashir, which republish Islamic State announcements; and a sea of other supportive accounts which regularly post similar extremist videos. The sample included clips of Islamic State fighters in street combat in the Philippines; members destroying Christian religious sites; and instructions on how to commit attacks with knives and vehicles. Several long, half hour propaganda videos with ideological speeches were also shared.

    To be clear, YouTube did remove the vast majority of the analyzed videos. But many videos stayed accessible for hours, days, or longer. Out of the clips that YouTube did remove, the company deleted around 50 percent of them within 24 hours. The remaining half stayed online between two and 15 days.

    Got a tip? You can contact this reporter securely on Signal at +44 20 8133 5190, or email jo********@**ce.com

    In SITE’s own experience of tracking clips, “We did notice that official ISIS videos are often removed from YouTube faster—at times even instantly. Videos by ISIS’ Amaq News Agency, however, remain for much longer,” Katz said. “The same goes for pro-ISIS media groups.”

    “These videos, which may contain graphic imagery and urge for attacks in the West, often remain for months at a time.”

    When deleted, the videos are replaced with a variety of messages. In the majority of cases, they are removed for “violating YouTube’s Terms of Service,” while only a handful were removed for specifically violating YouTube’s policy on violent or graphic content. YouTube also deleted entire user accounts, and all of their videos with them.

    In some cases, YouTube decided not to remove the video entirely, but instead put it behind a “content warning,” meaning users had to confirm they wished to view the video that “may be inappropriate” for certain users. YouTube put this warning on a series of videos showing an alleged white phosphorus attack by the US-led coalition on the Syrian city of Raqqa.

    How the Islamic State Avoids YouTube’s Censors

    The 150-plus videos Motherboard tracked also show the various tactics Islamic State supporters use to try to bypass YouTube’s censors. In one case last week, Telegram channels simultaneously pushed a flurry of videos that consisted of a still image of Arabic text combined with apparent audio of Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer—the Islamic State’s official spokesperson—calling for more attacks during the holy month of Ramadan. According to Motherboard’s analysis, YouTube rapidly removed the main wave of recordings, but a few videos still broke through: Some included a different still image (the same Arabic text but this time with a white border), while another just presented a plain black screen with the speech laid on top. At the time of writing, the latter video is still online.

    That clip was also ‘unlisted,’ meaning it can only be viewed with a direct link and not discovered with YouTube’s normal search features—another tactic that experts say uploaders use to dodge bans. Some videos included short, chopped-up snippets of material that YouTube has previously removed, allowing the clips to stay up longer.

    YouTube also removed the majority of the Tehran attack videos in under 24 hours, but one in particular persisted. It contained the original footage of the attack, but crucially, included no audio whatsoever. That attack video remained on YouTube for nine days.

    “They’re very clever at adapting,” Steve Stalinsky, executive director of the research group MEMRI told Motherboard in a phone call.

    “IS supporters commonly re-upload previously removed content onto YouTube and distribute the new links a short time later.”

    Presumably, removing the audio fooled YouTube’s systems for spotting previously flagged videos. YouTube identifies videos via their “hash”, a unique cryptographic fingerprint. If one video has already been removed, YouTube can automatically flag all other copies of it, as they will share the same hash. But, by slightly tweaking the video and in turn the hash, Islamic State uploaders are able to bypass YouTube’s algorithms.

    YouTube also has a feature that allows ordinary users to flag a video as “Promotes Terrorism.” From here, the video is put into an expedited queue, and a human team will investigate the issue.

    MEMRI has tracked this mechanism specifically against videos of support for jihadi fighters, which Stalinksky says may inspire potential attackers. The group found that, as of last week, 60 percent of the clips it flagged in 2015 have remained online.

    Independent researcher Raphael Gluck also told Motherboard about his own experience using the manual flagging system.

    “There are cases where I have reported and the offending URLs are not taken down at all,” Gluck said. On Monday, Gluck pointed to several videos, including one of the Tehran attackers, that have been online for a week, and still are available at the time of writing. The channel’s name is, simply “Islamic state.”

    It is worth bearing in mind that what one group sees as extremist content may differ from the social media company’s perception, and perhaps some footage, such as battlefield images, could have a legitimate public interest in being available to researchers or journalists. Indeed, YouTube also runs a “Trusted Flagger” program, which works with NGOs and experts to more accurately flag videos that should be removed.

    “When official IS media releases a new video, the material hosted on YouTube via those links is suspended almost immediately. However, IS supporters commonly re-upload previously removed content onto YouTube and distribute the new links a short time later,” Jade Parker, senior researcher associate in VNSA Cybersecurity and Terrorist Use of the Internet at research group TAPSTRI, told Motherboard. “Because those links aren’t distributed via official channels, the videos are exposed to a smaller pool of individuals likely to report them. This can give rise to the content remaining on the platform for a longer period of time.”

    YouTube Steps Up Its Efforts

    Although YouTube’s counter-measures are clearly not always effective, with some material continuing to remain online, Stalinsky from MEMRI says the company has improved tackling this sort of content.

    “If you look at how it was two years [ago], it’s much better [now],” he said. Stalinsky said he has met with YouTube to discuss the problem, and said YouTube was originally “hostile” in meetings, not open to suggestions, and was focused on deleting individual videos rather than entire accounts.

    On Sunday YouTube announced improvements to its current methods, as well as some new machine-learning approaches for identifying offending content. Motherboard understands that this will scan videos automatically and look for similarities with previously flagged videos. From here, the system will mark the upload as potentially extremist, and a human analyst will review the video’s content and context.

    When asked for comment, a YouTube spokesperson pointed Motherboard to the company’s announcement.

    “While we and others have worked for years to identify and remove content that violates our policies, the uncomfortable truth is that we, as an industry, must acknowledge that more needs to be done. Now,” Kent Walker, the senior vice-president and general counsel of Google, wrote.

    https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/newm9m/youtube-regularly-leaves-islamic-state-videos-up-for-days-weeks

  42. “Muslims contributed nothing to the West except slaughter, massacres, terror attacks”

  44. The Supreme Court finally handed Trump a travel ban victory (CNN, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/26/politics/trump-travel-ban-decision/index.html

    “Ever since Donald Trump signed the first executive order banning people from seven countries from entering the U.S. on January 27, it’s been nothing but trouble.

    Within 24 hours of the EO being signed, judges in several states blocked the so-called “travel ban” from going into effect. Trump submitted a second executive order on March 6 taking the number of affected countries to six (Iraq was excluded from the 2nd ban). It was, again, immediately stopped by a lawsuit in Hawaii. Trump went on to lose a series of appeals in court.

    On Monday, the Supreme Court actually handed Trump a win on the travel ban — albeit not a complete one.

    The Court decided to hear the full case in October but, in the meantime, knocked down the lower courts’ move to completely shelve the ban. Instead, the Supremes ruled that some foreign nationals from the six states included in the second executive order could be kept from entering the U.S.

    Here’s the exact language:

    “In practical terms, this means that §2(c) may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. All other foreign nationals are subject to the provisions of EO–2.”

    “All other foreign nationals are subject to the provisions of [Executive Order]–2,” is the key line there — affirming that a not-insignificant piece of the Trump travel ban can go into effect while the Court waits to rule on the constitutionality of the broader ban.

    What’s less clear — at least to me — is what a “bona fide relationship” means. Is that blood connection? Close friend? And who decides what a “credible” claim of a “bona fide” relationship is?
    That is a legal question, of course, not a political one. The political reality is far clearer: After a string of losses, Donald Trump just won one. And it’s not a small one.

    While some legal observers suggested that the Court’s initial ruling on the ban suggests that the nine justices will likely uphold the full ban come the fall, predicting what the Court will do is rarely a good gamble. (Predictions of how the Court would rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act were, literally, all over the place.)

    And, if the Court eventually rules that Trump doesn’t have it within his powers to install a travel ban, Monday’s ruling will be seen as a Pyrrhic victory.

    Still, good news — on the travel ban or anything else — has been hard to come by for Trump in his first 157 days in office. And this is good news — particularly for the base voters that Trump has so carefully cultivated in his first months in office.

    Consider this: A CBS News poll conducted in late April showed that 53% opposed “temporarily preventing people entering the U.S. from some majority Muslim countries.” But, among self-identified Republicans almost three in four (72%) supported the ban.

    This decision will be cheered by Trump’s base. Trump himself will undoubtedly tout it as vindication for what he has insisted all along: That he has the power to institute this sort of ban. (He hasn’t tweeted about it as of 11:30 am ET.) Congressional Republicans, forever nervous about Trump’s political prospects vis a vis their own, will breathe the slightest sigh of relief.

    By the fall, this victory could look like a false positive. But, today it is a positive. And it looks a whole hell of a lot like an oasis for Trump in the political desert he has been trudging through of late.”

    • We will now discover how many of the Judges will rule according to the Constitution and the law and how many will try and write things into the Constitut9ion and into the law. This is a clear case of unconstitutional judicial overreach but how many of the Judges are honest enough to admit this fact?

  45. MUSLIM HERITAGE – Ibn Khaldun and Adam Smith: Contributions to Theory of Division of Labor and Modern Economic Thought

    […]Adam Smith devotes the first chapter of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations to the subject of the division of labor and its associated benefits, while Ibn Khaldun likewise discusses these same benefits four hundred years earlier […]

    […]Smith then draws the controversial (for the time period) distinction between monetary wealth (stockpiles of gold and silver) and the true wealth of a country, the value of the exchange of goods amongst countries. Thus, Smith advocates a system of specialization and individual trade that ultimately supports the wealth of entire nations.

    The idea that the wealth of a country did not lie in it’s stock of precious metals was somewhat novel for the 18th century, but it was not unprecedented. As Ibn Khaldun put it four hundred years prior:

    […]It is well known that many of the ideas put forth in Wealth of Nations, including the benefits of division of labor, did not originate entirely with Adam Smith. Although some debate remains regarding the extent of the originality of Smith’s ideas, this debate has largely ignored the contributions of Ibn Khaldun to the development of key economic principals attributed to Smith

    etc etc etc

    http://muslimheritage.com/article/ibn-khaldun-and-adam-smith-contributions-theory-division-labor-and-modern-economic-thought

  46. Trump slams Obama’s handling of Russia election interference

    President tweets criticism of former administration, says Obama didn’t want to ‘rock the boat’; chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge reports from Washington

    • Feds Spend $20,000 on Musical About Illegal Immigrant Lesbian

      Socialist theater group has received $461,000 from the NEA

      The National Endowment for the Arts is spending $20,000 for a musical about a lesbian illegal immigrant who is in love with an ICE agent.

      The San Francisco Mime Troupe, a self-described socialist theater group, received the funding in the first round of grants awarded under the Trump administration. Jane Chu is the current chairman of the NEA, who was appointed by former president Barack Obama in 2014.

      The musical is entitled “WALLS!” and stars a “bad hombre,” mocking a phrase used by Trump to describe criminal illegal aliens during a presidential debate.

      The musical does not only address issues of immigration, but a host of other liberal and political topics.

      “Using the Mime Troupe’s signature style of broad, physical theater, the work will explore immigration, gun violence, the opioid epidemic, depression, the public education system, and racial tensions, and how they relate to societal health,” according to the grant for the project. “Portions of the work will be developed through playmaking workshops in California’s Central Valley with low-income youth, inmates, and migrant workers.”

      “WALLS asks the question: How can a nation of immigrants declare war on immigration? The answer: FEAR!” the San Francisco Mime Troupe states on their website.

      The lead character is Zaniyah, a criminal illegal alien and lesbian struggling with mental health issues.

      “Zaniyah is a criminal, an illegal, a ‘bad hombre,'” the theater group said. “What part of herself will this American give up to pass as ‘American?’ Will she? Can she? Should she? Can someone leave part of themselves behind without losing their mind? And is it better or worse that she crossed the border to find Agent L. Mary Jones – the woman she loves?”

      A trailer for the play features actors yelling “Fox News!” and discussing how immigration is an “issue” in the current “political climate.”

      The score includes the song “On My Watch,” which features ICE agent Mary Jones feeling guilty about her job to enforce immigration laws, which the character describes as “keeping these migrant workers on the run.”

      The San Francisco Mime Troupe received previous grants under the Obama administration for political plays.

      The group received a $20,000 grant last year for the musical “Freedomland,” which follows the story of a grandson of an ex-Black Panther who returns from fighting in Afghanistan to find “another war zone at home” where “young Black men … are in the crosshairs!”

      “Unarmed black men being killed by the cops and they can just get away with it,” said one actor when describing the play.

      The San Francisco Mime Troupe put on Black Panther puppet shows in the 1960s, and performed the musical 1600 Transylvania Avenue, which decries “corporate bloodsuckers” and capitalism as the “personification of greed.”

      The theater group uses the logo of a red star, to show solidarity with socialists and communists. The group insists it does not support totalitarian governments, even though it identifies with symbols used by China and the Soviet Union.

      “We uphold socialist ideals,” the group states on its website. “The red star and red flags have a long history of representing people’s struggle, socialism, and communism. This should not be read as support for totalitarian regimes. Just the opposite.”

      The San Francisco Mime Troupe continues: “The dictionary defines ‘red flag’ as follows: A warning signal; Something that demands attention or provokes an irritated reaction; [and] The emblem of socialist revolution.”

      The group also quotes from Wikipedia, which explains the red flag has represented left-wing political movements since the French Revolution, and has been used by authoritarian communist regimes, including, China, Vietnam, and the Soviet Union.

      The theater group complains that it used to receive more taxpayer-funding, but “right-wing attacks” against the NEA in the 1990s now only allows the group to tour a “few weeks a year.”

      “Unsubsidized until the late l970’s [sic], the Troupe enjoyed a few stable years in the l980’s [sic] with grants from the city, the state of California, and the National Endowment for the Arts,” the group said. “In the 1990’s, the rightwing attack on the NEA cost the SFMT most of its federal support and also decimated the national touring network, its other main source of income. The company now tours only a few weeks a year, and spends winters conducting theater workshops for at-risk teens.”

      The San Francisco Mime Troupe has received $461,000 from the NEA since 1998.

      Funding includes a total of $40,000 for “Freedomland,” as well as $20,000 in 2012 for the play “The Last Election,” about a “group of corporate power brokers on Capitol Hill that plots to postpone an election to make an assault on democracy.”

      The group also received $50,000 for the anti-capitalist “2012 – The Musical,” and $20,000 for “Too Big to Fail” in 2009.

      President Donald Trump has proposed cutting the NEA, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities, entirely. However, both agencies received a $2 million increase from Congress in the budget agreement passed earlier this year.

      Chu has served as NEA chairman since her appointment by Obama in February 2014. She has overseen more than $240 million in grants.

      http://freebeacon.com/culture/feds-spend-20000-musical-illegal-immigrant-lesbian/

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKub8yzLweo

  49. Niger migrants: 52 die during desert crossing (BBC, Jun 26, 2017)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40408599

    “Fifty-two migrants have been found dead in the deserts of central Niger, near Séguédine.

    A group of 75 set out in three vehicles but were abandoned by traffickers, who feared the security forces.

    A local official told the BBC that dozens of bodies had been buried, and 23 survivors were taken to the town, although one later died.

    African migrants travel through the desert aiming to reach Libya and cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

    However, the journey is perilous as the migrants are crammed into pick-up trucks and have few supplies.

    Two weeks ago Niger troops rescued 92 migrants who were on the brink of death in the Sahara Desert.

    The group, which included women and children, was abandoned without water and food…”

    • “Niger migrants: 52 die during desert crossing”

      Well, that’s 52 arrest reports that EU law enforcement won’t be filling out.

  50. jihad watch – DHS awards $10 million in grants to prevent jihad terror recruitment

    They could have flushed this money down the nearest toilet and gotten just as much of a return on their investment as they’re going to get. This money is given out based on the false assumption that Muslims lack jobs and opportunities, and therefore turn to jihad, and can be dissuaded from waging jihad with a bit of jobs training and a basketball program. It’s as condescending as it is wrongheaded, and stems from the idea that Islam is a Religion of Peace and that jihad exists only because we haven’t been nice enough to the poor dears. “Countering Violent Extremism” is an Obama-era program that should already have been scrapped, but instead, the money is still uselessly flowing.

    https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/06/dhs-awards-10-million-in-grants-to-prevent-jihad-terror-recruitment

    the daily caller – Feds Award $10 Million In Grants To Prevent Terrorist Recruitment

    The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that it has awarded 26 grants totaling $10 million to communities across the U.S. in an effort to fight radicalization and recruitment of American citizens by terrorist groups.

    The awards are part of the department’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Grant Program, which gives money to city and state governments, as well as private organizations, to develop programs that combat terrorism and extremist ideology.

    Many of the grant recipients are local police departments, but the award winners also include community groups that can intervene with susceptible young people before they become radicalized through the internet propaganda of international terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida.

    “We are witnessing a global surge in terrorist activity, and in many ways our own backyard has become the battleground,” said Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly in a Friday news release. “That is why DHS is focused on stepping up efforts to counter terrorist recruitment and radicalization, including through close collaboration with state and local partners.”

    Congress appropriated the $10 million for the CVE program in 2015, the first time the government had set aside funding specifically for local police, community centers and nonprofit groups to use in fighting the spread of extremist ideology. Following a call for applications in July 2016, DHS received nearly 200 applications from organizations in 40 states.

    The grant recipients were selected for their ability to build “prevention programs” that address root causes of violent extremism and reverse further radicalization in already susceptible communities, according to DHS.

    Two significant grants were awarded to organizations in Minneapolis, which is home to a large concentration of Somali immigrants. Several Somali men from Minneapolis have either attempted to support Islamic terror groups or have traveled overseas to join ISIS.

    Recognizing the unique danger, DHS awarded $347,600 to the Hennepin Country Sheriff’s Office, which covers Minneapolis, and $423,340 to the Heartland Democracy Center, a civic engagement nonprofit that works in the Twin Cities area

    Kelly says DHS will keep close tabs on the results of the programs to determine which can serve as a model for future grants.

    “Shortly after starting at DHS, I requested a thorough policy review of the CVE Grant Program to ensure taxpayer dollars go to programs with the highest likelihood of success, that support the men and women on the front lines of this fight, and that can be self-sustaining into the future,” he said. “We will closely monitor these efforts to identify and amplify promising approaches to prevent terrorism.”

    For a full list of the CVE grant recipients, go here ( link on the page )

    http://dailycaller.com/2017/06/23/feds-award-10-million-in-grants-to-prevent-terrorist-recruitment/

    • “They could have flushed this money down the nearest toilet and gotten just as much of a return on their investment as they’re going to get.”

      Only if they wiped their bums with it first.

      There is only one way of “Countering Violent Extremism”. All further debate merely relates to issues of caliber.