Reader’s links for September 23, 2018

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

101 Replies to “Reader’s links for September 23, 2018”

    • With Muslims openly inciting murder of their critics in the West, (as a follow up from their own dhimmitude countries), the Marxists are now so emboldened so that it is not just North Korea, Russia, China, Cuba and Venezuela terrorizing their populations.

      “A Labour MP critical of Jeremy Corbyn is in secret negotiations to receive a 24-hour armed guard after being subjected to chilling death threats, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

      The backbencher has been in talks with Commons security advisers about being given unprecedented police protection on a par with the Home Secretary.

      If agreed, it will be the first time that a rank-and-file MP on mainland Britain has been granted such security.”
      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6197263/Corbyn-critic-MP-armed-guard-receiving-death-threats-criticising-Labour-leader.html

      To complete these soul-killers of islam and mind-killers of Communism, the body-killers in young nurseries will soon have an army of sexual-identitists of every shade of pink to bomb and control the language in the streets.

      Peace. Where one narcissist can rule with their cohorts, over a population that never looks up while told they never had it so good.

  1. “The left needs to believe that Republicans are bigots so that its members can pretend that they aren’t.” Today’s posting at sultanknish.blogspot

  2. ‘Lives in danger’: Dozens of Afghan ex-workers block Bundeswehr base, demand asylum in Germany (RT, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://www.rt.com/news/439158-afghans-protest-german-base/

    “Camp Marmal, the German Army’s largest overseas base, has reportedly been blocked by dozens of Afghan ex-workers, who say they fear for their lives after working for the Bundeswehr. They are demanding asylum in Germany.

    As many as 150 people are protesting at the gateway to Camp Marmal, a German-run military base in the north of Afghanistan, Spiegel magazine reported. The men, who were once employed as interpreters, security guards or kitchen workers, are there for the third week in a row.

    Camp Marmal is the army’s largest military base outside of Germany. Located near Mazari-Sharif International Airport, it is home to the staff of the German contingent as well as additional personnel from Croatia, Georgia, Mongolia and other states. At peak times, the base has accommodated as many as 5,000 NATO and allied troops.

    Having blocked entry to the camp, the defiant Afghan demonstrators told the magazine that their former employers have effectively left them behind and broken a promise to grant asylum them asylum in Germany. The ex-workers are feeling threatened – or have actually been threatened – by the Taliban, according to Spiegel.

    “We want to go to Germany,” Zalmai Nikbin, one of the protesters, told the magazine. “Our lives are in danger here.” He said that he worked for several years as a military interpreter, helping German soldiers to liaise with the locals.

    Spiegel reports that the Afghans’ applications to enter Germany have been rejected because the Defense Ministry identified “no specific danger” threatening the locally hired staff. In two cases, only “a latent threat” was found, and this did not result in entry permits being issued by the German Interior Ministry.

    Previously, German policy in relation to visas for Afghan staff was less strict. In recent years, over 760 former Afghan employees were brought to Germany with their families due to fears of persecution by the Taliban. Not all of these had been employed by the military – some worked for German development agencies, as well as the Interior and Foreign Ministries…”

    • Camp Marmal, the German Army’s largest overseas base, has reportedly been blocked by dozens of Afghan ex-workers, who say they fear for their lives after working for the Bundeswehr. They are demanding asylum in Germany.

      No good deed goes unpunished.

  3. Blasey Ford’s Female Classmate, Her Last Named Witness, Doesn’t Recall Ever Attending Party With Kavanaugh

    Christine Blasey Ford has claimed that four other people attended a small gathering at which she was allegedly assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh. Three of those people, PJ Smyth, Mark Judge, and Kavanaugh, have already denied any recollection of attending such a party.

    On Saturday night, Leland Ingham Keyser, a classmate of Ford’s at the all-girls school Holton-Arms and her final named witness, denied any recollection of attending a party with Brett Kavanaugh.

    “Simply put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr. Ford,” lawyer Howard J. Walsh said in a statement sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    CNN reports that ” Keyser is a lifelong friend of Ford’s.”

    https://www.weeklystandard.com/john-mccormack/blasey-fords-female-classmate-her-last-alleged-witness-denies-ever-attending-party-with-kavanaugh

  4. Democrats: We Already Know Kavanaugh Is Guilty [Montage]
    ‘I believe her because she is telling the truth’

    Though he’s yet to be afforded an opportunity to present a defense before the American people, many Democrats have already tried and convicted Judge Brett Kavanaugh on charges of sexual assault.

    Christine Blasey Ford is accusing Brett Kavanaugh of forcing himself on her at 1982 party somewhere in Montgomery County, Md. Kavanaugh has released statements denying the allegation. Neither party has yet to provide full testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
    ADVERTISING
    inRead invented by Teads

    No matter.

    Kavanaugh, many Democrats say, is clearly guilty.

    Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said Thursday: “I believe her because she is telling the truth and you know it by her story.”

    “Judge Kavanaugh has not asked to have the FBI review the claims,” Gillibrand added. “Is that the reaction of an innocent person? It is not.”

    When Sen. Duckworth (D-Ill.) was asked about Kavanaugh denying the accusation, the senator responded, “Well, I have heard, you know, many, many predators say and refute allegations against them.”

    Former spokesman for Bernie Sanders and CNN contributor, Symone Sanders, said she didn’t even need to wait for more information: “For me there is no debate. I believe Professor Ford. Judge Kavanaugh has lied multiple times under oath.”

    And here are other select quotes from Democratic lawmakers:

    Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said: “I believe Dr. Ford as I refer to her because she makes a very credible case. It is really difficult for someone to come forward in this way. Why should she destroy her life? Already there are efforts to cast aspersions on her credibility, to look into her family, all of that. This is really very much like what happened with Anita Hill where she was vilified, she was called names. This cannot happen to Dr. Ford.”

    Sen. Blumenthal (D-Conn.): “Let me just say right at the outset I believe. Dr Ford, I believe the survivor here, there’s every reason to believe her. She has come forward courageously and bravely knowing that she would face a nightmare of hostile and vicious scrutiny and challenge. And there are plenty of reasons to disbelieve Judge Kavanaugh after his evasive and seemingly misleading testimony before the Judiciary Committee.”

    https://news.grabien.com/story-democrats-we-already-know-know-kavanaugh-guilty-montage

  5. Iran Revolutionary Guards threaten to avenge military parade attack

    DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to wreak “deadly and unforgettable” vengeance for a shooting attack on a military parade that killed 25 people, including 12 of their comrades, and Tehran accused Gulf Arab states of backing the gunmen.

    Saturday’s assault, one of the worst ever against the elite force of the Islamic Republic, struck a blow at its security establishment at a time when the United States and its Gulf allies are working to isolate Tehran.

    “Considering (the Guards’) full knowledge about the centers of deployment of the criminal terrorists’ leaders…, they will face a deadly and unforgettable vengeance in the near future,”

    the Guards said in a statement carried by state media.

    Four assailants fired on a viewing stand in the southwestern city of Ahvaz where Iranian officials had gathered to watch an annual event marking the start of the Islamic Republic’s 1980-88 war with Iraq. Soldiers crawled about as gunfire crackled. Women and children fled for their lives.

    Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement which seeks a separate state in oil-rich Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack.

    http://www.oann.com/rouhani-says-u-s-wants-to-cause-insecurity-in-iran-but-will-not-succeed/

  6. Swiss Region Votes Overwhelmingly for Burqa Ban (breitbart, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/09/23/swiss-region-st-gallen-votes-burqa-ban/

    “Geneva (AFP) — A second Swiss canton will introduce a regional “burqa ban”, after voters in St. Gallen overwhelmingly voted Sunday to prohibit all face-covering garments in public spaces.

    Nearly 67 percent of voters in the northeastern Swiss canton voted in favour of the new law, according to official results, paving the way for it to follow the example of the southern canton of Ticino, where a law was introduced two years ago that appeared to be aimed at burqas and other Muslim veils.

    A text stipulating that “any person who renders themselves unrecognisable by covering their face in a public space, and thus endangers public security or social and religious peace will be fined” was adopted by lawmakers in St. Gallen late last year.

    That law passed the regional parliament with support from the populist right and centre parties — but the issue was put to the people after the Green Party and Young Socialists demanded a referendum.

    Switzerland’s government last year opposed an initiative aimed at creating a nationwide burqa ban, saying it should be up to the regions to determine if such measures are appropriate.

    Voters across Switzerland are however expected to be called to vote on the issue next year after the populist right-wing Swiss People’s Party gathered the 100,000 signatures needed to put any subject to a referendum as part of Switzerland’s famous direct democratic system.”

  7. Italian General: No Military Option in Libya, Solve African Mass Migration with Birth Control (breitbart, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/09/23/italian-general-no-military-option-libya-solve-african-mass-migration-birth-control/

    “Italian general and noted author Carlo Jean has dismissed the possibility of successful military action in Libya and warned that birth control measures need to be implemented to stop the massive future population growth in Africa…”

  8. Dutch Court Gave Shorter Sentence to Migrant Who Raped Disabled Woman to Spare Him Deportation (breitbart, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/09/23/dutch-court-admits-giving-light-sentence-migrant-avoid-deportation/

    “A court in the Netherlands has admitted to giving a 38-year-old migrant who raped a disabled woman a light sentence so he would avoid deportation.

    Afghan asylum seeker Zaman S., 38, was found guilty for raping an 18-year-old woman with a mental impairment but was given a prison sentence of less than two years, Telegraaf reports.

    The Afghan raped the teen in 2016 in a shop where he was working. The girl came to purchase a bag and was told to wait until the shop was empty. She was then lured into a warehouse area where the Afghan forced her into oral sex and then raped her.

    The prosecutor demanded the migrant receive 24 months in prison, but he received 20 months instead, with the court later admitting that the lighter sentence was handed out so that the Afghan would not risk losing his residency permit in the Netherlands. The judge said that is was “not the intention” that the punishment led to “far-reaching immigration consequences” for the rapist.

    The judge said considerations in his judgement also included the facts that the migrant “came from an unsafe situation in his country of origin” and that he is building a life in the Netherlands and wants to start a family with his wife.

    Richard Korver, the lawyer for the victim, along with the teen’s father were outraged by the justification for the sentence with Korver saying: “Maybe this is normal in his country, but not here.”…”

  9. As 22 groups plan anti-Kavanaugh protests for Monday, his accuser adds Andrew McCabe’s lawyer to her team
    By J.E. Dyer September 22, 2018

    On Friday, when the New York Times published an article claiming that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had plotted against President Trump, a lawyer for former FBI official Andrew McCabe weighed in. The reason: his client’s memos were the basis for the allegations about Rosenstein. McCabe had written about discussions in Justice Department-FBI meetings in which he recorded that Rosenstein talked about using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, and discussed wearing a wire (i.e., Rosenstein wearing it) when meeting with the president.

    McCabe’s lawyer, Michael R. Bromwich, responded to concerns about how the media had gotten hold of McCabe’s memos, which — other than being held by the FBI — had been provided only to Mueller’s special counsel team. His client, he said, had no knowledge of how the memos got to the media.

    Fast-forward to Saturday morning. The lawyer, Michael R. Bromwich of the Bromwich Group, has just joined the team representing Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser.

    https://libertyunyielding.com/2018/09/22/as-22-groups-plan-anti-kavanaugh-protests-for-monday-his-accuser-adds-andrew-mccabes-lawyer-to-her-team/

    • Richard: As this assault on the rule of law and the peaceful exchange of power plays out here are a few things to remember:

      1) At least 3 people who were named as witnesses have denied being at the party and two have said they were never at any party like the one named.

      2) One of the accuser’s friends who initially came out supporting Dr. Ford has changed her story probably because her statements of what happened were totally different from what has been leaked about the letter.

      3) Dr. Ford and her lawyers have issued a series of demands that go against the rule of law, most notable she demands that Judge Kavanaugh speak first and then she will testify reeks of her wanting to tailor her testimony to be opposite of what he says. Also she has demanded that he not be in the room when she testifies which is against the law that the defendant has a right to confront his accusers.

      4) She scrubbed her social media history before her name was made public, she doesn’t want anyone to know what she has done in the past.

      5) The story she told her counselor and husband was different from what has been leaked from the letter.

      6) The letter accusing Judge Kavanaugh has not been made available to the Senate Committee, and Ford’s team is demanding the right to redact the letter before the committee gets copies.

      7) Ford’s team is made up of numerous far left activists who are involved in every deep state effort to derail President Trumps agenda and are also involved in the efforts to remove him from office.

      8) The Democrats have already stated that if Kavanaugh is confirmed as soon as they control Congress he will be one of those they impeach, the list includes President Trump, Vice President Pence, Justice Clarence Thomas and other so far unnamed individuals. This statement by itself is a confession to a soft coup against a duly elected President, the Constitution and the rule of law.

      Michael Moore in his latest propaganda movie called President Trump the last American President, he also implied the use of violence to remove PT from office and to install someone the left likes. He is not the first Far Leftist to call for a violent coup or a violent civil war, just the latest. In fact his call for violence was more restrained then the calls by many on the left.

      The left has pushed the US into a division as bad if not worse then that in 1860/1861 which lead to the civil war.

        • If they win this one the November election will be infamous for the massive number of last minute charges of sexual assault laid against Republicans. In the 1930s the Nazi’s used the chargeo f homosexuality to attack their political enemies, now the far left is using unprovable charges of sexual assault to attack and destroy their political enemies. The left is reaching the end game in their attempt to take over the US and the fighting (both physical and political) is going to get very nasty.

    • Journalists peddle baseless smears and are rewarded
      By Hans Bader September 22, 2018

      Journalists sometimes ignore facts and evidence in order to promote an ideological narrative. For example, journalists peddled the Duke Lacrosse and University of Virginia gang rape hoaxes even after they were debunked. They also continue to distort the facts about a 1991 Supreme Court nomination, in which the FBI and members of the U.S. Senate rejected as unfounded claims that Judge Clarence Thomas said sexually offensive things to Anita Hill.

      Shamefully, newspapers reward such contempt for facts and evidence. As a lawyer noted at this blog, the New York Times recently put on its editorial board a woman who “expressed rage after a few good journalists exposed a rape hoax at the University of Virginia. There, a fraternity was falsely accused of committing gang rape by a complainant who told a story that was full of inconsistencies and details that seemed physically impossible. The complainant claimed assault by a person who doesn’t exist, at a party that never occurred. Even after Rolling Stone retracted its defamatory story of the alleged rape, [she] peddled the UVa. rape hoax.”

      She also called for the banning of a writer who exposed violations of the due process rights of college students accused of sexual assault.

      In the Duke lacrosse case, the defendants were charged with an interracial rape but vindicated by DNA evidence and declared innocent by North Carolina’s state attorney general, Roy Cooper (D). Even after the prosecutor was disbarred for misconduct and trying to frame the defendants, left-leaning journalists sought to rehabilitate him.

      https://libertyunyielding.com/2018/09/22/journalists-peddle-baseless-smears-and-are-rewarded/

      • The reason Blasey Ford can’t testify on Monday? Fear of flying
        By Ben Bowles September 22, 2018

        More precisely, she is made uncomfortable by enclosed spaces as a result of being sexually harassed when she was 15 years old. OK, I made that last part up (who knows? — she may have done the same), but the rest of it is on the up-and-up, according to Politico:

        The GOP has been told that Ford does not want to fly from her California home to Washington, according to the Republican senator, which means she may need to drive across the country. Ford has reportedly told friends she is uncomfortable in confined spaces, indicating a physical difficulty in making the trip by plane.

        Yesterday it was reported that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley had granted another extension to Blasey Ford without explaining his reason, though conceivably it’s to accommodate her fear of flying.

        Late Friday, Grassley tweeted:

        https://libertyunyielding.com/2018/09/22/the-reason-blasey-ford-cant-testify-on-monday-fear-of-flying/

    • Daily Mail – Housing Secretary Ben Carson claims ‘socialist’ plot to take over America has fueled Brett Kavanaugh’s sex assault allegations

      Ben Carson claims long-running ‘socialist’ plot to take over America fueled allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh

      The Housing secretary claims he was once accused of fathering a child outside wedlock despite having only ever slept with his wife

      Carson accusers are people who want to ‘change us to another system’ and said it dates back to the socialist Fabian Society which came to the U.S from Britain

      Claims allegations against Kavanaugh may cause people to ‘think twice’ before accepting positions in government

      Kavanaugh expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week over the allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford

      […]’They don’t like what America is and what it represents, and they want to change us to another system,’ he said.

      ‘In order to do that, there are three things they must control: the education system, the media, and the courts. The first two of those they have.[…]

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6196533/Housing-Secretary-Ben-Carson-accused-fathering-child-outside-marriage.html

    • twitter @Kimberley Strassel

      Wow. And CNN reporting that the fourth person, Leland Keyser, is denying memory of knowing kavanaugh or of this event, even though “Keyser is a lifelong friend of Ford’s.”
      Wow, again.

      1) More big breaking news, which further undercuts the Ford accusation, as well as media handling of it. A source has given me the email that WaPo reporter Emma Brown sent to Mark Judge, one person Ford claims was at the party. This email is dated Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018

      2) The email wants a comment from him. The subsequent story would reveal Christine Ford’s name, and give details of the supposed “assault.”

      3) One part of the email to Judge reads: “In addition to Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge, whom she called acquaintances she knew from past socializing, she recalls that her friend Leland (last name then was Ingham, now Keyser) was at the house and a friend of the boys named PJ.”

      4) This matters for two big reasons–Ford’s credibility and WaPo’s. The subsequent WaPo story would go on to cite Ford’s name and details, and also list notes from a therapist that Ford told this to in 2012. Read carefully what WaPo reports, the same day it emails Judge:

      5) “The notes say four boys were involved, a discrepancy Ford says was an error on the therapist’s part. Ford said there were four boys at the party but only two in the room.”

      6) Wait, say what? WaPo reports publicly that Ford says it was “four boys,”even after WaPo reporter tells Judge that Ford had told her it was three boys and a girl.

      7) So first, huge problem: This was just a week ago, and we have Ford giving two different accounts of who was present. Four boys. No, three boys, one girl. Either way, therapist notes from 2012 definitively say four boys, which Ford didn’t dispute. But now… a girl!

      8) Other problem: WaPo’s reporting. Reporter has for a week had the names of those Ford listed as present. One is a woman. Yet it writes a story saying FOUR BOYS. Why? Maybe a mistake. But if so, why did WaPo never correct that narrative?

      9) What, you can’t find Keyser? She has lived in the DC area a long time. The paper had no trouble tracking down the other two men (btw, who also denied such party). And why not publish Keyser’s name? It published the other men’s names.

      10) In its most recent update tonight, WaPo writes: “Before her name became public, Ford told The Post she did not think Keyser would remember the party because nothing remarkable had happened there, as far as Keyser was aware.”

      11) Wow. “Before her name became public, Ford told…” That is WaPo admitting that it had the name, and had Ford’s response to what would clearly be a Keyser denial, but NEVER PUT IT OUT THERE. Again, why? A lot of people have a lot questions to answer.

      https://twitter.com/KimStrassel

      =============================================

      Fords team says she’s testifying at 10a Thursday. Details here.

      ( …despite actual threats to her safety and her life …)

      (…She’s gonna show up with a therapy animal, isn’t she?…)

      https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1043905777226973184

    • thegateway pundit – Judge Kavanaugh to Provide Senate With Calendars From Summer of 1982 Backing Up His Denial

      Judge Brett Kavanaugh will provide the Senate with calendars from the summer of 1982 to back up his claims he was never at a party described by accuser Christine Ford.

      Christine Ford has made an uncorroborated accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago at a drunken high school pool party that no one else, including the four people she claims were at the party, remembers.

      Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegations and told Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT) last week he wasn’t even at the party in question.

      Brett Kavanaugh has calendars from the summer of 1982 showing he was out of town most of the summer vacation or with his parents.

      The New York Times reported:

      Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh has calendars from the summer of 1982 that he plans to hand over to the Senate Judiciary Committee that do not show a party consistent with the description of his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, according to someone working for his confirmation.

      The calendars do not disprove Dr. Blasey’s allegations, Judge Kavanaugh’s team acknowledged. He could have attended a party that he did not list. But his team will argue to the senators that the calendars provide no corroboration for her account of a small gathering at a house where he allegedly pinned her to a bed and tried to remove her clothing.

      The calendars show, according to the person working for his confirmation, that he was out of town much of the summer at the beach or away with his parents. When he was at home, the calendars list his basketball games, movie outings, football workouts and college interviews. A few parties are mentioned but include names of friends other than those identified by Dr. Blasey.

      A fourth alleged witness in Christine Blasey Ford’s alleged sexual assault accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh broker her silence Saturday night and denied the allegations.

      Leland Ingham Keyser says she has no recollection of EVER BEING AT A PARTY with Brett Kavanaugh and does not know him.

      Ms. Keyser is a lifelong friend of Christine Blasey Ford.

      THERE ARE NO WITNESSES WHO HAVE CONFIRMED CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD’S ACCUSATIONS!
      NOT ONE!

      Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley rescheduled the hearing for Thursday to hear testimony from Kavanaugh and Ford.

      Christine Blasey Ford’s 11th hour “me too” ambush was a plot by Feinstein and the Democrats to derail Trump’s SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/09/breaking-judge-kavanaugh-to-provide-senate-with-calendars-from-summer-of-1982-backing-up-his-denial/

  10. Iran executes 9 men convicted of rape (abcnews, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iran-executes-men-convicted-rape-58020386

    “Iranian media say nine men convicted of raping a woman have been hanged.

    The Arman daily reported Sunday that the men broke into the woman’s villa in the southern Fars province and raped her, without specifying when the crime took place. They were hanged Saturday after the Supreme Court reaffirmed their sentence earlier this month.

    Arman quoted Ali Alghasimehr, the provincial chief justice, as saying that the woman withdrew her complaint but that authorities carried out the punishment anyway.

    Rights groups say Iran is one of the world’s leading executioners, and have repeatedly called on it to abolish the death penalty.”

  11. Spain rescues over 440 migrants from Mediterranean Sea (abcnews, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/spain-rescues-440-migrants-mediterranean-sea-58020724

    “Spain’s maritime rescue service says it has saved over 440 migrants attempting the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa.

    The service says it pulled 447 people from 15 small boats intercepted by its rescue craft on Saturday. Except for one dinghy carrying 12 people found near the island of Mallorca, the rest were rescued off Spain’s southern coast.

    Nearly 300 migrants have died in waters separating Spain and Africa so far in 2018, according to the United Nations, and over 1,600 have died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean.

    A recent spike in migrant arrivals in Spain has strained public services, and the Spanish government has faced further pressure since Italy refused to let humanitarian boats dock with migrants they have rescued from the sea.”

    • Panama says it will revoke flag from migrant rescue ship

      Panama announced on Saturday it will revoke its flag from the migrant rescue ship Aquarius due to “non-respect” of “international legal procedures” relating to the rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean.

      Aquarius spent 19 days docked in the French port of Marseille after Gibraltar revoked its flag last month, and the ship only set sail again days ago once the process to acquire Panamanian recognition was completed.

      But Panamanian authorities issued a statement on Saturday saying “an official revocation procedure” had been launched following a complaint by Italian authorities that Aquarius’s captain had “refused to return migrants and refugees back to their point of origin.”

      Aquarius picked up 11 migrants off the coast of Libya on Thursday but refused to take them back to the North African country and instead went in search of an alternative port.

      The vessel, which has been operated by charities SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders since 2016, had asked Italy, Malta and Tunisia if they could help.

      Italian authorities said on Friday it was “floating in the Mediterranean” but that it wasn’t welcome to dock in Italy.

      The Aquarius has been banned from Italian ports since June, when Prime Minister Matteo Salvini decided the country would take in no more migrants.

      The search for safe havens has taken the ship to Spain and Malta in order to offload migrants rescued at sea, often in a precarious situation aboard vessels ill-equipped for an ocean journey.

      Aquarius spent 19 days docked in the French port of Marseille after Gibraltar revoked its flag

      https://au.news.yahoo.com/panama-says-revoke-flag-migrant-rescue-ship-190737258–spt.html

      =============================

      Médecins Sans Frontières – Italian government pressures Panama to stop Aquarius rescues on world’s deadliest maritime route

      […]On Saturday, 22 September, the Aquarius team was shocked to learn of an official communication from the Panamanian authorities stating that the Italian authorities had urged the PMA to take “immediate action” against the Aquarius. The PMA message explained that, “unfortunately, it is necessary that [the Aquarius] be excluded from our registry, because it implies a political problem against the Panamanian government and the Panamanian fleet that arrive to European port.”

      […]SOS MEDITERRANEE and MSF demand that European governments allow the Aquarius to continue its rescue mission by reassuring the Panama authorities that the threats made by the Government of Italy are unfounded, or by immediately issuing a new flag under which the vessel can sail.

      https://www.msf.org/italian-government-pressures-panama-stop-aquarius-rescues-worlds-deadliest-maritime-route

    • International waters: 47 migrants brought aboard Aquarius following rescue op

      Rescue workers safely brought 47 people aboard the migrant rescue ship Aquarius, including 17 minors and one pregnant woman, discovered on a wooden boat in distress in the international waters off the Libyan coast in the early hours of Sunday.

      The rescue operation came following negotiations with the Libyan coastguard.

      The ship is operated by SOS Mediterranean and Doctors Without Borders.

  12. Gunmen kill 4 pro-government militiamen in Pakistan (abcnews, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/gunmen-kill-pro-government-militiamen-pakistan-58021170

    “A Pakistani official says gunmen have attacked the base camp of a pro-government militia, killing four of its members.

    Assistant Administrator Ali Mohammad says the attack occurred early Sunday in the Dasht-e-Goran area of Baluchistan. The southwestern province is home to a low-level separatist movement and Islamic extremist groups.

    Mohammad says the 2,000-strong militia was formed a few years ago to help security forces, and that its posts have been targeted in the past by Baluch separatists.

    No one has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.”

  13. Militant group rejects demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib (abcnews, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militant-group-rejects-demilitarized-zone-syrias-idlib-58022226

    “An al-Qaida-linked group has rejected a deal reached this month between Russia and Turkey to establish a demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib region vowing not to withdraw from the area.

    Horas al-Din, Arabic for Guardians of Religion, called the deal to establish the zone by Oct. 15 a “great conspiracy.”

    The group is made up mostly of al-Qaida fighters that broke away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee, the largest militant group in Idlib province.

    Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria.

    Horas al-Din urged in their late Saturday statement supporters from around the world to come to Syria “to help people of the Levant.”

    On Friday, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said that the borders of the demilitarized zone were determined with their Russian counterparts.”

    • Russian MoD reveals detailed chronology of Il-20 downing in Syria

      Russia’s Defence Ministry today saying ‘the Israeli military holds full responsibility for the downing of a Russian military aircraft in Syria this week, which killed all 15 servicemen on board’.

      In a statement to the media, the Russian military presented a detailed timeline of the incident, concluding that the actions of the Israeli air force did lead to the tragedy.

    • Special briefing by The Russian MoD on curcumstances of the Il-20 aircraft crash in Syria

      The Russian Defence Ministry held a special briefing to provide detailed information on the crash of the Russian Il-20 off the Syrian coast on September 17

      The Spokeperson Major General Igor Konashenkov presented a minute-by-minute chronology of the tragedy based on objective data provided by radars including that of the Plotto air information display system.

      Full script of the briefing – on official website:

      https://s.mil.ru/2xLkO55

      • He’s reversed himself 4 times now.

        And each version reaches conclusions that differ substantively, depending on the language/audience to which it’s directed. People around me have watched Russian, English, and Hebrew versions. (Who knows/cares what’s said in tardish?)

        After Russians read that 15 Russian soldiers [not mercs] were killed, they wanted answers. Including my own Russki, a former officer. Others in Israel too. Maybe part of the reason so much information was released to the public.

        We know what happened.
        The Israeli MoD published unprecedented specifics, sent top guys to brief the Russians directly. Bibi talked to Vlad: both sorry, accidents happen, let’s try harder. Ok.

        Now dogs and ponies trot out, spiffy prancing.

        Nobody expects the truth, but the Russkis in my orbit get annoyed watching such clumsy media management. Putin allocates _yuge_ sums for global “news”. Wasted rubles! They deserve more coherent – or at least more entertaining – stuff.
        …..
        *Notice the low tolerance threshold for Russian casualties that Putin’s public demonstrates. Excluding most mercs and all tards, of course.

        • I know how your Russian friends are feeling, I wish that when the US government decides to lie to us they would stop insulting our intelligence by using lies so stupid that grade school kids laugh at them.

    • This idea is good for several reasons,

      1) It will lessen the attempts by the EU to use force to punish Hungary and the other vizaguard nations.

      2) It will serve as a trip wire in case Russia decides to move west. Not very likely right now but things change quickly in times of trumoil.

      3) When the civil wars in Western Europe start this will provide a close location for the US troops in Europe to evac to.

  14. Judge Jeanine GOES OFF on the Kavanaugh accuser – Opening Statement – 09/22/18
    4,550 views
    923
    4
    S

    • zero hedge – “Lifelong Friend” Of Kavanaugh Accuser Denies Attending Party; Ford’s Lawyer Brushes Off

      Update: Ford’s attorney, Debra Katz, said in a statement to NBC News:

      As Dr. Ford has said, she did not share her story publicly or with anyone for years following the incident with Judge Kavanaugh. It’s not surprising that Ms Keyser has no recollection of the evening as they did not discuss it. It’s also unremarkable that Ms. Keyser does not remember attending a specific gathering 30 years ago at which nothing of consequence happened to her. Dr. Ford of course will never forget this gathering because of what happened to her there.”

      That said, a former classmate of Ford’s, Cristina King Miranda, tweetd: “The incident was spoken about for days afterwords in school,” before deleting her post after saying “it served its purpose” and that she was being inundated with media requests from WaPo, CNN and CBS.

      While Kavanaugh supporters may dismiss Miranda’s account as a fabrication, team Ford would essentially have to do the same to also argue that Ford’s “longtime friend,” Leland Ingham Keyser never heard about it through the grapevine.

      ***

      A woman believed to have been one of five people at a party some 35 years ago where Christine Blasey Ford claims she was sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh has become the fourth person to deny any recollection of the event.

      In a Saturday night email to the Senate Judiciary Committee also received by several news outlets, Leland Ingham Keyser – a “longtime friend” of Blasey Ford’s said through her attorney:

      “Simply put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr. Ford,” said Keyser’s attorney Howard Walsh, who has been “engaged in the limited capacity” of corresponding with the committee on behalf of Keyser, according to Politico.

      Kavanaugh and Mark Judge – the other teenager allegedly in the room during the alleged sexual assault – have both stated that they have no recollection of the incident, while a third man who Ford claims was at the party – Patrick J. Smyth, also denied any recollection of the event, telling the Judiciary Committee last week in a statement: “I understand that I have been identified by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as the person she remembers as ‘PJ’ who supposedly was present at the party she described in her statements to the Washington Post,” Smyth wrote in his statement. “I am issuing this statement today to make it clear to all involved that I have no knowledge of the party in question; nor do I have any knowledge of the allegations of improper conduct she has leveled against Brett Kavanaugh.”

      Smyth added: “Personally speaking, I have known Brett Kavanaugh since high school and I know him to be a person of great integrity, a great friend, and I have never witnessed any improper conduct by Brett Kavanaugh towards women. To safeguard my own privacy and anonymity, I respectfully request that the Committee accept this statement in response to any inquiry the Committee may have.”

      On Saturday night, a tentative deal was reached for Ford to testify publicly on Thursday, according to the New York Times.

      After a brief call late on Saturday, the woman’s lawyers and aides to Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, planned to talk again Sunday morning to continue the halting negotiations over the conditions of the testimony, according to three people familiar with the call. Aides to Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s top Democrat, were also involved. -NY Times

      The Times notes, however, that Leland Keyser’s statement “seemed to eliminate any chance of corroboration of Dr. Blasey’s account by anyone who attended the high school party where she says she was assaulted.”

      If no deal is reached for Blasey Ford’s testimony next week, Sen. Grassley will be left to decide on Sunday whether or not to move ahead with a scheduled vote to confirm Kavanaugh on Monday.

      Grassley has engaged in a back-and-forth with Ford’s legal team, allowing them to miss several deadlines to continue negotiations. While Grassley may be trying to avoid the appearance of the Judiciary Committee panel of 11 men bullying an female victim alleging sexual assault, many conservatives have expressed frustration at the Chairman’s acquiescence to virtually every demand Ford has made.

      Also potentially damaging to Blasey Ford’s claim is a theory presented Thursday by Ed Whelan, a former clerk to USSC Justice Antonin Scalia and currently president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), a conservative think tank. Using entirely circumstantial evidence which could certainly ruin the life of the man at the center of the new theory, Whelan suggested that Kavanaugh’s high school doppelgänger, Chris Garrett, may have in fact been responsible for Blasey Ford’s recollection of the alleged incident.

      Whelan apologized for publicly naming Kavanaugh’s look-alike hours later, perhaps to provide legal cover, however he did not retract his theory that Ford may be “misremembering” the incident.

      Professional help

      Also casting doubt on the timing and purpose of Ford’s 11th hour claim against Kavanaugh is the Friday revalation that Ford’s current political adviser – former Obama and Clinton White House official Ricky Seidman, had allegedly been working on Ford’s situation since July – outlining a plan on a newly released audio tape to use the allegation as political fodder to derail Kavanaugh’s confirmation, and if unsuccessful, at least politically harm Republicans during midterms.

      “While I think at the outset, looking at the numbers in the Senate, it’s not extremely likely that the nominee can be defeated,” says Seidman. “I would absolutely withhold judgement as the process goes on. I think that I would not reach any conclusion about the outcome in advance.”

      What’s more, the recording makes clear that even if Kavanaugh is confirmed, Democrats can use the doubt cast over him during midterms.

      “Over the coming days and weeks, there will be a strategy that will emerge, and I think it’s possible that that strategy might ultimately defeat the nominee… whether or not it ultimately defeats the nominee, it will help people understand why it’s so important that they vote and the deeper principles that are involved in it.”

      Meanwhile, over 200 women have defended Kavanaugh’s moral character, including two ex-girlfriends who vouched for the Judge.

      “He was always a perfect gentleman, and I vouch for him completely,” Maura Fitzgerald said. “Brett Kavanaugh and I have been good friends since high school. I dated him in college and he was and is nothing like the person who has been described” by Christine Blasey Ford.

      “He always conducted himself honorably with me at all times when we were together,” Fitzgerald explained.

      Another woman who dated Kavanaugh in high school, Maura Kane, agreed with Fitzgerald.

      “I’ve been friends with Brett Kavanaugh for over 35 years, and dated him during high school,” Kane explained. “In every situation where we were together he always respectful, kind and thoughtful. The accusations leveled against him in no way represent the decent young man I knew.”

      Kane concluded, “We remain good friends and I admire him as a husband, father and professional.” -PJ Media

      Meanwhile, Ford has been backed largely by people with no knowledge of the situation, such as celebrities and non-public figures who simply believe her story.

      https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-09-22/lifelong-friend-kavanaugh-accuser-denies-attending-party-where-alleged-sexual

      • Both Dodge and her friend are afraid to testify under oath, they are afraid that something will come up to prove they perjured themselves.

    • Drudge Says Ronan Farrow and Jane Meyer Set to Break Report on Kavanaugh: ‘Another Woman?’

      On Sunday, the Drudge Report ran this blaring headline at the top of their page: “Another Woman?”

      The “another woman” appears to refer to a potential — yet still unconfirmed — second Kavanaugh accuser.

      According to the all red Drudge report, insiders claim Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer are set to report on a late twist in [Supreme Court nominee] Brett Kavanaugh‘s confirmation that involves a new woman and a “dildo.”

      The site further adds the woman is “Never Trump” and her best friend will say that the woman never told her.

      Drudge Report does not specify who the insiders may be for their scoop, which according to their page is still a “developing” story. The site likewise provides no links or other information to further back up their claims.

      However, according to New York Magazine’s Yashar Ali, “this has been brewing all day with several rumors going around about a potential story.

      In addition, Ali writes: “Two White House sources have confirmed to me that they are aware of a potential story.”

      https://www.mediaite.com/online/drudge-says-ronan-farrow-and-jane-meyer-set-to-break-report-on-kavanaugh-another-woman/

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/09/developing-new-yorker-to-roll-out-story-of-another-woman-accusing-kavanaugh-illicit-sex-involves-dildo/

    • BREITBART – 5 More Dirty Tricks Democrats Could Still Try to Derail Brett Kavanaugh

      Democrats are determined to sink Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court even if Christine Blasey Ford’s original accusation unravels — as it is beginning to do, with all four named witnesses thus far contradicting her story.
      But the left is not above dirty tricks — such as failing to mention the accusation against Kavanaugh until after the confirmation hearings — and there are several more Democrats could pull that might have the potential to block Kavanaugh regardless.

      1. Create additional accusations. Even assuming that Dr. Ford’s story is true, one of the problems that Democrats have faced is that Kavanaugh has shown no similar pattern of behavior. But if one or more new accusers emerged, that could create new suspicions that would at least delay his confirmation. The accusations would not need to be true; they would just need to cast the judge in a negative light. (Sunday night’s “dildo” story, apparently in the works from the New Yorker, is a perfect example.)

      2. Instigate a local prosecution. If state or county prosectors were to announce that they were investigating Kavanaugh for attempted rape, which has no statue of limitations in Maryland, that could end his confirmation. If that sounds far-fetched, State Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) has already tried it, urging Gov. Larry Hogan to order an investigation by state police. He refused, but prosectors in the office of the Montgomery County state’s attorney — a Democrat — are noncommittal.

      3. Block the hearing. Ford’s claims could look less credible by Thursday. Kavanaugh reportedly produced calendars from 1982 on Sunday showing he was out of town for much of the period in question. If so, Democrats might not want Ford to testify — but might want to delay a committee vote. They praised the protesters who interrupted Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing earlier this month; they could arrange massive protests during or before the hearing to disrupt it and delay the process.

      4. Organize a Bar protest. The left-leaning American Bar Association (ABA) gave Kavanaugh a unanimous “well-qualified” rating before his confirmation hearings. But Democrats could organize left-leaning lawyers to pressure the ABA to revise that conclusion, or to issue a statement of protest. Alternatively, they could organize a “lawyers’ protest” of their own, stating that they will refuse to argue cases before the Supreme Court so long as Kavanaugh is seated without a full FBI investigation.

      5. Character assassination. If Ford’s story falls apart, the campaign against Kavanaugh will go down as one of the worst smear campaigns in American history. But Democrats have time to make it even worse. They can ratchet up the pressure on the judge and his family to the point where he concludes it is simply not worth the effort. Already, the Washington Post is reporting that Kavanaugh refused to answer some personal questions in mock hearings — hinting, perhaps, at worse to come.

      https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/23/5-more-dirty-tricks-democrats-could-still-try-to-derail-brett-kavanaugh/

    • New Yorker Publishes Account From Second Brett Kavanaugh Accuser — Claims He Put His Penis in Her Face at Yale Party

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/09/new-yorker-publishes-account-from-second-brett-kavanaugh-accuser-claims-he-put-his-penis-in-her-face-at-yale-party/

      ================================================

      Brett Kavanaugh Responds to Accusations by Deborah Ramirez: “This is a Smear, Plain and Simple”

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/09/brett-kavanaugh-responds-to-accusations-by-deborah-ramirez-this-is-a-smear-plain-and-simple/

      ================================================

      Whoa! Feinstein Finally Releases Christine Ford Letter — FONT DOES NOT MATCH UP!

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/09/whoa-feinstein-finally-releases-christine-ford-letter-font-does-not-match-up/

    • Avenatti says he represents woman with ‘credible information’ about Kavanaugh

      Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti claims he is now representing a woman with “credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge.”

      “We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify,” Avenatti tweeted Sunday night.

      “The nomination must be withdrawn,” he said.

      Avenatti had hinted earlier in the day that he had damning info on the Supreme Court nominee.

      “What happens at Georgetown Prep does not stay at Georgetown Prep,” he tweeted.

      Insiders told the Drudge Report on Sunday that “another woman” was preparing to publicly accuse Kavanaugh in a New Yorker piece.

      https://nypost.com/2018/09/23/avenatti-says-he-represents-woman-with-credible-information-about-kavanaugh/

      ==========================================================

      twitter @MichaelAvenatti

      I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.

      My client is not Deborah Ramirez

      https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1044013350873489409

      • As the first accusation falls apart the Dems are making more and those are already falling apart. Their goal is to delay the vote until after the election while hoping (believing their polls) that they take control of Congress.

        The delay may occur but I really doubt that the Dems will take control of Congress, the main reasons are that 1) The Dems are stupidly making gun control a major issue in this election, even the gun owning Democrats are likely to vote Repub to stop gun confiscation. 2) The frame job on Trump has pissed off a lot of the Trump voters who don’t normally vote, they turned out for Trump hoping he would be able to reverse the course that the Dems had the US on. Now that the Dems have proven they are going to do everything to ensure Trump coesn’t succeed the Trump voters are ready to turn out to support him. They man not like the Repubs but they hate what the Dems did to the nation. 3) The frame job(s) on Kavanaugh is/are scaring people about what the Dems will do if they manage to gain control of Congress and eventually the White House also.

        All of the above shows why I think the Dems will lose big in November, but it is also why after they lose they will turn their militias loose, if they don’t do that during the Campaign. They are desperate and will not give up after getting this close to having total control of the government and in their minds the nation. To the Dems the nation consists of the coastal corridors with the people who live in the rest of the nation being too stupid to be able to do anything. They also think that the military and the police are robots who will obey all orders no matter how stupid or illegal. While there are some in the military and police like that most will not obey orders to fire on or arrest innocent people because the Dems don’t like their politics. The Dems are about to start a war they can’t win but one that sill do a lot of damage to the US before they are captured or killed.

        The readers of faith need to pray for the US and Canada because we need all the help we can get.

  15. “We Are Bigger than Your Jesus!”
    Extremist Persecution of Christians, March 2018

    by Raymond Ibrahim
    September 23, 2018 at 5:00 am

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13014/persecution-christians-marc

    Muslim Slaughter of Christians

    Pakistan: In a Lahore hospital, a throng of Muslim doctors, security guards, and medical staff beat Christian family members — one to death — because they tried to prevent another doctor from beating their pregnant sister. According to Anil Saleem, the pregnant woman’s brother, once they took her to the emergency labor ward at Services Hospital:

    “Kiran [the pregnant woman] went to the doctor on duty, Dr. Saira, who was playing with her cell phone while sipping on tea. Dr. Saira told Kiran to wait outside until she finished her tea. We waited for some time, but since Kiran was experiencing severe pain, she again went inside the ward to request for immediate attention.”

    The doctor instantly began cursing the pregnant woman for bothering her. “When my sister protested against the rude behavior, the doctor started slapping her, throwing her on the floor. She asked my sister how dare a Chuhri [a derogatory term for Christians] question her order?” On hearing the commotion, Anil, his brother, brother-in-law and a cousin entered the ward. Once she saw them, Dr. Saira shouted to the other doctors and security guards to lock the ward’s doors from the inside and “teach these Christians a lesson,” continued Anil: “Around 15 to 20 paramedical staff and security guards and eight to 10 young doctors … lunged at us with iron rods, chairs, leather belts and other things and started beating us.” The men were severely injured.

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13014/persecution-christians-march

  16. zero hedge – UK Begged Trump Not To Declassify Russia Docs; Cited “Grave Concerns” Over Steele Involvement

    The British government “expressed grave concerns” to the US government over the declassification and release of material related to the Trump-Russia investigation, according to the New York Times. President Trump ordered a wide swath of materials “immediately” declassified “without redaction” on Monday, only to change his mind later in the week by allowing the DOJ Inspector General to review the materials first.

    The Times reports that the UK’s concern was over material which “includes direct references to conversations between American law enforcement officials and Christopher Steele,” the former MI6 agent who compiled the infamous “Steele Dossier.” The UK’s objection, according to former US and British officials, was over revealing Steele’s identity in an official document, “regardless of whether he had been named in press reports.”

    We would note, however, that Steele’s name was contained within the Nunes Memo – the House Intelligence Committee’s majority opinion in the Trump-Russia case.

    Steele also had extensive contacts with DOJ official Bruce Ohr and his wife Nellie, who – along with Steele – was paid by opposition research firm Fusion GPS in the anti-Trump campaign. Trump called for the declassification of FBI notes of interviews with Ohr, which would ostensibly reveal more about his relationship with Steele. Ohr was demoted twice within the Department of Justice for lying about his contacts with Fusion GPS.

    Perhaps the Brits are also concerned since much of the espionage performed on the Trump campaign was conducted on UK soil throughout 2016. Recall that Trump aid George Papadopoulos was lured to London in March, 2016, where Maltese professor Joseph Mifsud fed him the rumor that Russia had dirt on Hillary Clinton. It was later at a London bar that Papadopoulos would drunkenly pass the rumor to Australian diplomat Alexander Downer (who Strzok flew to London to meet with).

    Also recall that CIA/FBI “informant” (spy) Stefan Halper met with both Carter Page and Papadopoulos in London.

    Halper, a veteran of four Republican administrations, reached out to Trump aide George Papadopoulos in September 2016 with an offer to fly to London to write an academic paper on energy exploration in the Mediterranean Sea.

    Papadopoulos accepted a flight to London and a $3,000 honorarium. He claims that during a meeting in London, Halper asked him whether he knew anything about Russian hacking of Democrats’ emails.

    Papadopoulos had other contacts on British soil that he now believes were part of a government-sanctioned surveillance operation. -Daily Caller

    In total, Halper received over $1 million from the Obama Pentagon for “research,” over $400,000 of which was granted before and during the 2016 election season.

    In short, it’s understandable that the UK would prefer to hide their involvement in the “witch hunt” of Donald Trump since much of the counterintelligence investigation was conducted on UK soil. And if the Brits had knowledge of the operation, it will bolster claims that they meddled in the 2016 US election by assisting what appears to have been a set-up from the start.

    Steele’s ham-handed dossier is a mere embarrassment, as virtually none of the claims asserted by the former MI6 agent have been proven true.

    Steele, a former MI6 agent, is the author of the infamous and unverified anti-Trump dossier. He worked as a confidential human source for the FBI for years before the relationship was severed just before the election because of Steele’s unauthorized contacts with the press.

    He shared results of his investigation into Trump’s links to Russia with the FBI beginning in early July 2016.

    The FBI relied heavily on the unverified Steele dossier to fill out applications for four FISA warrants against Page. Page has denied the dossier’s claims, which include that he was the Trump campaign’s back channel to the Kremlin. -Daily Caller

    That said, Steele hasn’t worked for the British government since 2009, so for their excuse focusing on the former MI6 agent while ignoring the multitude of events which occurred on UK soil, is curious.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-09-23/uk-begged-trump-not-declassify-russia-docs-cited-grave-concerns-over-steele


  17. Lisa Page believed Rod Rosenstein was serious about secretly recording Trump: Report

    Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page was reportedly under the impression that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was being serious when, in the days after FBI Director James Comey was fired last spring, he brought up secretly recording President Trump.

    The New York Times broke the news about Rosenstein’s idea on Friday, characterizing the taping comments as well as talk of invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to oust the president as being legitimate considerations. However, sources in follow-up reports from the Washington Post and NBC News pushed back, saying the covert recording remark was made sarcastically or jokingly.

    But one notable person in the room, Page, thought otherwise. Two sources familiar with the situation said Page, who wrote a memo about that meeting, told the Daily Beast she took the secret taping comment seriously.

    Page resigned from the FBI in May amid a controversy that derived from text messages between herself and FBI agent Peter Strzok that displayed an anti-Trump bias.

    Rosenstein vehemently denies that he ever “pursued or authorized” the recording of the president, and another one of Daily Beast’s sources, a former official who was in the room when Rosenstein suggested a secret recording, also dismissed the idea. “Never for one second did I think he was seriously suggesting that anybody do that,” that source said.

    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/lisa-page-believed-rod-rosenstein-was-serious-about-secretly-recording-trump-report

    =========================================================


    Lisa Page Took Rod Rosenstein’s Trump Tape Talk Seriously

    Two sources told The Daily Beast that FBI lawyer Lisa Page was present for Rod Rosenstein’s comments on secret recordings and did not believe he was joking or being sarcastic.

    A debate with major implications has broken out over whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was being sarcastic when, in the spring of 2017, he reportedly talked about covertly recording President Donald Trump.

    A former career Justice Department official who was in the room when the topic arose told The Daily Beast he believes the deputy attorney general was being sarcastic. But another person in the room at the time has indicated she took it seriously.

    Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page was present for Rosenstein’s comments on secret recordings and did not believe he was joking or being sarcastic, according to two people familiar with the events in question. A spokesperson for Page declined to comment for this story.

    The former official who was also in the room for the meeting Page attended told The Daily Beast he did not think Rosenstein was being serious when he made the comment.

    “Never for one second did I think he was seriously suggesting that anybody do that,” that person said. He added that, to his knowledge, there was no further discussion or action on recording the president—reinforcing his assessment that Rosenstein wasn’t being serious.

    The question of whether or not Rosenstein was serious when he made those comments has generated uproar in Washington. Rosenstein, meanwhile, has publicly disputed the veracity of a New York Times story reporting that he discussed covertly recording the president and using the 25th amendment to oust him.

    “I never pursued or authorized recording the President and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false,” he said in a statement.

    https://www.thedailybeast.com/rod-rosenstein-talk-of-taping-trump-was-considered-serious-by-lisa-page

  18. France: Protesters march against Le Pen visit

    A protest was held in Mantes-la-Ville, near Paris, Sunday, against Marine Le-Pen’s scheduled visit to the town that same day.

    Protesters marched from the city hall of Mantes-la-Ville, whose mayor Cyril Nauth is from Le Pen’s party Rassemblement National, to the hall where Marine Le Pen was due to speak.

    Marine Le Pen planned the speech to kickstart her party’s campaign for the upcoming European elections.

  19. Emigration au Canada : Ces Algériens qui veulent quitter le pays massivement

    Emigrer au Canada, changer de vie et s’émanciper, offrir un avenir à ses enfants… ils sont nombreux, très nombreux les Algériens candidats au grand saut.

    Hier en tout cas, ils étaient plus de 600 participants à emplir la salle de la maison de la culture Malek Haddad à Constantine. Ils avaient fait le déplacement d’Alger, de Annaba, de Tlemcen aussi, et bien entendu de Constantine, pour écouter Nora Bouhali, consultante réglementée et certifiée en immigration canadienne, nommée par le ministère de la Justice du Québec.

    Le CV de la conférencière ne laisse pas de place au doute parmi les présents échaudés par de douloureuses histoires d’arnaque dont ont été victimes de nombreux candidats, qui mettent en scène des bureaux de consulting derrière lesquels se cachent des escrocs.

    Mais c’est surtout l’opportunité d’immigration qu’offre le Canada à travers sa nouvelle formule de sélection, Arima, et par-dessus tout le désir de quitter le pays «devenu invivable» qui motivent les participants. El Watan en a interrogé plusieurs à cette occasion et il en ressort que les motivations sont les mêmes, notamment concernant les raisons qui poussent à quitter le pays.

    «Qui est présent ici pour l’immigration», demande Mme Bouhali dans son introduction. Les mains se lèvent sans hésitation, et c’est tout l’auditoire qui réagit de manière synchronisée comme dans une chorégraphie. Ces gens de différents âges et d’horizons professionnels divers s’étaient présentés avant le rendez-vous de 9h précisé sur le coupon d’invitation.

    Invitation sans laquelle il était impossible d’accéder en raison de la très grande demande et de l’exiguïté de la salle, explique Radja Arioua, directrice générale de Innovation Way Consulting, organisatrice de l’événement et agent agréé à Constantine de la compagnie Vivre O Canada.

    En silence et dans l’ordre, les centaines de participants occupent le hall de l’établissement et attendent avec patience le début de la conférence. Quelques-uns ont omis d’imprimer l’invitation, mais les organisateurs de l’événement maîtrisent vite la situation. A 9h45, Mme Bouhali prend la parole devant une salle archicomble et, comme à Alger et Béjaïa, elle emploie le langage de la vérité. Son but n’est pas de flatter ni de faire miroiter de faux espoirs aux candidats.

    Son but est d’expliquer le système et sa complexité, dit-elle, afin de faire tomber les préjugés et les incompréhensions. La salle écoute religieusement.

    «Je ne vois plus l’horizon»

    Il y avait des médecins cabinards dans la salle, des artistes connus et des ingénieurs ayant déjà une situation ou à la recherche d’un travail. Il y avait autant de femmes que d’hommes, jeunes et moins jeunes ; des célibataires, mais aussi beaucoup de couples venus avec leurs enfants. Tous étaient venus écouter l’experte dans le but d’améliorer leur connaissance du sujet, maîtriser les astuces, éviter des erreurs fatales et optimiser leurs chances d’obtenir le fameux sésame.

    Quelques-uns ont pris le micro pour poser des questions, parfois pertinentes, preuve d’une familiarité avec le projet d’immigration au pays de l’érable. Parmi eux, Abdellatif. Cet ingénieur de réseaux, âgé de 31 ans, a fait le déplacement d’Alger après avoir raté les trois rencontres tenues à partir du 8 septembre dans la capitale, ensuite de Akbou à Béjaïa.

    Abdellatif cite pêle-mêle la bureaucratie, l’injustice et l’incurie du système politique algérien pour justifier sa volonté de quitter le pays. «Rien ne marche ici», nous dit-il fermement. Et pour lui, le Canada présente la meilleure offre d‘immigration aux Algériens qui ne supportent pas de céder de leur dignité.

    Redha et son épouse Ines, tous les deux architectes, travaillent dans des entreprises qui leur payent des salaires bien au-dessus de la moyenne nationale.

    On pourrait dire qu’ils ont la chance d’avoir une bonne situation professionnelle et sociale. Pourquoi alors veulent-ils partir ? «Je veux partir aujourd’hui avant demain», déclare Redha. «Je ne vois plus l’horizon ici. La situation du pays est au plus mal et j’ai peur pour ma famille», précise-t-il. La plupart des personnes que nous avons abordées évitent cependant d’afficher les raisons du départ, préférant se projeter dans les opportunités qu’offre le pays ciblé.

    Anya et Maya sont informaticiennes et travaillent dans l’administration publique à Constantine. Un peu réservées, les deux jeunes femmes voient leur curiosité se transformer en tentation. Rokia, en revanche, affiche plus de détermination dans son projet d’immigration.

    Elle n’en peut plus du chômage du haut de ses 28 ans. «Mon diplôme de biologiste me permet seulement deux débouchés ici. Ou bien comme déléguée médicale ou alors comme laborantine. Ça tue mes ambitions, alors qu’au Canada je pourrais m’émanciper dans de nombreux métiers en relation avec ma formation», nous dit-elle.

    Parmi les participants, il y avait aussi de nombreux jeunes candidats pour des études au Québec. Laïdi, 29 ans, vient de Annaba. Titulaire d’un mastère en biologie, il espère poursuivre ses études au Canada et s’obstine à réaliser son rêve, sachant que c’est là sa deuxième tentative d’immigration et qu’il a déjà signé un contrat d’accompagnement avec le bureau de Constantine.

    «Pour une immigration réussie», est le slogan employé pour cette campagne qui s’est achevée hier à Constantine et nous a enseigné que la demande de départ est très importante.

    Si certains y voient une fuite massive des cerveaux algériens, Nora Bouhali considère au contraire qu’il s’agit d’une richesse humaine inestimable qui, un jour ou l’autre, reviendra au pays.

    https://www.elwatan.com/edition/actualite/emigration-au-canada-ces-algeriens-qui-veulent-quitter-le-pays-massivement-23-09-2018

  20. BREITBART – WATCH: British ‘Pharmacist from Birmingham’ Detained in Islamic State Syria

    A British man, who says he is a doctor and pharmacist from Birmingham, has reportedly been detained in Syria on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic State.
    Claiming his name is Anwar Miah, he was allegedly apprehended by Kurdish forces last month near Hajin in Deir al-Zour, a province on the border with Iraq.

    Footage showing him being questioned by his captors and speaking in a Midlands accent has emerged on social media.

    In the clip, he says he has been in the country for “just under four years” living under Islamic State, or “Daesh”, but seeks to distance himself from terrorists by insisting he works in medicine.[…]

    https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/09/23/watch-british-pharmacist-birmingham-detained-islamic-state-syria/

    https://twitter.com/VolunteerReport/status/1043511932131713025

  21. Living from the Heart: Universalist Sufism in America Trailer (September 2018)

    Living from the Heart: Universalist Sufism in America (running time 40:20, directed by Chuck Davis) offers an introduction to the mystical path of Sufism as expressed in the universalist Sufi teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan by contemporary Sufi teachers in America.

    The film contextualizes Sufism as a spiritual path of the heart, addressing the distinction between Islamic Sufism and Universalist Sufism, and introduces viewers to Sufi teachings on Love, Beauty, Music, God, and the Sufi practices of Zikr (remembrance) and Pilgrimage.

    The film features interviews with: Taj Inayat, Senior Teacher, Inayati Order; Shabda Kahn, Pir of the Sufi Ruhaniat Order; Satya Inayat Khan, Inayati Order; Zia Inayat-Khan, Pir of the Inayati Order; Netanel Miles-Yépez, Pir of the Inayati-Maimuni Order; Deepa Gulrukh Patel, Teacher, Inayati Order; and Jennifer Alia Wittman, Executive Director, Inayati Order. Also featured are: Sukhawat Ali Khan, Traditional Qawwali Singer; Amir Peter O’Laughlin, Sufi Musician; Lucas Kestrel Sego, Coordinator, Lama Foundation; and Aziz Isaiah Abbatiello, Traditional Mevlevi Whirler.

  22. Baghdadi Reportedly Reached Afghanistan Via Iran (aawsat, Sep 22, 2018)
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1403801/baghdadi-reportedly-reached-afghanistan-iran

    “The leader of ISIS terrorist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has reached eastern Afghanistan via Iran, Pakistani security and other extremist group sources said.

    Baghdadi arrived in Nangarhar Province after crossing Iranian territories in eastern Iran’s Zahedan city, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

    According to the sources, ISIS manages a location to host its fighters in Zahedan in cooperation with the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    News of Baghdadi’s arrival in Afghanistan comes as the US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched Operation Roundup last week, the third phase of a year-old operation to clear southeastern Syria of its last ISIS holdouts, in an area around the Euphrates extending around 50 kilometers into Syria.

    Meanwhile, the deaths of Afghan journalist Samim Faramarz and his cameraman Ramiz Ahmadi on September 5 took the number of journalists and media workers killed in Afghanistan this year to 14, making the country the deadliest in the world for the media…”

  23. Egypt court sentences Muslim Brotherhood leader to life (ahram, Sep 23, 2018)
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/312040/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-court-sentences-Muslim-Brotherhood-leader-to.aspx

    “An Egyptian criminal court sentenced the chief of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group and dozens of others to life in prison on Sunday on charges of incitement of murder and violence during protests five years ago, a judicial source said.

    The sentence is the latest among a series of trials and re-trials against the Supreme Guide of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and other senior leaders of the Islamist group that ruled Egypt before Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was ousted following massive protests.

    The court sentenced 64 others alongside Badei to life terms.

    The case, which involves hundreds of defendants, dates back to violence in August 2013 that followed the dispersal of a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, which left hundreds of Brotherhood members and dozens of police dead. The defendants are accused of assaulting a police station in the southern governorate of Minya and killing a policeman.

    The court had previously sentenced Badie to death 2014 in this case, but an appeals hearing had overturned the verdict and ordered a retrial.

    Another 81 defendants were sentenced to between 10-15 years in prison and dozens of others were handed shorter jail terms. The court acquitted 288 other defendants in the same case.

    Last month, Badie and other senior Brotherhood leaders were sentenced to life in prison over similar charges in a separate case.

    In July, a court referred the cases of Badie and other Brotherhood leaders in a separate case to Egypt’s top Muslim religious authority, the Mufti, for his opinion on whether they should be sentenced to death.”

  24. Panama revokes registration of last migrant rescue ship in central Mediterranean (reuters, Sep 23, 2018)
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-migration-aquarius-panama/panama-revokes-registration-of-last-migrant-rescue-ship-in-central-mediterranean-idUSKCN1M30S9

    “The Panama Maritime Authority has revoked the registration of search and rescue ship Aquarius 2 in a move that means there will be no charity rescue ships off the Libyan coast in the near future unless the vessel can find a new flag to sail under.

    Aquarius 2, the one remaining charity rescue vessel still operating in the Central Mediterranean area, is currently at sea with 58 survivors on board.

    The decision by the Panama Authority (PMA) means that once the ship comes into port it will be deflagged and will not be allowed to operate again unless it can find a new flag.

    SOS Mediterranee, one of the charities that operates the Aquarius, said in a statement it was reeling from news of the revocation, which it said followed pressure from the Italian government.

    “On Saturday … the Aquarius team was shocked to learn of an official communication from the Panamanian authorities stating that the Italian authorities had urged the PMA to take ‘immediate action’ against the Aquarius,” it said.

    Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the Italian government had applied no pressure on Panama.

    A public backlash against the arrival of hundreds of thousands of seaborne newcomers in the past five years helped put Italy’s anti-establishment ruling coalition into office…”

  25. Maldives police remove ‘anti-Islamic idols’ in luxury resort raid

    Police remove underwater sculptures from the Fairmont hotel in move critics say is aimed at ‘courting religious vote’.

    Male, Maldives – Guests on a five-star honeymoon resort in the Maldives caught a rare glimpse of the decades-long political and religious tensions rocking this island nation when policemen – armed with axes, concrete saws and ropes – stormed the Fairmont Maldives to destroy model human figures that had been deemed un-Islamic.

    The unprecedented raid on Friday came as President Abdulla Yameen railed against what he said was a plot by the “Western-backed opposition” to undermine Islam in the Maldives in advance of a highly charged election on Sunday.

    Standing in a tropical storm on the tarmac in a half-completed airport in the northern Maldives, Yameen lambasted his opponents for promoting “Western standards” that “are intolerable to our society and values”.

    “I bring you development and prosperity,” he declared as the rain and wind whipped coconut palms in the distance.

    “What does the opposition offer? They talk of democracy … What do they do in the name of Western-backed democracy? They protest to seek rights for homosexuals.”

    He made no mention of the police raid on the resort.

    Yameen, who is seeking re-election after five years of rule marred by allegations of human rights abuses and corruption, had ordered the removal of the nearly 30 statues from the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi in July, citing “significant public sentiment against” them.

    That was after several Muslim leaders warned against “the sin of worshipping idols” when the Fairmont hotel opened the art gallery, called a coralarium, to the public.

    The Candian hotelier called it the world’s first semi-submerged gallery, and Jason deCaires Taylor, the British-Guyanese artist behind the installations, said his aim was “to raise awareness for the protection” of Maldives’ coral reefs, which are under threat from warming oceans associated with climate change.

    On Thursday, police said the civil court had issued a ruling ordering the resort to take down the sculptures, saying the installation “undermines Islamic faith, peace and order” in the country.

    The judgment ordered the police and the army to remove the human models if the resort failed to do so within five hours, the police said in a statement.

    A video posted on Twitter by the state-owned Public Service Media showed policemen cheering as one statue was pulled off its plinth into the lagoon. The broadcaster described the figures as “illegal”.

    The police, also in a post on Twitter, said all “human model sculptures” in the coralarium were cleared out by 5:45pm on Friday evening.

    Shortly after the raid, Jamiyyath Salaf, a religious organisation that lobbies for the death penalty and strict Islamic law, declared its support for the president.

    Shahindha Ismail, executive director of human rights group Maldivian Democracy Network, described the police’s actions as a “destructive and desperate” attempt by the president to court the religious vote.

    She said Yameen, who is facing sanctions from the European Union over alleged rights violations, began his re-election bid by putting Islam at the centre of his campaign.

    Indeed, after facing criticism from Western powers and neighbouring India over a wideranging crackdown on dissent, Yameen has sought to portray himself as defending sovereignty and religion in the Sunni Muslim nation. He quit the Commonwealth, and fostered close ties with China and Saudi Arabia, praising the two countries for funding his development agenda without interfering in the country’s affairs.

    As his running mate this year, he chose a Muslim leader with close ties to the Saudis, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed.

    His opponents, however, accuse him of politicising Islam in order to deflect criticism over rights abuses.

    Over the past five years, Yameen has jailed or forced into exile nearly all of his political rivals, suspended parliament, shuttered critical and independent media, and declared two states of emergencies over alleged threats to national security.

    He has presided over a crackdown on liberal voices even as scores of young men and women left the country to join armed groups in various conflicts in the Middle East, including fighting with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

    Meanwhile, a journalist was disappeared, a blogger was killed, and several rights activists have received death threats for criticising street crime and religious violence.

    Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition’s joint candidate, has promised to investigate the attacks, restore democracy, release dissidents and investigate corruption allegations against Yameen.

    Ismail, of the Maldivian Democracy Network, said those who seek to promote human rights and democracy in the country have been “branded anti-Islamic” ever since prison riots in 2003 led to a democratic uprising.

    Successive governments have used religion to legitimise authoritarian actions since then, she said, which has empowered far-right religious actors in the country.

    That is why the art installation at the Fairmont has become a flashpoint, she said.

    The hotel did not respond to calls for comment.

    Ibrahim Muaz Ali, Yameen’s spokesman, denied any link between the taking down of the statues and the upcoming vote, but refused to answer additional questions.

    Meanwhile, Ahmed Nihan, parliamentary group leader of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives, posted a tweet with police destroying the statues and the hashtag #YameenShaheem2018.

    He had previously thanked Yameen for the removal order.

    A similar outcry occurred in 2011 during a meeting of South Asian leaders in the Maldives’ southern Addu City over the installation of statues gifted by the country’s neighbours.

    Several monuments, including a bust of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, were torched, while the head of Sri Lanka’s lion statue was decapitated.

    The police eventually took down all the monuments.

    Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, spokesman for the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the four-party alliance seeking to remove Yameen, declined to comment on the removal of the statues from the Fairmont hotel.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/maldives-police-raid-resort-remove-idols-heated-polls-180921193012618.html

    • Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, spokesman for the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the four-party alliance seeking to remove Yameen, declined to comment on the removal of the statues from the Fairmont hotel.

      And people actually expect these cretins to constructively participate in the 21st century? Please recall that the Maldives were one of the last places on earth to illegalize human slavery.