Reader’s links, October 3, 2018

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

122 Replies to “Reader’s links, October 3, 2018”

  3. Notorious French gangster arrested months after daring helicopter jailbreak (RT, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.rt.com/news/440178-france-gangster-faid-arrested/

    “Three months after a spectacular prison break, Redoine Faid, the most wanted gangster in France and notorious for his escapes of a blockbuster genre, has been arrested by the authorities in his hometown, local media report.

    Following his spectacular escape from Reau prison near Paris in July with the help of a helicopter, Faid had been on the run for months. The Brigade for Research and Intervention (BRI) unit only managed to track down and arrest him early Wednesday morning, around 4:00am, in his hometown of Creil.

    The gangster was arrested along with three alleged accomplices, including his brother, Rachid Faid, local media reported. French authorities also seized weapons during the search of the criminals’ hideout…”

  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVk9a5Jcd1k&feature=youtu.be
    This is an incredible 6 minutes! Academics submitted nonsense papers to “gender/feminist academic publications” and they were accepted! Peer reviewed and all…
    Really, tune into this and wait for the dog humping at the dog park and the assertion that “dog parks are the petri dish of canine rape culture.”
    Really, I watched this 3 times it was so funny and ridiculous, but also sad.
    I got on to this by reading a tweet from one of the hoaxers that he would probably lose his job for doing this.

  6. MY SINISTER BATTLE WITH BRETT KAVANAUGH OVER THE TRUTH
    Twenty-three years ago I crossed swords with a younger Brett Kavanaugh in one of the weirdest and most disturbing episodes of my career as a journalist. What happened leaves me in no doubt that he lacks judicial character and is unfit to serve on the US Supreme Court for the next thirty years or more, whatever his political ideology. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/my-battle-brett-kavanaugh-over-truth-ambrose-evans-pritchard/

    • Thanks Coram Deo. This is massive. Where does the Deep State end and truth begin? Who do we believe?

  10. Chinese armed drones now flying across Mideast battlefields

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — High above Yemen’s rebel-held city of Hodeida, a drone controlled by Emirati forces hovered as an SUV carrying a top Shiite Houthi rebel official turned onto a small street and stopped, waiting for another vehicle in its convoy to catch up.

    Seconds later, the SUV exploded in flames, killing Saleh al-Samad, a top political figure.

    The drone that fired that missile in April was not one of the many American aircraft that have been buzzing across the skies of Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. It was Chinese.

    https://apnews.com/1da29d68e3cc47b58631768c1dcfa445

  11. Amid trade spat, US-China military tensions soar

    WASHINGTON: The bitter trade dispute between China and the US is increasingly spilling into the military domain, with a risky incident in the South China Sea highlighting the dangers of souring relations.

    In what the US Navy has called an “unsafe and unprofessional” encounter, a Chinese warship sailed within just 45 yards (41 meters) of a US destroyer Sunday as it passed by Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea, forcing the American vessel to take evasive action.

    The ..

    Read more at:
    //economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66051459.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

  12. NKorea said to have stolen a fortune in online bank heists

    WASHINGTON (AP) — North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests have stopped, but its hacking operations to gather intelligence and raise funds for the sanction-strapped government in Pyongyang may be gathering steam.

    U.S. security firm FireEye raised the alarm Wednesday over a North Korean group that it says has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars by infiltrating the computer systems of banks around the world since 2014 through highly sophisticated and destructive attacks that have spanned at least 11 countries. It says the group is still operating and poses “an active global threat.”

    https://apnews.com/f6822f1313e2499883348a5615d2dbed/NKorea-said-to-have-stolen-a-fortune-in-online-bank-heists

  13. Latest Kavanaugh accuser calls frat party ‘shocking’; got suspended from Yale Club himself after similar activities
    By J.E. Dyer October 2, 2018

    It’s important to begin this article with the essential information, dropped casually by the accuser in an email to Senator Chris Coons (D-CT):

    I can’t say for certain that Judge Kavanaugh was present in the frat house for the event, but he was still at Yale during the time period, attending Yale Law School, and I suspect he may have attended what would have been a big party in the frat’s newly-purchased off-campus house.

    Byron York posted the full email to Coons on Twitter.

    https://libertyunyielding.com/2018/10/02/latest-kavanaugh-accuser-calls-frat-party-shocking-got-suspended-from-yale-club-himself-after-similar-activities/

  14. Cartoonist who mocked Kavanaugh daughter’s prayer also used iconic OKC bombing image to blame ‘right wing radio’
    By J.E. Dyer October 2, 2018

    A below-the-belt attack on the Kavanaugh family by a political cartoonist has gone viral in the last 48 hours. In it, cartoonist Chris Britt, editorial cartoonist for the Illinois Times, depicts Brett and Ashley Kavanaugh’s 10-year-old daughter saying her nightly prayers.

    During the Senate hearing last Thursday, Judge Kavanaugh had spoken of his daughter wanting to pray for his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, when she said her prayers at night. He choked up a little over the wisdom from such a youngster, evoking, for many Christians, the admonition of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44, NIV).

    The Chris Britt cartoon shows Kavanaugh’s daughter praying a different prayer

    https://libertyunyielding.com/2018/10/02/cartoonist-who-mocked-kavanaugh-daughters-prayer-also-used-iconic-okc-bombing-image-to-blame-right-wing-radio/

  16. Quebec’s premier-designate says he is prepared to invoke the notwithstanding clause to enforce a prohibition on any public employee from wearing a religious symbol such as a hijab or kippa in the workplace.

    François Legault would also move swiftly to reduce the number of immigrants allowed into the province by 20 per cent.

    He made the comments Tuesday, at his first news conference since his Coalition Avenir Québec won a decisive majority in Monday’s provincial election, beating out the incumbent Liberals.

    François Legault’s immigration proposals probably won’t ‘see the light of day,’ says pollster
    ANALYSISFrançois Legault’s CAQ swept to power by suburbs, rural regions and francophones
    In his opening remarks, Legault emphasized that making improvements to health care and education would be the immediate priorities for his government.

    But when asked by reporters about the notwithstanding clause and his immigration policy, he didn’t back down.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/francois-legault-coalition-avenir-quebec-1.4846838

    • CBC – François Legault would invoke notwithstanding clause to ban hijabs from civil service

      […]François Legault would also move swiftly to reduce the number of immigrants allowed into the province by 20 per cent.

      He made the comments Tuesday, at his first news conference since his Coalition Avenir Québec won a decisive majority in Monday’s provincial election, beating out the incumbent Liberals.

      […]But when asked by reporters about the notwithstanding clause and his immigration policy, he didn’t back down.

      “I think that the vast majority of Quebecers, they would like to have a framework where people in an authority position must not wear a religious sign,” Legault said.

      […]The right-of-centre party, which has never before held power in Quebec, opposes the wearing of religious symbols, including the hijab, by police officers and others who wield coercive state power.

      Teachers would be affected

      Legault said Tuesday he would offer those affected, including teachers, “jobs in offices for people who want to keep wearing a religious sign.”

      His pledges to ensure the religious neutrality is one of several significant changes Quebecers can expect under a CAQ government.

      Legault also vowed to move forward on his vow to reduce the number of immigrants, saying more needs to be done to ensure they are integrated and learn French.

      During the election campaign, Legault struggled to explain how his policy would be implemented, given that the province only controls the number of economic immigrants it takes in, while the federal government controls the number of refugees and the family reunification program.

      https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/francois-legault-coalition-avenir-quebec-1.4846838

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

      Incoming Que. premier ready to force ban on hijabs for teachers, police

      […]Shaheen Ashraf of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women said she was concerned by Legault’s plan, calling it a human rights issue.

      “If a person like me wants to be a policewoman, or wants to be a teacher or wants to be in the public service or in politics, I can’t?” she said.

      The premier-designate also plans to reduce Quebec’s immigrant intake by 20 per cent, and kick out newcomers who cannot pass tests on Quebec values and the French language after spending three years in the province.

      https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/incoming-que-premier-ready-to-force-ban-on-hijabs-for-teachers-police-1.4119342

      ======================================================
      Trudeau wants Legault to think carefully before invoking notwithstanding clause

      OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants Quebec premier-designate Francois Legault to think carefully before using the notwithstanding clause to prevent Quebecers in positions of authority — such as police officers and teachers — from wearing religious symbols at work.

      The day after winning Monday’s election, Legault vowed to use the powerful constitutional clause if necessary to uphold a proposal to prohibit some state employees from wearing religious symbols, including garments like the Jewish kippa and Muslim hijab.

      Legault insisted the proposed ban is important enough to invoke the Constitution’s nortwithstanding clause, which would override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

      But Trudeau said Wednesday that the clause should be reserved for “exceptional circumstances” and only deployed after lots of deep reflection about the consequences.

      “It’s not something that should be done lightly because to remove or avoid defending the fundamental rights of Canadians, I think it’s something with which you have to pay careful attention,” Trudeau said.

      “As you know very well, I’m not of the opinion that the state should be able to tell a woman what she can wear, nor what she cannot wear. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is there to protect our rights and our freedom.”

      Legault’s centre-right Coalition Avenir Quebec won a convincing majority mandate in the provincial election after promising to carve out more autonomy for the province.

      His rise to power appears destined to create fresh conflicts between Quebec and Ottawa.

      In reaffirming his position Tuesday, Legault said he believes most Quebecers want to have a framework in place to prevent people in authority positions from wearing religious symbols.

      “If we have to use the notwithstanding clause to apply what the majority of Quebecers want, we will do so,” he said.

      https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/canada/trudeau-wants-legault-to-think-carefully-before-invoking-notwithstanding-clause-246978/

  19. EU parliamentarians do not need to publicly explain how they use their additional allowances according to the European Court of Justice.

    “This is yet another example of how the EU’s unelected overpaid bureaucrats spit on the people that pay their salaries – and whom they are supposed to serve.”

    The Court has recently declared that the 750 Members of the European Parliament do not need to reveal how they use the extra funds they receive from Parliament in addition to their salary.

    https://www.infowars.com/unelected-eu-members-not-required-to-reveal-how-they-spend-public-money/

  20. Photos Show Confrontation Between USS Decatur and a Chinese Navy Warship in South China Sea
    October 2, 2018 by gCaptain

    uss decatur
    U.S. Navy photo showing a confrontation between the USS Decatur (left) and PRC Warship 170 (right) in the South China Sea on Sunday, September 30, 2018. U.S. Navy Photo
    gCaptain has just obtained photos showing a confrontation involving the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Decatur and a Chinese Navy warship in the disputed South China Sea over the weekend.

    The U.S. Navy confirmed the incident on Tuesday, accusing China’s navy of conducting an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver” that nearly led to a collision as the U.S. destroyer was underway “in the vicinity” of Gaven Reef in the Spratly Islands on Sunday, September 30.

    According to a Navy spokesman, during the incident, the Chinese warship “approached within 45 yards of Decatur’s bow, after which Decatur maneuvered to prevent a collision.”

    https://gcaptain.com/photos-show-confrontation-between-uss-decatur-and-chinese-navy-warship-in-disputed-south-china-sea/

  23. Christine Blasey lived in Potomac, Maryland in 1985.

    Christine was arrested in a traffic stop and ticketd on June 14, 1985 (Friday) in Catawba County North Carlina.

    She was charged with a traffic misdemeanor – no big deal. It was disposed on Sept 11, 1985.

    But there’s more.

    There were two other cases on June 17, 1985 (Monday). They were also in Catawba County on a different day and are under case type – CRIMINAL. This might be the same case, but two different records were given.

    The interesting thing about these two cases against Christine Blasey Ford is that they were last updated on July 7, 2018.
    Is that when they were expunged?
    http://thedeplorablearmy.com/christine-fords-criminal-record-scrubbed-clean-on-database-three-weeks-before-her-letter-to-feinstein/

    https://www.caclip.com/caplay/Play-clip-christine-fords-criminal-record-mysteriously-scrubbed-from-internet–CanElC9s4tCzE/

  25. A senior software engineer at Google with responsibility for a key feature of Google’s search engine labeled Tennessee Senate candidate Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) a “violent thug” and a “terrorist,” who Google shouldn’t “negotiate” with, according to internal emails obtained by Breitbart News. The employee also defended the censorship of her campaign ads on social media.
    The comments took place in an internal email discussion that began on June 19 this year. The topic of discussion was Rep. Blackburn’s Fox News op-ed of the same month, which urged Silicon Valley companies to address bias against conservatives on their platforms. Blackburn, who has herself been the target of social media censorship, has been a vocal critic of tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter during her time in Congress.

    The op-ed was not well received within the corridors of Silicon Valley power. One Google employee, a site reliability engineer, called Blackburn’s piece “hilarious” and said Republicans are becoming “tribalists focused on stirring up outrage to maintain power.”

    Blake Lemoine, a senior software engineer at Google, was harsher in his comments. Saying the public is being “lied to” by Blackburn, he went on to accuse the Tennessee representative of “causing the deaths of people she claimed to protect” — something he attributed to her work on the anti-trafficking bills FOSTA and SESTA.

    “We certainly shouldn’t acquiesce to the theatrical demands of a legislator who makes political hay by intentionally reducing the safety of the people who she claims to protect,” said Lemoine. “I’m not big on negotiation with terrorists.”

    https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/10/01/exclusive-senior-google-search-engineer-called-marsha-blackburn-terrorist-thug/

  29. OK, this one is going to be a long one…

    Got into a discussion about Islam on the internet with someone who did not believe that Islam is an ideology of white supremacism.

    Many people would probably find it difficult to believe this, but alas, it is so – and in my discussion, I went on to prove it with references to the hadith that support my assertion.

    First of all, I demonstrated that Mohammed whas a white man.

    Then I quoted – in Arabic and with translation and reference (OK, found it on a pro-Islam website, but it exists) the claims that Mohammed is the most perfect person ever, and that Islam declares Arabs to be superior to all other peoples, Mohammed’s tribe, clan, family etc increasingly superior to others.

    Since I had it all in one place, I thought I might share it with you, for use in any debates and discussions you might get into with other people that doubt that Islam is an ideology that preaches white supremacism:

    The hadith state that one of Mohammed’s companions saw the inside of his thigh, and that its skin was white.
    Sahih Bukhari 1:8:367
    Sahih Muslim 19.4437:1
    Sahid Bukhari 4:56:767
    Sahid Muslims 8:3325

    Mohammed as a white man:
    Sunan Abu Dawud 3:1002
    Sahih Muslim 30:5777
    Sahih Bukhari 1:3:63
    Sahih Bukhari 2:17:122
    Sahih Bukhari 4:56:744
    Sahih Bukhari 7:72:787

    As for the superiority of the Arabs taught in Islam, let me give you the actual quotes (as well as translations, in case you don’t read Arabic:

    Bismillaahil ADheem From the beginning of Creation, humans of every race have been wondering which race is the most superior. Alhamdulillah, with the arrival of our Blessed Prophet (S), this question has been thoroughly answered to the satisfaction of all. For our Blessed Prophet (S) has said in this authentic narration:

    ?????????? ???????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? ?????????? ????????? ???? ????????? ?????????? ??????????????? ???? ????? ????????? ???? ????????? ???? ??????????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ? “? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????????? ????? ????????? ?????????? ???? ????? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ????????????? ???? ????? ??????? ?”? .? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?.?

    Narrated Wathilah bin Al-Asqa’: that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: “Indeed Allah has granted eminence (istafa) to Isma’il [the ancestor of the Arabs] from the children of Ibrahim, and He granted eminence to Banu Kinanah from the children of Isma’il, and He granted eminence to the Quraish [the tribe of the Prophet(s)] from Banu Kinanah, and He granted eminence to the Banu Hashim [the clan of the Prophet(S)] from the Quraish, and He granted eminence to me from Banu Hashim.”
    http://sunnah.com/urn/634660

    As well as in this authentic narration from Imam Muslim’s Saheeh:

    ?????????? ????????? ???? ????????? ???????????? ??????????? ???? ?????? ??????????? ???? ??????? ???????? ???? ??????????? – ????? ????? ????????? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ????????? – ?????????? ??????????????? ???? ????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ? “? ????? ??????? ???????? ????????? ???? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ????????? ???? ????????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ????????????? ???? ????? ??????? ?”? ?.?

    Wathila b. al-Asqa’ reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (S) as saying: Verily Allah granted eminence to Kinana from amongst the descendants of Isma’il [the ancestor of the Arabs] and he granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Kinana, and he granted eminence to the Banu Hashim amongst the Quraish, and he granted me eminence from the tribe of Banu Hashim.
    http://sunnah.com/muslim/43/1

    And in a similar authentic narration from our Blessed Prophet (S), he said:

    ??? ????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??????? ? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ? ?? ????? ??????? ? ??????? ?? ?????? ????? ? ?? ????? ?????? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????? ? ?? ????? ?????? ? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ? ???? ?????? ????? ? ???? ?????? ?????

    (The Prophet(S) said): ‘I am Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib. Indeed, Allah created the creation and made me from the best of them, and He then made them two groups (Arabs and non-Arabs) and made me from the best of them (the Arabs), then He made the tribes and made me from the best tribe, then He made the houses and made me from the best house. So I am the best house among them, and I am the best person among them.’”

    This narration has been recorded and authenticated by Shaykh Albani in his Saheeh Jami` al-Sagheer, hadith number 1472 (the book (in Arabic) can be read here: http://www.alalbany.net/4314)

    The following is the text from the scanned PDF of this text:

    Shaykh Albani’s authentication in his Sahih Jami’ al-Sagheer, hadith number 1472 Shaykh Albani’s authentication in his Sahih Jami’ al-Sagheer, hadith number 1472

    This narration has also been authenticated in the following texts:

    Shaykh Albani also authenticated it (as narrated by Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib) in his Takhreej Mishkat al-Masabeeh, hadith number 5689 Imam Ahmad bin Muhammad Shakir authenticated it in his Umdah at-Tafseer, volume 1, page 819 Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani said it is sound (Hasan) in his Al-Amaali al-Mutlaqah, page 70 Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haythami authenticated it in his Mujmaal-Zawa’id, vol 8, pg 218 Imam Ibn Katheer said it has a good (jayyid) chain in his Jami al-Masaneed wal-Sunan, hadith #5933 Shaykh Amjad Rasheed of SunniPath.com has also clarified this matter for us:

    It is obligatory on a Muslim to believe that Arabs are preferred over other nations because there is a proof for it. However, this is not one of the pillars of our religion such that if someone rejected this, they would be considered outside of Islam. But if one does reject this, one has sinned for not believing in it because it is an affirmed matter according to a clear rigorously authenticated hadith.

    http://archive.is/bze40 (archived webpage)

    This last bit was quoted from this Islamic source: https://islamicvirtues.com/2013/12/12/superiority-of-the-race-of-arabs-over-non-arabs/

    Please, use wisely and widely!

    • oops! looks like your site doesn’t do Arabic script…. All can be found at the last link.

  30. How Foreign Terrorist Funders Get U.S. Public Schools To Teach Anti-Jew Propaganda
    Using teacher training programs to indoctrinate U.S. children in Massachusetts shows just a sliver of the Arab theocracies’ larger influence operations within the American K-12 system.
    Ilya Feoktistov By Ilya Feoktistov
    OCTOBER 3, 2018
    The ruling dynasty of Qatar, the house of Al Thani, invests its massive fossil fuel profits to promote its political and theological agenda around the world. It invests in major Western properties, Hollywood studios like Miramax, global news broadcasters like Al Jazeera, terror organizations like ISIS and Hamas, and, most curiously, in American K-12 education.

    The Qataris, according to the Wall Street Journal, are spending millions to influence what American educators teach in their classrooms; and it has recently emerged that one of their investments is behind a roiling controversy in the Boston suburb of Newton.

    For more than six years, parents and citizens in Newton have been complaining that their city’s high school world history curriculum is biased against Israel to the point of being anti-Semitic. Newton Superintendent of Schools David Fleishman promised the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New England last year that he would remove and replace the bigoted curriculum with vetted scholarly materials, but public records requests revealed that biased, anti-Semitic, and false materials continued to be taught.

    http://thefederalist.com/2018/10/03/foreign-terrorist-funders-get-u-s-public-schools-teach-anti-jew-propaganda/

  31. Tehran: Iran’s Missile Strike Near US Troops in Syria Sent Washington a ‘Signal’ (sputniknews, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201810031068549075-iran-missile-us-troops-syria-signal/

    “Earlier this week, Iran launched seven drones and six precision-strike ballistic missiles on several terrorist targets in Syria’s Abu Kamal region in retaliation for a September 22 attack in Ahvaz that left 25 people dead.

    Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani stated that Iranian rocket strikes on militants in Syria hit a target several kilometers away from the position of US troops, Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.

    “Our aerospace forces sent you [the Americans] an important signal when they fired rockets at facilities three miles [about 5 km] from you,” said Shamkhani.

    He also suggested that the United States answer as to why its “forces were stationed three miles away from the militants of Daesh.*”

    In a parallel development, Commander of Iran’s Army Major General Abdolrahim Moussavi told reporters that Tehran would make its enemies regret their actions.

    “We will strike a more powerful and heavier blow in return to any strike by the other side. We can do the strike any time and anywhere,” Fars News Agency cited him as saying…”

  32. US Terminates 1955 Treaty of Amity and Economic Affairs With Iran – Pompeo (sputniknews, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201810031068561238-us-missions-iraq-threat-iran-pompeo/

    “Explaining the move, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo once again slammed the Islamic Republic, calling it a threat to the American mission in Iraq.

    “I’m announcing that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran,” Pompeo announced, noting that the Islamic Republic abused the agreement for years.

    According to the official, the closure of the US consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra was caused by the threats from Iran and Iran-backed militants.

    “Iran is the origin of the current threat to Americans in Iraq,” Pompeo told reporters. “Our intelligence in this regard is solid. We can see the hand of the ayatollah and his henchmen supporting these attacks on the United States.”

    He also stated that the United States would provide humanitarian help to Iran, stressing, however, that Tehran wasting the money instead of helping Iranian people…”

  33. ‘Are We a Neighbor You’re Afraid of?’: Morocco Rejects EU’s Migrant Centers (spuntiknews, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://sputniknews.com/africa/201810031068559761-morocco-migrant-centers-minister/

    “The EU wants to build a number of migrant holding centers in North Africa to stem the tide of refugees seeking asylum in Europe.

    Morocco rejects Brussels’ plan to build asylum centers in North Africa and insists that it should have a greater say on EU decisions on migration, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said in an interview with German daily newspaper Die Welt.

    The EU has suggested building migrant reception centers in Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, similar to the one it has in Turkey, to hold migrants seeking asylum in Europe.

    “Morocco is generally opposed to all kinds of centers. That is part of our migration policy and a national sovereign position,” the minister said.

    He added that the EU can’t ask Morocco to help with migration and the fight against terrorism while treating the country “like an object.”

    “Are we real partners or just a neighbor you’re afraid of?” Bourita wondered, questioning Europe’s attitude towards Morocco.

    So far Morocco, Albania, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt have said they are not interested in having such asylum centers on their territory.

    The reception centers are part a broader plan to more evenly distribute asylum seekers in Europe…”

  34. The mayor of a small town in southern Italy that became a model for immigrant integration was placed under house arrest Tuesday for allegedly aiding illegal immigration, a move that brought a wellspring of support for the mayor.

    Italian financial police arrested the mayor of Riace, Domenico Lucano, as part of an investigation into the allocation of a half-million euros in public funds to house refugees and asylum seekers.

    Authorities said the investigation also is examining allegations that fraudulent associations were set up so immigrants could take over trash disposal contracts and the arranging of marriages of convenience to help female immigrants remain in Italy.

    Hardline policy likely driving up migrant drownings, Italian think-tank says
    THE CURRENTRefugees revive Riace, a struggling Italian town
    Lucano’s companion, Tesfahun Lemlem, also was placed under investigation and risks losing her Italian residency.

    Locri prosecutor Luigi D’Alessio told Sky 24 that the 18-month-old investigation is much broader than what was contained in the arrest warrant.

    Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who has taken a hard line on immigration, hailed the mayor’s arrest on Twitter.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/italy-mayor-arrest-illegal-immigration-1.4847656

    NOTE: CBC gives us the key to the mayor’s generosity towards migrants:

    Lucano’s companion, Tesfahun Lemlem, also was placed under investigation and risks losing her Italian residency.

    Got to love that name, Lemlem….

  35. Britain halts aid to Syria’s Idlib over concern extremists imposing ‘terror tax’ on trucks (telegraph, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/03/britain-halts-aid-syrias-idlib-concern-extremists-imposing-terror/

    “Britain has halted aid to rebel-held parts of Syria over concern extremists are profiting from shipments through a “terror tax”.

    The UK decided to suspend deliveries to the Syrian opposition stronghold of Idlib last week following reports an Islamist group was benefiting from levies they were imposing on trucks at the Turkish border.

    Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a militant group with links to al-Qaeda and sanctioned by the UN, controls much of the northwestern province of Idlib including the main Bab al-Hawa crossing between Syria and Turkey.

    Most of the UK’s aid to Syria goes through Bab al-Hawa. Other crossings are not affected.

    The Department for International Development (DFID) made the decision in conjunction with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and The Telegraph understands neither will resume deliveries until they receive assurances from HTS they will no longer tax the trucks.

    “Our partners will immediately cease all use of the Bab al-Hawa (BAH) border crossing between Syria and Turkey under USAID-funded awards,” a USAID spokesman said.

    “A sanctioned terrorist group is likely incurring financial benefits from Syrian trucks accessing the BAH border crossing.”

    DFID declined to comment.

    One British aid worker who spoke to The Telegraph described the levies as “terror taxes” that could severely complicate operations in the area.

    Islamist rebels tax between 5-7,000 trucks a month entering Syria from Turkey, according to one assessment which estimated they raise around £2.8 million a month this way…”

    • Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a MILITANT group –

      Q: What does it take to be called a TERRORIST group?
      A: A Tommy Robinson poster.

  36. Iran’s Rouhani Praises Europe for ‘Big Step’ in Helping Tehran Evade U.S. Sanctions (breitbart, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2018/10/03/irans-rouhani-praises-europe-for-big-step-in-helping-tehran-evade-u-s-sanctions/

    “Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani took the unusual step of publicly applauding the European Union (E.U.) on Wednesday for taking a “big step” in setting the mechanisms to evade new U.S. trade sanctions…”

  38. French ‘Youths’ Set Traps for Police in Guerrilla-Like Clashes (breitbart, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/10/03/french-youths-set-traps-police-guerrilla-like-clashes/

    “Small groups of young people in the French city of Mulhouse clashed with local police over the weekend, allegedly using guerrilla-style tactics against the officers including laying traps and attacking them.

    The clashes occurred over the period of several hours and saw the local youths set garbage bins on fire and destroy a car in the neighbourhood of Drouot, newspaper L’Alsace reports.

    The violence began in the area at around 8:30 pm according to local residents who called the police to help calm the situation. When officers arrived on the scene at Rue de la Navigation, they were met with violence as small groups attacked them with weapons including stones and iron bars.

    The besieged officers caught in the ambush managed to call for reinforcements from Mulhouse and from neighbouring Colmar and Saint-Louis which lies on the Swiss border. The police also requested additional Gendarmes helicopter air support.

    Around 50 “youths” were believed to have participated in the clashes, throwing stones and other objects from the top of roofs in the neighbourhood at the officers. The clashes lasted several hours and police say that the situation did not return to normal until around 3 am. No one was arrested following the conflict.

    Attacks on police and other emergency services workers have become more and more common across France, with some, like the vicious beating of a female officer over New Year’s, being caught on film.

    Some attacks have also been deadly whether they have been linked to radical Islamic terrorism or more recently a seemingly random attack that saw a man in Rodez stab a police officer to death in the street.

    In Toulon, violence has even escalated toward paramedics to the point that one area has introduced bulletproof vests for medical services personnel to wear while out in the field.”

  39. NOTE: as far as I can tell, this is NOT satire. NOT satire!

    Jenny Blighe’s first professional porn film will be her last.

    What was supposed to be her “big break” in the adult film industry turned into a nightmare for Blighe, who says she was pressured to perform hardcore sex acts, choked until she was nearly unconscious and groped by a director during a shoot in February — all of which was caught on video.

    “I tried to stop the scene but [the director] told me I was ruining the flow and to just put my head back in the frame,” Blighe told The Post. “I felt helpless. All my nightmares about filming a pro boy/girl scene were coming true.”

    Blighe, 30, is speaking publicly about her ordeal but like other women in the porn business who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, she’s struggling to be taken seriously.

    While the #MeToo movement has swept through Hollywood, the adult-film industry has mostly shrugged off allegations of sexual misconduct. Blighe’s experience underscores the secretive, black-box nature of the porn business, coupled with the still widely held belief that people who are paid to have sex in front of the camera have no credibility.

    https://nypost.com/2018/08/29/i-was-treated-like-a-piece-of-meat-adult-actress-waits-for-metoo/?utm_source=reddit.com

  40. Syria’s Assad says ‘understanding’ reached with Arab states (abcnews, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syrias-assad-understanding-reached-arab-states-58253111

    “President Bashar Assad told a little-known Kuwaiti newspaper that Syria has reached a “major understanding” with Arab states after years of hostility over the country’s civil war.

    The interview in the Al-Shahed newspaper, published Wednesday, was Assad’s first with a Gulf newspaper since the war began in 2011.

    Assad doesn’t name the Arab countries but says Arab and Western delegations have begun visiting Syria to prepare for the reopening of diplomatic and other missions. Soon the civil war will be over, Assad told the paper’s publisher, allowing Syria to resume its pivotal role in the region.

    Syria’s membership in the 22-member Arab League was suspended in the early days of the war and Arab countries later imposed economic sanctions after they failed to mediate an end to the war.

    Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have openly supported opposition groups fighting to overthrow Assad since. Kuwait hosted a number of donors’ conferences for aid to Syrians, but it also condemned violence blamed on the Syrian government.

    The interview comes on the heels of a surprisingly warm meeting between the Syrian foreign minister and his Bahraini counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. The meeting turned heads because it featured hugs between the two ministers.

    The encounter raised questions about whether the Gulf countries, most of them sworn enemies of Assad’s ally Iran, are reconsidering their relations with Damascus as the war winds down.

    Assad, embattled for years, is emerging largely victorious after strong support from Russia and Iran. He now controls over 60 percent of Syria with strong Russian and pro-Iranian military support.

    Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Bahraini foreign minister, later told Saudi-run Al-Arabiya TV that it was not the first meeting with “my brother” the Syrian minister. But he said it was an unplanned meeting, while other planned ones weren’t caught on camera.

    Al Khalifa said the meeting came at a time of serious Arab efforts to “reclaim” a role in resolving the Syrian crisis.

    “This meeting comes at this period that is witnessing positive transformations toward having an effective Arab role in the Syrian issue,” Al Khalifa said in the Sunday interview with Al-Arabiya. “Syria is an Arab country. Its people are Arabs and what happens there concerns us before any other nation. It is not correct that regional and international countries are looking into the Syrian issue and not us.”

    Al Khalifa seemed to recognize that the Syrian government is here to stay.

    “The Syrian government is the Syrian government,” he said. “We work with states — even if we disagree with them — and not with those who bring down those states.”

    Assad praises Kuwait’s position regarding Syria in the interview with Al-Shahed, calling its leader “a problem solver.”

    Al-Shahed’s editor in chief is one of the many members of the extended Kuwaiti royal family. The paper had been temporarily shut down twice in 2010, and 2014 for insulting the judiciary and the public prosecutor and for publishing false news. Its editor in chief was sentenced to three months in 2010.”

  42. Attacks on Afghan checkpoints kill 9 police (abcnews, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/attacks-afghan-checkpoints-kill-police-58251540

    “At least nine Afghan police officers were killed in attacks by insurgents on checkpoints in three different parts of the country, provincial officials said Wednesday.

    Wali Ahmad Sarih, police spokesman in southern Nimroz province, said Taliban fighters attacked a checkpoint late Tuesday, killing four police and wounding two others. He said four insurgents were killed and six wounded in the ensuing gunbattle.

    Aziz Ahmad Azizi, spokesman for the governor of southern Kandahar province, reported a similar attack in which the Taliban killed three police and wounded six, also late Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, in another attack carried out by insurgents in northern Faryab province, two policemen were killed and two others wounded, said Karim Yuresh, spokesman for the provincial police chief.

    Yuresh said Taliban fighters targeted a police checkpoint Tuesday night and the ensuing battle continued till early Wednesday in the Khoja Sabezposh district. Six Taliban insurgents were killed and around 10 others were wounded in the fighting, he said.

    The Taliban, who have seized districts across Afghanistan and carry out near-daily attacks, claimed the assault in Kandahar and Faryab, and are known to be active in Nimroz province.”

  43. More than 3,000 Turkish nationals apply for asylum in Germany this year (turkishminute, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.turkishminute.com/2018/10/03/more-than-3000-turkish-nationals-apply-for-asylum-in-germany-this-year/

    “More than 3,000 Turkish nationals have applied for asylum in Germany between January and August of 2018, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported on Wednesday.

    According to Sevim Da?delen, deputy chair of Germany’s Left Party parliamentary group, half of the 3,248 applications received have been approved so far.

    Da?delen said the situation indicated that “democracy and the rule of law are trapped under wreckage in Turkey.”

    “Under these circumstances, anyone who talks about a normalization in relations between Turkey and Germany with President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an is politically irresponsible and is betraying the democratic opposition in Turkey,” she added.

    Da?delen recommended that the German government halt European Union negotiations with Turkey, say “no” to enlargement of the customs union and stop arms exports to Turkey.

    Turkish refugees in Europe is a new phenomenon that surged after a foiled coup attempt in 2016, after when the Turkish government started a crackdown on dissent.”

  44. 2 Turkish citizens arrested for insulting President Erdo?an (turkishminute, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.turkishminute.com/2018/10/03/2-turkish-citizens-arrested-for-insulting-president-erdogan/

    “Two people in Turkey’s Tekirda? province were arrested on Wednesday on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an on social media, the Diken news website reported.

    Local gendarmes raided the two men’s houses, and a court in Tekirda? arrested them immediately.

    One of them was reportedly previously detained on the same accusation last year.

    According to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) insulting the president carries a sentence of between one and four years.

    In 2016, 3,658 people were charged with insulting the president.”

  46. Nearly 100 irregular migrants held in Turkey (AA, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/nearly-100-irregular-migrants-held-in-turkey/1271967

    “At least 97 irregular migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said Wednesday.

    In the northwestern Balikesir province, the security units rounded up 28 migrants — all Afghan nationals — in Ayvalik district, said a security source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

    Separately in the northwestern Kirklareli province, 54 irregular migrants — including Iraqi, Iranian and Afghan nationals — were nabbed in Pinarhisar and Kofcaz districts.

    Also in Bodrum district of western Mugla province, the coast guards held 15 migrants – including Syrian, Iraqi and Palestinian nationals.

    All of the migrants were referred to provincial migration offices.

    Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began.”

  47. Sanctions on Iran: International Court of Justice rules against US (BBC, Oct 3, 2018)
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45729397

    “The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered the US to ease sanctions it re-imposed on Iran after pulling out a nuclear deal last year.

    Siding with Tehran, it said exports of “humanitarian” goods, such as food and medicines, should be allowed.

    The US argued the court had no jurisdiction in the case as it concerned its national security.

    The rulings of the ICJ – which is based in The Hague – are binding but the court has no power to enforce them.

    It is the main judicial organ of the UN and settles legal disputes between member states. But both nations have in the past ignored the court’s rulings.

    Announcing the decision on Wednesday, the court’s president, Judge Abdulqawi Yusuf, said: “The court considers that the United States must remove, by means of its choosing, any impediment (…) to the free exportation to the territory of Iran of goods required for humanitarian needs.”…”

    • UN court issues interim order to US to lift some Iran sanctions

      The ICJ orders the United States to lift sanctions linked to humanitarian concerns, in a move welcomed by Tehran.

      The United Nations’ top court has issued an interim order to the United States to lift sanctions linked to humanitarian goods and civil aviation imposed against Iran – a move welcomed by Tehran.

      “On humanitarian grounds, the US must remove by means of its choosing any impediment to the free exportation to Iran of goods involving humanitarian concerns,” the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said in its ruling on Wednesday.

      The ICJ’s rulings are binding, but it has no power to enforce them.

      “The decision proved once again that the Islamic Republic is right and the US sanctions against people and citizens of our country are illegal and cruel,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

      Tehran had urged the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to order Washington to suspend the sanctions temporarily while it hears Iran’s case in full, a process that could take years.

      Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Tehran, said that in essence, the ICJ decision is not exactly what the Iranians wanted, nor is it what the US wanted.

      Iranians would have wanted a “complete lifting of all of the sanctions”, Basravi said.

      “They [ICJ judges] talked about parts and equipment for civil aviation – which has been a source of a lot of strife in Iran,” he said.

      “Even though this court’s rulings cannot be appealed and they are binding, there is no way to enforce it – especially now that the US has left the court,” Basravi said.

      International criticism
      Tehran had also argued that the sanctions imposed since May by US President Donald Trump’s administration violate the terms of their 1955 Treaty of Amity.

      Washington says that Iran’s request is an attempt to misuse the court. Iran has invoked a little-known 1955 Treaty of Amity that was signed before Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which caused a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties that has endured until today.

      US State Department Legal Adviser Jennifer Newstead argued during oral hearings last month that the 1955 treaty specifically rules out using courts to resolve disputes.

      Iran’s real quarrel, she argued, is not within the court’s jurisdiction, but Iran’s frustration over President Trump’s plan to pull out of a 2015 landmark agreement between Iran, the US and five world powers.

      That pact saw sanctions against Tehran lifted in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

      But the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in May and announced unilateral plans to restore sanctions against Tehran.

      The US move has been opposed by other major powers, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, China, Germany and the European Union, which helped negotiate the deal.

      Iran says the US sanctions, which have prompted many foreign companies to stop doing business with it and are undermining its already weak economy, violate the terms of the 1955 treaty.

      According to Luciano Zaccara, a researcher specialised in Iranian politics at Qatar University, the ICJ ruling is “great news” for the nuclear deal.

      “For sure it can contribute to make things easier for the EU to implement the vehicle for payments and transactions that can make the deal to survive,” Zaccara told Al Jazeera.

      “But I am not quite sure that Trump administration will change anything on their policy towards Iran because of this decision … They will not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICJ on US foreign policy.”

      Last month, the EU decided to set up a new mechanism to enable legal trade with Iran without encountering US sanctions.

      Despite international criticism, Washington is pushing ahead with a new series of sanctions, due to go into effect on November 4.

      https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/court-issues-interim-order-lift-iran-sanctions-181003085623323.html

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

      Pompeo announces termination of 1955 treaty with Iran after sanctions ruling

      Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday that the United States would be terminating a 1955-era treaty of amity with Iran that regulates economic and consular ties between the two countries. Pompeo called it a move that was “39 years overdue.”

      Ties between the two nations have been strained for decades but have come to a head since the Trump administration moved to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The administration has admonished Iran and the regime’s leadership for its “malign behavior” and for pursuing nuclear ambitions.

      The move to end the treaty comes after the United Nations’ top court on Wednesday ordered the United States to lift sanctions on “humanitarian” goods to Iran that Mr. Trump re-imposed after pulling out of the nuclear pact. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) unanimously ruled that Washington “shall remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on May 8 to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities” as well as airplane parts, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf wrote.

      The court said sanctions on goods “required for humanitarian needs… may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran.”

      Pompeo said Iran had brought a “meritless case” to the ICJ, alleging violations of the 1955 pact, and he suggested Iran wants to challenge the U.S. decision to pull out of the nuclear deal.

      “Iran has attempted to interfere with the sovereign rights of the United States to take lawful actions as necessary to protect our national security and Iran is abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes,” said Pompeo.

      Pompeo said in the meantime, the U.S. will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people, but called on Iranian leadership to spend money on its own people, instead of “fomenting terror around the world.”

      “Those are dollars the Iranian leadership is squandering, they could be providing humanitarian assistance to their own people but have chosen a different path,” he said.

      Pompeo’s comments came after President Trump chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council last week and emphasized the importance of keeping the world free of the scourge of chemical weapons. The meeting focused on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly in Iran.

      https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mike-pompeo-speaks-to-reporters-at-state-department-live-stream/

    • Netherlands: ICJ orders US to lift new anti-Iran sanctions

      The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered the US to lift its Iranian sanctions concerning the export of “medicines and medical devices, food, [and] agricultural commodities” to the Islamic Republic, at The Hague on Wednesday.

      ICJ President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf stressed that the US should act in compliance with the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic relations and Consular rights.

      The US brought in the sanctions shortly after exiting from the Iranian nuclear agreement in 2017.

      Despite the fact that ICJ decisions are binding, there’s no legal mechanism that ensures their implementation.

  50. Share this with all your American friends and families before the midterm elections: