Reader’s Links for November 24, 2018

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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

171 Replies to “Reader’s Links for November 24, 2018”

  1. Yankee Go Home: Iraqi Lawmakers Demand US Withdrawal From Their Country – Report (sputniknews, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201811241070100041-us-iraq-withdrawal-demands/

    “The US promised to “gradually reduce” its presence in Iraq in February after Baghdad declared victory over Daesh (ISIS)* last December, but has declined to withdraw its contingent from the country. In August, the US-led coalition said the estimated 5,200 US troops in Iraq would stay in the country “as long as needed.”

    Iraqi lawmakers have urged Washington to end what they consider its illegal military presence in their country.

    Speaking to Iran’s Press TV on Friday, Council of Representatives MP Amer al-Shebli argued that continued US presence was “a violation of the Iraqi sovereignty.”

    “After ending terrorism, the previous parliament should have taken a serious action to force all foreign forces to leave Iraq,” al-Shebli said.

    “The presence of US forces in Iraq is illegal,” fellow lawmaker Adnan al-Assadi added. “As a member of the parliament’s Security Committee, we voice our concern over the presence of the US military and the constant increase in the number of the soldiers. They have thousands of soldiers here. Yet the government says they are advisors,” he noted.

    “Sovereignty is the most valuable asset in any nation,” legislator Kadhim al-Sayadi said. “The sacrifices of the Iraqi people in their fight against Daesh show how important their country’s sovereignty is for them. Today, no country will allow foreign military bases on its land.”

    Other lawmakers said that the US could maintain a military presence in Iraq, but only if it reached agreement with Iraq’s parliament and government first.

    “The presence of any foreign forces inside Iraq can only be done through agreements with the Iraqi government, and these agreement cannot be passed without the approval of the parliament,” Kurdish Democratic Party lawmaker Diar Barawri said…”

  2. Dozens of Civilians Hurt as Terrorist Shell Aleppo with Chlorine Projectiles (sputniknews, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201811241070102178-syria-aleppo-terrorists-shelling-casualties/

    “According to the SANA News agency, militants fired shells loaded with chlorine gas at the al-Khalidiye neighborhood.

    According to the media report, militants shelled the neighborhoods of al-Khalidiye and Al Zahraa as well as the Nile Stree causing at least 55 people to be delivered to hospitals. The victims suffered from suffocation allegedly caused by chlorine gas.

    The city of Aleppo was liberated by Syrian government troops from terror groups in 2016 but militants continue to shell the city from positions in Aleppo’s suburbs…”

    • Syrian Troops Pound Militants in Response to Aleppo Chlorine Attack – Source (sputniknews, Nov 25, 2018)
      https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201811251070104570-syria-aleppo-chlorine-attack-military-response/

      “Syrian army forces attacked the positions of militants who fired chlorine-filled shells at residential areas of Aleppo on Saturday. Militants have suffered significant losses, a Syrian military source told Sputnik.

      “The Syrian army responded to the shelling of militants, attacking the positions from which the shelling was carried out, militants suffered significant losses,” the source said.

      On Saturday, militants from terrorist groups fired chlorine-filled shells at neighborhoods of al-Khalidiye and Al Zahraa, as well as the Nile Street. At least four children were hospitalized with asphyxiation and other symptoms typical of chlorine gas poisoning. According to the latest reports of Syrian state television, 55 people were hospitalized.

      The attack using poisonous gas was carried out by terrorists based north of Aleppo, the source asserted.

      Aleppo was liberated by Syrian government troops from militant and terror groups in 2016 but militants continue to shell the city from positions in Aleppo’s suburbs…”

  3. 20 Houthis Killed in Battles in Central Yemen (aawsat, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1476731/20-houthis-killed-battles-central-yemen

    “Some 20 members of the Iran-backed Houthi militias were killed on Saturday in battles with the legitimate forces in the al-Bayda province in central Yemen.

    The commander of Brigade 117, Brigadier General Saleh al-Aradi said Yemeni forces managed to prevent an infiltration attempt by the militias into the army positions, killing 20 militants, including commanders.

    He pledged to continue military operations and progress until the liberation of Bayda from the hands of Houthis, reported the Yemeni army website.”

  4. Turkey charges Gulen and 27 others over Russian envoy’s killing (mee, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-charges-gulen-and-27-others-over-russian-envoys-killing-990070876

    “Turkey has charged 28 people in relation to the 2016 assassination of the Russian ambassador to Ankara, naming the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen as the prime suspect in the case.

    Andrei Karlov was shot dead by Mevlut Mert Altintas, an off-duty policeman, while inaugurating a photo exhibition in the Turkish capital in December 2016.

    The gunman shouted “Allahu Akbar” and “Don’t forget Aleppo!” as he opened fire, apparently referring to Russia’s involvement in Syria.

    Altintas, 22, was killed shortly after the murder by members of Turkey’s special forces.

    President Tayyip Erdogan has said Gulen and his Hizmet (Service) movement were behind the killing and has also blamed the cleric’s network for an attempted military coup in July 2016.

    Gulen denies both accusations.

    The prosecutor said on Friday that Gulen’s movement was a spy and intelligence organisation that wanted to cause a “provocation” between Turkey and Russia with the murder.

    At the time of the killing, ties between the two countries had already been strained, after Turkey downed a Russian war plane over Syria a year earlier.

    ‘Seeking to create terror’
    The 28 suspects are charged with “violating the constitutional order” and “being a member of a terror organisation,” as well as “premeditated murder with the intention of causing terror” and “seeking to create terror or panic”.

    The prosecutor sought varying terms, including aggravated life sentences, which have replaced the death penalty in Turkey and carry harsher conditions than normal life imprisonment convictions.

    In April this year, a Turkish court issued arrest warrants for eight people, including Gulen, over the murder, the AFP news agency reported.

    Among those sought by Ankara, and also named in Friday’s indictment, was Serif Ali Tekalan, who headed a university linked to Gulen in Istanbul and now heads the Texas-based North American University.

    Although Turkey has issued multiple arrest warrants for Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since the 1990s, Washington’s failure to extradite the Pennsylvania resident has been a source of tension between the NATO allies.”

  5. 15 migrants found dead on stranded vessel off Morocco’s coast (mee, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/15-migrants-dead-vessel-morocco-coast-1629134366

    “Morocco’s navy found the bodies of 15 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa on board a boat stranded at sea for days, a military source told AFP news agency.

    Coastguards recovered “15 lifeless corpses” from the vessel in the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday and rescued 53 survivors on board, including eight women.

    The vessel was left drifting for four days following engine failure on its way to Spain, the source told AFP.

    The survivors were taken to the port of Nador, a coastal city in Morocco’s northeastern Rif region, the news agency reported.Morocco’s navy found the bodies of 15 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa on board a boat stranded at sea for days, a military source told AFP news agency.

    Coastguards recovered “15 lifeless corpses” from the vessel in the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday and rescued 53 survivors on board, including eight women.

    The vessel was left drifting for four days following engine failure on its way to Spain, the source told AFP.

    The survivors were taken to the port of Nador, a coastal city in Morocco’s northeastern Rif region, the news agency reported…”

  6. Algeria calls for activating Arab Maghreb Union (mee, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181124-algeria-calls-for-activating-arab-maghreb-union/

    “After three weeks of Moroccan calls to launch a joint initiative for dialogue, Algeria yesterday called for activating the Arab Maghreb Union “as soon as possible”, Algerian Echorouk Online reported.

    “Algeria has notified the General-Secretary of the Arab Maghreb Union, Tayeb Bakouche, to organise a meeting for the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Maghreb Union and to direct this request to the foreign ministers of the union’s member states,” the news site reported the official Algerian news agency APS saying.

    “The initiative is based on the firm conviction of Algeria, which has expressed on many occasions the need to push the course of the Maghreb and its institutions,” APS said.

    The call for the meeting is “an extension of the recommendations of the recent extraordinary summit of the African Union held in Ethiopia which decided institutional reforms and procedures to integrate African countries”.”

  7. IS counter-attacks kill dozens of US-backed fighters in east Syria (alaraby, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/11/24/is-counter-attacks-kill-47-us-backed-fighters-in-east-syria

    “The Islamic State group has killed at least 47 fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces in counter-attacks over two days as they try to expel the jihadist group from the eastern province of Deir az-Zour.

    The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said IS launched “three separate assaults” on Saturday.

    The monitoring group said the counter-attacks targeted the villages of Al-Bahra and Gharanij and an area close to the Al-Tanak oilfield, which is commercially active but is also a military position of the Kurdish-led SDF.

    SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali confirmed “a series of attacks” led by IS in these three locations and said fighting had taken place all day, with the Kurdish-led ground forces receiving air support from the US-led anti-IS coalition.

    The fighting on Saturday alone killed 29 SDF fighters, taking its total losses over the last two days to at least 47, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

    Thirty-nine IS jihadists have been killed – some in the ground clashes, others in air strikes – over the same period, the Observatory said…”

  8. Tangier Police Dismantle Irregular Migration Network (moroccoworldnews, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/11/258702/tangier-police-dismantles-irregular-migration-network/

    “Morocco’s DGSN and Tangier’s judicial police have dismantled a criminal network involved in irregular migration.

    Using intelligence information provided by the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), the police arrested one alleged organizer and 1 intermediary on Friday evening.

    Following an investigation, the police also arrested 8 migrants, including 6 minors, a statement by Morocco’s General Directorate of National Safety (DGSN) indicated.

    Tangier’s police also uncovered equipment used for irregular migration, following the investigation. They seized 1 vehicle, 30 safety jackets, 1 pump used for inflating the boats, and a large sum of money in national currency.

    Police will undertake further investigations and interrogate the suspects to gather evidence and demonstrate any possible ramifications and links of the network in Morocco and elsewhere.

    The arrests are part of Morocco’s war on terror, organized crime, and all activities that threaten the country’s sovereignty and security…”

  9. Turkish jets ‘neutralize’ 6 terrorists in northern Iraq (aa, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkish-jets-neutralize-6-terrorists-in-northern-iraq/1320543

    “Turkish counterterrorism operation “neutralized” six PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the military said on Saturday.

    Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

    In a statement, Turkish General Staff said the warplanes conducted airstrikes in the Sinat-Haftanin and Metina regions, neutralizing the terrorists, who were reportedly plotting an attack on military bases.

    Some weapon pits, shelters and ammunition depots used by the terror group were also destroyed in the airstrikes.

    Turkish jets in this region mostly target PKK terrorists…”

    • Soulless Turk makes for painful to reading.

      I’m following these attacks on Twitter. Kurds and Israelis covering them, none of the major media outlets. It’s just brutal, wanton murder of civilians and military. No one cares.

      Our allies.
      Shameful.

      terribleterribleterribleterribleterrible

      • Those who care don’t have the power to do anything, they don’t have enough power to make the betrayal known to the public.

        • Kurdish girls are so much like Israelis – tough, brave, sexy, playful. And they like having babies too!

          They’ve suffered so much over these years, and the future doesn’t look good. But they’re survivors. They still sing and put on makeup.

          G-d is gracious. He creates resilient people.
          And just. Snowflakes suffer too. They’re their own worst enemies.

  10. Yuma Sector Agents Assaulted by Claimed Caravan Member

    YUMA, Ariz. – Last night, Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents and a CBP pilot had rocks thrown at them when they tried to arrest a subject who claimed to have been part of the migrant caravans.

    On Friday night, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents discovered footprints from a subject who had illegally crossed from Mexico into the United States just east of the Andrade, Calif. port of entry. Agents radioed for a CBP Air and Marine helicopter to assist and it responded a short time later.

    The agents tracked the suspect for almost a mile until he was encountered near a tree. The male suspect climbed up into the tree, set it on fire and began to throw rocks at agents on the ground as well as at the CBP helicopter. None of the agents nor the helicopter was struck.

    https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/yuma-sector-agents-assaulted-claimed-caravan-member

  11. Top Mali jihadist Amadou Koufa killed in French raid – army (BBC, Nov 24, 2018)
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46331928

    “One of Mali’s top jihadist leaders has been killed in a raid by French forces, the Malian army says.

    It says Amadou Koufa died in Friday’s operation in the central Mopti region.

    France earlier suggested that Koufa might be among about 30 Islamists “put out of action” in the raid.

    The radical preacher is described as a senior member of the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) group that has carried out frequent attacks in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso.

    “I confirm that Amadou Koufa was killed during the operation,” Malian army spokesman Col Diarran Kone told Reuters news agency on Saturday. He declined to provide any further details.

    The French army had earlier said that its operation targeted a base controlled by Koufa.

    JNIM has so far made no public comments on the latest reports…”

  12. jonathanspyer Jerusalem Post, 11/02
    The Return of ISIS
    The jihadi organization is currently stirring in outlying areas of Iraq and Syria

    Islamic State fighters operating in the Lower Euphrates river valley this week killed 68 fighters of the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces. Under cover of a sandstorm that severely reduced visibility, the Sunni jihadis of IS launched a wave of suicide bombings against SDF positions. The Coalition rushed 500 fighters from the Kurdish YPG to the area (the SDF in the area consisted mainly of Arab fighters from the Deir a Zur Military Council). Intense Coalition air and artillery strikes followed. For now the situation has returned to an uneasy stability. The SDF and coalition offensive against the last significant IS-controlled pocket of territory around the town of Hajin continues.

    It would be mistaken to see the latest Hajin incidents as merely the last stand of a few IS bitter-enders, a final if gory footnote in the often horrifying trajectory of the Caliphate declared by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi at the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul on June 29, 2014.

    Rather, the evidence shows that IS doesn’t care for last stands under which a line can be drawn. It had the opportunities for such gestures in its main urban conquests of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria. It avoided them – leaving a core of fighters to carry out the last battles, while key leaders and cadres escaped to reorganize for the next chapter.

    The Hajin incidents should rather be seen as reflective of a larger reality: namely, that the Islamic State organization has not been destroyed. Reports of its demise have been much exaggerated. It is currently in a process of reorganization and regrouping. And it may well recommence major operations in the not too distant future.

    https://jonathanspyer.com/2018/11/02/the-return-of-isis/