Contributor’s links for September 21 , 2019

Daily Links Post graphic

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

99 Replies to “Contributor’s links for September 21 , 2019”

  1. American-Lebanese Man Accused of Supporting Hezbollah (aawsat, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1912136/american-lebanese-man-accused-supporting-hezbollah

    “The US Department of Justice indicted on Friday a New Jersey man on nine federal charges in connection with the Hezbollah party.

    The Department said that Alexei Saab, also known as Ali Hassan Saab or Alex Saab, carried out surveillance of possible target locations for the Lebanon-based party.

    He holds a dual Lebanese-American nationality.

    Saab, 42, from Morristown, monitored dozens of locations in New York City, including the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and UN headquarters, prosecutors said.

    The accused man scouted bridges, tunnels and airports, specially focusing on “the structural weaknesses of locations he surveilled in order to determine how a future attack could case the most destruction.”

    The DoJ also said Saab provided detailed information on these locations, including photographs.

    Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the US…”

  2. Anti-Sisi protesters clash with Egyptian security forces in Suez (mee, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/anti-sisi-protesters-clash-egyptian-security-forces-suez

    “Egyptian security forces clashed with hundreds of anti-government protesters in the seaport city of Suez on Saturday, firing tear gas and live rounds, said several residents who participated in the demonstrations.

    In a show of dissent, hundreds of Egyptians in Suez took to the streets for the second night in a row, heeding an online call for protests against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

    Still, they were met with security forces barricading streets and deploying armoured vehicles in downtown Suez centring on Al-Arbaeen Street.

    “There were about 200 or so people. Security forces fired tear gas, rubber and live bullets and there were injuries”, a man who took part in the demonstration but declined to be identified told AFP.

    Another resident, who also preferred to remain anonymous, said the tear gas was so thick it had reached her apartment block a few kilometres away from the turbulent downtown area…”

  3. Malta takes some migrants from Ocean Viking but leaves others onboard (mee, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/malta-takes-some-migrants-ocean-viking-leaves-others-onboard

    “A group of 265 people was brought to Malta on Saturday, including 36 from the rescue ship Ocean Viking, but the operators of the ship complained that more than 180 others on board were refused disembarkation by the island.

    The closing window of opportunity to reach Europe before the onset of winter has seen a spike in the numbers of crossings, just ahead of a meeting of interior ministers on the hot-button topic of migration on Monday in Malta, AFP said.

    The Maltese armed forces said 229 migrants among Saturday’s arrivals were rescued from three boats in distress in Malta’s search-and-rescue zone. Another 36 were transferred to a Maltese patrol boat from the Ocean Viking, which had rescued them in Malta’s zone. The arrivals were the fourth group to arrive on the Mediterranean island in a week, Reuters reported.

    Still, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which operates Ocean Viking, said in a tweet that 182 survivors from other rescues, including a newborn, children and a pregnant woman, remained stranded on board.

    This, it said, “demonstrates the discriminatory, arbitrary and inhumane nature of a system which continues to prioritise political gameplay above human lives and dignity”.

    Malta argued that those people were picked up outside its rescue zone…”

  4. Erdogan: Turkey to stand firm against monopolisation of Cyprus’ wealth (memo, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190921-erdogan-turkey-to-stand-firm-against-monopolisation-of-cyprus-wealth/

    “Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced on Friday that his country will stand firm against the monopolisation of Cyprus’ wealth, Anadolu News Agency reported.

    “Those who think that the wealth of the island and the region only belongs to them, will face the determination of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots,” Erdogan declared in a recorded message at a conference in Ankara. The title of the conference was “The Decisive Word in Cyprus.”

    Erdogan also stated that Turkey is to defend the rights of the Turkish Cypriots and the Eastern Mediterranean, while also defending its interests everywhere, stressing that Turkey will continue its cooperation with the Republic of North Cyprus regarding drilling for energy resources.”

  5. Ethiopia says it detains suspected Islamist militants planning attacks (reuters, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-violence/ethiopia-says-it-detains-suspected-islamist-militants-planning-attacks-idUSKBN1W60MS

    “Ethiopia said on Saturday it had arrested an unspecified number of Islamist militant members of the Somali group al Shabaab and Islamic State who were planning to carry out attacks in the country on various targets including hotels.

    Some of those arrested were carrying out intelligence work including photographing potential targets, the National Intelligence Security Services (NISS) said in a statement read out on state-affiliated broadcaster Fana.

    “The group was … preparing to attack hotels, religious festivities gathering places and public areas in Addis Ababa,” NISS said.

    Ethiopian intelligence coordinated with neighboring Djibouti to detain the suspects including their leader, Muhammed Abdulahi, NISS said.

    Those detained, NISS said, were arrested in the capital Addis Ababa, Oromia and Ethiopia’s Somali region.

    Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to topple Somalia’s central government, which the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM helps to defend.

    The militants have carried out numerous attacks in Somalia on military and civilian targets, and it has also conducted attacks abroad including in Kenya.”

  6. Abu Dhabi: Church, mosque, synagogue to be in one location (gulfnews, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/abu-dhabi-church-mosque-synagogue-to-be-in-one-location-1.1569067182292

    “A new UAE’s landmark, featuring a church, mosque and synagogue, will be built in one location in Abu Dhabi.

    The unique and historic project dubbed the “Abrahamic Family House”, which is currently in the first steps of implementation, will take three years to be completed and opened in 2022.

    The Abrahamic Family House is among the first projects of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, which was reviewed at its second meeting held at the New York Public Library in which the Committee shared with stakeholders their mission to progress a culture of mutual respect and dialogue across all backgrounds, beliefs and nationalities.

    Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and several top Emirati officials, and representatives of several institutions and partners were present.

    The meeting coincides with the beginning of the 74th United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

    The new body is empowered to provide guidance and counsel on realising the goals of the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” signed by His Holiness, Pope Francis of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Dr. Ahmad Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif, in Abu Dhabi, during the Papal visit in February this year.

    Following the Higher Committee’s inaugural meeting at the Vatican earlier this month, the New York gathering was the second time the Higher Committee has met in two weeks.

    One of the first projects the Higher Committee will help guide is the Abrahamic Family House, to be located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. A reflection of the Document on Human Fraternity, a church, mosque and synagogue will share a collective space for the first time, serving as a community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange, and nurturing the values of peaceful co-existence and acceptance among different beliefs, nationalities and cultures.

    The design of the Abrahamic Family House, by the award-winning and globally-renowned architect, Sir David Adjaye OBE, was unveiled at the New York event.

    Reflecting on this historic initiative, His Eminence Elect Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and Higher Committee member, said, “This endeavour is a profoundly moving moment for humanity. Although sadly, evil, hatred and division often make news, there is a hidden sea of goodness that is growing and leads us to hope in dialogue, reciprocal knowledge and the possibility of building, together with the followers of other religions and all men and women of goodwill, a world of fraternity and peace. I would like to thank the UAE for the concrete commitment shown on behalf of human fraternity.”

    Commenting on the occasion, Judge Mohammad Mahmoud Abdul Salam, Higher Committee member and Former Advisor to the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif, remarked, “The formation of the Committee has come at an important time and has required all peace lovers to unite and join the efforts to spread coexistence, brotherhood, and tolerance throughout the world. I am moved by this energy and determination to spread the principles of the Document on Human Fraternity to achieve security, coexistence, and peace for everyone. I was amazed by the mutual humanity concerns that both His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and His Eminence Dr. Ahmad Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif, shared when they met last February; they were determined to achieve happiness for all humanity no matter the religion or nationality.”

    Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig, Senior Rabbi at Washington Hebrew Congregation and a Higher Committee member, said, “This is an important opportunity for all who believe in the power of faith and humanity. It will help build bridges between religious leaders and communities as well as foster peace and harmony in an era that is too often defined by difference. I am honoured to be part of such an esteemed group working to champion love over hate, justice over injustice, and faith over fear.”

    Sir David Adjaye, Founder and Principal of Adjaye Associates, stated, “I am humbled and honoured that our design has been selected. I believe architecture should work to enshrine the kind of world we want to live in, a world of tolerance, openness, and constant advancement. We hope we have set out a plan for a beautiful and thought-provoking space that celebrates the three faiths. The space will be open to the world, and our hope is that through these buildings people of all faiths and from across society can learn and engage in a mission of peaceful coexistence for generations to come.””

  7. Turkish jets neutralize 2 terrorists in northern Iraq (aa, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkish-jets-neutralize-2-terrorists-in-northern-iraq/1589897

    “Turkish fighter jets “neutralized” two PKK terrorists in airstrikes on terrorist elements in northern Iraq, according to an official statement Saturday.

    The airstrikes in Gara region were conducted in coordination with Turkey’s ongoing counter-terror operations in northern Iraq, said a National Defense Ministry statement.

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

    The counter-terrorism operations were supported by the Turkish Armed Forces, police, gendarmerie, and the National Intelligence service (MIT).

    PKK terrorists often use northern Iraq to plan cross-border terrorist attacks in Turkey.

    On May 27, Turkey launched Operation Claw against the PKK in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq.

    In mid-July and late August, Turkey also launched Operation Claw-2 and Operation Claw-3 in northern Iraq with the same purpose.

    Over 400 PKK terrorists have been “neutralized” in northern Iraq over the past four months, according to the ministry.

    In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.”

  8. Spike in ‘phantom’ boat arrivals as new route into Italy enables migrants to go undetected (thelocal, Sep 21, 2019)
    https://www.thelocal.it/20190921/spike-in-phantom-boat-arrivals-as-new-route-into-italy-makes-migrants-go-undetected

    “Italy has seen a rise in so-called “phantom” boat arrivals as traffickers ferry migrants across the Mediterranean from Tunisia rather than Libya without being spotted, a prosecutor warned Saturday.

    The closing window of opportunity to reach Europe before the onset of winter has also seen a spike in the numbers of crossings, just ahead of a meeting of interior ministers on the hot-button topic of migration on Monday in Malta.

    Of the more than 6,620 people to have arrived in Italy since the start of 2019, some 5,500 have done so autonomously, managing to approach the coast or land without being spotted or needing assistance, according to the Repubblica daily.

    “We are starting to see not just Tunisians but also sub-Saharans on the boats that arrive autonomously,” Agrigento prosecutor Salvatore Vella said in an interview in the Stampa daily.

    “We think that there are new routes, no longer from Libya but from Tunisia, where the sea crossing is easier because it is shorter and you can do it in small boats, with minimal risk,” he said.

    He dubbed them “business-class trips” because they use fast vessels for the relatively short 14 to 16-hour crossing…”

  9. Anti-Sisi protesters clash with security forces in Suez (france24, Sep 22, 2019)
    https://www.france24.com/en/20190921-anti-sisi-protesters-clash-with-security-forces-in-suez

    “Egyptian security forces clashed with hundreds of anti-government protesters in the seaport city of Suez on Saturday, firing tear gas and live rounds, said several residents who participated in the demonstrations.

    In a rare show of dissent, hundreds of Egyptians in Suez took to the streets for the second night in a row heeding an online call for dissent against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

    But they were met with security forces barricading streets and deploying armoured vehicles in downtown Suez centring on Al-Arbaeen Street.

    “There were about 200 or so people. They (security forces) fired tear gas, rubber and live bullets and there were injuries”, a man who took part in the demonstration but declined to be named told AFP.

    Another resident, who also preferred to remain anonymous, said the tear gas was so thick it had reached her apartment block a few kilometres away from the turbulent downtown area.

    “My nose started burning up. The smell was seeping through the balcony. I also saw some youth run and hide in our street”, the woman said.

    A security source said there were dozens of protesters but could not provide further information about the authorities’ response.

    The outbreak of protests came on the back of an online call posted by Mohamed Aly, a disgruntled exiled Egyptian businessman in Spain, accusing Sisi of rampant corruption and demanding he be toppled.

    The country effectively banned protests under a 2013 law and a state of emergency is still in full effect.

    Under the rule of general-turned-president Sisi, authorities have launched a broad crackdown on dissidents, jailing thousands of Islamists as well as secular activists and popular bloggers.

    But that did not deter hundreds of Egyptians from heading to Tahrir Square — the epicentre of the 2011 revolution — in the capital Cairo on Friday.

    At least 74 were arrested in Cairo alone, a security source said, and AFP journalists reported that security forces fired tear gas to quell the small-scale demonstrations.

    Other demonstrations in several cities, including Suez, also took place where anti-Sisi slogans were loudly chanted in a show of defiance against his administration.

    Clips of the Suez confrontations have been widely shared on a still trending hashtag but authorities have not commented yet on the unfolding melee.”

  10. Houthis Warn Saudi Arabia of More Damaging Attacks If Riyadh Continues Military Action (sputniknews, Sep 22, 2019)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201909221076860873-houthis-warn-saudi-arabia-of-more-damaging-attacks-if-riyadh-continues-military-action/

    “Ansar Allah militants, also known as Houthis, who seized power in northern Yemen, warned Saudi Arabia of new, more damaging attacks on the country’s vital facilities if Riyadh continues military action against Houthis-controlled territories in Yemen…”