Reader’s Links for October 9, 2019

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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

114 Replies to “Reader’s Links for October 9, 2019”

  1. FRANCE: Paris jihad murderer had top security clearance, data on dozens of cops in his apartment

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/paris-police-attacker-had-top-secret-security-clearance-1.4043140

    AND HERE, in FRENCH: MANY POLICE OFFICERS hesitate to report their colleagues “for fear of Islamophobia criticism”

    https://www.fdesouche.com/1274591-attentat-de-la-prefecture-beaucoup-de-policiers-hesitent-a-signaler-leurs-collegues-de-peur-detre-taxes-dislamophobie

  2. PORTUGAL:
    Portugal’s PM eyes new leftist partnership after election success

    Socialist leader António Costa given huge endorsement with 37% of Sunday’s vote
    Catarina Martins, leader of the Left Bloc, has expressed a willingness to work with the Socialists in either scenario.

    However, both her party and the COMMUNISTS have warned that they would demand sweeping measures in exchange for their support, including public spending and wage increases and reforms to boost workers’ rights.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/portugal-s-pm-eyes-new-leftist-partnership-after-election-success-1.4043084

  3. Sweden Sees Reported Sex Crimes Triple in Four Years (sputniknews, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://sputniknews.com/europe/201910091076995954-sweden-sees-reported-sex-crimes-triple-in-four-years/

    “In 2018, about 22,500 sex crimes were reported in Sweden, of which 7,960 were classified as rape.

    The new National Security Survey, an annual crime report by Sweden’s Crime Prevention Council, has yielded contradictory results, sparking debate.

    While the proportion of Swedes who claim that they’ve been the victim of sexual offences has decreased somewhat, the report highlighted marked differences with respect to vulnerability, peaking at an astonishing 34.4 percent of women in the age group 20-24. Another 17.8 percent of women, in the 16-19 age cohort, reported that they’d been harassed. The overall exposure to crime has been rising steadily for years.

    In general, 6.0 percent of the population self-reported being subjected to sexual offences in 2018, against 6.4 percent in 2017. However, the number of reported sexual crimes has still multiplied over the course of the last several years. In 2011, the corresponding figure was only 1.4 percent.

    “Seen over a longer period of time, sexual offences have had the clearest development, as the proportion who claim vulnerability clearly increased up to and including 2017. In the latest measurement, though, a decrease is seen, and it remains to be seen if this is the beginning of a downward trend,” Brå wrote.

    In general, the proportion of people who claim to have been exposed to crime increased to 26.4 percent from 24.7 percent in 2017. This includes all categories of crime, except for pocket theft and sex crimes, and signals a clear upward trend for, among others, robberies, threats and abuse.

    While some of the mainstream media tried to sugarcoat the findings by citing an increased confidence in police, journalist Joakim Lamotte reacted strongly to the positive angling.

    “According to this report, all crimes except sexual crimes have increased substantially. As far as sexual crimes are concerned, we have seen an avalanche increase since 2014, and it would be absurd if that figure continued to rise forever. Now, the proportion of sexual crimes is 6 percent. In 2014, it was 2 percent. In four years, the sex crimes in Sweden have increased threefold, which is a disaster,” Lamotte, who is known for his reporting on sex-related crimes, wrote on Facebook. “A more appropriate headline should be: ‘New report shows that crime and insecurity in Sweden set new records’,” he suggested.

    The National Security Survey itself has illustrated the trend by indicating that almost half of young Swedish women (45 percent) last year took a different route when walking, due to insecurity and fears of crime.

    In 2018, about 22,500 sexual crimes were reported in Sweden, of which 7,960 were classified as rape.”

  4. Saudi Aramco CEO Warns Global Inaction Could Lead to More Attacks on Oil Facilities (sputniknews, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910091076995429-saudi-aramco-ceo-warns-global-inaction-could-lead-to-more-attacks-on-oil-facilities/

    “The attacks, claimed by Yemen-based Houthi rebels but blamed by Saudi Arabia on Iran, briefly halved the kingdom’s oil output and sent oil prices soaring. Iran denies any responsibility for the incident, which came at a time of increased tension with its regional rival.

    The chief of Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, has warned that there will be more attacks on Saudi oil facilities if the international community does not react.

    “An absence of international resolve to take concrete action may embolden the attackers and indeed put the world’s energy security at greater risk,” Amin Nasser, Saudi Aramco’s president and CEO, told the Oil & Money conference in London on Wednesday (full speech is available here).

    Two of the company’s oil processing facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia were attacked by drones on 14 September. The incident caused massive fires at the refineries, prompting Saudi Arabia to shut down half of its crude output and sending oil prices soaring.

    Saudi oil capacity is gradually recovering, and Nasser said the country is on track to regain its maximum capacity of 12 million barrels per day by the end of November.

    Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Saudi Arabia, which has been fighting in Yemen since 2015, said the drones were of Iranian origin. The United States, Britain, France and Germany have also accused Iran of staging the attack. The Islamic Republic denied any role…”

  5. Pakistan Accused of Using Diplomatic Missions to Push Fake Currency for Terror Funding – Report (sputniknews, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://sputniknews.com/asia/201910091076993881-pakistan-accused-of-using-diplomatic-missions-to-push-fake-currency-for-terror-funding—report/

    “New Delhi (Sputnik): India has taken high denomination bank nots out of circulation in an attempt to block fake money flooding the country to finance terror organisations.

    The ANI news agency has quoted unnamed Indian officials as accusing Pakistan of using diplomatic channels in Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries to bring and distribute consignments of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) to India.

    Pak using its diplomatic missions to push fake currency into India for terror financing

    Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/Ck04bXnZN6 pic.twitter.com/wsxhJXHJr6

    — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) October 9, 2019
    The media outlet also claimed that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), has managed to create FICN.

    “ISI transported fake notes through the state-owned Pakistan International Airlines, or through the diplomatic bag to its Missions in Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Doha,” sources revealed to ANI.

    Pakistan has yet to respond to the charges.

    Pakistan has been accused of misusing diplomatic channels to bring and distribute FICN in Bangladesh, In late 2015, an official of Islamabad’s mission named Farina Arshad was withdrawn after a militant organisation in that country claimed to have had links with her.

    In January 2015, an attaché in the Consular Section of Pakistan Mission in Dhaka was expelled after Bangladesh intelligence accused him of peddling FICN and providing funds to terror outfits.”

  8. Germany: shooting at synagogue in Halle during Jom Kippur, at least 2 dead.
    Apparently a machine pistol(?) was used. A handgrenade has also been found in the jewish cemetery, several kms north of the synagogue.
    Multiple armed suspects fled by car. Authorities assume a “special situation”, train station is locked down, police warns residents to stay indoors.

    In German:
    https://www.bild.de/regional/sachsen-anhalt/sachsen-anhalt-news/schiesserei-in-halle-mindestens-ein-toter-65233386.bild.html

    and
    https://www.mz-web.de/halle-saale/tote-im-paulusviertel-polizei-warnt—taeter-auf-der-flucht—schuesse-in-landsberg-33289538

    Halle’s police Twitter:
    https://twitter.com/Polizei_HAL

    DB’s (rail services) Twitter:
    https://twitter.com/DB_Info/status/1181891941904080896

    • The shooters (at least 2) wore camouflage, and used both rifles and handguns.

      Synagogue and jewish cemetery in Dresden now guarded by police with automatic weapons.

      An eyewitness in a doner shop claims an attacker in a helmet, mask and military jacket threw an explosive at the door and shot into the shop, hitting a painter.

      Sounds like a neo-nazi attack.

      One person arrested:
      https://twitter.com/Polizei_HAL/status/1181898331506843648

    • Shots fired in Landsberg, 15 km away.

      Patrol car was shot at:
      https://dubisthalle.de/toter-bei-angriff-auf-synagoge

      Video of police in action:
      https://twitter.com/SharkNewsWires/status/1181900563295932418

      The doner shop that was shot at:
      https://www.bild.de/regional/sachsen-anhalt/sachsen-anhalt-news/schiesserei-in-halle-mindestens-ein-toter-65233386.bild.html

      Remains of a victim shot in the street in Halle:
      https://bilder.bild.de/fotos-skaliert/imagecf-f4ac63476e58b4169adeb3060b207c99-5d9dcb347952d000010a6aa0-65235634/1,w=756,q=high,c=0.bild.jpg

    • Germany attack: Shooter on loose after ‘grenade thrown at Jewish cemetery’ – two dead (express, Oct 9, 2019)
      https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1188418/halle-shooting-police-grenade-synagogue-jewish-cemetery-germany-news-yom-kippur

      “AT LEAST two people have died after a gunman ‘threw a grenade at a Jewish cemetery’ in the eastern German city of Halle.

      Police confirmed there has been one arrest following the shooting. A crime scene was in place on Humboldt Strasse, near the Jewish cemetery and the area has been cordoned off by police. Emergency services remain in place and a helicopter is circling over the city.

      More to follow.

      Police said on Twitter earlier they were looking for at least one suspect.

      They tweeted: “We have a deployment in Halle. According to preliminary findings, people killed.

      “We are conducting urgent searches. Perpetrator on the run. Please stay at home or look for another secure place.”

      Police added several shots were fired and the alleged shooter fled in a vehicle.

      Newspaper Bild said on its website the shooting took place in front of a synagogue.

      Today is Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism.

      There was allegedly a second shooting in Wiedersdorf, near Queis in the district Landsberg.

      But this has now stopped, according to Bild.

      Halle police wrote in a tweet:”Our forces have detained one person.

      “We remain alert, however.

      “We have deployed forces in and around Halle and are trying to stabilise the situation until we have all the relevant information.””

    • SEK preparing a raid on a building in the Ludwig-Wucherer-Straße in Halle, not far from the scene of the shooting.

    • What is Known So Far About the Deadly Synagogue Shooting in Germany (sputniknews, Oct 9, 2019)
      https://sputniknews.com/europe/201910091076998099-what-is-known-so-far-about-the-deadly-synagogue-shooting-in-germany/

      “The incident, which reportedly claimed the lives of two people and injured two more, comes amid celebrations of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

      Local police have reported that at least two people had been killed in Wednesday’s shooting near a synagogue located in the eastern German city of Halle.

      “Our forces have detained one person. We remain alert, however. We have deployed forces in and around Halle and are trying to stabilise the situation until we have all the relevant information, the Halle police tweeted, adding that several shots were fired during the incident.

      The police urged locals to stay in their homes, giving no other information on the incident.

      The railway station in Halle was closed down as a precautionary measure amid the ongoing police operation.

      How the Shooting Reportedly Took Place
      CNN cited Halle police press officer Thomas Mueller as saying that the shooting took place in the vicinity of Humboldtstrasse, the same street as the synagogue, and that two people had been injured in the incident.

      An unnamed eyewitness was quoted by CNN as saying that they heard several shots around 12:15 p.m. local time (6:15 a.m. ET) on Wednesday.

      #BREAKING An alleged footage from the shooting in #Halle. Reports that the attacker/s had also fired shots into a kebab shop pic.twitter.com/ziDxCCAdwS

      — Guy Elster (@guyelster) October 9, 2019
      They added that shortly after, a car was seen driving away at high speed in the direction of the nearby street of Schillerstrasse.

      The perpetrators, who are thought to have fired several shots with a submachine gun, are said to be currently on the run and heading in the direction of Leipzig, Bild reports.

      A separate person told the German TV channel n-tv that he had been in a local kebab shop when he saw a man with a helmet and military jacket allegedly firing shots into the shop.

      One of the shooters with a interesting helmet? Apparently a Nazi Stahl Helmet. Shooting at a Synagogue and a Kebab shop doesn’t feel like Muslim terror. #Halle pic.twitter.com/ErL4mx6z9I

      — Arjan (@Oertie1966) October 9, 2019
      The shots were also reported in Landsberg located about 15 miles (24 kiliometres) from Halle. It remains unclear if the incident is related to the Halle shooting.

      Government spokesman Steffen Seibert has, meanwhile, expressed hope that “the police will be able to arrest the perpetrator or the perpetrators as quickly as possible and that no other person will be endangered”.

      He also underscored the importance of the local population following the instructions of the police.

      The Halle Shooting Comes Amid Yom Kippur Celebrations
      The attack coincided with Yom Kippur, the main Jewish holiday which this year is celebrated on 8-9 October.

      Also known as Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is respected by a majority of Jews, even non-religious ones, who traditionally observe the day with an approximate 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.”

      • I watched the whole video of this thing. and had it not been that he murdered in cold blood, two people, one, a heavy set young women who had nothing to do with anything who was just walking by and had a heavy back pack on and when she realized what he was doing, she sort of tried to run away and he shot her in the back a lot.

        And a perfectly decent looking fellow who worked at a kabab shop. Clean shaven, and seemed like a decent fellow from the bit I saw of him. But if it wasn’t for these two horrors it would have been an Inspector Clouseau like comedy of errors.

        If I can find a link to a torrent of it Ill post it. But no one needs to lock their doors for fear this guy. He spent so much time trying to unjam his weapons the Kebab guys could have knocked him out with a bottle of Coke.

        He also did zero pre op surveillance and was shocked to find the Synagogue door locked.

        So that is the good news. My heart really goes out to the two people he killed. And I hope they show his stream video at his trial.

    • Two Killed, One Arrested in Shooting at German Synagogue (breitbart, Oct 9, 2019)
      https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/10/09/two-killed-one-arrested-in-shooting-at-german-synagogue/

      “Two people were killed outside a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle as firearms were discharged and, according to reports, a grenade detonated in the building’s cemetery Wednesday morning.

      German police are hunting an unknown number of suspects and have instructed locals to remain indoors after the attack, which has claimed two lives. One individual has already been arrested, suggesting police may be unsure whether that suspect worked alone as investigations continue. Security has been increasing at nearby synagogues including in Dresden, the regional capital.

      The apparent attack came as the city’s Jewish community celebrated Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Local newspaper Sächsische Zeitung reports the shooting was instigated by an individual wearing combat clothing, and an unconfirmed video circulating on social media and shared by German news outlets shows a man in green faitigues and wearing a helmet discharging a firearm.

      The volume of smoke produced by the weapon suggests it may be archaic or homemade in origin

      This story is developing, more follows”

    • More footage of the shooting. The gunman appears to be hit when re-entering the car, he remains motionless for a while before driving off. According to the voice-over, German police has access to munitions with high stopping power (not dum-dum, I assume rubber bullet or similar non-lethal).

      • If the German Police are using non lethal ammo against people with live ammo they are asking to be killed.

    • Germany: ‘Police working on catching Halle shooter’ – government spokesperson

      A German government spokesperson hoped that the Halle attacker will be arrested “as quickly as possible,” when speaking at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday.

      “It is important that the residents follow all the instructions from the police,” continued Steffen Seibert.

      “Our thoughts are with the friends and families of these murder victims,” he added.

      German Interior Ministry spokesperson Steve Alter called on the mass media not to speculate over the motive of the attack, adding: “We also don’t know at the current moment whether the two victims were the target of a deliberate attack. All these questions remain unclear so far and we can’t make any conclusions at the moment.”

      At least two people have been killed and one suspect arrested, following a shooting attack close to a synagogue in the German city of Halle, according to local police.

    • DAILY MAIL – Anti-Semitic Yom Kippur shooter is arrested after livestreaming himself killing two people near German synagogue while ranting about the Holocaust, feminism and immigration

      A gunman wearing military fatigues and a helmet camera shot two people dead near a synagogue in Halle
      He left explosive devices and threw a grenade into a Jewish cemetery after failing to get inside the synagogue
      During the 35-minute live-stream the suspect talked about the Holocaust, feminism and immigration
      The attacker, named in German media as 27-year-old Stephan Balliet, was arrested after trying to flee in a taxi
      German authorities said it appeared to be an anti-Semitic attack, possibly motivated by far-right extremism
      Attack happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, which is traditionally spent fasting and praying

      The suspect, named by Bild as 27-year-old Stephan Balliet, was later arrested after trying to flee in a taxi, according to German media.

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7554173/Gunman-shoots-dead-woman-outside-German-synagogue-goes-run.html

    • UK: Extinction Rebellion mothers’ march holds breastfeeding ‘nurse-in’

      Mothers breastfed their children at an Extinction Rebellion (XR) ‘nurse-in’ in central London on Wednesday.

      Protesters combined a ‘sit-in’, a form of direct action, with the symbolic act of caring for children.

      The event was designed to highlight the threat of climate change for youngsters and future generations.

      Wednesday’s protest is part of a wider campaign of civil disobedience organised by XR in the British capital and worldwide.

  10. EU Must Learn ‘Language of Power’, Needs Army of 60,000: Eurocrat (breitbart, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/10/09/eu-must-learn-language-power-needs-army-60000-brussels-diplomat/

    “The EU’s incoming security chief has said the bloc needs a standing army of 60,000 soldiers that Brussels can deploy around the world.

    Josep Borrell said at a European Parliament hearing into his candidacy as vice president for foreign affairs and security on Monday: “The European Union has to learn to use the language of power.”

    The 72-year-old Spanish socialist continued that the European lawmakers should “reinforce the EU’s international role and further our military capacity to act”.

    He called for Brussels to raise the number of troops to at least 55,000 to 60,000. Such a force would be larger than the standing armies of Portugal (35,000) or the Netherlands (43,000).

    “We should pull our national sovereignties together to multiply the power of individual member states. And I am convinced that if we don’t act together, Europe will become irrelevant in the new coming world,” he added.

    Brussels currently has “battlegroups” of 3,000 soldiers from across militaries of EU Member States, according to The Telegraph. The battlegroups are on standby every six months but have not, to date, been used. To increase those forces by twenty-fold and make them permanent, Brussels would need the unanimous support of Member States.

    Brexit Party leader and MEP Nigel Farage raised the alarm over the calls for a permanent EU army. He said: “The EU is now aiming for an army of 60,000 and incoming foreign policy boss Josep Borrell says: ‘the EU has to learn to use the language of power.’

    “When will Remainers stop lying about the intentions of this dangerous, undemocratic state?”

    In 2015, then-leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg called the notion of an EU army a “dangerous fantasy” and ridiculed Mr Farage for saying that the force was the next step in EU empire-building.

    However, in November 2017, Eurosceptics were proven right when the majority of EU nations signed the Permanent Structured Cooperation process (PESCO). The document is instrumental to European Defence Union plans which were devised by outgoing President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, who supports the foundation of a “fully-fledged” EU army by 2025.

    Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a “real European army” to “protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America”. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the European Commission enthusiastically backed the idea.

    Pro-Brexit group Veterans for Britain has warned that even when the UK leaves the EU, it could still get pulled into defence projects with the bloc. Senior figures met with the European Research Group on Tuesday to brief the group of Eurosceptic Tories on the defence implications of the proposed withdrawal treaty.

    A Veterans for Britain source told the Express: “The Prime Minister may have got rid of the backstop but that was not the only thing that was wrong with the Withdrawal Agreement.

    “The defence element is a serious threat to our sovereignty but this issue has been completely overlooked.”

    ERG Chairman Steve Baker said the UK must “escape commitments to the EU’s Defence Union. Many of us are concerned but it’s not too late to preserve the independence of our Armed Forces.””

    • “protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America”? That’s absurd. 60,000 is laughably small.

      Russia has around 500,000 in its ground forces.
      China almost 1 million, PLA total is 2 million (of questionable quality).
      US ground forces (incl nat guard, reserve) over 1 million.

      Apart from the numbers, there’s the tech. European countries combined have a considerable arms industry, but it’s no match for the US. There’s nothing comparable to the F-22 or F-35 for example. I don’t think there’s anybody that can match US military logistics either.
      UK and France share carriers. No other european countries have carriers afaik.

      Many European militaries rely on the US for tech and use Apaches, Chinooks, F16s etc. Some are partners in the F35 program.

  11. OECD: Mass Migration Costs France 10 Billion Euros a Year (breitbart, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/10/09/oecd-mass-migration-costs-france-10-billion-euros-a-year/

    “Mass migration costs French taxpayers around 10 billion euros per year, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

    The actual cost of immigration is a highly debated subject in France. The populist National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen, estimates it could be anywhere from 10 billion to 70 billion a year when adding in other linked costs, franceinfo reports.

    That could include housing, medical benefits, the care of unaccompanied minors, and other social benefits for migrants, as well as all of the associated costs of asylum seekers and illegals.

    A report released last month estimated that each minor illegal migrant costs the French taxpayer approximately 50,000 euros per year. With 41,000 underage migrants in the country, that puts the annual bill to the taxpayer at two billion euros.

    The OECD report does say that migrants bring in around four billion euros a year, but the figure still leaves French taxpayers with a large deficit as the number of migrants grows annually.

    The growth has been particularly prevalent in the number of migrants seeking asylum in France. For the last several years in a row, France has set record numbers in terms of asylum claims. 2018 alone saw an estimated 123,000 asylum claims.

    The French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) noted that the highest number of asylum seekers last year came from Afghanistan, up 55 per cent from the previous year.

    Earlier this week, the French parliament debated the subject of immigration with French President Emmanuel Macron saying the country should not be “too attractive” for migrants.

    National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, by contrast, has slammed Macron for being too soft on immigration and recently proposed a national referendum on immigration issues.

    “These are questions to which the French have the right to answer, have the right to be questioned because it’s been for the past 30 years that an immigration policy which is contrary to their will has been carried out,” Le Pen said last month.”

  12. Kurds mobilize in Syria as Turkey poised for imminent attack (abcnews, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militants-hit-us-backed-kurdish-fighters-north-syria-66153003

    “Warning of a “humanitarian catastrophe,” Syrian Kurdish forces who are allied with the United States issued a “general mobilization” call on Wednesday in northeastern Syria, along the border with Turkey, as Ankara threatened an imminent invasion of the area.

    The Turkish operation would ignite new fighting in the war-ravaged country’s eight-year-old war, potentially displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

    Turkey has long threatened an attack on the Kurdish fighters in Syria whom Ankara considers terrorists allied with a Kurdish insurgency within Turkey. A Syrian war monitoring group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported Wednesday that people were fleeing the border town of Tal Abyad.

    AP journalists on the Turkish side of the border overlooking Tal Abyad saw Turkish forces crossing into Syria in military vehicles Wednesday, though there was no official statement from either side that the offensive had begun…”

  13. Case of Pakistani who helped CIA track bin Laden adjourned (abcnews, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/case-pakistani-helped-cia-track-bin-laden-adjourned-66154635

    “A Pakistani court has given the prosecution two weeks to prepare a response to the appeal by convicted Pakistani physician who ran a fake vaccination campaign in the country to help CIA confirm Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts.

    Wednesday’s adjournment was the first following a petition from Dr Shakil Afridi, who was sentenced to 33 years in 2012 by a tribal court on charges of funding a domestic militant group and treating its members.

    That case is separate from the doctor’s alleged involvement with the CIA, for which Afridi was never formally charged.

    Pakistan was outraged over being kept in the dark ahead of the May 2011 Navy SEALs operation that killed the al-Qaida mastermind.

    Washington has demanded Afridi’s release but Islamabad has resisted the demand, saying he violated Pakistani law.”

  15. Thousands released by police while under investigation for serious violent crime (express, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1188208/uk-crime-news-latest-thousands-suspects-released-police-under-investigation

    “THOUSANDS of suspects are being released by police without any restrictions while they are still under investigation, figures have shown.

    Some of the suspects are accused of serious violent crimes, which is potentially putting victims and the public in danger, the Law Society of England and Wales has claimed. The number of people being released under investigation (RUI) after being questioned by police has “dramatically increased”. But this includes those being questioned for serious offences such as murder without a proper process for assessing risk to the public.

    Cases are at risk of “dragging on for unlimited lengths of time” and it is replacing bail “almost entirely”, according to the society.

    Under the process introduced as part of bail reforms, suspects leave custody after an arrest with no restrictions in place while they remain under investigation.

    But if they were on bail, they would have to comply with conditions such as living at a certain address, not contacting particular people, or regularly visiting a police station.

    Figures obtained under freedom of information laws suggested some 7,932 people were released on bail in 2016 and 2017 by Nottinghamshire Police but this dropped to 562 in 2017 and 2018.

    Meanwhile, people released under investigation by the force ran to 4,728 in the same year.

    Thames Valley Police released 13,768 suspects on bail in 2016/17 but just 379 the following year, while it released 11,053 under investigation.

    In Surrey, officers released 5,280 suspects on bail in 2016/17 and 1,033 in 17/18 but released 4,788 under investigation that year.

    The force also had longer investigations on average using RUI than on bail, according to the figures.

    Figures indicated suspects questioned spent an average 228 days under investigation in 2017/18 as opposed to 45 days on bail, and 74 days on bail in the previous year.

    The society’s president Simon Davis said cuts had led under-pressure police forces to use the procedure to “buy investigative time”.

    He said: “Suspects are left with uncertainty; victims of crime often live in fear of being confronted by the accused.

    “In the interests of both justice and public safety, release under investigation must be used appropriately.”

    The law was changed by the Government in 2017 in a bid to limit the time someone spends on bail to 28 days, offering police instead the chance to release someone under investigation for an unlimited period of time and without having to place any restrictions on them.

    The move prompted the Centre for Women’s Justice to make a super complaint to the police watchdog Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in April, accusing forces of failing to use protective measures in cases of violence against females.

    A month later, the “unintended consequences” of the reforms saw the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) issue fresh guidance to forces and HMICFRS to launch an overall inquiry into bail and RUI.

    The society has called on the Home Office to introduce strict time limits on RUI and ensure any extensions have senior approval.

    It will also ensure a central register of numbers of RUIs by police area, crime and date, as well as increase legal aid rates for lawyers and keep suspects informed.

    The NPCC said the figures pre-date the guidance which is “currently being implemented by forces” but officers have been told bail can still be used to protect victims and vulnerable people “where necessary and proportionate”.

    Chief Constable Darren Martland, the NPCC lead on bail management, said: “The 2017 changes to bail presented significant challenges for the police service.

    “They were a simplistic solution to a complex problem, and we are now beginning to understand some of the unintended consequences.

    “We are concerned that a reduction in bail could mean missed opportunities to protect vulnerable people and put conditions on violent offenders that could prevent reoffending.

    “At this time, there’s currently insufficient evidence to judge whether increased use of release under investigation by police puts vulnerable victims at greater risk, but we have opted to minimise any potential risk through the introduction of new guidance to police officers.

    “We will continue to assess the effects of recent changes to the law and implementation and will revise the guidance if necessary.””

  16. Erdogan Announces Start of Operation in Syria (sputniknews, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910091076997987-erdogan-announces-start-of-operation-in-syria-/

    “Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara would inform all relevant countries and the Syrian government about the operation in northeastern Syria.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the start of a military operation in Syria.

    DETAILS TO FOLLOW”

  17. Turkey Must Close Incirlik Base for US in Response to Trump’s Threats – Patriotic Party (sputniknews, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910091076997850-turkey-must-close-incirlik-base-for-us-in-response-to-trumps-threats—patriotic-party/

    “Turkey must ban the US forces from using the Incirlik airbase in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to Ankara over its plans to launch a new military operation in northern Syria, the head of Turkey’s Patriotic Party (Vatan) said on Wednesday.

    “The best possible Turkish response to the US threats is cooperation with Damascus and closure of the Incirlik base for the United States. The US is behaving toward us as an enemy and there are even opinions [in the US] that Turkey must be excluded from NATO,” Dogu Perincek said.

    On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara could launch a military operation in neighbouring Syria, east of the Euphrates River, in the coming days, to clear the border area of Kurdish militias, seen as terrorists in Turkey, create a security zone and accommodate Syrian refugees there. Following that, Trump threatened to destroy the Turkish economy if Ankara acts in Syria “off-limits.”

    He noted that the United States had provided the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, banned in Turkey, with 30,000 trucks with weapons.

    “This opened a real front against Turkey, which ones again demonstrates that the US is viewing Turkey as an enemy,” Perincek added.

    Turkey designates Kurdish groups in southern Turkey and northern Syria and Iraq as terrorist organizations. Damascus has repeatedly called Turkey’s inroad into Syria illegal and urged Ankara to withdraw its troops.”

  24. Hong Kong protests: Govt will assess situation before invoking emergency laws again, says Carrie Lam

  26. Unprecedented power outages begin in California as winds bring critical fire danger

    SACRAMENTO —

    In an unprecedented move, Pacific Gas & Electric early Wednesday began shutting off power to about 800,000 customers across Northern California in an attempt to avoid wildfires caused by winds damaging power equipment.

    The power cutoffs started in several counties around Sacramento, including Placer and Yuba, amid increasing winds. Officials said cutoffs will continue throughout the day, including in parts of the Bay Area.

    The blackouts will impact 34 counties in Central and Northern California. It would be the biggest power shutdown so far as utilities across the state attempt to reduce wildfire risk due to heavy wind. Utilities malfunctions have been tied to some of the state’s most destructive fires, including last year’s Camp fire, which devastated Paradise, Calif., and the 2017 wine country blazes.

  27. China calls on U.S. to lift new sanctions

    OAN Newsroom
    UPDATED 12:05 PM PST – Tue. October 8, 2019

    China demands the U.S. lift recently imposed sanctions on tech companies and to stop interfering in its internal affairs.

    The country’s foreign ministry spokesperson criticized Washington Tuesday, over its decision to restrain sales of U.S. tech products to Chinese companies.

    The U.S. announced the measure on Monday in an effort to target technology, which is reportedly being used for repressing Muslim minorities.

    https://www.oann.com/china-calls-on-u-s-to-lift-new-sanctions/

  29. Turkish army launches push into Syria, air strikes hit border town

    AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey launched a military operation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria on Wednesday, with air strikes hitting the border town of Ras al Ain.

    President Tayyip Erdogan, announcing the start of the action, said the aim was to eliminate what he called a “terror corridor” on Turkey’s southern border.
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    Turkey had been poised to advance into northeast Syria since U.S. troops began vacating the area in an abrupt policy shift by U.S. President Donald Trump, widely criticized in Washington as a betrayal of America’s Kurdish militia allies.

    A Turkish security source told Reuters the military operation into Syria has been launched with air strikes and will be supported by artillery and howitzer fire.

    Several large explosions rocked Ras al Ain, just across the border across from the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar, a CNN Turk reporter said, adding that the sound of planes could he heard above. Smoke was rising from buildings in Ras al Ain, he said.
    https://www.oann.com/turkish-and-syrian-rebel-forces-to-start-syria-offensive-shortly-erdogans-aide/https://www.oann.com/turkish-and-syrian-rebel-forces-to-start-syria-offensive-shortly-erdogans-aide/

  30. China plans to restrict visas for U.S. visitors with ‘anti-China’ links

    SINGAPORE (Reuters) – China is planning tighter visa restrictions for U.S. nationals with ties to anti-China groups, people with knowledge of the proposed curbs said, following similar U.S. restrictions on Chinese nationals, as relations between the countries sour.

    China’s Ministry of Public Security has for months been working on rules to limit the ability of anyone employed, or sponsored, by U.S. intelligence services and human rights groups to travel to China.
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    The proposed changes follow the introduction by the United States of tighter rules for visas for Chinese scholars in May.

    New U.S. visa restrictions announced on Tuesday, on Chinese government and Communist Party officials the United States believes responsible for the detention or abuse of Muslim minorities, had bolstered the case for the new Chinese restrictions, one of the sources said.

    https://www.oann.com/china-plans-to-restrict-visas-for-u-s-visitors-with-anti-china-links/

  31. Did Obama’s former DNI just throw him under the bus on Russiagate?
    By LU Staff October 9, 2019

    As the Democrats continue their silly “pre-impeachment” investigation in a super-secret SCIF, or “sensitive compartmented information facility,” the real investigation — the one likely to bear convictions — is taking place in plain view under the watchful eye of U.S. Attorney John Durham.

    This is the criminal investigation into the origins of the government’s targeting of the 2016 Trump campaign, and its focus on a president other than Donald Trump. One of his minions, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, appeared recently on CNN where he said he was simply following orders from Barack Obama, who had ordered intelligence agencies to gather information on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

    Here is what Clapper had to say. A transcript follows the video:

    https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/10/09/did-obamas-former-dni-just-throw-him-under-the-bus-on-russiagate/

    • It looks like Clapper is trying to shift the attention from himself to Obama, not that this is going to save him.

  32. Poll shows elected Democrats out of touch with Americans on transgender athletes issue
    By Daily Caller News Foundation October 9, 2019

    Most Americans believe that biologically male athletes who identify as transgender women have competitive advantages over female athletes, according to newly released polling data.

    A Morning Consult survey released Tuesday shows that majorities of self-identified Republicans, Democrats, and independents all say that male athletes who identify as transgender women “have a competitive advantage” over female athletes.

    Overall, 57% of American adults said that the biologically male athletes have an advantage, while just 20% disagreed. Another 23% gave no opinion. The majority view is backed up by scientific research but clashes with elected Democrats’ positioning on the issue.

    https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/10/09/poll-shows-elected-democrats-out-of-touch-with-americans-on-transgender-athletes-issue/

  33. Furious Donald Trump calls going into the Middle East ‘the worst decision ever made’ and demands Turkey take responsibility for captured ISIS fighters – opening way for Erdogan’s forces to move into Kurdish Syria (dailymail, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7554515/Trump-says-Middle-East-war-worst-decision-demands-Turkey-captured-ISIS-fighters.html

    “Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is ‘slowly and carefully’ bringing soldiers home from the Middle East, quitting U.S. involvement in what he described as the ‘worst’ mistake in the nation’s history and winding down nearly two decades of American warfare.

    Trump told his detractors that culling bloodshed by U.S. soldiers is the ‘BIG PICTURE.’ He said it’s up to regional forces, now, to kill, capture and prosecute the remaining terrorists.

    He declared in cap-filled tweets: ‘USA should never have been in Middle East.’

    ‘The United States has spent EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS fighting and policing in the Middle East. Thousands of our Great Soldiers have died or been badly wounded. Millions of people have died on the other side. GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY!’ he said.

    Trump suggested that Republican predecessor George W. Bush, whose military invaded Iraq based on bad intelligence, was responsible for entangling the United States in a regional quagmire that has resulted in more 50,000 American casualties since 2001.

    ‘We went to war under a false & now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE! Now we are slowly & carefully bringing our great soldiers & military home. Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!’ he proclaimed.

    Trump said that religious clashes in the Middle East will never be resolved by an American military presence.

    ‘Fighting between various groups that has been going on for hundreds of years. USA should never have been in Middle East. Moved our 50 soldiers out. Turkey MUST take over captured ISIS fighters that Europe refused to have returned. The stupid endless wars, for us, are ending!’ he stated…”

    • President Erdogan announces ‘Operation Peace Spring’ has begun, with air strikes targeting Syrian Kurds and ISIS fighters in bid to ‘neutralize terror threats’ two days after US troops withdrew – as Trump tweets they should ‘never have been there’ (dailymail, Oct 9, 2019)
      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7554451/Syria-says-determined-willing-confront-Turkish-assault-ahead-imminent-invasion.html

      “The Turkish military operation into Syria has been launched today with airstrikes targeting ISIS and Kurdish forces, a Turkish security source confirmed.

      This afternoon Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his offensive into northern Syria had begun in a bid to ‘bring peace to the area’ by targeting terrorists.

      The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Turkish warplanes struck its region in the northeast, sparking ‘huge panic among people’ today.

      Mustafa Bali, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman, said on Twitter: ‘Turkish warplanes have started to carry out air strikes on civilian areas.’

      Pictured and video footage from the ground appeared to show civilians desperately fleeing the area as smoke rose from bombed positions.

      Kurds living near the border said civilians near the border were hurt in the attack, according to reports.

      Syrian state media and a Kurdish official separately said bombing hit the town of Ras al-Ain in the northeast along the Turkish border that will be supported by artillery and howitzer fire.

      Earlier, Turkish television reports said Turkish jets had bombed Syrian Kurdish positions across the border from Turkey.

      Erdogan tweeted today that his armed forces along with the Syrian National Army had launched ‘Operation Peace Spring’ to ‘prevent the creation of a terror corridor’ along the Turkish border.

      He added the aim to is to eliminate threats from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and the Islamic State militants, and enable the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey after the formation of a ‘safe zone’ in the area.

      The Turkish president wrote on Twitter: ‘Our mission is to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area. We will preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and liberate local communities from terrorists.’

      A Turkish official confirmed the military action after explosions rocked the town of Ras al Ain in northeast Syria, on the border with Turkey.

      Earlier today Syria vowed to respond to a planned Turkish invasion of the northeast of the country, saying it condemned Ankara’s ‘hostile intentions’.

      The Syrian foreign ministry said the ‘hostile actions’ of the Turkish government revealed its ‘expansionist ambitions,’ saying an attack on Syrian territory ‘could not be justified’ and pledged to ‘confront a Turkish assault’.

      Turkish troops crossed into Syria earlier today in preparation for an imminent attack on Kurdish territory, an official claimed.

      Two expeditionary forces entered Syria close to the towns of Tell Abiad and Sari Kani early in the morning in preparation for a broader offensive, the official told Bloomberg.

      Another official later denied that the military operation had begun, but said preparations are still underway.

      It comes after tanks, trucks, troops and supplies were pictured massing on the border overnight…”

  35. ‘Believe All Women’ – Revealed: Hillary Clinton Put Pressure on Ronan Farrow to Spike his Harvey Weinstein Story

    An upcoming book by Ronan Farrow is already making headlines in the liberal media.

    In his book Farrow alleges that former NBC anchor Matt Lauer raped a female colleague in her hotel room in 2014.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/believe-all-women-revealed-hillary-clinton-put-pressure-on-ronan-farrow-to-spike-his-harvey-weinstein-story/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily

  36. President Trump: Now the Whistleblower Must Apologize to Me and Stop Ridiculous Impeachment

    President Trump: Now the Whistleblower Must Apologize to Me and Stop Ridiculous Impeachment
    Jim Hoft by Jim Hoft October 9, 2019 200 Comments

    336Share 111Tweet Email

    As more and more is revealed about this latest coup attempt by Democrats against this country and president it becomes obvious that this is just another highly planned and coordinated attempt to remove the duly elected president from office.

    It also is clear today that the Democrat Party has morphed into something so dark and sinister that lies are cheered, smears are encouraged and power is their only goal.

    Yesterday we learned that the CIA partisan “whistleblower” worked closely with one of the Democratic candidates for president. Obviously, this is the reason why Democrats want to keep the identity of their “whistleblower” secret.

    On Wednesday morning President Trump called on the so-called “whistleblower” to apologize to him and drop his ridiculous attempt at impeachment.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/president-trump-now-the-whistleblower-must-apologize-to-me-and-stop-ridiculous-impeachment/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily

  38. “It’s Going to Be a Bang-Bang Couple of Weeks” – Rudy and Joe diGenova: IT ALL LEADS TO OBAMA – First Biden, Then Hillary, Then Three Others, Then OBAMA!
    Joe Hoft by Joe Hoft October 9, 2019 603 Comments

    “It’s Going to Be a Bang-Bang Couple of Weeks” – Rudy and Joe diGenova: IT ALL LEADS TO OBAMA – First Biden, Then Hillary, Then Three Others, Then OBAMA!
    Joe Hoft by Joe Hoft October 9, 2019 603 Comments

    4.2KShare 352Tweet Email

    The best half hour of TV in a decade occurred last night on Laura Ingraham’s “The Ingraham Angle”. Guests former mayor of New York and President Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and former US Attorney Joe diGenova tore into the Democrat’s phony impeachment and then went to the heart of all the corruption in D.C. and they were brilliant.

    Shortly before a break Laura’s guests shared the following –

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/its-going-to-be-a-bang-bang-couple-of-weeks-rudy-and-joe-digenova-it-all-leads-to-obama-first-biden-then-hillary-then-three-others-then-obama/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily

    https://twitter.com/i/status/1181897653765820419

  39. Google Bans Confederate Flag, Celebrates Communists
    October 8, 2019
    Daniel Greenfield

    Google would never feature Nazi sympathizers on its site. It very prominently pulled the Confederate flag from its shopping site. Communists though are cool. Every lefty knows that.

    And so its list of “Latino Trailblazers” includes Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, terrible artists and worse human beings.

    The Google bio states, “Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are considered among the greatest Mexican artists. Kahlo is best known for her bold, self-portraits and paintings and Rivera for his large, vibrant frescoes and murals. The married couple famously lived together in Casa Azul, two houses connected by a rooftop bridge in Mexico City.”

    That’s like describing Adolf Hitler as an Austrian housepainter. It’s not exactly the whole story.

    https://cms.frontpagemag.com/point/2019/10/google-bans-confederate-flag-celebrates-communists-daniel-greenfield

  43. President Trump: I Feel Badly for Biden, He’s Dropping Like a Rock. He’s Getting Hit

  45. Samatha Power Denies Unmasking To Reporter: “It’s completely false”

    Former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power was caught off guard by reporter Nicholas Ballasy who asked her why she had made so many “unmasking” requests at the end of her tenure at the U.N.

    Watch the interview below. She appeared to be rattled and taken off guard by the questions asked by Ballasy. Ballasy told SaraACarter.com that Power’s handler asked him not to ask the former ambassador any more questions after he had already questioned her extensively.

    https://saraacarter.com/samatha-power-denies-unmasking-to-reporter-its-completely-false/?utm_source=Darkwire+Inc&utm_campaign=920a2e7e3b-Oct+9&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5f3d745e4f-920a2e7e3b-289449841

  46. UK: New Subversive “Guidance” for Journalists

    by Judith Bergman
    October 9, 2019 at 5:00 am

    The British think-tank Policy Exchange, recently published a report, Eroding the Free Press, about a leaked draft of “Guidance for Reporting on Islam and Muslims”. The guidance was drafted by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)[1], the UK’s independent press regulator, an initiative that IPSO announced in late 2018. In the past, IPSO has, among other issues, published guidance on the reporting of death and inquests, sexual offences, suicides, and transgender people. According to IPSO, its guidance is “designed to support editors and journalists” and “does not limit or restrict editorial decision making, but may inform that decision making”.

    In a January 2019 blog on IPSO’s main priorities for 2019, IPSO Head of Standards Charlotte Urwin laid out the five priorities of the year. “Reporting of Islam and Muslims” was listed as the first priority and described in the following way:

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14906/britain-guidance-journalists

  48. The UK Supreme Court’s Judgment on Johnson’s Prorogation

    by Malcolm Lowe
    October 9, 2019 at 4:00 am

    For the most part, public reactions to the Judgment of the UK Supreme Court to declare Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament unlawful were predictable. Those who opposed Johnson’s Brexit stance were jubilant, while those who supported that stance decried the Judgment as an unwarranted judicial interference in the political realm. So there is no need to record all those reactions, but rather a need to understand how and why the Court reached its conclusions. For sure, the Court issued a summary of its Judgment, but the summary covers so many points with so few words that crucial details lack prominence.

    In particular, as the Court emphasized and as we shall see, there is a world of difference between Parliament going into recess and Parliament being prorogued. Yet Johnson and his aides went for a prorogation of over a month in a case when there would normally have been a longish recess followed by a prorogation of just a few days. This egregious departure from custom was the starting point of the reasoning adopted by the Court. (It is a vital point of which Johnson’s vehement supporters and opponents alike show a lack of awareness.)

    A notable exception to automatic reaction was Nigel Farage. While uncertain about the validity of the Judgment of the Court, he emphatically denounced Johnson’s attempt to prorogue Parliament for an unusually long period as “one of the worst political decisions ever.” Asked by the BBC about Johnson’s hopes of achieving Brexit on October 31, he answered; “I don’t think Brussels know even who to negotiate with. Is Boris Johnson there as a caretaker Prime Minister? He is leading a minority [government], his chances of getting anything passed by Parliament are just about zero, so I think we are heading towards extension.” Speaking on his own radio show on LBC, he even joined Johnson’s opponents in Parliament by calling for Johnson’s resignation:

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14962/johnson-prorogation-supreme-court

  49. Bosnia Will Take back and Try 9 Captured ISIS Fighters
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1938196/bosnia-will-take-back-and-try-9-captured-isis-fighters

    “Bosnia is preparing to take back and try nine of its nationals suspected of fighting for ISIS in Syria, its security minister said on Wednesday.

    Hundreds of people are believed to have left Europe to fight for ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and many await in detention camps to be handed over to their countries of origin.

    “We are working to bring back nine persons for whom Bosnia and Herzegovina had issued arrest warrants,” Minister Dragan Mektic told Reuters.

    Mektic declined to say when the suspects would be returned to Bosnia, but added they would be handed over to the judiciary immediately upon arrival…”

  50. Opium-Smuggling Taliban Leader’s Release from Prison Raises Questions (aawsat, Oct 9, 2019)
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1938001/opium-smuggling-taliban-leader%E2%80%99s-release-prison-raises-questions

    “Eleven Taliban commanders have been released from a high-security prison in Afghanistan, according to Taliban officials, in an apparent deal that included a prominent regional leader caught five years ago personally escorting a shipment of nearly a ton of opium.

    Afghan and American officials have remained silent about the releases from the prison, near the Bagram Air Base outside Kabul. A senior Afghan official said the 11 Taliban prisoners had been released in return for three Indian engineers after months of negotiations with local Taliban commanders in northern Baghlan province, where the engineers were kidnapped last year. The Indian Embassy in Afghanistan declined to comment.

    The releases, which took place on Sunday, came just days after Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States diplomat and chief negotiator with the Taliban, went to Islamabad, Pakistan, and met with Taliban representatives. It was Khalilzad’s first meeting with them since President Trump called off negotiations with the insurgents on the eve of a potential breakthrough.

    The potential release of thousands of Taliban prisoners was part of those negotiations. But that issue was a main point of contention with Afghan officials who were furious that their government was excluded from those talks, and that the United States was negotiating the release of prisoners being held under Afghan authority.

    It was unclear whether the releases on Sunday had anything to do with negotiations between the United States and the Taliban. In Afghanistan, however, rumors were rife — not only among Afghan and Taliban officials, but also some diplomats — that a separate prisoner exchange had been a major topic of discussion in the Islamabad meeting between the Khalilzad and the Taliban.

    The insurgents have been holding three American University of Afghanistan professors since August 2016, one of them an American said to be in poor health. In return for their release, the Taliban have demanded the release of Anas Haqqani, a member of the feared Haqqani network, a wing of the Taliban. He is a stepbrother of the network’s leader and is one of the most prized prisoners of the Afghan government.

    Some Afghan and Taliban officials suggested the two sides might have reached an agreement on the swap, possibly as a trust building measure that could help revive the broader peace negotiations.

    The release of prisoners in itself was not unusual, with the Afghan government on occasions of religious festivals often pardoning dozens whose prison terms are near completion.

    But what has drawn attention to this latest release is the notoriety of one Taliban figure in particular: Abdul Rashid Baluch, who was on the United States Treasury Department’s “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” list and was arrested in a narcotics raid five years ago.

    Baluch was a Taliban shadow governor, a regional official in charge of military and political operations in the southwestern province of Nimroz, when he was caught with a huge shipment of opium. The drug bust was held up as a major revelation in how the line between Taliban insurgents and the narcotics mafia had blurred in Afghanistan. (Taliban officials have denied that Baluch was involved in drug trafficking.)

    Despite evidence of Baluch’s involvement in terrorist attacks, Afghan prosecutors deliberately tried him on stricter counternarcotics charges. They feared that the counterterrorism process was vulnerable to political deal-making.

    Now, the release of Baluch, especially if it is tied to the United States peace talks with the Taliban, once again brings to the fore the concern that the American negotiations did not address the complexity of the conflict — and particularly how to consider the Taliban’s increasing hold on the massive drug trade in the country.

    If his release was a unilateral Afghan government decision, it is unlikely that the Afghan government would decide on the fate of a United States-designated terrorist figure without first consulting the Americans.

    Baluch was arrested in Nimroz, a smuggling hub on the border with Iran, in July 2014. An Afghan special forces helicopter swooped down on two vehicles racing through the desert, seizing nearly a metric ton of opium, light and heavy weapons, ammunition and satellite phones. The main person they detained had insisted he was a carpet seller, giving his name as Muhammad shaq, but investigators confirmed his identity as Abdul Rashid Baluch when he was transferred to Kabul, the Afghan capital.

    Both Afghan and Western officials at the time played up his case, and his arrest in a counternarcotics operation rather than a counterterrorism raid. He was tried in the country’s high-security drug court and given an 18-year sentence.

    His release now, under circumstances lacking transparency, is the latest instance of a major drug smuggler going free.

    The United States has spent more than $8 billion on narcotics operations in Afghanistan, according to the United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Throughout the course of the war, American officials have shifted antidrug strategies several times.

    The New York Times”