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.
Don’t Romanticize the Kurds
A wake-up call about extensive Kurdish human rights violations.
October 16, 2019
Andrew Bostom
Uninformed savants across the political spectrum have pilloried President Trump for his eminently rational decision to draw down the U.S. troop commitment (initially, only 25, as it turns out!) to the Syrian morass (whose “dynamic” has remained largely unchanged since the late 1940s).
Most of the ire directed at Mr. Trump has to do with hand-wringing over our “Kurdish allies,” even after the President warned Turkey not to engage in its habitual behaviors — since Ataturk created his ethno-racst state — towards the Kurds. Regardless, here are a few salient points one should bear in mind about the Kurds which the hand-wringers conveniently ignore in their hagiographies:Kurdish predatory mass killings of Christians and Yazidis are well-characterized and went on for centuries. Grinding persecution continues to this day, as can be gleaned from detailed reports by both Assyrian and Yazidi organizations (here; here; here)
[*] Kurdish “region(s)” were ethnically cleansed of Jews by the late 19th/early 20th centuries in a series a pogroms, compounded by constant grinding persecution including enslavement of Jewish families handed over between generations of Kurds as “family property”. (p. 658; p. 108)
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2019/10/dont-romanticize-kurds-andrew-bostom
How much of this does one actually need to read in order to conclude that nothing in your toolbox will work here…
Andy’s usually on point.
But here he’s viewing things through a very narrow prism that distorts a whole field.
Generalizations on narrow samples, third-hand accounts by interested parties.
Dr. Jonathan Spyer and Dr. Seth Frantzman know the region intimately, intelligence analysts who don’t retail sob-stories, aren’t war-mongers, don’t have an axe to grind.
Oct. 9: Jonathan Spyer:
Some Further Thoughts on the Situation in Northern Syria
https://jonathanspyer.com/2019/10/09/some-further-thoughts-on-the-situation-in-northern-syria/
Seth Frantzman:
Six years of work destroyed in six days: The collapse of eastern Syria
https://www.jpost.com//Middle-East/Six-years-of-work-destroyed-in-six-days-The-collapse-of-eastern-Syria-604593
Two articles by Jack Engelhard – read both. A PTrump-lover who’s down to earth.
(Just because the media is satanic doesn’t mean PT is god-like infallible.)
Of media hotheads and Trump’s Syria blunder
Trump has many plusses, but gets a minus on Syria. The media gets a double minus.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/24564
……….
The upside of Trump’s pullout
.
Trump has been quick to point out that these are mostly tribal wars among Muslims whether America shows up or not. Note that no American has ever been asked to fight and die for Israel.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/24575
Opponents huddle up around a hijabi footballer in order to protect her from showing her hair.
HUGE! FBI Employees Conducted 3.1 Million Questionable and Illicit Searches, Including Searches on US Citizens in 2017-2018
According to a new declassified ruling FBI employees abused NSA mass surveillance data in 2017 and 2018. In 2017 FBI employees conducted over 3.1 million searches from the NSA database including searching activities of US citizens.
Under current FBI rules surveillance data can only be searched if there is reasonable suspicion of crimes having taken place or clear risks to national security. But FBI employees and even contractors were searching the database to see what information they could find on U.S. citizens.
The bureau is OUT OF CONTROL!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/huge-fbi-employees-conducted-3-1-million-questionable-and-illicit-searches-including-searches-on-us-citizens-in-2017-2018/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
Note: 2-year old is denied a UK resident status because he has not resided in the UK for 7 years…yes, a white SouthAfrican…
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-50012200
“It Looks an Awful Lot Like an Enemies List to Me” – Tom Fitton Speaks Out on Fired Ukrainian Ambassador’s Monitoring of Conservative Journalists (VIDEO)
“It Looks an Awful Lot Like an Enemies List to Me” – Tom Fitton Speaks Out on Fired Ukrainian Ambassador’s Monitoring of Conservative Journalists (VIDEO)
Jim Hoft by Jim Hoft October 16, 2019 151 Comments
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Democrats called in fired US Ambassador Marie Yovanovich to testify in their sham impeachment proceedings earlier this week.
Ambassador Yovanovich is a reported Trump-hater who blocked Ukrainian officials from traveling to the United States to hand over evidence of Obama misconduct during the 2016 election to President Trump.
Yovanovich was US ambassador to Ukraine during the 2016 election when the Ukrainian government was colluding with the DNC and Hillary Campaign to undermine the US presidential election.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenkoko told journalists in March that Yovanovitch gave him a “do not prosecute” list during their first meeting.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/it-looks-an-awful-lot-like-an-enemies-list-to-me-tom-fitton-speaks-out-on-fired-ukrainian-ambassadors-monitoring-of-conservative-journalists-video/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
President Trump’s First 1,000 Days: In Spite of Constant Harassment from Deep State and Dems, President’s Accomplishments are Historic, If Not Miraculous!
President Donald J. Trump is celebrating arguably the best first 1,000 days for any President in US history since Washington. In spite of the fact that no President since Lincoln has faced the massive attacks coming from his adversaries that this President has faced.
Below is a list of President Trump’s many major accomplishments his first 1,000 days in office.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/president-trumps-first-1000-days-in-spite-of-constant-harassment-from-deep-state-and-dems-presidents-accomplishments-are-historic-if-not-miraculous/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
Turkey’s Erdogan defiant in face of international condemnation
Oldie but a goodie: Hillary in blackface:
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/die2iu/hillary_clinton_in_blackface_whoopsie/
A retired officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who remains in frequent communication with senior figures inside the federal agency, is telling The Chronicle that the widely publicized ‘security threat’ against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday night in Mississauga was “largely contrived by political staffers” inside the PMO.
Hoping to elicit sympathy in the national political discourse, senior PMO staffers actively instructed the RCMP on which equipment and weaponry to have present, which uniforms protective officers would wear, and which security precautions would be taken at the private invitation-only Liberal Party event.
Those conversations were initiated, the source claims, by political operatives Mathieu Bouchard and Ben Chin — both of whom report directly to Gerald Butts, the Prime Minister’s principal secretary, and Katie Telford, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff.
https://buffalochronicle.com/2019/10/15/rcmp-source-says-security-risk-against-trudeau-was-contrived-by-pmo-staffers/
It was just another political dress up by Trudeau.
A rare mention of Hagel in the correct context:
https://i.redd.it/bdylgecxnqs31.jpg
Army mini-explosive drones kill enemy drones
They can form swarms of hundreds of mini, precision-guided explosives, overwhelm radar or simply blanket an area with targeting sensors. They can paint or light up air, ground or sea targets for enemy fighters, missiles or armored vehicles, massively increasing warzone vulnerability. The can instantly emerge from behind mountains to fire missiles at Army convoys, infantry on the move or even mechanized armored columns.
They can increasingly operate with less and less human intervention and be programmed to enter enemy airspace, crossing into well-defended areas with decreased risk. Finally, perhaps of greatest significance, many of them can now fire weapons with little human intervention.
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/army-mini-explosive-drones-kill-enemy-drones?roi=echo3-57733298065-53141353-1a2ddff888a8235c85edfde4bb37c397
ANTIFA & Protesters Terrorize Minneapolis Trump Rally
Don’t you wish you could capture a couple of these people and ask them exactly what Trump is doing that is causing destruction to our democracy?
I keep looking for it but I don’t see it…
Are they aggrieved by the rule of law?
Are they aggrieved by the implementation of the rule of law?
Or, are they aggrieved by the very nature of the rule of law?
When I see these people on the streets extolling expletives and street violence I have to ask myself what exactly do they want?
They don’t know what they want. They were dropped on their heads too many times.
I have to ask myself what exactly do they want?
They want a neo feudal society and government where they are the Royals and Nobles and we are the serfs.
Germany: Tempers flare in Bundestag over Halle shooting, Syria
Tempers flared in the German parliament, in Berlin on Wednesday, after Christian Democratic Union MP Holger Stahlknecht reportedly blamed the Alternative for Germany party for the Halle shooting, accusing it of “mental arson.” Stahlknecht’s remarks prompted a heated response from AfD MPs.
“It is intolerable what leading representatives of our state had the nerve to say after the murders in Halle. You blame the biggest opposition [party] of Germany for the acts of a crazy person,” said Rudiger Lucassen from the AfD.
“Your party said ‘What is worse? A damaged synagogue door or two killed Germans?’ You seem not to be interested in the fact that behind this door there were 50 people — also predominantly German by the way — who feared for their lives. That’s exactly the point why Berthold Brecht is still right today. ‘The womb he crawled from is still going strong.’,” replied Christian Schmidt from the CDU.
“I won’t allow you to call me an anti-semite, a racist or anything else. It’s intolerable what you ascribe to my party. Using the same logic, we could say that by opening the borders you were the arsonist for mass murder, death and rape in this country. That would be the same logic you are using here. Shame on you,” said Paul Armin Hampel from the AfD.
The heated exchange took place during a debate on the situation in northeast Syria. AfD politician Paul Armin Hampel called on the government to cooperate with Russia to deescalate the situation, calling the country the only peacemaker on the battlefield.
The Greens MP Agniezka Brugger criticised German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the German government, and the EU for the refugee pact with Erdogan, calling it a weak spot of the EU.
Vancouver Kurdish Syrian protest organizer working with Antifa
Hints of Gulf Rapprochement: Iranian Tactics Might Be Paying Off
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Fears of a potential military conflict with Iran may have opened the door to a Saudi-Iranian dialogue against the backdrop of a rethink of US military logistics, involving at least a gradual partial relocation to the US of command and control operations based in the Gulf for almost four decades.
Notwithstanding Gulf suspicions that the US is gradually withdrawing from the Middle East, the possible relocation to the US of some command and control operations that have been based in the Gulf for almost 40 years does not necessarily signal a reduced US commitment to the defense of the strategic energy-rich region.
Nonetheless, the move, officially intended to reduce the vulnerability of US military assets to a potential Iranian strike without decreasing the US’s operational capability, is bolstering a rethink in capitals across Eurasia, including Moscow, Beijing, Tokyo, New Delhi, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh about possible alternative, more collective, multilateral security arrangements in the Gulf.
The arrangements would involve the Gulf states, Russia, China, the US, the EU, and India, as well as other stakeholders – a likely reference to Iran. By necessity, it would require a lowering of tensions in the region and a degree of accommodation between Riyadh and Tehran.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi urged the Gulf states “to establish a platform for dialogue and consultation in which countries from outside the region would play a role in maintaining security in the region.”
https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/iran-gulf-rapprochement/
Yep, the UAE has already broken the ice with the Ayatollahs. Saudi is following suit.
Both are also cozying up to Uncle Vlad, buying Russian weapons as a goodwill gesture.
With China, they’re re-thinking the petro-dollar peg. Signing contracts for major infrastructure projects.
I thought it was weird, that was why I posted it.
BREAKING: Federal Investigation of Trump’s Personal Lawyer Rudy Giuliani Includes Counterintelligence Probe
The federal investigation into Rudy Giuliani’s business dealings in Ukraine and relationship with Ukrainian-American businessmen who were just arrested is much broader and more invasive than previously known.
Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is a subject of a counterintelligence investigation by the FBI.
Giuliani maintains that he is unaware of the criminal investigations into his business dealings with Ukraine.
Most of the FBI agents and prosecutors who targeted Michael Cohen and imprisoned him are now handling Giuliani’s case, according to reports.
CNN reported:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/10/breaking-federal-investigation-of-trumps-personal-lawyer-rudy-giuliani-includes-counterintelligence-probe/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
Trump: U.S. soldiers shouldn’t guard border for Syria, Turkey ‘when we can’t guard our own’
Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews October 16, 2019
[Ed. – It’s a fair point. Long past time to have the discussion about national defense and guarding our own border. Having a Border Patrol and Coast Guard isn’t always enough. We recognize that very readily with air defense, which is why we have NORAD and 24-hour alert combat interceptors. We’re laggard in land defense at the border and missile defense – and playing catch-up in terms of maritime defense.]
https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/10/16/trump-u-s-soldiers-shouldnt-guard-border-for-syria-turkey-when-we-cant-guard-our-own/
Trump: Our Soldiers Should Not Be Guarding the Turkish-Syrian Border When We Can’t Guard Our Own
(CNSNews.com) – President Trump sounded a somber note on Saturday as he defended a widely-criticized decision to pull U.S. troops away from a part of Syria where Turkish forces are now attacking Kurdish fighters allied to the U.S., saying it was time to bring American soldiers home.
“The Kurds are tending to leave [the area] and that’s good,” Trump said. “Let them have their borders, but I don’t think our soldiers should be there for the next 50 years, guarding a border between Turkey and Syria, when we can’t guard our own borders at home. I don’t think so.”
“We’ve been in these wars now, one of them 19 years,” he said at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, in reference to the war in Afghanistan, the longest military engagement in American history.
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/trump-defends-syria-decision-sometimes-we-have-know-what-were
‘Don’t Be a Fool!’: Trump in Newly Released Letter Urges Erdogan Against Syria Offensive (sputniknews, Oct 16, 2019)
https://sputniknews.com/viral/201910171077066899-dont-be-a-fool-trump-in-newly-released-letter-urges-erdogan-against-syria-offensive/
“A transcript of a letter that was sent from US President Donald Trump to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has been circulating all over Twitter Wednesday, and users are having a lot of fun with it.
According to the letter, which was widely shared by reporters on Twitter, Trump warned Erdogan not to be a “tough guy.”
— Trish Regan (@trish_regan) October 16, 2019
?“I have worked hard to solve some of your problems. Don’t let the world down. You can make a great deal,” Trump wrote, in addition to reiterating his past threats to destroy the Turkish economy if Turkish troops continue to shell Kurdish held positions in northern Syria.
?“Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!”
?Last week, Trump withdrew US troops from northern Syria, leaving Kurdish allies behind to face advancing Turkish troops.
?Although the letter’s authenticity has not been publicly confirmed by the White House, several White House correspondents have verified that the letter is genuine.
?While some Twitter users questioned the validity of the letter, others were left feeling embarrassed by the US president’s actions, with one user describing it as “worse than a high school student passing notes.”…”
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 9, 2019
His Excellency
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
President of the Republic of Turkey
Ankara
Dear Mr. President:
Let’s work out a good deal! You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy — and I will. I’ve already given you a little sample with respect to Pastor Brunson.
I have worked hard to solve some of your problems. Don’t let the world down. You can make a great deal. General Mazloum is willing to negotiate with you, and he is willing to make concessions that they would never have made in the past. I am confidentially enclosing a copy of his letter to me, just received.
History will look upon you favorably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don’t happen. Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!
I will call you later.
Sincerely,
Donald Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/16/us/politics/trump-letter-turkey.html#
==============================================
Mazlum Abdi
Ferhat Abdi Sahin, better known by his noms de guerre Mazlum Abdi, Sahin Cilo, and Mazlum Kobanê, is a Syrian Kurdish military leader, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Abdi first served with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party within Syria and was detained several times by the Syrian authorities.
He joined the PKK in Turkey and conducted militant activities in rural areas of Semdinli (Hakkâri Province) in 1996.
He later left to Europe where he was engaged in political work, later travelling to Iraq where he was again involved in military work.
In August 2014 he was in charge of the negotiations the People’s Protection Units (YPG) held in Sulaymaniya with Iran and the United States in order to form an effective alliance against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), after which an alliance with the US was agreed to.
As the commander of the SDF, Abdi commands 70,000 troops. Kobanê has stated that he is open to work together with the Syrian government within a federal system that includes the existing de facto autonomous Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.
In the wake of the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Abdi has stated his willingness to ally with the Syrian regime in order to protect the local Kurdish as well as the Armenian and Assyrian population of Northern Syria from Turkish and Islamist aggression.
As part of a deal with the SDF, Syrian government troops have been given permission to occupy the towns of Manbij and Kobanî in the hopes of deterring further Turkish aggression.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazlum_Abdi
Pathetic.
Hong Kong leader forced to deliver policy address via video
US House Votes to Condemn Trump’s Troop Withdrawal, Turkish Incursion in Syria (sputniknews, Oct 16, 2019)
https://sputniknews.com/us/201910161077066109-us-house-votes-to-condemn-troop-withdrawal-turkish-incursion-in-syria/
“In a rare display of bipartisan unity, the US House of Representatives has voted by a large majority to condemn US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from eastern Syria, as well as the Turkish invasion of that territory that quickly followed.
The House voted 354-60 to approve House Joint Resolution 77, expressing the legislative house’s opposition to Trump’s withdrawal of US troops from eastern Syria and the subsequent attack on Kurdish forces there by the Turkish military.
By passing the measure, the House resolves “that Congress (1) opposes the decision to end certain United States efforts to prevent Turkish military operations against Syrian Kurdish forces in Northeast Syria; (2) calls on Turkish President Erdogan to immediately cease unilateral military action in Northeast Syria and to respect existing agreements relating to Syria; (3) calls on the United States to continues supporting Syrian Kurdish communities through humanitarian support, including to those displaced or otherwise affected by ongoing violence in Syria; (4) calls on the United States to work to ensure that the Turkish military acts with restraint and respects existing agreements relating to Syria; and (5) calls on the White House to present a clear and specific plan for the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
While Trump first announced in December 2018 that the more than 1,000 US troops in eastern Syria would soon be departing, once Daesh was defeated, only last week did the president begin the removal – first, a small number from the Syrian-Turkish border, to be followed by the remainder of forces shortly thereafter. However, as soon as Trump announced the removal in 2018, it immediately became apparent that the withdrawal would precipitate a Turkish attack on US-allied Kurdish forces in Syria, who Ankara considers to be terrorist organizations.
On October 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched Operation Peace Spring, an incursion that aims to ethnically cleanse an area of Syria adjacent to the Turkish border at least 20 miles deep, to be resettled with Arab Syrian war refugees currently living inside Turkey.
However, the removal of US troops also caused Kurdish and Syrian Arab Army forces to bury the hatchet, and SAA units, along with other pro-Damascus forces, moved quickly to secure Kurdish-held areas and protect them from Turkish attack.
In remarks Wednesday, Trump told members of the press, “If Turkey goes into Syria, it is between Turkey and Syria. It’s not our problem.”
“If Syria wants to fight to take back their land, that’s up to them and Turkey,” he added. “There’s a lot of sand that they can play with,” he noted. “Syria may have some help with Russia, and that’s fine.” He also said the Kurds are “not angels.”
An August prank phone call to South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, revealed the administration had been coordinating the withdrawal with Turkey for months.
“Your YPG Kurdish problem is a big problem,” the senator believed he was telling Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. In reality, Graham was speaking with Legendary Russian political pranksters Alexey Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov, who are known for having tricked politicos around the world into making similar damning statements. Politico obtained a copy of the call last week.
“I told President Trump that Obama made a huge mistake in relying on the YPG Kurds,” Graham continued. “Everything I worried about has come true, and now we have to make sure Turkey is protected from this threat in Syria. I’m sympathetic to the YPG problem, and so is the president, quite frankly.””
How Erdogan planned this ethnic cleansing all along
… Military figures added their criticisms of Trump, starting with James Mattis, but including Joseph Votel, the general who headed US Central Command from March 2016 to March 2019 and supervised collaboration with the Syrian Kurds, and four-star Marine General John Allen, who said that the consequences of Trump’s decision were “completely foreseeable”…
Those are recently retired senior officers. Add to them a series of messages relayed by Jennifer Griffin, reporting on the ground, from an active-duty Special Ops Officer (whose name she obviously could not disclose). This was one of the thousand US personnel who, as we saw, had to be withdrawn suddenly from the area…
Also Evangelical Christians, hitherto among Trump’s strongest supporters, are in dismay. They include Mike Huckabee, Pat Robertson (Trump is “in danger of losing the mandate of heaven”), John Stonestreet and Tony Perkins. Their concern echoes messages from Syrian Christians in the Kurdish areas.
“It is very possible that the American withdrawal from the region will lead to the extinction of Christianity from the region…”
Trump has not acknowledged any blemish in his “unmatched wisdom;” instead he disparages anyone, starting with the brave Syrian Kurds themselves, who calls his wisdom into question.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/15036/erdogan-plan-annihilation-kurds
……
Turkey, Russia, Iran: Filling the Vacuum
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/15034/syria-kurds-turkey-russia-iran
Kurds left blindsided in epic blunder
With little warning, President Trump withdrew US troops from Kurdish areas of Syria…
The US troop withdrawal left the Kurds blindsided and feeling betrayed, notes the Military Times. Based on the understanding that the US would provide security, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces “had cooperated” with the US and Turkey, by “removing fortifications” against the Turks, and “withdrawing heavy weapons” from the region bordering their forces last month.
The Kurds relied on the Trump administration’s claims to their detriment. America had no obligation to remain in Syria forever, and eventually, would have to have left. But giving the Kurds so little forewarning, and leaving the Kurds blindsided, was a shameful disgrace.
This betrayal of the Kurds will make it harder for the US to obtain allies in the Middle East in the future. That will undermine our foreign policy goals.…
In the Washington Examiner, Michael Rubin calls the Turkish invasion a disaster for the US and Syria’s Christian and religious minorities…
https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/10/16/kurds-left-blindsided-in-epic-blunder/
China Reveals 9 New Weapons Systems in Beijing
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Cries On Cue, Review For ‘Joker’ (NO SPOILERS!) Decries ‘Whiteness’??
Millionaires Attacking Billionaires – Democratic Debate Analysis
Orange Man Bad – Democratic Debate Analysis
Climate Change: Everywhere is Warming Twice as Fast As Everywhere Else!
Hundreds of Syrian Kurds Seek Refuge in Iraq
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1948691/hundreds-syrian-kurds-seek-refuge-iraq
“Hundreds of Syrian Kurds entered neighboring Iraqi’s Kurdish autonomous region on Wednesday, fleeing a Turkish invasion, an official said.
“On Wednesday, about 800 Syrian refugees entered Iraqi Kurdistan,” said Rashid Hussein of the refugee authority for the autonomous Kurdish region.
The new arrivals, mostly women and children, were being taken to Berdarch camp in Dohuk province, he told AFP, as the fighting in nearby northeastern Syria entered its second week.
Iraqi Kurdistan previously hosted millions of Iraqis who fled fighting with ISIS extremists who occupied much of the country’s north between 2014 and 2017.
Many of them are still housed in camps for the displaced.
NGOs operating in the region said they had been on alert since Ankara launched its operation on October 9 against Kurdish militants, following an abrupt US withdrawal.
On Saturday evening, 182 Syrian Kurds started crossing the border into Iraqi Kurdistan “to escape bombardments in northeastern Syria”, the International Organization for Migration said.
Dohuk province’s humanitarian affairs chief Ismail Ahmed said the first group included “Syrian Kurds already living in Iraqi Kurdistan, who went to visit relatives in Syria before returning because of the bombardments.”
On Wednesday, fresh fighting was reported in northern Syria pitting Turkey’s Syrian proxies against Kurdish forces backed by the Syrian regime.
Damascus deployed troops to Kurdish-held areas that had been outside its control since 2012 under an accord with Kurdish authorities announced on Sunday.”
Turkey Arrests 10 ISIS-Linked Foreigners
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1948481/turkey-arrests-10-isis-linked-foreigners
“Turkish counter-terrorism forces arrested on Tuesday 10 foreigners with suspected links to ISIS in the capital, Ankara.
Security sources said the elements entered the country illegally and are suspected of participating in terror activities. They did not give further information about their nationalities.
Turkey witnessed a series of attacks in 2015 and 2016, the last of which was carried out on Reina nightclub in Istanbul, in which 39 people were killed and 69 others were injured, most of whom were Arabs and Foreigners.
Recent reports have revealed that a border cell set up by ISIS in Adana continues to operate freely and recruits more elements as the judicial system fails to suppress it.
According to reports, the cell was established in Adana, southern Turkey, and is headed by Hassan Cevce, who used to work in an internet cafe. Its main supporter and financier is Mahmut Ozden, who is also known for being one of ISIS princes in Adana along with Ali Chevron, another leading figure in the terrorist organization.
The trio recruited militants and sent them to Syria to fight, and they also help ISIS militants receive treatment in Turkish hospitals.
Over the past three years, more than 300 people have been killed in ISIS attacks in Turkey that have targeted civilians…”
Saudi Arabia: Iran exploited nuclear deal revenue for terror funding
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/580021/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabia-Iran-exploited-nuclear-deal-revenue-for-terror-funding
“Saudi Arabia emphasized that Tehran has used the economic revenue from the nuclear deal to finance its terrorist activities.
“There are deficiencies in the Iranian nuclear agreement and it is imperative to have a comprehensive international agreement to ensure that Iran is prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons in any way,” said Mansour Al-Mutairi, chairman of the Committee on Disarmament and International Security in the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom to the United Nations.
He made the remarks on Tuesday while addressing the First Committee meeting in the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
“The Kingdom noted with concern the recent reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) including Iran’s breaches of its nuclear obligations, both in the level of enrichment of uranium and the level of production of uranium, in addition to the installation and development of advanced centrifuges, and cessation of all its research and development obligations, as well as recent statements by Iranian officials in this regard,” he said.
Al-Mutairi stated that Iran exploited the economic revenue from the nuclear agreement to finance its hostile and terrorist activities in the region, the latest of which was the horrific attacks on oil facilities in the cities of Abqaiq and Khurais using 25 winged missiles and drones, causing a decrease in oil production by about 50 percent equivalent to 5.7 million barrels, which is a flagrant violation of international laws and customs, and an attack on international peace and security and a major threat to oil supplies to world markets.
Al-Mutairi vowed Saudi Arabia’s support for the statements made by the Arab Group and the Non-Aligned Movement, saying that Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of efforts to achieve the goals of eliminating nuclear weapons, especially in the Middle East.
He said the Kingdom emphasizes in this regard that the 1955 resolution establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East remains in force until its goals and objectives are achieved, without which the Arab states could have not agreed to the indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT).”
Two Belgian Daesh militants escape camp in north Syria -Belgium
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191017-two-belgian-daesh-militants-escape-camp-in-north-syria-belgium/
“Two Daesh militants from Belgium have escaped custody in northern Syria in the course of Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish forces there, the head of Belgium’s security assessment agency said on Wednesday, Reuters reports…”
Iraq deports 537 foreign children from Daesh families
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191016-iraq-deports-537-foreign-children-from-daesh-families/
“The Iraqi Foreign Ministry yesterday announced that it had deported 64 children of Uzbek nationality, whose families belong to Daesh.
In a statement, the ministry said that the deportation of the children has been concluded with the participation of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Ministry of Justice and Security Services, and in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The children were handed over to the official authorities in their country.
The statement added that the government previously handed over many children of different nationalities, whose fathers belong to Daesh, noting that the total number of children who have already been deported by Iraqi authorities reached 537 children.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry, in its statement, called on all countries with nationals affiliated with Daesh to coordinate with authorities through diplomatic channels in order to extradite their citizens and try them at home.”
Saudi clerics want to try to convert foreign visitors to Islam after tourist visa launch
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2019/10/16/saudi-clerics-want-to-convert-new-tourists-to-islam
“Two enterprising Saudi clerics have gone viral after realising the country’s introduction of tourist visas provides them with a whole new audience to which they can preach their message.
The two men released a video, captioned “spread it as far as you can”, and spoke in both English and Arabic in a crafty bid to increase the global resonance of their message, preaching the importance of tawhid, or indivisible “oneness” of God.
The video was tweeted out by other Saudi supporters also aware of opportunities created by the incoming stream of foreign tourists.
“Tourists are beginning to flock to our country, and preachers will call them to God,” tweeted one Saudi.
“God, clear their path, and bless their efforts, their work and their lives, and may Islam and Muslims help them,” they added.
Tourism has been put off by the ultra-conservative kingdom as many clerics believe it will bring un-Islamic practices to the country…”
Egypt’s Islamophobia Observatory releases first issue of Islamophobia Index
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/352998/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt%E2%80%99s-Islamophobia-Observatory-releases-first-is.aspx
“Egypt’s Dar El-Iftaa’s Islamophobia Observatory released today the first issue of the Islamophobia Index covering the third quarter of 2019.
The index was released in a workshop titled ‘Mechanisms of confronting Islamophobia,’ which came during the second day of the 5th international conference of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide titled ‘Managing Juristic Differences: A Civilisational Approach’ held between 15 and 16 October in Cairo.
Following New Zealand’s Christchurch mosque terrorist attack in March 2019, the observatory announced that it would release an Islamophobia index that aims to observe and document hate speech against Muslims in several regions of the world, especially in the EU and the United States, and to create a detailed map of Islamophobic attacks on Muslims.
The report revealed that in the past three months, there have been 40 extremist far right attacks in 13 countries. The attacks included physical abuse, indirect attacks (attacks that cause psychological damage), vandalism of places of worship and Islamic centers, and legislative discrimination.
According to the index, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, France, and Britain showed the highest increase in the rates of Islamophobic attacks and violations in the world, with 37 percent of the total number of offenses.”
Morocco Aborts Irregular Migration Attempt Near Rabat
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/10/284752/morocco-irregular-migration-attempt-rabat/
“Security services in Sale, Rabat’s twin city aborted an irregular migration attempt on Wednesday, October 16.
A statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) announced the arrest of five suspects involved in organizing a network for undocumented migration.
Police also apprehended 22 candidates for irregular migration, including a 16-year old minor for as part of their investigation.
During the investigation, police seized 21 lifejackets, fuel, and knives.
The investigation into the circumstances of the case and arrest accomplices involved in the criminal network is ongoing…”
Germany: YPG/PKK supporters storm gov’t news conference
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-ypg-pkk-supporters-storm-gov-t-news-conference/1616155
“Supporters of YPG/PKK terrorist group stormed on Wednesday a news conference of the German government spokeswoman to protest Turkey’s ongoing counterterrorism operation in northeastern Syria.
Around a dozen demonstrators entered the Federal Press Conference building and interrupted the news conference of deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer, shouting slogans in support of the terrorist YPG/PKK’s self-proclaimed entity “Rojava” in northern Syria.
German police did not intervene when protesters read out a two-page statement at the news conference room.
The YPG/PKK group threatened last week to carry out radical and violent protests across Germany to protest Turkey’s anti-terror Operation Peace Spring.
Turkey began its long planned military operation on Oct. 9 to secure its borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
Turkish leaders have repeatedly underlined that the operation does not target Kurds, but aims to clear the region of the terrorist group PKK and its Syrian offshoot YPG.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union — has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.”
To the filthy Turk, KURDS are not HUMAN.
All of them are PKK, all 30-35 million are “terrorists”.
In the 21st century “neutralize” is equivalent to the 20th century “exterminate”.
Denmark is amongst Western Europe’s most ‘Muslim-friendly’ countries, report finds
https://www.thelocal.dk/20191016/denmark-is-amongst-western-europes-most-muslim-friendly-countries-report-finds
“Danes are more open than people in most other countries in Western Europe with regard to Muslim neighbours or family members, according to a US study.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan US thinktank based in Washington, D.C., found that 91 percent of people in Denmark would be willing to accept Muslim neighbours, while 81 percent would be willing to accept a Muslim family member.
That made Denmark the joint-third most accepting country with regard to neighbours and third-most accepting with regard to family members.
Researchers asked 24,499 randomly-selected adults in 15 countries in Western Europe the two questions for the study.
The European element of the survey was actually conducted in 2017, but has resurfaced because Pew Research Center has now also surveyed the US public.
Denmark is behind only the Netherlands (96 percent would accept Muslim neighbours, 88 percent for family members) and Norway (92 percent and 82 percent respectively), the survey found.
In the United States, 89 percent said they would be willing to accept Muslim neighbours, with 79 percent willing to accept a Muslim family member.
For the United Kingdom, those figures (from 2017) come out at 78 percent and 53 percent respectively.
Pew Research Center notes that surveys in both the U.S. and Western Europe were conducted on the telephone. As such, due to the tendency of some respondents to give socially acceptable responses, the results may overstate the share of people willing to accept others.
But although Western Europeans have accepting views toward Muslims, they are more divided on whether to accept Islam in their societies, according to the thinktank.
The survey found that Europeans in several countries were about as likely to say that Islam is “fundamentally incompatible with (their country’s) culture and values” as they are to take the view that “there is no fundamental contradiction between Islam and (their country’s) culture and values”, the Center writes on its website.
“We can’t give an exact answer as to why people can accept individual Muslims but are more critical of Islam. But we see a general trend of people being able to distinguish individuals, whom they can easily accept, while remaining critical of religious beliefs,” Pew Research Center deputy director of research Neha Sahgal said to Danish newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad.”
France says Turkey’s Syria offensive ‘currently’ no threat to jihadist jails
https://www.france24.com/en/20191016-france-says-turkey-s-syria-offensive-currently-no-threat-to-jihadist-jails-2
“France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that Kurdish-run prisons holding suspected jihadists in Syria are “currently” not threatened by a Turkish offensive, adding that he would travel to neighbouring Iraq to discuss ways to put them on trial there…”
Iraq Detains Several Daesh Members Who Fled From Syria – Defence Minister
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910171077067675-iraq-detains-several-daesh-members-who-fled-from-syria—defence-minister/
“Iraqi Defense Minister Najah Hassan Ali Shammari said on Thursday the country’s authorities had detained several members of the Daesh* terror group who fled from Syria.
“Several Daesh militants who had fled from Syria were detained on the territory of Iraq,” Shammari said in a statement as quoted by the INA news agency.
No further details have been reported.
On Wednesday, the minister was briefed on the situation on the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Shammari said those who had illegally crossed into Iraq would be persecuted and border security would be boosted.
Since October 9, Turkey has been conducting an offensive against Kurdish-led militia and Daesh in northern Syria. The offensive has prompted various security concerns, specifically since there are several prisons for captured Daesh members and their family on the territory where the operation is underway.
Notably, on Sunday, the self-proclaimed Kurdish Autonomous Administration in Syria said that at least 785 prisoners associated with Daesh had escaped a prison camp in Ayn Issa with the help of whom it called Turkish mercenaries in northern Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the claims about Daesh member escape from the Ayn Issa camp were disinformation.
*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State/IS), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a wide number of other countries.”
US Military Carries Out Airstrikes to Destroy Ammo Left Behind in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910171077067320-us-military-carries-out-airstrikes-to-destroy-ammo-left-behind-in-syria/
“Two US fighter jets launched pre-planned airstrikes Wednesday to destroy ammunition that was left behind when American forces left a cement factory south of Kobani, Syria, officials said.
US Army Col. Myles Caggins, a spokesman for the coalition, says the F-15E fighter jet strikes were pre-planned and destroyed ammunition stored at the Lafarge Cement Factory, which had served as a coordination center for the US-led coalition and Kurdish forces in the fight against terrorists.
According to Caggins, all coalition personnel and “essential tactical equipment” had left the base before the strike.
The US announced the withdrawal of its troops from northern Syria on 9 October. Shortly after that, Turkey launched its latest operation, dubbed ‘Operation Peace Spring’, sparkling concerns from its NATO allies, with several countries announcing a halt in arms sales to the country, while the US has announced sanctions against Turkish officials and entities, including the country’s defence and energy ministries.”
Is Jeremy Corbyn a friend of all Muslims?
Both domestically and internationally, Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn presents himself as a friend to Muslims, aware of and sympathetic to the problems they face. And superficially his presentation is valid. In stark contrast to his problems with the Jewish community, Corbyn does seem at ease with Muslims – he supported the community after Islamophobic attacks and frequently visits Mosques around the UK. Internationally, he can also point to his long record of support for the Palestinian cause. But amid speculation that Boris Johnson will call a general election later this year, and with the prospect that Jeremy Corbyn could soon be in power, it is worth scrutinising the Labour leader’s relations with the Muslim community more closely.
First, we need to be clear: Corbyn only supports some Muslims in the same way that he only supports some Jews. If you are Jewish and reject the state of Israel, you are perfectly acceptable to the Labour leader, as you have passed the key test – you no longer back what he sees as an imperialist regime. But if you do support Israel, then you lose your right to complain about anti-Semitism.
Less blatantly, Corbyn applies the same logic to Muslims. Corbyn’s model of the world is entirely binary, with anti-imperialists on one side and imperialist states – like the US, or the West as a whole – on the other. The list of anti-imperialist states varies but it often includes Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Russia, and China. And here lies the problem: if you are a Muslim and are victimised by one of these states, then you get little to no support from Corbyn. You are not suffering from the actions of an autocratic regime; you have become a pawn of imperialism. In effect, in Corbyn’s world, the nature of your oppressor matters.
So his much-vaunted support for the Palestinians is actually conditional. If Palestinians support the anti-Assad resistance in Syria, then they are not worth the UK’s support. They have crossed the line from being oppressed by the imperialist state of Israel to opposing the supposedly anti-imperialist Bashar al-Assad regime.
https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/10/is-jeremy-corbyn-a-friend-of-all-muslimsis-jeremy-corbyn-a-friend-of-all-muslims/