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.
Man who discussed US attack gets nearly 5 years in prison (abcnews, Dec 14, 2019)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-discussed-us-attack-years-prison-67729562
“A 21-year-old New York man who pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI after authorities said he talked about joining the Islamic State and avenging the New Zealand mosque shootings has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Fabjan Alameti was sentenced in federal court in Missoula on Friday to four years and nine months in prison after previously pleading guilty to two counts of lying to a federal officer about making terrorism-related comments.
Authorities first interviewed Alameti in 2018, and he later made pro-Islamic State social media posts.
Prosecutors say he was traveling to Montana by bus on March 15 when a gunman killed 50 people in Christchurch. Alameti, who told an informant that he would “attack random people to avenge the blood,” was arrested April 3 at a Bozeman gun range.
Alameti’s public defender argued his client’s statements were protected under the First Amendment.”
Insider attack kills 9 Afghan militia, officials say (abcnews, Dec 14, 2019)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/insider-attack-kills-afghan-militia-officials-67731340
“At least one member of an Afghan militia opened fire on his fellow militiamen early Saturday, killing nine, in what the country’s interior ministry called an insider attack.
The Taliban however claimed the attack was actually a coordinated insurgent assault on the checkpoint where the shooting took place, killing over two dozen militiamen, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy, but the Taliban often exaggerate their claims.
Details were sketchy and investigators were still looking into the attack in central Ghazni province’s Karabagh district, said Interior Ministry spokesman Fawad Aman. The number of attackers was also not immediately clear.
Afghan militias operate in remote regions and are under the command of the country’s National Security Forces, which suffers near daily Taliban attacks.
The Taliban now control or hold sway over half the country…”
Switzerland: Blind woman on train robbed and sexually assaulted by North Africans
It is only shortly after 06 p.m., but already dark, when Erika Kälin (50 years old) from Einsiedeln boards the Interregio train to Zurich in Langenthal on Saturday.Her boyfriend Reinhard Schütz (55 years old) accompanies her. The two passionate athletes have just come from a Santa Claus run. There are not many passengers in the compartment. “In the beginning there were still a few people,” says Kälin, who is almost completely blind. In Olten the train is becoming silent. “Suddenly we were almost alone,” says Kälin. Then a horde of men enters the car. “They ran back and forth several times in the train and finally took a seat on the seats behind us. Looking back, it’s clear to me that they were specifically looking for a victim.” The men are talking loudly to each other in a language that the couple cannot understand. “They had wine, beer or schnapps with them and smelled terribly of alcohol.” Kälin puts her jacket on the hook next to her seat. Suddenly she notices a rustling. Kälin checks her jacket pockets and is shocked: “My bunch of keys had disappeared! The woman searches desperately for it. Her boyfriend helps her. “She began to cry,” says Reinhard Schütz. “A man from the group then pretended to help her with the search as well. He felt it from behind on the groin. “Schütz wants to prevent the situation from escalating, tries to keep calm. “But then the man grabbed my girlfriend’s crotch. I had to react. The 55-year-old pushes the man to the side, whereupon he lets go of the woman. “The guy touched me everywhere,” says Kälin. “It was a shock, terrible. I was very happy that my friend was there to protect me. Schütz informed the police. At the entrance at Zurich main station, officers wait at the track and arrest three of the men. Kälin files a complaint. Luckily nothing but the bunch of keys disappeared. The Zurich Cantonal Police, which is responsible for security at the main station in addition to the local police, confirms the arrest. One of the men confesses. The 31-year-old Moroccan was sentenced to an unconditional fine and a fine by order of the Attorney General’s Office. According to spokesman Erich Wenzinger, the man then also went berserk in police custody and spat at a policeman. No misconduct could be proven against the other two detainees.The penalty order is not yet final. The penalty order is not yet final. Kälin is almost completely blind with a eyesight of three percent in one eye and eight percent in the other. As a cross-country skier the parathlete won numerous medals. For example gold and silver at the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017. It takes several days until the shock after the horror ride in the Interregio is digested. “I couldn’t sleep at first,” says Kälin. When travelling by train, the woman from Einsiedeln will probably get a queasy feeling for a long time to come.
More:
https://searchlight-germany.blogspot.com/2019/12/switzerland-blind-woman-on-train-robbed.html
This kind of people are total scum, been there, done that. If they come and sit close to you in public transport, get up immediately. Move to a spot close to driver or conductor, if that’s not possible, close to an exit. In view of a camera if at all possible.
Best to keep your coat on, keep valuables in inside pockets.
Btw, this story reminds me of the blind man who was knocked out from behind near Amsterdam central station. Culprits unkown, but I have a hunch..
Corbyn fans accidentally admit he’s racist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITCX2mDiFzE
I think some of these supporters have amoebe-level IQ..
You are complementing them.
Antifa’s Deadly Year Shows the Extremism on the Far Left | Opinion
At the last Democratic presidential debate hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post, moderator Kristen Welker asked the candidates what they would do about white supremacist terrorism. The question, though unsurprising for a Democratic debate, is symptomatic of America’s myopic panic over right-wing extremism since the election of Donald Trump.
This week, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib blamed “white supremacy” for the Jersey City shootings that killed a detective and three citizens at a Jewish supermarket. The shooters were reportedly part of a black nationalist, anti-police religious sect.
While the threat from the far right is real, so is the violent threat posed by the far left.
Last January, Charles Landeros, 30, wearing a “Smash the patriarchy” t-shirt, went to his daughter’s middle school in Eugene, Oregon, to discuss a custody dispute. When asked by two school resource officers to leave the building, Charles refused. They attempted to place him under arrest, and he pulled out a handgun and fired two rounds at them. He missed and was killed by returning gunfire from one of the officers. Charles’ daughter was feet away. Authorities later found Landeros was carrying an extra magazine on his belt.
https://www.newsweek.com/antifa-far-left-violence-extremism-deadly-year-opnion-1477065
N.J. town declares itself a sanctuary for 2nd Amendment. ‘We’re gun-friendly.’
West Milford is now a self-proclaimed “sanctuary township” for law-abiding gun owners, though the provocative designation is purely symbolic.
The township council approved last week a non-binding resolution that “opposes further interference with, or abridging of, the rights of lawful gun owners.”
https://www.nj.com/passaic-county/2019/12/were-a-gun-friendly-community-town-declares-itself-a-sanctuary-for-2nd-amendment.html?utm_content=nj_twitter_njdotcom&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=njdotcom_sf&utm_source=twitter
P Exclusive: China tightens up on info after Xinjiang leaks
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In this Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, photo, a guard tower and barbed wire fences are seen around a facility in the Kunshan Industrial Park in Artux in western China’s Xinjiang region. People in touch with state employees in China say the government in the far west region of Xinjiang is destroying documents and taking other steps to tighten control on information. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
The Xinjiang regional government in China’s far west is deleting data, destroying documents, tightening controls on information and has held high-level meetings in response to leaks of classified papers on its mass detention camps for Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, according to four people in contact with government employees there.
Top officials deliberated how to respond to the leaks in meetings at the Chinese Communist Party’s regional headquarters in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, some of the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears of retribution against themselves, family members and the government workers.
https://apnews.com/c1d08873154907be8a3dd93562d6785c
China Jails Guangxi Publisher For Corruption After Books Banned
A court in the southwestern Chinese region of Guangxi has handed a 10-year jail term to the former head of a publishing company for “embezzlement, taking bribes and privately sharing state-owned assets,” four years after his initial detention.
He Linxia was handed a 10-year sentence by Guangxi’s Guanyang County People’s Court, the rights website Weiquanwang reported.
Prior to his arrest, He was a celebrated figure in China’s publishing industry and had been nominated as one of its Top 10 People of the Year.
He was detained after he published a number of cutting-edge titles under the publisher’s Lixiangguo imprint, including “How the Red Sun Rose,” a historical analysis of the role of late supreme leader Mao Zedong in the rise of the Chinese Communist Party during the 1940s, before the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/publisher-jailed-12132019124146.html
Deep solar minimum on the verge of an historic milestone
observations of the number of sunspots since 1 January 1900 according to Solar Influences Data Analysis Center (SIDC). The thin blue line indicates the daily sunspot number, while the dark blue line indicates the running annual average. The recent low sunspot activity is clearly reflected in the recent low values for the total solar irradiance. Data source: WDC-SILSO, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels. Last day shown: 31 October 2019. Last diagram update: 1 November 2019. [Courtesy climate4you.com]
*Deep solar minimum on the verge of an historic milestone*
Overview
The sun is currently in the midst of a deep solar minimum and it is about to reach an historic milestone. So far this year the sun has been blank (i.e., no visible sunspots) for 266 days and, barring any major surprises, it’ll reach 269 days early next week which will be the quietest year in terms of sunspots since 1913 when the sun was spotless for 311 days. In fact, the current stretch of consecutive spotless days has reached 29 and for the year the sun has been blank 77% of the time. The current record-holder in the satellite era for spotless days in a given year is 2008 when the sun was blank for 268 days making the 2008-2009 solar minimum the deepest since 1913.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/12/12/deep-solar-minimum-on-the-verge-of-an-historic-milestone/
Earth Enters Unknown as Magnetic North Pole Continues Push Toward Russia, Crosses Greenwich Meridian
© CC0
Tech
15:08 13.12.2019(updated 15:42 1
Earlier this year, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the British Geological Survey (BGS) were forced to update the World Magnetic Model a year ahead of schedule due to the speed with which the magnetic north pole is shifting out of the Canadian Arctic and toward Russia’s Siberia.
The BGS and the US National Centers for Environmental Information has released a new update to the World Magnetic Model this week, confirming that the magnetic north pole, whose coordinates are crucial for the navigation systems used by governments, militaries and a slew of civilian applications, is continuing its push toward Siberia.
https://sputniknews.com/science/201912131077566386-earth-enters-unknown-as-magnetic-north-pole-continues-push-toward-russia-crosses-greenwich-meridian/
Greta Thunberg threatens to put world leaders ‘against the wall’ if they don’t obey her demands
By Joe Newby December 14, 2019
While speaking to a crowd of cheering acolytes at a “Fridays for Future” protest in Turin, Italy, Swedish climate scold Greta Thunberg issued a dire warning — more like a threat, actually — against world leaders who don’t bend to her dictatorial will on climate change, the UK Daily Mail reported on Friday.
“Unfortunately, we probably already know the outcome. World leaders are still trying to run away from their responsibilities but we have to make sure they cannot do that,” she said, apparently referring to those attending a UN climate change summit in Madrid, Spain.
“We will make sure that we put them against the wall and they will have to do their job to protect our futures,” she threatened.
As the “Free Dictionary” notes, the phrase can refer to being placed in a difficult situation, but it also refers to someone facing execution by a firing squad. Given her history of overheated rhetoric and her zeal, it’s not difficult to believe she intended the latter.
https://libertyunyielding.com/2019/12/14/greta-thunberg-threatens-to-put-world-leaders-against-the-wall-if-they-dont-obey-her-demands/
The perfect mate for that gun-grabbing freak, Hogg.
(Spayed and neutered, of course. For the planet.)
More moroccan maffia activity in the Netherlands:
39yo Rachid Kotar was shot in his car, while his 4yo son was on the back seat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1oSY4JYIdA
This hit was ordered by moroccan druglord Ridouan Taghi, and is his 10th, at least. He moved to Kish, an island in the Persian Gulf, a two-hour boat ride from Dubai. Apparently he works for Iranian intelligence now, and no western law-enforcement org can get him.
His “super cartel” controls 1/3 of the EU cocaine trade.
Also see
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/12/suspected-gangster-shot-dead-in-amstelveen-four-year-old-child-in-car-unharmed/
https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/27/net-closing-around-ridouan-taghi-authorities-focused-island-persian-gulf-report
https://nltimes.nl/2019/10/18/taghi-part-super-cartel-controlling-third-eu-cocaine-trafficking-report
https://nltimes.nl/2019/07/24/netherlands-wanted-fugitive-hiding-dubai-report
UK: “Boris Johnson has to go” – Glasgow protests election result
“We are marching for our freedom and for our country and for all the vulnerable people who have been fucked over by the Tories,” said protester Emma Beekman.
Pakistan urges all Muslim countries devise joint strategy to stop incidents of desecration of Holy Quran
AMMAN – Pakistan has urged all Muslim countries to devise a joint strategy to stop the incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran and sacred personalities.
In a meeting of General Council of Religious Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jordan, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noor-ul-Haq Qadri strongly condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran by an extremist in Norway last month.
He stressed enhancing the role of mosques and prayer leaders for character building and teaching moral values and creating exemplary tolerant society.
The ministers of member countries lauded the suggestion of Noor-ul-Haq Qadri.
They also agreed to hold detailed discussions on impeding the frequent desecration incidents in the next meeting scheduled to be held in Jeddah.
The meeting was attended by the ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia, Gambia, Jordan and Palestine.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/14-Dec-2019/pakistan-urges-all-muslim-countries-devise-joint-strategy-to-stop-incidents-of-desecration-of-holy-quran
Muslim hero’ delivers flying kick to Norway man burning Quran
Muslims around the world are praising one man as a “hero” after he confronted a man burnign a copy of the Muslim holy book in Norway.
The incident occurred during a rally organised by far-right organisation Stop Islamisation of Norway (SIAN) in the southern city of Kristiansand last weekend.
During the anti-Islam rally, far-right activists described Islam as “fascist” and labelled Prophet Mohammed a “paedophile”, as well as throwing two copies of the Quran into a rubbish bin, Resett reported.
But the rage of Muslims who gathered in Kristiansand for a counter-protest bubbled over when SIAN leader Lars Thorsen set alight a copy of the Muslim holy book in front of the crowd.
Some counter-protesters managed to break a police cordon guarding the SIAN demonstration – with one making his way towards Thorsen and delivering a flying kick before being subdued and detained by the police.
The man, identified as Ilyas on social media, has since been widely praised by Muslims across the world. Pakistani media outlet Dawn later identified the man as Qusay Rashed, a Palestinian national living in Norway.
“Ladies and Gentleman presenting you ‘The defender of Quran’,” wrote one Twitter user.
“Salute you brother,” he added, using the hashtag #RealHeroOfTheMuslimUmmah (community).
Another Twitter user wrote: “The man who jumped of the fence and saved the holy quran from burning in the anti-islam protest in Norway [has] won millions of hearts.”
The incident particularly drew attention in Pakistan, where the Foreign Ministry summoned the Norwegian ambassador due to popular outcry.
“Pakistan’s condemnation of this action was reiterated. It was underscored that such actions hurt the sentiments of 1.3 billion Muslims around the world, including those in Pakistan,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “Furthermore, such actions could not be justified in the name of freedom of expression.”
Pakistan’s ambassador to Oslo was also “instructed to convey Pakistan’s protest and deep concern to the Norwegian authorities”, the statement said.
Turkey also condemned the “disrespect of our holy book”.
“We expect that such actions to be prevented and those who are responsible to be brought to justice as soon as possible,” the foreign ministry said in a statement last week.
Norwegians on social media have been quick to distance themselves from SIAN.
“Kristiansand is a city for everyone, and we work systematically to create diversity. Such acts are provocative and regrettable,” Kristiansand Mayor Harald Furre told Norway’s national broadcaster NRK in an interview.
Both Thorsen and Ilyas were reportedly detained by Norwegian authorities following the brawl. Four other Muslim protesters, all Palestinian or Syrian nationals, were taken into custody.
The far-right organiser was earlier this year slapped iwth a 30 day suspended jail sentence and fined 20,000 kroner ($2,180) after he was found distributing SIAN leaflets in the Norwegian capital Oslo describing Muslims as “notorious sexual predators”, Dawn reported.
Kristiansand’s local Muslim Union has said it wants to take Thorsen to court over the incident.
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2019/11/25/watch-muslim-delivers-flying-kick-to-man-burning-quran
Organization of Islamic Cooperation OIC – The far right the heir of terrorism in the world
Security reports have warned of the rise of far-right extremism in Europe over the past years, causing high levels of violence.
Gutfeld on the terrorist attack nobody’s talking about
The terror attack on a Florida naval base should be a huge story, but the media are too busy filling space with phony impeachment coverage.
Blue State Blues: Our Founders Feared the ‘Tyranny of the Legislature’
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Democrats insisted this week that they had to impeach President Donald Trump because our Founders feared a “king.” What they forgot, or never learned, is that our Founders feared the tyranny of the legislature as well.
Alexis de Tocqueville raised that point in his treatise, Democracy in America, where he warned that democracy could be destroyed by two forms of dictatorship: the despotism of a single ruler, and the tyranny of the majority.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/13/blue-state-blues-our-founders-feared-the-tyranny-of-the-legislature/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=best_of_the_week&utm_campaign=20191214
Oklahoma Democrat Slammed By Voters Over Impeachment: “We’re Mad As Hell” (VIDEO)
Democrats around the country are hearing from constituents who are angry about the impeachment proceedings.
In Oklahoma, Rep. Kendra Horn recently got an earful from voters at a public meeting.
The Daily Caller reports:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/oklahoma-democrat-slammed-by-voters-over-impeachment-were-mad-as-hell-video/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=weekend
FRANCE – Yellow vests protest – Week 57
PARIS
PARIS
MONTPELLIER
TOULOUSE
TOULOUSE
TOULOUSE
TOULOUSE
NANTES
MARSEILLE
Dershowitz: Supreme Court Just Crippled the Second House Impeachment Charge Against Trump
Hopefully talk like this makes the Dems disappear:
https://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/impeachment-insanity-democrat-asks-lawmakers-to-imagine-girl-tied-up-in-trumps-basement_12132019
“Victor Davis Hanson: Spygate, Impeachment & the Assault on Trump For Undoing the Progressive Agenda”
American Thought Leaders – The Epoch Times
December 12, 2019
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto speaks to RT
In an exclusive interview with RT, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto talked about a resolution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, sanctions on Russia and what he thinks about the French president’s remarks that NATO is ‘brain-dead’.
Ireland: “Free speech” protest met with counter-demo in Dublin
Heated ‘Yellow Vest’ and ‘Free Speech’ demonstrations were met by counter-protesters in Dublin on Saturday.
Free speech protesters, supported by groups such as Yellow Vest Dublin and the Irish Freedom Party organised a demonstration, which was met with counter-protests, dubbed the ‘Rally for Peace on Earth’ hosted by the Solidarity Alliance against Racism and Fascism (SARF).
The initial protests were organised to coincide with the end of public consultation on new hate speech laws in Ireland.
Three people were arrested at the demonstrations, according to reports.
Democrats’ Own Witness Goes To Bench To Question Other Witnesses
Corbyn Refuses to Resign
USMCA
https://www.trade.gov/usmca/
“USMCA Overrides the U.S. Constitution”
The New American Video – December 13, 2019
“USMCA “Trade Agreement”, the North American Union, an Article V convention, and Red Flag Laws: Connecting the Dots” + comments
Publius Huldah – December 13, 2019
https://publiushuldah.wordpress.com/2019/12/13/usmca-trade-agreement-the-north-american-union-an-article-v-convention-and-red-flag-laws-connecting-the-dots/
“Let’s Talk America LIVE”
Dr. Alan Keyes & Publius Huldah
IAMtv – December 2, 2019
Yeah, I’m not sold either. Not by a long shot.
The greatest trade deal ever!
Not that I’m keeping score…
“THE SWAMPJared Kushner Shills For Cheap Labor Immigration in WSJ Interview”
by Richard Moorhead – December 13, 2019
https://bigleaguepolitics.com/jared-kushner-shills-for-cheap-labor-immigration-in-wsj-interview/
“House Passes Bill that Allows Foreign Corporate Oligarchs to Acquire Visas”
by Jose Nino – December 14, 2019
https://bigleaguepolitics.com/house-passes-bill-that-allows-foreign-corporate-oligarchs-to-acquire-visas/
I know, EB, I know.
At least we’re not in lock-step, we’re not a cult that’s limited to cheering, “Winning! Winning!”
Malaysian Prime Minister Slams US Sanctions Against Iran as Clear Violation of UN Charter (sputniknews, Dec 14, 2019)
https://sputniknews.com/world/201912141077577313-malaysian-prime-minister-slams-us-sanctions-against-iran-as-clear-violation-of-un-charter/
“Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad slammed the US sanctions against Iran as a clear violation of the UN Charter and promised to raise the issue on countries unilaterally introducing sanctions at the UN General Assembly.
“There is no provision in the UN that allows one country to impose unilateral sanctions on another country … Malaysia does not support the reimposition of the unilateral sanction by the US against Iran. Such actions clearly violate the United Nations Charter and international laws. Sanctions can only be applied by the United Nations in accordance with the Charter,” Mohamad said during his address at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar.
According to the prime minister, unilateral sanctions create problems for other countries as well. As an example, Malaysia and many others lost a big market when the US introduced sanctions against Iran.
“I wish to reiterate my address at the United Nations General Assembly on this issue. If you want to have sanction let us have a law to govern sanctions,” he added.
On Wednesday, Washington imposed new sanctions on Iran’s biggest airline, Mahan Air, and the country’s shipping industry for allegedly contributing to conflicts in Syria and Yemen…”
Repeated raids on right-wing couple by Austrian police are ruled illegal:
https://twitter.com/BrittPettibone/status/1205943066215026688
The government of the Canadian province of Québec is considering allowing doctors to euthanize people suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other disease where the patient is unable to provide their consent.
Ditch the fake news ==> Click here to get news you can trust sent right to your inbox. It’s free!
According to LifeSiteNews, a Canadian health minister, Danielle McCann, said at a press conference earlier this month that the recommendation to allow the practice of euthanizing patients without their consent came from an “expert panel” that spent 18 months studying the issue.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/canada_patients_euthanasia
Obama Era Political Surveillance, and The Dual Purpose of Fusion GPS…
Posted on December 14, 2019 by sundance
With research files on the ’15, ’16 and ’17 political surveillance program; including information from the Mueller report and information from the IG Horowitz report; in combination with the Obama-era DOJ “secret research project” (their words, not mine); we are able to overlay the Obama-era domestic IC operations and gain a full understanding of how political surveillance was conducted over a period of approximately four to six years.
Working with a timeline, but also referencing origination material in 2015/2016 – CTH hopes to show how the program(s) interacted and operated. A full review explains an evolution from The IRS Files in 2010 to the FISA Files in 2016.
More importantly, the assembly of government reports and public records now indicates a political exploitation of the NSA database, for weaponized intelligence surveillance of politicians, began mid 2012.
The FISA-702 database extraction process, and utilization of the protections within the smaller intelligence community, became the primary process. We start by reviewing the established record from the 99-page FISC opinion rendered by Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer on April 26th, 2017; and explain the details within the FISC opinion.
I would strongly urge everyone to read the FISC report (full pdf below) because Judge Collyer outlines how the DOJ, which includes the FBI, had an “institutional lack of candor” in responses to the FISA court. In essence, the Obama administration was continually lying to the court about their activity, and the rate of fourth amendment violations for illegal searches and seizures of U.S. persons’ private information for multiple years.
Unfortunately, due to intelligence terminology Judge Collyer’s brief and ruling is not an easy read for anyone unfamiliar with the FISA processes outlined. The complexity also helps the media avoid discussing, and as a result most Americans have no idea the scale and scope of the issues. So we’ll try to break down the language.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/12/14/obama-era-political-surveillance-and-the-dual-purpose-of-fusion-gps/
Poll Shows That Many Democrats Really Do Hate America
Steve Straub By Steve Straub
Published December 14, 2019 at 9:41am
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Most anyone who pays regular attention to politics knows, or strongly suspects, that today’s Democrats hate America and everything it once stood unequivocally for.
Members of both parties generally used to love the country, it’s traditions and foundations, often disagreed on how to move forward but could still get things done for the American people.
Those days are long gone, as a recent Rasmussen poll reveals
“Democrats really don’t like America and think it’s time to move on from the culture that got us here.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 38% of Likely Democratic Voters believe American society is generally fair and decent. Fifty-one percent (51%) say it’s unfair and discriminatory.
By comparison, 74% of Republicans and unaffiliated voters by a 49% to 36% margin view American society as fair and decent.”
https://thefederalistpapers.org/opinion/poll-shows-many-democrats-really-hate-america
Argentina shooting: British tourist shot dead in Buenos Aires – one injured (express, Dec 14, 2019)
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1217347/argentina-shooting-briton-dead-armed-robbery-police-Buenos-Aires
“A BRITISH tourist has been shot dead during an armed robbery in Buenos Aires that has left a second holiday-maker injured.
Police in the city have confirmed the victim killed is a 35-year-old tourist from the UK. The identity of the victim is not yet known. The shooting also saw another tourist injured. The nationalist of the injured tourist is yet to be confirmed by police.
The attack occurred as the tourists approached a luxury hotel in the Puerto Madero area, the Argentine news agency Telam said.
Naval officials said in a statement that assailants on a motorcycle, apparently supported by accomplices in a car, tried to steal the belongings of the tourists.
The tourists attempted to resist.
One was shot in the groin and the other was shot in the right lung.
The second has been pronounced dead.
Police have launched an investigation to find the attackers.
The shooting happened at 11am outside the Faena Art Hotel in the Argentinian capital.
The man who died was aged 35.
The man injured is 28.
It is not yet known if the two men are known to one another.
This is a breaking news story.
More to follow…”
Germany: Cleaning woman stabbed in kebab snack bar by jealous Muslim
https://searchlight-germany.blogspot.com/2019/12/germany-cleaning-woman-stabbed-in-kebab.html
The cleaning lady was just at work in a kebab snack bar when apparently her boyfriend surprised her and rammed a knife down her throat! Brutal attack in Essen district of Kray!Around 8.40 a.m. ambulance crews rushed to the stop “Kray-Nordbahnof”: There the blood-covered woman had collapsed after she had dragged herself out of the nearby “Dürümland Kebaphaus”. There her boyfriend is said to have attacked her with a knife. According to newspaper BILD, the man was jealous. Employees of a kiosk had tried to stop the woman’s bleeding, called the ambulance services and the police. A suspected man was arrested nearby. The murder weapon was seized. The police set up a homicide squad.The woman was taken to the hospital.
Original article, in German:
https://www.bild.de/regional/ruhrgebiet/ruhrgebiet-aktuell/essen-putzfrau-im-doener-imbiss-niedergestochen-66675014.bild.html
‘Honour’ killer who smashed 20-year-old victim to death with a hammer for saying his sister was attractive is jailed for life after hiding in US for 18 years (dailymail, Dec 14, 2019)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7780917/Honour-killer-jailed-20-years.html
“A man who bludgeoned a 20-year-old to death with a hammer in an ‘honour killing’ has been jailed for life – after he spent 18 years hiding in the US.
Mohammed Tabraz was jailed for at least 20 years today, after fleeing to Pakistan and then to New Jersey following the murder of Soheil Mumtaz, 24, who was lured from his home and beaten to death with a hammer in 2001.
Tabraz, who was known as Tagga, was aged 20 when he launched the attack with such force that the hammer bent, because he believed Mr Mumtaz had ‘besmirched his sister’s honour’ by suggesting she was attractive.
Mr Mumtaz was kicked while on the ground during the ferocious attack in Kenilworth Road, Luton on April 4th 2001.
The married father-of-one, whose wife was pregnant with their second child, staggered to his home in nearby Avondale Road and died five days later in hospital.
Tabraz, now 39, fled first to his native Pakistan the next day and then lived in New Jersey as an illegal immigrant.
He was jailed for 6 years in the US in 2017 for his involvement in a heroin supply gang…”
Pakistanis Arrested for Vandalising Barcelona Terror Attack Memorial (breitbart, Dec 14, 2019)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/14/pakistanis-arrested-vandalizsng-barcelona-terror-attack-memorial/
“Four Pakistani nationals were arrested in Barcelona earlier this week after they poured concrete on part of a memorial to the victims of the 2017 Barcelona terror attack.
The four men poured concrete over a plaque on the La Rambla street which is a memorial to the victims, 16 of whom died, of the Barcelona radical Islamic terror attack. The vandalism took place at around 6 p.m. in the evening and the suspects were soon caught by police just yards away from the site of the crime, Spanish newspaper El Pais reports.
Police were tipped off by a pedestrian who managed to capture the act on their mobile phone and helped identify the Pakistani men who were behind it.
Each of the four men has been charged with harming the memorial and have also been charged under Spanish hate crime legislation due to the nature of the attack. The concrete has since been removed from the memorial.
The memorial itself contains the phrase “May peace cover you, oh city of peace” in Spanish, Catalan, English, and Arabic and lies next to a drawing of the word Barcelona by artist Frederic Amat, along with the date and time of the terrorist attack.
The incident comes just over a year since Stefan Åkerlund, the father of Stockholm terror attack victim Ebba Åkerlund, complained repeatedly to police that a migrant had vandalised his daughter’s grave on multiple occasions.
“I personally caught him in the act of desecration, when he was pouring [candle wax] on Ebba’s grave; the police released him after only one hour in custody,” Åkerlund said.
“That’s what my nightly visits to the graveyard were worth.”
Since the Barcelona attacks, Spain has been on high alert for radical Islamic terrorist plots. Spanish and Moroccan authorities have managed to foil a potential attack on the city of Seville during Holy Week earlier this year.”
Fighting rages near Libya’s capital amid push by rebel army (abcnews, Dec 14, 2019)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/fighting-rages-libyas-capital-push-eastern-army-67732910
“Just two days after rebel Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter declared a “final” and decisive battle for the capital Tripoli, heavy fighting raged for a 24-hour period between his troops and militias loosely allied with the internationally backed government based in the city, officials said Saturday.
The fighting came after Hifter, the leader of the self-styled Libyan National Army, said Thursday that the “zero hour” of his battle for Tripoli had begun, nearly eight months after he began an offensive to take the city from the country’s Government of National accord supported by the U.N.
The LNA’s media office shared images of reinforcements arriving in Tripoli, including ground troops and pickup trucks with mounted machine guns and of clashes in southern parts of the city. Hifter’s forces took control of the town of al-Tawghaar, just south of Tripoli, the LNA said. But Tripoli-based forces disputed that claim.
The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into another bout of violence rivaling the scale of the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
In the chaos that followed Gadhafi’s death, the country was divided into two parts — a weak U.N.-supported administration in Tripoli and a rival government in the east aligned with the LNA.
The LNA’s media office said it shot down a Turkish-made drone over the town of Ain Zara south of the capital. Hifter forces captured a major military camp from the Tripoli-allied militias and clashes continued around the camp, officials from both sides said.
The LNA also launched airstrikes overnight against an air base at the Air Force Academy in the city of Misrata, targeting military warehouses allegedly housing Turkish-made drones used by Tripoli-allied militias, said LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmari.
Misrata, in western Libya, is the country’s second largest city and is home to fierce militias who oppose Hifter and have been extremely important in the government’s defense of Tripoli.
There was heavy fighting elsewhere around Tripoli in the new push by Hifter’s forces and officials on both sides said the latest offensive has been more intense than Hifter’s other offensives over the past eight months.
Since his troops marched toward Tripoli in April, Hifter has only been able to lay siege to the city, failing to claim it from the government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
In past months, battle lines have barely changed, with both sides dug in and shelling each other in the southern capital’s reaches. Both sides have also sought support from regional and international backers.
U.N. experts said in a 376-page report to the U.N. Security Council this week that Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are supporting Libya’s warring sides and have “routinely and sometimes blatantly supplied weapons, with little effort to disguise the source” in violation of a U.N. arms embargo.
Hifter is backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, France and Russia. The Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy.
Libyan and U.S. officials have accused Russia of deploying fighters through a private security contractor, the Wagner Group, to key Libyan battleground areas in recent months.
While Moscow has repeatedly denied any role in the fighting in Libya, the Government of National Accord said it has documented between 600 and 800 Russian fighters in Libya fighting with Hifter forces.
“The Russian fighters’ toughness, lethal techniques and coordination discipline have instilled fear in the anti-Hifter forces,” said Jalel Harchaoui, a Libya expert at The Netherlands Institute of International Relations. “Now, Hifter and all foreign states backing him have become dramatically more confident that Hifter’s brigades will enter Tripoli within the foreseeable future.”
The U.N. experts’ report also said the presence of Chadian and Sudanese fighters in Libya “has become more marked” in 2019 and said they represent “a direct threat” to the country’s security and stability.
Hifter’s declaration of his most recent offensive came after the signing of a security arrangement and maritime deal between Sarraj’s government and Turkey last month.
The maritime deal would give Turkey access to a Mediterranean Sea economic zone offshore from Libya. Cyprus, Egypt and Greece claim the accord violates international law.
The deal has also added tension to Turkey’s ongoing dispute with Greece, Cyprus and Egypt over oil and gas drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean.”
Supporters of Iran-backed Iraqi group protest US sanctions (abcnews, Dec 14, 2019)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/supporters-iran-backed-iraqi-group-protest-us-sanctions-67734652
“Hundreds of demonstrators supporting a powerful Iran-backed militia group in Iraq poured into a central Baghdad plaza Saturday, some burning American flags to protest recent U.S. sanctions against key leaders.
The protest came as Washington pointed fingers at Iranian proxy groups for a recent spate of rocket attacks against its military bases in Iraq.
The protesters burned American and Israeli flags, as well as cardboard cutouts of U.S. President Donald Trump in Firdous Square, a central plaza that is close to where anti-government demonstrators have been camped out since Oct. 1.
The protest came a day after Washington blamed “Iran’s proxies” for carrying out several attacks against Iraqi military bases co-located with U.S. soldiers and warned it would take action against future attacks against American interests in Iraq.
An emblem of the U.S. Department of Treasury was placed on the ground so protesters could walk over it, a symbolic rejection of a recent decision by the U.S. to sanction leaders of Asaib al-Haq, a powerful Iran-backed militia group in Iraq accused of being behind deadly sniping attacks on anti-government protesters earlier in October.
On Dec. 6, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned leader Qais al-Khazali, his brother Laith al-Khazali, a commander in the group, and Husain Falih Aziz al-Lami, who allegedly commanded the unit of snipers.
“Today’s demonstration is clear in its aim and message: It is to reject foreign intervention in Iraq’s internal decisions,” said Naim al-Aboudi, a lawmaker. “In addition to that, it is to reject the decision of the United States of America regarding popular leaders and on top of them is sheikh Qais al-Khazali. Therefore, all these people are here to rise up and condemn these decisions.”
Asaib al-Haq-affiliated lawmakers also hold at least 13 seats in Iraq’s Parliament.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iranian proxy groups in Iraq for instigating a spate of rocket attacks targeting military bases with U.S. personnel. In a Dec. 13 statement, he warned that Washington would take “decisive” action in future attacks on American interests in the country.
“We must also use this opportunity to remind Iran’s leaders that any attacks by them, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies, or our interests will be answered with a decisive U.S. response,” Pompeo said in the statement. “Iran must respect the sovereignty of its neighbors and immediately cease its provision of lethal aid and support to third parties in Iraq and throughout the region.”
On Dec. 9, four Katyusha rockets hit a military base near Baghdad International Airport, wounding at least six Iraqi soldiers, Iraqi security officials said. The area targeted by the rockets is frequented by military advisers from the U.S.-led coalition. On Dec. 3, five rockets landed inside the Ain al-Asad airbase, a sprawling complex in the western Anbar desert that hosts U.S. forces, without causing any casualties and little damage.”
Police arrest 7 suspected militants in Indonesia’s Papua (abcnews, Dec 14, 2019)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/police-arrest-suspected-militants-indonesias-papua-67733256
“Indonesian police said Saturday that they have arrested seven suspected Islamic militants in the country’s easternmost Papua province as authorities beef up security ahead of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
Papua police’s deputy chief, Yakobus Marjuki, said the elite counterterrorism squad arrested a man, identified only as Karwanto, in a raid at a house in Sentani town in Dec. 5 after receiving a tip from intelligence that some members of the extremist group have fled to Papua from other Indonesian islands since last year.
His arrest led police to six other suspects who were captured in the past week in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province. Police seized knives, laptops, explosive materials and a bomb from three houses rented by the suspects.
Marjuki declined to say what the suspects had planned in predominantly Christian Papua province. He said those arrested are suspected members of a local affiliate of the Islamic State group known as Jama’ah Anshorut Daulah, or JAD, from Lampung and Medan on Sumatra island.
JAD has been implicated in numerous attacks in Indonesia over the past two years and was designated a terror organization by the U.S. in 2017.
The arrests come as authorities announced Friday the launch of an annual security operation to secure the year-end festivities. For the operation, which will run through Jan. 1, Indonesia’s police and military will deploy a total of 190,000 officers across the country. They will be tasked with securing churches, shopping malls, tourist destinations, airports and other places where crowds are expected to gather in large numbers.
Arrests of suspected Islamic militants are rare in Papua, a former Dutch colony in the western part of New Guinea that is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia. It was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-sponsored ballot that was seen as a sham by many.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has carried out a sustained crackdown on Islamic militants since bombings on the tourist island of Bali in 2002 killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.
The Jemaah Islamiyah military network, which was blamed for the Bali attacks, was neutralized following the arrests of hundreds of its militants and leaders. But new threats have emerged in recent times from Islamic State group-inspired radicals who have targeted security forces and local “infidels” instead of Westerners.”
Sudan court convicts Omar al-Bashir of money laundering, sentences him to 2 years in rehabilitation facility. (abcnews, Dec 14, 2019)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/sudan-court-convicts-omar-al-bashir-money-laundering-67731730
“Sudan court convicts Omar al-Bashir of money laundering, sentences him to 2 years in rehabilitation facility.”
White House says ‘sham’ impeachment vote is no surprise
Homeless man robbed in Cologne by group of 3, 2 were dark-skinned, all spoke bad German. Article in German:
https://www.derwesten.de/region/koeln-was-fuer-eine-feige-attacke-unbekannte-greifen-obdachlosen-an-id227466597.html
Also: Homeless woman beaten up by a group over a can of beer. Photo of her facial wounds is somewhat disturbing. Article in German, complete story behind paywall:
https://www.bild.de/bild-plus/regional/koeln/koeln-aktuell/koeln-foto-von-verpruegelter-frau-geht-durchs-netz-66613316,view=conversionToLogin.bild.html?wtrid=kooperation.reco.taboola.paid.bild.desktop
More on this story, freely accessible, in German:
https://www.derwesten.de/region/koeln-obdachlose-frau-uebel-zugerichtet-fotos-schockieren-zutiefst-id227864497.html
48 stabbings in Germany in 1 weekend, leading to 2 deaths. One victim was a policeman, stabbed in the neck from behind, he was still alive at time of writing. Article in German:
https://www.wochenblick.at/26-messer-taten-an-einem-wochenende-toetungen-ueberfaelle-konflikte/
Title says 40, and according to 4th paragraph, originally the article featured “only” 26. It was updated later. Scroll down for links for all the stories (everything in German).
Article also mentions two men beaten to death that weekend, one was the fireman in Osnabrück.
Turkey Increases Reward for Info on Dahlan to $1.7 Million
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2035596/turkey-increases-reward-info-dahlan-17-million
“Turkey added head of Fatah’s Democratic Reform Current Mohammed Dahlan on its “red list” of most-wanted terrorists, offering a reward of $1.75 million for information leading to his capture, the Interior Ministry has announced.
The ministry said in a statement Friday that it had updated its “red”, “orange”, and “gray” lists of wanted terrorists, doubling the reward for anyone who would provide information on Dahlan.
Ankara accuses Dahlan of being involved in the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, among four other officials who have been added to the red list. The authorities also added three names to the orange and two to the gray list…”
Turkish Official Says EU Should Boost Funding of Syrian Refugees
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2035906/turkish-official-says-eu-should-boost-funding-syrian-refugees
“The European Union should spend more than the 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) already allotted to fund Syrian refugees in Turkey, and speed up the flow of that money, the Turkish foreign ministry’s EU point person said on Saturday.
EU funds support the roughly 3.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, after Syria’s more than eight-year war killed hundreds of thousands and pushed millions from their homes. In turn, Turkey has agreed to halt further immigration to Europe.
“The flow of funds should be sped up and the amount of funding should be increased,” said Faruk Kaymakci, a deputy Turkish minister of foreign affairs.
“As long as the crisis is there we have to work together. The 6 billion euros will not solve the problem when it is finally all spent,” Kaymakci told reporters in Istanbul.
The EU, which set up the funding in 2015, says more than 5.6 billion euros have been allocated, more than 3.5 billion contracted and more than 2.4 billion disbursed.
Kaymakci said hosting the refugees costs Turkey some $40 billion in total.
Europe’s relations with Turkey are strained on several fronts including disagreement over a Turkish military incursion in October against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units in northeast Syria.
Turkey in late October threatened to “open the gates” to allow refugees into Europe unless Europeans back its plan to resettle them in northeast Syria.”
3 Saudi soldiers killed near war-torn Yemen border
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191214-3-saudi-soldiers-killed-near-war-torn-yemen-border/
“Saudi Arabia said three soldiers were killed today along it border with war-torn Yemen, Anadolu Agency reports.
The Saudi SPA news agency said one officer and two soldiers “were martyred in defence of religion and homeland” in the southern Jazan region.
Authorities, however, did not provide details about the circumstances of the soldiers’ deaths.
Since the beginning of December the number of soldiers who died on the southern front rose to 10.
Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of countries which launched a massive air campaign in 2015 against the Houthis, who overran much of Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa, a year earlier.
Since then, tens of thousands of Yemenis are believed to have been killed in the conflict, while another 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.”
Turkey slams EU for Libya maritime pact remarks
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191214-turkey-slams-eu-for-libya-maritime-pact-remarks/
“Turkey criticised a European Council decision rejecting last month’s Turkish-Libyan maritime pact, Anadolu Agency reports.
“The European Union has no authority to decide maritime jurisdiction and the EU is not an international court, they cannot give a verdict on the legality of the Libyan agreement,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement.
He said the EU leaders in Brussels claiming the pact “violates the sovereign rights of third countries” is another example of EU hypocrisy toward Turkey.
“The EU was silent when the Greek Cypriot administration made an agreement, acting like regular state and representing the entire island even they had no authority with regional countries against Turkey and Turkish Cypriots in 2003, 2007, and 2010. The EU ignored Greece’s occupation of Libya’s continental shelf,” he added.
Aksoy stressed: “This attitude cannot discourage us from defending the rights and interests of our country and the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Twenty-seven member of the EU gathered Friday in Brussels and agreed on a statement claiming Turkish-Libyan maritime pact “violates the sovereign rights of third countries.””
Massive detention campaign against anti-elections protesters
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191214-massive-detention-campaign-against-anti-elections-protesters/
“Algerian security forces have carried out a massive detention campaign on Friday, against protesters rejecting the presidential elections. Protesters chanted slogans against the new president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a former loyalist of ousted leader, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
In the wake of the announcement of the result of the presidential elections, thousands of protesters flooded the capital, describing the election as a “farce” aiming to maintain the ruling elite in the country.
“The vote is rigged. Your elections are of no concern to us and your president will not govern us,” demonstrators chanted in central Algiers.
The protests, which have been continuous for 43 consecutive Fridays, headed to Maurice Audin Square in the capital, calling for complete change of the ruling regime.
The protests started against the rule of the former president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, ousting him from his post, but the protesters have been demanding real political change in the country.”