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.
DAILY MAIL – ‘Marry your rapist’ law which allows men who have sex with girls under 18 to avoid punishment if they marry their victims will be considered by Turkish MPs
Turkish MPs to debate new law that would allow abusers to marry their victims
Move would see men who had sex with underage girls avoid any punishment
UN warned the law legitimises child rape and would lead to a rise in child brides
Opposition MPs in Turkey have condemned the so-called ‘marry your rapist’ bill
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7920157/Marry-rapist-allows-abusers-avoid-punishment-law-debated-Turkish-MPs.html
President Trump’s favourite memesmith summarized the impeachment process so far:
Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
· 14h
The Impeachment So Far, a catch up thread
Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
Dems: We have an airtight case against the President
Reps: Ok, go ahead
Dems: Trump and his staff came up with a plot to withhold funding to Ukraine contingent on the announcement of investigations into Joe Biden’s son. AN ABUSE OF POWER, then he obstructed out investigation!
667
10:38 PM – Jan 22, 2020
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Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
· 14h
Replying to @CarpeDonktum
Reps: So let me makes sure I have this right, Trump gave them the money before the deadline, they didn’t announce any investigations and they got the meeting.
Dems: Yes
Reps: And you investigated this?
Dems: Of course we did, we had to, the president clearly has bad motives.
Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
Reps: and you found proof of this?
Dems: Absolutely, one guy overheard someone else on the phone talking to Trump about the whole scheme.
Reps: Like on speaker phone?
Dems: Not exactly, more like across the table in a crowded restaurant, not on speakerphone.
652
10:49 PM – Jan 22, 2020
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Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
· 14h
Replying to @CarpeDonktum
Reps: I see, I suppose he destroyed all the evidence, thus the obstruction.
Dems: Well no, first he declassified the meeting transcripts, BUT then he said he had executive privilege or some nonsense.
Reps: What did the court say?
Dems: What court?
Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
Reps: Didn’t you take him to court to get the records?
Dems: There was no time, we can’t have a president extorting foreign countries. LOL MAN, are you crazy?
Reps: Just a second, let me catch my breath.
Dems: Shocking isn’t it.
519
10:54 PM – Jan 22, 2020
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Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
· 14h
Replying to @CarpeDonktum
Reps: To recap, Trump gave Ukraine a meeting, the funding, no investigations were launched, declassified the meeting, and offered to go to let the courts decide on executive privilege, and you impeached based on an overheard phone call and the fact that you were in a hurry?
Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
Dems: Well… when you say it like that it makes us sound silly. But you’ll see when we call new witnesses during the Senate phase.
Reps: YOU HAVEN’T EVEN INTERVIEWED ALL THE WITNESSES YET?
Dems: Well, no but we did interview a few low level staffers.
692
11:00 PM – Jan 22, 2020
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Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
· 14h
Replying to @CarpeDonktum
Dems: Well… when you say it like that it makes us sound silly. But you’ll see when we call new witnesses during the Senate phase.
Reps: YOU HAVEN’T EVEN INTERVIEWED ALL THE WITNESSES YET?
Dems: Well, no but we did interview a few low level staffers.
Carpe Donktum?
@CarpeDonktum
Reps: *looks around*
Dems: *grins confidently*
Reps: You are fucking crazy.
FIN.
1,018
11:02 PM – Jan 22, 2020
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When you take a step back and look at the whole process, you really do see the silliness of this entire charade. The Democrats look more like a group of drama queens looking for a solution to a problem on they are having and seek to rope everyone in the country in with it to justify their over dramatics.
https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2020/01/23/trumps-favorite-meme-maker-comes-up-with-brilliant-summary-of-the-impeachment-insanity/
Worth the watch:
Ingraham Drops ‘Exclusive’ Emails Connecting Dots Between Whistleblower, Bidens, And Obama
ByWilliam AddisononJanuary 23, 2020
Fox News host Laura Ingraham revealed bombshell emails that connect the alleged Ukraine whistleblower — who has been a catalyst for the Trump impeachment — to a 2016 meeting in the Obama White House about Burisma Holdings, where Hunter Biden worked.
“As far as I’m concerned, the entire impeachment drama comes back to one person — the whistleblower,” Ingraham said on Wednesday night. “Democrats all of a sudden want you to believe this person is unimportant for their case against Trump… But tonight, the Ingraham angle obtained exclusive documents that show just how important he or she is.”
To summarize the investigation, Ingraham was able to corroborate a newly-uncovered email conversation between State Department emails and New York Times journalist Ken Vogel — whose reporting shed light on Hunter Biden’s questionable position on Burisma — with the whistleblower, who is likely former Ukraine director on the National Security Council Eric Ciaramella.
In 2016, the whistleblower checked in several Ukrainian leaders and prosecutors to the White House that would be critical in arranging a partnership between Hunter Biden, Burisma, and the Obama administration — which is what President Donald Trump may have asked about the 2019 call with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
https://dailysounder.com/ingraham-drops-exclusive-emails/
Venezuela has ‘world’s highest murder rate’
A non-government organisation says many of the murders in the South American country are extrajudicial killings by police.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/venezuela-worlds-highest-murder-rate-200123135543539.html
…
Garnering almost no national media attention, the political action group Social Justice recently auditioned and hired 24 new actors to run for political office in 2020. Alarmingly, the two dozen newbies are primary challengers to Democrat-held seats in Congress. Keep in mind, this is the same group which assisted the “Squad” in their successful campaigns for Congress in 2018. And while three of the four Squad ladies have numerous Republican and Democrat 2020 challengers in their districts, the incumbents are sitting on fat campaign chests of cash. It’s also interesting to note Squad member Sandy Ocasio-Cortez promised Nancy Pelosi many more Social Justice “followers” would run for office in 2020 if Pelosi failed to embrace and promote the Social Justice political platform. Whether or not any of the 24 candidates will be able to oust entrenched Democrats remains to be seen. If you recall, in 2018, incumbent Joe Crowley thought his long-held NY seat was safe. He failed to mount a competitive campaign in his district and Nancy Pelosi lost a valuable ally. Gale force winds are brewing and speaking of an ill wind….
…
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/01/asleep_at_the_wheel.html
Police search for potential victims of Saint-Hubert man accused of sex crimes
Social Sharing
Ramdane Pacha Ahcene, 54, was arrested Monday night
CBC News · Posted: Jan 22, 2020 8:44 AM ET | Last Updated: January 22
Ramdane Pacha Ahcene, who also goes by the name Bruno Pacha, was arrested Monday night. (Longueuil police)
The Longueuil police service is looking for potential victims of a Saint-Hubert man accused of sexually assaulting a minor.
Ramdane Pacha Ahcene, who also goes by the name Bruno Pacha, was arrested Monday night and charged with sexual offences against a minor.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/longueuil-sexual-assault-victims-1.5435788
LONDON (Reuters) – The bill implementing Britain’s exit deal with the European Union officially became law on Thursday ahead of the country’s departure from the bloc next week.
The legislation passed its final parliamentary stage on Wednesday, after more than three years of bitter wrangling over how, when and even if Brexit should take place.
Queen Elizabeth has now given it Royal Assent, the leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said on Twitter.
Britain is due to leave the bloc at 2300 GMT on Jan. 31. A consent vote in the EU Parliament will take place on Jan 29.
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-law/brexit-deal-officially-becomes-uk-law-idUSKBN1ZM27I?utm_source=reddit.com
Hebzollah Chief: “Kill Every American Soldier in the Middle East”
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, chief of Tehran’s Lebanese proxy terror group Hezbollah, made a speech earlier this month encouraging the killing of every American soldier and officer in the Middle East. It is not every day that a terrorist leader expressly calls for the mass killing of Americans. Will Trump respond?
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has been broadcasting provocative speeches from his bunker in Beirut for more than 10 years. In those broadcasts he has railed against the Lebanese people, against Israel, against the Syrian rebels, against Saudi Arabia, against the Gulf States, and so on.
But in his most recent broadcast, delivered on January 5, he issued a call to attack US soldiers. That one managed to stir even the British, who have remained silent about Hezbollah violence for years and have been unwilling, up to now, to call it a terrorist organization. Not even pressure from the Americans could convince the British to call the fanatical kettle black.
Well, Nasrallah’s speech did the trick.
Kill them all
Nasrallah’s latest combative rhetoric, which was directed at the Americans and their presence in the Middle East, followed the US targeted killing by drone strike of Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s Quds Force.
https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/hebzollah-threatens-americans/
Virginia Gun Rally: A War of Perception
Media LAMENTS Peaceful, Multiracial Gun Rally
With Worst Economy in Decades, Will Wuhan’s Deadly Coronavirus Be the Catalyst for China’s Economic Collapse?
With Worst Economy in Decades, Will Wuhan’s Deadly Coronavirus Be the Catalyst for China’s Economic Collapse?
Joe Hoft by Joe Hoft January 23, 2020 141 Comments
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Live report from Hong Kong, China
One month ago we reported that you can feel it in Hong Kong. The economy is sluggish. The question is – is the slowing Hong Kong Economy related to the protests which clearly have negatively impacted the local Hong Kong businesses or is the Hong Kong downturn related to a slowing China economy.
Now China faces the prospects of a major coronavirus that could kill individuals and the country’s economy.
Yahoo News is reporting:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/with-worst-economy-in-decades-will-wuhans-deadly-coronavirus-be-the-catalyst-for-chinas-economic-collapse/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
Rudy Fires Warning Shot – Going to Release Evidence on the Biden’s Millions in Corrupt Deeds!
Rudy Fires Warning Shot – Going to Release Evidence on the Biden’s Millions in Corrupt Deeds!
Joe Hoft by Joe Hoft January 23, 2020 508 Comments
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President Trump’s personal attorney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani dropped a bomb this morning warning that he is going to start revealing documents related to the Biden Family’s corrupt and criminal dealings in the Ukraine and elsewhere around the world.
Rudy tweeted:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/rudy-fires-warning-shot-going-to-release-evidence-on-the-bidens-millions-in-corrupt-deeds/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
Justice Department Believes It Should Have Ended Surveillance of Trump Adviser Earlier
Government tells court it lacked probable cause in last two of four eavesdropping applications for Carter Page
https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-believes-it-lacked-legal-basis-for-continued-surveillance-of-trump-adviser-11579810061?mod=mhp
Behind a pay wall, but the title says it all
Lord Challenges Parliament On Grooming Gangs Cover Up
BREAKING: Infowars Reporter Owen Shroyer Arrested Protesting Outside Impeachment Trial
Shroyer was arrested for silently protesting.
Tom Pappert by TOM PAPPERT January 23, 2020
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Owen Shroyer Arrested Impeachment
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Infowars Reporter Owen Shroyer was arrested around noon on Thursday, January 23 for holding a sign and silently protesting outside the Senate impeachment trial, despite the fact that Shroyer filmed and confronted several anti-Trump protesters at the same location earlier this week.
Shroyer, who learned in a D.C. court yesterday that as a result of the arrest from when Shroyer confronted Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the prosecution sought to place him on probation, ban him from the Capitol grounds, and force him to undergo drug testing, was arrested this morning while standing silently with tape over his mouth and a small sign.
The tape had the word “CENSORED” hand written, and the sign read “Tech companies banned me from social media, Democrats are trying to ban me from the Capitol, learn more on banned.video.”
A police officer first approached Shroyer and informed him that he would be arrested if he did not cease his silent protest, informing that they consider it an “active demonstration.”
“If you don’t cease and desist you will be arrested,” said the officer.
At this point Infowars producer and on-air personality Savanah Hernandez, who filmed the event on her cell phone as cameras were also banned in the Capitol, asked why anti-Trump protesters have been allowed in the same location.
“Sir the Impeach Trump protesters come here every single day, we saw them here, we actually confronted them, is there a reason why they aren’t arrested,” asked Hernandez.
Police officer did not respond.
At this point, Shroyer attempted to ask a second officer if he would be allowed to remain if he discarded his sign and simply stood there with tape over his mouth.
https://nationalfile.com/breaking-infowars-reporter-owen-shroyer-arrested-protesting-outside-impeachment-trial/
A&M student at center of Coronavirus investigation in Brazos County
By Heather Falls | Posted: Thu 1:09 PM, Jan 23, 2020 | Updated: Thu 3:06 PM, Jan 23, 2020
BRYAN, Tex. (KBTX) – The Brazos County Health District is investigating a suspected case of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Texas A&M University and the health district confirmed the patient is also a Texas A&M student.
Local health officials say that the patient traveled from Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus originated. The health district says the patient is currently in isolation at his home, while the precautionary testing is being done.
The coronavirus sickened hundreds of people in Wuhan, China before spreading to other Asian cities. The only other known U.S. case is in Washington state where a man was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Wuhan.
The virus can cause flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath, and sore throat.
You can click here for more information about the virus from the CDC.
The general public is encouraged to practice general preventive actions:
https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Brazos-County-health-officials-investigating-suspected-case-of-coronavirus-567236761.html
Virginia’s Message to the Governor
Laura Ingraham Puts CIA ‘Whistleblower’ on Blast — Reveals Ciaramella’s Role in Ukrainian Scandal as Reported Earlier at Gateway Pundit
On Wednesday night Laura Ingraham revealed new emails from May 2019 discussing the CIA “whistleblower” and his role in the Ukrainian scandal.
Laura asked the questions, “What did the alleged whistleblower know about the Bidens and Burisma?”
Laura Ingraham Puts CIA ‘Whistleblower’ on Blast — Reveals Ciaramella’s Role in Ukrainian Scandal as Reported Earlier at Gateway Pundit (VIDEO)
Jim Hoft by Jim Hoft January 23, 2020 205 Comments
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On Wednesday night Laura Ingraham revealed new emails from May 2019 discussing the CIA “whistleblower” and his role in the Ukrainian scandal.
Laura asked the questions, “What did the alleged whistleblower know about the Bidens and Burisma?”
Anti-Trump CIA whistleblower Eric Ciaramella filed his second-hand “whistleblower” complaint against President Trump after speaking with Adam Schiff’s team in September.
Ciaramella claimed he was concerned about President Trump’s discussion of Hunter Biden during his call with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Now we know why Ciaramella was so concerned.
According to White House visitor logs Eric Ciaramella was hosting the January 19, 2016 White House meeting where Ukrainian officials were told to drop the investigation into Hunter Biden.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/laura-ingraham-puts-cia-whistleblower-on-blast-reveals-ciaramellas-role-in-ukrainian-scandal-as-reported-earlier-at-gateway-pundit-video/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
White House posts the video of Biden bragging about his quid pro quo with Ukraine onto their official Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7rU3XWnJ76/
Carter Page FISA warrant lacked probable cause, declassified DOJ assessment finds
Gregg ReBy Gregg Re, Brooke Singman | Fox News
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McCabe admits FBI ‘weakness’ in FISA warrant process
Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe claims there is an ‘inherent weakness’ in the process the FBI uses to obtain warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
At least two of the FBI’s surveillance applications to secretly monitor former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page lacked probable cause, according to a newly declassified summary of a Justice Department assessment released Thursday by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).
The DOJ’s determination essentially means that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant authorizations to surveil Page, when stripped of the FBI’s misinformation, did not meet the necessary legal threshold and should never have been issued.
“Today’s unprecedented court filing represents another step on the road to recovery for America’s deeply damaged judicial system,” Page said in a statement to Fox News. “I hope that this latest admission of guilt for these civil rights abuses by the Justice Department marks continued progress towards restoring justice and remedying these reputationally ruinous injuries.”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/carter-page-fisa-warrant-lacked-probable-cause-declassified-doj-order-finds
Schiff Jokes About Imprisoning Senators for Not Paying Attention to House Managers in Impeachment Trial
Lead House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) joked about imprisoning restless senators at the outset of the second day of the Democrat prosecutors presenting their case to the Senate. Wednesday’s repetitious first session by the Managers and Tuesday’s late night marathon rules debate and votes have left senators “bored out of their minds” and in “agony” according to news reports, with senators nodding off, leaving their chairs, leaving the chamber or passing notes and candy to each other. Sen. Dianne Feinstein even left the Capitol Wednesday night during the trial, claiming through a spokesman to be under the weather.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/schiff-jokes-about-imprisoning-senators-for-not-paying-attention-to-house-managers-in-impeachment-trial/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
Virginia Democrats Push Legislation to Make Criticism of Government Officials a Criminal Offense
This is naked tyranny.
In the wake of the Virginia gun rights rally on Monday, Democrats in the Capitol are not slowing down their push for tyranny. They are moving a bill through the legislature that would effectively criminalize dissent against Governor Blackface Northam and other state government officials.
House Bill 1627 was introduced by Delegate Jeffrey M. Bourne last week. The legislation “provides that certain crimes relating to threats and harassment may be prosecuted in the City of Richmond if the victim is the Governor, Governor-elect, Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Governor-elect, Attorney General, or Attorney General-elect, a member or employee of the General Assembly, a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or a judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia.”
Language in the bill explicitly criminalizes free speech, in what would constitute a blatant attack on the 1st Amendment of the Constitution.
https://bigleaguepolitics.com/virginia-democrats-push-legislation-to-make-criticism-of-government-officials-a-criminal-offense/
Richard: Reading the bill it doesn’t seem too bad but considering the past actions of the Dems what are they going to consider to fall under the categories that are listed. They like to twist the English language into weird shapes to advance their political agenda. Another thing about this bill is the way they don’t think the current laws against threatening people enough and have to right a law that only prohibits threatening or cussing out a politicians. This is another law that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Sen. Mark Warner claims Schiff’s case gained bipartisan praise
The Death Spiral of the Islamic Republic
The hit on Soleimani was so well-organized, leading terrorists ran for the hills.
January 23, 2020
Michael Ledeen
The elimination of Qassem Soleimani has produced surprising results. It turns out that the United States received intelligence on Soleimani’s movements from a variety of sources, some within his Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, others from Israel’s vaunted intelligence apparatus.
The operation against Soleimani and his ilk was so well-organized that leading terrorists in Iraq ran for the hills:
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/01/death-spiral-islamic-republic-michael-ledeen
Will it collapse before the November election of after the election? If it happens shortly before the election think of the boost that will give to President Trump.
Schiff: Trump made a ‘religious man’ out of Putin
Rep. Adam Schiff jokingly referenced a comment made by Vladimir Putin in November. He said President Donald Trump shifted the blame of 2016 election interference to Ukraine, prompting Putin to “thank God” that Russia was no longer the focus.
Hundreds of Central American migrants cross into Mexico from Guatemala
Dutch and Danish frigates to deploy in support of French maritime mission in the Persian Gulf
https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/23/netherlands-denmark-frigates-french-persian-gulf-mission-emasoh/
“The France-led maritime mission to counter Iran in the Strait of Hormuz is set to officially start at the end of the month, the French defense ministry said on Thursday.
The European-led Maritime Awareness mission in the Strait Of Hormuz (EMASOH) is intended to prevent conflicts in the critical entrance to the Persian Gulf, the world’s busiest shipping waterway.
France’s light stealth frigate Courbet, already attached to Combined Task Force 150, will be dispatched for the mission, the ministry said in its weekly update published on January 23.
The Netherlands will deploy a frigate at the beginning of February and Denmark plans to deploy a relief frigate at the beginning of the autumn.
Full operational capability is expected to be announced in late February…”
(Richard: Pay close attention to this article, he lays out why this impeachment fiasco isn’t an impeachment but a soft coup. Although he doesn’t go into detail he says that this is a direct attack on our system of elections and government.)
Schiff Admits Impeachment is a Coup
The lingering question for the man on the street who doesn’t care to litigate the rights and wrongs of both sides, to find Ukraine on a map or switch rapidly between MSNBC and FOX News to figure out what’s going on, is why not wait for the election.
Bill Clinton was impeached in the middle of his second term. That’s the time when it makes the most sense to impeach a president. He can’t run again, but he still has some years remaining in office.
Nixon was on his second term. Johnson was an unpopular vice president who was obstructing the will of the legislature.
But why impeach Trump in the sunset of his first term as an election is coming up?
Rep. Schiff had an answer. It explains everything.
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/point/2020/01/schiff-admits-impeachment-coup-daniel-greenfield
Richard: Greenfield is right this is an attack on our system of elections and Government, By their actions in the Impeachment Kangaroo Court Investigation in the House and his statements during and since the Kangaroo Court have been saying that if/when President Trump wins re-election it will be because of illegal interference in the election. They haven’t spelled out what they expect this election fraud to be but they are sure it will happen.
Look back at the antifa actions during and after the 2016 election, look at the videos of the Bernie Bro who is calling for violent revolution if Bernie isn’t the Dem nominee and if he is for revolution when he loses the election. All of their actions have been designed to lay the ground work for a violent revolution based on the “illegitimate” elections that they lost.
Mali soldiers killed in overnight assault in Dioungani, Mopti region
https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/23/mali-soldiers-killed-dioungani-mopti/
“At least seven soldiers were killed and several were wounded in an overnight attack in central Mali, the army said on Thursday, January 23.
The troops were attacked by “unidentified armed men” in Dioungani in Koro Cercle in central Mali’s volatile Mopti region near the border with Burkina Faso, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) tweeted.
The post is 52 km from Koro.
FAMa gave a provisional toll of six dead and others injured.
Mali government spokesperson Yaya Sangare said in a later statement that seven soldiers died in the attack and several were injured, but noted this was still a provisional assessment.
A security official who declined to be named told AFP that, in an assault lasting several hours, the attackers overwhelmed the soldiers’ position before reinforcements took it back. They said seven soldiers had been killed.
Journalist Housseyne Ag Issa tweeted that security sources spoke of a “heavy toll” following the attack on a National Guard post, later saying that 11 had been killed and nine injured.
Studio Tamimi reported that two FAMa posts in Dioungani were attacked. Citing security sources, Ag Issa said that an intervention unit traveling from Douentza to Dioungani was ambushed.
On Tuesday, two Malian soldiers were killed when their convoy was struck by a roadside bomb near Dallah, around 90 km north of Dioungani…”
Iranians No Longer Eligible for Trade, Investment Visas, US Says
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/01/23/2187703/iranians-no-longer-eligible-for-trade-investment-visas-us-says
“Iranian nationals will no longer be eligible for E-1 and E-2 trade and investment visas, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency announced…”
Militant Attack in Idlib Kills 40 Syrian Forces
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/01/23/2187913/militant-attack-in-idlib-kills-40-syrian-forces
“A multi-pronged attack by terrorists in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib killed up to 40 Syrian soldiers and wounded 80 others…”
Iran Ready to Counter Any Threat: Defense Minister
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/01/23/2187835/iran-ready-to-counter-any-threat-defense-minister
“Iran has the necessary components of power to combat any threat at any level, Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said…”
French Chief of Staff: Assassination of Soleimani ‘Was Not a Good Idea’
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2095966/french-chief-staff-assassination-soleimani-was-not-good-idea
“Chief of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces General Francois Lecointre said Iranian chief of al-Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani was a “real instigator,” but killing him in Iraq contributed in destabilizing the country.
He condemned the assassination of Soleimani and told the press that he “was not a saint” and a very destabilizing agent, but “it seems to me that going to kill Soleimani in Iraq was not a good idea.”
Soleimani and deputy chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis were assassinated in a US drone attack in Iraq earlier this month.
Lecointre indicated that this evidently weakens Iraq’s position, adding that the coalition and Western states want to secure Iraq and help it become a stable state in the region.
Asked whether it is possible for the PMF to execute any operation, Lecointre said that the current stage is risky. He said he doesn’t know if they will be able to continue with integrating PMF within the Iraqi army or if the party will become a more destabilizing tool in the hands of the Iranians, according to the French Press Agency (AFP).
France has deployed about a thousand soldiers operating within the framework of the international coalition against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, PMF denied reports that Abu Ali al-Basri was appointed as the deputy chairman succeeding Mohandis.
The Forces issued a brief statement refuting the reports that spoke about the appointment of Basri, asserting that no decision was taken in this regard.
A source close to the PMF explained that the position of deputy chairman occupied by Mohandis before his assassination was dropped upon the issuance of the new amendment to the authority’s law, noting that the position remains vacant.”
Secrets of Soleimani-Led Golden Death Squad
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2096086/secrets-soleimani-led-golden-death-squad
“Before his death in a US air strike in Baghdad earlier this month, Qassem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force, was one of the notorious names in the Western media.
US newspapers have published many reports of his operations and threats to US interests and facilities in Iraq.
Soleimani has emerged since the American occupation of Iraq as a terrorist who smuggled spies, money and weapons into the country, while his agents sowed chaos and carried out operations that claimed the lives of more than 600 US soldiers.
Soleimani was in fact the open card in the IRGC’s foreign activities, but he was hiding behind an officer who is the actual mastermind of terrorist operations that have continued since mid-2010 until now.
It is Brigadier General Ahmed Foruzandeh, who rose to command the Ramazan Corps, part of the Guard’s Quds Force.
The Daily Beast magazine published on Tuesday new details of declassified documents about the role of this mysterious leader in Iraq. He was portrayed in some documents as a “shadow commander, possessed of superhuman abilities and cunning.”
Foruzandeh was included on the US sanctions list in 2007, after he plotted and commanded terrorist operations against US forces in Iraq and planned to assassinate senior Iraqi figures.
According to the documents, he also accompanied Major General Muhammad Jaafari Sahrawdi, from the Revolutionary Guards Corps, to Iraqi Kurdistan, to plan terrorist attacks there. At that time, US forces raided and arrested a number of the IRGC elements in the city of Erbil, but the two men managed to escape to Tehran.
The documents revealed by The Daily Beast noted that Foruzandeh also led the Golden Death Squad, which “targeted, approved, and carried out assassinations against Iraqis they viewed as obstacles.”
The unit, according to the report, “consists of Iranian intelligence leadership that provide guidance and funding to Iraqis that are recruited from [Jaish al-Mahdi], Badr Corps, the Al-Fadilah Party, and other Shiite Iraqi parties and militias that conduct assassination operations against former Baath party members, Iraqis that are working with the [Coalition Forces], and Iraqis that are not supporting Iranian influence in Iraq.”
In addition to the assassinations, the Ramazan Corps also smuggled Iranian weapons and trainers. Documents obtained by The Daily Beast note that the unit oversaw a “complex smuggling apparatus from Ahwaz, Iran into Iraq” that included “weapons, information, financial support, and Iranian intelligence officers.”
The money, guns, and Iranian personnel began their journey in Ahwaz and were handed off to smugglers at the border with Iraq.”
Jubeir Says Restoring Ties with Iran Hinges on its Return to ‘Normal State’
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2096511/jubeir-says-restoring-ties-iran-hinges-its-return-%E2%80%98normal-state%E2%80%99
“Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said on Thursday that when Iran “returns to a normal state” then a restoration of ties with it is possible.
Jubeir, speaking at a World Economic Forum panel in Davos, Switzerland about the situation in the Middle East, said the Kingdom was concerned about Iran’s “meddling” in Iraq’s internal affairs and that it takes its relationship with Baghdad “very seriously.”
“Iran is behind the Houthi militia missiles coming from Yemen that are targeting Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Iran should worry more about its own people and stop sponsoring global terrorism, he told the audience in Davos.
On Libya, Jubeir expressed concern about foreign meddling in the country, adding Saudi Arabia was working with Arab and international countries to stabilize the situation there.”
US says no uptick in violence from Daesh in Syria, Iraq
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200123-us-says-no-uptick-in-violence-from-daesh-in-syria-iraq/
“The United States has seen no uptick in Daesh activity in Iraq and northeastern Syria, US special representative for Syria James Jeffrey said on Thursday, weeks after a US drone strike killed Iranian military commander Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad, Reuters reports…”
Turkey slams Greece for ‘illegally’ arming 16 islands in Aegean Sea
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200123-turkey-slams-greece-for-illegally-arming-16-islands-in-aegean-sea/
“Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar asked Greece to demilitarise 16 Aegean islands near Turkey he claims were illegally armed, in a move that may exacerbate strains in the countries’ relations, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported.
Speaking during his visit to Turkey’s major missile manufacturer Roketsan yesterday, Akar said: “We expect Greece to act in line with certain rules of international law and the agreements it has signed.”
Tensions between the two countries have been heightened recently as a result of the ongoing dispute over maritime waters and oil exploration rights in the region.
Turkey’s drilling activities are ongoing in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean, off Cyprus, and Libya, Akar said, adding that “to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots is our national issue. Whatever needed to protect those rights, Turkey has done so far and will continue to do so. We will continue to secure the rights of both our own and Cypriot brothers.”
In 1974, after a far-right Greek Cypriot military coup sponsored by the military junta sought to unite the island with Greece, Turkey used its guarantor rights to intervene on the island to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
Many steps have been taken to resolve the Cyprus conflict, but no concrete resolution has been found.”
Saudi woman allegedly murdered by own brother on her way to university in ‘honour crime’
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/1/23/saudi-woman-allegedly-murdered-by-her-own-brother
“A 21-year-old woman was allegedly shot and killed by her brother while commuting to university early on Monday, local Saudi news have reported, in a case that has shed light on the country’s culture of honour killings and sparked a debate about violence against women in the kingdom.
Local reports stated that the woman, identified as Nada Al-Qahtani, was shot by her brother while travelling on a bus to university in the Eastern Province of Dammam. Two other women and the driver were injured in the attack.
In what appeared to be regret over the shooting, Nada was rushed to hospital by her brother, but doctors were unable to save her local reports said. Nada was buried on Wednesday, Saudi daily Okaz said.
“On Tuesday, security forces arrested the man who shot at a vehicle in the Fakhriya district, killing one woman and injuring two citizens and the driver who is of Indian nationality,” Saudi Press Agency reported.
“The case has been referred to the public prosecution,” the report added.
Numerous local reports, which could not be independently verified, suggested that Nada was target of an honour killing. It was unclear what her brother had accused her of…”
Indian nurse in Saudi Arabia tests positive for deadly China coronavirus
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/1/23/indian-nurse-in-saudi-arabia-tests-positive-for-coronavirus
“An Indian nurse working in Saudi Arabia has tested positive for the SARS-like virus that has infected hundreds in China, the Indian foreign ministry said on Thursday.
Media reports said that the nurse may have contracted the virus while caring for a colleague from the Philippines who had tested positive.
However, neither Riyadh nor Delhi have reported any cases of the virus in their respective countries.
“About 100 Indian nurses… working at Al-Hayat hospital have been tested and none except one nurse was found infected by Corona virus,” said minister of state for foreign affairs, V. Muraleedharan.
“Affected nurse is being treated at Aseer National Hospital and is recovering well,” he tweeted.
Muraleedharan confirmed to AFP that it was the same respiratory virus that has claimed 17 lives since emerging in Wuhan, infecting more than 570 of other people nationwide.
It has since been detected in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the United States.
Countries in the Gulf have said they will start screening passengers from China following the outbreak of the new deadly coronavirus, as health authorities around the world work to prevent a global pandemic.
Saudi Arabia’s health ministry said it is coordinating with its civil aviation regulator to evaluate passengers arriving on direct or indirect flights from China, it said on Twitter.
Bahrain’s health ministry also announced that it had taken pre-emptive measures to avert an outbreak, without disclosing specific policies.
The UAE announced similar screening measures.
“Dubai Airports confirms… that all passengers arriving on direct flights from the People’s Republic of China must receive thermal screening at the gate upon arrival,” a statement said.
Dubai’s government said on Thursday that some 989,000 Chinese tourists visited the glitzy emirate last year and that the number was expected to cross the one-million mark in 2020. Some 3.6 million Chinese transited through the airport in 2019.
Turkey said on Wednesday that it had also prepared thermal cameras and other precautions against the spread of the virus, with the embassy in Beijing warning citizens against travelling to China.
Since China reported the emergence of a new coronavirus at the end of December, the SARS-like virus has infected more than 500 and killed 17.
So far, the majority of the victims were elderly individuals with pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes and liver cirrhosis.
All hailed from central Hubei province, where a local seafood market in the capital city of Wuhan is believed to be the epicentre of the epidemic.
Agencies contributed to this report.”
Turkey deliveryman risks 18 years in jail for spitting on pizza
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-deliveryman-risks-18-years-in-jail-for-spitting-on-pizza-151333
Over 217 Bangladeshi workers deported from Saudi Arabia
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/over-217-bangladeshi-workers-deported-from-saudi-arabia/1711803
“More than 200 Bangladeshi workers have been recently deported from Saudi Arabia, returning home almost empty-handed, according to a report released Thursday.
“All of the returnees have landed home country almost with empty hands, mostly less than one year after migrating to Saudi spending a handsome amount of money,” Shariful Hasan, Migration Program chief of Bangladesh-based international NGO BRAC, told Anadolu Agency.
Members of corrupt recruiting agencies charge an average of more than 400,000 Bangladeshi taka ($4,700) to each worker with a promise of lucrative jobs in the Middle East country, he added.
Saudi Arabia currently hosts the highest number of Bangladeshi workers. More than 2.5 million Bangladeshis working in Saudi Arabia, according to government records.
Hasan said that no recruiting agency has been punished for cheating workers.
“Those agencies send workers to Saudi Arabia, promising normal duty hours and lucrative wages. But the workers mostly find a contradictory scene after reaching there. At a stage they have to return home with almost empty hands.
“The corrupted syndicates then recruit new workers with the same high charge. Thus many cheating cycles have been developed in the manpower exporting sector,” he added.
Recently departed Sujan Bishash from the northern district of Norail, migrated to Saudi Arabia only three months ago, spending 450,000 taka ($5,300) for job at an office.
“But he did not get any job there and was detained by police and finally returned to home with empty hands,” Hasan quoted Bishash as saying.
In 2019, 25,789 Bangladeshi workers were deported from Saudi Arabia. Of them, there were hundreds of female workers who were also allegedly physically assaulted.
Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen in a press conference in Dhaka last November said the government would enhance monitoring to curb cheating expatriate workers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed all concerned to stop cheating expatriate workers who are also the main source of country’s foreign reserve fund.”
Libyan oil production nearing collapse, NOC
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/economics/2020/01/23/libyan-oil-production-nearing-collapse-noc_4cd291e3-fc73-45aa-bd0f-00864028beb6.html
“There is a risk in Libya that within a few days oil production will plummet to the lowest level since the fall of Muammar Ghaddafi in 2011. The warning came from the head of the Libya National Oil Company (NOC), Mustafa Sanalla, in an interview with the Financial Times.
Due to a blockade on the terminals in eastern Libya as ordered by Khalifa Haftar, oil production may drop to 72,000 barrels per day, he said. Sanalla added that the situation is getting worse every day and that the blockades are ”illegal” and should be lifted.”
Tucker: Adam Schiff practices his theatrics
Nunes: Vindman, others need to be removed from the White House
Senior Iranian Political Figure Suggests Ransoming U.S. Hostages for Income (breitbart, Jan 23, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2020/01/23/senior-iranian-political-figure-suggests-ransoming-u-s-hostages-income/
“A senior Iranian political strategist linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hassan Abbasi, suggested taking Americans hostage and demanding ransoms to make up for losses caused by U.S. economic sanctions in a video surfacing Thursday.
In a video that surfaced online Wednesday, Abbasi, who is the head of the IRGC-affiliated think tank Andishkadeh Yaghin, makes the arguments during a speech on January 17 in a mosque in the Iranian city of Nowshahr.
The IRGC is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
“Do you want to solve the sanctions problem? Our naval forces should take 10 or 20 Americans as hostage every month,” he explained. “For each one of them, we should get $1 billion. If we get $1 billion per week, and the year has around 50 weeks. That’s at least $50 billion.”
He used the example of Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American journalist who formerly worked as the Tehran bureau chief for the Washington Post. He was arrested in 2015 for espionage, but was released 18 months later on the same day the U.S. delivered $1.7 billion in frozen accounts to Iran. The Obama administration denied any connection between the money and the release.
“Look how the IRGC generates income for its budget. We grab a spy, Jason Rezailan. America begs to get him back, but we say no, you have to pay for him,” he said. “Then the government receives $1.7 billion in exchange for that spy. By catching a single spy, the IRGC earns the money that the government is supposed to allocate for it.”
Abbasi also cites the potential for “redemption” money, claiming the Qatari government sent the Iranian regime $3 billion for the recent death of its terror chief Qassem Soleimani, assassinated by a U.S. drone strike launched from a military base in Doha. Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani went on to offer Iran his condolences on Soleimani’s killing, despite being a supposed ally of the United States.
“When the IRGC martyr Qassem Soleimani was hit, our government received $3 billion from Qatar as redemption money because the planes that killed him were from Qatar,” he declared. “Be honest, was a similar income generated by the nuclear deal? The IRGC creates dams, roads, highways, and brings security to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and elsewhere.”
Abbasi was reportedly arrested last year for criticizing Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, claiming he had set up a news website aimed at promoting himself and slandering other Iranian officials.
In August, Abassi also made the bold prediction that America’s global influence will collapse within 15 years, after which “the global operating system will be an Islamic one.”
“The government of the elderly will be set aside and a young, revolutionary government will be in charge,” he explained at the time. “Islamic Iran is now so strong that if anyone hits us, it would be impossible for them to escape and they must receive a response for their action.””