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.
Peter Hitchens on the necessity of borders and how they enhance people’s lives rather than being a problem. A seasoned journalist, he lived in the Soviet Union after the fall of the Berlin wall, he visited North Korea, Somalia, China and many more countries.
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2017/10/in-praise-of-borders?fbclid=IwAR3ufstxfkJX0mdE9mJ496XmwVWl588bn67r5bsk7AOXsPTjiYVcII9zuFM
This could be any city, but worse now since the song was written.
There’s a short interview with Ralph McTell at the end of the video.
I don’t remember any homeless on the streets of London when I lived there in the sixties.
When I was young and wandering I once slept under a bridge in Paris. I shared my blanket with a filthy Irishman and a black guy named Bluey. Bluey had this name because when he took off his dark glasses one eye was dead from disease, and was a non-translucent pale blue..
There were other street people sleeping under the bridge that summer night, and Bluey and the Irishman said I needed their help from the night creatures. They said they wanted to pay me back now that I needed help, and since I had helped them earlier in the day for no good reason..
Maybe I survived that night with their help. At dawn I took my blanket, leaving the two curled up now exposed on the cold stone under the bridge. Walking down a narrow street a voice from behind asked the time. The man was going to join the French Foreign Legion and had to find the office by six a.m., he said.
Sometime now, when I’m in a certain frame of mind, I see the bedraggled on the streets and wonder what their mothers would say and think at what their babies had become.
Yes, me too.
I shall print this lexicon and hang it on my wall. So rich are words that language used for bad will just as quickly be invented for good.
https://quillette.com/2020/01/29/an-orwelexicon-for-bias-and-dysfunction-in-psychology-and-academia/
“Emotional imperialism: The strange belief that your feelings should dictate someone else’s behavior.”
They’re all great.
I’ve got an East Indian friend who suffers from Europhobia. Jokes we’re all skinheads, but he’s not really joking.
Militants Shell Aleppo Suburbs With Homemade Projectiles (sputniknews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202002051078230625-militants-shell-aleppo-suburbs-with-homemade-projectiles/
“Militants shelled the suburbs of Syria’s Aleppo with homemade projectiles amid the ongoing clashes with Syrian government forces.
Local residents were refusing to leave their homes in the hope that the army would move the militants away…”
Iran is Interested in Russian Military Equipment – Ambassador in Tehran (sputniknews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/military/202002051078232298-iran-is-interested-in-russian-military-equipment—ambassador-in-tehran/
“Tehran is interested in Russian military equipment, Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan said in an interview.
“Yes, of course, because our military equipment is rightfully considered the best in the world and the least expensive in the world,” the ambassador said, when asked whether Tehran has any interest in Russian military equipment. However, which equipment wasn’t specified.
At the same time, he recalled that in the field of military-technical cooperation with Tehran, Moscow adheres to the restrictions imposed on Iran in accordance with international law; specifically, UN Security Council resolution 2231.
“But these restrictions are temporary – until October 2020,” he added.
Commenting on the possibility of Iran acquiring Russian S-400 missile systems, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission indicated that Tehran should decide on this issue itself.”
Three Terrorists, One Soldier Killed in Major Gunfight in Indian Kashmir (sputniknews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/india/202002051078231651-three-terrorists-one-soldier-killed-in-major-gunfight-in-indian-kashmir/
“Last month, 21 terrorists and four security personnel were killed in 11 major encounters in Kashmir. Newly-appointed Indian Army vice Chief Lt. General Satinder Kumar Saini had claimed several terrorist staging grounds have been re-occupied in the Pakistan-administered Kashmir region.
At least three terrorists and a soldier were killed in a major gunfight that broke out near Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir – on Wednesday. Police said the gunfight started after terrorists, travelling in a car, started firing at a police checkpoint in the Lawaypora area of Srinagar. The incident took place on the Baramulla-Srinagar highway when the security personnel intercepted the vehicle.
During the past week, this was third major attack on security personnel by terrorist groups in Kashmir in which at least three terrorists were killed; meanwhile four aides of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed were arrested.
Last Friday, terrorists hiding in a truck had opened fire on security personnel at a toll plaza on the national highway connecting the cities of Srinagar and Jammu during a routine vehicle inspection by Indian security forces. During the exchange of fire, three terrorists were killed and a policeman was injured.
Security forces in India’s restive Jammu and Kashmir have recently been on alert after several incidents of terrorist attacks in Pulwama district in South Kashmir.
The number of terrorist attacks on security personnel has been rising for past two months despite claims made by Indian Army that the situation in the restive Indian-administered region along the de facto international border was under control.”
Swedish Police Under Fire for Helping Revealed Daesh Recruiter Flee From Journo’s Questions (sputniknews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/europe/202002051078231832-swedish-police-under-fire-for-helping-revealed-daesh-recruiter-flee-from-journos-questions/
“Many Swedes found the instance, where police assisted a dangerous Daesh associate, “embarrassing and indefensible”.
Ulrika Pape, the mother-in-law of notorious Daesh* terrorist Michael Skråmo, now dead, has been revealed by Expressen newspaper as still active in jihadist milieus and that he functions as a recruiter, fundraiser and accessory. When confronted by a journalist in the street, Pape received help from a surprising source: the police.
According to Expressen, Ulrika Pape, who is also known by the moniker of Umm Hamza, converted to Islam in 2007 and went to Syria as a Daesh recruiter. In 2015, she returned to Sweden, but was never arrested.
Expressen got in touch with her via a closed Facebook group called Fisabilillah (“for Allah’s sake”). There, Pape, using yet another moniker, raised funds for Daesh terrorists imprisoned in Syria. Expressen’s journalists then tricked Pape into believing they would like to contribute thousands of kronor and arranged a meeting in the city of Örebro via the encrypted Telegram app. Pape claimed to have contacts with people who can help smuggle the detainees out of the prison camp.
When a week later, Expressen’s reporter met Pape in person in central Örebro, she was dressed in a black niqab. Realising that it was a journalist, she denied everything. “I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Pape said.
When confronted by reporter David Baas with further questions, Ulrika Pape turned to a police car parked nearby. The policemen allowed Ulrika Pape to sit in the police car and in this way avoid further questions.
“We explain to the policemen that we are monitoring the jihadist environment, but the police offered her to jump into their car”, Expressen wrote of Pape’s police car getaway.
“This protection service from the media’s hard questions the police offer, does it only apply to Daesh or can I use it too?” Moderate MP Hanif Bali tweeted sarcastically.
“I love how they refuse to shake hands when it comes to raising their livelihoods, but have no qualms shaking hands with an infidel police when they need protection against ‘Islamophobic’ questions like “do you raise money for Daesh”? He continued.
Many Swedes who took to Twitter to vent their indignation found the incident embarrassing and indefensible.
48-year-old Ulrika Pape is the mother-in-law of Michael Skråmo, a notorious terrorist and Daesh recruiter and propagandist for the Nordic region, who presumably died in early March 2019 during the final battles in the Syrian city of Al-Baghuz. He fathered a total of seven children, who have been picked up back to Sweden by their grandfather.
“She is still deeply involved”, terrorist researcher Magnus Ranstorp of the National Defence College said about Pope’s role in jihadist circles.
Having directly contributed to the jihadi cause with about 300 terrorists, Sweden outnumbers its Scandinavian peers both the number of Daesh terrorists and the number of Daesh children (over 50 as opposed to about 30 from Norway, Denmark and Finland, each). Almost none of the jihadists have faced prosecution for crimes committed in the Middle East, yet several were later convicted for new crimes committed upon the return to Sweden.”
Erdogan Says Syrian Idlib Agreements Do Not Work (sputniknews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202002051078232350-erdogan-says-syrian-idlib-agreements-do-not-work/
“On Monday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the current developments in Syria’s Idlib province as “unmanageable”, adding that about one million refugees from the province had started moving towards the Turkish border with the Arab country.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that agreements related to Syria’s Idlib and East of Euphrates do not work.
He warned that Turkey will respond to the Syrian Army’s possible failure to withdraw its troops behind Turkish observation post lines by the end of this month.
Erdogan added that his recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin had been constructive and that they had agreed that the Russian and Turkish militaries would stay in contact.
The statement comes after Erdogan called the current developments in Syria’s Idlib province “unmanageable” on Monday.
He said that around one million refugees from the province had begun moving towards the Turkish border with the Arab Republic, claiming that this is a result of Damascus’ offensive in Idlib. He added that it would be difficult for Turkey to receive so many refugees.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW”
Denmark jails 3 men suspected of spying for Saudi Arabia (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/denmark-jails-men-suspected-spying-saudi-arabia-68769753
“Three men who are members of an Iranian separatist group, the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, have been jailed in pre-trial custody in Denmark until Feb. 27, suspected of spying for an unnamed Saudi intelligence service.
The three members of the London-based group were arrested Monday in Ringsted, 60 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Copenhagen, for the suspected spying on people and companies over a period of six years from 2012.
They appeared before the nearby Roskilde City Court where judge John Larsen on Tuesday ordered the hearing held behind closed doors, meaning no details were made public.
Heavily armed police officers with machine guns guarded the courthouse in Roskilde, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Copenhagen. The men who can’t be named under a court ban, pleaded not guilty. The men are facing preliminary charges of espionage under a milder paragraph that could give them up to six years in jail.
On Monday, the Saudi ambassador to Denmark, Fahad bin Maayouf Al Ruwaily, was summoned to the Danish foreign ministry,
In the same case, another man was arrested Monday in the Netherlands — the historic Dutch city of Delft — for allegedly plotting one or more terror attacks in Iran and for membership of a terrorist organization.”
Turkey deploys extremists to Libya, local militias say (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-deploys-extremists-libya-local-militias-68769079
“Syrian militants affiliated with groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are currently being sent by Turkey to fight on behalf of the U.N.-supported government in Libya, according to two Libyan militia leaders and a Syrian war monitor.
Both sides in Libya’s civil war receive equipment and backing from foreign countries. But Turkey, which has long trained and funded opposition fighters in Syria and relaxed its borders so foreign fighters joined IS, has in recent months been airlifting hundreds of them over to a new theater of war in Libya.
The U.N.-supported government controls only a shrinking area of western Libya, including the capital, Tripoli. It’s facing a months-long offensive by forces loyal to Gen. Khalifa Hifter who is allied with a rival government based in Libya’s east. The United Nations recognizes the government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, as Libya’s legitimate government because it was born out of U.N.-mediated talks in 2015.
Sarraj is backed by Turkey, and to a lesser degree, Qatar and Italy. Hifter receives backing from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia. Libya has the ninth largest known oil reserves in the world, and many of these countries are apparently jockeying for influence in order to control Libya’s resources.
Libyan militia leaders in Tripoli told The Associated Press that Turkey has brought more than 4,000 foreign fighters into Tripoli, and that “dozens” of them are extremist-affiliated. The two commanders spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
The commanders also highlighted differing opinions within the Libyan militias about accepting Syrian extremists into their ranks. One said the fighters’ backgrounds aren’t important, as long as they’ve come to help defend the capital. The other said some commanders fear the fighters will “tarnish” the image of the Tripoli-based government.
Turkey-backed militias in northern Syria have been known to include fighters that previously fought with al-Qaida, IS and other militant groups, and have committed atrocities against Syrian Kurdish groups and civilians.
The U.N. has repeatedly condemned the flow of weapons and foreign fighters into Libya. But the organization has not directly responded to reports and accusations by Hifter’s side that Sarraj’s government and Turkey are apparently using IS- and al-Qaida-linked extremists as mercenaries.
Turkey has not confirmed or denied reports of Syrian fighters being sent to Libya to support Sarraj, and the Turkish military did not respond to requests for comment.
However, in a televised interview last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “As a combat force, we will have a different team there. They won’t be from within our soldiers. Those different teams and the combat forces will work together. But our high-ranking soldiers will coordinate.” He did not elaborate.
Rumors of Turkey-backed Syrian fighters in Libya have swirled for weeks. Foreign leaders and commentators have pointed to videos circulated online that appear to show Syrians in Tripoli. In one video, a man with a Syrian accent films the dormitories where he and other fighters are living, saying “Thank God, we arrived safely in Libya.” Another clip shows a plane full of fighters, some wearing fatigues and speaking with Syrian accents.
Turkey’s Libyan allies and Syrian opposition leaders have denied any organized efforts to send combatants to Libya. But in January, Sarraj told the BBC that his government “would not hesitate to cooperate with any party to defeat this aggression” by Hifter’s forces.
Rami Abdurrahman, the director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the AP that his war-monitoring network has determined there are at least 130 former Islamic State or al-Qaida fighters among the approximately 4,700 Turkey-backed Syrian mercenaries sent to fight for Sarraj.
He said the IS militants had joined the so-called Syrian National Army, a patchwork alliance formed by Turkey from different factions who battled the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Most of the groups are loyal to Turkey, and the SNA was used as shock troops last year in Turkey’s offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
In theory, a cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey remains in place around Tripoli but Libya’s warring sides have traded accusations of violations, and the shaky truce is threatened by clashes. Representatives from Sarraj and Hifter began meetings in Geneva on Tuesday to work toward a more permanent cease-fire.
The Observatory also quoted a Syrian fighter from Idlib province who applied to go to Libya as saying he was motivated by the financial benefits offered by Turkey.
Elizabeth Tsurkov, a fellow at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute who closely follows Syria’s armed groups, said the promise of payment, Turkish citizenship or the prospect of fleeing to Europe were the main motives of Syrian fighters sent to Libya.
“None of them are committed to the fight in Libya due to personal conviction or ideology,” she said.
A Libyan official at the prime minister’s office said Syrian fighters have been in Libya since early August. At first, he said they were only facilitating the work of Turkish military experts. But as the fighting escalated in mid-December, the number of Syrian fighters arriving in Libya increased. These fighters now immediately deploy to the front lines, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to reporters on the subject.
The Tripoli authorities and U.S. officials have also accused Hifter of relying on hundreds of Russian mercenaries. Sudanese armed groups from the Darfur region recently joined the fighting on both sides, according to a report by U.N. experts.
The influx of Syrian, Russian and Sudanese mercenaries has threatened to prolong the war and cripple international efforts to establish a long-term cease-fire. Last month, a summit in Berlin brought together the major international stakeholders in Libya, but with few concrete results.
Nicholas Heras, a Syria expert at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, said Turkey is focusing on Libya to establish a sphere of influence in the Mediterranean.
“However, the Turks do not want to risk significant casualties to their own forces when the Turkish military has built a proxy force of Syrian fighters that can reinforce the Libyan fighters,” he said.”
Novel coronavirus: Hong Kong to quarantine all visitors from mainland China
“An unexplained wealth order (UWO) is a type of court order issued by a British court to compel the target to reveal the sources of their unexplained wealth. Persons who fail to account are liable to have assets seized after the National Crime Agency makes a successful appeal to the High Court.” -wiki
There was once a maxim “innocent until proven guilty.”. The accused therefore, did not have to cooperate in any way. Now the Marxists can grab what ever they like. There is no privacy in their brave (dhimmi/cuck/sexpert) new world.
These unbrave can just rob.
“Zamira Hajiyeva, who spent more than £16million at Harrods in a decade, had been attempting to overturn a UWO obtained by the National Crime Agency (NCA) against a property in London’s Knightsbridge, which was purchased for £11.5million in 2009 by a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
Her husband, Jahangir Hajiyev, was the chairman of the state-controlled International Bank of Azerbaijan from 2001 until his resignation in 2015, and was later jailed for 15 years for fraud and embezzlement.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7969031/Wife-jailed-fat-cat-Azerbaijani-banker-LOSES-High-Court-appeal.html
If we do not protect the rights of the least, we do not protect the right of the virtuous.
China to allow US health experts into the country as coronavirus shows no sign of slowing
Coronavirus: Most healthy people do not need to wear surgical masks, says Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam
Coronavirus: Put aside differences to fight virus, says Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam
ARIRANG NEWS [FULL]: New coronavirus in South Korea; 2 more patients confirmed, total rises to 18
Trump’s Amazing 2020 State of the Union Speech
Any link to the actual speech?
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-state-union-address-3/ Issued on: February 4, 2020
Nearly Three Quarters of Britons Back Boris Johnson’s Plan to End Early Release of Terrorists (breitbart, Feb 5. 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/05/over-70-back-boris-johnsons-plan-end-early-release-terrorists/
“Over seven in ten Britons back Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to end the automatic early release of convicted terrorists.
In the wake of the terrorist attack in Streatham, London, the government is set to end the automatic release of terrorists from prison, replacing the current system with a law that would require terrorists to serve at least two-thirds of their sentence and be subject to a review by a parole board before being released.
A poll conducted by YouGov of 3,175 Britons found that 73 per cent — almost three quarters in all — of those surveyed supported the measure, compared to just 12 per cent who opposed it and 15 per cent who said that they were undecided.
Sudesh Amman, the Islamist terrorist who stabbed two people in Streatham, London, and the London Bridge attacker, Usman Khan, who killed two people in November, were both released early from prison without review by a parole board. Amman launched his attack just days after going free.
The new law would retroactively apply to 220 imprisoned terrorists, ten of whom are set to be released this month, according to The Times…”
Mohamed 2nd Most Popular Name for Newborn Baby Boys in Swedish City (breitbart, Feb 5, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/05/mohamed-2nd-most-popular-newborn-name-boys-gothenburg/
“The name Mohamed is now the second most popular name for newborn boys in the Swedish city of Gothenburg and the third most popular in multicultural Malmö.
New figures from Statistics Sweden reveal that the most popular name for newborn boys in 2019 was Elias, with Mohamed, including all the various spellings of the name, being the second most popular despite not appearing in the top ten nationwide, Goteborgs-Posten reports.
Nationally, Mohamed appears in 29th place, far behind the most popular name in Sweden which was Lucas. The name Mohamed has increased slightly nationwide since the previous year, up from 33rd in 2018.
Another Arabic name, Omar, has also seen a rise nationally, going from 98th most popular to 82nd in 2019. Amir rose from 93rd to 91st, and Ibrahim, a popular Arabic version of Abraham, debuted on the list at 99th place.
In the southern city of Malmö, Mohamed managed to become the 3rd most popular newborn boys name in 2019, behind Elias and Adam.
Katharina Leibring, associate professor at the Institute of Languages ??and Popular Memories, commented on the result saying that the popularity of Mohamed was not surprising, saying: “Mohamed is the Arabic name that always tops the list of names. In addition, boys are given more traditional names more often than girls.”
In recent years, Mohammed and its various alternative spellings
In 2018, it was revealed that Mohammed was the number one most popular name for baby boys in Berlin and that same year another report showed it to be the most popular in the notorious no-go suburbs of Paris as well.
In Belgium, the name became the most popular across the entire country in 2017 when all of the various spellings are taken into consideration. The same phenomenon has been seen in England and Wales for years when all spellings of the name are counted together.
In August of 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released an article arguing that the reason Mohammed had become more popular was due to a decline in traditional Christian names, the influence of celebrity culture, and parents opting for “original” names for their children.
“Meanwhile, the number of babies named Muhammad (including variant spellings) has remained pretty consistent over the last 10 to 15 years. This is a key reason why Muhammad has climbed up the rankings in recent years,” the article claimed.”
Coronavirus affecting life on South Korean campuses
ARIRANG NEWS [FULL]: New coronavirus in South Korea; 2 more patients confirmed, total rises to 18
Switzerland: WHO partners with Google to fight coronavirus misinformation
The World Health Organization (WHO) is partnering with “groups such as Google” to make sure people have access to reliable information about the deadly coronavirus, a WHO official announced at a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday.
“People had suddenly the impression that the virus was in the air and everybody who goes under this cloud of virus will be infected. So this is not the situation. Currently, the virus is transmitted through droplets, and you need a close contact to be infected,” said WHO chief of global infectious hazard preparedness Sylvie Briand.
Briand said that Google had launched a new project called SOS Alert which aims to help people by having all the possible information about the coronavirus in one place.
“What we do is really, first acknowledge that this ‘infodemic’ exists and needs a specific treatment. And this treatment is not easy because it requires a lot of global collaboration,” she added.
The coronavirus outbreak has been declared a global health emergency by the WHO.
At least 427 people have died with almost 20,500 cases of the virus confirmed in mainland China alone.
Over 150 cases were confirmed world-wide across 25 countries, including France, the UK, Canada and the US. Hong Kong announced the second death from the disease outside mainland China of a 39-year old man, with the first being announced in the Philippines on Sunday.
CBC – 251 Canadians quarantined on cruise ship in Japan
A cruise operator says 251 Canadians are aboard a quarantined cruise ship where there’s been a confirmed outbreak of the novel coronavirus off the coast of Japan. Ten passengers and crew members have tested positive for the virus.
Thousands stuck on cruise ship in Hong Kong after three passengers test positive for virus
Thousands on board a cruise ship that docked in Hong Kong are told they will not be allowed to disembark until medical check-ups are completed on board, after three recent passengers tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The passengers on board ‘World Dream’ were denied entry to Taiwan on Tuesday after the test results were made known.
Coronavirus outbreak: British couple describe life on quarantined cruise ship
Oxfordshire couple David and Sally Abel have been quarantined in their room after 10 of the passengers on their cruise ship were found to have coronavirus.
Despite being trapped in their room 24/7 “like prisoners”, they remain in high spirits and speak to Matt Frei about their experience so far.
They add they haven’t been put off from going on any cruises in the future.
The Diamond Princess cruise ship was placed under quarantine when it approached Yokohama, Japan on Monday evening.
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China tops 24,000, death toll rises to 492
LIVE: Coronavirus Update and Q&A
S. Korea confirms 19th coronavirus patient
Pedophile hunter’ groups rising in Europe
https://www.oann.com/pedophile-hunter-groups-rising-in-europe/
Vigilante groups in some European countries are actively working to expose sex offenders who attempt to lure children online. Between the U.K., Germany, Scandinavia and the Netherlands, more than 3 million vigilantes are serving justice to predators by making ‘citizens arrests.’
Many of the groups catch the predators by using a decoy to attract them online, find them in person and detain them before turning them over to authorities. The groups believe their way of due process is more efficient than waiting for the police who may not help in time. However, some officials worry the crime fighters may do more harm than good.
“These groups can lead to aspects like discrimination, stigmatization and ethnic profiling,” explained criminologist Mark Schuilenburg. “…everything of every person who deviates from the norm in those neighborhoods becomes a suspect.”
China virus hits cruise ships, carmakers, airlines and Airbus
BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Thousands of passengers and crew on two cruise ships in Asian waters were placed in quarantine for China’s coronavirus on Wednesday as airlines, car manufacturers and other global companies counted the cost of the fast-spreading outbreak.
China said another 65 people had died as of Tuesday, the highest daily total yet, taking the overall toll on the mainland to 490, most in and around the locked-down central city of Wuhan, where the new virus emerged late last year.
Report Ad
There have been two deaths outside mainland China – in the Philippines and Hong Kong – both following visits to Wuhan.
The virus had disrupted air travel, with more than two dozen airlines suspending or restricting flights to China and several countries, including the United States, banning the entry of anyone who has been in China over the previous two weeks.
https://www.oann.com/china-virus-toll-nears-500-airlines-cut-hong-kong-flights-cases-found-on-cruise-ship/
MEET THE SHADOWY COMPANY BEHIND THE FAILED IOWA CAUCUS APP – ALONG WITH ITS CONNECTIONS TO MAYOR PETE
There are multiple credible reports that the developer behind the failed Iowa Caucus app is “Shadow Inc.” The app was “only reporting partial data” for election results. This same app, which caused election chaos and left America and the voters of Iowa without an official election result, is set to be used in the upcoming Nevada primary and likely other elections around the country. The executive team behind Shadow Inc are all former Hillary For America employees and former employees of the company now work for Pete for Am One of the investors behind Shadow Inc is ACRONYM, a nonprofit organization “committed to building power and lasting digital infrastructure for the progressive movement.” Greta Carnes, a former digital organizer for Clinton in 2016 and former ACRONYM Senior Director of Organizing, is currently the National Organizing Director at Pete For America. erica. Pete Buttigieg has deep connections in Silicon Valley and he is being heavily funded by Silicon Valley’s wealthiest families. Shadow Inc received tens of thousands of dollars in payments from Pete Buttigieg’s campaign. State records show that the Iowa Democratic party also paid Shadow Inc more than $63,000. It’s clear that the greatest threat to our democracy and electoral process is not the Russians, China, or “misinformation” online. It’s “shadowy” unaccountable tech companies who think they can subvert the electoral process. It’s Silicon Valley oligarchs who think they can force a candidate on the American people, whether they vote for him or not. Andrew Torba
https://news.gab.com/2020/02/04/meet-the-shadowy-company-behind-the-failed-iowa-caucus-app-along-with-its-connections-to-mayor-pete/
ANIMATED VIDEO OF REAL MURDER OF ISRAELIS – ON SOCIAL NETWORK POPULAR AMONG CHILDREN
video – 2 minutes
An animated video that encourages murdering Israelis by showing graphic recreated scenes of real terror attacks has appeared on TikTok – a social network popular among children, where users can create and share short videos. The video shows four lethal terror attacks that were committed against Israelis – a terrorist who rammed his car into Israelis at a Jerusalem light rail station, another who shot at Israeli police, and two stabbers. An eagle – possibly symbolizing the eagle in the emblem used by the Palestinian Authority and the PLO – flies above the carnage throughout the video, at one point moving in unison with 19-year-old Palestinian terrorist Muhannad Halabi as he stabs a religious Jew in the Old City of Jerusalem. The video carries the text “Jerusalem is the dread of the Jews,” followed by a red heart.
FMR LEBANESE MINISTER: WE SHOULD EITHER REPATRIATE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON OR DISPERSE THEM
video – 2 minutes 30 seconds [Arabic with English subtitles]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6pL4teAKBY
PALESTINIANS: AL-JAZEERA HOST JAMAL RAYYAN IN TEARS: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY WILL NOT PASS
video – 3 minutes [Arabic with English subtitles]
EUROPE SLAPS ISRAEL WITH A WET NOODLE
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/eu-chief-josep-borrell-slaps-israel-with-a-wet-noodle/
SFP: DISGUSTING DRAG ACT INVITED TO DUNBAR GRAMMAR SCHOOL
video – 10 minutes 3 seconds
The State of the Union is – Great Again
By J.E. Dyer February 5, 2020
If Democrats were in any doubt about how President Trump would handle the State of the Union address while awaiting the Senate vote on his impeachment trial tomorrow, we can assume those doubts have been laid to rest. (Video at the bottom.)
Trump didn’t face down the awkward situation. He annihilated it.
It actually seems absurd to mention the impeachment proceeding, in light of Trump’s fearless cataloguing of the accomplishments of his administration and the American people in the past three years. Whether speaking about unemployment, manufacturing, business start-ups, jobs, trade, wages and income, or getting people off welfare, he had good news to report, and at unprecedented levels.
https://libertyunyielding.com/2020/02/05/the-state-of-the-union-is-great-again/
Nancy Pelosi confused ‘tearing up’ with ‘tearing up’ at SOTU
By Ben Bowles February 5, 2020
The phrase tearing up in English means radically different things depending on the way you pronounce it. Both meanings relate to emotional states. When you tear up over something sad or moving — such as the announcement that a black fourth-grader has been awarded a scholarship by the president of the United States so that she can attend a better school — the expression means “having tears come to your eyes.” When you tear up a print-out of a State of the Union address, meaning “rending into pieces,” you are behaving defiantly and bitterly, especially when you perform your act of desecration in plain view of the president.
That’s what Speaker Nancy Pelosi did last night, explaining herself moments later by suggesting, “It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative.” She also made the deliberate decision to thumb her nose at “decades of tradition” by refusing to recite the words “I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you” in her introduction of the president. Among those who noticed was George Washington Law Professor Jonathan Turley, who tweeted:
https://libertyunyielding.com/2020/02/05/nancy-pelosi-confused-tearing-up-with-tearing-up-at-sotu/
https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/2520 Pelosi Statement on State of the Union Address February 4, 2020 Press Release
https://pelosi.house.gov/news/press-releases/pelosi-announces-state-of-the-union-guests-with-health-care-stories Feb 4, 2020 Press Release
https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1224790480044613633 (Health care is the only issue)
According to this opinion piece, Speaker Pelosi’s on-screen tantrum handed President. Trump votes. I am guessing he uses the film clip in a campaign ad about uniting the country. https://nypost.com/2020/02/04/nancy-pelosi-shamed-herself-at-trumps-state-of-the-union-address-goodwin/
Horrifying Visuals Of Pakistan’s Animal Cruelty: Thousands Of Dogs Killed
Baghdad tells military officials to minimize US reliance (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/baghdad-tells-military-officials-minimize-us-reliance-68774818
“The Iraqi government has told its military not to seek assistance from the U.S.-led coalition in operations against the Islamic State group, two senior Iraqi military officials said, in the latest tensions between Washington and Baghdad after an American strike killed a top Iranian general and Iraqi militia commander.
Officially, the Iraqi military announced Jan. 30 that it and the coalition resumed joint military operations after a three-week halt. The pause was called amid soaring tensions following the Jan. 3 U.S. airstrike ordered by President Donald Trump that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
But in practice, Iraqis are seeking to minimize coalition assistance against IS, based on government orders, two Iraqi military officials and one militia official said this week.
“After the killing of Soleimani, the Iraqi government decided to inform us formally not to cooperate and not to seek assistance from the U.S.-led international coalition in any operation,” a senior military intelligence official told The Associated Press.
The U.S.-led coalition paused its mission to fight IS in Iraq on Jan. 5 in the wake of the strike. That same day Shiite lawmakers, irate by what they called a flagrant violation of sovereignty, pushed a non-binding resolution requesting that the government cancel legal agreements that provide the basis for U.S. troop presence in the country.
Outgoing Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has stated publicly that U.S. troops must go, but has stepped back from unilaterally cancelling existing agreements, saying the matter was up to the next prime minister to decide. Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Allawi has not made his policy toward the troop presence known.
Some 5,200 U.S. soldiers are stationed in Iraqi bases to support local troops fighting IS. They are part of a larger international coalition invited by the Iraqi government in 2014.
A commander in Iraq’s elite U.S.- trained Counter-Terrorism Services in western Anbar province said some training continues, but “as for military operations and carrying out operations, there is no support.”
According to coalition spokesperson Col. Myles Caggins, no airstrikes have been conducted since the killing of Soleimani.
“The Iraqis have not requested assistance with airstrikes in recent weeks, while our operations are paused. All Coalition airstrikes have been coordinated with the Iraqi Security Forces for years,” he said.
U.S. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top American commander for the Middle East, met Tuesday with Iraqi leaders and acknowledged that joint military operations and training have been scaled back, though he said U.S. special operations forces are doing some missions with Iraqi commandos.
“We’re still in a period of turbulence. We’ve got a ways to go,” he said.”
Indonesian sentenced to life in prison in bomb plots (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/indonesian-sentenced-life-prison-bomb-plots-68774172
“An Indonesian court sentenced an Islamic State group sympathizer to life imprisonment on Wednesday after finding him guilty of plotting bomb attacks against police and Christians.
Asmar Husin, who also uses the name Abu Hamzah, was arrested last March in North Sumatra province’s Sibolga district. His indictment said the interrogation of another militant, Rinto Sugiharto, uncovered plans for several bomb attacks by a 10-member radical cell led by Husin.
It said the 10 pledged allegiance to Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and promised to carry out suicide bombings in Jakarta and Lampung, a city in southern Sumatra.
Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison sentence for Husin. Presiding Judge Kadwanto in East Jakarta District Court said there was no reason for leniency because of the defendant’s lack of remorse and his extreme ideology that could threaten religious harmony and peace.
“He is very dangerous if left out of prison,” said Kadwanto, who uses one name.
Husin’s wife detonated a bomb during a siege of their home, killing herself and their 2-year-old child. She is believed to have blown herself up hours after throwing a homemade bomb that injured an officer as police tried to search the house.
In separate trials, a panel of three judges at the same court sentenced the nine co-conspirators, including Rinto Sugiharto, to prison terms ranging from six to 20 years.
The defendants refused to appeal or accept the verdict, saying they only believe in Islamic law…”
Indonesian acquitted of blasphemy for taking dog into mosque (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/indonesian-acquitted-blasphemy-taking-dog-mosque-68771122
“An Indonesian woman who doctors say should receive psychiatric treatment was acquitted Wednesday of blasphemy charges for taking a dog into a mosque.
Suzethe Margareth was released after a panel of three judges at Cibinong District Court in West Java province absolved her of the charges because of her mental health.
“The defendant cannot be convicted because of her inability to take responsibility as she has psychiatric disorders,” presiding judge Indra Meinantha Vidi said in the ruling, “What she has done was part of her mental illness.”
Many Muslims consider dogs to be impure.
A video that circulated online in Muslim-majority Indonesia last July shows a dog running around a mosque in the West Java district of Bogor while a visibly upset Margareth argues with shocked worshipers.
Angered conservative Muslims pressured police to bring the case to court.
Blasphemy is a criminal offense in Indonesia with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Rights groups have long called for abolishment of the law, which is used to persecute Christians and other religious minorities.
Amnesty International said the case was “unfortunate and absurd.”
“The state’s priority should be her well being. Her actions may have felt insensitive, but these issues can be resolved peacefully, it is not a matter for the courts,” said the group’s executive director in Indonesia, Usman Hamid.
The dog, which was chased out of the mosque, died a day later when it was hit by a car as members of an animal welfare group tried to capture it.
In 2018, a court in Sumatra sentenced a woman who complained about the volume of a mosque’s loudspeakers to 18 months in prison for blasphemy. She was released on parole in May.
Mobs burned and ransacked at least 14 Buddhist temples in Tanjung Balai, a port town on Sumatra, in a July 2016 riot following reports of the woman’s comments.”
US backs Cyprus amid tensions with Turkey over gas drilling (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-backs-cyprus-amid-tensions-turkey-gas-drilling-68771087
“The U.S. backs energy-based partnerships in the eastern Mediterranean that bolster political cooperation and prosperity and is urging against “provocative actions” that undermine stability, a government official said Wednesday.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Francis Fannon said his government supports Cyprus’ right to develop its energy resources and for proceeds to be divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriots as part of a deal reunifying the ethnically divided island nation.
The remarks come amid tensions over Turkey’s more aggressive push to search for natural gas search in waters were Cyprus has exclusive economic rights.
“We urge all parties to not take any provocative actions that could create further any instability. And we’re steadfast on that,” Fannon said ahead of a gathering of Israeli, Greek and Cypriot experts discussing ways to boost safety and security in offshore gas drilling.
Fannon said Cyprus has an “incredibly important role” to play in developing energy supplies in the eastern Mediterranean that officials say could help lessen Europe’s dependence on Russian gas.
Greece, Cyprus and Israel signed last month an agreement to move ahead with construction of an undersea pipeline to deliver gas to European markets.
“Energy really is that catalyst for cooperation, so the United States is committed to it at the highest levels,” said Fannon.
Turkey has dispatched warship-escorted drill ships and research vessels inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, including in areas where energy companies Eni of Italy and France’s Total are licensed to carry out exploratory drilling.
Cyprus has also licensed ExxonMobil and partner Qatar Petroleum to drill inside its economic zone.
Turkey, which doesn’t recognize Cyprus as a state, insists it’s acting to protect its rights and those of Turkish Cypriots to the area’s energy reserves and has offered to share proceeds if it discovers any gas.
Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot breakaway state that was declared after a 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus that was triggered by a coup aiming at union with Greece.
Cyprus Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis accused Turkey of acting as a “spoiler” in regional energy cooperation by violating international law and Cypriot sovereign rights.
The Cypriot government says Turkish Cypriot rights to the country’s potential hydrocarbon’s wealth is ensured through a newly-established fund as well as agreements reached in peace talks.”
Afghan media outlets protest curtailed access to information (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-media-outlets-protest-curtailed-access-information-68770451
“An Afghan media watchdog urged the government on Wednesday to heed a demand for more media freedoms after 30 local media outlets said in a joint statement that authorities were increasingly curtailing their access to information.
Sayed Ikram Afzali, the head of Integrity Watch Afghanistan, said there is a good law in place guaranteeing the media’s ability to work and access information but that the government has failed to provide enough funding and institutional support to implement the law.
The joint media statement, unveiled at a protest rally in Kabul on Tuesday, comes against the backdrop of relentless violence across the country. Afghan forces, backed by U.S. allies, continue to fight the Taliban, who today control or hold sway over nearly half of Afghanistan.
The Taliban stage near-daily attacks targeting government forces and officials, as well as those seen loyal to the government, and scores of civilians get killed in the crossfire, as well as in anti-Taliban operations by the Afghan forces. The U.N. has called for all sides in the protracted conflict to take better care to avoid civilian casualties…”
“Be careful what you say, John Kerry…”
Citizen Free Press – February 5, 2020
https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/be-careful-what-you-say-john-kerry/
“John Kerry on a former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin: I was deeply involved in this, all of us in the administration, were trying to get rid of that prosecutor: from Obama, to the Secretary of State, to the Vice President. All of us were working on that.”
Wojciech Pawelczyk – February 4, 2020 – Twitter
https://twitter.com/PolishPatriotTM/status/1224792517335572485
“GOP Investigation: Thousands Of Obama Admin Docs Under Review Regarding Ukraine White House Meetings”
by Pamela Geller – February 5, 2020
https://gellerreport.com/2020/02/obama-ukraine.html/
“Trump I caught the swamp”
mungo9000 – November 9, 2019
“Trump – Nessun Dorma, from Puccini’s Turandot – Luciano Pavarotti” Mary Van Deusen FanVids – February 4, 2020
turkish radio & television – TRT – Slovenia opens its first mosque after 50 years of hurdles
The first mosque in Slovenia has finally been opened in the capital, Ljubljana, after 50 years of overcoming financial obstacles and fighting back against right-wing opposition parties.
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3871594
Interesting
Iran: Tehran hospital opens quarantine ward to fight coronavirus
Shohadaye Yaftabad hospital in Tehran was selected to host quarantined patients suspected to have contracted the deadly novel coronavirus, as footage released on Wednesday shows.
Footage shows medical staff wearing their protective suits as they prepared to treat two suspected cases inside the isolation ward, which is located at the far end of the building and remains isolated from other areas.
Only two suspected cases are currently monitored at the medical centre, where several tests are carried out to detect the virus, according to a specialist.
However, no treatment for the disease has been found so far.
“There are no ultimate medications or treatments for this disease, just support treatments like breathing treatment, electrolyte water and checking patients’ fever,” explained Forugh Amiri Nezhad, Deputy of Treatment at Shohadaye Yaftabad Hospital.
Since its outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, the novel coronavirus has killed 493 people, with more than 24,000 people infected in China alone and 24,536 worldwide. No cases were yet confirmed in Iran.
Iran: Thousands of students brand themselves “Generation of Soleimani”
Houthi Militia Have Taken Down Saudi-Led Coalition Spy Drone in Country’s West – Yemeni Media (sputniknews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202002051078238483-Houthi-Militia-Have-Taken-Down-Saudi-Led-Coalition-Spy-Drone-in-Countrys-West-Yemeni-Media/
“On Tuesday, Houthi-led forces reportedly launch a missile attack on a military attack used by Saudi-backed forces in central Yemen, damaging ammunition storage facilities.
Houthi militias forces supported by local Popular Committees militias brought down a Saudi-led coalition UAV over the western coastal province of al-Hudaydah, Al-Masirah, a TV channel affiliated with the militia group, has reported, citing a military source.
The drone was reportedly shot down in the airspace above the mountainous area in the district of al-Tahita, some 230 km west of the capital of Sana’a, on Wednesday afternoon.
No further details were made available about the incident, and the Saudi-led coalition to has yet to comment on the veracity of the report…”
Migrants Protest Greek Govt and Clash with Police After Tightening of Migration Rules (breitbart, Feb 5, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/05/migrants-protest-greek-govt-clash-police-tightening-migration-rules/
“Around 2,000 migrants took to the streets on the Greek island of Lesbos, with some clashing with police, to protest the Greek government’s tougher migration policy.
The migrants, who are currently being housed at the Moria migrant camp, left the camp and travelled to the city of Mytilene. They rejected orders from the local police, claiming to be afraid they were going to be deported under the new migration policy.
The situation deteriorated after the migrants refused to follow police orders and led to officers deploying tear gas against the protesting asylum seekers, Belgian broadcaster RTBF reports.
Video footage captured by broadcaster Voice of America shows Greek police dispersing the migrants with tear gas as some attempt to throw the gas canisters back at the officers.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the restrictions on illegal migration in November; his centre-right government had come to power last July.
“We will permanently shut the door to illegal human traffickers, to those who want to enter although they are not entitled to asylum,” Mitsotakis said.
Among the new measures are plans to shut down camps like Moria on Lesbos due to massive overcrowding and replace the camps with new migrant centres as well as transfer around 20,000 migrants to the Greek mainland.
In total, around 32,000 migrants were said to live in camps on islands like Lesbos and Samos as of November of last year, despite the camps on the islands having the capacity for just 6,200.
Many charities and NGOs have also slammed the conditions in the camps which have led to riots and several deaths in recent years.
Greece Prepares for 100,000 Illegal Migrants in 2020 https://t.co/re3IDDcppc
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 20, 2019
The more restrictive migrant policy comes as Greece expects a new surge in new arrivals this year. In December, Manos Logothetis, the government commissioner for the initial reception of refugees, predicted that the country could see as many as 100,000 new migrants in 2020.”
EU focuses on Balkans for enlargement after Brexit (abcnews, Feb 5, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/eu-sets-criteria-enlargement-post-brexit-68771322
“Down one country with the departure of Britain, the European Union’s executive proposed a new system for adding members in a move made all the more urgent by French objections to open enlargement talks with two Western Balkan nations.
The European Commission hopes the streamlined rules will avoid further delaying the start of accession negotiations when aspiring members to what is now the 27-country bloc have met the conditions for such talks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday the proposal was a “good message” to North Macedonia and Albania, who were both desperately disappointed when their hopes for the swift commencement of accession negotiations were rebuffed in October.
And perhaps crucially, France acknowledged that the proposal was good, “a significant change, a big step in the right direction.”
“This is a major element that allows positions to move — not only France’s position,” said a top official at the French presidency, who asked not to be identified in accordance with Elysee customary practices.
The EU is hoping that a breakthrough for Albania and North Macedonia can be found in March. The bloc also has a major Western Balkans summit planned for May.
There are worries that if the EU doesn’t open its arms, then several countries in the strategically important Balkan region could pivot instead to Russia and China. For a bloc that’s just lost the diplomatic and geopolitical clout of Britain, that could be a hard pill to swallow.
“EU enlargement is a WIN-WIN situation,” von der Leyen said in a tweet.
Enlargement is especially contentious in some capitals in the EU over such issues as corruption and the rule of law.
North Macedonia and Albania were left aghast when their hopes of starting accession talks late last year were dashed, with France insistent that the enlargement process was revamped first.
Both aspirants voiced their initial satisfaction at the developments.
“This renewed approach will result in a double victory in the coming weeks: opening negotiations together in an advanced process,” North Macedonia foreign minister Nikola Dimitrov said in a written statement.
And Albania’s acting Foreign Minister Gent Cakaj said the expectation is that membership negotiations would commence this year and that the country would continue its “reforms and the fundamental transformation in line with the new methodology.”
He added that the EU has its sights on the “ stability, development and democratization of the Western Balkans in general.”
The EU hasn’t added a member state since Croatia joined in 2013. It started out with six nations in 1958 and lost its first member state when Britain pulled out last weekend.
Over the past dozen years, as first the financial and then the migration crisis hit the continent, the appetite for taking in new, poorer nations has dwindled.”
Animated video of real murder of Israelis – on social network popular among children
OT/ I’ll be a bit scarce for the next few days.
Gotta clear the deck.
Organizing as much “work-at-home” as possible. Things get too germy, I’m outta there.