Reader’s Links for February 7, 2020

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Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

106 Replies to “Reader’s Links for February 7, 2020”

  1. Last sunday, a woman stabbed 2 acquaintances (former foster family and a neighbor of a friend) and 2 random people in Gent, Belgium. She then tried to commit suicide by cop, and was shot in the hand:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG6efIAWabw

    She says human sacrifice was necessary, so her biological parents would go to heaven. Psychological evaluation is pending. Articles (in dutch):
    https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20200207_04838833
    https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20200202_04831581

  5. the gateway pundit – Pelosi Demands Facebook and Twitter Take Down Video Meme Tweeted by Trump of Her Tearing Up State of the Union Speech

    […]The five minute, twelve second long video is currently pinned to the top of Trump’s Twitter page and has over 3.5 million views. TPUSA posted the video to its Freedom Fights TV page on Facebook Wednesday where it has over 1.2 million views.

    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1225553117929988097

  7. Khan’s London: Gang Rape Trio Held Machete to Schoolgirl Victim’s Throat (breitbart, Feb 7, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/07/khans-london-trio-convicted-gang-rape-holding-machete-schoolgirls-throa/

    “Three men have been convicted for the brutal gang rape of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Enfield, London.

    22-year-old Roberto French (26/11/1997), of Gordon Road, 21-year-old Abdisalam Mohamad (24/06/1998), of College Gardens, and 22-year-old Hilal Mohamed (02/02/1998), of Warwick Road, were all convicted of rape at Wood Green Crown Court, with French also receiving convictions for robbery and false imprisonment.

    After travelling to the British capital from Bristol in August 2016, the victim found herself with machete being held to her throat while French robbed her in the presence of the two Abdisalam and Hilal Mohamad, according to an official Metropolitan Police report.

    The schoolgirl was then imprisoned in a residential tower block in Enfield and orally raped by each of the men.

    Incredibly, French was arrested for his crimes as long ago as August 15th 2016, and the Mohamads on May 26th 2017 February 12th 2018, but their trial has only now reached its conclusion.

    They have still not been sentenced, with another hearing set to decide their punishments in March.

    “Roberto French, Abdisalam Mohamad and Hilal Mohamed put this young schoolgirl through a horrific ordeal. She was threatened with a machete, held against her will and raped multiple times,” commented Detective Sergeant Charlotte Carter for the Metropolitan Police Force’s North Area Safeguarding Team

    “The victim and her family have shown tremendous strength and patience in supporting a prosecution, I would like to commend their courage, particularly in facing the defendants in court. It is due to their strength that three dangerous individuals have been convicted.

    “I am hopeful that sentencing will reflect the severity of these offences and the trauma suffered by the victim,” she added — perhaps more in hope than expectation, given the reluctance of many British judges to impose genuinely punitive sentences on such criminals.”

  8. Islamic Convert to Be Tried for Preparing Attack on French Air Base (breitbart, Feb 7, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/07/islamic-convert-tried-preparing-attack-french-air-base/

    “Arrested in 2017, Islamic radical convert Alain Feuillerat is set to be tried in a French court for preparing a terrorist attack on an airbase in Évreux.

    Feuillerat, a former soldier in the French army, was arrested in May 2017 in the proximity of the airbase while wearing a uniform emblazoned with the Islamic State flag and near several weapons, including a pump-action shotgun, which he had abandoned nearby.

    Investigators also discovered more Islamic State flags, a Quran, and a portable USB thumb drive detailing his declaration of allegiance to the terror group in his vehicle.

    Feuillerat had also sent letters to French media before he attempted his attack — which only got as far as cutting the outer fence of the airbase — in which he claimed responsibly for the planned assault, France info reports.

    “My name is Alain Feuillerat, Muslim soldier defending my homeland: the Islamic State. It is I who is prepared, with the help of Allah, to attack against the air military base (BA 105) of Évreux Fauville,” he wrote.

    Currently seen as having an unstable mental disposition, Feuillerat had previously been a decorated soldier, deployed overseas to Lebanon and the Ivory Coast. But after the death of a comrade in 2011, he left the army, converted initially to Catholicism and then to Islam in 2013.

    Following his conversion to Islam, many relatives, neighbours, and others had raised concerns over his proselytism and he eventually ended up on the French terror watchlist known as the S-File in 2014. If found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of up to ten years.

    The process comes less than a year after another Islamic convert, 45-year-old Michael Harpon, stabbed several people to death, including police officers, at the police headquarters in Paris where he worked as an IT specialist.

    A year earlier in London, another Islamic convert pleaded guilty to planning a massacre outside a Disney shop in London’s most famous shopping district.”

  9. Female Genital Mutilation Rising in Germany Because of Mass Migration Says German Doctor (breitbart, Feb 7, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/02/07/female-genital-mutilation-rising-in-germany-because-of-mass-migration-says-german-doctor/

    “Over 70,000 women in Germany have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), and a further 17,000 young girls are at risk of having the barbaric procedure being committed against them.

    A German doctor, Cornelia Strunz, who works at the Desert Flower Center said that the number of cases of FGM in Germany is rising due to increased migration from Islamic African and Asian countries, dubbed the ‘FGM Zone’ where the practice is widespread.

    She advised women and girls who have undergone the procedure to have another surgery to reverse the damage caused by FGM.

    “Many women have problems emptying their bladder after FGM. Menstrual blood can’t drain properly. For some, sex becomes practically impossible. Women can also develop fistulas — connections between two body parts which should not exist at all in normal circumstances. One example would be a link between the vagina and rectum, leading to them passing stools through the vagina. Obviously, that’s not very easy to live with”, Dr Strunz told Deutsche Welle.

    Female genital mutilation is illegal in Germany, leading many families to travel to their country of origin to have the gruesome ritual performed on their daughters.

    Shadia Abdelmoneim, a Sudanese woman living in Germany, had her genitals cut by her midwife while she was under anaesthetic, after the birth of her third child.

    “I wanted to go to the toilet, but something wasn’t right. I couldn’t walk and was in considerable pain. When I saw what she had done, I was shocked. She’d cut everything open and then sewn it closed. I had no idea what to do”, Shadia told DW.

    She told the German paper that the trauma led to a constant state of fear, for herself and for her three young daughters.

    “How could women do something like that to one another, how? Being circumcised is like living in a dead body”, she said mournfully.

    In response to the rising epidemic, Berlin is establishing its first anti-FGM centre, however, activists have called for more action including information campaigns that target the families of at-risk children.

    “Many teachers and school staff aren’t well informed and don’t recognize the warning signs that a girl’s at risk of FGM. Sometimes, they also struggle to approach the issue in a sensitive manner”, said Charlotte Weil of the Terre des Femmes women’s rights charity, but warned that “a thousand-year-old tradition cannot be abolished in a couple of years.””

  10. the gateway pundit – Breaking: Vindman Escorted Off White House Grounds Friday Afternoon, Dismissed From NSC

    Army Lt. Col Alexander Vindman was escorted off the White House grounds and dismissed from the National Security Council Friday afternoon, according to reports.

    […]Vindman reportedly left with his twin brother, Army Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, who serves as a lawyer on the NSC amid speculation that both were being removed., CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported, “I’m told Vindman walked out with his brother, who is an attorney for the NSC. It’s unclear if he was also fired but that was the expectation.”

    […]NBC’s Peter Alexander posted a copy of a statement by Vindman’s lawyer, “LTC Vindman escorted from WH, per his lawyer David Pressman: “He followed orders, he obeyed his oath, and he served his country… And for that, the most powerful man in the world – buoyed by the silent, the pliable, and the complicit – has decided to exact revenge.”

    Today, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House where he has dutifully served his country and his President. He does so having spoken publicly once, and only pursuant to a subpoena from the United States Congress.

    There is no question in the mind of any American why this man’s job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House. LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth. His honor, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful.

    During his decades of service to this country, LTC Alexander Vindman has served quietly but dutifully, and he has served with honor. He came into the public eye only when subpoenaed to testify before Congress, and he did what the law demanded.In recent months, many entrusted with power in our political system have cowered out of fear. And, yet, a handful of men and women, not endowed with prestige or power, but equipped only with a sense of right borne out of years of quiet service to their country made different choices.

    They courageously chose to honor their duty with integrity, to trust the truth, and to put their faith in country ahead of fear. And they have paid a price.The truth has cost LTC Alexander Vindman his job, his career, and his privacy.

    He did what any member of our military is charged with doing every day: he followed orders, he obeyed his oath, and he served his country, even when doing so was fraught with danger and personal peril. And for that, the most powerful man in the world – buoyed by the silent, the pliable, and the complicit – has decided to exact revenge.

    LTC Alexander Vindman leaves the White House today. But we must not accept the departure of truth, duty, and loyalty that he represents. In this country right matters, and so does truth. Truth is not partisan. If we allow truthful voices to be silenced, if we ignore their warnings, eventually there will be no one left to warn us.

    Vindman’s detail to the NSC was scheduled to end this July and he was slated to then attend the Army War College according to a previous statement by his attorney.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/02/breaking-vindman-escorted-off-white-house-grounds-friday-afternoon-dismissed-from-nsc/

    • the gateway pundit – BREAKING: President Trump is on a Roll! – Fires EU Amb. Gordon Sondland

      President Trump is on a roll!

      Trump on Friday fired EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland shortly after Lt. Col Alex Vindman and his twin were fired and escorted off the White House grounds.

      “I was advised today that the president intends to recall me effective immediately as United States Ambassador to the European Union,” Sondland said in a statement.

      Recall, Gordon Sondland testified in the House impeachment hearings against President Trump.

      Sondland‘s testimony was revised after his ‘memory was refreshed’ from reading other testimony to reflect what he described as a ‘quid pro quo message’ delivered to Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

      The Democrats harassed Sondland in October during his closed-door interview and accused him of being an agent of shadow foreign policy on Ukraine, and so he changed his story.

      “I said that resumption of the U.S. aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks,” Sondland said in the document.

      Sondland said in his new testimony that he believed that withholding a $391 million aid package from Ukraine was “ill-advised” but admitted that he didn’t know “when, why or by whom the aid was suspended.”

      “I presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anticorruption statement,” Sondland said

      So Sondland PRESUMED the aid suspension was linked to Trump’s discussion with Zelensky about the Biden crime family.

      Good riddance! Trump is on a roll and he’s cleaning house!

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/02/breaking-president-trump-is-on-a-roll-fires-eu-amb-gordon-sondland/
      ==============================================
      NYT – Trump Fires Gordon Sondland Hours After Dismissing Impeachment Witness Alexander Vindman

      Emboldened by his victory and determined to strike back, the president fired Mr. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, after the White House earlier on Friday dismissed Colonel Vindman.

      https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/us/politics/alexander-vindman-gordon-sondland-fired.html

  11. (Richard: Yes the war has been over for over 70 years and it is unlikely that anyone in Japan was a soldier in WWII but this is a portion of history that shouldn’t be forgotten.)

    Footage of Korean women sexually enslaved by Japanese soldiers in WWII revealed for the first time

  12. Vindman Escorted From White House After Trump’s Senate Acquittal

    (Bloomberg) — Alexander Vindman, who testified in Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry, was escorted out of the White House on Friday, two days after the president’s acquittal in his Senate trial.

    “Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth,” said his lawyer, David Pressman. “His honor, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful.”

    The ouster of Vindman, who worked on the National Security Council, came after the Senate acquitted Trump of two articles of impeachment in a near party-line vote.

    The White House was preparing to portray the move as part of a broader downsizing of the NSC staff, not retaliation, according to the people. NSC spokesman John Ullyot said he couldn’t comment on personnel matters.

    Asked Friday whether he wanted Vindman to leave, Trump said: “Well, I’m not happy with him.”

    Brother Dismissed

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-house-weighs-ouster-aide-031328567.html

  15. Carlos Larmond, the Ottawa terror twin jailed in 2016 for trying to leave the country to fight for the Islamic State, and later accused of trying to radicalize other inmates, has been released from prison and is living quietly at a halfway house in Calgary.
    Larmond, who is now 29, was such a security threat on the inside that he was transferred to the Special Handling Unit (SHU), the country’s super-maximum prison in Quebec, parole board documents reveal. The SHU has caged the most heinous criminals, including Clifford Olson, Karla Homolka, Luka Magnotta and Maurice “Mom” Boucher.
    Larmond, along with his twin brother Ashton, were part of a homegrown Ottawa terror cluster, which saw at least two men allegedly die overseas fighting for the Islamic State, and multiple others arrested.

    https://archive.is/HrRdL#selection-2119.0-2127.204

  16. leaked real data on Wuhan virus deaths
    Tencent briefly lists 154,023 infections and 24,589 deaths from Wuhan coronavirus
    2571898
    By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
    2020/02/05 18:59
    Left to right are “nationally confirmed cases,” “suspected cases,” “cured,” and “deaths.” (Internet photo)

    Left to right are “nationally confirmed cases,” “suspected cases,” “cured,” and “deaths.” (Internet photo)

    TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As many experts question the veracity of China’s statistics for the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Tencent over the weekend appeared to inadvertently release what is potentially the actual number of infections and deaths — which are far higher than official figures, but eerily in line with predictions from a respected scientific journal.

    As early as Jan. 26, netizens were reporting that Tencent, on its webpage titled “Epidemic Situation Tracker,” briefly showed data on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China that was much higher than official estimates, before suddenly switching to lower numbers. Hiroki Lo, a 38-year-old Taiwanese beverage store owner, that day reported that Tencent and NetEase were both posting “unmodified statistics,” before switching to official numbers in short order.

    Lo told Taiwan News than on Jan. 26 he checked the numbers on both Tencent and NetEase and found them “really scary.” He said he did not know whether the numbers were real or not, but did not have much time to think about it as he had a busy day of work ahead at his store.

    https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3871594

    Note: I believe this is the source Brad Johnson was quoting in his interview yesterday

  19. Nearly 550 Killed in Iraq Protest Violence, Says Rights Commission
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2120351/nearly-550-killed-iraq-protest-violence-says-rights-commission

    “Nearly 550 Iraqis have been killed in protest-related violence since unprecedented anti-government demonstrations erupted in the capital and southern cities in October, the Iraqi Human Rights Commission said on Friday.

    Iraq’s health ministry confirmed the first protester shot dead on October 1 but clammed up thereafter. The Commission has since repeatedly complained that authorities declined its requests for information on deaths, injuries and arrests.

    The Commission, which is government-funded but operates independently, became the only source for death tolls until it too faced pressure last year to stop reporting.

    It has resumed its public reporting and on Friday shared its latest statistics with AFP, showing that 543 people have been killed since October, including 276 in Baghdad alone.

    Seventeen members of the security forces are among the dead nationwide, according to the updated list. The remaining are all protesters or activists, including 22 who were assassinated.

    Up to 30,000 more have been wounded during the rallies, according to medical sources.

    Iraq’s security forces have used live ammunition, tear gas, smoke bombs and even machine gun fire to try to disperse rallies in the capital and Shiite-majority south.

    The Commission found that many of the wounded or killed were shot by live rounds, but Iraq’s government has repeatedly denied its security forces are shooting at the protesters.

    Others have died when military-grade tear gas canisters have pierced their skulls or chests, after security forces improperly fired such equipment.

    The Commission did not lay blame on any particular side but protesters themselves have singled out armed factions and the military wings of political parties, alongside the security forces.

    The United Nations, for its part, has accused unnamed “militias” for a vast campaign of assassinations, kidnappings and threats.

    The Commission has documented more than 2,700 arrests, with 328 people still detained. Another 72 Iraqis are categorized as disappeared.”

  21. Greek Police Arrest 7 over Attacks Against Migrants
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2120146/greek-police-arrest-7-over-attacks-against-migrants

    “Greek police arrested seven people while still searching for another two on suspicion of planning or carrying out attacks on migrants on the island of Lesbos, authorities said Friday.

    Police said five Greeks and two foreigners between the ages of 17 and 24 were arrested Thursday night outside the Moria migrant camp.

    The camp which Moria’s largest, has more than 19,400 asylum-seekers living in and around it.

    The camp was originally designed to hold just over 2,800 people.

    Authorities confiscated several homemade wooden bats, a metal rod and a full-face hood. Two minors, one Greek and one foreigner, were being sought as additional suspected participants.

    The massive overcrowding and dire conditions have led to increasing tension on the island, both among locals and the camp’s residents, and asylum-seekers have staged demonstrations to demand transfers to mainland Greece.

    Island residents have held protests and a strike to press the same demand for the removal of migrants, the Associated Press reported.

    Under a 2016 deal between the EU and Turkey, refugees and migrants who arrive on Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast are held there pending deportation back to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece.”

  22. Vindmans Fired: Anti-Trump Impeachment Witness, Brother Escorted Out Of The White House
    Profile picture for user Tyler Durden
    by Tyler Durden
    Fri, 02/07/2020 – 15:58
    62
    SHARES

    Anti-Trump impeachment witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and his twin brother have been fired and escorted out of the White House by security, according to his Alexander Vindman’s attorney.

    Vindman, a Ukraine specialist who sat on the National Security Counsel who was accused of being coached by House Intel Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), was present on a July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, when the US president asked that Ukraine investigate former VP Joe Biden and his son Hunter, as well as claims of pro-Clinton meddling in the 2016 US election.

    He was also notably counseling Ukraine on how to counter President Trump’s foreign policy according to the New York Times, which led some to go as far as accuse him of being a double agent.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/vindman-fired-anti-trump-impeachment-witness-escorted-out-white-house

  23. Gunmen kill senior Shia militiaman in Basra
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200207-gunmen-kill-senior-shia-militiaman-in-basra/

    “Unidentified gunmen assassinated a senior officer with Saraya As-Salam militia — the “Peace Corps” — of Shia cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Thursday, Anadolu has reported. Hazem Al-Halfi was shot by gunmen who were travelling in a speeding car at the time; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

    A local police officer said that the attackers fled immediately. The Iraqi security forces are investigating the attack…”

  24. The number of Muslims in Canada is predicted to triple over the next 20 years, sparking a debate among moderate Muslim-Canadians about whether the country is ready to deal with the community’s more extremist members.

    The current number of Muslims — 940,000 — comprises 2.8% of the Canadian population. A

    recent report from the Washington-based Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
    said they will increase both in number and proportion of the country — 2.7 million, or 6.6% of the Canadian population, by 2030. By comparison, Muslims are expected to make up 1.7% of the U.S. population by that time.

    The vast majority of Muslims coming to Canada want the same things every immigrant wants, said Tarek Fatah, a commentator on Muslim affairs and founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress. They are looking for economic security, better education and freedom from oppression.

    https://nationalpost.com/holy-post/number-of-muslims-in-canada-predicted-to-triple-over-next-20-years-study

  25. Saudi Arabia to abolish sponsorship system for migrant workers
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200207-saudi-arabia-to-abolish-sponsorship-system-for-migrant-workers/

    “Saudi Arabia is set to abolish its employment sponsorship — Kafala – system following years of controversy over migrant workers’ rights, according to a report in the Saudi Gazette citing anonymous sources.

    The decades-old system, which has been used for hiring overseas workers, primarily from the Indian subcontinent and south-east Asia, and allows Saudi employers to have responsibility for them during their stay in the Kingdom, has long been criticised worldwide for its frequent descent into abuse of the workers.

    Under the current structure of the system created in the 1950s, the workers are tied to their employers and sponsors, who have the power to grant or forbid their entry and exit into and from the country. In short, the employers control the workers’ visas and legal status. Due to the extent of this control, it has been likened to a modern form of slavery. The system is used not only in the Kingdom, but also in other Gulf States.

    The workers are employed primarily in construction and domestic work. It is reported that they suffer significant amounts of prejudice and abuse. They complain regularly about underpayment or no pay at all as well as physical assaults. One Filipino worker was found dead in a freezer in Kuwait two years ago.

    Under the reported move to abolish the system, expatriate workers would have the freedom to enter and exit the country, have their passport stamped without permission from the sponsor, and would be able to be employed without prior state approval.

    If the move goes ahead, it would be the latest and one of the most significant of the social reforms in the Kingdom which are part of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s efforts to reduce its dependence on oil revenues under the Vision 2030 initiative.

    The abolition of the Kafala system has been debated across the Gulf States. Qatar, for example, has reformed some aspects of it to allow most foreign workers to be able to leave the country without permission from their employers. There were also rumours back in 2017 that Saudi Arabia planned to abolish the system, but they were denied by the authorities.”

  26. Libya: Haftar forces target Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200207-libya-haftar-forces-target-tripolis-mitiga-airport/

    “Militias loyal to renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar targeted the only international airport in the country’s capital Tripoli on Friday, Anadolu reports.

    In a statement, the Government of National Accord (GNA) said Mitiga Airport — open to civilian use — was hit by missiles. It was temporarily closed for a short time immediately after the attack, but has now resumed flights.

    The airport had only recently reopened after flights had been suspended when Haftar declared Tripoli and surrounding areas a “no-fly zone,” threatening to down any aircraft.

    Since early April, forces loyal to Haftar have been launching a campaign to capture Tripoli from forces of the GNA, Libya’s UN-recognized government…”

  27. Egypt govt ‘on high alert’ to combat overpopulation as population nears 100 million
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/363081/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-govt-%E2%80%98on-high-alert%E2%80%99-to-combat-overpopulatio.aspx

    “Egypt is on “high alert” to combat population growth, the cabinet has said, as the country looks like it will pass the 100 million-population mark this week.

    Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting on Friday with a number of ministers to follow up with family planning efforts nationwide, describing overpopulation as the “biggest challenge” facing the state, according to a cabinet statement released on Friday.

    Madbouly said the government will launch a new programme to control population growth and family planning, urging relevant ministers to prepare a comprehensive working paper on the issue.

    He said the state is currently undertaking a number of related measures on subsidies, limiting them to two children per family for newborns, whether through subsidies or the Takaful and Karama cash transfer programmes.

    The country’s population reached approximately 99,945,000 at 10am on Saturday, according to official figures.

    That number excludes Egyptians abroad, estimated at over 9 million people.

    Since 2017, Egyptian officials have described the country’s rapid population growth as a “catastrophe” that threatens national development plans and demands immediate attention, just like the country’s war against terrorism.

    President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly said that the current rate of population growth poses a threat to the nation and restricts Egypt’s progress.

    Last year, Egypt launched a two-year initiative called “Two Is Enough,” to encourage people to have fewer children.

    The social solidarity is providing EGP 75 million in funding and the UN EGP 10 million.”

  28. Morocco’s BCIJ Dismantles Drug Trafficking Network
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/02/293158/moroccos-bcij-dismantles-drug-trafficking-network/

    “Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) dismantled a four-member drug trafficking network on Friday in Tangier, indicated a statement from the counterterrorism office.

    During the operation, BCIJ agents seized 2,400 kilograms of cannabis resin. The network was planning to smuggle the drugs abroad through marine routes, the statement noted.

    The same network is also said to have been active in human trafficking and irregular migration.

    The network smuggled migrants from the northern coasts of Morocco to southern Spain, the press release added.

    The BCIJ announced that its staff seized several equipment used in drug trafficking and irregular migration attempts, including paddles, boat engines, three fuel-filled drums, five air pumps, and six inflatable boats.

    The BCIJ personnel put the suspects, including the mastermind of the network, in custody for further investigation to determine their possible links to other international networks and arrest further accomplies.

    Morocco’s security services aborted 73,973 irregular migration attempts in 2019 as part of the country’s efforts to combat the global issue.

    Security personnel also dismantled 208 human trafficking networks, a source from the Ministry of Interior has said.”

  30. Ex-TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan escaped during anti-terror operation: sources
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2152345/1-ehsanullah-ehsan-escaped-anti-terror-operation-sources/

    “A former spokesman for an umbrella of terrorist groups responsible for much of the deadly violence in Pakistan has escaped from the custody of security forces, The Express Tribune learnt on Friday, a day after a purported audio clip of him set social media abuzz with speculation.

    Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesperson for the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group, escaped during an operation against terrorists being conducted on the basis of information gleaned from him, according to sources.

    Ehsanullah, who became the spokesperson for the breakaway Jamaatul Ahrar faction after the TTP split, had voluntarily turned himself in to the intelligence agencies on Feb 5, 2017 – and remained in custody even since.
    However, he had started sharing sensitive information with the security forces much before his surrender, the sources said.

    More than two months after his surrender, Ehsanullah recorded a confessional statement on April 26, 2017 in which he had unmasked his handlers and facilitators. He had also condemned terrorist acts and the extremist ideology he once espoused.

    “The so-called jihadis have misled people in the name of Islam, especially the youth,” he had said in the scathing confessional statement. “The crimes such as bombing public places and attacking schools and universities traduce Islamic teachings.”

    The ex-TTP spokesperson had shared extremely sensitive and important information while in custody, which led the security forces to smash the local and international networks of the TTP and Jamaatul Ahrar, the sources said. Several terrorists from the outlawed groups were arrested based on his leads.

    Ehsanullah would have to be brought to justice, but first it was necessary to extract information from him to take the anti-terrorism operations to a logical conclusion. “Some operations are still under way based on the information shared by Ehsanullah,” the sources said.

    Ehsanullah escaped during one such operation against terrorists. However, the sources added that all terrorists and extremists – including Ehsanullah – would be taken to task.

    The development came a day after netizens set off a storm of speculation about a purported audio clip of Ehsanullah initially posted on Facebook and then shared on other social networking sites in which he claims to have escaped.

    In the clip, the man, who introduces himself as Ehsanullah Ehsan, says he had surrendered to the security forces under “an agreement”. He further claims that he had “honoured the agreement for three years”, but the Pakistani authorities violated it and kept him and his children in prison.

    The authenticity of the clip has yet to be verified, though the voice appears to be similar to that of Ehsanullah’s. He goes on to add that he would release a detailed statement later in which he would reveal details of the agreement.

    There has been no official word on the audio clip or the alleged escape of Ehsanullah.

    Ehsanullah was the spokesperson for the Jamaatul Ahrar faction when the Mullah Fazlullah-led TTP had carried out the most sickening rampage at the Army Public School in Peshawar in Dec 2014 massacring nearly 150 pupils and staff.

    However, Ehsanullah had claimed credit for countless terrorist attacks on behalf of the TTP and Jamaatul Ahrar – among them the Wagah border bombing of 2014; the suicide attack on Christian community members celebrating Easter at a Lahore park in 2016; the killing of nine foreign tourists in Gilgit-Baltistan in 2013; and the shooting of girl education campaigner Malala Yousafzai in 2012.”

  31. Mysterious death of key Pakistani Taliban leaders in Kabul raises questions
    https://www.khaama.com/mysterious-death-of-key-pakistani-taliban-leaders-in-kabul-raises-questions-768689/

    “Two Pakistani Taliban leaders have recently been killed mysteriously in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) confirmed late Thursday night.

    Sheikh Khalid Haqqani, the former deputy chief of TTP and member of the group’s central committee, along with another commander Qari Saif Peshawari were killed during a fight with forces in Afghanistan on Jan. 31, Mohammad Khurasani, the outlawed militant group spokesman said in a statement.

    Khurasani did not disclose details about the incident but said he was on his way for carrying out an attack when Afghan forces stopped his way and killed him.

    Afghan government kept it secret and did not share information with the public in this regard.

    The questions are why the TTP leaders were in Kabul, how and who killed them.

    Another source from TTP said they believe the murder was done by Pakistan’s intelligence service, ISI.

    The source confirmed the dead bodies were found near the luxury InterContinental Hotel, in Kabul.”

  33. More than 30 jihadists killed in Mali operations, says French army
    https://www.france24.com/en/20200207-more-than-30-jihadists-killed-in-mali-operations-says-french-army

    “French soldiers killed more than 30 Islamist militants during three operations over the past two days, the French army disclosed Friday.

    French troops operating under Operation Barkhane – an anti-insurgent mission in Africa’s Sahel region – killed more than 30 jihadists Liptako-Gourma zone, the army said in a statement.

    The Liptako-Gourma – a hilly, sparsely populated border region straddling Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso – has experienced an increase in violent attacks in recent months.

    A Reaper drone, a Mirage 2000 fighter jet, a Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter and a Cougar transport helicopter were used in two targeted strikes on an area where terrorist fighters had been spotted, revealed French military spokesman Colonel Frédéric Barbry.

    The two separate operations were conducted in an area where the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) – which France recently designated the number one enemy in the Sahel – operates…”

    • “The Kuhner Report – 02/07/2020 – FULL SHOW // Was Trump over the top at his White House celebration?”
      The Kuhner Report – February 7, 2020

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    President Trump on Friday ousted Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, making him the second official who testified in the House impeachment inquiry to be dismissed.

    “I was advised today that the president intends to recall me effective immediately as United States Ambassador to the European Union,” Sondland said in a statement.

    “I am proud of our accomplishments,” Sondland added, thanking Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “Our work here has been the highlight of my career.”

    https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/482108-trump-ousts-eu-ambassador-sondland

  38. Vindman reveals that he had been offered a position as defense minister of Ukraine
    by Madison Dibble
    | November 19, 2019 12:05 PM

    Print this article

    Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman admitted that he had been offered to serve as minister of defense for Ukraine.

    Vindman, 44, explained during his impeachment testimony that he had been offered the position three times but declined the position because of his loyalty to the United States. The lieutenant colonel was born in Ukraine, but his family immigrated to the U.S. when he was a toddler.

    Vindman claimed he did not know why he was offered the high ranking position of defense minister.

    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/vindman-reveals-that-he-had-been-offered-a-position-as-defense-minister-of-ukraine

  39. The Post Millennial

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    Home > Opinion > EXCLUSIVE: Update on the health of Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
    EXCLUSIVE: Update on the health of Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
    Culture
    EXCLUSIVE: Update on the health of Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
    Mikhaila Peterson, 3 hours ago 2 min read
    You have 10 free articles left today, enjoy reading.

    The last year has been extremely difficult for our family.

    Dad was put on a low dose of a benzodiazepine a few years ago for anxiety following an extremely severe autoimmune reaction to food. He took the medication as prescribed. Last April when my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the dose of the medication was increased. It became apparent that he was suffering from both a physical dependency and a paradoxical reaction to the medication. A paradoxical reaction means the drugs do the opposite of what they’re supposed to. These reactions are rare but are not unheard of.

    For the last eight months, he’s been in unbearable discomfort from this drug, made worse when trying to remove it, because of the addition of withdrawal symptoms, stemming from physical dependence. He experienced terrible Akathisia, which is a condition where the person feels an incredible, endless, irresistible restlessness, bordering on panic, and an inability to sit still. The reaction made him suicidal.

    After several failed treatment attempts in North American hospitals, including attempts at tapering and micro-tapering, we had to seek an emergency medical benzodiazepine detox, which we were only able to find in Russia. It was incredibly gruelling and was further complicated by severe pneumonia which we’ve been told he developed in one of the previous hospitals.

    He’s had to spend four weeks in the ICU in terrible shape, but, with the help of some extremely competent and courageous doctors, he survived. The decision to bring him to Russia was made in extreme desperation when we couldn’t find any better option. The uncertainty around his recovery has been one of the most difficult and scary experiences we’ve ever had.

    https://www.thepostmillennial.com/exclusive-update-on-the-health-of-dr-jordan-b-peterson/