Reader’s Links on March 2, 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

139 Replies to “Reader’s Links on March 2, 2020”

  2. INVASION: 76,300 Muslim Migrants Invade Europe from Turkey
    March 1, 2020
    Daniel Greenfield
    Abandoning the pretense that the so-called “refugee crisis” is anything more than military colonialism, Turkey’s Islamist tyrant responded to military setbacks during his invasion of Syria by discarding his aid agreement with the EU, while the media under his control urged Muslim migrants to head to Europe.

    And they have.

    The invasion has begun again.

    https://cms.frontpagemag.com/point/2020/03/invasion-76300-muslim-migrants-invade-europe-daniel-greenfield

  3. This is a rather lengthy paper. But… if you want some black humor, read the “What’s the Solution” segment.

    https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale

    Uyghurs for sale
    Vicky Xiuzhong Xu , Danielle Cave , Dr James Leibold , Kelsey Munro & Nathan Ruser
    @ASPI_ICPC
    ‘Re-education’, forced labour and surveillance beyond Xinjiang.

    What’s the problem?
    The Chinese government has facilitated the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority1 citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen.

    This report estimates that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps.2 The estimated figure is conservative and the actual figure is likely to be far higher. In factories far away from home, they typically live in segregated dormitories,3 undergo organised Mandarin and ideological training outside working hours,4 are subject to constant surveillance, and are forbidden from participating in religious observances.5 Numerous sources, including government documents, show that transferred workers are assigned minders and have limited freedom of movement.6

    China has attracted international condemnation for its network of extrajudicial ‘re-education camps’ in Xinjiang.7 This report exposes a new phase in China’s social re-engineering campaign targeting minority citizens, revealing new evidence that some factories across China are using forced Uyghur labour under a state-sponsored labour transfer scheme that is tainting the global supply chain.

    What’s the solution?
    The Chinese government should uphold the civic, cultural and labour rights enshrined in China’s Constitution and domestic laws, end its extrajudicial detention of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, and ensure that all citizens can freely determine the terms of their own labour and mobility.

    Companies using forced Uyghur labour in their supply chains could find themselves in breach of laws which prohibit the importation of goods made with forced labour or mandate disclosure of forced labour supply chain risks.9 The companies listed in this report should conduct immediate and thorough human rights due diligence on their factory labour in China, including robust and independent social audits and inspections. It is vital that through this process, affected workers are not exposed to any further harm, including involuntary transfers.

    Foreign governments, businesses and civil society groups should identify opportunities to increase pressure on the Chinese government to end the use of Uyghur forced labour and extrajudicial detentions. This should include pressuring the government to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention on Forced Labour, 1930 (No. 29) and Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention.10 Consumers and consumer advocacy groups should demand companies that manufacture in China conduct human rights due diligence on their supply chains in order to ensure that they uphold basic human rights and are not complicit in any coercive labour schemes.

    Executive summary
    Since 2017, more than a million Uyghurs and members of other Turkic Muslim minorities have disappeared into a vast network of ‘re-education camps’ in the far west region of Xinjiang,11 in what some experts call a systematic, government-led program of cultural genocide.12 Inside the camps, detainees are subjected to political indoctrination, forced to renounce their religion and culture and, in some instances, reportedly subjected to torture.13 In the name of combating ‘religious extremism’,14 Chinese authorities have been actively remoulding the Muslim population in the image of China’s Han ethnic majority.

    The ‘re-education’ campaign appears to be entering a new phase, as government officials now claim that all ‘trainees’ have ‘graduated’.15 There is mounting evidence that many Uyghurs are now being forced to work in factories within Xinjiang.16 This report reveals that Chinese factories outside Xinjiang are also sourcing Uyghur workers under a revived, exploitative government-led labour transfer scheme.17 Some factories appear to be using Uyghur workers sent directly from ‘re-education camps’.

    The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has identified 27 factories in nine Chinese provinces that are using Uyghur labour transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. Those factories claim to be part of the supply chain of 83 well-known global brands.18 Between 2017 and 2019, we estimate that at least 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang and assigned to factories through labour transfer programs under a central government policy known as ‘Xinjiang Aid’ (??).19

    It is extremely difficult for Uyghurs to refuse or escape these work assignments, which are enmeshed with the apparatus of detention and political indoctrination both inside and outside of Xinjiang.20 In addition to constant surveillance, the threat of arbitrary detention hangs over minority citizens who refuse their government-sponsored work assignments.21

    Most strikingly, local governments and private brokers are paid a price per head by the Xinjiang provincial government to organise the labour assignments.22 The job transfers are now an integral part of the ‘re-education’ process, which the Chinese government calls ‘vocational training’.23

    A local government work report from 2019 reads: ‘For every batch [of workers] that is trained, a batch of employment will be arranged and a batch will be transferred. Those employed need to receive thorough ideological education and remain in their jobs.’24

    This report examines three case studies in which Uyghur workers appear to be employed under forced labour conditions by factories in China that supply major global brands. In the first case study, a factory in eastern China that manufactures shoes for US company Nike is equipped with watchtowers, barbed-wire fences and police guard boxes. The Uyghur workers, unlike their Han counterparts, are reportedly unable to go home for holidays (see page 8). In the second case study of another eastern province factory claiming to supply sportswear multinationals Adidas and Fila, evidence suggests that Uyghur workers were transferred directly from one of Xinjiang’s ‘re-education camps’ (see page 18). In the third case study, we identify several Chinese factories making components for Apple or their suppliers using Uyghur labour. Political indoctrination is a key part of their job assignments (see page 21).

    This research report draws on open-source Chinese-language documents, satellite imagery analysis, academic research and on-the-ground media reporting. It analyses the politics and policies behind the new phase of the Chinese government’s ongoing repression of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. It provides evidence of the exploitation of Uyghur labour and the involvement of foreign and Chinese companies, possibly unknowingly, in human rights abuses.

    In all, ASPI’s research has identified 83 foreign and Chinese companies directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through potentially abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap, Geely Auto, General Electric, General Motors, Google, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover, Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, The North Face, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Roewe, SAIC Motor, Samsung, SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, ZTE. Some brands are linked with multiple factories.

    The data is based on published supplier lists, media reports, and the factories’ claimed suppliers. ASPI reached out to these 83 brands to confirm their relevant supplier details. Where companies responded before publication, we have included their relevant clarifications in this report. If any company responses are made available after publication of the report, we will address these online.

  4. SparkyBill
    @BillArcher72
    Replying to
    @MrStache9
    The foreign minister for iran tested positive for covid-19 almost a week after meeting @JustinTrudeau
    , the very same guy that he was shaling hands with and fawning over.

    Then he came back for the blockades and interacted with his senior team

    Quarantine them all.
    12:14 PM · Mar 2, 2020·Twitter for Android

    https://twitter.com/BillArcher72/status/1234527453428822024

  7. humorous riff on shaking hands with the opposite sex from Comedian Ashley Blaker filmed on his Strictly Unorthodox tour at Stand Up NY, New York in March 2019

  8. The Largest Trump Forum, The_Donald, Was Effectively SHUT DOWN, The CRAZIEST Act Of Censorship Yet

  9. US Will Not Provide Air Support to Turkey in Syria’s Idlib – Pentagon Chief (sputniknews, Mar 2, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202003021078453210-us-will-not-provide-air-support-to-turkey-in-syrias-idlib—pentagon-chief/

    “The United States will not provide air support to Turkey in the wartorn Syrian province of Idlib, Pentagon Chief Mark Esper has said, speaking to reporters in Washington on Monday.

    Asked directly if US assistance would include air support, Esper responded bluntly “No.”
    “I should add that the the United States is looking at providing increased humanitarian aid for the persons in Syria. That’s one thing I had a conversation with [Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] about that,” Esper said.

    The secretary of defence also confirmed that he has spoken to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about the situation in Syria, and that NATO was prepared for anything that might happen.

    Commenting on Ankara’s recent move to open its borders with the European Union, Esper said that this was Turkey’s decision to make.

    Asked what he told his Turkish counterpart Sule Akar during their recent phone call, Esper said the message was that “Russians aren’t always good partners.”

    Also Monday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said there was “no clear, unambiguous intelligence on who was flying which planes” in the deadly attack on Turkish troops in Idlib last week. Earlier, Moscow stressed that the Russian air force was not involved in the strikes in the area of Behun, Idlib where the troops were killed. Later, the MoD-affilliated Center for Syrian Reconciliation clarified that the Turkish forces were hit by Syria as it retaliated to a Nusra* offensive, with the troops operating outside of their observation posts and in the same area as Nusra militants for some reason.

    On Saturday, President Trump confirmed that he had discussed Turkey’s request for the temporary deployment of US Patriot missiles in southern Turkey with President Erdogan, adding that the talks were ongoing.

    Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Turkey’s NATO allies to assist the country with air defence and intelligence cooperation.

    Idlib tensions exploded in February after the deaths of Turkish military personnel in the course of an ongoing Syrian military offensive against Ankara’s militant proxies. Damascus began its operation in the wayward province in December, after repeated attacks on Syrian troops by jihadist militants.”

  10. BREAKING: Federal Court Orders Deposition of Hillary Clinton on Emails, Benghazi Attack Records After Prior Faulty Testimony

    Judicial Watch founder and President Tom Fitton dropped a bomb on Monday morning.

    In September a federal judge granted Judicial Watch SIGNIFICANT new discovery on the Hillary Clinton email and Benghazi scandals.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/breaking-federal-court-orders-deposition-of-hillary-clinton-on-emails-benghazi-attack-records-after-prior-faulty-testimony/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily

  15. ***JBS: HOW THE DEEP STATE WILL USE THE CORONAVIRUS
    video – 16 minutes 46 seconds
    Everyday Americans and others around the globe are being bombarded with news about the coronavirus, especially to the number of new cases and where they are located. While we humans have an obvious and natural desire to avoid sicknesses, and be protected from the unknown, we also have a propensity to be gullible and to allow government to act outside of its limitations during what may be deemed extraordinary times. We’ll look at the propensity of government abuse and how the Deep State may use the coronavirus…

  16. MEMRI – Iranians Lick Shrines in Defiance of Coronavirus; Iranian-Islamic Medicine Expert: I Will Cure It

    Iranians have posted several videos on social media, featuring devout Shiites licking holy shrines in defiance of the coronavirus. In some of the videos, worshippers say they are licking the shrines in order to infect themselves, thus protecting future pilgrims to the shrines from contracting the virus.

    On March 1, 2020, a pilgrim posted a video of himself licking the steel bars protecting the window of a Shiite shrine.

    He said that many people have “spread lies” that this window “contracted” corona, AIDS, hepatitis, and “such nonsense.”

    He said that he is licking the bars so the disease enters his body and future pilgrims will be safe.

    “I have now eaten the corona disease,” he said.

    In another video posted online the same day, Heidar, an Iranian schoolboy is seen kissing and licking the doors of another Shiite shrine, according to the adult filming the video “Heidar has kissed all the doors […] He kissed it, licked it, and spread in on his eyes.”

    On February 29, 2020 a video featuring Hossein Ravazadeh, an “expert on Iranian-Islamic medicine” was posted on social media.

    In the video he said that he has come to Qom to kiss everybody [he meets].

    He said that he intends to go everywhere in Qom and “show everybody that the [coronavirus] is nothing but stories.”

    He said “they want to take away our religion” but the Shiites will not let “them” do so. Ravazadeh then volunteered to go to the infected people and treat them.

  18. Reddit banned r/The_Europe – banned it outright. This is the European equivalent of r/The_Donald, where Reddit simply banned its members from posting to the site.

    A somewhat of a replacement is growing at TheDonald.win

  20. Instant establishment visas for nascent firms
    http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/590147/SAUDI-ARABIA/Instant-establishment-visas-for-nascent-firms

    “Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi launched instant establishment visa service for the newly established businesses through its qiwa portal

    Under the new system, nascent firms will be provided with instant labor visas and will be given one-year grace period for the implementation of Nitaqat Saudization program so as to ease their operation in initial stages.

    Nasser Al-Hazani, spokesman of the ministry, said that the new service aims at providing everything that supports the growth and flourishing of businesses in accordance with specific requirements and criteria for obtaining these visas, without the need for paper work or visiting any of the ministry’s branches.

    This service has been introduced to cover the needs of all types of establishments after extensive studies of their need for expatriate workers, indicating that this procedure will have a positive impact on the growing percentage of Saudization during the coming years.

    The new types of visas depend on granting an initial grace period for new businesses to achieve them sustainability and stability, with facilitating smooth flow of their functioning during the establishment period.

    These visas will be issued to establishments that were founded over the last six months, and the visa allotment will be in accordance with the types of their commercial activities. For the first category of establishments, the minimum number of visas will be issued instantly.

    For the second and third types of categories, a medium number of visas will be granted and this will be after furnishing details about the location and activity of the establishments so as to verify the information supplied.

    The fourth category will be provided with the maximum number of visas and a representative of the ministry will be sent to verify the establishment’s location and activity before issuing visas.

    Al-Rajhi said this service will provide an opportunity for young Saudis to start their commercial projects with providing them with all the facilities required so as to enable them to switch over from employees to productive employers in promoting development and growth of the national economy.”

  21. Islam is the solution?
    http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/590114/Opinion/OP-ED/Islam-is-the-solution

    “Since its inception in 1928, we have heard, loud and clear, over and over again, the Muslim Brotherhood’s slogan “Islam is the solution.” It was supposed to be the ultimate promise for a utopian world: If we just had a whole Islamic system, we would resolve today’s problems and bring back our past glories.

    However, it was more of a teaser or a soundbite than a practical program. Still, we took it on blind faith that “those who knew better” would deliver — once in power. We never doubted their promise or ability.

    Then, it happened, starting in 1979. In Iran and Sudan first, then, in Gaza and Afghanistan, the Islamists ruled — finally. Now it was time to demonstrate their century-old cultivated secret recipe for good governance!

    We waited and awaited — patiently and faithfully. We accepted their many excuses and conspiracy theories. We gave them the benefit of the doubt every time they failed to deliver or even to look sincere and decent. But, alas, at the end they failed us, miserably!

    Later, in 2010, came the “so called” Arab Spring. The Islamists, as the only organized groups, were ready. Devoted Muslims believed their vows, trusted their dignity, and gave them their votes. Again and again, they proved us wrong.

    They reached for power — grabbed every tool and occupied all forums, excluding the rest of the political spectrum. So, when their ship went under, they had no one else to share the blame with.

    The Brotherhood in Egypt was first to falter, and their branches in Syria, Yemen and Tunisia followed suit. They had no magic wand! Their solution had no beef. It was like they didn’t expect to rule, so they kept the “how to” down the “to do” list. Or maybe they thought Allah would show them the way, once they climbed that mountain. Hence, they had no maps, plans or compass, but the Holy Book. Even Communist revolutionists fared better!

    The only Islamist experiment that worked — at least for a while — were in Malaysia and Turkey, but only when they fully submitted to democratic, scholar norms. They did have Islamic values, like most of their citizens, but they won on professional qualifications, ruled by responsive governments, and followed constitutional laws.

    People voted for specific, detailed programs that promised better governance, economy, education, plus more freedoms for citizens to pursue prosperity, happiness and political participation.

    Turkey, today, is faltering. Its Islamist party is using democracy to circumvent democracy. Here is a president who is occupied with his own power and legacy, obsessed with witch hunting, and concerned with conspiracy theories.

    Here is a party engaged more in ideological politics than in interest-based, pragmatic policies. History of past glories and Ottoman imperialism now figures more than grand plans for nation-building.

    But how can you be Islamist and democrat at the same time? Democracy is based on pluralism — equality among all citizens, governed by a man-made constitution. Islam, on the other hand, is one umbrella that safeguards the rights of minorities, but the rulers are Muslims and the rules are Islamic.

    Democracy is a Greek term means “rule of the people”. In Islam, the ruler is the “Emir of the Faithful,” supported by Shoura Council, following the rules of Allah.

    So how can people with such mindset work in the framework of a democratic system that violate their own? They can’t.

    Is Islam the solution? Let us be more precise. I would say the mind of a Muslim researching his heritage and environment for homegrown solutions is the answer.

    Winning Islamist parties should have been wise, generous and humble enough to include the defeated and give away some of their spoils. Otherwise, you only make enemies who would conspire against you.

    Not to forget that when a leader and his Cabinet are out, a whole body is still there — the “deep state.” Either you replace the body’s vital organs or win them over. They won’t allow you to rule if you don’t.

    Islamist parties rushed into a predicament before studying how they would manage it, or, if they fail, how to find their way out. They bet on a system of government they did not really believe in or sought to improve. It would have been wiser to leave it to others and learn from their mistakes while in opposition.

    After the experience matures and develops sound mechanisms, then they may participate. But not under the banner of religion, we are mostly Muslims, but rather with efficient management and good governance, integrity, and honesty.

    I hope that we come out of this experience with an awakening. We need thinkers who would find in our heritage and environment a good Islamic governance system that suits our present and future.

    It doesn’t hurt to learn from the experience of others, as long as it is not a simple “copy and paste.” Islam is our religion, not our political party!…”

  23. Group of Palestinian Americans endorses Bernie Sanders for president
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coalition-palestinian-americans-endorses-bernie-sanders-president

    “A coalition of Palestinian-American activists and advocacy groups has endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president, lauding the Democratic candidate as a “supporter of justice, equality and human rights for all, including the Palestinian people”.

    “We call upon all Palestinian Americans, joining those who support equality, justice, and human rights, to vote for Senator Sanders in the Democratic primaries and beyond,” the group said in a joint statement on Monday.

    The endorsement – signed by nine organisations and more than a dozen advocates from across the country – noted Sanders’ even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It highlighted the senator’s assertion at a debate in December when he said Washington’s foreign policy cannot only be pro-Israel but “must be pro-Palestinian as well”.

    “Such a statement is unprecedented. Even the mere mention of the existence of Palestinians has been challenged by many politicians. Senator Sanders, however, has repeatedly drawn attention to the injustices of the occupation,” the endorsement said…”

  25. President hopeful Joseph R. Biden made social media headlines on Monday for all the wrong reasons after botching the Declaration of Independence in Texas.

    The former Vice President attempted to inspire a crowd by orating one of the most famous documents in world history, only to fumble over the words with “you know the thing.”

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” Mr. Biden, said. “All men and women created … by the — you know — you know the thing.”

    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/2/joe-biden-botches-declaration-of-independence-you-/

  26. UN says Greece has no right to stop accepting asylum requests
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200302-un-says-greece-has-no-right-to-stop-accepting-asylum-requests/

    “The United Nation’s refugee agency said on Monday that Greece had no right to stop accepting asylum applications as Athens struggled with a sudden increase of arrivals at its border of Middle East refugees and migrants from Turkey, Reuters reports.

    Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday his country would not be accepting any new asylum requests for a month after two days of clashes between border police and thousands of people seeking to enter the EU from Turkey.

    “It is important that the authorities refrain from any measures that might increase the suffering of vulnerable people,” UNHCR said in a statement.

    “All states have a right to control their borders and manage irregular movements, but at the same time should refrain from the use of excessive or disproportionate force and maintain systems for handling asylum requests in an orderly manner.”

    The UN agency said neither international nor EU law provided “any legal basis for the suspension of the reception of asylum applications”.

    Its statement came as the EU scrambled to help Greece police the frontier and sought to put pressure on Turkey to go back to preventing refugees and migrants stranded on its territory from seeking to reach Europe.”

  27. 21 Iran-backed militiamen killed in Syria’s Idlib
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200302-21-iran-backed-militiamen-killed-in-syrias-idlib/

    “As many as 21 members of Iran-backed militias have been killed during the recent armed confrontations between the Turkish army and the Syrian regime forces and its allies in Idlib.

    The Hawzah News Agency in the Iranian city of Qom reported that 18 members of the Pakistani Zainabiyoun Brigade and three members of the Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade were killed in Idlib on Friday.

    The news agency added that their funeral was held in Qom yesterday.

    The foreign militias, who are led by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, are among the strongest supporters of the Syrian regime. The proxy forces include mercenaries from countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    The Turkish army shelled several Syrian regime sites in response to the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers on Thursday.”

  28. Yemen Houthis seize strategic city bordering Saudi Arabia
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200302-yemen-houthis-seize-strategic-city-bordering-saudi-arabia/

    “Yemen’s Houthis have taken control of the city of Al-Hazm, the capital of Al-Jawf governorate, bordering Saudi Arabia, Anadolu reported military sources as saying yesterday.

    The sources explained that the Houthis stormed the city and seized it after battles with government forces backed by Saudi Arabia.

    According to the sources, the fighting resulted in deaths and injuries on both sides.

    Houthi channels have reported that the entire Al-Jawf region is now in the group’s control.

    The Yemeni ambassador to UNESCO, Muhammad Jumeh, blamed the city’s fall on “military and political leaders staying outside of Yemen and being engaged with side battles instead of defeating the coup”.

    Maged al-Madhaji, executive director of the Sana’a Centre, a Yemeni think-tank, told AFP that the Houthis’ capture of Al-Hazm could be a game-changer.”Control of the capital of Al-Jawf could totally change the course of the war. Houthis have made an exceptional advance and are changing the balance” in their favour, he noted.

    The Houthi-aligned Yemen Press Agency reported a security official saying that the Saudi-led coalition launched 25 air strikes on Jawf and Marib overnight.

    In 2014, Iran-backed Houthis controlled Al-Hazm city, before government forces recaptured it in December 2015.

    Al-Jawf is the third Yemeni governorate adjacent to Saudi Arabia to be under the control of Houthi forces along with the provinces of Saada and Hajjah.

    At least 1,400 families, who were displaced into the district of Gail in Al-Jawf province had moved to Hazm earlier this month. “Now thousands more are expected to leave their homes” because of the Houthi advance, Fatima al-Asrar, a non-resident scholar at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said.”

  29. Turkey: 4 Iraqis arrested over links to Daesh
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200302-turkey-4-iraqis-arrested-over-links-to-daesh/

    “A Turkish court on Monday remanded in custody four Iraqi nationals after they were arrested for their alleged links to Daesh terrorist group, judicial sources told Anadolu Agency.

    The suspects were arrested by the provincial gendarmerie command and intelligence officials on Feb. 27 in simultaneous operations held in different parts of the country’s northern Corum province.

    The Iraqi nationals are accused of taking part in bombings in Iraq.”

  30. Assad joins forces with Libya’s rogue general Haftar to combat ‘Turkish aggression’
    https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/3/2/assad-libyas-haftar-announce-alliance-to-combat-turkish-aggression

    “Damascus and parallel Libyan authorities opposed to the UN-recognised government in Tripoli agreed on Sunday to exchange diplomatic missions and confront Turkish “interference”, state media said.

    A delegation representing eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar met Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus, state news agency SANA said.

    “A memorandum of understanding was signed… for the reopening of diplomatic and consular missions,” SANA said.

    Libya has not had any representation in Damascus since 2012, following the fall and killing of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in an uprising.

    Muallem said diplomatic missions would be reopened in Damascus and the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, controlled by Haftar’s forces.

    The two sides also pledged to coordinate to “confront Turkish interference and aggression against both countries”.

    Turkey backs the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in the Libyan capital Tripoli, and has dispatched troops and pro-Turkish Syrian fighters to the North African country.

    Haftar, backed by the Syrian regime’s main ally Russia, has been battling since April to seize Tripoli from the GNA.

    Syria’s conflict, sparked by the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011, has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions.

    The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in November 2011 as the death toll mounted.

    Several regional powers suspended diplomatic ties with Damascus after the brutal suppression of protests by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

    Some have since restored those ties. In December 2018, the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy, followed by Bahrain.

    The agreement comes as tensions spiral between Syrian regime and Turkish forces in northwestern Syria, where bombardment has killed dozens of troops on each side.

    On Sunday, at least 19 regime soldiers were killed in Turkish drone strikes targeting a military convoy in the Jabal Al-Zawiya area and a base near Maarat Al-Numan city, a war monitor reported.

    That came after Turkish forces “targeted” two Syrian regime planes over the embattled rebel bastion of Idlib in northwest Syria, just moments following an announced military operation dubbed “Operation Spring Shield”.

    “Following the heinous attack on 27 February in Idlib, operation ‘Spring Shield’ successfully continues,” Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said in a televised speech.

    “We don’t have the desire or intention to clash with Russia,” the minister added. Thirty-four Turkish troops have been killed in Syria since Thursday.

    “Our intention is to stop the regime’s massacres, and prevent… migration,” he said.

    “We expect Russia to stop the regime’s attacks and to use their influence to ensure the regime withdraws to the borders of the Sochi agreement.”

    Turkey has 12 observation posts established in rebel-held Idlib following a 2018 deal between Ankara and Moscow signed in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

    But the regime recently has pressed ahead with an assault, killing hundreds of civilians and forcing nearly a million to flee from their homes in the region.

    Rebel-supporter Turkey and Damascus ally Russia previously worked closely to prevent a regime offensive in Idlib despite being on opposing sides of the nine-year war.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month warned Damascus to get behind the agreed borders otherwise Ankara would use military force to push the regime back.”

  31. President Trump has nominated Gen. Charles Brown Jr. to be the next Air Force chief of staff.

    Secretary of Defense Mark Esper made the announcement on Monday. If Brown is confirmed by the Senate, he will be the Air Force’s first African American service chief. Brown is currently commander of Pacific Air Forces, a role he has been in since 2018.

    If confirmed, Brown, known as C.Q., would take over for Gen. David Goldfein, who has been Air Force chief of staff since July 2016 and is expected to retire this year.

    “The USAF will be well served by the formidable talents of CQ Brown,” said Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett. “He has unmatched strategic vision & operational expertise. His leadership will be instrumental as the service continues to focus on the capabilities & talent we need to implement the #NDS,” which is short for the National Defense Strategy.

    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/one-of-the-finest-warriors-trump-nominates-first-black-air-force-chief-of-staff

  32. UN Probe Concludes Russian Bombings Were War Crimes in Syria
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-02/un-probe-concludes-russian-bombings-were-war-crimes-in-syria?srnd=premium-europe

    “Russia’s military conducted “indiscriminate” bombardments against civilians in Syria last year, and human rights violations in the nine-year-old conflict continue to multiply, according to a United Nations panel investigating the conflict.

    In one attack last year, Russian airstrikes targeted a compound of displaced civilians in a rural area that was surrounded by agricultural fields in southern Idlib, according to a report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria. The attack killed 20 people, including eight women, one of whom was pregnant, and six children, the report published Monday found. People interviewed by the panel said there were no military targets nearby.

    The report marks the first time that a UN panel directly accused Russia of a role in targeting civilians in rebel-controlled areas in Syria. In addition to the rural shelter, the report identified Russia as responsible for a “double-tap” bombing of a crowded market place, killing scores of civilians as well as a medical worker who rushed to the site of the first bombing on July 22.

    The Russian Ministry of Defense denied that its aircraft had been present in the area, the report said, but the UN panel said the data was convincing.

    “Based on the evidence available, including witness testimonies, video footage, data imagery as well as reports by flight spotters, flight communication intercepts and early warning observation reports, the Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that a Russian aircraft participated in the attacks, the UN panel said. “In both incidents, the Russian Air Force did not direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas.”

    Russia has had a strong hand in backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s efforts to consolidate power since entering the conflict on Assad’s behalf in 2015. Moscow’s involvement helped turn the tide in the conflict just as Assad’s regime appeared to be nearing a breaking point.

    The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international law since March 2011. The report is scheduled to be presented on March 10 at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.”

  34. Exclusive: U.N. nuclear watchdog plans alert on Iranian stonewalling – diplomats
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-iaea-exclusive/exclusive-u-n-nuclear-watchdog-plans-alert-on-iranian-stonewalling-diplomats-idUSKBN20P3CA

    “The U.N. atomic watchdog policing Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers plans to issue an imminent rebuke to Tehran for failing to provide access to one or more sites that are of interest to it, several diplomats who follow the agency said on Monday.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency overseeing the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement, which lifted international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities, issues quarterly updates on Iran’s atomic program to its member states.

    The next of those quarterly reports is due on Tuesday but, in a first for the IAEA since the deal was put in place, the agency plans to issue a separate report on the same day, calling Iran out for its lack of cooperation in general and its failure to provide access in particular, diplomats said.

    “The general message is: There’s a new sheriff in town,” a diplomat from a country on the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors said, referring to new IAEA chief Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who was elected in October with the support of countries including the United States and Brazil.

    Grossi took over following the death in office of long-serving IAEA chief Yukiya Amano of Japan, who pressured Iran to provide swifter access to sites of interest to the agency, while avoiding confronting the Islamic Republic publicly, diplomats say.

    Under Amano, the IAEA at first resisted public pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit a site he cited in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, calling it a “secret atomic warehouse” mentioned in a trove of data seized by Israeli intelligence agents. Tehran has said the site is a carpet-cleaning facility.

    But the IAEA inspected the site in February of last year, diplomats say, and gathered environmental samples that showed traces of uranium that Iran has yet to fully explain.

    Now the agency is seeking access to one or more sites mentioned in that trove, which Israel refers to as the “atomic archive” of information on Iran’s former nuclear weapons program.

    A spokesman for the IAEA declined immediate comment.

    U.S intelligence agencies and the IAEA both believe Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program that it halted long before the 2015 nuclear deal. That deal is aimed at keeping Tehran at least a year away from obtaining enough fissile material for an atom bomb if it sought one.

    Iran denies ever having had a nuclear weapons program and says it would never seek to obtain an atom bomb.

    It has, however, breached the deal’s restrictions on its atomic activities one after the other in response to Washington’s withdrawal from the deal in May 2018 and its reimposition of sanctions that have choked off the Islamic Republic’s vital oil exports.

    “The second report will be on Safeguards issues linked to sites that the IAEA did not get access to. We know of two cases, but we don’t know whether the IAEA will put both in (the report),” said a European diplomat, adding it was unclear what recommendations the agency would make.

    Other diplomats said there would be at least one site mentioned in the report, possibly two, and that there was a connection to the archive.

    None of the six diplomats who said they expected a second report provided details of the site or sites the reports would likely mention.

    NO SUDDEN MOVES
    Iran’s breaches of the deal’s nuclear limits on items including the purity to which it enriches uranium and its stock of enriched uranium are eroding the accord, but it says they can quickly be reversed if U.S. sanctions are lifted.

    The Trump administration says its “maximum pressure” campaign will force Iran to negotiate a more sweeping deal than the strictly nuclear agreement.

    Washington wants a broader deal, covering issues such as Iran’s ballistic missile program and its role in Middle Eastern conflicts like those in Syria and Yemen. It also wants to ban Iran from enriching uranium altogether. Tehran says it will not negotiate unless U.S. sanctions are lifted.

    Tuesday’s main IAEA quarterly report is likely to show a jump in Iran’s stock of enriched uranium as Tehran continues to breach key limits of the steadily eroding nuclear deal, diplomats say.

    But while Iran breached the deal’s atomic restrictions in the second half of last year, it has refrained from making any large, sudden moves this year, even after the U.S. assassination of its powerful military leader Qassem Soleimani in January, diplomats say.

    The level to which it is enriching uranium, for example, remains roughly the same as in the last quarterly report, diplomats say – 4.5% or less, above the deal’s 3.67% limit but still far below the 20% Tehran achieved before the deal and the roughly 90% that is weapons-grade.”

  35. Turkey says one soldier killed in Syrian government shelling in Idlib
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-turkey-shelling/turkey-says-one-soldier-killed-in-syrian-government-shelling-in-idlib-idUSKBN20P344

    “Turkey’s Defense Ministry said on Monday that one Turkish soldier was killed and another wounded in shelling by Syrian government forces in the northwestern province of Idlib.

    Syrian government forces entered parts of a strategic rebel-held town on Monday, and Turkey said it would keep hitting President Bashar al-Assad’s troops after ramping up operations in its biggest intervention yet into the Syrian civil war.”

  36. Afghanistan: Taliban end partial truce as violence resumes
    https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-end-partial-truce-as-violence-resumes-1.1583187695105

    “The Taliban called an abrupt end to a partial truce on Monday, just two days after signing a deal with the United States that was meant to bring peace at last to Afghanistan.

    In the southern province of Kandahar, considered the Taliban’s heartland, fighting broke out in at least in two districts.

    “They started attacking five of our posts in Panjwahi and Maiwand,” local police chief Sultan Mohammad Hakimi told AFP. “Fighting is ongoing.”

    The Taliban ordered its fighters to recommence attacks against Afghan army and police forces, apparently ending an official “reduction in violence” that had seen a dramatic drop in bloodshed and given Afghans a welcome taste of relative calm.

    The partial truce between the US, the insurgents and Afghan forces lasted for the week running up to the signing of the US-Taliban accord in Doha on Saturday, and was extended over the weekend.

    “The reduction in violence… has ended now and our operations will continue as normal,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP.

    “As per the (US-Taliban) agreement, our mujahideen will not attack foreign forces but our operations will continue against the Kabul administration forces.”

    The Taliban’s military commission circulated instructions for fighters to resume operations, according to a document that an insurgent provided to AFP.

    Soon after, an Afghan army commander told AFP the Taliban were attacking military positions in the northwest province of Badghis. At least one soldier was killed.

    But the Taliban denied responsibility for a bomb blast at a football ground in Khost in eastern Afghanistan, where three brothers were killed.

    President Ashraf Ghani said Sunday he would continue the partial truce at least until talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban kick off, supposedly on March 10, though he angered the militants by rejecting a prisoner swap component in the deal.

    Fawad Aman, a defence ministry spokesman, said Monday the government was “checking to see if (the truce) had ended”.

    The United States cautioned that an immediate halt to violence had not been expected.

    “The Taliban is not a monolithic group, there’s multiple terrorist organisations operating,” General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said in Washington.

    “To think that (violence) is going to go to zero, immediately — that’s probably not going to be the case.”

    The US has previously said it would defend Afghan partners if they come under attack.

    ‘Violence is leverage’
    The Doha deal includes a commitment to swap 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the Afghan government in return for 1,000 captives, but Ghani said the US had no authority to negotiate such an exchange.

    “Ghani’s stand shows that the Americans hadn’t done the groundwork before signing the agreement,” a Taliban source in Pakistan said.

    Analyst Michael Kugelman from the Wilson Center think-tank said he was not surprised the Taliban were on the offensive again.

    “Remember, violence is leverage for the Taliban. It won’t easily give it up,” he tweeted.

    “And now it’s exploiting that leverage to strengthen its bargaining position going into the intra-Afghan dialogue, when (and if) it begins.”

    Since the deal signing, the Taliban have been publicly claiming “victory” over the US.

    Under the terms of the deal, foreign forces will quit Afghanistan within 14 months, subject to Taliban security guarantees and a pledge by the insurgents to hold talks with Kabul.

    While supporters of the accord say it marks a critical first step toward peace, many Afghans fear it amounts to little more than a US capitulation that will ultimately see the insurgents return to power.

    In the eastern province of Laghman, thousands of locals and jubilant Taliban fighters massed on Monday to celebrate what they called their “defeat of the US”.

    They also vowed to continue operations against the Afghan government until an “Islamic system” of government is restored. The Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996-2001 under an extreme interpretation of Islam.”

  37. Evidence Emerges of China Pressing Muslim Uighurs Into Forced Labor
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/03/295042/evidence-emerges-of-china-pressing-muslim-uighurs-into-forced-labor/

    “Muslim Uighurs in China are working in factories across the country “under conditions that strongly suggest forced labor,” the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) revealed in a report on Sunday.

    After “graduating” from the detention camps China calls re-education centers, tens of thousands of Uighurs are working in Chinese factories under strict surveillance.

    The report conservatively estimates that China transferred 80,000 Uighurs from the western Xinjiang region, where they live, to nine other provinces between 2017 and 2019. The Xinjiang government is actually paying brokers and local governments to give Uighurs labor assignments.

    ASPI explains the Uighur Muslims must attend Mandarin Chinese and ideology lessons outside of work, live in segregation, and are not permitted to participate in “religious observances.”

    The institute identified 27 factories where the Uighurs are working outside of Xinjiang. The factories supply 83 international companies, including Amazon, Apple, Bombardier, Google, Microsoft, Nike, Samsung, and Volkswagen.

    China has been rounding up its Muslim citizens for more than three years, placing as many as 1 million in detention camps. The Chinese government says the camps are voluntary education centers to combat religious extremism.

    Leaked Communist party documents revealed China’s policy on the camps in November 2019.

    The leaked documents included a 2017 memo with instructions that camp staff must “strictly manage and control student activities to prevent escapes during class, eating periods, toilet breaks, bath time, medical treatment, family visits, etc.”

    Two weeks after the leak, a Chinese official said all the students at the camps had “graduated.” “Trainees participating in education and training programs of standard spoken and written Chinese, understanding of the law, vocational skills and deradicalization … in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,” Xinhua reported, “have all graduated.”

    ASPI believes the government is now transferring Uighur Muslims to factories for forced labor as part of a second phase of “education.””

  38. Turkey neutralizes 2,557 regime elements in Syria’s Idlib
    https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-neutralizes-2-557-regime-elements-in-syrias-idlib-152612

    “Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said Turkey has neutralized a total of 2,577 elements and soldiers of the Syrian regime in the northwestern Idlib province as part of its newly launched “Operation Spring Shield.”

    “As it is known, the Operation Spring Shield has been launched after the heinous attack of Feb. 27. The operation has been successfully going as planned. The [Turkish Armed Forces] TSK has been intensely retaliating against all attacks, without hesitation,” Akar said on March 2.

    During the operation, Turkish forces have neutralized a total of two aircraft, two drones, eight choppers, 135 tanks, five air defense systems, 86 cannons, howitzers and multiple rocket launchers, 16 anti-armors and mortars, 77 armed vehicles, nine ammunition depots and 2,557 elements and soldiers of the regime.

    The operation is going on “successfully,” the minister said, adding that many countries are voicing solidarity with Turkey while “condemning Russia and the Syrian regime.”

    Akar said that despite the ceasefire in Idlib, the Syrian regime’s attacks increasingly continue towards innocent civilians including women, children and the elderly. The attacks trigger a major migration influx towards the Turkish border, he said.

    He underlined that the newly launched operation is based on the “self-defense right” stipulated in Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, the Adana Agreement, the Astana Peace Process and the Sochi Deal.

    Ankara has ramped up its attacks, including drone strikes, against the Russian-backed Syrian forces since Feb. 27, after 34 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Damascus.

    The Defense Ministry said that the air defense systems which shot down the Turkish drone were destroyed.

    Turkey’s state-run Anadolu agency said the Turkish military had targeted and rendered unusable Nayrab airport, west of Aleppo city.

    In its “Operation Spring Shield,” Turkey is using many weapons. But what comes to the forefront is its drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).

    Turkey uses Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, ANKA UAVs, T-122 Sakarya multiple-launcher rocket system, the J-600T Y?ld?r?m (Thunderbolt) ballistic missile systems and F?rt?na (Storm) Howitzers. The F-16 jets are also being used in the Idlib operation.

    The KORAL Electronic Warfare Systems also have an important role in the operation as it interrupts the target’s communication system and electronically “blinds” it. The system is efficient up to 200 kilometers and consists of four attack vehicles.

    Ankara expects Moscow to ‘fulfill commitments’

    Akar also said that Turkey expects Russia to “fulfill its commitments as a guarantor country.”

    “We expect Russia to honor its commitments as a guarantor country, to stop the [Syrian] regime’s attacks and use its influence on the regime to withdraw [its forces] to boundaries of the Sochi Agreement,” he said.

    The minister also said that Turkish and Russian officials continue their talks on the de-escalation of tensions in Idlib.
    “As we have said numerous times, it is known by everyone that we do not have an intention to come face-to-face with Russia [in Syria],” he said.

    “What we want is for the regime to stop is massacre and thus the prevention of radicalization and migration,” he added.

    Erdo?an, Putin to meet in Moscow

    In the meantime, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an will visit Russia on March 5 for a one-day trip, the Turkish presidency said on March 1.

    “The president is due to pay a one-day visit to Russia on March 5,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

    Erdo?an had been expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin after at least 34 Turkish troops were killed in Syrian air strikes in Idlib last week.

    Russia says cooperation with Turkey is ‘top priority’

    In the meantime, the Kremlin said on March 2 that cooperation with Turkey is a top priority, confirming a meeting between the Russian and Turkish presidents over escalating tensions in Syria.

    Russia attaches “great importance to cooperation with our Turkish partners,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the talks in Moscow between Putin and Erdo?an.

    Peskov told reporters that Ankara and Moscow are keeping lines of communication open and that the focus must now be on dialogue between the Turkish and Russian leaders.

    “Our militaries are in constant contact. The main thing is that we focus on negotiations between Putin and Erdo?an,” he said.”

  41. Sweden halts flights from Iran over coronavirus fears
    https://www.thelocal.se/20200302/sweden-bans-flights-from-iran-over-coronavirus-fears

    “Sweden has become the first country in the world to ban flights operated by Iran Air to help contain the coronavirus.

    The Swedish Transport Agency announced it was temporarily suspending the flight permits of Iran Air – currently the only airline flying directly between Iran and Sweden – saying they were responding to a request by Swedish health officials…”

  44. Turkish Radio & Television – TRT – German journalist says he was beaten by locals on Greek island

    German freelance photojournalist Michael Trammer says he was attacked by a group of Greek islanders as they tried to prevent a boat carrying Muslims from stepping on to Lesvos.

  45. Turkey: “You’ll get your share of this burden” says Erdogan about migrant situation

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the migrant situation during a speech in Ankara on Monday, after the country announced that its borders with Europe were open to migrants on Saturday.

    “They said he’s probably bluffing,” stated Erdogan, before adding “and now, when I opened the doors, the phone keeps ringing.”

    “Now the doors are open and right now, you’ll get your share of this burden. As of yesterday, the number [of refugees] has risen dramatically and continues to rise.”

    The Turkish president also said that he is set to meet with the Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov and have a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

    “And on Thursday we will go to Moscow and evaluate these developments with Mr Putin. Now be it ceasefire or other steps to take, we will do it and speedily achieve results,” he concluded.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country’s borders with Europe were open to migrants on Saturday. The statement came after at least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike in Syria’s Idlib province last week. President Erdogan has accused the EU of failing to keep its financial promises to Turkey in return for keeping Turkey’s borders with the EU closed to refugees.