Reader’s Links for June 25, 2020

Daily Links Post graphic

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

112 Replies to “Reader’s Links for June 25, 2020”

  1. Gresham supervisor’s ‘All Lives Splatter’ car decal probed
    Christopher Keizur Thursday, June 25, 2020
    City employees filed complaints against ‘very violent, racist’ window sticker on car used by Field Operations Supervisor Doug Holley.
    COURTESY PHOTO – An investigation is occurring at the city of Gresham after an employee allegedly displayed this car window sticker.
    COURTESY PHOTO – An investigation is occurring at the city of Gresham after an employee allegedly displayed this car window sticker.

    An investigation is underway at the city of Gresham after complaints were filed against an employee who allegedly displayed a window sticker that read “All Lives Splatter — Nobody cares about your protest” with a decal of a car running people over.

    According to a city employee, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, Field Operations Supervisor Doug Holley had the window sticker on his personal truck while parked outside a city-owned building near Hogan Butte Nature Park on Friday, June 5.

    https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/471455-381447-gresham-supervisors-all-lives-splatter-car-decal-probed

  2. Europol: 436 Jihadists Arrested Across Europe in 2019 (breitbart, Jun 25, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/06/25/europol-436-jihadists-arrested-europe/

    “436 people were arrested for jihadist terror in Europe in 2019 according to a new report, but the mainstream media has focused their reporting on right-wing extremists, whose arrests were outnumbered by jihadists 20-to-1.

    According to the report, in addition to the 436 people arrested for jihadist terror-related offences across the continent in 2019, there were also 111 arrested for left-wing extremism, and 21 for right-wing extremism.

    In a broader context, in the past five years, 3,057 jihadists had been arrested, compared to 279 left-wing extremists, and 108 right-wing extremists. Other categories included 1,549 “non-specified counter terrorism-related arrests”, and 360 Ethno-nationalist and separatists — mainly arrests relating to Northern Ireland in the UK, and Catalonia in Spain.

    The good news is the number of attacks overall is falling, standing at 119 compared to 205 in 2017.

    On the ongoing development of these divergent groups, the 98-page study noted: “There is also a possible risk from radical Islamist groups in the EU attempting to take advantage of vulnerable asylum seekers.”

    On the 111 arrests related to far-left terrorism, the 2019 figure more than tripled the numbers seen in previous years, while the 21 arrests categorised as far-right were less than half the number seen in 2018.

    “The narratives behind [far-left] attacks”, according to Europol, “included expressions of solidarity with imprisoned anarchists internationally” as well as “support to refugees”.

    Right-wing extremists, it said, “capitalise on … xenophobia” as well as “agitating against immigration in polarising and inflammatory ways”, including by using “social issues … as propaganda tools, for example drawing the contrast between the housing of migrants and the plight of the homeless”.

    While noting that “many right-wing extremist groups across the EU have not resorted to violence”, the report’s authors hinted they would like to see more online censorship of views they consider to be “far-right”.

    “Despite a recent pushback, right-wing extremists continued to enjoy much greater freedom to act on major social media platforms in 2019 than, for example, jihadists; and these platforms remain important vectors for the spread of right-wing extremism,” the study asserts.

    Commenting in the report, Europol director Catherine De Bolle warned that the economic and social fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic “have the potential to further fuel the radicalisation of some individuals, regardless of their ideological persuasion”.

    “Activists both on the extreme left and right and those involved in jihadist terrorism attempt to seize the opportunity the pandemic has created to further propagate their aims.”

    Despite figures showing jihadist terror attacks pose the greatest threat to European lives, with 10 out of 10 terror deaths incurred across the continent in 2019 being attributed to Islamist attacks, several international mainstream media outlets focused reporting on the Europol study around the dangers of far-right ideology.

    Under the headline, “Europol: Ireland hit by surge of ‘right-wing extremism’”, the Irish Examiner talked up the threat of “anti-immigrant ideology”.

    Not until the final paragraph of the article was there any mention of far-left or jihadist extremism, despite the latter ideology relating to all five terror-related arrests made in the Republic of Ireland last year. Euractiv’s reporting also saved reporting the sudden surge in left-wing extremist arrests until their final paragraph, and named two particular attacks in its coverage, both by right-wing extremists.

    European Parliament based The Parliament magazine also followed the format, dedicating their report to right-wing extremism. Former newspaper The Independent focussed their reporting, their headline on the Europe-wide data noting ‘UK saw highest number of far-right terror attacks and plots in Europe in 2019, Europol says’.”

  3. A Stand Must Be Taken Against the Promotion of Murder

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In civilized societies action should be taken against anyone who expresses the desire to commit murder. The Iranian government, Hamas, Hezbollah, various clerics, and other influential figures within the Muslim world, as well as neo-Nazis and other extreme rightists, openly proclaim their desire to commit murder or even genocide against Jews and Israel. Many in the Western world either refuse to heed these statements or actively support them. Many others relentlessly criticize Israel and remain completely silent about Palestinian promotion of the killing of Jews.

    Civilized societies should not be silent when people state their intention to murder even a single person, let alone commit genocide. Many Western politicians and other prominent members of society do not seem to agree with this fundamental truth.

    In the non-Western world, many people have no inhibitions about saying, directly or indirectly, that they approve of murder in some cases and would personally commit it if the occasion arose. This is most easily seen when the potential victims are Jews. The leaders of Iran, for example, have spent four decades frequently and explicitly expressing their zeal to commit mass murder via the total destruction of the State of Israel.

    https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/promotion-of-murder/

  4. How to Deal with China?: “Made in America”

    by Lawrence A. Franklin
    June 25, 2020 at 4:00 am

    China’s Communist Party leadership was not pleased to hear a call from Australia for a global inquiry into the origin of the Covid-19 virus and China’s possible role in it.

    Australia further requested that the investigation be conducted outside the purview of the World Health Organization (WHO), which had had been spreading lies and disinformation about the transmissibility of the virus. China seems to have decided that Australia’s insistence on an independent study was a violation of the spirit of their bilateral relationship. Indeed, for the past three decades, the Australian economy has been buoyed by expanding commercial ties with China. This relationship has now soured, and China has been threatening Australia with economic warfare unless it reconsiders its inquisitive foreign policy.

    Making good on its threat, China slapped an 80% tariff on Australian barley and has threatened to boycott Australian wine and beef. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has rejected any such attempts at economic coercion.

    The attacks by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Australia’s policies and politicians have since become even more strident and personal. Chinese state-affiliated social media accounts have called Australia “gum stuck to China’s shoe” and suggested that Australia’s head of government had been kicked in the head by a kangaroo. Also, Chinese State Security agents have attempted to silence independent Chinese-language media in Australia by pressuring advertisers to withdraw their sponsorship.

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16153/how-to-deal-with-china

  5. Note: please back this thread up before it gets taken down:

    107 views

    Profile picture
    Write Winger
    Profile picture
    3 hours ago, 24 tweets, 12 min read

    “White supremacy” don’t mean “bloodthirsty white people hunting black people for irrational differences in skin pigmentation” like they’ve led you to believe, so when you’re accused you flog yourself trying to prove you’re not a “racist” like *THOSE* white people

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1276207401016848384.html

  6. UK: Belfast residents campaign for removal of barrier around Chinese consulate

    A legal dispute broke out between local residents and the Chinese consulate in Belfast over the construction of a security barrier around the compound, as filmed on Thursday.

    Over two weeks ago Martin McBurney, who lives near the consulate, won an injunction to stop the work. However, the consulate ignored the court’s decision with the Chinese embassy lawyer saying it does not accept the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland’s courts.

    Martin McBurney, who is also a spokesperson for a local protest group, said, “This area is a conservation area and it is protected by conservation policy the building is a listed building, the pillars on the building are listed and go back hundreds of years, the trees are preserved.”

    Belfast City Council said the consulate has diplomatic immunity allowing it to bypass planning laws.

  7. New Haven. Columbus statue take down. Infowars person chased out by crowd.

    Wednesday June 24th Wooster square in New Haven. Statue of Columbus went down. A mystery man in blue shirt was just discovered to be an Infowars person. People chased him out in shame by pointing out that he’s essentially ridiculing the grieving people.

  8. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a severe blow to the rights of immigrants and refugees in a that determined the government can fast-track deportation of certain asylum-seekers without allowing them to appeal before a federal judge.

    In the decision stylized as Department of Homeland Security vs. Thuraissigiam, the court’s conservative majority collectively denied habeas corpus and due process relief to a Sri Lankan national who feared persecution in his home country. Liberal justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer concurred in the judgment.

    The majority opinion, penned by arch-conservative Justice Samuel Alito, represents a victory for the Trump administration’s efforts to expedite removal of asylum seekers who fail their initial asylum screenings.

    https://lawandcrime.com/supreme-court/rbg-and-breyer-controversially-concur-in-judgment-dealing-severe-blow-to-rights-of-immigrants/

  9. Indonesia Jails IS-Linked Couple Who Tried to Assassinate Minister
    https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/06/25/indonesia-jails-is-linked-couple/

    “An Indonesian couple with links to the Islamic State (IS) group who tried to assassinate the country’s chief security minister were jailed Thursday.

    A Jakarta court handed a 12-year sentence to Syahrial Alamsyah, 51, and nine years to his wife Fitria Diana, 21, after convicting them on terrorism charges for trying to kill then security minister Wiranto in October last year.

    The sentences were below prosecutors’ demands for a 16-year and 12-year term, respectively…”

  10. PAKISTAN – Imran Khan calls Osama Bin Laden a ‘shaheed’ in parliament

    Imran Khan’s statements on al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden have been widely criticised in Pakistan and India

    Just a day after the United States called out Pakistan as one of the “safe havens”, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday called al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden a ‘shaheed’ or martyr. PM Khan was speaking in the national assembly, elaborating how Pakistan has been humiliated across the world despite having sacrificed lives in the war against terrorism.

    “The way we helped America in the ‘war on terror’ and the humiliation that my country had to face. I don’t think there has ever been any other country that supported war on terror and had to face criticism from them. If they are not successful in Afghanistan, Pakistan is held responsible for that too. Openly,” PM Khan told the National Assembly in a widely-circulated video.

    Imran Khan, who had described his foreign policy as his government’s biggest achievement, then went on to relate two instances when he said, people of Pakistan were deeply embarrassed.

    “One was when Americans killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. Shaheed kar diya (was martyred). But what happened after that. The entire world hurled abuses at us. Our ally (US) entered our country and killed someone without even telling us. It was a big humiliation,” Khan said, before going on to describe the drone attacks on Pakistan as the second set of incidents that embarrassed the country.

    Osama bin Laden was killed in a military operation by US Navy Seals in 2011 at the Garrison town in Abbottabad.

    Imran Khan’s description of Osama bin Laden as a ‘shaheed‘set social media abuzz as soon as a video of his remarks got out.

    Imran Khan was immediately panned by the opposition leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party.

    “Remember that Osama Bin Laden can be the PM’s hero but not the nation’s. He was and will remain a criminal of the state and the people,” PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman said, adding that Imran Khan’s words will go down in history.

    PML-N senior leader Khawaja Asif also panned Imran Khan. According to a report in Dawn, Asif said Osama bin Laden “brought terrorism to our lands, he was a terrorist through and through and he [PM Khan] calls him shaheed?”

    There has been no clarification from Imran Khan, who has been seen to defend Osama bin Laden in the past. Like when he was reported to have argued that one person’s freedom fighter could be another’s terrorist. Indian diplomat Vidisha Maitra had pointed to such statements from PM Khan in the United Nations General Assembly when she took the prime minister to the cleaners. Putting the spotlight on Pakistan’s track record of supporting and creating terrorists, she asked PM Khan if he would deny that “he was an open defender of Osama bin Laden”.

    Khan has made repeated controversial statements over the years, including during a trip to the US in 2019 when he claimed the ISI provided Washington with a lead that helped them find and kill bin Laden, according to news agency AFP. The cricketer-turned premier has long been criticised by opponents for overly sympathising with militants, with rivals once dubbing him “Taliban Khan”.

    Imran Khan’s remarks on Thursday came just a day after the United States State Department called out Pakistan for its continuing support to terrorists targeting India and Afghanistan.

    In its report that classified Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists, the state department underlined that Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Masood Azhar and 2008 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Sajid Mir were “widely believed” to be living “under the protection of the state” in Pakistan. The report had mirrored concerns expressed by New Delhi on numerous occasions about Pakistan’s complicity in sponsoring, promoting or supporting terrorists operating from its territory.

    https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/imran-khan-calls-osama-bin-laden-a-shaheed-in-parliament-gets-hammered/story-NPqnKnuxukaHmSgFp5q8rN.html

  11. New US Sanctions on Companies in Iran Metals Sector
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2354131/new-us-sanctions-companies-iran-metals-sector

    “The United States on Thursday blacklisted four steel, aluminum and iron companies operating in Iran’s metals sector, as well as sales agents of Iran’s largest steel manufacturer it said generate tens of millions of dollars for Tehran’s metals industry.

    The Treasury Department said in a statement the sales agents “generated tens of millions of dollars annually from the foreign sale of Mobarakeh Steel Company products, providing significant contributions to the billions of dollars generated overall by Iran’s steel, aluminum, copper, and iron sectors.”

    Mobarakeh Steel Co accounts for 1 percent of Iran’s gross domestic product, the Treasury said. It has been designated by the United States under different authorities, including counterterrorism and for operating in Iran’s metal sector.

    Thursday’s action also blacklisted three large aluminum, steel and iron producers in Iran, accusing them of contributing billions of dollars in sales and export of Iranian metals.

    The sanctions freeze any US assets held by the companies and generally prohibit Americans from dealing with them.

    “The Iranian regime continues to use profits from metals manufacturers and foreign sales agents to fund destabilizing behavior around the world,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.”

  12. Russia Quits UN System on Syria Hospitals, Aid
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2354246/russia-quits-un-system-syria-hospitals-aid

    “Russia has quit a United Nations arrangement that aimed to protect hospitals and humanitarian aid deliveries in Syria from being hit by the warring parties, according to a UN note to aid groups seen by Reuters on Thursday.

    The Russian move comes after an internal UN inquiry in April found it was “highly probable” the government of Syria or its allies carried out attacks on three healthcare facilities, a school and a refuge for children in northwest Syria last year.

    Russia and Syria have said their forces are not targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure and have long-questioned the sources used by the United Nations to verify attacks.

    Under the UN deconfliction arrangement, the locations of UN supported facilities and other humanitarian sites like hospitals and health centers had been shared with the warring parties in a bid to protect them. However, the United Nations has questioned whether it made them a target.

    “On Tuesday, 23 June, the Russian Federation informed the United Nations that it would no longer participate in the humanitarian notification system,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in the note.

    An OCHA spokeswoman confirmed the note.

    “The United Nations is concerned about the withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the notification mechanism and is examining the implications of this decision for humanitarian personnel and operations in Syria,” the UN note said.

    The United Nations said it would discuss the situation further with Russia.

    In the note it said all parties to the conflict – whether they participated in the voluntary deconfliction arrangement or not – were still bound by international humanitarian law.”

  13. US State Department Lauds Saudi Efforts in Countering Terrorism
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2353571/us-state-department-lauds-saudi-efforts-countering-terrorism

    “The US State Department lauded the efforts of Saudi Arabia in countering terrorism in the region, warning that ISIS continues to direct, enable, and inspire individuals to conduct terrorist attacks around the world.

    In its “Country Reports on Terrorism 2019,” the State Department said that Saudi authorities worked closely with the US to implement counterterrorism commitments and to develop new capabilities to “monitor and counter extremist messaging.”

    It indicated that the Kingdom focused on identifying pathways to terrorist radicalization and recruitment in order to promote a more comprehensive, collaborative, and proactive approach to countering violent extremism.

    The report pointed out that Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Middle East that supported the US and international sanctions imposed on terrorist financing networks, with a focus on entities that support Iran and its proxies.

    It indicated that the Iranian regime, along with its proxies, continue to plan terrorist attacks on the world, noting that Tehran, ISIS and al-Qaeda suffered major setbacks in 2019.

    “As part of the maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime – the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism – the United States and our partners imposed new sanctions on Tehran and its proxies.”

    In Africa and Southeast Asia, ISIS affiliates carried out attacks and inspired others to do so as well, according to the report.

    It also noted that threats posed by racially or ethnically motivated terrorism, particularly white supremacist terrorism, remained a serious challenge for the global community.

    It pointed out that this trend began in 2015 and continued with numerous deadly racially motivated attacks around the world in 2019, including in New Zealand, Germany, and the US.

    The State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Nathan Sales, said that removing Sudan or any other country from the list of “state sponsors of terrorism” requires the implementation of many measures and policies that ensure terrorism will not be supported in the future.

    Sales told a news conference that the US sanctions are against the former regime in Sudan led by dictator Omar al-Bashir, adding that the current government needs to move forward with more stable and democratic operations that maintain human rights.

    In response to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat about some countries violating international laws and financing terrorist groups, Sales said that the US wants to ensure that financing for terrorists is stopped.

    He explained that the Iranian regime supported terrorist militias around the world rather than providing a better life for its citizens.

    Sales asserted that the US will continue to designate terrorist entities and individuals, adding that this step yields positive results in controlling the money designated to support terrorists.

    The official called upon the Taliban to respect its agreement with Washington, noting that the organization promised to cut all ties with terrorist groups, which will be monitored by the US.

    He also addressed terrorism in Central Africa and al-Sahel, saying that this region is important, pointing that France wants to prepare these countries to confront terrorism with Washington’s help.”

  14. Explosion reported near Tehran

    A large explosion was heard east of Tehran on Thursday night, with video from local sources showing a bright light lighting up the night sky, according to the Iranian Mehr news agency.

    It is unclear what caused the explosion and where exactly the explosion occurred. But it was seen and heard from multiple locations in the area.

    https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/explosion-reported-near-tehran-report-632864
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    https://twitter.com/farnazfassihi/status/1276269323527639041
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    https://twitter.com/thabit_78/status/1276274492009054208
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    • RT –MASSIVE EXPLOSION outside Tehran reportedly rocks military base or research site (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

      Videos that appeared on social media showed a major explosion outside Tehran, fueling speculation of an attack against a military base, a research site, or a power plant. Details remain a mystery so far.

      Rumors initially said the explosion took place at a power station in Sarkh Hasar, east of Tehran, and that similar explosions took place in Shiraz, in southern Iran, prompting speculation of a cyber attack.

      https://www.rt.com/news/492967-tehran-explosion-military-base/
      ==================================================
      al araby – A large explosion has occurred near a military complex in eastern Tehran, according to Iranian media.

      Local sources who spoke to semi-official news agency Mehr report a loud explosion rocking the neighbourhood of Sorkheh Hesar, east of the Iranian capital.

      Videos circulating on social media show a large, bright explosion illuminating the night.

      There has been no independent confirmation of reports.

      Sorkheh Hesar is located near Parchin, the site of a large military base used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Force (IRGC), as well as multiple weapons factories.

      Residents of surrounding neighbourhoods have also reported hearing an explosion, according to Mehr.

      https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/6/25/massive-explosion-near-military-complex-rocks-eastern-tehran

  15. Extremist groups grow and adapt despite ‘war on terror’, warns US report
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200625-extremist-groups-grow-and-adapt-despite-war-on-terror-warns-us-report/

    “Extremist groups around the world have been adapting and growing in influence despite nearly two decades of the “war on terror”, a US government report has revealed. The US State Department’s annual terror assessment was released yesterday.

    According to the report, America’s fight against terrorist groups such as Daesh in the Levant, the killing of its former leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, and the killing of Al-Qaeda’s founder Osama Bin Laden and his son Hamza are all “major strides” forward in the efforts to counter global terrorism.

    “Despite these successes,” though, “dangerous terrorist threats persisted” and Washington continues to face a “diverse and dynamic threat landscape,” consisting of groups ranging from jihadists to white supremacists…”

  16. Turkey: 6 journalists go on trial over Libya leak
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200625-turkey-6-journalists-go-on-trial-over-libya-leak/

    “Six Turkish journalists yesterday went on trial over reporting on deaths of Turkish intelligence personnel serving in Libya.

    The journalists, who have been in jail since early March pending trial, were charged with revealing state secrets in their coverage of the deaths of Turkish intelligence personnel serving in Libya.

    In a statement, Murat Agirel of the Yenicag newspaper said: “With these nonexistent charges, I have been held alone in a cell in prison for 120 days. The charges against me are neither based on tangible evidence nor conscientious. … The MIT officer was reported about on social media before I wrote [about] it,” in reference to the Turkey’s National Intelligence AgencyAccording to local media, the court released three journalists, while the remaining three will remain in jail pending trial, with the next hearing scheduled for 9 September…”

  17. Huge fire at fuel depot destroys homes in Yemen’s capital
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200625-huge-fire-at-fuel-depot-destroys-homes-in-yemens-capital/

    “Dozens of homes were destroyed on Monday in a residential area in the Yemeni capital Sanaa after a tank of fuel exploded at a depot reportedly belonging to a citizen named, Naji Al-Hakim.

    Some news outlets have claimed that he is a member of the Houthi movement, which forms part of the unrecognised, ruling National Salvation Government in the country’s north.

    The property, in the Al-Sunainah neighbourhood, was said to be storing petroleum derivatives which were being sold on the black market while the country is facing an ongoing fuel crisis…”

  18. Belgium votes on recognising State of Palestine, imposing sanctions on Israel
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200625-belgium-votes-on-recognising-state-of-palestine-imposing-sanctions-on-israel/

    “The Belgian Chamber of Representatives will today be voting on whether to “formally recognise the State of Palestine.”

    The resolution, said Socialist MP Malik Ban Achour, urges the federal government “to formally recognise the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel and to consider this recognition as a contribution by Belgium to the solution based on the coexistence of two democratic and independent states having the right to live in peace and security with mutually recognized, accepted and respected borders. ”

    The 150-member House of Representatives will also debate a second resolution calling for the government to prepare a list of ‘’counter-measures’’ to be implemented if the Israeli annexation plan goes ahead on 1 July.

    MPs from left-wing parties, including the Socialist Party and members of the French and Green parties, proposed the resolutions.

    Earlier this week, more than 1,000 members of parliament from across Europe signed a letter warning Israel against annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.

    The legislators said they “share serious concerns about President Trump’s plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the imminent prospect of Israeli annexation of West Bank territory.”

    According to private daily Al-Bawaba, the resolution supporting EU punitive measures against Israel passed in a committee earlier this month with an easy majority and is likely to pass in the plenary.

    However, the measure to recognise a Palestinian state passed by one vote in the Foreign Affairs Committee and is considered less likely to be approved by the plenary.

    Sweden became the first EU member to officially recognise Palestine in 2014, though other parliaments have since called on their governments to do so.”

  19. Yemeni ex-official: Saudi Arabia lost war for Iran, UAE
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200625-yemeni-ex-official-saudi-arabia-lost-war-for-iran-uae/

    “A former senior official in Yemen said Thursday that Saudi Arabia lost the war in Yemen to Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Anadolu Agency reported.

    Former Minister of Transportation Saleh Algabwani tweeted: “When we evaluate the performance of the regional powers in the Yemeni war, we find that the beneficiaries are Iran and the UAE, however the loser is Saudi Arabia.”

    Last April, Algabwani submitted his resignation to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in protest of a decision to suspend him from his post.

    The former minister accused Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik of “supporting the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council.”

    Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Iran-aligned Houthi group overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

    The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen and supported the country’s pro-Saudi government.”

  20. Iraqi security forces raid Iran-backed militia headquarters: government sources
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security/iraqi-security-forces-raid-iran-backed-militia-headquarters-government-sources-idUSKBN23W3J9

    “Iraqi security forces raided a headquarters belonging to a powerful Iran-backed militia south of Baghdad late on Thursday, seized rockets and detained three commanders of the group at the site, two Iraqi government officials said.

    The officials said the militia group targeted was the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah, which U.S. officials have accused of firing rockets at bases hosting U.S. troops and other facilities in Iraq.

    Iraq’s new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has indicated he will be tough on militia groups which target U.S. installations. The raid, which took place after midnight, is the first sign Kadhimi will follow through on his tough talk.

    It took place after a number of rocket attacks near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and other U.S. military sites in the country in recent weeks.

    There was no immediate comment from Iraqi militia groups or from Iran. Both Tehran and Washington supported Kadhimi in becoming prime minister in May.

    One of the government officials told Reuters one of the three leaders detained in the raid was an Iranian. Iraqi special forces from the Counter Terrorism Service carried out the raid, he said.

    The official said the three detained leaders were handed over to the U.S. military. A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said he “doubted” that Iraqi authorities had handed over the detainees.

    The Iraqi official said at least 20 other fighters were detained during the raid.

    Tensions between Washington and Tehran especially on Iraqi soil have been high for at least a year.

    It nearly spilled into regional conflict in January after the United States killed Iran’s military mastermind Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport.”

  21. ECHR Backs France’s Decision to Strip 4 Moroccans of French Nationality
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/06/306866/echr-backs-frances-decision-to-strip-4-moroccans-of-french-nationality/

    “The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said France’s decision to strip five dual nationals of their French nationality, including four former Moroccan convicts of terrorism charges, does not “violate human rights.”

    The ECHR issued a press release to convey its arguments on the case today, June 25.

    The statement said the five binational men, including a French-Turkish former convict, were sentenced in 2007 to six to eight years in prison for “participation in a criminal association for the purpose of preparing a terrorist act.”

    The suspects received the sentences for their direct links with the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group. The cell was responsible for the Casablanca terror attacks of May 16, 2003, which killed 45 people, including three French victims.

    The terror act also resulted in injuries among 100 people.

    The convicts were released in 2009 and 2010 and France stripped them of their nationality in October 2015, Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) reported.

    ECHR said France’s decision to deprive the former convicts of their nationality “did not have disproportionate consequences on their private life.”

    The statement argues that terror violence “constitutes in itself a serious threat to human rights,” emphasizing that the loss of nationality had not made them stateless since they all have another nationality.

    “The loss of French nationality did not automatically lead to removal from the territory,” the statement emphasizes.

    Vincent Bregarth, one of the lawyers who represented the former convicts, said the men have “always worked and all have family.”

    “[The men] have demonstrated their republican integration,” the lawyer said.

    Historical precedent

    Activists have long criticized France and Belgium for their decisions to strip terror convicts of their nationality.

    The Economist reported in 2016 that France undertook a raft of counter terrorism measures after the November 2017 attacks in Paris.

    The magazine mentioned how French citizens deplored the decision to strip dual citizens of French citizenship.

    “Many French citizens with dual citizenship from North African countries sense that they—not Franco-Germans or Franco-Americans, say—are the only dual citizens that lawmakers really have in mind,” said the Economist.

    French authorities stripped several other dual French-Moroccan nationals of their citizenship.

    One of the recent cases dates back to October 2019, when France stripped a 20-year-old French-Moroccan man of his citizenship for attempting to travel to Syria only a few days after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January 2015.

    The French Ministry of Interior said last year that it had stripped 16 people of French nationality since 2002 due to terrorism charges, including five in 2015.

    French authorities have the right to deprive people of citizenship if they are dual nationals for specific reasons including treason and terrorism.

    In June 2019, French authorities also stripped a French-Moroccan of his French nationality for conspiring to join terrorism activities in Afghanistan.”

  22. Three ‘MQM-London terrorists’ arrested
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2250299/1-three-mqm-london-terrorists-arrested/

    “Sindh Rangers and the Special Investigation Unit police arrested three alleged terrorists belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) in a joint operation based on a tip-off on Thursday, seizing weapons and hand grenades from their possession.

    The arrested suspects were identified as Wasiullah, Mohammad Fazil and Mohammad Rizwan.

    According to the Rangers, the suspects had confessed to having links with the MQM-L Wajih team during the initial investigation. They were reportedly planning a terrorist attack in Karachi on directives from London and had also been provided with funds and arms for the purpose.

    The Rangers statement further said that the suspects had revealed plans for cracker attacks in gas cylinder shops in Malir, Shah Faisal Town and Korangi, with the aim of triggering intense explosions.

    They also reportedly admitted that MQM-L was planning a terrorist attack through small groups in Karachi. Further revelations are expected from the arrested individuals.

    The arrested men have been handed over to the police for legal proceedings.”

  23. Pakistan allowed Taliban and Haqqani Network to use its territory to target Afghanistan: US
    https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-allowed-taliban-and-haqqani-network-to-use-its-territory-to-target-afghanistan-us-08921/

    “Pakistan allowed the Taliban group and the notorious Haqqani terrorist network to use its terroritory in targeting Afghanistan during the year 2019.

    “Pakistan remained a safe harbor for other regionally focused terrorist groups,” the State Department said in its latested titled Country Reports on Terrorism 2019 which it published on Wednesday.

    The report further added “It allowed groups targeting Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and affiliated HQN, as well as groups targeting India, including LeT and its affiliated front organizations, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), to operate from its territory.”

    “It did not take action against other known terrorists such as JeM founder and UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar and 2008 Mumbai attack “project manager” Sajid Mir, both of whom are believed to remain free in Pakistan,” the report said.

    However, the report added “Pakistan, however, did make some positive contributions to the Afghanistan peace process, such as encouraging Taliban reductions in violence.”

    The report also added “Pakistan made some progress toward meeting the Action Plan requirements for the FATF, allowing it to avoid being blacklisted, but did not complete all Action Plan items in 2019.””

  24. Mullah Baradar holds Pakistani Passport and National Identity Card: Report
    https://www.khaama.com/mullah-baradar-holds-pakistani-passport-and-national-identity-card-report-08922/

    “The Deputy Political Chief of Taliban Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar also holds Pakistani passport and National Identity Card.

    A former official of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) has told RFE/RL that three reliable intelligence sources have confirmed that Mullah Baradar holds Pakistani passport and National Identity Card.

    The official further added that Pakistan has issued the documents to Mullah Baradar under the fake name of Muhammad Arif Agha.

    The official also added that Pakistan has adopted a policy to issue passports and National Identity Cards to Taliban under fake identities in a bid to pave the way for them to travel abroad.

    The documents were reportedly issued to Mullah Baradar in Karachi city of Pakistan on 7th of July 2014.

    However, the Taliban group has rejected that Mullah Baradar holds Pakistani passport and National Identity Card, claiming that the pictures of documents circulating on social media are fake.

    This comes as the former Taliban supreme leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was also holding a Pakistani passport which was recovered following a drone strike which killed him in 2016.”

  25. EU committee approves $545 mln for refugees in Turkey
    https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-committee-approves-545-mln-for-refugees-in-turkey-155989

    “The European Parliament’s budgetary committee on June 24 approved a proposal on supporting Syrian refugees in Turkey with an additional €485 million ($545 million).

    On June 3, the European Commission proposed to top up humanitarian aid for refugees and host communities in response to the Syrian crisis by a total of €585 million ($658 million).

    According to the plan approved by the budgetary committee, €100 million ($113 million) will be allocated to Jordan and Lebanon, while Turkey receives the rest.

    If the European Parliament’s plenary and EU member states approve the proposal, unallocated margins of the 2020 EU budget will finance the aid.

    The €485 million transfer will extend the functioning of two established programs in Turkey until the end of the next year.

    The Emergency Social Safety Net program provides monthly financial assistance to more than 1.7 million refugees, while the other one, Conditional Cash Transfers, helps over 600,000 refugee children to attend school.

    These programs have been running as part of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal, meant to stop irregular refugee flows and improve the conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey.

    The EU had pledged €6 billion ($6.5 billion) aid for the refugees.

    According to the EU’s latest data, all operational funds have been committed, €4.7 billion ($5.3 billion) contracted and €3.4 billion ($3.8 billion) disbursed.

    The EU promised to pay €4 billion ($4.5 billion) by 2020, while the full €6 billion amount is expected to be paid by 2025.

    Turkey is the largest host country for Syrian refugees and provides international protection to 4 million people who fled the neighboring country.”

  26. Man stabbed in revenge for alleged gang rape of girl
    https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2020/06/25/man-stabbed-in-revenge-for-alleged-gang-rape-of-girl_5d18ef33-9ddf-4583-95b8-f442a8373f43.html

    “Carabinieri police have staged a series of arrests after a young Pakistani man was stabbed near Milan last year, apparently in revenge for allegedly taking part in the gang rape of a girl.

    The girl allegedly plotted the attack at the train station in the town of Novate Milanese on November 12, 2019 with her boyfriend and another friend.

    The 19-year-old who was stabbed was allegedly among three men who raped the girl after an evening at a night club in January 2019.

    The girl and her accomplices thought they had only injured the man.

    But if he had not undergone urgent surgery, he would have died.

    The Carabinieri arrested three Italians for alleged attempted homicide, attempted robbery and illegal possession of arms, and three Pakistani nationals for gang rape.”

  27. Libya: ‘Faces a real risk of partition’
    https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20200625-interview-libya-faces-a-real-risk-of-partition

    “In an interview with FRANCE 24, Wolfram Lacher, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, warned of a “real risk” of partition in Libya. He said this could happen either through an escalation of the fighting or because a “frozen conflict” scenario would take hold…”

  28. French jihadist goes on trial over IS group executions in Syria
    https://www.france24.com/en/20200625-french-jihadist-goes-on-trial-over-is-group-executions-in-syria

    “A French jihadist went on trial Thursday on terror charges amid accusations that he oversaw executions in Syria as a senior figure in the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

    Tyler Vilus, 30, is facing charges of belonging to a terrorist group, heading a unit of IS group fighters and “aggravated murder” between 2013 and 2015. He faces a life sentence if convicted.

    Investigators suspect him of being part of the “Al-Muhajireen” (the immigrants) brigade, a squadron that tortured and carried out summary executions, which he denies.

    Vilus is also accused of supervising executions as a member of the religious police in the north-eastern Syrian town of Ash Shaddadi, close to the Iraqi border.

    In a 2015 video published by the IS group’s media department, a man alleged to be Vilus is two metres away as two kneeling and blindfolded prisoners – one belonging to the Free Syrian Army rebel fighters and the other a member of Bashar al-Assad’s army – are executed with a bullet to the head.

    In an interview with FRANCE 24, sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar, an expert in radicalisation, described Vilus as a “charismatic personality” who became an “emir”, or general, of the IS group and was heavily involved in propaganda efforts to attract people to Syria.

    Vilus was arrested at an Istanbul airport with a Swiss passport in July 2015 and was subsequently deported to France…”

  29. USA: Dozens march in Seattle’s “Occupied Protest”

    Dozens of demonstrators took part in the ‘Capitol Hill Occupied Protest’ in Seattle, Thursday.

    The protesters could be seen marching through central Seattle, waving anti-racism banners, chanting slogans decrying police brutality. The demonstrators also set up a makeshift memorial for police brutality victims.

    Earlier, Mayor Jenny Durkan said that demonstrators would be asked to obey by a night curfew in central Seattle and that the Seattle Police Department would move back into its currently blockaded East Precinct in the coming weeks.

    There is no specific timeline for the end of the protest, with unrest being on for weeks.

  30. “Les médias ont cherché à camoufler les émeutes en Allemagne”, dit Eric Zemmour

  31. Rep. McCarthy: Protesters are ‘trying to tear down the history of this nation’

  32. Fox News – Trump Town Hall hosted by Sean Hannity

    President Trump discusses cancel culture push to remove statues, Democrat-run cities in crisis, support for ‘stop and frisk’ policing, economic threat from China, response to coronavirus pandemic with Sean Hannity in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

  33. U.S. Embassy in Moscow Flies Gay Pride Flag

    The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has hung a rainbow flag on its front facade, photos posted on social media Thursday show.

    Starting Thursday, Russians will vote on a set of constitutional amendments that would add language defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman to Russia’s basic law. The provision has been criticized by Russian LGBT activists, who say it would effectively prevent gay marriage from ever being legalized.

    “LGBTI rights are human rights. Human rights are universal,” the embassy wrote on its Instagram. “Everyone deserves to live free from hatred, prejudice and persecution.”

    Thursday also marks the 42nd anniversary of the rainbow flag’s first appearance as a gay pride symbol at the 1978 Pride parade in San Francisco.
    ==============================================
    twitter @USEmbRu

    https://twitter.com/USEmbRu/status/1276161087537401857
    =============================================

    Displays of the rainbow flag are uncommon in Russia, where the display of “homosexual propaganda toward minors” is outlawed and intolerant attitudes toward the LGBT community persist. The U.S. has long been critical of Russia’s gay rights record.

    President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Kremlin staff hadn’t noticed the flag at the U.S. embassy, but added that “in any event, any display of propaganda of non-traditional sexual minorities in our country is not allowed by law.”

    Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump banned the country’s embassies from flying the rainbow flag during June, which is celebrated as LGBT Pride month around the world. Because the ban only applies to official flagpoles, embassies have placed the flag inside their buildings and hung it on exterior walls as workarounds.

    https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/06/25/us-embassy-in-moscow-flies-gay-pride-flag-a70696

    ===========================================

    • US EMBASSY HELPS RUSSIANS TO VOTE YES ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

      […]This move likely directly ordered by US Ambassador to Russia John J. Sullivan and was designed to demonstrate the US official position towards the current constitutional vote in Russia.

      It is an open secret that the majority of the Russian population is against the official promotion of LGBT and neo-liberal values that became mainstream in the West. Even in the biggest cities like Moscow or Saint Petersburg, the number of people supporting so-called ‘neo-liberal’ values does not exceed about 5%.

      There is a Russian federal law “for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values” that bans LGBT propaganda among people under 18yo. In these conditions, the move of the US embassy could be described as an intentional provocation.

      […]Over the past weeks, Russian citizens have been able to follow the situation in the United States, where LGBT activists were supporting left wing and black rioters. The June 25 action initiated by the US Ambassador will motivate a part of uncommitted voters to support the conservative changes to the constitution.

      In this situation, the US embassy decision is a foolery or an agitation trick in support of the “YES” vote. Mr. Putin should thank US diplomats or even give a state decoration to Mr. Sullivan.

      https://southfront.org/us-embassy-helps-russians-to-vote-yes-on-constitutional-amendments/

  34. ““The Undoing of American Liberty”—Dennis Prager Talks Communism, Cancel Culture & Systemic Racism”
    American Thought leaders – The Epoch Times – June 25, 2020

  35. At Jerusalem’s Request, U.S. Embassy Briefly Takes Down Its LGBTQ Pride Banner

    A banner promoting LGBTQ pride was temporarily taken down from the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday after the city’s deputy mayor complained about it, claiming it was offensive to residents.

    The banner was rehung Tuesday night following media coverage and discussions between the embassy and city officials.

    The banner reads “PRIDE: The U.S. Embassy Jerusalem proudly supports tolerance and diversity.” It hangs on a perimeter wall of a building belonging to the U.S. Embassy to Israel, a historic stone property that until last year served as the U.S. mission to the Palestinians. Embassy officials hung it up before a rally across the street celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month next week.

    Jerusalem’s far-right deputy mayor, Aryeh King, said he asked city officials to have the banner removed Tuesday morning, after receiving complaints from residents. The Jerusalem municipality said in a statement that the embassy had not requested a permit to hang the sign and that the embassy agreed to have the banner folded up until a permit was arranged.

    “I am surprised that the embassy decided not only to break the law, but also to put up a sign that the majority of residents oppose. Why take sides on a controversial issue and put up a sign on our street?” King told NPR. “Most of the Jews, Christians and Muslims in the city oppose it.”

    The banner faces a downtown street and park where Jerusalem’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer organization will hold an annual rally next week. U.S. officials also posted the banner there in recent years during the city’s LGBTQ pride events.

    The U.S. Embassy said in a statement that the banner was “temporarily taken down … pending a discussion with the City of Jerusalem municipal government.”

    The banner was flipped upside-down and, in the evening, removed completely.

    Jerusalem resident Natan Odenheimer said police officers confronted him as he photographed the banner being removed.

    At night, it was rehung in the same location.

    “This month we celebrate the LGBTI community and affirm that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity,” the embassy said, referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people.

    LGBTQ events in Jerusalem frequently draw protest from conservative religious groups. At Jerusalem’s pride march in 2015, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man fatally stabbed an Israeli teenager. In the past as a city council member, King publicly opposed LGBTQ events in Jerusalem.

    “No one will stop pride!” the Jerusalem Open House, the city’s LGBTQ organization, said in a Facebook post. “It is sad that instead of acting on behalf of all Jerusalemites, Deputy Mayor King is trying again to exclude the gay community and erase our presence. This attempt is destined for failure.”

    NBC News reported the Trump administration rejected requests this year from U.S. Embassies in Israel, Germany, Brazil, Latvia and other countries to fly the LGBTQ pride flag on embassy flagpoles this month. Last year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked embassies not to use the official flagpole to fly LGBTQ pride flags, but allowed them to hang pride banners elsewhere on their premises.

    Last week, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, removed an LGBTQ pride flag for unknown reasons, at the same time that it removed a Black Lives Matter banner following a request from the State Department.

    https://www.wvxu.org/post/jerusalems-request-us-embassy-briefly-takes-down-its-lgbtq-pride-banner