Reader’s Links for October 5th, 2020

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

116 Replies to “Reader’s Links for October 5th, 2020”

  1. How India is right at the centre of destroying China’s bases in ASEAN, South Asia and Africa

    • I like her – she’s addictive!
      No pretense, she’s offering editorial comment. Presenting her evidence, anticipating challenges. If only there were panel discussions, lively exchanges would be great fun.

  2. Medical Experts Gave Green Light For Trump To Go On Short Drive Outside Walter Reed Medical Center, WH Says

    Medical experts reportedly deemed President Donald Trump’s brief trip outside of Walter Reed Medical Center as being “safe” after the proper precautions were taken.

    “Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the President and all those supporting it, including PPE,” the White House said in a statement. “The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do.”

    https://www.dailywire.com/news/medical-experts-gave-green-light-for-trump-to-go-on-short-drive-outside-walter-reed-medical-center-wh-says?itm_source=parsely-api?utm_source=cnemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=100520-news&utm_campaign=position1

  3. Canada repatriating 5-year-old orphan held in Syrian camp

    A five-year-old Canadian girl stuck inside a Syrian refugee camp after her family was killed in an airstrike is on her way to Canada.

  4. LA Times article June 8, 2020

    by Marcus Anthony Hunter, Sociology professor, UCLA

    “When I coined the hashtag #BLACKLIVESMATTER, in the hot summer of 2012
    ( later popularized through the activism of Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, after Michael Brown’s death), racial healing reparations and transformation were heavy on my mind. I had been bearing witness to the possibilities and problems of America for more than 30 years – – raised amid the war on drugs, the LGBTQ rights movement, the end of the Cold War, the rise of hip-hop and fulfillment of the prophecy of the civil rights movement as expressed through Barack Obama’s historic 2 terms as the country’s first black president “.

  5. Egypt executes 15 ‘political prisoners’ in new crackdown
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-political-prisoners-executed-crackdown

    “Egyptian authorities have executed 15 detainees since Saturday, all of them political prisoners, a rights group and families told Middle East Eye.

    According to We Record, an organisation tracking and documenting the death penalty in Egypt, authorities executed on Saturday 15 detainees who had been in custody since 2014, in three cases the organisation described as “political”.

    A spokesperson for the group told MEE that the executions were “unlawful” since most of the detainees had been subjected to enforced disappearance and torture prior to their conviction.

    Two detainees, Yasser Abasiri and Yasser Shakr, were members of outlawed group the Muslim Brotherhood, from the coastal city of Alexandria.

    They had been arrested after organising protests against the 2013 military coup that brought President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to power, the spokesman said…”

  6. Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Canada suspends sale of drone technology to Turkey
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/azerbaijan-armenia-conflict-canada-suspends-sale-drone-technology-turkey

    “Canada has suspended the sale of advanced drone optics to Turkey over allegations that the technology is being used in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced on Monday.

    Canada imposed a freeze on arms sales to Turkey last year after Ankara’s incursion into northern Syria, but continued to sell non-lethal military technology, including drone optics, to its Nato partner.

    On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa was investigating the use of drones made in Canada in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a key ally of Turkey.

    Champagne said the Canadian government will stop allowing the sale of military technology to Turkey while the probe is underway.

    “In line with Canada’s robust export control regime and due to the ongoing hostilities, I have suspended the relevant export permits to Turkey, so as to allow time to further assess the situation,” Champagne said in a statement on Monday.

    “Canada continues to be concerned by the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting in shelling of communities and civilian casualties.”

    Turkish drones
    Project Ploughshares, a Canadian arms control group, had raised concerns that imaging and targeting systems produced by the Canada-based L3Harris Wescam were used on Azeri armed drones to shell Armenian-controlled areas last month.

    The group had raised concerns about Wescam’s relationship in a report released in September.

    “Based on an analysis of Canada’s international obligations, domestic arms controls, and an evaluation of Turkey’s recent conduct during warfare, Canada’s export of Wescam sensors to Turkey poses a substantial risk of facilitating human suffering, including violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” the report reads…”

  7. Turkish armed drones used against Armenia, Azerbaijan confirms
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-turkey-drones

    “Azerbaijan has acknowledged for the first time that it had been using Turkish-produced armed drones against Armenian targets in Nagorno-Karabakh.

    “Thanks to advanced Turkish drones owned by the Azerbaijan military, our casualties on the front shrunk,” said Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in a televised interview on Monday with the Turkish news channel TRT Haber. “These drones show Turkey’s strength. It also empowers us.”…”

  8. Biden to end US support for Yemen war
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201005-biden-to-end-us-support-for-yemen-war/

    “Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, has pledged to end his country’s support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen if he becomes president.

    “Under Biden-Harris Administration, we will reassess our relationship with the [Saudi Arabia] Kingdom, end US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, and make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil,” Biden said in a statement on his campaign website.

    The war in Yemen has been one of the main topics of debate between Biden and his rival, Republican candidate and current President, Donald Trump.

    Trump has been supporting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in their war in Yemen in return for large arms deals.

    International human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised Washington’s role in the war in Yemen, and the continued sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have led to grave human rights violations.”

  9. Turkey accuses France’s Macron of ‘sowing Islamophobia’
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201005-turkey-accuses-frances-macron-of-sowing-islamophobia/

    “Turkey on Monday accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “encouraging Islamophobia” with his recent remarks claiming that “Islam is in crisis”.

    “The claim by President Macron that ‘Islam is in crisis’ is a dangerous and provocative statement, encouraging Islamophobia and anti-Muslim demagoguery,” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter.

    “Making Islam and Muslims a scapegoat for the failures of the French Republic is a far cry from rational policy,” Kalin added.

    Last Friday, Macron announced a controversial plan against so-called “Islamist separatism” in the country.

    In a speech, Macron claimed that Islam is a religion that is “experiencing a crisis across the world”.”

  10. Assad admits to needing Russian presence in Syria to ‘counter’ Western power
    https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/10/5/assad-says-russia-presence-keeps-balance-in-syria

    “Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has claimed that Russia’s military presence in the country provides a useful counter-weight to Western powers who are involved in the continued campaign against the Islamic State group.

    Assad mentioned the influence of Russia’s two main bases in Syria – a naval base in Tartous and airbase in Latakia – as providing a balance to Western influence in the country, during an interview with a Russian defence ministry-affiliated newspaper.

    “This global military balance needs Russia’s role… this needs (military) bases… we benefit from this,” Assad said, according to Reuters…”

  11. Syrian families ‘at risk of starvation’, as government limits subsidised bread
    https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/10/5/syria-limits-subsidised-bread-as-economic-crisis-worsens

    “The Syrian government has unrolled limits on the amount of subsidised bread available to families, putting already impoverished larger families at risk of starvation, The Guardian reported on Monday.

    The amount of subsidised bread families are allowed to buy with a state-issued electronic card now depends on the number of members per family, the report said, putting larger families at a disadvantage.

    Under the recent government order, a family of two can buy one packet of bread a day, while a family of four can buy two packets, and a family of six three.

    However, all families larger than six are reportedly entitled to only four packets of bread, regardless of the number of members.

    Syria’s state-run bakeries sell subsidised bread for 100 pounds per packet. Families who need more will have to turn to the black market, where prices run at nearly 500 Syrian pounds per packet.

    The state operated bakeries have drawn massive lines since the start of the nine-year war, but such queues have increased since the Syrian pound plummeted last year…”

  12. Saudi Arabia: Chief Justice, seven judges prosecuted for bribery, money laundering
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-chief-justice-seven-judges-prosecuted-for-bribery-money-laundering-1.74364730

    “A Saudi chief justice and seven other judges are being prosecuted for bribery, money laundering and influence peddling, in the latest crackdown on high-profile offenders in the Saudi Arabia, local media reported.

    A hearing was held to try the chief justice, charged with reciving a bribe, money laundering and abusing of his office, Okaz learned.

    Sources said that the security authorities arrested the accused judge at dawn, and a sum of money and mobile devices were seized, and accomplices were arrested.

    Earlier, the Control and Anti-Corruption Authority said that a judge was arrested along with his brother, who is an officer with a rank of colonel, a businessman and a lawyer for involvement in bribery, money laundering, seizing public money, abuse of power and misuse of administrative authority.

    The case started with a report that the judge had received bribes linked to lawsuits and was illegally involved in trade, a source at the watchdog said.

    Investigations proved the authenticity of the report filed against the judge and involvement of others including a middleman appointed by him to receive the bribes in collaboration with the judge’s brother, the businessman and the lawyer.

    All those arrested in the case admitted in investigations to the charges levelled against them, the source said.

    The judges were arrested after finalising relevant procedures from the Supreme Council for Judiciary in accordance with the Saudi judicial system, the watchdog said.

    It called the suspected judges’ conduct an “isolated act” unrepresentative of judges’ integrity in Saudi Arabia.”

  13. Soldier killed during anti-terror op in eastern Turkey
    https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/soldier-killed-during-anti-terror-op-in-eastern-turkey-158845

    “A Turkish soldier was killed in Turkey’s eastern A?r? province, the Interior Ministry announced on Oct. 5.

    Two other Turkish security personnel were also wounded in the clash with terrorists while conducting reconnaissance and surveillance activity as part of Operation Y?ld?r?m-3.

    The wounded soldiers were transported to a hospital in A?r?, but despite all medical intervention, one of them could not be saved and succumbed to his wounds, the ministry said.

    The ministry also extended its condolences and wished patience to the late soldier’s family.

    Operation Y?ld?r?m-3 was launched on Aug. 25 in A?r? province to neutralize PKK terrorists in the region.

    The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union – has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years and has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people.

    More than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children, have been killed since July 2015, when the group resumed its armed campaign against the country.”

  14. Turkey ‘neutralizes’ 3 YPG/PKK in northern Syria
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-neutralizes-3-ypg-pkk-in-northern-syria/1995895

    “Turkish security forces “neutralized” three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria as part of a cross-border operation, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Monday.

    “Three YPG/PKK terrorists, who opened harassing fire in the Operation Olive Branch zone to disrupt peace and safety, have been neutralized by our heroic commandos,” the ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

    Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured…”

  15. 25 Daesh/ISIS terror suspects arrested in Turkish capital
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/25-daesh-isis-terror-suspects-arrested-in-turkish-capital/1995758

    “Turkish police arrested 24 Iraqis and a Finnish national in the capital Ankara with suspected links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group, security sources said on Monday.

    The suspects were arrested in simultaneous anti-terror operations at dawn after teams of Turkish police and intelligence agency determined that a total of 29 suspects have links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group and some of them were active in Syria, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

    Turkey will deport the suspects after interrogation. The operation is going on to arrest four other suspects on the run…”

  16. Germany’s refugee population falls for the first time in nine years
    https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-refugee-population-falls-for-the-first-time-in-nine-years/a-55160344

    “The number of refugees fell by over 60,000 between the end of 2019 and start of 2020. Several had their protection status revoked or expired, while others were prevented from entering Germany due to travel restrictions.

    The number of refugees living in Germany has fallen for the first time in nine years, according to the Interior Ministry.

    In the first half of 2020, the total number of refugees decreased from about 1.83 million at the end of 2019, to about 1.77 million people, a decrease of around 62,000 people.

    The figures emerged following an inquiry made by the Left Party (die Linke), regarding the number of migrants with secure housing and protection status.

    According to the figures, there are currently around 1.31 million refugees with secure residence in Germany – around 50,000 fewer than in the previous six months.

    Meanwhile, around 450,000 people are currently considered to be asylum seekers or tolerated persons within Germany – 15,000 fewer than in the previous year.

    Lost protection status, tough travel restrictions
    According to the Interior Ministry, the decline was primarily because several people saw their protection status revoked, withdrawn or expired. Meanwhile, travel restrictions implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic have prevented several asylum seekers from reaching Germany.

    Ulla Jelpke, the domestic affairs spokeswoman for die Linke heavily criticized the figures, and the impact of such restrictions.

    “Travel restrictions as a result of the pandemic ensure that only a few people seeking protection make it to Germany. The bottom line is that fewer — and not more — refugees live in Germany,” said Jelpke.

    ‘Unworthy conditions’ for migrants
    Jelpke also called on German authorities to facilitate the intake of a larger number of migrants from European countries with external borders.

    “We have space, the numbers show it. At the same time, tens of thousands of people seeking protection are stuck in the first European host countries in unworthy conditions.”

    German law provides for different categories of protection for refugees. The most common are asylum seekers and refugees in Germany who are recognized according to the Geneva Refugee Convention.

    This status is granted to anyone who can demonstrate they faced personal persecution at home because of their race, religion, nationality, political conviction or affiliation with a particular social group.

    If an asylum seeker can’t demonstrate his, the person can possibly be granted asylum under subsidiary protection, which is granted to individuals facing imminent danger or threats to their life if they return to their home country…”

  17. Italy: Salvini appears in court over ‘kidnapping’ charges, warns he will stop migrants once again
    https://rmx.news/article/article/italy-salvini-appears-in-court-over-kidnapping-charges-warns-he-will-stop-migrants-once-again

    “Senator Matteo Salvini, the leader of the populist League party, appeared in court over the weekend for preventing a ship filled with illegal migrants from docking at an Italian port when his party was in power.

    The former interior minister is accused of “abuse of power and kidnapping” for denying the Gregoretti — a coastguard ship that had been carrying 116 illegal migrants — permission to dock at a port in Lampedusa back in July of 2019.

    “I’ll head to the court with peace of mind and a clear conscience to have saved lives and defended my country,” Salvini told the press before attending his trial. “I will plead guilty to defending Italy and the Italians.”

    On Friday, the day before the preliminary hearing took place at a courthouse in the southern Sicilian city of Catania, Salvini also took to Twitter, writing: “I go to the trial with my head held high and my back straight. If I become a minister again, I will do everything exactly the same.”

    “I don’t think I broke any law, but I did what the Italians asked me to do,” the populist senator added.

    Salvini spoke to thousands of supporters gathered outside the courthouse, who chanted in support of Salvini, who leads the most popular party in Italy…”

  18. ‘No more migrants’ – Sweden changes its asylum policy
    https://rmx.news/article/article/no-more-migrants-sweden-changes-its-asylum-policy

    “Sweden, a country with one of the most liberal asylum policies in the world, is drastically changing its attitude towards migrants.

    Although the country will provide material aid to Greece, it has decided not to accept any refugees from the burned Moria camp or other Greek islands, unlike Germany, which has agreed to take in 1,500. Sweden has thus joined Austria and the Visegrád Four countries of Hungary, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, which refuse to accept migrants from the camp, writes Czech news portal Novinky.

    It is not clear whether the change of course in asylum policy concerns only the problem of relocating the 12,500 people from the destroyed Greek Moria camp, or whether Sweden is changing its approach to migration in general. The fact is, however, that the topic of migration dominated the 2018 Swedish elections, and Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is now under pressure. As Swedish media points out, his minority government coalition with the Green Party is the weakest in 70 years.

    In 2015, Sweden recorded over 160,000 asylum applications, which was the highest number per capita in Europe. Sweden, along with Germany, was one of the most sought-after destinations for refugees. At the time, the country was proud of its liberal approach.

    “My Europe does not build walls,” said Prime Minister Stefan Löfven at the time.

    After five years, the country faces a dramatic increase in crime and failures in its integration efforts.

    “If migration is so strong that integration is no longer successful, we risk further problems,” said Prime Minister Löfven last week…”

  19. Germany plans to spend €64.5 billion on migrants over next four years
    https://rmx.news/article/article/germany-plans-to-spend-64-5-billion-on-migrants-over-next-four-years

    “The German federal government will offer €64.5 billion over the next four years to deal with the consequences of the influx of migrants since 2015, with the money focused on integrating migrants and stopping the sources of flight, according to data from the German Finance Ministry.

    For the year 2021 alone, the German Ministry of Finance is planning to spend €20.1 billion, reported Der Spiegel.

    The majority of the financial resources will be used to combat the reasons why people migrant from their countries of origin, with €25.4 billion directed towards this purpose by 2024. This money could be used, for example, to build schools, infrastructure, and programs to reduce corruption in Third World countries, in order to encourage people to have less reason to flee.

    Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to spend another €8.2 billion on integration measures. At the same time, social benefits for migrants in Germany will amount to €22.9 billion.

    Given the enormous economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis, which the German state has already reacted to by spending billions, the extra cost of migrants is sure to raise questions about the sustainability of such spending over the long-term.

    Over 1.2 billion migrants could try to reach Europe
    Hungary has in the past encouraged more aid to countries at their source, and has launched its own initiatives through the Hungary Helps program. In a blog post this year for Hungary Helps, MEP György Hölvényi wrote that migration can be halted with the right financial aid to poorer countries.

    “First we must create security and stability, without which sustainable development is impossible to achieve. In order to provide long-term solutions, we must also invest in education and tuition to help alleviate one of the key problems of African economies: the lack of an educated workforce,” he wrote. “An educated workforce in healthcare and other sectors of the economy is instrumental in reinforcing local communities and contribute to building a more stable and sustainable society and economy.”

    Although there is hope that such aid programs could help stem the migrant wave from the Middle East and Africa, the rapidly growing populations in those regions coupled with endemic corruption, could mean that another massive wave could hit Europe over the coming years. The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) indicates that 1.2 billion individuals could be displaced due to food and water shortages over the next 30 years, with many of them setting course for Europe and North America.

    Germany has already paid enormous costs
    Last week, the German Ministry of Labor reported that refugees and their family members cost the state €6 billion every year. The information was released in response to a parliamentary request from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

    In May alone, the social costs for unemployed and low-income migrants and their family and household members amounted to more than €551 million euros.

    Germany has also paid enormous costs for training, employing and integrating refugees. In 2018, the German government spent a record €23 billion on migrants, including rent subsidies, jobless payments, language lessons, and other benefits. That figure does not account for what individual states spent either, with Hamburg’s government releasing data showing it spent €5.35 billion on asylum seekers between 2015 and the end of 2019.

    Migrants have also affected Germans in a variety of ways that may not show up in the German Finance Ministry data, but they are undoubtedly important to assessing the overall impact of Germany’s migrant crisis. For example, an elderly German couple was recently evicted from their home of 25 years in order to make room for refugees, which is just one of many such eviction cases.

    At the same time, Germany has spent enormous law enforcement resources, both in terms of time and money, monitoring jihadists. For example, Germans have already spent €5 million to ensure 24/7 surveillance and a four-officer police detail to ensure one high-risk radical Islamist does not commit a terrorist attack in the country. The disproportionately high amount of migrant crime has also cost the state enormous resources.”