Reader’s Links for November 5, 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

72 Replies to “Reader’s Links for November 5, 2020”

  1. Assault on Iran to Cost Aggressors Dearly: IRGC General
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/11/05/2383533/assault-on-iran-to-cost-aggressors-dearly-irgc-general

    “The Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned the enemies of the heavy costs they would have to pay in case of any military action against Iran.

    In a meeting with the IRGC personnel in Iran’s southeastern city of Zahedan on Thursday, IRGC Deputy Commander for Coordination Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi highlighted the Islamic Republic’s great “deterrent power”.

    Iran’s deterrent power is so effective that any aggressors intending to attack Iran would realize the severe disadvantages of an assault after assessment of the situation, he added.

    “That’s why they (enemies) do not begin an aggression (against Iran).”

    Not many countries in the world enjoy deterrent power, Fadavi noted.

    Iranian military and political officials have repeatedly warned the enemies of the dire consequences of a military strike…”

  2. Coalition Destroys Houthi Drone Aimed at Saudi Southern Region
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2607806/coalition-destroys-houthi-drone-aimed-saudi-southern-region

    “The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Thursday that it has intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Iran-backed Houthi militias towards Saudi Arabia’s southern region.

    “Joint Coalition Forces have intercepted and destroyed this evening a bomb-laden UAV launched systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians in the Southern Region,” said Coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki.”

  3. Houthis Accused of Smuggling 14,000 Historical Yemeni Manuscripts
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2607406/houthis-accused-smuggling-14000-historical-yemeni-manuscripts

    “The Yemeni government has accused Houthi militias of looting and smuggling more than 14,000 ancient manuscripts and artifacts.

    During a recent cultural event in Marib, Sanaa Governor Abdul-Ghani Jamil called on Yemenis, including those interested in history and heritage, activists, intellectuals, writers and journalists to act against the group’s systematic targeting of Yemeni identity.

    Some attendees spoke of the “dreadful” crimes and violations committed by the militias against Yemeni cultural heritage.

    Employees working in antiquities accused Houthi leaders of being behind the looting and smuggling of many valuable manuscripts in the libraries of historical mosques, as well as carrying out systematic acts of destruction of hundreds of old manuscripts that contradict with their sectarian ideology.

    They told Asharq Al-Awsat that the militias’ “crimes” included hiding and destroying hundreds of manuscripts under the pretext that they contradict with their ideas, as well as smuggling large numbers of antiquities and manuscripts through mobs they support and supervise.

    Informed sources also told Asharq al-Awsat that the stolen antiquities are smuggled through illegal networks to be sold abroad.

    According to the sources, the acts of vandalism have affected parts of the old mosques and buildings in Old Sanaa and several other cities and provinces.

    They pointed out that Houthis have ordered the demolition of 11 ancient homes that were constructed more than six decades ago, west of the Great Mosque, accusing them of committing a crime against the Old City and the global human heritage.

    Activists and people interested in Sanaa’s ancient history urged international organizations, mainly UNESCO, to pressure the group to halt the demolition and address the risks threatening dozens of buildings in the historic city.”

  4. Yemeni PM: Qatar’s support for Houthis exposed
    https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/599979/SAUDI-ARABIA/Yemeni-PM-Qatars-support-for-Houthis-exposed

    “Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed said that the blatant interference of Iran and Qatar in the internal affairs of Yemen continues to be exposed. “Iran seeks to implement its destructive scheme through its tools in the region such as Qatar and the Houthi militia in Yemen,” he said.

    In an exclusive interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Saeed said that Qatar has left the Arab ranks and is treading a path employing subversive plans to target Yemen as well as the Arab Coalition’s efforts. Qatar is also extending its political, financial and media support for the Houthi coup militia,” he noted.

    The Yemeni leader affirmed that his country’s relationship with the Saudi-led Arab Coalition is that of a common destiny that seeks to preserve the security and stability of the region in the face of Iran’s plans to inflame the region with sectarianism as well as to extend its political and military control over Arab countries.

    “The brotherly relations and common interests have required a great deal of coordination at various levels. There are many pieces of evidence for the support and coordination between the Yemeni government and the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen under the leadership of Saudi Arabia,” he said while highlighting the great efforts made by the Kingdom to bring together various parties to sign the Riyadh Agreement.

    Saeed lauded the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting the Yemeni government under the leadership of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, as well as its efforts to restore the legitimacy of the state and put an end to the coup.

    “The Kingdom is a source of pride for the Yemeni government and people, and its positions are honest and concrete on the ground in terms of the policies and practices of various official and informal agencies in the Kingdom toward Yemen,” he added.”

  5. Bahrain convicts 51 people over ‘Iran links’
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201105-bahrain-convicts-51-people-over-iran-links/

    “The Bahrain High Criminal Court has convicted 51 people on charges of belonging to an “unnamed” militant group.

    Bahrain claimed the convicts received orders as well as weapons from the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to target “vital economic installations, security patrol sites, the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior and the Bahrain Defence Force”.

    The Gulf state said some of the detainees targeted a bank ATM machine and a transport company, while others possessed bombs and other items.

    The statement added that the arrests took place last year.

    The kingdom explained that 27 of the convicts reside outside the country and were sentenced in absentia.

    The court has sentenced the defendants to varying prison terms ranging from five years to life imprisonment and acquitted one person.

    The statement did not name any of the convicts.”

  6. IOM rescues 575 migrants off Libya coast
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201105-iom-rescues-575-migrants-off-libya-coast/

    “The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) yesterday said it had rescued 575 immigrants off the Libyan coast in separate operations over the past few days.

    “The Libyan coast guard rescued 443 migrants between 27 October and 2 November,” the IOM office in Libya said in a statement, adding that the migrants were returned home. It added that it had rescued another 132 migrants and returned them home.

    The organisation called for returning the immigrants to Libya, stressing that the port was “unsafe”. The statement pointed out that the number of migrants who had been returned to Libya since the beginning of 2020 exceeded 10,000.

    Despite the ongoing violence since the ousting of the former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country is a major transit point for migrants fleeing instability in other parts of Africa and the Middle East and seeking to head to Europe…”

  7. France condemns Erdogan over ‘violence’, threatens sanctions on Turkey
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201105-france-condemns-erdogan-over-violence-threatens-sanctions-on-turkey/

    “France has condemned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over alleged “declarations of violence” and has threatened sanctions against Turkey, amid increased tensions between the two states.

    French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made the comments in an interview with French radio station Europe 1, claiming: “There are now declarations of violence, even hatred, which are regularly posted by President Erdogan which are unacceptable.”

    Following a campaign launched last month by President Emmanuel Macron against “Islamist separatism”, the government set about shutting down some Muslim organisations, businesses, and even cafes within the country. One of those organisations were the largest French Muslim NGO BarakaCity which was dissolved a week ago, prompting its founder to seek asylum in Turkey.

    Macron also refused to condemn disrespectful cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), stating that France will not give up making the caricatures based on freedom of expression. In response, Erdogan said that Macron suffers from mental health issues, leading to France pulling out its ambassador from Turkey.

    Le Drian stressed: “It is not only France that is targeted, there is a total European solidarity on the subject – we want Turkey to renounce this logic.” Turkey’s continued condemnation of Macron and the French government’s actions, he warned, could result in sanctions. “There are means of pressure, there is an agenda of possible sanctions.”

    As a result of France’s crackdown on its Muslim community and Macron’s acceptance of the inflammatory cartoons, a boycott of French products, brands, and businesses throughout Muslim-majority countries has been enforced by non-governmental entities. While the boycott has been in force by those entities in countries such as Kuwait and Qatar, Erdogan has been vocal in his support for the boycott, officially calling for it to be implemented in Turkey.

    Macron has been adamant that his government is not targeting Islam itself, but radical and political elements of it that alleged threaten French secular values. In a letter to the editor of the British newspaper the Financial Times yesterday, Macron insisted that he is against “Islamist separatism, never Islam.”

    He aimed to correct an article by the paper which he claimed had misquoted him as “stigmatising French Muslims for electoral purposes and of fostering a climate of fear and suspicion towards them.” He firmly stated that “I will not allow anybody to claim that France, or its government, is fostering racism against Muslims.””

  8. 29 irregular migrants held in Turkish capital
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/29-irregular-migrants-held-in-turkish-capital/2033567

    “At least 29 irregular migrants have been held in the Turkish capital Ankara, according to a security source on Thursday.

    Police’s anti-migrant smuggling teams in Ankara rounded up the migrants of Afghan origin in Cankaya and Golbasi districts over the past two days, said the source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

    Procedures are underway to deport the migrants, it added.

    Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants aiming to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.”

  9. Daesh/ISIS terror attack kills 4, injures 3 in Iraq
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/daesh-isis-terror-attack-kills-4-injures-3-in-iraq/2033689

    “At least four people, including a police officer, were killed and three others injured in two separate attacks Thursday by the Daesh/ISIS terror group in Iraq’s eastern Diyala governorate.

    Habib al-Shimmar, the police captain at the Diyala Security Directorate, told Anadolu Agency that terrorists via remote control detonated an explosive planted in a roadway near Baqubah, the capital of the governorate.

    The attack killed three people and injured three others, al-Shimmar said.

    Another explosive was detonated during transfer of security forces to the scene of the incident and killed a police officer.

    He said security forces launched an operation in the region to capture those responsible.

    Late 2017, officials in Baghdad declared that the military presence of Daesh/ISIS in Iraq had been all but destroyed.

    But the terrorists still have a presence in rural areas of Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Mosul.

    The Iraqi army continues to carry out frequent operations against the group in parts of the country.”

    • AUSTRIA – VIENNA – All 15 detained over Vienna terrorist attack part of radical Islamist network – Austrian public security director

      Austrian authorities have confirmed that all 15 of the people arrested in connection with the Vienna attack were part of a radical Islamist group, and two had previously been jailed for an attempted honor killing.

      The public security director of Austria, Franz Ruf, told a news conference on Thursday that everybody who had been arrested in relation to the terrorist attack on Monday was part of a radical Islamist network.

      Ruf was joined by Interior Minister Karl Nehammer, who said that eight of the group – who were arrested in a series of raids following a search of the deceased gunman’s home – had previous convictions for various crimes.

      Four of the detainees had been convicted of terror offenses, two had been arrested for committing violent crimes, and another two had received long prison terms for an attempted honor killing in the Austrian city of Linz.

      Ruf said that the two convicted for the attempted honor killing were released early from prison. One had been sentenced to 10 years’ incarceration in 2012 but was released in 2017, while the other was given five years and six months but was set free in 2015.

      The interior minister also revealed more details from the Vienna investigation, adding that the Austrian authorities had identified the deceased gunman within four hours, and that the lines of investigation also led to other countries.

      Nehammer noted that they were working with Europol and the Swiss authorities, as they were dealing with an international terrorist network.

      The minister confirmed on Wednesday that Slovak intelligence had tipped off the Austrian authorities in the summer, after the gunman – who had previously been jailed for trying to join the Islamic State – travelled to Slovakia and attempted to buy ammunition for a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle. Nehammer said the information had then somehow been lost in a communications blunder.

      The government has been heavily criticized by the opposition since admitting the intelligence fumble.

      https://www.rt.com/news/505753-austria-terrorist-islamist-intelligence-gunman/