Reader’s Links for December 27, 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

46 Replies to “Reader’s Links for December 27, 2020”

  1. Second hacking team, not the Russian team, targeted SolarWinds
    Reuters reported on the 19th that a second hacking group, different from the suspected Russian team now associated with the major SolarWinds data breach, also targeted the company’s products earlier this year, according to a security research blog by Microsoft.

    “The investigation of the whole SolarWinds compromise led to the discovery of an additional malware that also affects the SolarWinds Orion product but has been determined to be likely unrelated to this compromise and used by a different threat actor,” the blog said.

    Security experts told Reuters this second effort is known as “SUPERNOVA.” It is a piece of malware that imitates SolarWinds’ Orion product but it is not “digitally signed” like the other attack, suggesting this second group of hackers did not share access to the network management company’s internal systems.

    https://www.independentsentinel.com/second-hacking-team-not-the-russian-team-targeted-solarwinds/

  2. https://www.independentsentinel.com/second-hacking-team-not-the-russian-team-targeted-solarwinds/

    Those hoping to spend holiday gift cards or go grocery shopping with a credit card in Tennessee may have to wait.

    Multiple stores in Tennessee and some surrounding states reported internet outages Saturday due to the explosion that damaged an AT&T building in Nashville Friday morning.

    The damage from the blast also caused outages for some phones and 911 systems in multiple Tennessee and Kentucky counties.

    Walmart confirmed Saturday afternoon that the outages impacted multiple stores. Shoppers took to social media to report Walmart closures in some locations, while others accepted only cash.

    “Due to the AT&T outage, some of our stores are experiencing temporary internet outages,” Walmart said in a statement. “This may impact our ability to process credit card transactions and process returns.”

    https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2020/12/26/at-t-outages-caused-nashville-bombing-impact-retailers-card-machines/4050069001/

    (Richard: This and the phone outage in Red States are part of the goal of the bombing, antifa wants to spread chaos and do it in such a way that they are hard to catch. I wonder if the credit/debit card problem was part of the plan or an unexpected consequence of the bombing?)

  3. Ahead of CCP’s 100-year celebration, Xi uses fake news, fudged data, lies to praise his achievements

  4. Video shows officials can change votes; Election witnesses alarmed by irregularities | NTD Recap

    • Thanks EB! I was just about to post this. Great, great interview!!

      I predict that if PT sticks around America’s enemies will dump its treasury bills in an attempt to raise interest rates and crash the dollar.

  5. Iran Deploys Short-Range Missiles in Iraq After Attack on Green Zone Hosting US Embassy, Reports Say (sputniknews, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202012271081578900-iran-deploys-short-range-missiles-in-iraq-after-attack-on-green-zone-hosting-us-embassy-reports-say/

    “The transfer is said to have taken place at the Shalamcheh border crossing and was performed in two stages under the supervision of Iranian military personnel. Iran also reportedly dispatched two IRGC units to operate the missiles and drones.

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deployed short-range missiles and drones to Iraq, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas reported, citing anonymous sources inside Iran.

    According to the sources, the rockets in question were domestically-made Arash guided missiles and were delivered to facilities and camps of pro-Iran Iraqi armed groups.

    The sources did not specify what type of drones were deployed, but noted that they were also produced in Iran and are stationed in high-security sites in Iraq’s south.

    The sources emphasised that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could potentially use the hardware to hit targets within Iraq and in neighbouring countries in the coming weeks or after US President Donald Trump leaves the White House.

    Al-Qabas also cites the sources as saying that Esmail Ghaani, head of the IRGC’s Quds Force, raised the question during his visit to Iraq of retaliation for Mohsen Fakhrizadeh’s murder. Fakhrizadeh, a prominent nuclear scientist, was killed in November in an attack Iran believes was perpetrated by Israel.

    The reported deployment of Iranian military hardware to Iraq comes amid renewed tensions between the US and Iran in the wake of an attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad, which Trump blamed on Iran.

    Tehran has denied the accusations as groundless and false.”

  6. Ankara Says Any Attack on Turkish Troops to Make Haftar Forces ‘Legitimate Targets’ (sputniknews, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/africa/202012271081578979-ankara-says-any-attack-on-turkish-troops-to-make-haftar-forces-legitimate-targets/

    “Ankara will deem the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) a “legitimate target” should it try to attack Turkish troops deployed in the North African country, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said.

    “Haftar and those who support him should know that any attempt to attack Turkish military personnel will make them legitimate targets”, Akar said, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

    On Saturday, Akar visited Libya at the helm of Turkey’s military top brass. The delegation met with senior state and military officials from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and visited Turkish troops deployed in the country. Days before the visit, the commander of the rival LNA, Khalifa Haftar, urged his army to clear the country of Turkish “colonisers”…”

  7. Canada’s Ontario finds two cases of virus variant first seen in UK | World News | WION News
    459 views
    •Dec 27, 2020

  8. Militants attack checkpoint in Pakistan, killing at least 7 (abcnews, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militants-attack-checkpoint-pakistan-killing-74922350

    “At least seven Pakistani security men were killed when a group of militants attacked a paramilitary checkpoint early Sunday in a province rocked for years by an insurgency, a statement from Pakistan’s army said.

    Officials say gunmen attacked the Frontier Corps post in the district of Harnai in Baluchistan province.

    Senior police officer Shawli Tareen gave a slightly higher death toll than the army, saying that during the exchange of gunfire early Sunday morning, six paramilitary troops and two private guards were killed. He said six other troops were critically wounded in the attack.

    The attackers fled the scene and made their way into the mountainous terrain before other security teams could arrive to assist, Tareen said.

    The attack on the Frontier Corps comes a day after a bomb exploded near a soccer field, killing two spectators and wounding another six in Panjgur district in southwestern Baluchistan.

    No group immediately claimed responsibility for either attack. Similar attacks in the past have been claimed by separatist groups in the area. Islamic militants also operate in the region.

    Baluchistan has been battling an insurgency for more than a decade. Baluch separatists demand complete autonomy or a massive share to locals from the province’s gas and mineral resources.”

  9. (Richard: The left is bringing this evil to the US under the name if Critical Race Theory where everyone has to learn how racist they are.)

    Shocking North Korea’s Self-Criticism Sessions

  10. School Wouldn’t Let Her Son Opt Out Of Class That Promotes Anti-White Racism. Now She’s Suing.

    Across the country, schools, businesses, and governments have implemented training and classes that promote the idea that all white people are racist and must atone for their racism, even if they haven’t said or done anything racist.

    In Nevada, Gabrielle Clark didn’t want her son, William, to attend a mandatory class at his charter school that promoted “hostility toward whites as a race,” The College Fix’s Greg Piper reported. Gabrielle previously threatened to file a lawsuit against the school for forcing him to take the class, and this week she made good on that threat.

    https://www.dailywire.com/news/school-wouldnt-let-her-son-opt-out-of-class-that-promotes-anti-white-racism-now-shes-suing?itm_source=parsely-api?utm_source=cnemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=122721-news&utm_campaign=position5

  11. REPORT: FBI Received Two Previous Tips About Nashville Person of Interest

    Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, has been named as a person of interest.

    A Nashville man named as a person of interest in the Christmas Day bombing outside of an AT&T building in the Tennessee city was reportedly the subject of two tips submitted to the FBI previously.

    63-year old Anthony Quinn Warner was named a person of interest in the bombing on Saturday morning. Authorities determined that Warner was registered as the owner of the RV that exploded with great force in Nashville early Friday morning, after a warning instructing anyone in the area to evacuate to avoid casualties played.

    CBS News reported that the FBI had previously received tips about Warner. Law enforcement raided Warner’s residence on Saturday, and previous imagery of the location showed at least one RV parked on the premises.

    It’s unclear if Warner is even alive or dead at this point, with authorities finding “human remains” at the scene of the crime on Friday. Warner has not been so much as formally named as a suspect, raising the possibility that the 63-year old man has no connection to the bombing.

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Korneski reported that the agency has received over 500 tips since requesting assistance from the public in their investigation. The nature of previous FBI tips regarding Warner is unclear.

    Warner appears to have owned an electronics business called Customs Alarms Electronics in Nashville, now or in the recent past.

    The story is rapidly developing, and Big League Politics is closely monitoring for further updates.

    https://bigleaguepolitics.com/report-fbi-received-two-previous-tips-about-nashville-person-of-interest/

    (Richard: For those who are suffering from Deje Vu the same script is being played out as was used on the Vegas shooting. Some of the Propaganda Media say the man was outspoken against the 5G wireless network, this is suppose to be the motive for the attack. He doesn’t fit the profile that all of the other bombers/terrorists have, like one of my Professors in Collage said: “Don’t be afraid to trust yourself, if your experience is BS it is probably BS.” I think Sassy is right and that the human remains were from either a heavily drugged fall guy or a dead fall guy.

  12. Was This a Attack on AT&T?
    Posted on December 26, 2020 by Thomas K

    Federal investigators have identified a person of interest in connection with the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville on Christmas Day and were searching a home associated with that person, law enforcement officials said Saturday.

    Investigators from multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies were at a home in Antioch, in suburban Nashville, after receiving information relevant to the investigation, said FBI Special Agent Jason Pack. Another law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said investigators regard a person associated with the property as a person of interest in the bombing.

    Earlier Saturday, investigators said at a news conference they are looking at a number of individuals who may be connected to the bombing but have also found no additional explosive devices — indicating no active threat to the area.

    https://www.tacticalshit.com/was-this-a-attack-on-att/?utm_source=TSM-News&utm_medium=email&utm_content=subscriber_id:18149893&utm_campaign=TS%2012/26%20News%20Master%20%23at&t

  13. Another thing to make you go HHHHMMMMMM…….
    BY SPECTRUM NEWS STAFF AND BRIANNA HAMBLIN ROCHESTER
    UPDATED 1:39 PM ET DEC. 25, 2020

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A huge fire in downtown Rochester has destroyed a longtime printing business.

    The fire caused the front of the City Blue Imaging Services building to collapse in the overnight hours. Spectrum News cameras captured that scary moment.

    https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/public-safety/2020/12/25/large-fire-destroys-rochester-printing-business

  14. Last Byzantine Greeks Facing Extinction in Islamist-Led Turkey (breitbart, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/12/27/last-byzantine-greeks-facing-extinction-in-islamist-led-turkey/

    “The Greeks who represent the last vestiges of Christian Byzantium and the Roman Empire are heading towards their final extinction in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey, with their numbers dwindling to a mere handful under his Islamist government.

    What is now Turkey only began to be colonised in by the Turkic peoples in earnest from around 1071, after their Seljuk ancestors had arrived from Central Asia and vanquished the Greek-speaking Christian ruler Romanos IV Diogenes’s forces at the Battle of Manzikert.

    The last vestiges of the Byzantine state where finally snuffed out with the brutal conquest of Constantinople, widely regarded as the greatest Christian city in the world, in 1453, or arguably with the fall of the citadel of Salmeniko Castle in modern-day Greece in 1461, following a brave but doomed resistance by its commander, Konstantinos Graitzas Palaiologos.

    Despite widespread massacres and enslavement during the Turkish conquests, however, the region’s Greeks survived and were allowed something of a cultural life, albeit as second-class citizens, for centuries — not least because they served as cash cows for their Muslim rulers through the imposition of the jizya tax.

    But Greeks in Istanbul, as Constantinople is now called, have now tumbled from 200,000 as recently as 1914 to, officially, a mere 3,000 — and a Times correspondent who visited the city to interview some of the survivors, known as the Rum, reports that the true figure may be nearer to just one thousand.

    The Times correspondents’ interview subjects did not describe a life as hard as that endured by some of their forebears, such as in 1821, when many of the city’s Greeks were massacred and the Patriarch of Constantinople hanged from the gate of his cathedral, or in 1955, when the security services organised violent pogroms against them in what POLITICO dubbed a “Turkish Kristallnacht”.

    “Everyone is gone now,” said Lazari Kozmaoglu, the 75-year-old owner of a rare pork butcher’s shop.

    “When I was young, I used to get worn out saying hello to everyone I walked past on the street. Now it’s so lonely,” he said, recalling that the neighbourhood was home to some 5,000 Greeks in his use — reduced to just seven now.

    Mr Kozmaoglu has now passed away himself, leaving his sons to carry the torch.

    Neither the interviewees, perhaps understandably, or their interviewer, perhaps less understandably, touched to any great extent on the reasons so many Greeks have fled their ancestral homeland in recent years — and, indeed, decades — but the mood against such minorities in the once strongly secular but now Islamist-led republic is souring.

    The authorities have made it increasingly difficult for Orthodox Christians to receive a religious education for example, and some historic churches and monasteries have been demolished or repurposed as mosques, sometimes with little warning.

    The most (in)famous casualty was the former Church of the Holy Wisdom, or Hagia Sophia, forcibly converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest but turned into a secular museum after the fall of the Ottoman dynasty in the early 20th century, with much of its priceless Christian artwork uncovered.

    Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has now turned it into a mosque once again, dismaying Christians the world over.”

  15. Almost Half of Swedish Coronavirus ICU Patients are Migrants (breitbart, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/12/27/almost-half-of-swedish-coronavirus-icu-patients-are-migrants/

    “Nearly half of those in intensive care units (ICU) due to complications from the Wuhan coronavirus across Sweden are from migrant backgrounds.

    A total of 46 per cent of those in ICUs in Sweden are from migrant backgrounds according to a report. Given that Sweden’s foreign-born population is around one-fifth of the total number of residents of the country, the figures suggest that migrants are serious over-represented in coronavirus statistics.

    According to a report from Swedish newspaper Expressen, migrants also account for nearly half of those who have died of the Wuhan coronavirus under the age of 65, with native Swedes making up the majority of those over 65 who have fell victim to the disease.

    The paper notes several reasons that migrants have been disproportionately affected by the disease such as socio-economic factors as migrants have a much higher unemployment rate than native Swedes, and the paper also lists overcrowding and larger average household sizes. Nevertheless, migrants are much younger, than average, than the broad Swedish population.

    The Swedish Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine (CEM) released a report in November on the spread of the coronavirus in Stockholm and found socio-economic factors to be the main reason for the increased number of infections among migrants.

    The report did not claim, however, that a lack of information was a factor for migrant communities, as had been suggested earlier this year when it was reported that Stockholm’s Somali community had been hit especially hard by the virus.

    Sweden is not the only country to see migrant-background and minority communities hit harder by the coronavirus. In Italy, Minister for Regional Affairs Francesco Boccia inadvertently revealed in August that migrants made up as many as 25 per cent of the coronavirus infections.

    Finland reported a similar trend earlier this month, with the country’s National Institute of Health and Welfare (THL) admitting that a quarter of the coronavirus cases involved non-Finnish speakers as patients.”

  16. Two Nigerian Males Charged Over Stowaway Migrants on Tanker That Ended in UK Special Forces Raid (breitbart, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/12/27/two-nigerian-males-charged-over-stowaway-migrants-on-tanker-that-ended-in-uk-special-forces-raid/

    “Two men appeared in Southampton Crown Court on Saturday, charged with alleged crimes relating to a major security alert in the English Channel that led to British special forces raiding an oil tanker.

    Matthew John Okorie, 25 and Sunday Sylvester, 22 were charged with endangering a ship under the UK’s Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and will appear in court again in January for trial. They are two of seven men who were arrested onboard the Nave Andromeda oil tanker in October after the crew reported the presence of stowaways on the ship.

    All of those arrested are reported to be of Nigerian origin, and the operators of the Greek ‘owned’, Liberian-flagged ship said they believed the men boarded the ship while it was moored off Lagos.

    There was a ten-hour standoff in the Channel as the crew of the ship retreated to a safe position, still in control of the ship but apparently unable to bring it alongside. The situation was brought to an end after members of Britain’s Special Boat Service — the UK equivalent of U.S. Navy SEALs — boarded the tanker from the air.

    Britain’s BBC reports the remaining men of the stowaway group who have not yet been charged are being detained under powers exercised by the UK Border Force.”

  17. Young Muslim Assaulted in France for Celebrating Christmas, Reports Say (sputniknews, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/europe/202012271081580226-young-muslim-assaulted-in-france-for-celebrating-christmas-reports-say/

    “Just like in many parts of the world, Christmas Day is a public holiday and a special occasion for France and its people. But it appears that not everyone is ready to embrace the jolly season – or even let others enjoy it.

    A 20-year-old Muslim man from Belfort, France has been assaulted after he posted photos on Snapchat in which he is seen celebrating Christmas, a police source told AFP on Saturday.

    According to the source, the victim received a threatening message after he published pictures from an acquaintance he knew from school and his football club.

    “I’ll show you what a real Arab is”, the message said.
    To clarify the situation, the young man decided to meet with his schoolmate only to be ambushed by five people who attacked him and threatened him if he files a complaint.

    The victim’s mother, a police officer, said that the incident would not go unaswered, calling the “sectarian and racist” behaviour of the mob “unacceptable in the 21st century”.

    “Everyone is free to celebrate what they want and the way they see it fit”, she was quoted as saying.

    France has recently introduced tougher measures against Islamism in response to the brutal beheading of a teacher in a Parisian suburb.”

  18. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah Ripped by Muslim Fans for His Family Christmas Pictures (sputniknews, Dec 27, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/society/202012271081581297-liverpools-mohamed-salah-ripped-by-muslim-fans-for-his-family-christmas-pictures/

    “The footballer took to social networks on Christmas to share festive vibes and wish a happy holiday to his audience. However, with some it didn’t strike quite such a positive chord, despite the cheerfulness of the message.

    Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah has drawn the ire of Muslim fans who were disappointed about the fact that the Egypt-born footballer posed together with his family in front of a well-decorated Christmas tree, wishing a happy holiday.

    Some Muslims who have been following the famed forward quickly lashed out at him over what they say was his failure to observe Quranic regulations.

    “As a Muslim we should not celebrate or even congratulate other religions in their celebrates [sic] that’s all”, one fumed, with another angry reply stating:

    “That’s why [Arsenal and Egypt player] Mohammed Elneny is the Egyptian king & not u”.
    “It is not permissible to celebrate the holidays of the infidels”, read another comment in Arabic, whereas another brought up Russian UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is also Muslim, as an example of faith and loyalty to Islamic dogmas.

    “This is why I love ufc BROTHER KHABIB the most from all the famous MUSLIM stars… He never COMPROMISES his deen Alhamdulilla”, the user posted.

    Many, however, stood up in Salah’s defence, stressing the undeniable positivity of his message and arguing that the landmark Christian holiday has in recent years been greatly commercialised and now has little to do with religion and faith at all.

    “I live in Dubai and Xmas trees in all the malls, Xmas songs in all the shops, Xmas markets everywhere and that’s in a Muslim country, imagine that but intensified times 100 in the UK, is he really gonna deprive his daughter of all that joy & happiness her friends are experiencing?” one wondered…”

  19. (You have to turn the volumn way up)

    LIVE: Officers involved in evacuation before Nashville explosion speak to the media (Dec. 27) | NTD

  20. #97 Is South Korea Becoming Like North Korea? | Yeonmi Park | China Unscripted
    17,570 views
    •Dec 23, 2020

  21. Saudization of 19 accounting professions to be implemented from June 11, 2021
    https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/601864/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudization-of-19-accounting-professions-to-be-implemented-from-June-11-2021

    ” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development will start implementing Saudization of the accounting professions effective from June 11, 2021 (Dhul Qada 1, 1442), and this would cover as many as 19 accounting streams.

    Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learned from ministry sources that the ministry will provide a package of incentives and support to the private sector in employing Saudi accountants.

    These include supporting the recruitment process; searching for suitable employees; supporting training and rehabilitation necessary to ensure job stability for accountants and giving priority to benefit from all available Saudization support programs.

    The sources indicated that the ministry has classified accounting professions that are targeted for Saudization into 19 types according to the automatic coding of professions in the ministry.

    These professions include manager of financial affairs and accounting; manager of accounts and budget; manager of financial reports department; manager of zakat and taxes department; manager of the internal audit department; manager of the general audit department; head of the internal audit program.

    It also includes, financial controller; internal auditor; senior financial auditor; general accountant; cost accountant; auditor, general accounts technician; auditing technician; cost accounts technician; financial audit supervisor; cost clerk and finance clerk.

    Citing the procedural guide to localize the accounting professions, the ministry stated that in the event that the establishment does not adhere to the required Saudization percentage, all electronic transactions for the accounting professions will be stopped.

    These transactions include issuing visas for the profession, transferring service of an employee to the profession, changing the profession, automatic issuance of work permits for the profession, in addition to the penalty for violating the Saudization of professions that are restricted to Saudis, according to the system.

    The ministry stressed that it will impose statutory penalties for employing any fraudulent means in the event that any worker in the establishment is caught practicing any of the accounting professions targeted for Saudization under another professional title, different from the name written in the work permit.

    Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi recently issued a ministerial decision to Saudize 30 percent of accounting professions in the private sector. The decision, which will create more than 9,800 jobs for Saudis, will be applicable to private sector firms where five or more of staffers with accounting professions are working.

    According to the decision, Saudi accountants are required to obtain professional accreditation from the Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants.

    It is also a condition for the calculation of the Saudi accountant in the Nitaqat Saudization program that his wages should not be less than SR6,000 for holders of bachelor degrees and SR4,500 for diploma holders.

    The decision aims to provide decent job opportunities for qualified young Saudi men and women in the labor market and to promote productive and sustainable localization.

    It is noteworthy that the ministry seeks to increase the representation of Saudis in the labor market, and raise the productivity of national human cadres through continuous training to enhance their skills and capabilities so as to qualify them to take up challenging positions in the employment market.”

  22. Hundreds of Displaced Syrians Flee North Lebanon Camp
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2706716/hundreds-displaced-syrians-flee-north-lebanon-camp

    “Hundreds of Syrian refugees were forced to flee their makeshift camp in north Lebanon after their tents were torched when fighting broke out between local youths and camp residents, aid officials said on Sunday.

    At least three were injured in the incident on Dec.26 in the Miniyeh region near the coastal city of Tripoli, which was followed by angry youths setting the campsite on fire, Lebanon’s state-owned National News Agency said.

    The fire raged for four hours and firefighters tried to put it out, the Lebanese civil defense said.

    A Lebanese official said the army is investigating the cause of the fire and conducting raids to round up those responsible for the altercation…”

  23. Turkey Says it Killed 15 Kurdish Fighters in Northeast Syria
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2706736/turkey-says-it-killed-15-kurdish-fighters-northeast-syria

    “Turkey said on Sunday its military killed 15 Syrian Kurdish YPG members, who it said were preparing to carry out an attack in a region of northeast Syria controlled by Turkey and its Syrian opposition allies.

    In an offensive last year dubbed the Peace Spring Operation, Turkey seized a 120-km stretch of border territory in northeast Syria from the YPG, which it considers a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

    “Our heroic commandos dealt another heavy blow to the PKK/YPG terrorist organization. Fifteen PKK/YPG terrorists trying to infiltrate the Peace Spring region from the south to carry out an attack were neutralized with the successful intervention of our commandos,” Turkey’s Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

    Turkey halted its offensive, which was widely condemned by Ankara’s Western allies as the YPG was a key US ally in the fight against ISIS, after striking deals with Russia and the United States.

    Moscow has said the YPG withdrew to at least 30 km from Turkey’s border, but Ankara has been skeptical and held out the possibility of new attacks if militants remain.”

  24. Turkey ‘neutralizes’ 148 terrorists since July
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-neutralizes-148-terrorists-since-july/2090263

    “Turkish security forces “neutralized” 148 terrorists as part of the anti-terror Yildirim operation in the country that was launched on July 13, the Interior Ministry said Sunday.

    Turkish authorities use the word “neutralized” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

    In a statement, the ministry said that 77 collaborators of terrorists were captured, while 571 caves, shelters and warehouses used by the terrorists were also destroyed.

    A large number of arms and ammunition, food and life-sustaining materials were also seized, the statement added.

    The separatist PKK terrorist group cannot set up bases in winter, and it does not have capability to move freely or communicate across the country, it said.

    The Operation “Yildirim-17 Besta” continues to completely eliminate the existence of the terror group, and prevent it from gaining the capabilities it has lost.

    “The Yildirim-17 Besta Operation continues, which was initiated by our Ministry in the provinces of Van, Sirnak and Siirt under the management of the Van Gendarmerie Public Security Corps Command.”

    As much as 197 operational teams consisting of 3,251 personnel, including teams of Gendarmerie Commando, Gendarmerie Special Operations (JOH), Police Special Operations (POH) and security guard teams, are taking part in the operation.

    In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.”

  25. Turkey trains Libyan Navy in underwater warfare
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-trains-libyan-navy-in-underwater-warfare/2090576

    “Turkey’s Armed Forces have provided the Libyan Navy with five weeks of training in underwater warfare, Turkish defense officials said Sunday.

    The move is part of Turkey’s commitment to Libya based on agreements between the two countries, the officials said.

    According to a statement by the Turkish Defense Ministry, multi-faceted training for Libya’s Armed Forces is continuing under the Military Training, Cooperation and Consultancy Agreement.

    In addition, coast guard ship training started on Dec. 20 and will last for six weeks, the statement said.

    In November 2019, Turkey and Libya signed pacts on security cooperation and maritime boundaries.

    Turkey has aided Libya’s UN-recognized government against attacks by militias loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar.”