Reader’s Links for February 6, 2021

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

79 Replies to “Reader’s Links for February 6, 2021”

  1. Iran’s Role in Yemen: US, EU Go Wobbly
    Majid Rafizadeh
    6-8 minutes

    The Iranian regime is delivering sophisticated weapons to Yemen’s Houthi militia group, which was designated as a terrorist organization by the previous US administration. Where are the European Union and the Biden administration on this issue? Pictured: Houthi militiamen in Sanaa, Yemen on January 11, 2021. (Photo by Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images)

    More evidence is emerging, including a recent report by the United Nations, showing that that the Iranian regime is delivering sophisticated weapons to the Houthi militia group in Yemen. The Houthi group was designated as a terrorist organization by the previous US administration.

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17027/iran-role-yemen

  2. White House Appears to Confirm Hunter Biden Still Holds Stake in Chinese Private Equity Firm
    By Allen Zhong
    February 6, 2021 Updated: February 6, 2021
    biggersmaller Print

    The White House press secretary appeared to confirm that President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden still holds a stake in a Chinese private equity firm.

    “He has been working to unwind his investment,” press secretary Jen Psaki said during a Friday press conference when asked about Hunter Biden’s stake in Bohai Harvest RST Shanghai Equity Investment Fund Management, commonly known as BHR Partners.

    Psaki’s remarks confirmed an early report by the Daily Caller saying Hunter Biden still holds a stake in the Chinese company.

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/white-house-hunter-biden-still-holds-stake-in-chinese-private-equity-firm_3687501.html?utm_source=newsnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-02-06-2

  3. Military ‘Extremism’ Purge May Lead to Communism: Former Navy Lt. Commander
    By Grace Coulter and Gary Du
    February 6, 2021 Updated: February 6, 2021
    biggersmaller Print

    Former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Steven Rogers said on Thursday that an order by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for the military to stand down to address “extremism” is unprecedented, unnecessary, and a dangerous road that leads to “communist China.”

    “This to me, dangerous, it looks like a political litmus test, and it’s a road that you would only find in communist China or in the former Soviet Union,” former Rogers told NTD.

    Austin ordered a DOD-wide stand down to address extremism in the ranks on Wednesday.
    Secretary of Defense

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/military-extremism-purge-may-lead-to-communism-former-navy-lt-commander_3687319.html?utm_source=newsnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-02-06-2

  4. Urban Flight to Self Reliant Communities – What You Need to Know (ENCORE) | Joel Salatin | Originally published on September 28, 2020
    Liberty and Finance – February 5, 2021

  5. Bahrain Says it Foiled Terrorist Plots to Bomb 2 Bank ATMs
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2789086/bahrain-says-it-foiled-terrorist-plots-bomb-2-bank-atms

    “Bahrain security services foiled terrorist plots to bomb two ATMs belonging to a national bank, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

    The bombs had been placed at the locations at different times on Wednesday morning, the ministry said in a statement, adding that a number of suspects had been arrested and the case had been referred to public prosecutors.

    “The concerned security authorities in cooperation with the National Security Agency foiled two terrorist plots which aimed to blow up two ATMs belonging to one of the national banks in the al-Naim and Jidhafs areas in the Capital Governorate,” the statement said.”

  6. Iran again warns US of dangers in delaying return to nuclear deal
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-warns-us-dangers-delaying-return-nuclear-deal

    “Iran’s foreign minister has urged Washington to act quickly to return to the 2015 nuclear accord, pointing out that legislation passed by parliament would force the government to harden its nuclear stance if US sanctions were not eased by 21 February.

    Mohammad Javad Zarif also referred to elections in Iran in June, saying that if a hardline president was elected, this could further jeopardise the deal, Reuters reported.

    “Time is running out for the Americans, both because of the parliament bill and the election atmosphere that will follow the Iranian New Year,” Zarif said in an interview with Hamshahri newspaper published on Saturday. Iran’s New Year begins on 20 March.

    The parliament, dominated by hardliners, passed legislation in December that set a two-month deadline for an easing of sanctions.

    Zarif’s latest comments follow an interview he gave to CNN at the beginning of February, in which he also warned the US about the dangers of delaying the process of returning to negotiations and the significance of the 21 February deadline…”

  7. Yemen’s Houthis: Saudi, Sudanese casualties during January operations
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210206-yemens-houthis-saudi-sudanese-casualties-during-january-operations/

    “Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, announced that almost 1,300 members of the Saudi-led Arab coalition forces were killed or wounded during the movement’s operations last January, including dozens of Saudi and Sudanese soldiers.

    On Friday, Houthi commander Yahya Saree revealed on Twitter that the movement’s forces in January managed to kill and wound 1,283 coalition forces, including 74 Saudis and 75 Sudanese.

    Saree added that the Houthi forces were also able to shoot down six spy planes and destroy 92 armoured vehicles and carriers owned by the enemy.

    The Saudi-led Arab coalition has not yet issued a comment on the Houthi announcement.”

  8. Saudi Arabia vows to continue its operations in Yemen
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210206-saudi-arabia-vows-to-continue-its-operations-in-yemen/

    “Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman announced on Friday that his country will continue its political and military support to the Yemeni government against Iranian-backed Houthi militias, news agencies reported.

    His comments came in response to US President Joe Biden’s decision to end US support for the kingdom’s military campaign in Yemen.

    Bin Salman, however, expressed: “We look forward to continuing working with our American partners to alleviate the humanitarian situation and find a solution to the Yemen crisis.”

    According to Anadolu Agency, he also reaffirmed the kingdom’s commitment to supporting diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement in Yemen based on the Gulf initiative, United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2216 and the outcomes of the Yemeni national dialogue…”

  9. Iraq: Man arrested for selling 2 women in Baghdad
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210206-iraq-man-arrested-for-selling-2-women-in-baghdad/

    “Iraqi authorities have arrested a man in Baghdad who was trying to sell two women for $60,000, Iraqi media reported on Friday.

    “One of our secret sources reported a person trading ladies in Al-Karkh neighbourhood,” according to Aramme.com.

    “After checking the information, it became clear that this person was planning to sell two ladies for $60,000,” the website disclosed. “Immediately, we found a task force and arrested the suspect who is due to be prosecuted over human trafficking.”

    Previously, Iraqi authorities arrested a man and his wife trying to sell their five-year-old son for $7,000, in a neighbourhood in Baghdad.

    Recently, video footage also exposed an Iraqi woman throwing her two babies in the river in Baghdad.”

  10. UN presses Somalia to outlaw FGM
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210206-un-presses-somalia-to-outlaw-fgm/

    “The United Nations on Saturday reiterated its call for Somalia’s government to pass legislation to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the country, Anadolu Agency reports.

    “FGM is a harmful practice that scars girls and women and endangers their health for life depriving them of their rights and denying them the chance to reach their full potential,” Anders Thomsen, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) representative for Somalia, said in a statement on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

    “I would like to reiterate the call on the government of Somalia to pass the zero tolerance for FGM legislation and the Sexual Offences Bill to act expeditiously to end the practice and protect the rights of girls and women.”

    According to the latest Somali Health and Demographic Survey, 99% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have been subjected to this extremely harmful and unacceptable practice, read the statement.

    Thomsen pointed out that the legislation against FGM “has been stuck in the legislative process for several years.”

    “Providing a legal framework which bans FGM will empower families and communities to stand firm and refuse to let their daughters be cut, putting an end to this gross violation of human rights,” he said.

    Activists in Somalia have been campaigning for an end to the dangerous practice and raising awareness on the issue.

    “Our primary goal at this time is to meet Somali parents and tell them the perils and health complications of FGM, and how it is actually really dangerous for their daughters,” Hussein Mohamed, founder of Stop FGM Somalia, told Anadolu Agency.

    “This is a horrible, painful, and dangerous practice that has to end.””

  11. German police beat up Turkish father, daughter
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210206-german-police-beat-up-turkish-father-daughter/

    “A Turkish father and his 17-year-old daughter were beaten by German police in the town of Ennepetal in the North Rhine-Westphalia state, Anadolu Agency reports.

    Cemil Basongen told Anadolu Agency that the police had used disproportionate force against him and his daughter, Yasemin, due to a simple incident on February 3.

    Basongen, who had come to Germany from Turkey in 2001 as a factory worker, said the incident occurred after his daughter had an argument with her friends, who then called the police.

    “While I was waiting for her outside, the police came within five minutes. The police had told my daughter to step away and so she went downstairs […] Because my daughter went downstairs, a female police officer angrily went after her and knocked down my 17-year-old daughter with another officer that had entered from outside [the house],” Basongen recounted.

    He said he was also attacked by another male officer when he tried to separate the police from his daughter in a bid to protect her.

    “That burly cop got on top of me. He punched me twice and I lost consciousness and he handcuffed me behind the back. At that time, they took my daughter in a police car. I was already unconscious and didn’t see this,” he said.

    Once at the police station, Basongen said he saw his daughter’s face and hair were covered in bloodstains.

    “When they opened the handcuffs and let me see my daughter, her face and hair were covered in blood. Before getting out of the vehicle in front of the police station, they had severely beaten her up. Her cheekbone was broken. Her nose was bleeding. There was no need for this beating. They called an ambulance and took her to the hospital,” Basongen said.

    He added that his daughter said the police had threatened to kill her.

    “I’ll file a criminal complaint against the police and seek my rights through legal means to the end,” Basongen said.”

  12. Turkey rescues 84 asylum seekers in Aegean Sea
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210206-turkey-rescues-84-asylum-seekers-in-aegean-sea/

    “The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 84 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea, Anadolu Agency reports.

    Sixty-five asylum seekers were trying to reach Greece’s Lesbos Island by motorboat but had to request help from Turkish authorities when the boat’s engine stopped, according to sources.

    A Turkish Coast Guard boat responded to the distress call and conducted a rescue operation off the coast of Ayvacik in Turkey’s western Balikesir province, the sources added.

    Separately, 19 asylum seekers, whose rubber boat was pushed by Greek coastal authorities into Turkish territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, were rescued by a coast guard team off the Dikili coast in the western Izmir province.

    After routine checks, the asylum seekers were sent to the provincial migration authority.

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

  13. Egyptian-American becomes Harvard Law Review’s first Muslim president
    https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2021/2/6/egyptian-american-becomes-harvard-law-reviews-first-muslim-president

    “An Egyptian-American has been elected as the Harvard Law Review’s first Muslim president in the publication’s 134-year history, Reuters reported on Friday.

    LA-born Harvard law school student Hassaan Shahawy was elected to the top position of the most prestigious US law journal, whose previous holders include former US President Barack Obama.

    Shahawy said he hoped his election represented “legal academia’s growing recognition of the importance of diversity, and perhaps its growing respect for other legal traditions”.

    “Coming from a community routinely demonized in American public discourse, I hope this represents some progress, even if small and symbolic,” Shahawy, 26, told Reuters.

    Shahawy graduated from Harvard as an undergraduate in 2016 with a degree in History and Near Eastern Studies. He then attended the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar to pursue a doctorate in oriental studies and studied Islamic law.

    Shahawy said he has been active working with refugee populations and on criminal justice reform.

    His future plans are unclear, though he cited the possibility of becoming a public interest lawyer or working in academia….”

  14. UAE’s Hope Probe set to enter Mars orbit at 7.42pm on Tuesday
    https://gulfnews.com/uae/science/uaes-hope-probe-set-to-enter-mars-orbit-at-742pm-on-tuesday-1.77003146

    “UAE’s Mars Mission, the first interplanetary exploration undertaken by an Arab nation, today announced it will enter Mars orbit at 7.42pm (UAE time) on February 9, Tuesday.

    After successfully completing its seven-month cruise to Mars, the UAE’s Mars Mission Hope Probe is just days away from the most critical part of its historic voyage to the Red Planet — the critical manoeuvre that will define the success or failure of the mission to place its orbiter, the Hope Probe, into Mars orbit….”

  15. ‘Do Not Travel to Algeria:’ US Warns of Terrorism, Kidnapping
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/02/334213/do-not-travel-to-algeria-us-warns-of-terrorism-kidnapping/

    “The US Department of State has raised its travel advisory for Algeria to level four, representing the highest risk for American travelers.

    The new designation, effective since February 1, cites terrorism and kidnapping as the main threats for US citizens in Algeria.

    Algeria is now one of only 33 countries around the world where the US Department of State strongly advises to avoid travel.

    Some other countries with level four threats are Iraq, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Venezuela, Yemen, Syria, North Korea, and Libya.

    The US Department of State recommends that US citizens avoid areas near the eastern and southern borders of Algeria, as well as areas in the Sahara Desert.

    “Avoid travel to rural areas within 50 km (31 miles) of the border with Tunisia and within 250 km (155 miles) of the borders with Libya, Niger, Mali, and Mauritania due to terrorist and criminal activities, including kidnapping,” the travel advisory said.

    “Do not travel overland in the Sahara Desert due to terrorist and criminal activity, including kidnapping,” it added.

    Algeria was among five countries that witnessed their threat level raise from three to four at the start of February. The other states were the Turks and Caicos Islands, Namibia, Botswana, and Bolivia.

    The update came only a few weeks after three Algerian army men and six terrorists were killed during an extensive firefight in the region of Tipaza, only one hour away from the capital Algiers.

    In 2020, several firefights between the Algerian military and terrorist groups took place in various regions across the country, notably near the eastern borders with Tunisia and Libya, and near the southern borders with Niger and Mali.”

  16. Here is a post on SOCIAL DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA, aka DSA.

    It turns out they are eating their own. They are now being designated as ‘White Supremacists’.

    – CIVIL WAR: Democratic Socialists of America Activist Leaves Group, Accuses DSA of White Supremacy

    The Democratic Socialists of America are “infected” with “white supremacy” says an activist who spent 10 years in the organization. –

    https://nationalfile.com/civil-war-democratic-socialists-of-america-activist-leaves-group-accuses-dsa-of-white-supremacy/

  17. NEW YORK: A judge doing his homework. I wonder if his ruling could open the door to other contested states.

    – Last Open House Race Ends After Months of Wrangling with One More Seat Flipped Red –

    A New York judge ruled Friday that Republican Claudia Tenney defeated U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi by 109 votes in the nation’s last undecided congressional race.

    The ruling by Judge Scott DelConte clears the way for Tenney to be sworn in as the representative for central New York’s 22nd Congressional District.

    DelConte’s ruling came after he spent three months reviewing ballot challenges and sorting through a myriad of problems with vote tabulation. He rejected an argument by Brindisi’s lawyers that certification of the election results should be delayed until an appeals court had a chance to review the case.

    DelConte’s order directed New York to certify results immediately.

    DelConte said only the U.S. House can order a new election or recount at this point.

    https://www.westernjournal.com/ap-last-open-house-race-ends-months-wrangling-one-seat-flipped-red/

  18. Ankara-Kiev defense ties based on win-win model: Envoy
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/ankara-kiev-defense-ties-based-on-win-win-model-envoy/2135708

    “Ukraine-Turkey cooperation in the defense industry is based on a win-win model, Kiev’s envoy to Ankara said Friday.

    “Ukraine engines are already being used in #AKINCI UAVs. Ukraine has serious experience in space, aviation, aircraft and tank engine production, radar systems. All these areas promise perspective,” said Andrii Sybiha as he responded to questions on Twitter under the #BuyukelciyeSor hashtag, or AsktheAmbassador, which was launched to commemorate the 29th anniversary of diplomatic relations of Ukraine-Turkey.

    Turkey’s attitude on Crimea is constant and unchanging, Sybiha said of the Ukraine-Turkey strategic partnership on Crimea.

    “Also, our cooperation in protecting the rights of Crimean Tatars is very effective. I believe this will be like this from now on too because there can be no explanation for the aggression, and violation of international law,” he said.

    On Ukraine’s vision on bilateral relations with China in the future, the ambassador said that Turkey is Ukraine’s key partner in the Black Sea region based on the geographical location and geopolitical situation of the region. “China is a strategic partner for Ukraine and we will actively develop our cooperation with this country.”

    Regarding a free trade agreement between the two countries, he said: “We believe that 2021 should be the year when the long negotiation process is completed and the agreement is signed.””